Laban notation

The notation Laban is a system of Notation of the movement invented in 1928 by Rudolf Laban (1879 - 1958). This system is called Labanotation with the the United States, Kinetography with the the United Kingdom and cinetography in France.

Rudolf Laban built its system around the four essential components constitutive of a movement: the Space, the Time, the Weight and the Force.

The signs of writing are placed along a carried vertical which is read upwards. The central vertical line defines the support on the ground. Thus, most of the time, the supports of the feet are placed on the left and on the right of the central line, determining the foot moving.

The same sign indicates:

direction of the movement (before - back - left - right-hand side - diagonals - on the spot)
its height (high - low - intermediate. Example for the supports: high = on point; low = folded; intermediary = “normal”)
its duration (indicated by the length of the sign)
the part of the body concerned with the movement.

The placement of the signs on the range gives the simultaneity of the movements (horizontal reading) and their succession (vertical reading). The distances, the relations with partners or objects, the center of gravity, dynamics, the turns, jumps, ways and displacements on the ground are indicated by specific signs.

External bonds

International Council off Kinetography Laban (ICKL)
Site on the notations Laban and Benesh
Site of the National center of Writing of Movement (CNEM), France
Dance Notation Office (DNB), the USA

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