The Origin and Development of Eurythmy 1923–1925

GA 277d — 9 August 1923, Ilkley

Eurythmy Performance

From August 4 to 18, 1923, Rudolf Steiner stayed in Ilkley to take part in the conference of the Educational Union for the Realization of Spiritual Values in Education and to give a course on education (see: “Contemporary Spiritual Life and Education,” GA 307). During the conference in Ilkley, there was a children's performance by pupils from the school in Kings Langley and two eurythmy performances by the Goetheanum eurythmists. On August 18, 1923, Rudolf Steiner traveled to Penmaenmawr, where a “summer school” began on that day, for which he gave a series of lectures (“Initiation Knowledge,” GA 227). There were a total of five performances by the Goetheanum stage in Penmaenmawr. Finally, on September 1, he traveled on to London, where Rudolf Steiner gave lectures for members and lectures for doctors. There was also a eurythmy performance there on September 4, 1923. There are no records of the speeches given at the eurythmy performances, but Rudolf Steiner wrote a text which he published in the weekly magazine “Das Goetheanum” after his return on September 23, 1923, adding the following explanation: “These introductory words were spoken before the eurythmy performances that took place in connection with my series of lectures during my English tour in Ilkley, Penmaenmawr, and London.” It is possible that this text, translated into English, was read aloud before the performances. In Penmaenmawr, he gave an entire lecture on eurythmy on August 26, 1923.

From the member lecture in Dornach, September 9, 1923

“Introductory words to a eurythmy performance” (essay in “Goetheanum,” September 23, 1923)

Rudolf Steiner added the following note to this article in a footnote: “These ‘Introductory Words’ were spoken before the eurythmy performances that took place in connection with my series of lectures during my English tour in Ilkley, Penmaenmawr, and London.”