Laban for Actors and Dancers: Putting Laban's Movement Theory Into Practice: A Step-by-Step Guide

By Jean Newlove

Book Overview

This handbook, complete with graded exercises, is for teachers and students of both drama and dance, who want to use the Laban system of movement. Although almost every professional actor and dancer in North America and Europe is familiar with the work of German-born movement teacher, Rudolf Laban (d. 1988), his system of analyzing and recording movement has the misleading reputation of being a "difficult" and "complex" technique. Author Jean Newlove, a renowned movement teacher, takes the reader step-by-step through the basic principles of movement, with graded exercises at the end of each chapter. She also provides practical examples of how movement training can be used in the development of characters in specific plays.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0878300449
• ISBN13: 9780878300440
• Release Date: August 1993
• Publisher: Routledge
• Length: 192 Pages
• Weight: 0.42 lbs.
• Dimensions: 8.0" x 0.5" x 5.5"
• Grade Range: Postsecondary and higher

Customer Reviews

OnStage

This book is very practical and offers plenty of ideas for anybody working with actors or preparing an acting part themselves. I have used the exercises with a variety of ages and it has worked well with all. They have enjoyed trying the suggested techniques to explore and develop their characters for performance purposes.

Excellent LMA text

I use this book as one of the cornerstones of my Space and Effort units at school. The chapters are concise and well organized. The Laban material is presented clearly and with visual diagrams. I did find some of the language challenging (UK English) as opposed to American English... for the students...i.e. thrust as opposed to punch in the Effort chapters...an excellent text for all levels beginner (excellent introduction to Laban's theory and work) through advanced movement analyst (good reference and teaching text).