Gail Grant Dictionary of Classical Ballet in Labanotation

Labanotation, also known as Kinetography Laban, is a system of symbols for representing human movement, in both space and time. It is analogous to the way that musical notation records music. It lets one analyze the structure and details of a movement phrase outside of the representation provided by a video recording, and to read a dance score in the same way that a musician reads a music score. It does not record the individual interpretation that a dancer gives to a dance piece but it records the essential ideas of a movement and the intention of the choreographer, free of the "noise" from potential mistakes of the dancer, the distraction of costumes, the angle of the camera, etc. On a personal level, it provides an extra modality by which the dancer can appreciate his/her consciousness of space and the body's relaton to it. Furthermore, it is a tool for preserving dance and providing a choreographic patrimony. It was created by Rudolf Laban, a Hungarian dancer, and is one of the amazing inventions of the twentieth century. By defining the ballet steps in this unique notation system, this book will help you read and write scores in Labanotation.