Scheduled for Research Methods in Dance: A Symposium Garnering the Breadth of the Field of Dance, Thursday, April 27, 2006, 10:15 AM - 12:15 PM, Convention Center: 150DEF


Qualitative Research Methods in Dance: Applications of Laban Movement Analysis

Billie Lepczyk, EdD, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA

Laban Movement Analysis (LMA) is a descriptive research method that can be used in any study where human movement is a significant factor. LMA has been applied in such disciplines as psychology, behavioral sciences, child development, and physical rehabilitation in addition to dance. It was developed in the early 20th century by Rudolf Laban and further extended and refined by his colleagues and the later practitioners of the method. LMA is a conceptual framework for viewing movement, which is defined as a configuration of three components: body, effort, and space. These components can be analyzed separately or together in the movement configuration depending on the requirements of the research study. The body component of movement includes concepts such as postural/gestural qualities and the identification of the body part involved in a movement. The effort component of movement concerns the motion factors of flow, weight, time, and space, their effort combinations, and the dynamics of phrasing. The spatial component of movement includes space harmony, which are geometric models for the spatial orientation of movement, Labanotation, which is a method of recording dance analogous to music notation, and additional spatial concepts. In dance research, LMA is used to identify and describe the salient qualities of a movement, a dance composition, a choreographer's style, a dancer's performance, a dance technique, and even the attitudes of people learning dance. Dance researchers will benefit from an introduction to the LMA framework and illustrations of its application in a variety of dance studies.
Keyword(s): creative movement, dance education, research

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