Qualitative movement analysis

In this video, we’ll take a quick look at some types of qualitative movement analysis.

Although our main priority in the course is on quantitative methods, it is useful to know that there are also some systematic qualitative methods. These may be used on their own, but they may also be useful together with the quantitative methods.

In particular, we will look more into two systems developed by dancer-choreographer Rudolph Laban. The first is Labanotation, a method for writing down movement sequences on paper. The second is the Laban Movement Analysis, which is more focused on describing movement qualities.

Laban’s work is well-known among dancers and has received renewed interest among music and movement researchers in the last decades. As such, Labanotation and Laban Movement Analysis are probably the two most well-known qualitative movement notation and analysis methods.