Which action is NOT among the eight basic actions in Laban's theory?

• A. Punch
• B. Kick
• C. Dab
• D. Glide

Answer: (B)

Laban’s effort system classifies movement by quality—how energy is applied through space and time—rather than by the specific body part used. The eight basic actions are these fundamental effort patterns that describe direct or indirect energy, strong or light force, and sustained or sudden timing. You’ll often see examples like punch, dab, glide, and slash used to illustrate these effort qualities. Kick, while a common leg movement, isn’t one of the named eight basic actions; it’s a technique that can be expressed using those effort patterns, but it isn’t itself listed as one of the eight. So the action that isn’t among the eight is kick.