The Perspective of Human Psychomotor Development Through the Example of the Laban Bartenieff Movement System

Keywords: Laban Bartenieff Movement System, psychomotor concept of human development, movement education, dance and movement therapy, kinesthetic awareness

Abstract

RESEARCH OBJECTIVE: The aim of the article is to present the main principles of the Laban Bartenieff Movement System model and analyze the constitutive factors of the method from the perspective of the integral development of the human being in the psychophysical dimension.

THE RESEARCH PROBLEM AND METHODS: The main research problem boils down to the question of how the Laban/Bartenieff model organizes the process of self-observation, observation and movement analysis in a body-mind approach.

THE PROCESS OF ARGUMENTATION: The issue is introduced by presenting the fundamental categories – development and movement – in the context of the human life cycle, as well as indicating the relationships between them. The main area of argumentation is the analysis of the assumptions of the LBMS method, which consists of Laban Movement Analysis and Bartenieff Fundamentals.

RESEARCH RESULTS: The LBMS model offers a framework and language for understanding and perceiving human movement. Four main categories are distinguished: Body, Effort, Shape, and Dynamic Qualities of Movement, as well as six developmental movement patterns. The model enables detailed movement analysis by identifying changes in detail, sequence, phrasing, organization of kinetic energy, and by defining their psychological functions.

CONCLUSIONS, RECOMMENDATIONS, AND APPLICABLE VALUE OF RESEARCH: Movement is a phenomenon that represents the psychological functions of an individual. It is concluded that LBMS can constitute another exemplification of the concept of human development from a psychomotor perspective. The LBMS method has educational and therapeutic potential. The theoretical explanations of the model have general social significance and constitute an original contribution to existing research in this area. At the national level, LBMS is primarily analyzed in movement practice, while there are few publications that present this issue from a cognitive perspective.

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Published
2025-09-30
How to Cite
Pietraszewska, D. (2025). The Perspective of Human Psychomotor Development Through the Example of the Laban Bartenieff Movement System. HORIZONS OF EDUCATION, 24(71), 21-31. https://doi.org/10.35765/hw.2025.2471.04