The Origin and Development of Eurythmy 1923–1925

GA 277d — 8 March 1925, Berlin

Eurythmy Performance

From a letter from Marie Steiner to Rudolf Steiner, Berlin, March 8, 1924

Dear E., We have now completed the second performance at the Lessing Theater. It can already be considered a great success. There was much applause and a full house. Even the first performance, which had to be moved from Sunday to Monday at 4 p.m. due to national mourning—an unfavorable day and time—was sold out. There were no critics on Monday, but many today. So tomorrow they will either rant and rave or remain silent. During the “Drunken Song,” which was met with thunderous applause, someone hissed loudly, but it was hardly heard.

In Danzig, the house was also sold out, with 1,500 people in attendance. So Mrs. von Brederlow did a good job of preparing the ground, and she looked very thin—or else we are very notorious. The audience was a little perplexed at first, but then went along with it. The “Steffen” also made an impression; when an attempt was made to applaud, there was a hiss of disapproval; then there was applause for Mozart's Allegro and what followed. We only have 35 members there. Our ladies and gentlemen were accommodated with non-members, all people from good circles, and there was mutual delight. These people and their friends were also enthusiastic about eurythmy. But the newspapers! They railed against it, just like in Kristiania. Everything was bad and horrible. I am only sorry for Mrs. von Brederlow, who, on closer acquaintance, is very winning, for she is touchingly self-sacrificing. The few blunders she makes are only due to overzealousness, and one needs a powerful zeal to fight against the world of resistance, there alone, so far away. The misdeeds of a few bad members have created great hostility toward the movement. Groh didn't stick it out either; he's back in Kristiania. But the good Mrs. von Brederlow is not losing heart; her husband is also a nice person. She put Clason and me up at the Hotel Kurhaus by the sea; almost all of us were in Zoppot. The few hours of sea air did me a lot of good.

The Landestheater has been taken away from us again; the Ministry of Culture did not allow it. So I won't need the car until later. When we perform in Landhausstraße, not until the 16th. Otherwise, I will call from Stuttgart if I need it earlier.

Thank you so much for your lovely, lovely letters and warm thoughts. Marie