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How did Rudolf Laban's Labanotation record movement?

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Western dance Egyptian dancing, detail from a tomb painting from Shaykh ʿAbd al-Qurnah, Egypt, c. 1400 bce; in the British Museum, London.

Labanotation is an "alphabet" system developed by Rudolf Laban that records human movement by "spelling out" components of a pattern.1

The system utilizes a vertical three-line staff, read from bottom to top, which represents the performer from their own point of view. The center line divides the staff into left and right columns, corresponding to the main parts of the body.1

Movement is recorded using rectangular symbols that indicate four specific factors:
* Direction: The shape of the symbol.1
* Level: The shading of the symbol.1
* Duration: The length of the symbol (shorter symbols indicate quicker movements, while longer ones represent more extended time).1
* Body part: The placement of the symbol on the staff.1

Additional details, such as minor body parts or specific modifications, are denoted by families of signs, pins, and hooks. This versatile system allows for recording movement at a general outline level or with high specificity regarding spatial nuances and dynamic variations.1