Studies investigating the reliability of the Laban system of notation

There is general agreement that dance notation scores permit the presentation and reconstruction of dance works. Many successful attempts to revive, remember, and record dance have been made through various notation scripts. One of these is the Labanotation/Kinetography Laban system. It is a widely used system which has made a major, distinctive and valuable contribution to the study of human movement.;A series of four studies were designed and implemented to probe the issues of reliability and validity. These studies involved procedures which would test the notation system in both the recording and reconstruction process. The results of the four studies provided positive information regarding both the reliability and validity of the system.;Participants recorded or reconstructed specific dance phrases in these studies. These participants came from varied dance backgrounds and with different levels of experience with the notation system. The participants completed notation scores or performances which were compared on a feature-by-feature basis, as well as on the total content, to those of the choreographer of the selected dance phrase. Both agreements, disagreements, and omissions of information were tabulated.;Whilst the research in this study provides support for the hypothesis that the Laban system of notation is an accurate and consistent device in recording movement, it is recommended that further studies are undertaken. These studies should replicate and extend those studies undertaken here to confirm and to show that the system is a reliable and valid tool in the recording and reconstruction of movement in a number of areas. (Abstract shortened by UMI.).;One of the important functions of a notation system is to provide an accurate record of movement so that the content can be revised and repeated. However, there is little evidence to support the claim that notation is an accurate and reliable tool in the analysis and recording of movement and dance. This research has addressed the global issues of reliability and validity in the recording and reconstructing of dance through the use of the Laban system of notation. Reliability was seen as the consistency with which knowledgeable practitioners applied the system to record and reconstruct movement. Validity was identified as the accuracy with which practitioners were able to record and reconstruct in different movement domains.