Intro to Shape: Laban / Bartenieff Movement Studies with Brenton Cheng
Schedule
Fri, 24 Apr, 2026 at 05:30 pm to Sun, 26 Apr, 2026 at 05:30 pm
UTC-07:00Location
Berkeley Finnish Hall | Berkeley, CA
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A mini-intensive focused on cultivating fluency with the shapeshifting capacity of the body📋REGISTER : https://forms.gle/1ApF2oKUZWs94Jm86
📆 SCHEDULE
- Friday, April 24 - 5:30 pm to 9:30 pm
- Saturday, April 25 - 9:30 am to 5:30 pm (with a 90 minute break for lunch, roughly midday)
- Sunday, April 26 - 9:30 am to 5:30 pm (with a 90 minute break for lunch, roughly midday)
📍LOCATION
The Finnish Hall
1970 Chestnut St, Berkeley, CA 94702
🧧COST
$320 payable via Venmo @GrapesDance, Zelle to [email protected] or email [email protected] for other payment options.
For students, those with unreliable incomes or where the standard cost is a financial barrier, we offer a reduced cost of $270. No proof required, please self-assess with intentionality.
Refund/cancellation policy: No refunds will be given for cancellations after April 10th.
🪢DESCRIPTION
For dancers, actors, choreographers, CI practitioners, teachers, healers, coaches, martial artists, and anyone else curious about the LBMS system, becoming more literate with your own body, and more capable when working with the movement of others.
“Brenton brings depth, clarity, precision and so much fun to this material, creating a space that is both intellectually engaging and physically grounded.”
This intensive will provide an introduction to the LBMS system with a spotlight on one of the most expressive aspects of the system: Shape — how the body changes, and expresses through, its sculptural form. We’ll start each session with a warm-up based on Bartenieff Fundamentals, establishing connectivity through improvised movement using developmental patterns. Then, we’ll explore the aspects of the LBMS Shape category: Shape Qualities, the Modes of Shape Change, Shape Forms, and Shape Flow Support. We’ll distinguish their unique qualities, explore their associated meanings, and practice specific applications. We’ll work solo and with partners (touch optional).
By the end of the intensive, you’ll have a solid understanding of Shape and where it fits within the LBMS system, as well as new tools for bringing the richness of Shape to your moving life.
Open to all experience levels. No prior training or skill is required.
The LBMS Intro Series
Each of these introductory intensives will focus on a different component of the LBMS system (Body, Energy, Shape, and Space) and include a somatic foundation in Bartenieff Fundamentals.
LBMS is a comprehensive framework for describing, analyzing, and working with human movement in any context. It provides a detailed language, observational tools, and a proven approach to identifying and addressing disconnections within the body. It is widely used across dance, somatics, choreography, performance, movement education, and healing contexts.
ABOUT BRENTON
Brenton Cheng is a teacher, performer, and director of movement-based performance, as well as an Integrated Movement Studies core faculty and adjunct faculty at the University of San Francisco. In addition to directing his own work, he has performed with internationally-acclaimed Contraband, Zaccho Dance Theater, Angus Balbernie, Kim Epifano, Jo Kreiter & Flyaway Productions, Megan Lowe Dances, and many others, at such places as Jacob's Pillow, Bates Dance Festival, and the Festival d'Avignon, France. He teaches Laban/Bartenieff Movement Studies, contact improvisation, and somatically-based performance skills to professional and non-professional movers in classes and workshops around the world.
QUESTIONS
Email [email protected]
📋TO REGISTER
(1) Fill out this form below : https://forms.gle/1ApF2oKUZWs94Jm86
(2) Pay $320 via Venmo to @GrapesDance, Zelle to [email protected] or email [email protected] for other payment options
📸PHOTO CREDIT : Carmen Alvarez
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Where is it happening?
Berkeley Finnish Hall, 1970 Chestnut St, Berkeley, CA 94702-1723, United StatesEvent Location & Nearby Stays:
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