LabanReader is a software program for the Macintosh developed by the Ohio State Department of Dance for selective viewing of notation symbols in a dance score. LabanReader can be downloaded for free, and will run on any Macintosh computer running system 8.6 or greater. It can be used to focus on particular aspects of movement for teaching or to display various kinds of patterning for movement analysis. LabanReader is designed to be used with scores created in LabanWriter 4.0 or later.

Up to six different groups of symbols can be identified. Symbol groups can be highlighted in black, red or other strong colors; faded by using gray, yellow or other light colors; or made to disappear from view using white. Each group can cycle through four different colors so that a score can be viewed in a number of configurations. See how to use LabanReader for more detailed information on how the program works.

Research on LabanReader began in 1997 at the Dance Notation Bureau Extension at The Ohio State University Department of Dance. In 1999 a demonstration CD-ROM was released which contained movement examples for classroom reading in Labanotation.

Download LabanReader 2.0 (600K)

You'll also want to download LabanWriter and install the fonts, if you haven't downloaded it already as part of an installation of LabanWriter.

Please send any bug reports and feedback to labanwriter@osu.edu.