In the weeks since movement pioneer Warren Lamb died at the age of 90, I have had many occasions to reflect Warren’s life, our friendship, and what Warren fashioned from the insights he garnered from Rudolf Laban.
Laban referred to movement as “man’s magic mirror.” Lamb found a way to capture what is reflected in movement and give it practical relevance. In doing so, he moved far, far beyond “body language.”
The Movement Pattern Analysis profile Lamb developed reveals a person’s unique motivational pattern. It shows what kind of challenges are stimulating, and what kinds of demands cause stress. Thus the profile enables the individual to grasp where his strengths lie and to find a situation to suit those strengths.
As one of Lamb’s clients recently wrote to me:
“I often think about my profile. It has helped me know what to get involved in and how to avoid pitfalls. If only I could have had it at 20 years old!”
Lamb himself summed up his legacy in the following way:
“Much of my life’s work has been dedicated to helping people become aware of their distinctive pattern of movement so that they can, truly, be free.”