Movement Choirs

History Behind Movement Choirs

After the First World War as Laban was directing the “Lago Maggiore summer festivals” in Switzerland, he decided to also direct a new movement experience at an art colony there. During these festivals, observes would come to watch but as they began to enjoy themselves they often would start dancing themselves. As Laban observed these, it confirmed his belief that dance was natural for all people and this drove him to movement choirs.

Movement choirs can be easily summed up as a large group of people moving together with some choreography established but also allowing for the dancer to put in their own personal expression and movement

Schools and Training:

Laban created schools and training programs to teach a curriculum that kept evolving. He had different types of classes, those for the well-trained dancers, and others on nights and weekends for amateur movers who just wanted to explore movement and find their own connection to their mind, their body and the world around them. It would be easy for a man with so much influence over these students to sway or mold them into copies of himself, but Laban remained true to his roots, the curriculum was all about the dancers finding their expression. When a professor or choreographer wasn’t getting what they wanted, they would use adjectives or adverbs to explain their thoughts, and then allow for the mover to ponder, explore and recreate the movement trying to express the descriptive words given. In a way, Laban truly started schools for individuals to understand, explore the world of improvisation, a first for this time period and one with lasting effects.