Certified Movement Analyst (CMA) — Questions and Answers

Question 1: What is a benefit of somatic movement practices?

Higher energy expenditure
Decreased mindfulness
Improved posture and reduced tension (Correct answer)
Increased workout time

Correct answer: Improved posture and reduced tension

A significant benefit of somatic movement practices is improved posture and reduced tension. By guiding individuals to become more aware of their habitual movement patterns and areas of chronic muscular effort, these practices facilitate the release of unnecessary tension and promote more balanced body organization. This often leads to greater ease in movement, reduced physical discomfort, and a more aligned posture.

Question 2: 'Bound' Flow in Effort analysis describes movement that is:

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

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

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

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 4: In group movement analysis settings such as dance/movement therapy groups, the ethical handling of one member's private disclosures requires the CMA to:

Maintain individual confidentiality while managing group dynamics appropriately (Correct answer)
Document all disclosures in group notes accessible to all participants
Encourage the disclosing member to leave the group temporarily
Share all disclosures with the group to foster transparency

Correct answer: Maintain individual confidentiality while managing group dynamics appropriately

Individual confidentiality obligations persist within group settings and must be carefully balanced with group process management.

Question 5: The Shape quality of 'spreading' relates to which spatial dimension?

Up/Down (lengthening)
Forward/Back (bulging)
Side/Side (widening) (Correct answer)
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 6: In Bartenieff Fundamentals practice, maintaining professional boundaries with clients most critically involves:

Requiring clients to wear specific clothing to depersonalize the session
Avoiding all discussion of emotional responses to movement work
Ensuring physical touch is only used with explicit client consent and clear therapeutic purpose (Correct answer)
Limiting sessions to 30 minutes to reduce intimacy

Correct answer: Ensuring physical touch is only used with explicit client consent and clear therapeutic purpose

Because Bartenieff Fundamentals involves physical touch, obtaining explicit consent and maintaining clear therapeutic intent is essential for ethical practice.

Question 7: The Head-Tail body connectivity pattern primarily emphasizes which aspect of movement organization?

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

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 8: What does good body mechanics help prevent?

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

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 9: A 'metric' movement phrase is characterized by:

Improvised timing with unpredictable, freely varied rhythmic patterns
Movement that traces specific geometric spatial pathways
Regular, countable rhythmic units organized by a consistent pulse (Correct answer)
Continuous, breath-driven flow without audible accents

Correct answer: Regular, countable rhythmic units organized by a consistent pulse

Metric phrasing organizes movement into regular, measurable rhythmic units anchored to a consistent beat or pulse.

Question 10: 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 11: In movement observation, what does the term 'Transition' specifically refer to?

The spatial path from Point A to Point B
The movement connecting one posture or phrase to the next (Correct answer)
The peak moment of an action
The pause between movement phrases

Correct answer: The movement connecting one posture or phrase to the next

Transitions are how a mover moves between actions or postures, and they carry significant expressive and patterning information.

Question 12: In LMA, 'condensing' refers to:

Moving toward the active, fighting end of an Effort factor (Correct answer)
Reducing the size of movement
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 13: Which type of movement phrasing involves a sharp, sudden beginning that then gradually decays in intensity?

Swing phrasing
Impulsive phrasing (Correct answer)
Sustained phrasing
Impactive phrasing

Correct answer: Impulsive phrasing

Impulsive phrasing begins with a sudden accent and then gradually decreases in intensity, like a ball thrown and then decelerating.

Question 14: The principle of 'non-maleficence' as applied to CMA practice most directly means:

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

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 15: How does observing body mechanics assist in movement analysis?

Highlight tension and inefficiency (Correct answer)
Increase exercise speed
Record sound patterns
Focus only on artistic expression

Correct answer: Highlight tension and inefficiency

Observing body mechanics allows a movement analyst to identify areas of tension, compensatory movements, and inefficient patterns that may lead to discomfort or injury. By recognizing these issues, the analyst can pinpoint specific areas where movement could be improved for greater ease, efficiency, and overall well-being. This observation is key for developing effective corrective strategies and enhancing functional movement.

Question 16: A child repeatedly organizes movement around upper-lower body split, using both arms together and both legs together. Which Body connectivity pattern is dominant?

Homolateral
Core-distal
Homologous (Correct answer)
Contralateral

Correct answer: Homologous

Homologous connectivity involves upper and lower halves of the body moving as unified units, as in jumping or pushing with both hands.

Question 17: In Shape theory, 'condensing' Shape Flow refers to:

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

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 18: What is the primary goal of somatic practices?

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

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 19: Which phrasing type follows the natural inhale-exhale cycle, creating organic, continuous movement without sharp accents?

Metered phrasing
Breath rhythm phrasing (Correct answer)
Swing phrasing
Impulsive phrasing

Correct answer: Breath rhythm phrasing

Breath rhythm phrasing mirrors the body's most fundamental respiratory cycle, producing continuous, organically flowing movement.

Question 20: In LMA, 'simultaneous movement' means:

Movement that occurs in exact metric time
All involved body parts act together at the same instant (Correct answer)
Two movers performing the same movement in unison
Bilateral symmetry maintained throughout a phrase

Correct answer: All involved body parts act together at the same instant

Simultaneous movement occurs when all involved body parts move at the same instant rather than passing successively through each part.

Question 21: Which developmental movement pattern, central to BMC and Bartenieff work, involves simultaneous movement of both arms and both legs?

Homologous (Correct answer)
Contralateral
Homolateral
Radial

Correct answer: Homologous

Homologous movement involves the upper or lower halves of the body moving simultaneously and symmetrically, as seen in a frog jump or both arms reaching overhead together.

Question 22: Confidentiality in CMA practice requires that client movement profiles:

Be protected and shared only with explicit client consent or as required by law (Correct answer)
Be posted anonymously in professional forums for peer feedback
Be disclosed to the client's employer upon request
Be shared with any other health professional the client has ever seen

Correct answer: Be protected and shared only with explicit client consent or as required by law

Client movement data carries the same confidentiality obligations as other professional health-related information.

Question 23: In pattern recognition, a CMA identifies a mover who consistently uses 'Action Drive' (Weight + Time + Space Effort). What is notably absent?

Spatial pathways
Flow Effort (Correct answer)
Shape changes
Body part differentiation

Correct answer: Flow Effort

Action Drive combines Weight, Time, and Space Efforts while Flow is not a defining element, making it the absent Motion Factor.

Question 24: A 'spoke-like' directional movement in Shape theory creates:

A curved arc through space
A rotational pathway
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 25: 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
Limited ability to form adaptive, enveloping relationships with people or objects (Correct answer)
Highly advanced spatial intelligence

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 26: The concept of 'Effort rhythm' in LMA refers to:

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

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 27: In Bartenieff Fundamentals, 'body half' connectivity refers to:

Upper body independence from lower body
Using only one side of the body while the other is still (Correct answer)
Breath flowing to one side at a time
The right side and left side working together in opposition

Correct answer: Using only one side of the body while the other is still

Body half connectivity focuses on the right or left half of the body as an integrated unit, strengthening lateral differentiation and organization.

Question 28: A CMA observing a dancer whose movement constantly shifts spatial pathways and explores multiple directions simultaneously would likely note which Space Effort quality?

Bound
Indirect (Flexible) (Correct answer)
Direct
Sustained

Correct answer: Indirect (Flexible)

Indirect (Flexible) Space Effort reflects a multi-focused, meandering attention to space rather than a single channeled direction.

Question 29: A CMA observing a group class notices that one participant's movement transitions lack sequential flow through body segments. Which Bartenieff pattern is likely underdeveloped?

Effort phrasing
Homologous patterning
Sequential body connectivity (Correct answer)
Spatial intent

Correct answer: Sequential body connectivity

Sequential connectivity involves movement rippling through successive body segments in an ordered chain, enabling fluid transitions.

Question 30: Which behavior could breach ethical standards?

Securing private records
Reporting data breaches promptly
Sharing client records without permission (Correct answer)
Respecting client privacy

Correct answer: Sharing client records without permission

Sharing client records without explicit permission is a severe breach of confidentiality and ethical standards. Client records contain highly sensitive personal and health information that must be protected. Unauthorized disclosure undermines trust, violates privacy rights, and can lead to significant legal and professional repercussions for the practitioner.

Question 31: What is an important principle of safe body mechanics during lifting?

Bend at the waist
Keep load close and bend knees (Correct answer)
Twist while lifting
Lift quickly with arms

Correct answer: Keep load close and bend knees

When lifting, it is crucial to keep the load as close to the body as possible to reduce leverage and strain on the back. Bending the knees and using the powerful leg muscles to lift, rather than bending at the waist, helps maintain a neutral spine and distributes the weight safely. This prevents injury to the back and promotes efficient lifting, protecting the mover's body.

Question 32: Which Body organization pattern describes movement that is initiated from the core and radiates outward to the distal extremities?

Homologous connectivity
Contralateral connectivity
Head-tail connectivity
Core-distal connectivity (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Core-distal connectivity

Core-distal connectivity is a developmental movement pattern where energy moves between the navel center and all extremities simultaneously.

Question 33: The 'Spell Drive' in Effort theory combines:

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

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 34: In LMA Shape theory, 'Shape Flow' describes:

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

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 35: Which developmental movement pattern involves the body folding and unfolding around a transverse axis?

Contralateral
Homologous
Homolateral
Spinal (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Spinal

Spinal patterning involves the body flexing and extending around its longitudinal or transverse axes, like a worm or snake undulating.

Question 36: Which method is considered a somatic practice?

Cardio workouts
Olympic lifting
Martial arts sparring
Feldenkrais Method (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Feldenkrais Method

The Feldenkrais Method is a recognized somatic practice that uses gentle, guided movement sequences and directed attention to improve body organization, flexibility, and coordination. It emphasizes learning new movement patterns and increasing self-awareness through a series of structured lessons. In contrast, cardio workouts, Olympic lifting, and martial arts sparring are forms of physical exercise or sport, not typically categorized as somatic practices focused on internal awareness and re-education.

Question 37: A CMA discovers an error in a previously submitted movement analysis report that could affect a client's treatment. The ethical obligation is to:

Wait to see if the error causes harm before taking action
Deny the error to protect professional reputation
Inform the relevant parties of the error promptly and provide a corrected report (Correct answer)
Discard the erroneous report and issue a new one without informing the client

Correct answer: Inform the relevant parties of the error promptly and provide a corrected report

Professional ethics require prompt disclosure of errors that may affect client welfare, followed by corrective action.

Question 38: Irmgard Bartenieff integrated Laban's movement theory with which other discipline to develop Bartenieff Fundamentals?

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

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 39: How does somatic movement therapy assist individuals?

Reconnect with bodily sensations (Correct answer)
Push beyond pain limits
Focus only on external performance
Achieve peak athleticism

Correct answer: Reconnect with bodily sensations

Somatic movement therapy assists individuals by guiding them to reconnect with their internal bodily sensations, feelings, and movements. This process helps them become more aware of habitual patterns, areas of tension, and discomfort, fostering a deeper mind-body connection. By bringing conscious attention to these sensations, individuals can learn to release chronic stress, improve posture, and develop more efficient and comfortable movement.

Question 40: A CMA observing 'Shaping in Planes' would note movement that primarily:

Traces flat, two-dimensional arcs within one of the three cardinal planes
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

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 41: The BF principle of 'dynamic alignment' means:

The ongoing, active process of organizing the body efficiently during movement (Correct answer)
Static standing in correct posture
Holding the spine rigid during exercise
Lining up body parts in a vertical plumb line

Correct answer: The ongoing, active process of organizing the body efficiently during movement

Dynamic alignment is not a static position but an ongoing process of actively organizing the body for efficient, integrated movement.

Question 42: Which somatic practice explicitly uses the principle of 'non-doing' or minimal effort, often described as 'directing' without muscular effort?

Alexander Technique (Correct answer)
Rolfing
Pilates
Gyrokinesis

Correct answer: Alexander Technique

The Alexander Technique teaches 'directing' — projecting mental instructions to the body (e.g., 'neck free, head forward and up') without voluntarily contracting muscles to create change.

Question 43: 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 44: Which of the following movements would most exemplify 'carving' or 'shaping'?

Pointing a finger at a light switch
Hugging another person, wrapping the arms volumetrically around them (Correct answer)
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 45: A CMA using BF principles with a client who lacks core connectivity would most likely address:

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

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 46: Which LMA category addresses HOW movement is performed in terms of its qualitative dynamics?

Effort (Correct answer)
Body
Shape
Space

Correct answer: Effort

Effort describes the qualitative, inner dynamic qualities of movement across the four motion factors: Weight, Space, Time, and Flow.

Question 47: Free Flow in Effort analysis is associated with movement that:

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

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

Upper extremity isolation
Eye-head sequencing patterns
Core-distal connectivity and inner unit activation (Correct answer)
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 49: In Effort theory, 'indulging' in a motion factor means:

Combining two motion factors simultaneously
Using maximum force in that factor
Avoiding the factor entirely
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 50: In LMA Shape observation, 'Spoke-like' directional movements are best characterized by which description?

Movement that projects outward along a straight line from the body center (Correct answer)
Self-contained shrinking and growing
Three-dimensional carving through space
Curved arcs that trace the body's contour

Correct answer: Movement that projects outward along a straight line from the body center

Spoke-like (Arc-like being the contrasting form) directional movement goes straight out from the center like a spoke of a wheel.

Question 51: The 'Action Drive' in Effort theory is unique because it:

Emphasizes emotional expression over function
Combines all four Effort factors
Omits Flow, making it the most functionally action-oriented drive (Correct answer)
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 52: Which of the following is NOT one of Laban's eight basic effort actions?

Flick
Slide
Bounce (Correct answer)
Wring

Correct answer: Bounce

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

Question 53: In Laban Movement Analysis, the four Effort motion factors are:

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

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 54: When an LMA analyst observes body connectivity patterns in a mover, the primary focus is on:

Whether movements conform to standard developmental milestone timelines
Which specific muscles are recruited in each movement
How body parts coordinate, support, or inhibit one another in movement organization (Correct answer)
The aesthetic quality and artistic merit of the movement sequences

Correct answer: How body parts coordinate, support, or inhibit one another in movement organization

LMA body connectivity analysis examines the relational and organizational patterns between body parts, noting coordination, support, restriction, or disconnection.

Question 55: Which quality best defines 'bound flow'?

Heavy and abrupt
Controlled and contained (Correct answer)
Carefree and loose
Fast and jerky

Correct answer: Controlled and contained

In Laban Movement Analysis, 'bound flow' is an Effort quality characterized by a sense of control, containment, and resistance. Movements with bound flow often appear careful, deliberate, and held back, as if energy is being continuously restrained. This contrasts with 'free flow,' which is released and unrestrained, highlighting the internal dynamic of the movement.

Question 56: Body-Half (homolateral) connectivity pattern emphasizes the relationship between:

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

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

Strong, Indirect, Sudden
Strong, Direct, Sudden (Correct answer)
Light, Direct, Sustained
Light, Indirect, 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 58: What are the six body connectivity patterns recognized in Laban Movement Analysis and Bartenieff Fundamentals?

Breath, Core-Distal, Head-Tail, Upper-Lower, Body-Half, Cross-Lateral (Correct answer)
Breath, Radial, Spinal, Lateral, Diagonal, Rotational
Breath, Proximal, Medial, Distal, Sequential, Simultaneous
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 59: Which body connectivity pattern is typically the last to emerge in human motor development?

Core-Distal
Upper-Lower
Breath
Cross-Lateral (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Cross-Lateral

Cross-Lateral (contralateral) coordination is the most complex developmental achievement and is the last connectivity pattern to emerge in motor development.

Question 60: A CMA observes a surgeon making small, controlled, precise incisions. Which Effort quality is most evident?

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

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 61: In Labanotation, the column immediately to the right of the center line typically records movement for:

The left leg
The right leg (Correct answer)
The head
The right arm

Correct answer: The right leg

The column immediately to the right of the center line records the right leg's movement, mirroring the body's layout on the staff.

Question 62: A CMA notes that a subject consistently initiates movement from the distal extremities (fingers, toes) rather than from proximal body centers. Which initiation pattern is being observed?

Distal initiation (Correct answer)
Proximal initiation
Head-tail sequencing
Core-driven activation

Correct answer: Distal initiation

Distal initiation means movement begins at the extremities and sequences inward, contrasting with proximal (center-out) initiation patterns.

Question 63: In LMA, an 'Incomplete Effort' refers to a movement that:

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

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 64: 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 is only relevant to dance and Effort only to therapy
Effort always precedes Shape in any movement phrase
Shape and Effort are always observed simultaneously and never independently

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

Time (Correct answer)
Space
Weight
Flow

Correct answer: Time

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

Question 66: When observing movement patterns over time, what does 'Phrase' refer to in Laban Movement Analysis?

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

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 67: A CMA is approached to analyze movement footage from a deceased individual. The ethical considerations include:

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

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

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

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 69: A CMA practitioner is offered a financial incentive by a manufacturer to recommend specific movement equipment to clients. The ethical obligation is to:

Accept the incentive as long as the equipment is genuinely useful
Refuse all equipment recommendations to clients to avoid any conflict
Accept the incentive privately and recommend the equipment without disclosure
Disclose the financial relationship to clients and allow it to inform but not drive recommendations (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Disclose the financial relationship to clients and allow it to inform but not drive recommendations

Financial conflicts of interest must be transparently disclosed to clients so they can make informed decisions about recommendations they receive.

Question 70: The concept of 'locomotor-non-locomotor' in BF developmental work distinguishes between:

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

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 71: The three dimensions of Shape Flow are:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 75: Shape Flow Support refers to:

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

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 76: The 'body key' in Labanotation is used to:

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

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 77: In developmental movement re-education, 'navel radiation' describes movement initiated from:

The breath center influencing limb extension
The crown of the head outward to the extremities
The navel as a center point radiating outward in all directions (Correct answer)
The spine radiating movement to the peripheral limbs

Correct answer: The navel as a center point radiating outward in all directions

Navel radiation is an early developmental pattern where movement radiates from the navel (as a central organizing point) outward symmetrically toward all six limb ends.

Question 78: In LMA, 'Shaping' (also called 'Carving') refers to:

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

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 79: Maintaining competence as a professional obligation for CMAs includes:

Limiting practice to the exact techniques studied in initial certification coursework
Completing the initial CMA certification and then practicing independently without further training
Engaging in ongoing professional development, supervision, and staying current with developments in the field (Correct answer)
Only attending training organized by the Laban/Bartenieff Institute

Correct answer: Engaging in ongoing professional development, supervision, and staying current with developments in the field

Professional competence is a continuing obligation that requires ongoing education, supervision, and engagement with evolving knowledge.

Question 80: Which somatic approach uses 'Functional Integration' (FI) as its hands-on one-to-one teaching modality?

Hakomi
Body-Mind Centering
Trager Approach
Feldenkrais Method (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Feldenkrais Method

Functional Integration is the individual hands-on form of the Feldenkrais Method, where the practitioner guides the student's movement through gentle touch to suggest new neurological patterns.

Question 81: 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 82: Which scenario BEST illustrates a violation of the ethical principle of fidelity in CMA practice?

A CMA refers a client to a dance therapist for deeper emotional work
A CMA promises to keep movement observations confidential but shares them without consent (Correct answer)
A CMA declines to work with a client whose needs exceed their expertise
A CMA charges a sliding-scale fee to accommodate a client's financial situation

Correct answer: A CMA promises to keep movement observations confidential but shares them without consent

Fidelity requires keeping commitments and promises; breaking a confidentiality promise violates this core professional obligation.

Question 83: In LMA, the four Shape qualities associated with planes are:

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

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 84: In somatic re-education, 'sensory-motor amnesia' (a term coined by Thomas Hanna) describes:

Reduced skin sensitivity due to scar tissue formation
Chronically contracted muscles that the nervous system has lost the ability to relax voluntarily (Correct answer)
Inability to form new movement memories after stroke
Loss of proprioceptive feedback following peripheral nerve damage

Correct answer: Chronically contracted muscles that the nervous system has lost the ability to relax voluntarily

Hanna's sensory-motor amnesia describes muscles locked in habitual contraction patterns that the person can no longer consciously feel or release, corrected through Hanna Somatics.

Question 85: The concept of 'breath support' in Bartenieff Fundamentals refers to:

Respiratory therapy applications for movement rehabilitation clients
How the breath cycle initiates and organizes the quality and expression of movement (Correct answer)
Techniques for controlling breathing rate during aerobic exercise
The use of audible exhales as a deliberate performance element

Correct answer: How the breath cycle initiates and organizes the quality and expression of movement

Breath support in BF addresses how the natural breath cycle underpins movement initiation, organization, and expressive quality.

Question 86: The Effort action 'float' combines which three qualities?

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

Correct answer: Light, Indirect, Sustained

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

Question 87: When a CMA notes that a mover's Flow Effort is primarily Bound, what behavioral tendency might this indicate?

Lightness and upward levity
Strength and grounded stability
Restraint, control, and readiness to stop (Correct answer)
Ease, release, and going-ness

Correct answer: Restraint, control, and readiness to stop

Bound Flow indicates controlled, held movement that can be stopped at any moment, often linked to caution or precision.

Question 88: 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
Effort-Shape integration
Body Attitude
Breath Support and Phrasing (Correct answer)

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 89: The term 'hollowing' in Shape Flow refers to:

Drawing the front surface of the body inward, away from the environment (Correct answer)
Expanding the front of the body outward
Lengthening the spine upward
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 90: When a CMA documents 'Effort Affinities,' what is being identified?

The sequence of Effort changes in a phrase
Effort qualities that naturally support or resonate with each other (Correct answer)
The mover's habitual Effort preferences
Effort qualities that are opposite and create tension

Correct answer: Effort qualities that naturally support or resonate with each other

Effort Affinities are pairs or clusters of Effort qualities that Laban identified as naturally harmonizing, such as Sustained-Indirect or Sudden-Direct.

Question 91: In Bartenieff Fundamentals, the 'Body Half' pattern develops the mover's ability to:

Connect breath to distal movement
Articulate one side of the body independently from the other (Correct answer)
Coordinate eye and head movement with spinal sequences
Move the upper and lower body simultaneously

Correct answer: Articulate one side of the body independently from the other

The Body Half developmental pattern establishes left–right differentiation by activating one side of the body at a time.

Question 92: Which Effort factor is most associated with the mover's relationship to gravity and physical force?

Space
Weight (Correct answer)
Flow
Time

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 93: Which Effort quality describes movement characterized by gradual, sustained changes in speed?

Indirect
Sustained (Correct answer)
Strong
Sudden

Correct answer: Sustained

The Time Effort quality of Sustained describes movement that unfolds slowly and lingers, as opposed to the sudden fighting quality.

Question 94: In Bartenieff Fundamentals, 'inner-outer' connectivity relates to:

Effort flow from bound to free
The breathing cycle in and out
The relationship between the body's deep intrinsic muscles and its outer surface or movement expression (Correct answer)
Movement going from the kinesphere inward

Correct answer: The relationship between the body's deep intrinsic muscles and its outer surface or movement expression

Inner-outer connectivity addresses the integration of deep intrinsic muscles with the body's outer layers and external movement expression.

Question 95: An 'Effort drive' in LMA combines how many Effort motion factors?

Three (Correct answer)
Four
One
Two

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 96: The term 'phrasing' in LMA refers to:

The rhythmic notation system used in Labanotation scores
The way movements are organized into meaningful sequences with discernible beginnings and endings (Correct answer)
The relationship between a dancer's movement and musical phrasing
How verbal language or narration accompanies a mover

Correct answer: The way movements are organized into meaningful sequences with discernible beginnings and endings

Phrasing in LMA describes how individual movements are organized into coherent units with identifiable structure, analogous to sentences in language.

Question 97: In Bartenieff Fundamentals, the 'pelvic lateral shift' exercise primarily trains:

Weight shift and weight-bearing connectivity through the pelvis and hip joints (Correct answer)
Effort dynamics in the lower extremities
Breath support and vocal tone
Rotational momentum in the arms

Correct answer: Weight shift and weight-bearing connectivity through the pelvis and hip joints

The pelvic lateral shift trains weight shift, lateral connectivity, and the relationship between the pelvis, hip joints, and support in locomotion.

Question 98: When a CMA notes that a client's movement shows 'Upper–Lower' connectivity, this means the client demonstrates:

Spinal undulation linking head to tail
Isolated movement of the extremities without core involvement
Arms and legs moving in mirror-image patterns
Coordination between the upper and lower halves of the body across the horizontal midline (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Coordination between the upper and lower halves of the body across the horizontal midline

Upper–Lower connectivity describes the functional relationship between the upper and lower halves of the body divided at the horizontal midline (waist).

Question 99: The Upper-Lower body connectivity pattern in LMA refers to the relationship between:

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

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

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

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 101: In Shape theory, 'growing' Shape Flow is associated with:

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

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

Flow
Time
Space (Correct answer)
Weight

Correct answer: Space

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

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%

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