LMA workshops |

Face-to-face communication is divided in two parts: words and the nonverbal actions that accompany those words. Experts agree that movement is the most influential part, and also the most elusive. Words are memorable. Movements disappear in the blink of an eye.

Laban Movement Analysis captures the fleeting dynamics of movement. Created by the eminent 20th century theorist Rudolf Laban, this analytic system is one of the most powerful tools for understanding the nonverbal dimensions of human action and interaction.

Meaning in Motion provides a comprehensive overview of Laban Movement Analysis. Body, effort, space, and shape – the four pillars of Laban’s system – are succinctly introduced and illustrated. Creative exercises suggest ways to embody and bring key concepts to life. Additional sections describe the history and development of movement analysis and demonstrate how it can be used to decipher nonverbal behavior. Appendices provide rich resources for further study.

Designed to be a companion text for practice-based courses in theatre, dance, music, animation, nonverbal communication, and other movement disciplines, Meaning in Motion expertly links theory and practice, enabling readers to develop more expressive communication skills, hone powers of observation, deepen kinesthetic empathy, and think more creatively about movement on the stage and in everyday life.

“Meaning in Motion: Introducing Laban Movement Analysis is one of the few, if not the only, contemporary texts to integrate historical, theoretical, and creative frameworks for studying Laban Movement Analysis. Moore brings an impressive combination of first-hand experience and archival research to bear on the LMA system. The resulting handbook is a treasure of insights into the Laban-Bartenieff tradition and its contemporary relevance. It is an invaluable resource.”

Dr. Andrea Harris, Assistant Professor, Dance
University of Wisconsin Madison

During the past three decades, I have taught in something like 26 Laban Movement Analysis programs in the U.S. and Europe. Along the way, I’ve developed many handouts, devised assignments and creative exercises, and even produced small booklets on special topics like space harmony.

About five years ago, I started compiling these materials into one booklet. Whenever I worked with a new student group, I revised the booklet. Gradually, a few colleagues began to order this material for their college LMA courses, and the idea to produce a textbook was born.

Meaning in Motion: Introducing Laban Movement Analysis is the result. While it incorporates teaching materials I developed over time, everything has been reworked, carefully illustrated, and organized to be user-friendly and affordable.

For example, I want students to be able to take my book into the movement studio, flip it open to read a scale or effort phrase, and make notes in the book itself. So Meaning in Motion is a spiral bound paperback.

There is more than one semester’s worth of theoretical material in the book. But I did this for two reasons. First, I want instructors to be able to choose the topics they wish to emphasize and pursue in more depth. Secondly, I want students to realize it takes more than one semester to learn LMA!

Toward the end, there is additional material for study in the back of the book. This includes extensive bibliographies along with more effort and space material. I’ve also salted the book with “Creative Explorations.” These provide ideas for linking theory and practice. The instructor can use these as classroom exercises or students can use the Explorations to work more on their own.

The official publication date is December of this year. To celebrate, I will be signing books at the Labanize lecture-demonstration in New York City on Sunday afternoon, December 7th, at the Balance Arts Studios.

Registration for Labanize, and the whole Meaning in Motion weekend of workshops closes December 1.

New Laban Movement Analysis Book Published!

Evolution of Meaning in Motion: Introducing Laban Movement Analysis