Mission 

To organize and lead work on addressing the cultural biases and systems of oppression within the field of LBMS, LIMS as an organization, and the pedagogy of the field.

Guiding Principles

  • LBMS is a system that has the potential to transform lives
  • The work of this committee is an act of care, love, respect, and compassion
  • Honest interrogation of previously held norms and structures alongside commitment to growth will lead the way to a more equitable and inclusive future for every level of the LBMS community (systemic, institutional, interpersonal, personal)

Areas of Focus

  1. Legacy of Rudolf Laban
  2. Manifestation of bias, racism, sexism, etc. in the theoretical framework of Laban/Bartenieff Movement Studies (LBMS) 
  3. Structures of Laban/Bartenieff Institute of Movement Studies (LIMS)
  4. Pedagogy of LBMS

Committee Members 

Name – Location (CMA program and year of graduation)

Natasha Alhadeff-Jones – Geneva, Switzerland (NYC ‘16)

Nancy Beardall – Massachusetts, USA (NYC ‘83)

Christina Banalopoulou – North Carolina, USA (NYC ’12)

Karen Bradley – Nova Scotia, Canada (NYC ‘84)

Denise Cavassa – New York, USA (NYC ’93)

Cecilia Fontanesi – New York, USA (NYC ‘11)

Yuko Hashimoto – Tokyo, Japan (NYC ‘13)

Nicole McClam – New York, USA (Maryland ‘15)

Miriam Phillips – Maryland, USA (Los Angeles ‘91)

Nalini Prakash – District of Columbia, USA (Maryland ‘15)

Curtis Stedge – New Jersey, USA (Belgium ‘15)

Updates

Since July 29th a small group of people have met bi-weekly to examine, interrogate, and plan a path forward for our organization around the issues of Laban’s legacy; the manifestation of bias, racism, sexism, etc. in the theoretical framework of LBMS; structures of LIMS; and the pedagogy of LBMS. The following is a brief overview of key work the committee has undertaken towards addressing these issues:

Alumni Survey

In continuing the essential work we began last year, committing to fundamentally transform our organization, our DEI Committee invites alumni of LIMS’ LBMS Certification Programs to participate in an alumni survey, to help us identify aspects of the Laban pedagogy that may perpetuate inequity and/or harm. 
 
This survey is a necessary component in our work towards a more just organization. One that we hope will illuminate the very real issues that must be addressed if we are to truly enact lasting change.
 
All answers are collected anonymously and will be given the utmost care as we seek to better understand the ways in which harm may have been done through our programs. Survey responses will be processed by the LIMS DEI Committee and aggregated results will be shared with LIMS’ staff, faculty, and board in order to advance our commitment to developing our pedagogy, policies, and practices to be more equitable and inclusive.
 
The survey should take approximately fifteen (15) minutes to complete. To begin the survey click HERE.
 
On behalf of LIMS and our DEI Committee, thank you for considering sharing your truth with us.

 

Anti-racism training

In January, our board, staff, and faculty, alongside members of the larger LBMS community underwent training in level 1 of Interrupting Racism. This initiation was an eye-opening first step in our journey towards a more just institution and community. We learned a great deal from the experience and from the many participants whose feedback helped to shape this next step in the training.

In February and March everyone at LIMS will continue this training with Level 2: Amplifying Interpersonal Engagement. This second training teaches skills for respectful and equitable interactions to improve interpersonal experiences. We have opened 50 spots for members of the LBMS community to join us for this second part of the training at a cost of $75.

If you are interested in joining us but were unable to attend level 1 we ask that you prepare for this training by engaging the following resources:

 
 
Friday and Saturday, February 26th and 27th from 8 pm – 11 pm ET
Register HERE.OR

Saturday and Sunday, March 13th and 14th from 10 am – 1 pm ET.
Register HERE.


Pedagogy/Theory SeriesJoined by members of the DEI Committee, Karen Bradley presented a three-part series titled A Laban History: 140 years and implications for the 21st-century. This powerful community event addressed the past, present, and future of the Laban Movement Analysis work and LIMS as an organization. If you missed it you can purchase access to the recorded series HERE.