The Laban/Bartenieff Institute of Movement Studies, (LIMS®) formally established in 1978, is a 501(c)(3) organization. We are world-renowned as the major center for the development and study of the principles of movement analysis formulated by Rudolf Laban and further developed by his student and colleague Irmgard Bartenieff.
In the early 1960s, the Dance Notation Bureau in New York City began to offer, in addition to its work in Labanotation, courses in Effort/Shape taught by Irmgard Bartenieff, a senior member of the DNB. At the time, Bartenieff and her assistants were applying Effort/Shape in various projects in diverse areas such as psychology, physical therapy, child development, anthropology, and performing arts.
Opportunities for the application of Effort/Shape began to exceed what could be realized by the few trained notators. Bartenieff’s work and that of her assistants required more trained personnel, and they began to receive many training requests from professionals who wanted to use the work in their own fields. Consequently, in the fall of 1965 Bartenieff and her assistants Forrestine Paulay and Martha Davis, established an Effort/Shape Training Program at the Dance Notation Bureau. Designed for professionals from the performing arts and the behavioral sciences, this intensive two-year program reflected the converging interests of many professionals.
In 1978 the Certificate Program separated from the Dance Notation Bureau and the Laban Institute of Movement Studies, now the Laban/Bartenieff Institute of Movement Studies was born.
LIMS® has certified over 1000 CMAs who are professionals all over the world. LIMS® has also been a special home for its graduates as a venue to present their work in conferences, performing arts events, publications, and workshops.