I find Laban’s Mastery of Movement insightful and inspiring – but it is not an easy read. Chapters 2 and 3 alone can be daunting. Over the course of 60 pages, Laban introduces the reader to the analysis of simple and complex bodily movements through verbal descriptions and short movement notations (added by Lisa Ullmann). The reader is meant to get up and perform these movement sequences, which is not an easy task!
That is why having a guide and a correspondent helps. I’ve grouped the bodily exercises by movement themes. During the correspondence course, I only ask readers to choose and explore one theme in each cluster. Since there are over 100 exercises, this makes the task manageable.
Laban segues from body to effort in both chapters, suggesting both observation exercises and providing dramatic scenarios for embodiment. I’ve found ways to make these suggestions concrete and fun for readers.
Find how how in the upcoming correspondence course, “Mastering Laban’s Mastery of Movement.”