Laban for All

by Jean Newlove, John Dalby

Rudolf Laban was one of the great theorists and practitioners of movement. In Laban for All , expert teachers of Laban's techniques offer simplified version of his system that can be used by anyone, from beginners to pros.

Extensively illustrated with John Dalby's line drawings and diagrams, Laban for All lays out the basic vocabulary of the Laban system and goes on to offer specific exercises.

The result is a thorough - and thoroughly practical - grounding in the most important movement system in use today.

Genres: Reference, Theatre, Nonfiction, Bodies, Art

256 pages, Paperback

First published August 29, 2003

About the author

See also: Jean MacColl for her biography of daughter Kirsty.

Reviews

[Kristy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not really for 'all.' I found the sections on notation pretty confusing, and they seemed to be mostly written for dancers. That said, lots of good information on the effort-actions, which I love.

[J Go Outside · Rating 3 out of 5]

Anytime you hear someone winding up to the golden ratio you know you're about to hear some real off-the-dome razzmatazz, but I think Newlove did a huge service to this school by distilling the theory and making a series of very clear exercises and problems.

[Taylor Ellwood · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was thoroughly impressed with this book. The authors did a thorough job of explaining the system of Laban and its relevance to dance, but also bringing it down to the level of an utter novice, such as myself. They also provided detailed descriptions of exercises that are easy to follow and do and quite rewarding. Where this book really shines however, is in the theory of movement that Laban created around space and time and other elements he deemed significant to truly understanding the body. I feel, as a result of doing the exercises, that I have a much closer relationship to my body and a much keener appreciation of movement.

[Morgan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Informative but I wasn't a fan of the flow of the book. I've only had a handful of Laban classes thus far so this is a better book for someone a bit more experienced.