Certified Movement Analyst (CMA) — Questions and Answers

Question 1: In pattern recognition, which observation method involves watching the whole mover for several movement cycles before focusing on specific elements?

Sequential segmental analysis
Wide-angle or global observation (Correct answer)
Kinesiological breakdown
Spatial tracing

Correct answer: Wide-angle or global observation

Global observation allows the observer to perceive overall movement themes and patterns before narrowing analytical focus.

Question 2: In movement phrasing, the 'preparation' phase serves which primary function?

It defines the moment of peak intensity in the phrase
It gathers readiness and sets up the conditions for the main action (Correct answer)
It marks the resolution and completion of the movement sequence
It provides a transition phrase to connect to the next movement unit

Correct answer: It gathers readiness and sets up the conditions for the main action

The preparation phase gathers energy and establishes the readiness that makes the main action of the phrase possible.

Question 3: A 'spoke-like' directional movement in Shape theory creates:

A rotational pathway
A curved arc through space
A three-dimensional volumetric enclosure
A straight line from the body toward a point in the environment (Correct answer)

Correct answer: A straight line from the body toward a point in the environment

Spoke-like directional movement creates a straight linear reach, like a spoke on a wheel radiating from the hub to the rim.

Question 4: When recognizing a 'Postural' movement (as opposed to a 'Gestural' movement), what is the key distinguishing feature?

The whole body participates in the movement quality (Correct answer)
Only the limbs are involved
The movement follows a spatial pathway
The movement involves weight transfer

Correct answer: The whole body participates in the movement quality

Postural movement involves the whole body sharing the same movement quality, whereas Gesture involves partial body movement without whole-body support.

Question 5: A CMA observing 'Shaping in Planes' would note movement that primarily:

Grows and shrinks in response to internal breath impulses
Carves and molds three-dimensional volumetric forms in space (Correct answer)
Moves in spoke-like lines toward spatial goals
Traces flat, two-dimensional arcs within one of the three cardinal planes

Correct answer: Carves and molds three-dimensional volumetric forms in space

Shaping in Planes (formerly called Shaping) involves three-dimensional, sculpting movement that actively molds the space around the body.

Question 6: In Shape theory, 'condensing' Shape Flow refers to:

Growing outward in all dimensions
Shortening, narrowing, and hollowing — shrinking the body inward (Correct answer)
Moving in the horizontal plane
Using strong effort qualities

Correct answer: Shortening, narrowing, and hollowing — shrinking the body inward

Condensing Shape Flow is the inward, shrinking quality — the body narrows, shortens, and hollows, reducing its three-dimensional volume.

Question 7: When documenting movement patterns in a clinical or professional setting, which LMA category would a CMA prioritize to assess a client's functional movement efficiency?

Shape Flow qualities
Space Harmony scales
Body connectivity patterns (Bartenieff Fundamentals) (Correct answer)
Effort drives (Action, Passion, Vision, Spell)

Correct answer: Body connectivity patterns (Bartenieff Fundamentals)

Bartenieff Fundamentals focus on Body connectivity and functional movement patterning, making them most relevant for assessing physical efficiency.

Question 8: The LBMS (Laban/Bartenieff Movement System) practitioner code requires that advertising and marketing of CMA services:

Guarantee specific outcomes to demonstrate clinical confidence
Include testimonials from anonymous clients to build credibility
Be accurate, honest, and not misrepresent the scope or efficacy of movement analysis (Correct answer)
Make bold claims to attract clients in a competitive marketplace

Correct answer: Be accurate, honest, and not misrepresent the scope or efficacy of movement analysis

Professional marketing must be truthful and accurately represent what movement analysis can and cannot accomplish.

Question 9: What is the primary goal of somatic practices?

Speed up physical training
Promote competitive sports
Increase exercise repetition
Enhance body awareness and self-healing (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Enhance body awareness and self-healing

The primary goal of somatic practices is to enhance an individual's body awareness and facilitate self-healing by focusing on the internal, felt experience of the body. These practices aim to improve the mind-body connection, helping individuals recognize and release chronic tension, improve movement patterns, and support the body's natural capacity for well-being. They prioritize internal sensation and self-regulation over external performance.

Question 10: Which movement initiation source originates at the tips of the limbs and travels inward toward the body's center?

Proximal initiation
Central initiation
Middle initiation
Distal initiation (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Distal initiation

Distal initiation begins at the extremities—hands, feet, or head—and ripples inward toward the body's core.

Question 11: How can pattern recognition benefit a movement analyst?

Reinforce old habits
Limit movements
Ignore minor motions
Predict tendencies and suggest strategies (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Predict tendencies and suggest strategies

Pattern recognition allows a movement analyst to identify habitual ways of moving, both functional and dysfunctional. By understanding these recurring patterns, the analyst can predict an individual's movement tendencies and potential challenges. This insight is crucial for developing targeted interventions and suggesting effective strategies to improve movement efficiency, prevent injury, or enhance performance.

Question 12: In observing Effort, a CMA would identify 'indirect' Space Effort in a mover who:

Meanders, taking a roundabout path and attending to many things at once (Correct answer)
Sustains movement over a long time
Uses strong physical force
Moves in a straight line toward a target

Correct answer: Meanders, taking a roundabout path and attending to many things at once

Indirect Space Effort is seen when a mover's attention is flexible and multi-focused, leading to roundabout, flexible paths rather than straight lines.

Question 13: Which LMA category addresses body part connectivity?

Space
Effort
Shape
Body (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Body

The 'Body' category in Laban Movement Analysis specifically focuses on the structural and anatomical aspects of movement, including how different body parts connect and coordinate. It examines patterns of connectivity (e.g., core-distal, head-tail, upper-lower), sequencing of movement, and the initiation of movement from various body parts. This helps understand the physical organization and integration of movement.

Question 14: Which of the following best describes 'Directional Movement' in Shape theory?

Movement that creates a spoke-like or arc-like line from the body toward the environment (Correct answer)
Movement that changes the overall body shape volumetrically
Movement within the sagittal plane only
Movement that only uses bound flow

Correct answer: Movement that creates a spoke-like or arc-like line from the body toward the environment

Directional Movement creates spoke-like (straight) or arc-like lines that reach from the body toward the environment without shaping around it.

Question 15: Irmgard Bartenieff integrated Laban's movement theory with which other discipline to develop Bartenieff Fundamentals?

Ballet technique and Pilates
Yoga and Ayurveda
Sports science and biomechanics
Physical therapy and neurodevelopmental principles (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Physical therapy and neurodevelopmental principles

Bartenieff combined Laban's movement analysis with her training and practice in physical therapy and neurodevelopmental approaches.

Question 16: Which Effort motion factor relates to the mover's inner attitude toward space and spatial attention?

Weight
Time
Flow
Space (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Space

The Space Effort factor reflects the mover's inner attitude toward space — whether their attention is channeled directly or meanders indirectly.

Question 17: The 'Action Drive' in Effort theory is unique because it:

Emphasizes emotional expression over function
Omits Flow, making it the most functionally action-oriented drive (Correct answer)
Combines all four Effort factors
Only uses Space and Time

Correct answer: Omits Flow, making it the most functionally action-oriented drive

The Action Drive omits Flow and combines Weight, Space, and Time, producing the eight basic effort actions used for functional task completion.

Question 18: In Shape theory, 'growing' Shape Flow is associated with:

Bound flow and condensed effort
Collapsing inward toward the core
Opening, expanding, or reaching outward from the body's center (Correct answer)
Narrowing and shortening of the body

Correct answer: Opening, expanding, or reaching outward from the body's center

Growing Shape Flow is the outward, expansive change in body shape — opening, widening, lengthening, or bulging away from center.

Question 19: An 'Effort drive' in LMA combines how many Effort motion factors?

One
Two
Four
Three (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Three

An Effort drive is a combination of three of the four motion factors, each time omitting one factor which characterizes the drive type.

Question 20: In Shape theory, 'retreating' refers to movement that:

Moves the body backward in the sagittal plane, away from the environment (Correct answer)
Opens outward to the side
Encircles or wraps around an object
Rises upward in the vertical dimension

Correct answer: Moves the body backward in the sagittal plane, away from the environment

Retreating is a sagittal Shape quality in which the body or body part moves backward, withdrawing from the forward-facing environment.

Question 21: The 'Motif Notation' (or Motif Writing) differs from full Labanotation in that it:

Records only spatial pathways
Only records Effort qualities
Is used exclusively for notation of sport
Captures movement themes and intentions without prescribing full anatomical detail (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Captures movement themes and intentions without prescribing full anatomical detail

Motif Notation captures the essential movement themes, qualities, and intentions using fewer symbols, allowing more interpretive freedom than full Labanotation.

Question 22: A CMA observing a student who consistently holds breath during effort, collapses the chest, and rushes transitions would note these as signs of dysregulation in which Bartenieff concept?

Spatial Intent
Breath Support and Phrasing (Correct answer)
Body Attitude
Effort-Shape integration

Correct answer: Breath Support and Phrasing

Breath Support and Phrasing in Bartenieff Fundamentals addresses how breath organizes movement initiation, effort, and recovery — dysregulation shows up as holding, collapse, and rushed phrases.

Question 23: The Shape quality of 'spreading' relates to which spatial dimension?

Forward/Back (bulging)
Rotational (twisting)
Side/Side (widening) (Correct answer)
Up/Down (lengthening)

Correct answer: Side/Side (widening)

Spreading is the widening or opening sideways — a Shape Flow change in the side-to-side or width dimension of the body.

Question 24: The Shape Quality 'Sinking' is associated with which directional tendency?

Descending toward the earth (Correct answer)
Rising upward away from the ground
Narrowing the body width
Enclosing the body toward the center

Correct answer: Descending toward the earth

Sinking is a Shape Quality in the vertical dimension reflecting the body's movement downward toward the earth.

Question 25: The three dimensions of Shape Flow are:

Ascending, Descending, Rotating
Up/Down, Side/Side, Forward/Back (Correct answer)
Strong/Light, Direct/Indirect, Sudden/Sustained
Bound/Free, High/Low, Wide/Narrow

Correct answer: Up/Down, Side/Side, Forward/Back

Shape Flow changes occur along three dimensions: lengthening/shortening (up/down), widening/narrowing (side/side), and bulging/hollowing (forward/back).

Question 26: The term 'hollowing' in Shape Flow refers to:

Expanding the front of the body outward
Lengthening the spine upward
Drawing the front surface of the body inward, away from the environment (Correct answer)
Widening the arms to the side

Correct answer: Drawing the front surface of the body inward, away from the environment

Hollowing is the backward/inward movement of the front body surface, creating a concave front — the opposite of bulging.

Question 27: The icosahedron is important in Laban's Space Harmony because it:

Measures the effort of locomotion
Categorizes breath patterns
Defines emotional states of movers
Provides the geometric framework for the kinesphere's spatial points (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Provides the geometric framework for the kinesphere's spatial points

The icosahedron's 12 vertices map key spatial points within the kinesphere, forming the geometric basis for Laban's spatial scales.

Question 28: The 'contralateral' developmental pattern is important because it:

Integrates cross-body diagonal connections between opposite limbs (Correct answer)
Focuses on spinal flexion only
Isolates the upper body from the lower body
Keeps both sides of the body moving symmetrically

Correct answer: Integrates cross-body diagonal connections between opposite limbs

Contralateral movement integrates opposite arm and leg diagonally across the body's midline, supporting complex locomotion and cross-brain integration.

Question 29: Which action reflects professionalism in client interactions?

Ignoring client preferences
Making personal judgments
Overstepping boundaries
Maintaining clear boundaries and respect (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Maintaining clear boundaries and respect

Professionalism in client interactions is demonstrated by consistently maintaining clear boundaries and showing profound respect. This involves separating personal feelings from professional duties, avoiding dual relationships, and ensuring all communication and actions are appropriate and client-focused. Such conduct builds trust, fosters a safe environment, and ensures the effectiveness of the professional relationship.

Question 30: The principle of 'breath support' in Bartenieff Fundamentals refers to:

Counting breaths per minute
Breathing only through the nose
The use of the breath cycle to initiate and support movement (Correct answer)
Holding the breath during exertion

Correct answer: The use of the breath cycle to initiate and support movement

Breath support in BF uses the natural inhale-exhale cycle as the foundation for movement initiation, organization, and release.

Question 31: Which scale in Space Harmony moves through the six points of the dimensional cross?

B-scale
Dimensional scale (Correct answer)
A-scale
Diagonal scale

Correct answer: Dimensional scale

The Dimensional scale moves through the six cardinal points of the three-dimensional cross: high, deep, right, left, forward, and backward.

Question 32: In choreology, what does 'kinesphere' refer to?

The rhythm of locomotion
The emotional quality of movement
The space immediately surrounding the body within reach (Correct answer)
The floor pattern of a dance

Correct answer: The space immediately surrounding the body within reach

The kinesphere is the personal space bubble immediately surrounding the body—the reach space available without changing the base of support.

Question 33: When a CMA is working cross-culturally and applies Effort analysis to movement that carries specific cultural meaning (such as ritual or ceremonial movement), the primary ethical concern is:

Practitioners should only work with cultures whose movement they personally perform
Imposing a Western analytical framework may misrepresent or disrespect culturally specific movement practices (Correct answer)
The practitioner should use Time effort categories exclusively in cultural contexts
Cultural movement cannot be analyzed using LMA without first translating it to English description

Correct answer: Imposing a Western analytical framework may misrepresent or disrespect culturally specific movement practices

Applying a culturally embedded framework to diverse movement practices risks ethnocentric misinterpretation and requires cultural humility and consultation.

Question 34: In Effort theory, 'indulging' in a motion factor means:

Using maximum force in that factor
Avoiding the factor entirely
Combining two motion factors simultaneously
Moving toward the yielding or passive end of the factor's continuum (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Moving toward the yielding or passive end of the factor's continuum

Indulging means yielding to or going with the passive pole of an Effort factor, such as being light, indirect, sustained, or free.

Question 35: In LMA, 'condensing' refers to:

Reducing the size of movement
Moving toward the active, fighting end of an Effort factor (Correct answer)
Combining two planes simultaneously
Using bound flow exclusively

Correct answer: Moving toward the active, fighting end of an Effort factor

Condensing means moving toward the active or 'fighting' pole of an Effort factor, such as being strong, direct, sudden, or bound.

Question 36: What is the purpose of Laban Movement Analysis (LMA)?

Analyze and describe human movement (Correct answer)
Enhance theater performances
Evaluate sports scores
Create musical compositions

Correct answer: Analyze and describe human movement

The primary purpose of Laban Movement Analysis (LMA) is to provide a comprehensive and systematic framework for observing, describing, and interpreting all forms of human movement. It offers a common language and set of categories (Body, Effort, Shape, Space) to understand the nuances of how and why people move. LMA is used across various fields, including dance, therapy, and anthropology, for detailed movement study.

Question 37: In BF, 'yield and push' describes which aspect of movement development?

The alternation of strong and light Effort
The relationship between bound and free flow
The breath cycle of inhale and exhale
The developmental process of giving weight into a surface and then pushing away from it to mobilize (Correct answer)

Correct answer: The developmental process of giving weight into a surface and then pushing away from it to mobilize

Yield and push is a developmental movement function: first yielding weight into a surface (establishing connection), then pushing away from it to mobilize the body.

Question 38: If a CMA practitioner experiences personal burnout that begins to affect the quality of their movement observations, the ethical response is to:

Conceal the burnout from supervisors to maintain professional credibility
Seek personal support, reduce caseload if necessary, and consult a supervisor to protect client welfare (Correct answer)
Switch to purely theoretical work without disclosing the reason to clients
Increase their caseload to build resilience through challenge

Correct answer: Seek personal support, reduce caseload if necessary, and consult a supervisor to protect client welfare

Self-care and self-monitoring are ethical obligations because compromised practitioner wellbeing directly risks client welfare.

Question 39: Shape Flow Support refers to:

The floor or surface the body rests on
The memorization of spatial scales
A technique for supporting injured movers
The way Shape Flow changes underlie and support Effort expression (Correct answer)

Correct answer: The way Shape Flow changes underlie and support Effort expression

Shape Flow Support describes how the body's growing/shrinking three-dimensional changes serve as a substrate that supports and facilitates Effort expression.

Question 40: Which Shape mode is most self-referential and least related to the external environment?

Directional Arc-like
Directional Spoke-like
Shape Flow (Correct answer)
Carving / Shaping

Correct answer: Shape Flow

Shape Flow is the most self-referential mode — the body grows and shrinks in relation to its own center rather than in relationship with the environment.

Question 41: In assessing developmental movement, a CMA notes a child's inability to use carving/shaping. This suggests a deficit in:

Effort variation
Personal body rhythm and breath
Linear reach and retract skills
Spatial awareness and environmental relationship-building (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Spatial awareness and environmental relationship-building

Carving/Shaping is the mode through which movers relate volumetrically to the environment; its absence suggests difficulty forming three-dimensional relationships with space and people.

Question 42: According to professional ethics for CMAs, when publishing movement analysis research, the practitioner should:

Publish raw data without interpretation to avoid bias
Attribute all movement observations solely to the Laban framework without acknowledging subjects
Only publish in non-peer-reviewed outlets to avoid academic scrutiny
Obtain appropriate consent, anonymize identifiable information, and accurately represent methodological limitations (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Obtain appropriate consent, anonymize identifiable information, and accurately represent methodological limitations

Ethical research publication requires consent, anonymization, and honest representation of the study's scope and limitations.

Question 43: In somatic movement education, 'interoception' refers to:

The mapping of external space during locomotion
The kinesthetic sense of another person's movement quality
The movement of attention outward to the environment
The perception of the body's internal physiological state (Correct answer)

Correct answer: The perception of the body's internal physiological state

Interoception is the sense of the body's internal state — including organ sensations, heart rate, hunger, and visceral feelings — increasingly recognized as central to somatic practices.

Question 44: Which of the following best describes the LMA concept of 'Phrase'?

The overall theme of a choreographic work
A fixed sequence of prescribed dance steps
A unit of movement with a beginning, middle, and end (Correct answer)
A single isolated movement of one body part

Correct answer: A unit of movement with a beginning, middle, and end

A movement phrase is a unit of movement with recognizable initiation, development, and conclusion, analogous to a sentence in language.

Question 45: Which combination of Effort qualities produces the 'basic action' called 'punch'?

Strong, Indirect, Sudden
Strong, Direct, Sudden (Correct answer)
Light, Indirect, Sustained
Light, Direct, Sustained

Correct answer: Strong, Direct, Sudden

Punch is one of Laban's eight basic effort actions, combining Strong Weight, Direct Space, and Sudden Time.

Question 46: The principle of 'non-maleficence' as applied to CMA practice most directly means:

The practitioner must avoid causing physical or psychological harm through their analysis and interventions (Correct answer)
The practitioner should always make movement feel pleasant for the client
Clients should be prevented from attempting challenging movement patterns
All movement analysis sessions must be filmed to prevent false allegations

Correct answer: The practitioner must avoid causing physical or psychological harm through their analysis and interventions

Non-maleficence obligates CMAs to actively prevent harm in both the process and application of movement analysis.

Question 47: Bartenieff Fundamentals (BF) were developed primarily to:

Prescribe exercises for athletic performance
Standardize theatrical movement vocabulary
Facilitate efficient, expressive, and healthy movement by integrating body connectivity (Correct answer)
Create a dance notation system

Correct answer: Facilitate efficient, expressive, and healthy movement by integrating body connectivity

Bartenieff Fundamentals are a set of movement principles and exercises developed by Irmgard Bartenieff to support healthy, integrated, and expressive movement.

Question 48: Which term describes the LMA observation that movement qualities occur in pairs of opposing polarities?

Motion factors duality
Monochromy
Effort gradation
Polarities principle (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Polarities principle

Each Effort motion factor exists on a continuum between two polar opposites (e.g., Light vs. Strong, Sudden vs. Sustained).

Question 49: A CMA observes a client whose movement lacks volumetric shaping and relies entirely on spoke-like directionals. A likely implication is:

Excellent three-dimensional relationship with the environment
Highly advanced spatial intelligence
Over-reliance on bound flow
Limited ability to form adaptive, enveloping relationships with people or objects (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Limited ability to form adaptive, enveloping relationships with people or objects

Without volumetric shaping, the mover cannot adapt their body three-dimensionally around others or objects, limiting nuanced environmental interaction.

Question 50: The concept of 'locomotor-non-locomotor' in BF developmental work distinguishes between:

Effort actions and Space Harmony scales
Upper and lower body movement patterns
Movement that travels through space and movement performed in place (Correct answer)
Fast and slow movement

Correct answer: Movement that travels through space and movement performed in place

Locomotor movement travels through space (walking, crawling), while non-locomotor movement occurs in place (bending, stretching, twisting).

Question 51: In LMA, the four Shape qualities associated with planes are:

Rising/Sinking, Spreading/Enclosing, Advancing/Retreating, Growing/Condensing (Correct answer)
Peripheral/Central, Straight/Curved, Fast/Slow, Open/Closed
High/Low, Wide/Narrow, Far/Near, Strong/Light
Float/Punch, Glide/Slash, Wring/Dab, Press/Flick

Correct answer: Rising/Sinking, Spreading/Enclosing, Advancing/Retreating, Growing/Condensing

The four pairs of planar Shape qualities are Rising/Sinking (vertical), Spreading/Enclosing (horizontal), and Advancing/Retreating (sagittal), plus Growing/Condensing overall.

Question 52: Why is continued education important for professionals?

To compete with colleagues
For financial gain
To replace older methods quickly
To stay current and uphold ethics (Correct answer)

Correct answer: To stay current and uphold ethics

Continued education is essential for professionals to remain competent and relevant in their evolving fields. It ensures they stay current with the latest research, techniques, and best practices, allowing them to provide the highest quality of service. This ongoing learning also reinforces ethical practice by ensuring professionals apply up-to-date, evidence-based methods responsibly and effectively.

Question 53: The Head-Tail body connectivity pattern primarily emphasizes which aspect of movement organization?

The relationship between the arms and the legs
Cross-body coordination between right and left sides
Connection along the spinal axis from cranium to coccyx (Correct answer)
The relationship between the upper and lower body halves at the waist

Correct answer: Connection along the spinal axis from cranium to coccyx

Head-Tail connectivity involves awareness and active use of the spinal/axial connection from the cranium to the coccyx.

Question 54: A CMA working with children must obtain informed consent from:

The school principal as the in loco parentis authority
Only the CMA's institutional supervisor
The child alone if they are over age seven
A parent or legal guardian, and where developmentally appropriate, assent from the child (Correct answer)

Correct answer: A parent or legal guardian, and where developmentally appropriate, assent from the child

Working with minors requires parental or guardian consent plus age-appropriate assent from the child to respect their developing autonomy.

Question 55: What are the six body connectivity patterns recognized in Laban Movement Analysis and Bartenieff Fundamentals?

Breath, Proximal, Medial, Distal, Sequential, Simultaneous
Breath, Core-Distal, Head-Tail, Upper-Lower, Body-Half, Cross-Lateral (Correct answer)
Breath, Radial, Spinal, Lateral, Diagonal, Rotational
Core-Distal, Horizontal, Vertical, Sagittal, Rotational, Spiral

Correct answer: Breath, Core-Distal, Head-Tail, Upper-Lower, Body-Half, Cross-Lateral

The six body connectivity patterns progress developmentally from Breath through Cross-Lateral integration.

Question 56: Which Shape quality describes movement that narrows the body by pulling the arms inward horizontally?

Rising
Sinking
Enclosing (Correct answer)
Retreating

Correct answer: Enclosing

Enclosing is the horizontal shape quality of gathering or narrowing the body inward, like wrapping arms around oneself.

Question 57: What is a basic tool used for movement observation?

Laban Movement Analysis (Correct answer)
Medical diagnosis chart
Music theory sheet
Dance choreography notes

Correct answer: Laban Movement Analysis

Laban Movement Analysis (LMA) is a widely recognized and comprehensive system specifically designed for observing, describing, and interpreting human movement. It provides a structured framework with categories like Body, Effort, Shape, and Space, enabling analysts to systematically break down and understand the complexities of movement. LMA is a foundational tool for movement analysts across various disciplines.

Question 58: A movement described as 'sudden' refers to which Effort motion factor?

Weight
Space
Flow
Time (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Time

Suddenness is the condensed, urgent quality of the Time Effort factor, contrasting with the lingering quality of sustained.

Question 59: A CMA is asked to testify as an expert witness in a legal case using movement analysis. The primary ethical obligation is to:

Decline all legal work as it falls outside CMA practice
Amplify findings to ensure the court takes movement evidence seriously
Advocate solely for the party that hired them
Provide objective, evidence-based testimony within the established limits of the LMA framework (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Provide objective, evidence-based testimony within the established limits of the LMA framework

Expert witnesses have an ethical duty to provide honest, impartial, and evidence-based testimony regardless of who retained them.

Question 60: In LMA, 'Shaping' (also called 'Carving') refers to:

Moving along the sagittal axis only
The effort qualities used in movement
Controlling breath during movement
Three-dimensional volumetric shaping of the body in relationship with the environment (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Three-dimensional volumetric shaping of the body in relationship with the environment

Shaping or Carving is the three-dimensional, sculptural forming of the body around objects, people, or space in the environment.

Question 61: Free Flow in Effort analysis is associated with movement that:

Requires deliberate muscular effort to continue
Stays bound to one location
Uses strong weight throughout
Cannot easily be stopped once initiated (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Cannot easily be stopped once initiated

Free Flow is characterized by an unrestrained, ongoing quality — the movement has momentum that makes it difficult to stop abruptly.

Question 62: What aspect does 'Space' refer to in LMA?

Pulse rhythm
Breathing patterns
Environmental navigation and focus (Correct answer)
Emotional expression

Correct answer: Environmental navigation and focus

In Laban Movement Analysis, the 'Space' category describes how a mover interacts with and navigates their environment. It encompasses aspects like the pathways taken, the directions of movement, the focus of attention (e.g., direct or indirect), and the relationship of the body to the surrounding space. This category reveals how movement is organized and directed in three-dimensional space, reflecting spatial intent.

Question 63: In Laban Movement Analysis, the four Effort motion factors are:

Weight, Space, Time, Flow (Correct answer)
Force, Direction, Rhythm, Shape
Gravity, Symmetry, Tempo, Breath
Strength, Speed, Tension, Pathway

Correct answer: Weight, Space, Time, Flow

The four Effort motion factors are Weight (strong/light), Space (direct/indirect), Time (sudden/sustained), and Flow (bound/free).

Question 64: Which of the following is NOT one of Laban's eight basic effort actions?

Bounce (Correct answer)
Slide
Wring
Flick

Correct answer: Bounce

The eight basic effort actions are: punch, slash, press, wring, dab, flick, glide, and float — bounce is not among them.

Question 65: What does good body mechanics help prevent?

Fatigue
Emotional stress
Muscle growth only
Strain, injury, and inefficiency (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Strain, injury, and inefficiency

Good body mechanics involve using the body in the most efficient and safe way possible during any activity. By maintaining proper posture, alignment, and movement patterns, individuals can significantly reduce the risk of muscle strain, joint injury, and chronic pain. It also enhances overall movement efficiency, conserving energy and improving performance in daily tasks and physical activities.

Question 66: Which of the following movements would most exemplify 'carving' or 'shaping'?

Hugging another person, wrapping the arms volumetrically around them (Correct answer)
Pointing a finger at a light switch
Breathing in deeply
Performing a straight-armed punch

Correct answer: Hugging another person, wrapping the arms volumetrically around them

Hugging exemplifies carving/shaping because the arms and body mold three-dimensionally around another person in the environment.

Question 67: The Effort action 'float' combines which three qualities?

Light, Indirect, Sustained (Correct answer)
Light, Direct, Sustained
Strong, Indirect, Sustained
Strong, Direct, Sudden

Correct answer: Light, Indirect, Sustained

Float combines Light Weight, Indirect Space, and Sustained Time, creating a buoyant, dreamy, and wandering quality.

Question 68: In LMA Shape theory, 'Shape Flow' describes:

The three-dimensional changing of the body's shape in relation to itself (Correct answer)
The effort quality of a movement phrase
The relationship between two movers
The spatial pathway traced by the feet

Correct answer: The three-dimensional changing of the body's shape in relation to itself

Shape Flow describes the body growing and shrinking three-dimensionally in relation to its own center, independent of the environment.

Question 69: In Space Harmony, 'transversals' are movement paths that:

Always begin and end at the same point
Cross from one side of the kinesphere to the other through the body
Follow the peripheral edge of the icosahedron (Correct answer)
Move only in one dimension

Correct answer: Follow the peripheral edge of the icosahedron

Transversals are spatial paths that cross obliquely through the kinesphere, connecting non-adjacent spatial zones along the faces of the icosahedron.

Question 70: Which aspect of Laban Movement Analysis specifically addresses HOW the mover relates to inner impulse and outer expressivity?

Shape
Space
Body
Effort (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Effort

Effort addresses the qualitative dynamics of movement — the inner attitudes that color how a movement is performed.

Question 71: A CMA practitioner uses Space Harmony analysis in a choreographic project and later wishes to publish the movement notation of a client's improvisation. The practitioner must:

Change the client's gender in the notation to anonymize it sufficiently
Obtain the client's written consent before publishing any identifiable movement material (Correct answer)
Publish freely since movement in public space has no copyright protection
Wait five years before publishing to allow the statute of limitations to pass

Correct answer: Obtain the client's written consent before publishing any identifiable movement material

A client's movement material remains their intellectual and personal property; written consent is required before publication.

Question 72: The Hakomi Method, developed by Ron Kurtz, integrates somatic awareness with which psychological tradition?

Gestalt therapy exclusively
Mindfulness-based body-centered psychotherapy (Correct answer)
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
Freudian psychoanalysis

Correct answer: Mindfulness-based body-centered psychotherapy

Hakomi is a mindfulness-based, somatic psychotherapy that uses body sensations, posture, and movement as doorways to unconscious material and core beliefs.

Question 73: Which somatic practitioner developed 'Ideokinesis,' using mental imagery to re-pattern neuromuscular coordination?

Bonnie Bainbridge Cohen
Mabel Todd (Correct answer)
Moshe Feldenkrais
F.M. Alexander

Correct answer: Mabel Todd

Mabel Todd developed Ideokinesis, the use of anatomical imagery to facilitate postural change through the nervous system without conscious muscular effort.

Question 74: What is a key ethical responsibility toward colleagues?

Criticizing them openly
Competing aggressively
Ignoring collaboration
Respecting and supporting professionalism (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Respecting and supporting professionalism

A key ethical responsibility toward colleagues is to foster a professional and supportive environment. This involves treating colleagues with respect, engaging in constructive collaboration, and collectively upholding the standards and reputation of the profession. Such behavior strengthens the professional community and contributes to a higher quality of service across the field.

Question 75: How does the Body category of LMA differ from the Effort category?

Body addresses which body parts move and how they are organized; Effort describes movement qualities and dynamics (Correct answer)
Body is observed externally while Effort is assessed only through self-report
Body applies only to trained performers while Effort applies to all movers
Body focuses on spatial pathways while Effort focuses on timing alone

Correct answer: Body addresses which body parts move and how they are organized; Effort describes movement qualities and dynamics

The Body category concerns which parts are active and their organizational connectivity, while Effort describes the dynamic qualities—Weight, Space, Time, and Flow—of movement.

Question 76: Which phase of a movement phrase typically contains the moment of peak exertion or maximum expression?

Recovery
Attack (Afraction) (Correct answer)
Preparation
Transition

Correct answer: Attack (Afraction)

The attack or afraction phase is the accent of a movement phrase where maximum effort or expression is reached.

Question 77: Which of the following describes 'head-tail' connectivity in developmental movement?

Upper-lower body differentiation
The connection between breath and effort
The relationship between the hands and feet
The connection between the skull and the coccyx through the full spine (Correct answer)

Correct answer: The connection between the skull and the coccyx through the full spine

Head-tail connectivity links the entire spine from the cranium (head) to the coccyx (tail), supporting spinal integration and sequencing.

Question 78: Which Effort factor is most associated with the mover's relationship to gravity and physical force?

Space
Time
Weight (Correct answer)
Flow

Correct answer: Weight

The Weight Effort factor relates to the mover's inner attitude toward gravity and physical impact, ranging from strong to light.

Question 79: The 'Passion Drive' in Effort theory omits which motion factor?

Weight
Time
Flow
Space (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Space

The Passion Drive combines Weight, Time, and Flow while omitting Space, giving it an intense, emotionally driven quality without spatial focus.

Question 80: The concept of 'Effort rhythm' in LMA refers to:

Musical tempo applied to movement
The spatial pattern traced by the feet
The number of times an action repeats
The patterned sequence and variation of Effort qualities over time (Correct answer)

Correct answer: The patterned sequence and variation of Effort qualities over time

Effort rhythm describes how Effort qualities flow, change, and pattern themselves across time in a mover's ongoing movement sequence.

Question 81: In Bartenieff Fundamentals, 'Thigh Lift' is a basic exercise primarily intended to develop:

Eye-head sequencing patterns
Core-distal connectivity and inner unit activation (Correct answer)
Upper extremity isolation
Breath-movement coordination in the hands

Correct answer: Core-distal connectivity and inner unit activation

Thigh Lift activates the inner core and establishes proximal–distal connectivity between the pelvis and lower limbs.

Question 82: The Feldenkrais Method's 'Awareness Through Movement' (ATM) lessons are primarily delivered in which format?

Verbally guided group movement sequences (Correct answer)
Partner-assisted resistance training
Video-based mirror practice routines
One-on-one hands-on table sessions

Correct answer: Verbally guided group movement sequences

ATM lessons are verbally guided group classes where participants follow spoken instructions through movement sequences to develop kinesthetic awareness.

Question 83: When a CMA practitioner's scope of practice ends and a client's needs exceed movement analysis (e.g., they disclose trauma), the ethical action is to:

End the professional relationship without providing any resources
Refer the client to an appropriately licensed mental health professional (Correct answer)
Consult movement notation texts to find a precedent
Continue working and incorporate informal trauma counseling

Correct answer: Refer the client to an appropriately licensed mental health professional

Referral to appropriately credentialed professionals when client needs exceed scope of practice is a cornerstone of ethical conduct.

Question 84: Which of Rudolf Laban's concepts organizes the harmonic relationships between spatial scales and movement progressions?

Eukinetics
Choreutics (Correct answer)
Effort graph
Shape Flow

Correct answer: Choreutics

Choreutics (Space Harmony) is Laban's study of the spatial forms and harmonious relationships of movement scales and paths.

Question 85: Which statement best describes the relationship between Shape and Effort in LMA?

Shape relates to the body's form changes while Effort relates to the dynamic qualities of movement (Correct answer)
Shape and Effort are always observed simultaneously and never independently
Effort always precedes Shape in any movement phrase
Shape is only relevant to dance and Effort only to therapy

Correct answer: Shape relates to the body's form changes while Effort relates to the dynamic qualities of movement

Shape describes how the body's form changes in space, while Effort describes the inner dynamic qualities — they are distinct but interrelated LMA categories.

Question 86: Body-Half (homolateral) connectivity pattern emphasizes the relationship between:

The upper and lower halves of the body at the waist
The axial spine from head to tailbone
The arm and leg on the same side of the body (Correct answer)
Opposite limbs such as right arm and left leg

Correct answer: The arm and leg on the same side of the body

Body-Half connectivity involves ipsilateral coordination—right arm with right leg or left arm with left leg working together.

Question 87: Core-Distal body connectivity involves movement that:

Moves from the trunk muscles outward to the environment
Travels along the spine from the head to the tailbone
Radiates outward from the navel/core to the extremities and back inward (Correct answer)
Coordinates the arms along with the spinal column

Correct answer: Radiates outward from the navel/core to the extremities and back inward

Core-Distal connectivity emphasizes the radial relationship between the body's navel center and the tips of the limbs.

Question 88: Which of the following is one of the six basic Bartenieff Fundamental exercises?

Plié
Forward roll
Arabesque
Thigh lift (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Thigh lift

The thigh lift is one of the six classic Bartenieff Fundamental exercises, targeting the hip socket and core-distal connectivity.

Question 89: Which of the following is an example of a 'sagittal' movement in LMA Space Harmony?

Lifting and lowering the shoulders
Rotating the torso left and right
Reaching forward and pulling back (Correct answer)
Swinging the arms side to side

Correct answer: Reaching forward and pulling back

Sagittal movements travel forward and backward along the anterior–posterior axis of the body.

Question 90: What is the primary purpose of practicing spatial scales in CMA training?

To internalize the geometry of the kinesphere and develop spatial intelligence (Correct answer)
To improve cardiovascular endurance
To increase muscular strength
To memorize notation symbols

Correct answer: To internalize the geometry of the kinesphere and develop spatial intelligence

Spatial scales are practiced to develop an embodied understanding of the kinesphere's geometry, training the mover's spatial awareness and clarity.

Question 91: In LMA, 'sequential movement' refers to:

Movement that follows a predetermined choreographic order
Movement in which multiple body parts move simultaneously
Movement that occurs in predictable metric rhythmic patterns
Movement that flows successively through body parts one after another (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Movement that flows successively through body parts one after another

Sequential movement passes through body parts in succession, creating a ripple or wave-like effect through the body.

Question 92: The 'body key' in Labanotation is used to:

Specify which body part performs a movement when it is not the default (Correct answer)
Indicate the floor level
Mark the tempo of the piece
Identify the key signature of the musical accompaniment

Correct answer: Specify which body part performs a movement when it is not the default

Body keys clarify which specific body part performs a movement when the context does not make it clear from the staff column alone.

Question 93: When a mover's Shape changes consistently match their Effort qualities (e.g., Strong + Shaping-Enclosing), what LMA concept does this exemplify?

Effort-Shape affinity or integration (Correct answer)
Drive expression
Spatial-effort harmony
Postural-gestural merging

Correct answer: Effort-Shape affinity or integration

When Effort and Shape qualities align meaningfully, it indicates integration of inner attitude (Effort) and outer form (Shape), a sign of expressive coherence.

Question 94: When observing movement patterns over time, what does 'Phrase' refer to in Laban Movement Analysis?

A unit of movement with a beginning, middle, and end (Correct answer)
The spatial pathway traced by a limb
The rhythmic count of musical beats
The effort quality dominant in a sequence

Correct answer: A unit of movement with a beginning, middle, and end

A movement phrase is a meaningful unit of movement that has an arc-like structure: preparation, main action, and recovery.

Question 95: A CMA observes a surgeon making small, controlled, precise incisions. Which Effort quality is most evident?

Sustained Time
Indirect Space
Bound Flow (Correct answer)
Free Flow

Correct answer: Bound Flow

Bound Flow is most evident in surgery because the movements are highly controlled, restrained, and could be stopped at any moment.

Question 96: A CMA working in a corporate wellness setting is asked by management to provide individual employee movement profiles without the employees' knowledge. The ethical response is to:

Refuse, as conducting covert assessments violates professional ethics (Correct answer)
Complete the assessment but charge double the fee as compensation
Comply because management has authority over the workplace
Provide anonymized group data instead without disclosing the limitation

Correct answer: Refuse, as conducting covert assessments violates professional ethics

Covert assessment of individuals without their consent is a fundamental violation of professional ethics in movement analysis.

Question 97: Cross-Lateral (contralateral) body connectivity involves coordination between:

Movement that traverses multiple spatial planes simultaneously
Any movement that crosses the body's midline
The relationship between core and peripheral body parts
Opposite limbs—right arm with left leg, or left arm with right leg (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Opposite limbs—right arm with left leg, or left arm with right leg

Cross-Lateral connectivity integrates diagonal pairs of opposite limbs in a counter-balancing pattern essential to mature locomotion.

Question 98: The A-scale in Space Harmony is also known as the:

Diagonal scale
Dimensional scale
Defense scale (Correct answer)
Equatorial scale

Correct answer: Defense scale

The A-scale is called the Defense scale because its spatial directions correspond to protecting or defending the body.

Question 99: The 'Spell Drive' in Effort theory combines:

Weight, Time, Flow (omits Space)
Space, Time, Flow (omits Weight) (Correct answer)
Space, Weight, Flow (omits Time)
Space, Weight, Time (omits Flow)

Correct answer: Space, Time, Flow (omits Weight)

The Spell Drive combines Space, Time, and Flow while omitting Weight, creating a hypnotic, dream-like, otherworldly quality.

Question 100: 'Bound' Flow in Effort analysis describes movement that is:

Freely streaming without restraint
Controlled, held, or restrained in its release (Correct answer)
Rapid and explosive
Directed toward a specific point in space

Correct answer: Controlled, held, or restrained in its release

Bound Flow is characterized by restraint, control, and resistance to flow, giving movement a held, cautious, or precise quality.

Question 101: In LMA, 'proximal initiation' means a movement begins at:

The fingertips, toes, or top of the head
The joint closest to the trunk where the limb attaches (Correct answer)
The cranium or coccyx endpoints of the spine
The midpoint of a limb such as the elbow or knee

Correct answer: The joint closest to the trunk where the limb attaches

Proximal initiation begins at the joint nearest the body's core—shoulder or hip—and travels outward toward the distal end.

Question 102: How should a movement analyst handle conflicts of interest?

Ignore them
Disclose immediately (Correct answer)
Prioritize personal benefit
Discuss with clients only after services

Correct answer: Disclose immediately

Conflicts of interest arise when a professional's personal interests could improperly influence their professional judgment or actions. For a movement analyst, it is an ethical imperative to disclose any potential conflict immediately to the client. This transparency allows the client to make informed decisions about continuing the professional relationship and helps maintain the integrity and trustworthiness of the analyst.

Certified Movement Analyst (CMA)

The CMA certification, awarded by the Laban/Bartenieff Institute of Movement Studies (LIMS), assesses professional competency in Laban Movement Analysis (LMA) across four core domains: Body, Effort, Shape, and Space. Candidates must demonstrate both theoretical knowledge and applied movement observation skills.

100

Questions

120 min

Time Limit

70%

To Pass

Checking for saved progress...

Exam Rules

You can skip questions and return to them later
Flag questions for review before submitting
No feedback shown until you submit the entire exam
Unanswered questions count as wrong — answer everything
10 pretest questions are mixed in and don't affect your score
Timer auto-submits when time runs out
Your progress is auto-saved every 30 seconds