The Origin and Development of Eurythmy 1918–1920

GA 277b — 27 March 1920, Dornach

53. Eurythmy Performance

“Himmelsnähe” by C. F. Meyer with musical accompaniment by Leopold van der Pals
“To the Cicada” by J. W. v. Goethe
Saying from the Soul Calendar (48.) by Rudolf Steiner
Saying from the Soul Calendar (49.) by Rudolf Steiner
“The Journey through the Harz in Winter“ by J. W. v. Goethe
“Huttens Kerker” by C. F. Meyer with musical accompaniment by Leopold van der Pals
“Howards Ehrengedächtnis“ by J. W. v. Goethe
“Stratus, Cumulus, Cirrus and Nimbus” by J. W. v. Goethe
Drill exercises with musical accompaniment by Leopold van der Pals (children's group)
Ballen and Spreizen, with music by Max Schuurman (children's group)
“Gleich und Gleich” by J. W. v. Goethe (children's group)
Tactics (children's group)
“Frohsinn“ by Louise van Blommestein with music by F. Hiller (children's group)
“Die Freude” by J. W. v. Goethe
Opening “Question and Answer” with music by Max Schuurman
“The Divine” by J. W. v. Goethe
Saying from the soul calendar (50th) by Rudolf Steiner
Saying from the Calendar of the Soul (51) by Rudolf Steiner
Hymn for the entrance of the Vespers on Palm Sunday by Friedrich Wolters with musical prelude Tiaoait by Leopold van der Pals

Dear attendees,

What is being presented to you today as the eurythmic art is not a collection of arbitrary, invented human gestures and movements, but is in fact the expression of a real silent language, a language that is revealed through movement. These movements, whether they occur as movements of the limbs of the individual or as movements of this individual in space or as movements of groups of people in relation to each other, are always strictly regulated by law, and so strictly regulated by law that they coincide with a meaning, for example a poetic meaning or a musical content, in such a way that the word sung or properly spoken coincides with a meaning, for example a poetic meaning or a musical content, in such a way that the word sung or properly spoken coincides with a meaning, for example a poetic meaning or a musical content, in such a way that the word sung or properly spoken coincides with a meaning, for example a poetic meaning or a musical content, in such a way that the word sung or properly spoken coincides with a meaning, for example a poetic meaning or a musical content, in such a way that the word sung or properly spoken coincides with a meaning, for example a poetic meaning or a musical content, in such a way that the word sung or properly spoken coincides with a meaning, for example a poetic meaning or a musical content, in such a way that the word sung or properly spoken coincides with a meaning, for example a poetic meaning or a musical content, in such a way

The basis for such a silent language can only be gained by what one could call a continuation of what Goethe calls sensual-supernatural vision. You know that when we produce spoken language, our larynx and neighboring organs move in a certain way. We turn our attention to what we hear and look away from the movements of the larynx and its neighboring organs. But these movements are also transmitted to the air. They are clearly present in a room where people are speaking. Through sensory-supersensory observation, one can, firstly, become aware of these movements, but secondly, one can also perceive the potential for movement. And this potential for movement, according to the principle of metamorphosis – thought of in the Goethean sense – can now be applied; just as they are applied in phonetic language to the special organ of the larynx, they can be applied to the whole human being. Just as movements are effective in the speech-producing larynx and its neighboring organs, so in eurythmy, according to the same principle of language, we bring the whole human being into motion.

So, what you will see on the stage here, whether it be the movement of the individual human being within himself or in space, or movements that are performed alternately by the members of the individual groups: they are always such movements that they represent, as it were, the movements of a human being or a group of people as a larynx that has just become a human being or a group. You have a process that is completely analogous to the speech process, except that you observe this process with your eyes instead of your ears.

Usually, when I took the liberty of speaking these introductory words for the performances, I always emphasized the artistic side of our eurythmy. I will emphasize this artistic side again on another occasion. Today, when we have a number of doctors among us, I would like to emphasize the hygienic side of our eurythmy.

Of course, the artistic element is the main thing about it. Eurythmy represents a new art form and, as such, it will indeed be able to bear fruit in many ways that are being sought today by serious artists, but which are extraordinarily difficult to find. These are sought under the most diverse masks, expressionism and so on, which is always a kind of stammering because one initially works with inadequate materials or with inadequate means of expression. So the artistic element wants to have a fertilizing effect on the various longings that can be clearly perceived in artistic development today and allow a search to be perceived.

But there is also an important pedagogical and hygienic side to this eurythmy. From a pedagogical-hygienic point of view, one could say that this eurythmy is an animated game of movement for the human being, in contrast to the more physiological game of movement for the human being that exists in the most diverse types of gymnastics. Of course, it is still difficult today to argue that such moving, soul-filled movement games, as found in eurythmy, are preferable for the development of the whole person to mere physiological gymnastics.

But we must speak the truth, and we must not shrink back, nor allow ourselves to be held back, from actually putting into practice that which concerns people more. Even if it means creating many prejudices in order to get used to what has become so ingrained over long periods of time in our pedagogical art and also in our education and development of the people, just like ordinary physiological gymnastics. This physiological gymnastics is based essentially on the fact that it starts from the human body and that it brings the human body into such movements, postures and manipulations that correspond to physiology and its demands.

Now I certainly do not want what is only one-sidedly thought [gap in the text] - from this point of view, eurythmy should not replace gymnastics, but only stand alongside gymnastics, so to speak, also in schools, with what is aimed for through gymnastics. The aim should be to dedicate about half of the time that is currently devoted to gymnastics to what we give in eurythmy - so half of the time would have to be devoted to eurythmy. For eurythmy strives to ensure that every movement that a person, that a child, performs is inspired, that no movement is performed without the soul experience being incorporated into it. Just as spoken language cannot be spoken without the soul element being present everywhere in the sounds, producing the sounds themselves or configuring the connection between the sounds, and so on – the same must apply to this moving, silent language of eurythmy. Every single movement, every context of movement, in other words everything that constitutes a single movement, the articulation of movement, what the sentence is in movement, must be imbued with soul. Soul-filled experience underlies it.

If, for the human being, a detachment of his bodily movements from the soul experience is now sought, then, in purely physical, physiological terms, a strengthening of the human body is certainly brought about in many ways. However, this strengthening of the human body is not always a strengthening of the whole person. Strengthening the whole person means that the human being is able to create more and more expression of his own will in his movements, to be present in everything that lies in his movements.

And one can say, if one is unbiased enough and does not close one's mind to important facts that signify a social psychology, one can say: Certainly, in the modern era there has been a lot of gymnastics and a lot of similar activities have been practiced, but whether one can directly affirm that through this – even if perhaps individual has become physically stronger and perhaps also in a physiological sense, and perhaps some things have become healthier, but whether one can also affirm that as a result, the human being as a whole, as a physical, spiritual and mental being, has become stronger, is more equipped with initiative, is more involved in world affairs than in the first gymnastics-less times, that cannot be immediately asserted. This question will not be answered in the affirmative. For after all, our time shows that we live in the epoch of sleeping souls, that we have been driven by gymnastics, and also by many other things that go beyond gymnastics – what has not been produced by sport! But the fact that the result of all this would be a strengthening of the whole human being, namely a strengthening of the initiative of human beings, cannot be affirmed. For it is all too clear that people have become more and more closed in on themselves, more and more inwardly lethargic, and that this inward-closed-ness and this inward-lethargy, this sleepiness of soul, is connected with the misfortunes that have manifested themselves so horribly in the last five to six years. We will only emerge from this, to which we must point, when we strive to strengthen the human being not only through physiological gymnastics, but also through psychological eurythmy, through soulful movement.

Therefore, in addition to the artistic element, which I will come back to in a few introductory words tomorrow, we will include in today's presentation, in particular, children's eurythmy, through which you can see for yourselves how, through the presence of soul-filled movement, something is achieved in the child that can then be integrated into human development with full benefit for the whole human being.

Something that is healing for the human being comes to light through this eurythmy. I need only remind you that we find that, as at the starting point of all human work, there is rhythm. It is not disorderly, chaotic work that has this rhythm, but rather: primitive work is carried out in rhythm. Of course, in our hurried modern times, in the age of industrialism, this has been completely lost. This rhythm is now being reintroduced through human movement games.

Therefore, you will see that everything that comes out is already inherent in the human being, but is internally connected with the soul's predispositions, with inner rhythm, inner tact, and so on. If I may say so, In relation to the artistic conception, this is very clearly evident in the lack of an aesthetic conception of the present. For example, the present has developed a kind of art of recitation that places great emphasis on the prose content of what is being recited. This art of recitation, which is particularly popular at the present time, could not be used in eurythmy. Eurythmy must be accompanied by recitation, which in turn goes back to everything that is actually artistic, also in relation to poetry: to the rhythmic, to the musical or plastic in the poetic art. Today, however, in recitation too, the greatest importance is attached to making the truly poetic recede completely and to reciting according to the prose content, so that the form, which is what really matters in art, is not at all emphasized in today's recitation. So what eurythmy demands must also have an effect on the art of recitation.

All that we are striving for is, of course, only just beginning, as we are able to present to you today as a rehearsal; but those who, from time to time, observe what we are able to offer here as the eurythmic arts will see that we have actually made some progress compared to what we were able to achieve six months ago. Those observers who compare the two – what we presented six months ago and what we present today – may perhaps still find some progress. And we do believe that, although we are still at the beginning with this eurythmic art, it is a beginning of something that can stand alongside other, older art and educational impulses as an art and as an impulse for educating humanity. But I ask for your forbearance in treating our demonstrations, our rehearsals, with forbearance, because they are, after all, intended to be an experiment to begin with. When this eurythmic art is further developed – either by ourselves or, more likely, by others – it will indeed very likely be able to stand fully equal with other, older sister arts as a method of education and art.