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Guide VIII-090

Laban-Bartenieff movement analysis

Rudolf Laban, Irmgard Bartenieff
A 14 · L 63 · M 2316 interventions in the Trinity explorer
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[source: …] where a claim comes from[uncertain] not confirmed in a primary source[synthesis] the writer's reconstruction

1. Introduction

Version followed: the Laban/Bartenieff Movement System, which is Laban Movement Analysis (LMA: Body, Effort, Shape, Space, often called BESS) plus Bartenieff Fundamentals (BF). This is the system the Laban/Bartenieff Institute of Movement Studies (LIMS, New York) teaches in its Certified Movement Analyst (CMA) programme. The BF connectivity patterns follow Hackney (1998). Clinical emotion work follows Tsachor & Shafir (2017) and Shafir, Tsachor & Welch (2016). [source: LIMS About; LIMS CMA profile; Hackney 1998 contents; Tsachor & Shafir 2017]

What it is. LMA is a framework, not a psychotherapy. It is a system for observing, describing, recording and changing human movement. It looks at what moves (Body), how it moves, meaning the mover's inner attitude (Effort), how the body changes form in relation to self, others and surroundings (Shape), and where it moves (Space). Rudolf Laban (1879–1958) developed the theory. His pupil Irmgard Bartenieff (1900–1981) was a dancer, physical therapist and early pioneer of dance/movement therapy (DMT). She brought the theory to the USA and extended it. [source: LIMS About; Tsachor & Shafir 2019]

BF is described by LIMS as a "physical reeducation method" that builds movement efficiency and expressiveness. Bartenieff developed it by applying Laban's theories and principles of human development to work with polio patients and dancers. [source: LIMS About; LIMS Bartenieff page] Her clinical background also included:

  • Chief physical therapist on a polio service in New York
  • Work with children at Blythedale Children's Hospital (1953–57)
  • Ten years (1957–67) observing family and therapy groups at the Day Hospital of Albert Einstein College of Medicine [source: Wikipedia, Irmgard Bartenieff — secondary]

In DMT, LMA is described as "a primary clinical assessment tool". [source: Tsachor & Shafir 2019]

How change happens (as the sources frame it). Movement qualities and emotional states are linked in both directions. Specific combinations of Effort, Shape, Space and Body elements go with specific basic emotions, and moving with those elements can strengthen the matching feelings. [source: Shafir et al. 2016] Clinical change therefore comes from three things. First, observe the client's habitual movement repertoire. Then widen it in a developmentally ordered, gradual way. Finally, bring the new qualities into daily life, so the client has more ways to move, and so more ways to feel and cope. [source: Tsachor & Shafir 2017] BF adds a bodily foundation: breath, core support and the developmental patterns of connectivity that support an integrated, expressive body. [source: LIMS BF page; Hackney 1998 contents]

Professional frame.

  • CMA is not a therapy credential. It is a movement-analyst certification: a 520-hour graduate-level programme at LIMS or affiliated sites. [source: LIMS CMA profile]
  • Therapeutic use belongs inside a recognised therapy profession. In the USA, use LMA as therapy only as an R-DMT or BC-DMT credentialed through the ADTA/DMTCB, or inside your own licensed clinical scope. The R-DMT requires a graduate degree, DMT coursework, 90 hours of movement observation coursework and a supervised internship. The ADTA handbook does not name LMA as the required observation system. [source: ADTA R-DMT Handbook 2025]
  • The ADTA Code of Ethics (rev. 2015) requires specific training before using formal assessment instruments or hands-on techniques from allied disciplines. [source: ADTA Code 1.5.m, 1.6.e]
  • UK: the professional body for dance movement psychotherapy is ADMP UK. Dance movement psychotherapy is not one of the HCPC-protected arts therapies titles. [uncertain]
  • Do not use it without training. A psychotherapist without DMT training or CMA-level training should not use LMA-based assessment or hands-on BF facilitation clinically. Refer, or co-work with a credentialed DMT or CMA. Simple guided noticing of movement quality within your own scope is lower-risk [synthesis].

2. Framework

The sources give no fixed phase model, session count or session format for LMA as a clinical method [uncertain]. The structure below is put together from the clinical principles of Tsachor & Shafir (2017), the observation steps described by Tsachor & Shafir (2019), and the developmental logic of BF (Hackney 1998). Phase boundaries and criteria are [synthesis] unless tagged.

Phase A: Observation and baseline (typically sessions 1–3) [synthesis on timing].

  • Goal: describe the client's preferred and missing Body, Effort, Shape, Space and phrasing elements. Assessment is collaborative and continues throughout therapy. [source: ADTA Code 1.6.b–c]
  • Method: Davis's research protocol has three steps: repeated observation of prevalent components, narrowing by repetition, frequency, duration and emphasis, then analysis of how components cluster across samples. [source: Tsachor & Shafir 2019] Its clinical use here is [synthesis].
  • Move on when: you and the client can name a few habitual patterns and the elements that are missing or under-used, and the client agrees on goals [synthesis].

Phase B: Foundation (BF and early developmental components).

  • Goal: build breath support, grounding, core support and the earlier patterns of connectivity before more complex patterns. New components are introduced in developmental order, because mastering earlier ones supports later ones. [source: Tsachor & Shafir 2017]
  • Move on when: the client can find breath support and a sense of weight and grounding, and stays regulated during floor and whole-body work [synthesis].

Phase C: Expanding the repertoire.

  • Goal: add under-used Effort, Shape and Space elements, and reduce reliance on elements linked to unwanted emotions. [source: Tsachor & Shafir 2017; Shafir et al. 2016]
  • Methods: use affinities (for example, moving upward makes rising and lightness easier to learn). Change elements gradually: keep one familiar element, release another, then add a new one. [source: Tsachor & Shafir 2017]
  • Move on when: the client shows readiness cues. Tsachor & Shafir say a trained therapist should look for these, but the cues are not specified [uncertain]. In practice, look for the client choosing the new element spontaneously, without distress, and reporting a recognisable felt difference [synthesis].

Phase D: Integration and generalisation.

  • Goal: the client uses the chosen qualities in everyday activities and notices early bodily signs of emotion. [source: Shafir et al. 2016; Tsachor & Shafir 2017]
  • End when: the client can self-select regulating movement qualities outside sessions [synthesis].

Duration and format. Motor learning and behavioural change take time. How long is still under study. [source: Tsachor & Shafir 2017] The approach is described for individual therapy, group DMT and self-practice. [source: Tsachor & Shafir 2017] A suggested format is 50–60 minute individual sessions or 60–90 minute groups, weekly [synthesis].

Setting. Use a clean, safe, private space. [source: ADTA Code 1.1.e]

  • Clear floor area so the client can reach the full kinesphere in all directions
  • Non-slip floor, and mats for supine BF work
  • No sharp furniture edges in range

[synthesis on the space details]

3. Guiding principles

  • Observe what, how, where and in relation to what (BESS). Practical meaning: describe movement in Body, Effort, Shape and Space terms before you interpret it. [source: Tsachor & Shafir 2019; LIMS About]
  • Function and expression are one. Practical meaning: work on a functional problem (for example, poor grounding) may also change expression, and the reverse. [source: UMD Bartenieff exhibition (thematic pair); Bartenieff & Davis 1972 title]
  • Inner–outer. Practical meaning: link inner sensation to outer expression, and ask about both. [source: UMD exhibition; Hackney, cited in secondary source]
  • Stability–mobility. Practical meaning: stabilise before you mobilise. Make sure the client has a stable base (grounding) before large or fast movement. [source: UMD exhibition; Bechinger substack (secondary)]
  • Exertion–recuperation. Practical meaning: alternate effortful phrases with recovery, and build rest into every session. [source: UMD exhibition]
  • Breath support. Practical meaning: let breath support and initiate movement. Never ask the client to hold their breath through effort. [source: LIMS BF page; UMD exhibition]
  • Initiation and sequencing. Practical meaning: notice and coach where a movement starts and how it travels through the body. [source: LIMS BF page; UMD exhibition]
  • Spatial intent. Practical meaning: give each movement a clear direction or destination in space to organise the body. [source: LIMS BF page; UMD exhibition]
  • Rotation (rotary factor). Practical meaning: include rotation in the limbs and spine for three-dimensional, integrated movement. [source: UMD exhibition]
  • Effort intent (attitude and dynamics). Practical meaning: the inner attitude behind a movement matters as much as its shape. [source: UMD exhibition]
  • Developmental progression. Practical meaning: work from breath and core-distal patterns toward cross-lateral and three-dimensional ones, and from earlier to later movement components. [source: LIMS BF page; Tsachor & Shafir 2017; Hackney 1998 contents]
  • Affinities. Practical meaning: pair a new element with the Space or Shape element it naturally goes with, so it is easier to learn. [source: Tsachor & Shafir 2017]
  • Gradual change. Practical meaning: change one element at a time from a familiar baseline. [source: Tsachor & Shafir 2017]
  • Collaborative, culturally aware assessment. Practical meaning: ask the client what their movement means to them, and keep in mind that body and movement norms carry cultural bias. [source: ADTA Code 1.6.b, 1.6.f–h]
  • Movement is not diagnosis. Practical meaning: report observations as descriptions with stated limits. Never treat a movement profile as evidence of abuse or disorder. [source: ADTA Code 1.6.i–j; synthesis]
  • Touch only for clear benefit, with ongoing consent. Practical meaning: agree touch parameters in advance, the client may withdraw at any time, and do not touch if you are in any doubt. [source: ADTA Code 1.5]
  • Respect vulnerability. Practical meaning: think carefully about when to introduce new components to people in vulnerable emotional states, and do not oversimplify the method. [source: Tsachor & Shafir 2017]

4. Intervention inventory

Safety, consent and touch protocol (applies to every intervention below)

Use the touch steps below as a standard procedure. They put the ADTA Code (section 1.5) into practice. The step sequence is [synthesis].

Touch consent steps.

  1. At intake, explain that some movement work can include the therapist's hands-on guidance. Explain that every exercise can be done without touch, using verbal cues, demonstration or mirroring.
  2. Ask the client to say which body areas, if any, are acceptable to touch, and record it.
  3. Before each touch, name the purpose and the area, and wait for a clear verbal yes.
  4. Agree a stop word or gesture, and remind the client they can withdraw consent at any time. [source: ADTA 1.5.c]
  5. Watch for non-verbal discomfort, such as breath-holding, bracing, freezing, flinching or dissociative gaze. If you see it, remove your hands and check in. [source: ADTA 1.5.d]
  6. Do not touch if you yourself feel any discomfort or doubt. [source: ADTA 1.5.i]

Limits on touch.

  • Never touch the genitals, breasts or buttocks.
  • Never use touch that could be sexually arousing or feel like a violation. [source: ADTA 1.5.l]
  • Pelvic work (for example, pelvic shifts) is coached verbally or by your own demonstration, never with hands-on contact at the pelvis [synthesis].

Cultural and trauma sensitivity.

  • Respect cultural greeting and closing customs. [source: ADTA 1.5.g]
  • In groups, offer non-touch ways to connect. [source: ADTA 1.5.h]
  • With trauma survivors, default to no touch until a stable alliance exists [synthesis].

Training for hands-on work. Use hands-on BF facilitation only with specific training. [source: ADTA 1.5.m]

Fall and space safety [synthesis].

  • Clear the space. Check the floor area for each person's full kinesphere, which is wider in groups.
  • Floor and footwear. Use a non-slip surface. Work barefoot or in grip socks, never in plain socks on wood.
  • Mats. Use mats for supine work.
  • Getting up from the floor. Teach the client to roll to the side and come up via sitting, rather than rising straight up, especially after breath work or lying still (dizziness).
  • Higher-risk clients. Adapt to seated or standing-with-support for people who are older, pregnant, have balance or orthostatic problems, are post-surgical, or have osteoporosis or spinal conditions.
  • Medical clearance. Ask for clearance from the client's doctor or physiotherapist before floor or spinal-rotation work with musculoskeletal or neurological conditions.
  • Jumping and fast locomotion. Give groups clear paths, and avoid spinning or turning with eyes closed.

Children and young people [synthesis, except where tagged].

  • Get parent or guardian consent and the child's own assent. [source: ADTA 1.2.a]
  • Explain the limits of confidentiality to the child. [source: ADTA 1.3.h]
  • Follow local mandatory reporting duties for suspected abuse. [source: ADTA 1.8.a]
  • Use play-based imagery for Effort and Shape.
  • Keep sessions shorter.
  • Use no hands-on touch without the parent or guardian's prior agreement, and keep it visible (door open or a second adult present).
  • Movement observations are never evidence of abuse.

4.1 LMA movement observation and baseline profile

  • Purpose: identify the client's habitual (preferred) and absent or under-used Body, Effort, Shape, Space and phrasing elements. This gives goals and a baseline. Use it at intake and periodically afterwards. [source: Tsachor & Shafir 2019; ADTA 1.6]
  • Steps:
    1. Get consent for observation. Get separate explicit consent for any video recording, covering use, storage and disposal. [source: ADTA 1.2.g, 1.6.d]
    2. Observe the client in several contexts: walking in, sitting and talking, a short free improvisation, and a few everyday actions (reach, turn, rise from the chair). The choice of contexts is [synthesis].
    3. Observe repeatedly. Note which components recur, then narrow them by repetition, frequency, duration and emphasis. [source: Tsachor & Shafir 2019, Davis protocol]
    4. Record your notes under four headings:
      • Body: which parts move, how they are coordinated, and which actions are used.
      • Effort: Weight (strong/light; passive weight), Time (sudden/sustained), Space (direct/indirect), Flow (bound/free).
      • Shape: shape flow, directional, carving; rise/sink, spread/enclose, advance/retreat.
      • Space: directions, planes, and kinesphere reach (near, mid, far).
      Also note phrasing: increasing, decreasing or rhythmic. [source: Tsachor & Shafir 2017, 2019]
    5. Look at how the components cluster across samples. [source: Tsachor & Shafir 2019]
    6. Share your observations as descriptions and ask what they mean to the client. [source: Tsachor & Shafir 2017; ADTA 1.6.b]
  • Example language (illustrative):
    • "I noticed that most of your movement stays close to your body and tends to sink. Does that fit how things feel lately?"
    • "When you spoke about work, your hands moved quickly and directly. What do you notice?"
  • Watch for:
    • Do not read movement as diagnosis or as evidence of trauma history.
    • Body and movement norms vary with culture, disability, age and medication (for example, motor side effects) [source: ADTA 1.6.f–h; synthesis on medication].
    • Reliability is strong only when raters are trained for the specific project. [source: Tsachor & Shafir 2019] An untrained clinician's profile is a working impression only.
    • It is working when the client recognises themselves in the description and can name a goal quality.

4.2 Motif writing and recording

  • Purpose: record observed movement in symbols so you can track change over time. CMAs are trained in Motif and phrase writing, and in digital and live observation. [source: LIMS CMA profile; Tsachor & Shafir 2019]
  • Steps: record the main components of a phrase as a Motif, then compare Motifs across sessions. The notation symbols and rules are taught in CMA training and are not drawn on here [uncertain]. Without that training, use plain-language BESS notes [synthesis].
  • Example language (illustrative): "I'm going to jot down a few notes about how you moved today, so we can look back later and see what's changed."
  • Watch for: keep records confidential like any clinical note. [source: ADTA 1.6.k]

4.3 Effort exploration (the four Effort factors)

  • Purpose: widen the client's range of inner attitude toward movement. Use it when the baseline shows one-sided Effort use, for example chronic bound flow or passive weight. [source: Tsachor & Shafir 2017, 2019]
  • Steps [synthesis on the sequence; factor definitions sourced]:
    1. Pick one factor.
      • Weight: the amount of force invested, strong to light.
      • Time: acceleration and deceleration, sudden to sustained.
      • Space: attitude to focus, direct to indirect.
      • Flow: control of the movement's progression, bound to free. [source: Tsachor & Shafir 2019]
    2. Start at the client's familiar pole with a simple action, such as pressing hands together or reaching.
    3. Move in small steps toward the opposite pole.
    4. Pause and ask about sensation, emotion and images.
    5. Return to a neutral, comfortable quality before moving on (exertion–recuperation).
  • Example language (illustrative):
    • "Press your palms together as firmly as is comfortable… now let the pressure melt until your hands barely touch. What changes inside?"
    • "Let your gaze land on one point across the room… now let it wander and take in the whole room."
  • Watch for:
    • Strong, sudden, direct, advancing combinations can bring up anger. [source: Shafir et al. 2016] Introduce them slowly with clients who have anger dysregulation [synthesis].
    • It is working when the client can find both poles on request and reports a felt difference.

4.4 Shape exploration

  • Purpose: explore how the body changes form in relation to self, others and the environment. Use it for withdrawn or constricted clients, or for relational themes. [source: UMD exhibition; Tsachor & Shafir 2017]
  • Steps:
    1. Shape flow (self to self): breathe-led growing and shrinking of the torso (expanding/condensing).
    2. Directional shaping (self to other or goal): spoke-like or arc-like movement toward a point or person.
    3. Shaping/carving: three-dimensional moulding of the body around imagined or real forms.
    4. Shape qualities: rise/sink, spread/enclose, advance/retreat.
    5. Still forms (optional): pin, wall, ball, pyramid (named by the source; use as shapes to hold briefly and compare).
    [source: UMD exhibition; Tsachor & Shafir 2017] The order from shape flow to carving follows the developmental principle [synthesis].
  • Example language (illustrative): "Let your breath gently widen your ribs and then let them settle… now let one arm curve out as if you're gathering something toward you."
  • Watch for:
    • Retreating, condensing and enclosing shapes go with fear. Spreading and rising shapes go with happiness. [source: Shafir et al. 2016]
    • Advancing toward a person can feel threatening in group work. Allow distance [synthesis].

4.5 Space exploration (kinesphere, directions and planes)

  • Purpose: use spatial intent to organise movement and widen spatial range. [source: LIMS BF page; Tsachor & Shafir 2019]
  • Steps:
    1. Define the kinesphere, the personal reach-space around the body, at near, mid and far reach.
    2. Explore single directions: up/down, side-open/side-across, forward/back.
    3. Explore the vertical, sagittal and horizontal planes.
    4. Choose directions that go with the target Shape and Effort qualities (affinities: for example, upward makes rising and lightness easier).
    [source: Tsachor & Shafir 2017, 2019] Laban's full Space Harmony scales and crystalline forms are not described here [uncertain]. Do not teach them without training.
  • Example language (illustrative): "Imagine a bubble around you as far as your fingertips reach. Let one hand travel to the very top of it… and now to the far side."
  • Watch for:
    • Far-reach and peripheral movement in a group needs clear space (see the fall safety notes above).
    • Backward space goes with fear. [source: Shafir et al. 2016]

4.6 Phrasing

  • Purpose: work with how intensity changes over a movement phrase: increasing, decreasing or rhythmic repetition. [source: Tsachor & Shafir 2017]
  • Steps [synthesis]:
    1. Notice the client's typical phrase, for example explosive starts that fade out.
    2. Try other phrasings of the same action: a gradual build, a gradual release, a steady rhythmic pulse.
  • Example language (illustrative): "Try the same reach, but let it start small and grow… now let it start big and fade."
  • Watch for: rhythmic reinitiation goes with happiness. [source: Shafir et al. 2016]

4.7 Emotion-linked movement components: adding and reducing

  • Purpose: use the movement elements linked with basic emotions to support emotional resilience. Add elements linked to wanted states and reduce elements linked to unwanted ones. Use it after baseline and foundation work, for clients stuck in a dominant affect such as low mood or anxiety. [source: Shafir et al. 2016; Tsachor & Shafir 2017]
  • Element sets (as reported, from logistic regression in a sample mostly of women trained in LMA):
    • Anger: strong weight, sudden time, direct space, advancing shape.
    • Fear: retreating, condensing and enclosing shape; bound flow; backward space.
    • Sadness: passive weight, sinking shape, head down, arms moving toward the upper body.
    • Happiness: jumping, rhythmic reinitiation, spreading, free flow, light weight, upward space, rising shape.
    [source: Shafir et al. 2016]
  • Steps:
    1. Link the baseline (4.1) to the element sets with the client, as a shared description, not a diagnosis.
    2. Agree a target state.
    3. Introduce one target element at a time, using affinities (4.9) and gradual sequencing (4.8).
    4. Practise it.
    5. Gently reduce reliance on elements linked to the unwanted state.
    [source: Tsachor & Shafir 2017; step order synthesis]
  • Example language (illustrative): "You mentioned feeling heavy all week. Let's not fight that. Let's start with the heaviness and see if one small part of you, maybe just your gaze, can lift a little."
  • Watch for:
    • The study found associations. It did not test therapeutic outcomes. [source: Shafir et al. 2016] Its usefulness for specific disorders needs research. [source: Tsachor & Shafir 2017]
    • Do not push a depressed client into "happy" movement. Forced cheerfulness can feel invalidating [synthesis].
    • It is working when the client reports a small, recognisable shift in mood and chooses the element again on their own.

4.8 Gradual element-by-element sequencing

  • Purpose: move from a familiar pattern toward a new one without overwhelming the client. The source calls this Space Harmony-style sequencing. [source: Tsachor & Shafir 2017]
  • Steps:
    1. Start in the client's familiar pattern.
    2. Keep one familiar element.
    3. Release one element.
    4. Add one new element.
    5. Repeat.
    Source example (paraphrased): from a fear-linked pattern, keep the backward movement but add rhythm. Then add spreading. Then shift to sideways movement. [source: Tsachor & Shafir 2017]
  • Example language (illustrative): "Keep stepping back just as you are… now let the steps find a beat… now let your arms open a little as you go… now let the steps take you sideways instead."
  • Watch for:
    • Distress rises: go back one step and stay there.
    • It is working when each step feels "possible" to the client.

4.9 Affinity-based learning

  • Purpose: make a hard-to-reach quality easier by pairing it with the Space or Shape element it naturally goes with. [source: Tsachor & Shafir 2017]
  • Steps:
    1. Choose the target Effort quality.
    2. Cue the related spatial direction or shape quality first. For example, cue upward reaching to bring out rising and lightness. [source: Tsachor & Shafir 2017]
    3. Then name the Effort quality once it appears.
    Other pairings beyond the cited example are not listed in the sources [uncertain].
  • Example language (illustrative): "Just reach up toward the ceiling… notice if your arms feel any lighter as they go."
  • Watch for: the client's own felt sense outranks the theory.

4.10 Embodied awareness of early emotional signals

  • Purpose: help the client notice the first bodily signs of an emotion so they can respond earlier. [source: Tsachor & Shafir 2017]
  • Steps [synthesis]:
    1. After a movement exploration, ask where in the body the client first noticed a change.
    2. Name it in BESS terms ("your shoulders started to enclose").
    3. Agree a small counter-movement the client can use in daily life.
  • Example language (illustrative): "Before the worry had words, what did your body start doing?"
  • Watch for: interoceptive focus can raise anxiety or dissociation in some trauma survivors. Keep the eyes open and use external anchors (see Section 5).

4.11 Integration into everyday activity

  • Purpose: carry the new qualities into daily life. [source: Shafir et al. 2016; Tsachor & Shafir 2017]
  • Steps:
    1. Pick one daily activity, such as walking to work or hanging laundry.
    2. Agree one quality to add, such as light and rising.
    3. Agree one quality to reduce, such as sinking and heavy.
    4. Review it next session.
    The source also suggests that practices such as yoga, Alexander Technique or Tai Chi can carry these qualities. [source: Shafir et al. 2016; Tsachor & Shafir 2017]
  • Example language (illustrative): "This week, on your walk to the bus, try letting your gaze rise to the tops of the trees for a few steps. Just notice what happens."
  • Watch for: keep tasks tiny. Non-completion is information, not failure.

4.12 Breath support (BF pattern 1: Breath)

  • Purpose: use breath to support and initiate movement, adding power and flow. It is the first developmental pattern of connectivity. [source: LIMS BF page; Hackney 1998 contents]
  • Steps [synthesis]:
    1. Have the client lie semi-supine (knees bent, feet on the floor) on a mat, or sit.
    2. Ask them to notice the breath without changing it.
    3. Ask them to notice the three-dimensional change of the torso: widening, lengthening, deepening.
    4. Then ask them to let a small movement, such as a hand sliding or a knee swaying, ride on the exhale.
    The Breath Flow Support Sequence is named in a secondary source but is not described here [uncertain]. Do not teach it without training.
  • Example language (illustrative): "Let the breath come and go on its own… on the next out-breath, let your hand slide a little along the floor, as if the breath carried it."
  • Watch for:
    • Breath focus can trigger panic or flashbacks. Offer eyes open, sitting up, or attention on the feet instead.
    • Never instruct breath-holding or forced deep breathing.

4.13 Patterns of total body connectivity (BF patterns 2–6)

Hackney's six patterns are: Breath, Core–Distal, Head–Tail, Upper–Lower, Body-Half, Cross-Lateral. [source: Hackney 1998 contents] A secondary source reports that Hackney adapted them from Bonnie Bainbridge Cohen's developmental patterns:

  • Core–Distal from navel radiation
  • Head–Tail from mouthing and the spinal patterns
  • Upper–Lower from the homologous patterns
  • Body-Half from the homolateral patterns
  • Cross-Lateral from the contralateral patterns

[source: Bechinger substack (secondary), citing Hackney 1998]

The explorations below are [synthesis], built from the pattern definitions. Hackney's own exercises are not drawn on.

  • Core–Distal. Purpose: feel the link between centre (navel) and the six limbs (head, tail, arms, legs). Steps: lying in an X shape, gather all limbs toward the centre, then radiate them out on the exhale. Example language (illustrative): "Let everything fold toward your belly button… now let it all reach out like a starfish." Watch for: enclosing can feel safe or trapping. Ask which.
  • Head–Tail. Purpose: connect head and tailbone through the spine. Steps: small spinal waves, curling and lengthening, lying or sitting. Example language (illustrative): "Let your head and tailbone gently look for each other… and then move away." Watch for: neck strain. Keep the range small.
  • Upper–Lower. Purpose: separate and connect the upper and lower body (yielding and pushing through the lower half, reaching with the upper). Steps: on hands and knees or sitting, push down through the feet or knees and reach forward with both arms together. Watch for: wrist and knee load. Offer standing at a wall instead.
  • Body-Half. Purpose: separate the left and right sides (one side stabilises, one side moves). See 4.17.
  • Cross-Lateral. Purpose: diagonal connection (right arm to left leg) for three-dimensional, spiralling movement and locomotion. See 4.18 and 4.19. Contralateral walking and crawling can follow [synthesis].

4.14–4.19 The Basic Six

The Basic Six came from Bartenieff's physical therapy work. They address "internal support of the body as it develops into uprightness". [source: UMD exhibition] The descriptions below paraphrase a secondary source that cites Bartenieff & Lewis (1980) and Hackney (1998). [source: Bechinger substack (secondary)] The breath and initiation cues were not given there [uncertain]. Teach them only with BF training, or in co-work with a CMA or DMT. All six are usually done supine or semi-supine on a mat.

4.14 Thigh lift

  • Purpose: free hip flexion from the deep core.
  • Steps: from semi-supine, lift one leg, keeping the knee angle the same, then return it.
  • Example language (illustrative): "Let the thigh float up as if the breath lifted it from deep inside, keeping the knee shape the same."
  • Watch for: low-back arching or gripping.

4.15 Sagittal (forward) pelvic shift

  • Purpose: move the pelvis as a unit in the sagittal plane.
  • Steps: from semi-supine, lift the pelvis up and forward toward the feet, then lower it back to the floor.
  • Example language (illustrative): "Lift the pelvis just enough to slide it a little toward your feet, then set it down."
  • Watch for: pelvic movement can carry sexual or shame associations. Coach verbally only, never hands-on at the pelvis, and offer to skip it.

4.16 Lateral pelvic shift

  • Purpose: clear, one-dimensional sideways weight shift of the pelvis.
  • Steps: lift the pelvis slightly and shift it a little to one side, without flexing, extending, side-bending or rotating. The hips rotate inward as the pelvis moves outward.
  • Example language (illustrative): "Lift just a little and slide the pelvis sideways, like a drawer, then lower it."
  • Watch for: the same sensitivities as 4.15.

4.17 Body half

  • Purpose: feel one side as a unit while the other stabilises.
  • Steps:
    1. Lie in an X position.
    2. Bring the elbow and knee of one side together, so the spine side-bends.
    3. Reverse, initiating from the fingers and toes.
  • Example language (illustrative): "Let your right elbow and knee find each other… now let your fingertips and toes lead you back out into the X."
  • Watch for: hip or shoulder pain. Reduce the range.

4.18 Knee drop (diagonal knee reach)

  • Purpose: link the legs to a spinal spiral (rotation).
  • Steps: from semi-supine, let one knee drop or reach out, then the other follows. The spine spirals in the opposite direction.
  • Example language (illustrative): "Let the knees fall to one side, and let your head roll the other way if it wants to."
  • Watch for: spinal rotation is contraindicated in some spinal conditions or osteoporosis. Get clearance first [synthesis].

4.19 Arm circle

  • Purpose: three-dimensional arm and spine integration with spatial intent.
  • Steps:
    1. Start from the end position of the knee drop.
    2. Take the hand the eyes are looking at in a circle over the head, across the body and back to the start.
    3. Reverse the direction to return.
  • Example language (illustrative): "Let your eyes follow your hand as it draws a big circle around you."
  • Watch for: shoulder pain or dizziness.

Further named exercises. A secondary source names preparatory and extended exercises (the Heel Rock, X-Rolls, the Breath Flow Support Sequence, the "Basic 10/14/16") but does not describe them. [source: Bechinger substack] The UMD exhibition also names body awareness, changes of level, locomotion, and notebook progressions (kneeling to sitting, body half, sagittal pelvic shift). These are not described in the sources [uncertain]. They are listed here so the inventory is complete; learn them in BF training.

4.20 Group dance/movement therapy use

  • Purpose: apply 4.3–4.11 in groups. [source: Tsachor & Shafir 2017]
  • Steps [synthesis]:
    1. Run the group in phases: warm-up (breath, weight shift), a theme (one Effort or Shape quality), improvisation, verbal sharing, and closure with a recuperative, grounding quality.
    2. Mirror and echo members' movements only with consent.
    3. Offer non-touch options throughout. [source: ADTA 1.5.h]
  • Example language (illustrative): "Everyone find your own spot with enough room to reach out fully without touching anyone."
  • Watch for:
    • Collisions.
    • Members advancing into others' space.
    • Contagion of strong or sudden effort in agitated groups.

5. Handling problems

The sources cover only a few problems directly: vulnerable emotional states, slow motor learning, oversimplification, and touch discomfort. Everything else here is [synthesis].

  • Overwhelm or dysregulation during movement.
    • Signs: rising agitation, breath-holding, freezing, dissociation, or tearfulness the client cannot contain.
    • Response:
      1. Stop the exploration.
      2. Bring the client to sitting or standing with feet on the floor, eyes open.
      3. Orient them to the room.
      4. Return to the familiar movement pattern or to stillness.
      5. Lower the intensity by changing back to familiar elements (4.8).
    • Think carefully about when to introduce new components to people in vulnerable emotional states. [source: Tsachor & Shafir 2017]
    • Treat interoceptive and breath work (4.10, 4.12) as higher-arousal for trauma survivors. Begin with outward-focused Space work instead [synthesis].
  • Retraumatisation through body positions. Supine, pelvic, enclosing or backward-retreating movement can echo assault or restraint. Ask about this at intake. Offer seated or standing versions. Let the client keep their eyes open and stay facing the door. Never insist [synthesis].
  • Touch problems.
    • If the client tenses or goes quiet under touch, remove your hands, name it neutrally, and return to verbal cues. [source: ADTA 1.5.d]
    • Consent given earlier does not cover a new body area or a new kind of touch [synthesis].
    • If the client discloses abuse, follow your safeguarding and reporting duties. [source: ADTA 1.8.a]
  • Falls or injury.
    • Stop the activity, check the client, and give first aid as you are trained to.
    • Record it as an incident.
    • Review the space and the clearance needed before resuming.
    • Have the client get medical review of new pain after spinal or pelvic work [synthesis].
  • Stuck clients (no felt change).
    • Motor learning and behavioural change take time. [source: Tsachor & Shafir 2017]
    • Go back a developmental step (4.12–4.13).
    • Use affinities to make the target element easier (4.9).
    • Shrink the change to one element at a time (4.8).
    • Work with how the client moves in daily life instead of improvisation.
    • If someone is untrained in LMA, consult a CMA or a DMT supervisor [synthesis].
  • Resistance or embarrassment about moving.
    • Start with small seated movements and everyday actions instead of "dance".
    • Let the client watch first, or move alongside you.
    • Name that preferring stillness is a valid movement choice, and explore it in BESS terms [synthesis].
  • Non-adherence to daily-life practice.
    • Make the task smaller.
    • Tie it to a habit the client already has (4.11).
    • Ask what got in the way, in movement terms ("it felt silly to look up"), and adjust [synthesis].
  • Ruptures.
    • Common causes: the client feels judged by your movement observations, or pushed toward "happy" movement.
    • Response: acknowledge it, return to collaborative description and to the client's own meaning (ADTA 1.6.b), and re-agree goals [source: ADTA Code; synthesis].
  • Over-interpretation. Do not read character, trauma history or diagnosis from a single movement feature. The emotion links are statistical associations from mostly North American, LMA-trained samples. [source: Shafir et al. 2016; Tsachor & Shafir 2019] The authors warn against oversimplifying the approach. [source: Tsachor & Shafir 2017]
  • Cultural mismatch. Gaze, directness, advancing toward others, touch and expansiveness carry different meanings across cultures, genders and faiths. Ask before you treat a quality as "missing". [source: ADTA 1.6.f–h; synthesis]
  • Physical limits (disability, pain, neurological conditions).
    • Adapt the exercises to seated, supported or imagined movement. BF itself came from rehabilitation. [source: LIMS BF page]
    • Coordinate with the client's physiotherapist or doctor. LMA-based work supports medical rehabilitation and does not replace it [synthesis].
  • Scope creep. Clients may want BF as physical therapy, or you may be tempted to use hands-on BF without training. Refer to a CMA, a physiotherapist or a credentialed DMT as needed. [source: ADTA 1.5.m, 4.3.b]

Sources

Sources:

Books cited (not drawn on in full):

  • Hackney, P. (1998). Making Connections: Total Body Integration through Bartenieff Fundamentals. Gordon and Breach / Routledge. Only the contents were seen.
  • Bartenieff, I., with Lewis, D. (1980). Body Movement: Coping with the Environment. Gordon and Breach (Routledge reissue 2002). Cited via secondary sources [uncertain].
  • Bartenieff, I., & Davis, M. (1972). Effort-Shape analysis of movement: the unity of function and expression. In Research Approaches to Movement and Personality. Cited via Wikipedia [uncertain].
  • Davis, M. (1981), and Cruz & Koch (2004), on LMA-based movement observation in DMT. Cited via Tsachor & Shafir 2019; further reading, not drawn on [uncertain].
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