How do experts observe movement?

Laban Movement Analysis (LMA) is an expert-based method by which Certified Movement Analysts observe and analyze movement. LMA is increasingly used in a variety of research fields, particularly when studying movement expressivity and computation where it is essential to generate an understanding of the observation process. In this paper we articulate the application of LMA as a tool for movement analysis in HCI research by using qualitative methods to deconstruct the observation process of LMA experts. We conducted a focus group in which 12 expert-participants observed and annotated videos of movement according to LMA categories. We transcribed their observation process and analyzed it using grounded theory in order to extract categories, concepts and theories that best explain and describe the process of observation in LMA. By doing so, we open research perspectives in which LMA can be integrated as a method for observation in the design of movement-based computational systems.