Benesh Movement Notation was devised by Rudolf and Joan Benesh and first published in 1956. It is a concise, accurate and versatile written system for recording all forms of human movement.

BMN is most widely used in the recording and restaging of dance works, where it has proved invaluable, both as a day-to-day tool in the rehearsal studio, and as a means of preserving our dance heritage. But the Benesh system is, and can be, much more than a means of recording theatre dance. It has been used successfully by anthropologists, by physiotherapists to analyse and record patient movement, and even in an ergonomic study of seating in an airport.

Benesh Movement Notation is a universal language that provides:

• a true and accurate, 3 dimensional representation of movement including precise indication of the whereabouts of people and their relationship to one another within the working space, the directions in which they face and their paths of travel, and the movement and positions of the limbs, head, hands, feet and body
  
• a tool for the analysis of movement, rhythm and phrasing and the structure of dance works
  
• the opportunity to accurately record choreography without having to rely on video
  
• the ability to teach students repertoire from world-class dance companies such the Royal Ballet using more that 250 Benesh scores that are available for educational purposes
  
• access to the Royal Academy of Dance's Syllabi without the need for translation