Eurythmy and the Impulse of Dance

'Eurythmy is that very thing which dancers with a true idealism have been unconsciously seeking - that inner harmony and balance that was a natural condition of the Greeks, visible in their statues and carved figures, so that, even in a standing pose, movement seems to flow through them.' Eurythmy is an expressive art of movement in which specific gestures relate to the sounds and rhythms of speech, to the tones and rhythms of music and to soul experiences, such as joy and sorrow. In this succinct and accessible booklet, the authors present a clear introduction to this contemporary art form in the context of the impulse of dance today. What is eurythmy, and how does it relate to other arts of movement and dance? What is eurythmy's purpose, and why did Rudolf Steiner create it in the early twentieth century? These and many more questions are answered in this extended essay, supplemented by 35 sketches of eurythmy figures by Rudolf Steiner that illustrate gestures of movement, feeling and character.

A. C. Harwood (1898-1975) was educated at Highgate school and Oxford and was a lifelong friend of the the writers Owen Barfield and C.S. Lewis (and later one of the trustees of Lewis's literary estate). Harwood developed a career as a Waldorf school educator. He wrote The Recovery of Man in Childhood and The Way of a Child. Marguerite Lundgren (1916-1983), was born in London. She was able to attend the Michael Hall school, which stimulated her interest in eurythmy. She went on to study with Lieselotte Mann in England. In 1946, following her training, she joined the stage group at the Goetheanum, where her originality and talent were quickly spotted by the troupe leader, Marie Savitch. In 1948, she was asked to return to England to take over the eurythmy school of Vera and Judy Compton-Burnett, where she worked closely with Owen Barfield and Cecil Harwood, whom she married in 1953.During final years of her life brought the death of her husband, from which she never recovered, and her eurythmy school moved from London to East Grinstead in Sussex. Rudolf Steiner (b. Rudolf Joseph Lorenz Steiner, 1861-1925) was born in the small village of Kraljevec, Austro-Hungarian Empire (now in Croatia), where he grew up. As a young man, he lived in Weimar and Berlin, where he became a well-published scientific, literary, and philosophical scholar, known especially for his work with Goethe's scientific writings. Steiner termed his spiritual philosophy anthroposophy, meaning "wisdom of the human being." As an exceptionally developed seer, he based his work on direct knowledge and perception of spiritual dimensions. He initiated a modern, universal "spiritual science" that is accessible to anyone willing to exercise clear and unbiased thinking. From his spiritual investigations, Steiner provided suggestions for the renewal of numerous activities, including education (general and for special needs), agriculture, medicine, economics, architecture, science, philosophy, Christianity, and the arts. There are currently thousands of schools, clinics, farms, and initiatives in other fields that involve practical work based on the principles Steiner developed. His many published works feature his research into the spiritual nature of human beings, the evolution of the world and humanity, and methods for personal development. He wrote some thirty books and delivered more than six thousand lectures throughout much of Europe. In 1924, Steiner founded the General Anthroposophical Society, which today has branches around the world.

Eurythmy is that very thing which dancers with a true idealism have been unconsciously seeking - that inner harmony and balance that was a natural condition of the Greeks, visible in their statues and carved figures, so that, even in a standing pose, movement seems to flow through them.'Eurythmy is an expressive art of movement in which specific gestures relate to the sounds and rhythms of speech, to the tones and rhythms of music and to soul experiences, such as joy and sorrow.In this succinct and accessible booklet, the authors present a clear introduction to this contemporary art form in the context of the impulse of dance today. What is eurythmy, and how does it relate to other arts of movement and dance? What is eurythmy's purpose, and why did Rudolf Steiner create it in the early twentieth century? These and many more questions are answered in this extended essay, supplemented by 35 sketches of eurythmy figures by Rudolf Steiner that illustrate gestures of movement, feeling and character.

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