The Origin and Development of Eurythmy 1912–1918

GA 277a — 28 June 1918, Berlin

Address on Eurythmy

Eurythmy, like everything else in our movement, has been brought to us through karma. A number of years ago, Mrs. Smits approached me to ask whether something within our circle could be found that might be a kind of dance art. Not an ordinary dance art in the external sense, but something more serious and meaningful had to be considered if the idea was to be pursued.

We must remember again and again where all cultural currents in the world have come from: that all cultural currents have emerged from a common source. Not only the individual arts, but also what we call art, religion, and science have emerged from a common source. They were not as separate in the original culture of humanity as they are today. There was still something in common in the mysteries. If one presented to people what was revealed to the senses, what the secrets of the world offer to the soul, it was art. If one presented it in such a way that the human mind was to be moved inwardly and find a bridge to the eternal secrets of existence on its own, one was dealing with religion. And if it was presented in such a way that the power of cognition was called upon, then one was in the realm of science. In the course of human development, over the course of time, the common whole was then divided into science, religion, and art, and art was then divided again into the individual arts. More details about art and the arts can be found in the booklet “The Nature of the Arts.”

It was now necessary to return to the original character of art, since eurythmy was intended to take us back to the origins of art. Art ties in with the relationship between the macrocosm and the microcosm. The universe expresses itself in the microcosm, and anyone who can see the human being in its totality as an image of the macrocosm also penetrates the individual arts. And each individual art is connected to the universe and the microcosm insofar as it can reveal in some way what relates to the human being from the universe. Eurythmy was not based on something invented, but on something that is entirely within the human being.

The starting point was human speech: how does what is expressed in the human being when he speaks actually live? Artistic speech was taken as the basis for this.

The etheric body of the human being has its own specific structure, and one part of this structure corresponds to the larynx and everything connected with it. The etheric body of the larynx and everything connected with it, the tongue, palate, and so on, moves in very specific, lawful ways when we speak, so that we can see this part of the etheric body moving in very specific ways when a person speaks. Now, everything that is expressed in one part can also be expressed by the whole human being. The other parts can be held back, and the total power that the human being brings to bear when speaking can be expressed in a special way. In the movements of the whole human being, one can express those movements that underlie this part of the etheric body, the larynx. This was done in eurythmy.

What the eurythmist does with his body and hands when he is at rest is nothing other than expressing, instead of the larynx and its appendages, what is involved in speech apart from the immediate speech organs. What is otherwise expressed partially in the larynx is represented by the whole human being in the individual movements. It is something that can be read in the whole human being. In addition to the movements of the larynx and so on, there are also effects in the lungs and other organs. These have a subtle effect, giving timbre, fundamental tone, and emotional content to speech. These are restrained movements. This happens through the whole movement of the eurythmist, an individual or even a group, a choir. In group movements, we release what are otherwise restrained movements. This is the basis of eurythmy.

The art of eurythmy is very diverse, as is music. It can be associated with the musical element. What I said about language also applies to musical expression, only in a slightly different sense. What becomes art in language and poetry can be expressed in eurythmy, dissolved in group movements. In this way, eurythmy can bring out what is already very much neglected in the art of poetry today. Usually, only the prosaic aspect of poetry is emphasized, that is, what is actually unartistic. But the artistic can also be found again through the eurythmic element. Things are just as specific in detail as they are in music. Individualities are just as important as in the performance of Beethoven's sonatas. Recitation does not need to take a back seat.

The various arts can also interact in this process. Impressionist art—poetry—can interact with the other expressionist arts. In this way, they can lift and support each other. Only the artistic, poetic element can enter into eurythmy, only the shaping of thoughts. The content of thoughts has little to do with art as such. - When viewing a eurythmic work of art, some of the secrets of poetry can come to the fore.

Eurythmy will continue to perfect itself. And when we later present it to the public, eurythmists will be sufficiently equipped to face the critics who will undoubtedly be abusive. But we can be sure that if it were only praised, it would certainly be superfluous and would not need to be cultivated. The more it is criticized, the more it may have to say to people.

Program for the Performance

Cheerful prelude
Porcelain Manfred Kyber
At the Sight of a Hangover Fercher von Steinwand
Cheerful Start
Tarpeja C. F. Meyer
My Year C. F. Meyer
Early Spring Manfred Kyber
Roses in the South Friedrich Hebbel
Thibaut of Champagne C. F. Meyer
The Blue Flower Manfred Kyber
The Woman from the Sea Manfred Kyber
Firnelicht C. F. Meyer
Birds Richard Schaukal
Encounter C. F. Meyer
Vision C. F. Meyer
The Messenger Run C. F. Meyer
Light and Star Rudolf Steiner
O Holy One
St. John's Mood (Soul Calendar) Rudolf Steiner