The Origin and Development of Eurythmy 1912–1918

GA 277a — 23 August 1915, Dornach

The Apollonian Course VI

In the afternoon of August 23, 1915, Rudolf Steiner introduced the “Planetary Dance” as a macrocosmic dance and introduced the sound spiral. The text of the “Planetary Dance” written down at that time by Marie Steiner and Mieta Waller corresponds to the version found in Rudolf Steiner's handwriting on the notebook pages NZ 3255-3259 (see pp. 293-296); it can therefore be assumed that he wrote this text on the blackboard. The first printed version of the poem (in “Three Poems,” Berlin 1916) contains a few variations, which are noted below.

At the beginning, Rudolf Steiner spoke of the “cosmic world poem” with 12 stanzas of 9 lines each. This was noted by both Marie Steiner and Mieta Waller. How this relates to the following planetary dance is unclear, as it has 12x4 lines.

In later versions of the planetary dance – such as in Annemarie Dubach's “Grundelemente der Eurythmie” (Basic Elements of Eurythmy) – there are overlaps with the “exercise in three circles” given in the second lesson with the sun, zodiac, and moon. In the original notes for the sixth lesson by Marie Steiner and Mieta Waller, there is no indication that the grammatical forms were also distributed among the three circles in this lesson, as was the case in the exercise from the second lesson. For this reason, Tatiana Kisseleff distinguishes in her “Eurythmy Diary I” between the " Planetary Dance“ with the grammatical forms from the ”Planetary Dance ‘The Sun Shines’," in which she only records the distribution of sounds — which corresponds to the original notes by Marie Steiner and Mieta Waller.

The Cosmic World Poem / Planet Dance

Twelve stanzas of nine lines each—this is the cosmic poem of the world, the cosmic world poem. Dionysus is overcome by Apollo's lyre in the world poem.

Historical: 4 people [...] because there were only 4 of us. Dr. said: there could also be 7, if you have them.

[--] Dr. [has] placed 2 people here for “the planetary,” and no more, even though Mieta Waller was there in addition to “the mothers.”

[Regarding the following notes on the planetary dance: The fact that Mieta Waller placed the sign of Aries next to the first stanza and Erna van Deventer added the signs of the zodiac in the galley proof is an indication that Rudolf Steiner specified this for the twelve stanzas of the “planetary dance.” - It was not until the printed version (“Three Poems,” Berlin 1916) did Marie Steiner add the soul qualities of love, call, and longing to the stanzas in handwriting. However, while she added this supplement to all verses in the copy with the signature RSB Si 109 – as Erna van Deventer did in the galley proofs in the order love, longing, call – these additions appear in a different order in the copy RSB St 110 – call, longing, love – and only in the first three verses. Erna van Deventer also added the comments “external, internal, response” to the first three stanzas in the galley proofs and provided the stanzas with grammatical forms, excerpts of which are documented below. The punctuation follows the 1916 printed version.

Rudolf Steiner: “Planetary Dance” [EvD, MW] Aries [MSi, RSB St 109:] Love [MSt, RSB St 110:] Call
The sun shines - [EvD] outwardly
What do its rays carry
To blossoms and stones
So powerfully? [1916: hence?) [EvD:] Taurus [MSt, RSB St 109 and St 110:] Longing
The soul weaves – [EvD] inwardly
What lifts life
From faith and seeing
So longingly upward? [1916: upward] [EvD2] Gemini [MSt, RSB St 109:] Call [MSt, RSB St 110:] Love
O seek, you soul, [EvD] answer
In the stone the ray, [1916: In stones]
In the blossom the light, [1916: In blossoms]
You will find yourself. [EvD:] Cancer [MSt, RSB St 109:] Love
The sky is blue —
What does the depth
Send mysteriously from afar to the earth? [EvD:] Leo [MSt, RSB St 109:] Longing
The spirit works
What does the strong _[1916: strong]
From woolly being
To shining power? [EvD:] Virgo [MSt, RSB St 109:] Call
So direct, O spirit,
Your gaze to the distance,
To the depths yourself You will find the world. [EvD:] Libra [MSt, RSB St 109:] Love
The stars sparkle
What spreads the shining
From the distances to the center
Revealing itself? [EvD:] Scorpio [MSt, RSB St 109:] Longing
Man asks
What puzzles within
From anxious striving
Towards knowledge? [EvD:] Sagittarius [MSt, RSB St 109:] Call
So steer, you human,
Yourself toward the vastness,
Toward the center of being
You will find the spirit. [EvD3] Capricorn [MSt, RSB St 109:] Love
Night reigns —
What dampens beings
In endless space [1916: In endless]
To oppressive nothingness? [EvD:] Aquarius [MSt, St 109:] Longing
There is the universe
What reigns, enveloping itself
In the darkness of the depths,
Breathing hidden? [EvD:] Pisces [MSt, St 109:] Call
It senses the spirit's
Burning thirst
In worlds the beings,
In beings the worlds.

The most important points to consider for the vocal movements of all performers are AD, basically to ensure that the first of each three verses is always in the style of Eh, which expresses love as a mood. The second stanza should be performed with longing, the third with a call. This threefold mood is thus presented four times in succession.

Performance of the Planetary Dance

[Even more varied than the text is the tradition of performing the “planetary dance.” The starting positions of the sun and moon are marked differently in the drawings, but above all, the handling, direction, positioning, and forms for the performers in the middle circle are indicated quite differently. The available versions (by Lory Smits, Erna van Deventer letter, Erna van Deventer galley proof, Lory Smits letter, Lory Smits galley proof, Tatiana Kisseleff) are documented below under “3. The middle circle.”

The four lines of the verses are assigned to the sun (1st line), the planets (2nd and 3rd lines), and the moon (4th line).

The macrocosmic dance. We distinguish between

1. a large outer circle: the sun describes it;
2. the moon describes the small inner circle in the opposite direction.
3. [the middle circle:] The planets - semicircles.

Sun: vowels and consonants; Moon: also; planets: vowels. If there are several, the first makes consonants; the second makes vowels, so that all sounds are expressed. One or more up to twelve.

Planetary dance. In three circles. [...] Ether wave as a prelude.

1. The large outer circle (sun)

Sun. Vowels and consonants.
Either 12 people (12 signs of the zodiac) stand on the outer circle, or one person, the sun, dances alone. If there are 12, each one dances in turn the first line of a verse vocally, while the next one does the consonants. If there is only one, they can dance through all 12 verse beginnings in forms and vowels as well as consonants, thereby traversing the zodiac.

Or all 12 make all the sounds of the first line. On the outer circle — the concrete.

1. The small inner circle (moon)

The moon describes the small inner [circle] in the opposite direction [to the sun].
And on the innermost circle, the moon dances in the same way as the sun.

On the inner circle — time words [verbs], interjections, conjunctions.

1. The middle circle (planets)

The planets — semicircles. Vowels

On the middle circle, the characteristic. // On the middle circle, the planets make vowels (describe semicircles).

The planets “pendulum” one after the other. Planets in the same direction, when one [moves] the front semicircle, the other moves the rear semicircle; they never cross!

See The direction of the sun:

and of the moon:

The planet on the right (half circle):

The planet on the left (half circle):

in reverse direction below each other.

In Annemarie [Dubach]'s work, "the planets oscillate differently. Both begin a quarter circle to the rear center, then “pendulate” to the front center and back to the starting point. However, I believe—but I was so completely absorbed in my sun line that I don't know for sure—that in 1915, when it was first depicted, it was as Erna describes it."

As far as I know, Dubach has all the information from Dr. and Mrs. Kisseleff. The question arises as to when the description given by Annemarie with the division into right and left was specified, which makes the oscillation much more intense.

[The description of the planetary dance in Annemarie Dubach's 1928 book contains further elements that do not appear in the original versions.]

The “sun” eurythmizes all the sounds (vowels and consonants) of the first line, expressing everything concrete in Apollonian forms. It makes its actual movements calmly, striding during the lines of the others. (The latter also applies to the circular movement of the moon and the back-and-forth striding of the planets.) The “moon” has to reproduce all the vowels and consonants of the fourth lines and also makes the movements for the verbs, relative pronouns, conjunctions, and adjectives in these lines. The “planets” eurythmize—each their own line—vocalically and, since they are assigned the characteristic qualities, do not have to add any other forms to their walking in a semicircle.

This was the original instruction, but in order to achieve a more lively movement, it is also performed in such a way that each performer makes Apollonian forms for all the words in her line and arranges them in space so that she gradually advances on her way. [...]

After eurythmizing her text, the “Sun” always goes into the gesture au, the Moon into the gesture ei; the two planets eurythmize a and e during the lines of the others. — The “Sun” must express something protective and strengthening in her sound. - The “Moon” must express instinctive will; it therefore tends toward the zone of will with all its movements.

[Depictions by Lory Maier-Smits and Erna van Deventer, which they gave in the context of the second hour, but which are obviously related to the planetary dance given in the sixth hour.]

[Outer circle: clockwise] Zodiac: And therefore in the direction from Aries to Taurus, etc. [Middle circle] Here, really only two people for the planetary, who are supposed to make the adjectives (gesture at rest) of all lines, so they stood.

Middle circle: two people for five planets, at that time only two, because only Elisabeth Dollfus and I were there. 5 planets + 2 sun - moon = 7 planets.
Planets swing back and forth.
Outer circle: counterclockwise; inner circle: counterclockwise.

This second type [Erna van Deventer's version] is almost identical to the planetary dance (with two planets) and the “Twelve Moods” with five planets and the sun and moon. Here, everyone does their entire line with all the forms. As far as I can remember, the “swinging” was only specified in the planetary dance [“The sun shines”].

Rudolf Steiner's notes with the text of the “Planetary Dance”

The sun shines; — / And in its radiance / I experience myself /
What do its rays carry / To blossoms and stones / Up / Hidden away? / On one / So powerful away?
The soul weaves; / What lifts its life / From faith and vision / So seeing up?
O seek, soul / In the stone the ray / In the blossom the light / You will find yourself

The sky is blue; / What sends the depths / From afar to the earth / So / Mysteriously?
The spirit works; / What creates even the strong / From willing being / So / To / To shining power?
So direct, O Spirit, / Your gaze to the distance / To the depths yourself / You will find the world.

The stars sparkle; / What spreads the vastness the shining / From vastness to the center / Desire / Revealing therefore?
Man asks; / What puzzles within / From anxious striving / Toward knowledge?
So direct yourself, man / Toward vastness. / To the center of being / You will find the spirit.

The night reigns; / What dampens beings / In endless space / To oppressive nothingness?
There is the universe: / In the densest void What reigns, enveloping itself / In the questioning darkness of reasons /
Breathing hidden?
The spirit senses / A burning thirst / In worlds the beings / In beings the worlds.

Sound Spiral

The following designs of the sound spiral are available: (1) as a diatonic scale with the path from low to high tone from the inside to the outside: by Mieta Waller, Johanna Mücke, Erna van Deventer, and Tatiana Kisseleff in the outer circle; (2) as a diatonic scale with the path from low tone outside to high tone inside (Erna van Deventer, inner spiral); (3) as a chromatic scale in C/F minor direction (Tatiana Kisseleff, inner circle, see page 298).

Scale / circle divided into 12 parts

One person would stand in the middle and conduct.

Divide the circle into twelve parts for all scales on the piano. The octaves are performed on different levels: podium [see spiral at bottom right]. The pauses are expressed by stepping back. - One could imagine that in the future it will be possible to build a podium that runs in a spiral (as in the ear), placing a person on each twelfth tone, who then only strikes their tone when it sounds, and thus performs a symphony (Beethoven), for example, with all tones being expressed like an orchestra.

This formulation, in this case even this conception, is not correct. If this were the case, there would only be a very small number of people for a tone spiral! Namely, only as many as there are intervals! But the “spiral” with “tones,” i.e., as “note values,” is also indicated by Dr. Steiner.

The different octaves / performed at different levels.

Simple ? or chromatic scale with sharps or flats Make the scale so that it divides the circle into 72 parts.

This allows you to use the spirals en face, en profil, 83.1965, or turned toward the center, depending on the poem or music, as Dr. Steiner does not explicitly specify the position.