Ways of Seeing: An LMA/BF based Dance/Movement Therapy Program for observation, assessment intervention and wellness for infants, children and their families

Abstract

This article, based on a workshop at the 2018 LIMS conference, demonstrates the role Laban Movement Analysis (LMA) and Bartenieff Fundamentals (BF) played in the development of the Ways of Seeing dance/movement therapy program. The Ways of Seeing program integrates the Laban/Bartenieff Movement Systems (LBMS) with neuroscience, infancy/early childhood mental health, movement/motor development, and dance/movement therapy. This article also demonstrates the necessity to include other observational elements beyond an LBMS lens to capture a more targeted and individualized understanding of the child in the context of their unique traits and family dynamics. It shows how the integration of LBMS with other observational tools enables the dance/movement therapist to observe the child’s coping patterns of expression to track the growth and insights the child develops through the Ways of Seeing based intervetions.