Laban/Bartenieff Institute of Movement Studies

What Laban/Bartenieff Institute of Movement Studies does

The Laban/Bartenieff Institute of Movement Studies (LIMS, DBA: LIMS) is a non-profit educational, research, and arts & cultural organization founded in 1978 and headquartered at 138 South Oxford Street, Suite 2D, Brooklyn, New York. The institute advances Laban Bartenieff Movement Studies (LBMS), a methodology encompassing effort principles, spatial relationships, and body connectivity for analyzing and enhancing human movement. It operates through three program pillars: Education, offering the flagship Certified Movement Analyst (CMA) credential, introductory courses, and continuing education workshops; Research, comprising the peer-reviewed Journal of LBMS, conferences, symposia, and research partnerships; and Arts & Culture, including the Global Water Dances initiative. As the exclusive awarding body for the CMA credential and the institutional carrier of the Bartenieff/Laban legacy, LIMS serves dance and movement professionals, somatic practitioners, researchers and scholars in dance and kinesiology, and arts and culture professionals globally through both in-person programming in Brooklyn and a virtual LBMS Community platform launched in 2024.

LIMS generates revenue from four streams: paid certification programs, courses, and continuing education workshops (professional services); recurring membership fees through an annual membership program that now includes a free Associate Membership tier (subscription/recurring); charitable donations, including the designated Irmgard's Legacy endowment and general fund campaigns; and revenue or funding from research-based initiatives such as conferences, symposia, and research partnerships. Program pricing is not publicly disclosed, and the institute relies on a community-led go-to-market model in which professional networks, alumni referrals, and word-of-mouth within the dance and movement studies field drive organic acquisition. Customer segments are fragmented across credentialed professionals, researchers, arts professionals, and beginning movement enthusiasts, with no named enterprise customers. The institute is led by Executive Director Curtis W. Stedge, MFA, CMA, and was founded by Irmgard Bartenieff.

Name

Laban/Bartenieff Institute of Movement Studies

Legal name

Laban/Bartenieff Institute of Movement Studies

Website

https://LabanINstitute.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1978

Operating status

Operating

Short description

The Laban/Bartenieff Institute of Movement Studies (LIMS) is a 1978-founded Brooklyn-based non-profit that delivers education, research, and arts & culture programming in Laban Bartenieff Movement Studies. It awards the Certified Movement Analyst credential and serves dance and movement professionals, researchers, scholars, and artists worldwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Brooklyn

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Educational Programs and Certification: Revenue generated from certification programs, introductory courses, and continuing education workshops in Laban Bartenieff Movement Studies. Programs are offered at various levels from beginner to advanced professional certification (CMA).
2. Membership Fees: Annual membership program providing access to community spaces, resources, and member benefits. Includes a free Associate Membership tier and likely paid professional tiers.
3. Donations and Charitable Giving: Donations accepted through the institute's website, including designated giving campaigns such as 'Irmgard's Legacy' endowment and general fund support for the non-profit mission.
4. Research Partnerships: Research-based initiatives including conferences, symposiums, and research partnerships that may generate revenue or funding for advancing the LBMS field.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

LIMS is a non-profit institute that delivers educational programs in Laban Bartenieff Movement Studies (LBMS), including the flagship Certified Movement Analyst (CMA) certification, introductory courses, and continuing education workshops. It also operates research programs (Journal of LBMS, conferences, symposia, research partnerships) and arts & culture initiatives such as Global Water Dances, supported by the LBMS Community virtual platform.

Product overview

The Laban/Bartenieff Institute of Movement Studies is a non-profit educational, research, and arts & cultural organization offering a portfolio of programs centered on Laban Bartenieff Movement Studies (LBMS). Its offerings span three interconnected pillars: Education (Certification in Laban Bartenieff Movement Studies leading to CMA certification, Intro Courses, and Continuing Education Workshops), Research (Journal of LBMS, Conferences, Symposia, and research partnerships), and Arts & Culture (including Global Water Dances). The institute also provides a virtual community platform (LBMS Community) and free Associate Membership for community access. The programs are designed to advance collective understanding of human movement and support professionals, researchers, and artists in the field.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Education Programs Educational offerings including the flagship Certification in Laban Bartenieff Movement Studies (CMA), Intro Courses, and Continuing Education Workshops for various levels of experience and interest.
• Research Programs Research-based initiatives including the Journal of LBMS, Conferences, Symposia, and research partnerships to expand the reach of Laban Bartenieff Movement Studies.
• Arts & Culture Programs Programs highlighting and growing the influence of LBMS in the arts and cultural arena, including Global Water Dances.
• LBMS Community Platform A dynamic virtual meeting space for anyone interested in Laban Bartenieff Movement Studies, providing community open spaces for connection and collaboration.
• Associate Membership A free membership tier providing access to all community open spaces for anyone interested in LBMS.

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Movement Research: New York-based non-profit supporting experimental dance and movement research through performances, festivals, and publications. Comparable as a peer organization in the dance/movement research and education ecosystem, intersecting with LIMS's research and arts & culture pillars.

Direct peers

• Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance: UK-based conservatoire formed from the merger of Trinity College of Music and the Laban Centre (directly founded by Rudolf Laban). It is the closest international peer because it shares the Laban heritage, trains dance and movement professionals at a higher-education level, and serves a comparable international student body.
• The School at Jacob's Pillow: Pre-eminent US dance education and training program offering professional-level workshops, residencies, and certificate-style programs for dancers and choreographers. Directly comparable as a dance-focused educational institution delivering intensive professional training.

Regional players

• Roehampton University (Dance Department, formerly Roehampton Institute): UK university with a notable dance studies program that has historically intersected with Laban-based movement analysis training. Comparable as an academic dance education institution but operating primarily in the UK rather than US market.

Broad incumbents

• Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater / The Ailey School: Major US dance education institution offering professional training programs and community classes. Comparable to LIMS as a non-profit dance education organization serving movement professionals in New York City, though broader in scope and scale.
• Feldenkrais Method (Feldenkrais Guild of North America): Feldenkrais is a competing established somatic-movement methodology with its own professional training and certification pathway. It overlaps LIMS in target audience (movement practitioners, therapists) but operates as a broader, decentralized network rather than a single institution.
• Alexander Technique International: Another established somatic-movement education tradition with teacher certification programs. Comparable to LIMS as a professional credentialing body in the somatic education space, though broader and less centered on dance and movement analysis specifically.
• Pratt Institute (Department of Dance): Brooklyn-based art and design school offering undergraduate and graduate dance programs. Geographically and demographically adjacent to LIMS in Brooklyn and serves overlapping student populations interested in somatic and movement-based practices.
• Tisch School of the Arts (NYU Department of Dance): University-based dance program offering undergraduate and graduate degrees in dance with components of movement analysis. Comparable as a higher-education dance program in NYC that overlaps LIMS's target student audience but operates at larger scale within a broader university.

Others

• International Somatic Movement Education and Therapy Association (ISMETA): Industry association that recognizes somatic movement educators and therapists, including RSME/RSMT credentials. Relevant as a peer-level ecosystem organization that competes for the same practitioner audience and shapes standards LIMS's CMA holders engage with.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Laban/Bartenieff Institute of Movement Studies