This article presents a framework for designing body movements and expressive gestures in virtual characters. The core of the proposed structure is based on Laban Movement Analysis (LMA) method, which provides a conceptual framework capable of generating parameters that allow the association between the body movements and the intentions and the emotions that motivated them. From a fusion between the techniques of animation and the parameters described in the LMA method, a framework was created for the construction of body movements capable for expressing 15 different human emotions. The performance of the proposed framework has been validated through the development of prototypes that were tested in two phases. In the first one, we evaluated the usability of the model with a group of animators, who used the model to animate expressive body movements in a 3D character. In the second phase, these animations were subjected to a test with a group of volunteers, who should recognize which emotions the movements of the 3D character communicated. It was found that in the vast majority of the 15 emotions tested, there was a satisfactory recognition.