Troubling the Frame: Laban Movement Analysis as Critical Dialogue

Laban Movement Analysis is a common resource used in dance education curricula in the United States. When used to analyze dance forms that are created outside the Eurocentric lineage, the application of this system must be contextualized as a perspective stemming from beyond the mores of the cultural creators of that dance form. This article examines the effects on student learning when Laban Movement Analysis is promoted as a universal tool for all dance forms rather than as a particular cultural perspective on how to perceive dance. Clarification of terminologies and their biases, the cultural context in which Rudolf Laban developed his principles and system of movement analysis, and ramifications and potential solutions for how best to apply Laban Movement Analysis across dance forms are detailed in this article.