Laban did some of his most important work during the last two decades of his life. He extended his study of movement beyond dance – to physical and mental labor, movement for actors, physical education for children, and even psychotherapy.
Each time Laban turned his eyes to a different arena of human activity, he developed his ideas. And he wrote a book – Effort, The Mastery of Movement on the Stage, Modern Educational Dance, and Effort and Recovery (which remains unpublished).
Mastery of Movement builds on notions of basic efforts used in work movements but extends these to characterize the kinds of kinetic energies found in expressive movements and emotional moods. Now in its fourth edition, The Mastery of Movement remains the most complete explanation of effort written by Laban himself.
Mastery is worth reading – and even better when read with a guide! Find out more in the upcoming MoveScape Center correspondence course, “Mastering Laban’s Mastery of Movement.