Rudolf Laban remains a prominent figure in the world of dance. Yet, he spent the first 20 years of his adult life studying and working as a visual artist in Germany, France, and Switzerland. These years of involvement in the visual arts had a direct, yet largely unrecognized impact on his subsequent career as a dancer and movement theorist.
Laban’s last exhibition of paintings occurred in 1919, yet there are hundreds of drawings in archival papers dating from the last 20 years of Laban’s life (1938-1958). These drawings demonstrate that Laban never abandoned the practice of art. Instead, he applied his visual skills and knowledge to study dance and movement.
Close examination of Laban’s drawings provides insight into the workshop of his mind. Find out more in my October online workshop, “His Hand and Head: How Laban Created Movement Patterns,” offered through the Laban/Bartenieff Institute of Movement Studies.