MPAC courtesy of DCAT

Through the Department of Creative Arts Therapies (DCAT), we have the opportunity to partake in the certification programs as well. One of which is the Movement Pattern Analysis Certificate (MPAC) program. Movement is a powerful way to understand human motivation and behavior, even in the workplace. Columbia’s Movement Pattern Analysis Certificate Program is unique: As the only program of its kind in the WORLD, this graduate certification trains you to analyze individuals’ movement patterns to help organizational leaders better manage teams and increase worker efficiency. Weekend classes make this program ideal for working professionals, and the entire program takes a total of 12 months to complete. Fortunately, I had the opportunity to interview a current student within the MPAC program, and she had a lot to say about her experience thus far!

MPAC courtesy of DCAT

Daniela Wancier
Professor of Dance at Broward College

1. What drew you to the MPAC certificate program?

I have spent the majority of my life studying dance/movement. Currently, I am a dance professor at Broward College in Davie, FL, and I am also a certified Laban/Bartenieff Movement Analyst. What interests me most in what I do is finding relevancy–the making of dance/movement meaningful to our daily lives beyond the stage.

We make decisions all the time, each and every day. So, I am motivated by the fact that what we can learn from the MPAC certificate program has direct impact in our routines and in our understanding of ourselves and of our relationships. There is no better connection between dance and everyday life than this. This program is ideal because it contains the movement component—via observation and analysis of nonverbal behavior patterns as adapted by Warren Lamb from the Laban system—as it correlates to our individual process of decision-making.
2. How has the process been for you so far?

This process has been incredibly rewarding so far; and it began from day one, minute one. Seemingly simple on the surface, MPA—its framework, profiling and feedback process—is amazingly complex because of its demand for detailed analysis and accurate interpretation. The layers continue to unfold weekend after weekend, revealing to me a system that is so beautifully profound, puzzling and meaningful…it feels like magic sometimes.

The most rewarding aspect for me has been working with the Laban/Bartenieff Movement Analysis system in this adapted way for results that offer people incredible insight about themselves and how they make decisions. My craving for relevancy is totally satisfied.

The most difficult aspect for me has been the skill-building component. The training in movement observation and interpretation is very challenging for me, albeit extremely stimulating. Seeing what happens in a fleeting moment, and finding the appropriate words to translate movement into meaning…this is very provocative, yet perplexing stuff!

photo courtesy of DCAT

3. How has this program informed your current work?

The information I have gathered so far about my own decision-making process and interaction style is present with me in the workplace. I carry a greater awareness about how I operate, so I am better able to communicate what my needs are and know for myself how to better handle a particular task. This results in smoother productivity across the board.

I also have the understanding that others—my colleagues and students—have their own ways of making decisions, so with just this understanding, my threshold for acceptance has expanded. The knowledge I have gained via MPA makes me a better collaborator because I am more mindful and accepting of my needs, as well as the needs of everyone else in the room.
4. How do you plan to implement MPAC into your future?

Because the MPAC program provides insight about our unique decision-making process and interaction style, it naturally becomes part of our personal and professional lives. Because I make decisions constantly, at home and at work, alone and with others, MPA is present in everything I do and in all of my relationships.

On the professional front more specifically, I plan to become an MPA consultant to offer such insightful information to adults in the workplace.

MPAC courtesy of DCAT