Movement is at the core of conducting and Rudolf Laban (1879–1958) is considered perhaps the most influential scholar of human movement. His ideas have shaped the practice of dancers for generations but are significantly less known among conductors. This concise book is a thoughtful and practical introduction to Laban’s life and theories, perfect for conductors seeking to better connect their understanding of a musical score to their actions on the podium. -- Publisher.

The practice of conducting requires one to take abstract musical ideas and translate them into embodied physical expression to communicate with an ensemble. Many colleges and universities include conducting in their sequences of study for undergraduate music majors. Often, undergraduate conductors feel like they are uncomfortable with their gestures, even after completing conducting courses (Silvey, 2011). One possible solution for helping students’ self-confidence while conducting is to incorporate embodied methodologies into conductor education. Dalcroze Eurhythmics is one promising option for making conductor education more embodied (Meints, 2014). The purpose of this adapted multiple instrumental case study was to examine the incorporation of Dalcroze Eurhythmics in undergraduate-level conducting classes. A specific focus was placed on the perspectives of conductor educators who employ Dalcroze Eurhythmics in their conducting classes and on the perceptions of their students. The following questions guided this research: (a) How do conductor educators incorporate Dalcroze Eurhythmics into their conducting curriculum?, (b) What specific aspects of Dalcroze Eurhythmics systems do conductor educators incorporate into their conducting curriculum?, (c) What benefits and challenges of incorporating Dalcroze Eurhythmics do conductor educators and students identify?, and (d) How do conducting students describe their experience learning conducting through Dalcroze Eurhythmics? I spent three days each at two universities in the United States and collected data through observation, interviews with faculty and students, participant journaling, email communication, and acquiring class-related documents. My data analysis included transcribing recorded interviews and classroom observations, generating and applying codes, and identifying themes that emerged from the data. Themes that emerged in cross-case analysis included (a) a holistic and embodied approach, (b) a natural fit for conducting education, and (c) a vehicle for discovery. Within the theme of a vehicle for discovery, four sub-themes emerged which were (a) confidence, (b) bodily awareness, (c) musicality, and (d) gesture. I asserted that Dalcroze Eurhythmics can help students develop various aspects of conducting skills and students’ self-efficacy. More research is needed to determine the long-term impact of Eurhythmics on conducting abilities. Future research should also consider the impact of other embodied pedagogies on conductor education.

Expressive Conducting: Movement and Performance Theory for Conductors applies the insight of movement and performance theory to the practice of conducting, offering a groundbreaking new approach to conducting. Where traditional conducting pedagogies often place emphasis on training parts of the body in isolation, Expressive Conducting teaches conductors to understand their gestures as part of an interconnected system that incorporates the whole body. Rather than emphasizing learning specific patterns and gestures, this book enables student and professional conductors to develop a conducting technique that is centered around expressing the themes of the music. Drawing parallels to the worlds of acting, this text treats the body as the conductor’s instrument. Coaching notes derived from years of experience as a performance movement specialist offer readers approachable methods for eliminating communication barriers—both conscious and subconscious—to encourage optimal performance, highlighting acting theory, movement exercises and the significance of weight distribution. Unlike other conducting approaches, this text understands that conducting resonates throughout the entire body and is not conveyed by the hands or baton alone. With a comprehensive consideration of the conductor’s body and movements, featuring over 50 original illustrations, Expressive Conducting advances strategies for improving one’s conducting skills in rehearsal and performance. Jerald Schwiebert has developed a practical language for expressive conducting. Together, Schwiebert and Barr present a text that is suitable for conducting students, instructors, and professionals alike.

"The purpose of this exploratory study was to investigate the effects of different conducting techniques on the acoustic output of a choir. A choir of nine amateur singers was given an excerpt of "The Road Home" by Stephen Paulus which includes many specific dynamic markings. The choir sang the excerpt numerous times while the conductor used various conducting techniques to show crescendo and decrescendo. The conducting techniques were selected from widely used conducting textbooks as well as conducting research which utilized movement strategies based upon the Laban Movement Theory. Methods for showing crescendo included increasing the size of the beat pattern, using the left hand, expanding on the horizontal plane, advancing on the sagittal plane and increasing the perception of weight in the conductor's hands."-- excerpt from author's abstract.

Body - Space - Expression: The Development Of Rudolf Laban's Movement And Dance Concepts (Approaches To Semiotics).