LBMA
Laban/Bartenieff Movement Analysis
In 2024, I earned my certification as a CMA (Certified Movement Analyst) from the Laban/Bartenieff Institute for Movement Studies in New York. (What is a CMA?) I went through the New Pathways hybrid program over the span of about two and a half years, including two in-person intensives and culminated in a large independent research project.
I focused my own research on comparing how theatrical voice work and LBMA work each approach and teach the use of breath, and whether these different approaches have an impact on how actors use text.
I use LBMA concepts frequently in my coaching when actors have to play multiple characters within a single production and need to transform clearly and efficiently physically as well as vocally. The photos here are from a production of Indecent at UNCSA where the cast, director, and I used LBMA concepts from the beginning to build distinct characters for the cast (or, in the case of Lemml/Lou, to show the character’s journey over the show
I have been exploring other ways to start applying my LBMA knowledge in other ways as well. I am integrating the Bartenieff work into my introductory voice practices, and I am also looking for ways of using Space and Shape theory with other theatre collaborators, such as directors and fight choreographers.