Rudolf von Laban Books

Laban's The Mastery of Movement on the Stage, first published in 1950, became the standard work on his view of human movement. After Laban's death, the book was out of print as he was preparing a new edition. The second edition emerged thanks to Lisa Ullmann, who understood the changes Laban intended. The broader treatment of the subject warranted a title change, appealing to those interested in movement as a life force. In this fourth edition, Ullmann has added margin annotations for easier navigation of topics and incorporated kinetograms into examples in Chapters 2 and 3, as Laban had originally planned, catering to those who read and write movement notation. An Appendix on the structure of effort draws from unpublished material by Laban, exploring the connection between inner motivation and outer bodily function. Acting and dancing are presented as vital expressions of humanity's quest for values and meanings. Students are introduced to fundamental principles of movement expression, with exercises designed to engage their intellectual, emotional, and physical responses. Descriptions of movement scenes and mine-dances encourage deeper exploration of the inner life from which movement and action arise.