Certified Movement Analyst (CMA) — Questions and Answers

Question 1: A CMA observing 'Shaping in Planes' would note movement that primarily:

Grows and shrinks in response to internal breath impulses
Moves in spoke-like lines toward spatial goals
Carves and molds three-dimensional volumetric forms in space (Correct answer)
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 2: A CMA is approached to analyze movement footage from a deceased individual. The ethical considerations include:

Respecting the legacy and potential impact on surviving family members, and seeking appropriate permissions (Correct answer)
Limiting analysis only to Weight effort to minimize interpretive overreach
No ethical considerations apply since the subject is deceased
Publishing the analysis immediately to contribute to historical movement research

Correct answer: Respecting the legacy and potential impact on surviving family members, and seeking appropriate permissions

Ethical responsibilities extend to deceased individuals' legacies and the potential impact of analysis on surviving family members and communities.

Question 3: The Upper-Lower body connectivity pattern in LMA refers to the relationship between:

The head and the torso
Core muscles and the distal limbs
The arms and the legs
The upper half of the body and the lower half, divided at the waist (Correct answer)

Correct answer: The upper half of the body and the lower half, divided at the waist

Upper-Lower connectivity emphasizes differentiation and cooperation between the upper body (above the waist) and the lower body (below the waist).

Question 4: In LMA, 'middle initiation' means a movement begins at:

An intermediate joint of a limb such as the elbow or knee (Correct answer)
The midpoint between two active body parts
The body's navel center
The tips of the extremities such as the fingers or toes

Correct answer: An intermediate joint of a limb such as the elbow or knee

Middle initiation begins at intermediate joints—elbow or knee—rather than at the distal tips or the proximal joints near the trunk.

Question 5: In the context of somatic practices, 'embodiment' is best understood as:

The memorization of codified movement sequences in the body
Living as and through the body with full subjective awareness, rather than treating the body as an object (Correct answer)
Achieving anatomically correct alignment in static posture
The physical fitness level of the practitioner

Correct answer: Living as and through the body with full subjective awareness, rather than treating the body as an object

Embodiment in somatic discourse refers to the experiential, first-person, subjective inhabiting of the body as a living subject — contrasted with treating the body as an external object to be corrected.

Question 6: In LMA, 'Shaping' (also called 'Carving') refers to:

Moving along the sagittal axis only
Controlling breath during movement
The effort qualities used in 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 7: What is informed consent in movement practice?

Surprising clients with practices
Assuming consent for all sessions
Obtaining voluntary agreement after full disclosure (Correct answer)
Skipping client education

Correct answer: Obtaining voluntary agreement after full disclosure

Informed consent is a vital ethical principle that upholds client autonomy in movement practice. It requires the professional to provide comprehensive information about the proposed practices, including their purpose, procedures, potential benefits, risks, and alternatives. Only after this full disclosure can the client provide voluntary agreement, ensuring they make educated decisions about their participation.

Question 8: Which combination of Effort qualities produces the 'basic action' called 'punch'?

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

Correct answer: Strong, Direct, Sudden

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

Question 9: Free Flow in Effort analysis is associated with movement that:

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

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 10: In Shape theory, 'retreating' refers to movement that:

Opens outward to the side
Moves the body backward in the sagittal plane, away from the environment (Correct answer)
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 11: In LMA, the four Shape qualities associated with planes are:

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

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

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

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

Time (Correct answer)
Space
Flow
Weight

Correct answer: Time

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

Question 14: What is emphasized during somatic education sessions?

Self-exploration and inner awareness (Correct answer)
Powerlifting
External performance evaluation
Speed running

Correct answer: Self-exploration and inner awareness

During somatic education sessions, the primary emphasis is on self-exploration and cultivating inner awareness. Participants are guided to pay close attention to their internal bodily sensations, movements, and feelings, rather than focusing on external performance metrics or comparisons. This internal focus empowers individuals to discover and modify their own movement patterns, fostering greater comfort, efficiency, and self-understanding.

Question 15: Which LMA category addresses body part connectivity?

Effort
Shape
Space
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 16: A CMA observes a client whose movement lacks volumetric shaping and relies entirely on spoke-like directionals. A likely implication is:

Over-reliance on bound flow
Excellent three-dimensional relationship with the environment
Highly advanced spatial intelligence
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 17: In LMA Shape theory, 'Shape Flow' describes:

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

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 18: The concept of 'inhibition' in the Alexander Technique means:

Suppressing emotional expression during movement
Restricting range of motion to avoid injury
Pausing to prevent habitual reactive responses before acting (Correct answer)
Inhibiting the stretch reflex through passive stretching

Correct answer: Pausing to prevent habitual reactive responses before acting

In AT, inhibition is the conscious pause between stimulus and response that allows the practitioner to choose a new, non-habitual action rather than reacting automatically.

Question 19: In BMC, the 'yield' action is foundational because it:

Releases fascial restriction through sustained pressure
Strengthens core muscles for postural support
Teaches the practitioner to give way under partner weight
Establishes the push-reach-pull-grasp developmental sequence through ground contact (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Establishes the push-reach-pull-grasp developmental sequence through ground contact

Yielding in BMC establishes the foundational neurological support that precedes all pushing, reaching, pulling, and grasping actions — it is the first action in the developmental movement sequence.

Question 20: What principle is crucial in movement re-education?

High-intensity repetition
Awareness through movement (Correct answer)
Increasing force output
Competing with others

Correct answer: Awareness through movement

In movement re-education, particularly within somatic practices, the principle of 'awareness through movement' is crucial. This involves guiding individuals to consciously observe and feel their body's movements and sensations, rather than just performing exercises mechanically. This heightened internal awareness allows for the identification and gentle modification of inefficient or painful movement patterns, leading to improved function and reduced discomfort.

Question 21: A CMA using BF principles with a client who lacks core connectivity would most likely address:

Effort variation exercises exclusively
Spatial scale practice before body work
Only peripheral limb strengthening
The integration of the core with the rest of the body through fundamental movement repatterning (Correct answer)

Correct answer: The integration of the core with the rest of the body through fundamental movement repatterning

BF principles address core connectivity through fundamental movement repatterning, linking the body's center to its extremities for integrated movement.

Question 22: In LMA, 'Monolinear' Effort refers to a sequence where:

Two Effort qualities change simultaneously
One Effort quality changes while others remain neutral or absent (Correct answer)
All four motion factors are fully engaged
No motion factors are present

Correct answer: One Effort quality changes while others remain neutral or absent

Monolinear Effort sequences involve one motion factor changing or emerging at a time while others are not actively engaged.

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

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

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

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

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 25: In LMA, an 'Incomplete Effort' refers to a movement that:

Is performed without weight transfer
Lacks a clear spatial pathway
Uses only one or two motion factors rather than all four (Correct answer)
Has no rhythmic structure

Correct answer: Uses only one or two motion factors rather than all four

Incomplete Efforts engage fewer than four motion factors, creating a less fully committed dynamic quality.

Question 26: 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 27: In movement phrasing, the 'preparation' phase serves which primary function?

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

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

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

Correct answer: Wide-angle or global observation

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

Question 29: In LMA, 'condensing' refers to:

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

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 30: 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.

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.

Questions

35 min

Time Limit

70%

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