LBMS
International training
for the Laban/Bartenieff
Movement System
Registration Now Open
for Cohort 2 (2026–2028)
Study human movement
to Understand Mankind
'Laban Bartenieff' system invite you to enter a realm where artistry, science, and self-awareness converge in one system.
Unlock the boundless potential of the human body and explore the profound connection between movement and self-discovery .
Embark on a transformative journey that transcends the boundaries of conventional movement education.
Join us to learn a language that puts words and meaning to feelings and intuition. Come learn new ways to understand the human movement of people and perfect your own movement abilities while getting to know your personal movement signature.
'Laban Bartenieff' studies are a pathway to personal growth, professional development, and a deeper understanding of the body-mind connection.
Whether you are a caregiver, physical therapist, professional dancer, coacher, movement researcher, and more, these studies will take you one step further in your professional and personal world.
WholeMovement International Certification in LBMS
Fortunately, the program meets very high standards therefor graduates of this program with the certificate will be eligidable to become Registered somatic therapists RSMT) or Registered somatic Educators (RSME) on behalf of the ISMETA organization.
What is the Laban Bartenieff Movement System
“Movement in itself is the language in which our highest and most fundamental inspirations are expressed…” (Rudulf Laban)
LBMS (Laban Bartenieff Movement System) is a system for movement assessment and for intervention. It is a comprehensive system used in exploring, understanding, identifying and interpreting multiple aspects of human movement patterns.
As a movement analysis system, LBMS is unique in the way it recognizes and codes all aspects of movement, which means both functional (ordinary) and expressive aspects of human movement.
Due to the system, it is possible to identify and differentiate between universal patterns common to all humans, group patterns (for example cultural), and patterns of a unique person.
The LBMS method will ask in every action: what, where, how and why.
Who is the course suitable for?
- Emotional therapists of all kinds who want to understand the patient's movement more deeply (talk therapy, movement therapy, psychodrama, mind body, physical psychotherapy and more)
- .Physiotherapists, occupational therapists, bodyworkers therapists of various types who want to introduce into the treatment a deeper and more holistic understanding of human movement
- Coachers of various types and people who accompany life changes who want to understand how the these changes are related to movement
- .Dancers, choreographers and creators who want to enrich their technique with a deep understanding of the body's system or as a tool for creation
- Actors, theater and drama people, who wish to give a wider expression to the movement of the body in their work
- Anyone who is fascinated by the world of movement and wishes to undergo a significant process as well as influence people in the future
- Robotics programmers dealing with developments related to human movement
- The movement research scholars at the Academy
- Fitness trainers of various types of sports - pilates, yoga, strength training and more
Free Live ZOOM with Karen Studd
13.03.2024 | 20:30
Karen Studd – Program Head Corrdinator – will host a Live ZOOM on 13.03 to answer questions and to explain more about LBMS
The training program
The full program comprises 500 academic hours, meeting the professional standards of ISMETA (the International Somatic Movement Education and Therapy Association).
The program is structured into four modules, all held at the studio: three divided into two eight-day sessions, and one extended twelve-day module.
You can register for the first module without committing to the next ones. In each module there are presentations that the participant is obliged to attend and enrich their knowledge and abilities.
The studies are delivered in several ways – theoretical, experiential and practical.
Throughout the four modules, the students will develop a deeper understanding of the self, the other and the community thanks to the process of perceptual awareness, analytical diagnoses, changing patterns and intervention.
Those who complete all the requirements of the program will receive certification as an LBMA -Laban Bartenieff Movement Analyst on behalf of the Whole Movement organization. The certificate is recognized by the ISMETA organization which allows its members to become somatic therapists and educators.
Led by international teachers, the program is offered in intensive study modules.
Classes are held at the Pantarhei Studio, Kibbutz Ginegar:
Sunday-Thursday: 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Friday: 8:30 AM – 3:00 PM
(No classes on Saturdays.)
Module 1
Part A – 8 days: July 2-10, 2026
Part B – 8 days: September 22-30, 2026
Module 2 (single session)
12 days: February 7-19, 2027
Module 3
Part A – 8 days: July 1-9, 2027
Part B – 8 days: September 12-20, 2027
Module 4
Part A – 6 days: February 20–25, 2028
Part B – 6 days: July 2-7, 2028
Early registration until May 20th 2024 – 7,800 NIS for the first module by standing order through bank transfer or credit card divided into 10 payments.
Later registration – 8,400 NIS for the first module by standing order divided into 10 payments
Registration for module 1+2 – 14,000 NIS (7,000 NIS per module) by standing order divided into 14 payments.
Registration for the entire program (4 modules) – 26,000 NIS (6,500 per module) by standing order divided into 24 payments.
Cancellation conditions – until April 30th 2024 registration cancellation is possible with a deduction of 80 NIS operating fee.
Until May 30th 2024, registration cancellation is possible with a deduction of 500 NIS cancellation fee.
Until June 16, 2024, registration cancellation is possible with a deduction of NIS 1,000 cancellation fee.
After June 16, 2024, it will not be possible to be refunded for the tuition of the program – however, it will be possible to keep the amount for the next LBMS course that will open at Pantarhei Studio- this is subject to the terms of the program and the regulations of the Pantarhei website. All rights reserved.
In order to register for the program, you must fill out the following registration form that includes a personal essay. The next step would be to fill in details for the standing order.
Food – participants are responsible for bringing their own food. The studio has a fully equipped kitchen that allows cooking as well as heating food.
In addition, there are paid lunches in the dining room of Kibbutz Geniger at a cost of between NIS 25-35 per meal.
Accommodation – it is possible to stay overnight at the studio for those interested. Accommodation will be in the main hall on mattresses and in the clinic room at no extra charge.
In addtion Kibbutz Mizra has a guest house where you can get a 12 percent discount per night. In the near by area, there are a variety of guest houses and B&Bs and options for subletting. participants are responsible for finding a place for themselves.
Transportation – Geniger can be reached by bus that stops at the entrance to the kibbutz – a 7-minute walk from the studio. You can also get to the Kfar Baruch train station and we can arrange a ride for you (a 5-minute drive to the the studio).
What is unique about LBMS?
When we observe a person moving or when we move, our experience of the movement passes through the body. We understand something intuitively but it is difficult for us to say why and how. LBMS is unique in its comprehensive perspective of the phenomenon of human movement itself as our primary system and the basis for understanding mankind.
Our perceptions and the experience of our moving body are the basis of all the systems we as humans create. The word ’embodiment' is very accurate in describing a process in which everything we do passes through the body. In the LBMS system, everything is embodied within the body: our perception, experience and knowledge
Acquired Tools and skills
Diagnostic Skills
Finding what is essential in the complete picture of the movement within a context - and how the parts are related to each other
One-on-one work skills
"hands on" work
Improvisation skills
Decision making, interaction and attentive listening to the sharpening intuition.
Movement skills
Enhancing the movement, understanding the movement and its changes. from an in-depth perspective
Movement skills also include (and not only):
- Breath Support
- A sense of weight and flow as a foundation in understanding the self-other relationship and how the personal connects to the universal
- Identification and understanding of the organization of human movement patterns
- Understanding the dynamics of movement
- Working with touch - Hands on Skills
- Mapping the space around us and understanding its effect on movement (Space Harmony) and the direct connection between the inner and outer space
- Understanding the syntactic context of the movement
- Getting to know the movement of the body in relationships (Shape)
- Voice and movement - verbal or non-verbal connection
- Using "Bartenieff principles" for diagnosis and intervention
The Teaching Staff
Karen A. Studd - Program Coordinator and Senior Teacher
Karen A. Studd, has a Master’s degree in Dance from University of Oregon and is certified in movement analysis through the Laban/Bartenieff Institute of Movement Studies (LIMS). Studd is also a Master Somatic Movement Educator and Registered Somatic Movement Therapist through ISMETA (International Somatic Movement Education and Therapy Association). She is a founding member of WholeMovement, a group of movement analysts working to increase the visibility of the Laban/Bartenieff Movement System (LBMS) worldwide.
She serves as a Program Coordinator and core faculty member in multiple movement analysis training programs internationally. She has taught LBMS in the US, Canada, Europe, Mexico, Israel and China. In the USA she has taught for the University of Oregon, the University of Wisconsin, George Washington University, The University of Maryland and George Mason University in its School of Dance, where she was a tenured faculty for over twenty years.
As a teacher of LBMS, she is focused on both personal and professional development through movement awareness training. Her primary interest is in promoting the understanding of the significance and importance of human movement across all disciplines. Studd is also an author who has contributed to multiple research papers focused on human movement linked to the LBMS. She is a co-author of EveryBody is a Body, a text on the phenomenon of human movement now in its second edition. She also writes blog posts for the WholeMovement website which can be found at: https://wholemovement.org/blog/
Esther Geiger - WholeMovement core faculty
Esther Geiger is a movement teacher and observer/analyst. She is a Certified Movement Analyst (CMA) through the Laban/Bartenieff Institute of Movement Studies (LIMS). She is also a Registered Somatic Movement Educator (RSME) through ISMETA (International SomaticMovement Education and Therapy Association).. Esther is a member of WholeMovement, agroup of movement analysts working to increase the visibility of the Laban/Bartenieff Movement
System (LBMS) worldwide.
She has taught in LBMS certification programs in Maryland, New York and Tel Aviv. She is also the coordinator of the Washington Area Certified MovementAnalysts (WACMA), a c continuing education and networking resource for CMAs in the
DC/MD/VA region.
Esther holds a BA in Early Childhood Development from Antioch University and an MA in Liberal Studies, with a major in Movement, from Wesleyan University. She toured for ten years with dance and theatre companies doing in-school performances; worked as a pre-school teacher;
served as a yoga center administrator; and has choreographed and taught using Richard Bull’s Structured Improvisation techniques. Esther has practiced Iyengar Yoga since 1980.
She is currently a Partnering Artist with the Dance Exchange, based in the Washington DC area; and serves as a movement description consultant with Audio Description Associates. She has published articles on audio description for dance, including “Listening to Movement”, co-authored with Joel Snyder, PhD.
Esther’s focus is on finding intersections between these various fields, with Movement Studies as the thread through. She has thus applied her movement training to yoga practice and instruction, playground design, personnel administration, unschooling, and audio description, among other endeavors.
Rachelle Palnick Tsachor - Teacher & consultanat
CMA, RSMT, is senior teacher of the Laban/Bartenieff Movement
System, recognized by ISMETA as a Master Somatic Movement Educator and Therapist, as
well as a teacher of the Alexander Technique,. She has coordinated LIMS ISMETA trainings and
authored Laban/Bartenieff-based Somatic Movement Therapy… methodology and case studies.
In Israel, Tsachor founded the Certification Program in Laban Movement Studies, and has been
a guest teacher at Kibbutzim College, Wingate College, The University of Haifa and the
Technion.
She is also certified with the Center for Mind-Body Medicine and has taught Mind-
Body Skills for Global Trauma Relief at the Israeli Center for Integrative Group Counseling,
sharing her clinical experience with these evidenced-based practices.
Rachelle Palnick Tsachor uses the art of movement to inform scientific research. She is co-
author with Dr. Tal Shafir of Emotion Regulation Through Movement (Frontiers in Psychology) and A Somatic Movement Approach to Fostering Emotional Resiliency (Frontiers in Neuroscience), along with numerous studies in movement therapy.
How Do We Recognize Emotion From Movement explores ways that perception of emotions from movement relates to empathy, all of which interacts deeply with Somatic Movement practices, as discussed on the
podcast Somatic Radio. Their research was recently the basis of “The Joy Workout—Exercises for Happiness” featured in the New York Times, and is also the basis of studies affective computing and intelligent interaction applying movement to such fields as robotics and machine learning.
Milca (Bar Meir)Leon- Teacher
Milca Leon MADS, CMA – an experienced movement educator and Somatic Therapist specializing in Laban/Bartenieff Movement Studies. She has received her M.A from The Laban Centre in London, in Laban Movement Analysis, Choreography and Education in Dance and she is a Refistered Somatic Therapist (RSMT) from ISNETA.
She taught at The Laban Centre, CSSD and other Acting Colleges in London for 4 years. Upon returning to Israel, her homeland, she taught at the Dance Academy in
Jerusalem and Bat-Dor dance School for 9 years. She now teaches Laban-based work and movement analysis at The University of Haifa’s Creative Arts Therapy graduate program and at Haifa's High school for the Arts. She has studied Adler-based group facilitation and is a personal coacher. Leon’s published articles in books and professional magazines in the fields
of Dance Education and Movement Analysis, in Israel and the UK, and she wrote parts of the
National Curriculum in Dance for the Ministry of Education in Israel.
Leon teaches independent Laban-Bartenieff based movement courses for therapists, educators, coaches,
dance and acting teachers, dancers, and actors.
In these courses she combines knowledge and experience based at LBMS, BMC, Yoga, Pilates, acting and group facilitation.
Avital Bar Tzuri - program manager and assistant
Avital is a Movement Therapist (DMT) and certified in Movement Analysis (CMA) by the Institute for the Laban Bartenieff system for Movement Investigation (LIMS). Avital is recognized as a Somatic Therapist (RSMT) by the ISMETA organization
Avital is a graduate of the three-year program at Dania Elraz's 'Group for Contact Improvisation'. Practicing and teaching contact improvisation for 16 years and has studied with many teachers in Israel and abroad. Avital owns and manages the 'Pantarhei' studio and the 'Nana – movement from within' school for dance and somatic movement.
These days Avital is in the certification process of the Somatic Experiencing program. She has a Thai massage therapist certificate as well as a Pilates teaching certificate. Has Created and taught in Boston, Utah and Europe at several festivals.
“ I believe that exploring movement is infinite. In 'somatic work' we approach the body with the desire to bring the physical experience closer to an understanding of the movement of the body and its structure. One affects the other and vice versa. When we bring the two closer, the connection between the body and the mind is revealed. By becoming familiar with our movement patterns and learning patterns we have already forgotten, we can create a significant change in our lives.”
!Free Live ZOOM with Karen Studd
13.03.24 | 20:30
Karen Studd – Program Head Corrdiator – will host a Live ZOOM on 13.03 to answer questions and to explain more about LBMS
The LBMS training program provides students with a wide range of motion diagnosis skills
The LBMS training program provides students with a wide range of motion diagnosis skills. These skills are learned through raising awareness of the self and the other through the experience of movement in the world.
Movement serves an essential role in the human experience both at the functional level and at the expressive level. We recognize the movement as a basic body of knowledge. By raising awareness through the Laban-Bartenieff system, the students acquire tools to crack the complexity of human movement. Understanding the components through observing the whole allows students to have the ability to differentiate and notice movement patterns.
Recognizing our movement patterns refines our movement potential and enables change from changing patterns (Repatterning).
Our perceptions and the experience of our moving body are the basis of all the systems we as humans create. The word ’embodiment', describes a process in which the thing we are doing passes through the body. In the LBMS method, everything is embodied within the body: our perception, experience and knowledge.
About Roudolf Laban and Irmgrad Bartenieff
"Breathe and be ready to change, change is here to stay!" (Irmgrad Bartenieff)
The LBMS consists of sharing and developing the philosophy, theory and practice of Rudolf Laban and Irmgard Brantieff. Laban's work clarified human movement patterns by asking 'what is movement' Laban examined human movement in space, the energy of movement, its motivation and the mover's attitude into movement.
The combination of Laban's perception of space (Space Harmony) and the dynamics of movement (Effort) along with Bartenieff's work in clarifying the body's fundamentals and its development patterns all combined together into a rich and developed system of movement.
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