# The Origin and Development of Eurythmy 1912–1918

## GA 277a — 24 August 1912, Munich

### Notes on the Origin of Eurythmy

*Rudolf Steiner gave the first eurythmic forms for the representation of the Luciferic and Ahrimanic beings in the sixth picture of the third Mystery Drama, “The Guardian of the Threshold,” in the summer of 1912. - In the following notes by Lory Maier-Smits for GA 277a ‘1965’, additions from her text “Erste Lebenskeime der Eurythmie” (First Seeds of Eurythmy) are printed in indented form. They are supplemented by Oskar Schmiedel's notes from 1912 – with entries by Rudolf Steiner.*

Lory Maier-Smits, from: Notes 1965; “Erste Lebenskeime der Eurythmie” (First Seeds of Eurythmy); Rudolf Steiner, notes

Since Rudolf Steiner, when he described the preliminary work in Kassel, had promised to give the first concrete instructions during the rehearsal period for the annual Mystery Plays in Munich, I traveled there in July.

Upon my arrival, I found a note instructing me to report to the gymnasium of a school in Schwabing, where the rehearsals were taking place, at 9:30 the next morning. I was to participate in something quite astonishing, which caused the greatest surprise, even something like bewilderment, among the participants. The rehearsals took place at 10 a.m., but for this unusual work, we were to rehearse half an hour earlier. [It] was something completely new and very surprising for all the actors in one scene. But what was it? In the sixth scene of the new third mystery drama, The Guardian of the Threshold, “beings were to perform dance-like movements representing thought forms corresponding to the words of Lucifer and Ahriman.” [...]

This drama deals with spiritual and soul processes, and this scene depicts an experience of Capesius, who remained on stage during this first performance.

Rudolf Steiner had designated a number of people for both groups – eight to nine in each – appointed Dr. Oskar Schmiedel as dance master or conductor, and given him very simple forms to record, adding the words “I will” to the first, i.e., the lemniscate and the slightly inward-drawn square, as the unspoken emotional content behind them, and to the second: “I cannot,” and for the third: “I must.” However, these forms were not to be run, but the performers were to stand in the forms and run from one to the other as if through a certain chaos, so that the forms could be seen in stillness. The task of our conductor was to initiate the transition from one form to another by clapping his hands and to observe that the forms came together clearly and precisely. During the performance itself, the dance was accompanied by music and the transitions were directed by light signals at the bottom of the ramp.

> Rudolf Steiner had specified three very simple forms for each group, which became visible through the arrangement and positioning of the people in the room. This meant, for example, standing quietly in a figure of eight and, at a certain signal, running into a flat arc opening to the right, then back into the figure of eight, and from there into an angle [...]. Rudolf Steiner had specified four short phrases that formed the basis of this activity: “I want” (figure eight), “I cannot” (arc), “I want” (figure eight again), “I must” (angle).

The beings wore beltless dresses, the Luciferic ones red, the Ahrimanic ones pale gray-blue, with very light, slightly darker chiffon stoles. They had to hold the front part with their right hand and the back part with their left hand, thus performing their three different movements. For the first form, a u-shaped movement, and for the second and third, two i-shaped movements in different directions. Of course, the Luciferic beings had to make their movements as supple and graceful as possible, while the Ahrimanic beings had to make the same movements hard and jerky. Everything else can be seen in the stage directions.

> We also did arm movements. We had very light veil stoles; the right hand held the front part, the left the back part of the stole, and now we alternated between an a or u gesture at about chest height and an i gesture. Without these sound designations, of course. The Luciferic beings had to make the movements “graceful and supple,” the Ahrimanic ones “hard and angular.” The forms for these Ahrimanic beings also had this character. A square standing on its tip with sides slightly curved inwards – “I want,” a straight line running from the background to the front – “I cannot,” again the square “I want” and then a cross “I must.”

However, no one, neither the participants nor the audience, suspected at the time that they had witnessed the very first manifestations of a new art form.

> So that was the first “eurythmy” to be performed, but Rudolf Steiner had not given any further explanation, and so no one at the time had any idea that this was the very first, most delicate beginning of a completely new art form.

*Oskar Schmiedel, from: Notes*

During the rehearsals for The Guardian of the Threshold in 1912, I was also employed as the first “eurythmy teacher.” This came about as follows: Dr. Steiner gave dance forms to the dances of the Luciferic and Ahrimanic beings.

Voice from spiritual worlds (the three soul forces together) / Thoughts float / Like weaving dreams / Forming themselves / Approaching souls / Will creating itself / Feeling stirring / Thinking expanding Luci. Ahri. / Arise, dreamer. / Benedictus (who has departed, as a voice)

> World beings work in your will: luc  
> (Enter and stand for 5 sec)  
> After the dance, 5 sec until speaking  
> The world beings confuse you: ahr  
> (Enter and stand for 5 seconds)  
> Between each dance [?] 3 seconds  
> Between individual dances ... [3 seconds] together  
> Together 3 seconds. Dance together Interval 4 seconds  
> World forces weave in your feelings. " [luc.]  
> (Immediately after speaking / the signal is given)  
> —The forces of the world seduce you. “ [ahr.] together  
> —World thoughts live in your thinking. ”[luc.]  
> —The world thoughts mislead you. » [ahr.]
> together / 4 times individually / 3 times together

and dance movements, and I rehearsed these dances with the help of small light bulbs – one for each of the two groups. When a light bulb lit up, they had to change to a different form. I believed that without these signals, the dancers would not be able to execute the change precisely. Although this was not yet eurythmy, of course – that only began in the fall of 1912 – it did contain elements of it: forms that were transitioned into and arm movements. In 1913, when eurythmy had already begun, the dances had naturally changed.

*Preparatory notes for GA 277a (1965)*

[Further drawings by Eva Froböse have been preserved, which were not included in the printed version; see also the appendix, 8. 526.]

1. Dance of the Luciferic and Ahrimanic thought beings (6th picture of “The Guardian of the Threshold”). Luciferic thought beings


Ahrimanic thought beings


According to Rudolf Steiner, the following moods underlie this event:

Comments: These short sentences were not performed eurythmically: At that time, there were no specifications for eurythmic sounds, except for the gesture that approximately expressed i for the Luciferic beings and approximately a for the Ahrimanic beings.

The transitions from one group to another (8 people in each group) took a lot of work. I cannot go into detail here.

Transitions from one position to another:  
Luciferic beings for 1 and 2 (as position)


for 3 and 4 (as position)


Ahrimanic beings  
For 1 to 4 (2 as a position)