North, Marion., fl 1973-2003

Marion North was a teaching assistant to Rudolf Laban at the Laban Art of Movement Studio, Addlestone, Surrey from 1950-1960 where she assisted in Laban's industrial research, dance education and dance in the community work. She became Head of Dance at Sidney Webb College, London 1962-72 and then Head of the Dance Department, Goldsmith's College 1972-80. She became Principal of Laban in 1973 and retired in 2003 having overseen Laban's move into its new building at Deptford, South East London. Under her leadership, Laban offered Britian's first BA (Hons) Dance Theatre (1976), the first MA in Dance Studies (1980), the first MA in Dance Movement Therapy in collaboration with Hahnemann University, Philadelphia (1995) and the first MA Scenography [Dance] (1999). Her own studies have included a longitudinal study of movement characteristics of babies to adolescence as well as the application of Rudolf Laban's principles in industry. Marion North was awarded an OBE in 2000 and Doctor of Letters honoris causa by the University of Salford in 2001.