I hear the busy buzz of children shuffling and getting in line outside the hall. 

There is a faint knock, and I open the door to a neat line of eager faces.  Eurythmy shoes are on, and their hands are turned upwards in a gesture of carrying imaginary cups of tea above their shoulders.

We begin spiralling in or stepping to the rhythm of a lively piece of music or attempting a tricky foot and hand pattern to a melody, depending on the age of the class. The piano music leads us in until a circle is formed,

An eagle circle is very big, a pukeko (waterfowl) circle is closer together and a Mardo circle is tiny and very close together.

A circle with equal spacing between each child, quietly resting and waiting is formed, ready for our morning verse.

Sometimes I have a good-natured game, I start to count. The quickest group to make a circle so far has been finished in 4 counts!

A different verse for each class is spoken by myself and the class follow me using the Eurythmy gestures for the vowels and consonants.

So we begin. 

We commence with some waking up exercises, some body geography, funny nursery rhymes, counting and clapping games. 

All great for building brain connections. Left and right feet and hands are taken charge of moving with a group. The children soon learn that they can’t make the forms without each other, and we need to know our left and right! Students have a responsibility to perform their part while always thinking “what comes next” in the form, so they move organically and rhythmically, while being aware of their neighbours and partners. Who crosses in front, who stands still? lots of fun and laughter to be had. 

The forms are learnt and moved to carefully selected music beautifully played on the piano by Anna Bogachova. We are so fortunate to have such an accomplished pianist to work with. Thank you Anna for your patience and commitment to our Eurythmy programme.

So, what is Eurythmy and why do we bring it to the children?

Eurythmy is an artistic form of movement that Rudolf Steiner and his wife Marie developed 100 years ago. A dear friend of Rudolf Steiner asked what her daughter, Lori Smits (1893-1971) could study that involved movement.

Rudolf Steiner set to work developing a new impulse that Marie Steiner named “Eurythmy” (harmonious movement). Lori became the first Eurythmist and worked tirelessly teaching and performing Eurythmy.

In Eurythmy the whole body, soul and spirit are engaged and is brought into harmony with their life force. For this reason, Eurythmy and Waldorf education are inextricably entwined.

Doing Eurythmy builds life force, it helps us feel at home in our body. The way we move has a similarity to Qui Gong as this is also a mindful movement as is Eurythmy. Our gestures stream through us and beyond our fingertips filling up the hall. We can also receive and stream inward, for example, we can imagine streaming from our heart out to the sun and then taking the light from the sun and streaming that light back from the sun into our heart. Eurythmy develops good posture from the inside and gives a joyful sense of strength, harmony and wellbeing.   

When we are confident in forming the gestures for the vowels and consonants we can become artists in our movement. We can learn to be more fluid and to make quick changes of direction. 

Moving from Class 1 through to class 6 the activities progress in difficulty of complexity.

I begin moving the younger groups in simple circles straight lines and curves using lots of imaginative pictures. As the curriculum develops with the grades, I am inspired by the epochs and character each teacher is working with.  

Class 2 we can split the simple circle into 2 circles, learn to contract our circle and expand at the same time. Spiral around our partners and move to different rhythms e.g. trotting, skipping, galloping and 3-fold walking (Eurythmy walking)

Class 3 we explore quick changes in Celtic dancing moves. 

Class 4 the Norse mythology calls for strong steady steps to form Asgard’s wall, crown forms, pentagrams and stepping to words in sentences with alliteration.

Class 5 we attempt continuous forms, where the class is facing forward, no longer held by the circle. The harmonious 8, 6 pointed stars, lots of rod work and more complex contractions expansion forms. 

Class 5 and 6 share Greek rhythms, iambic (short, long, short, long) or anapest (short, short, long) 

Class 6 more precise counting and moving of all the geometric forms and continuous forms.

We count beat and melody with our step and pitch up and down our spine by moving our arms down to low pitch and up to the high pitch.

Eagerly we move together. A community of movement.

At the end of the lesson, we come back to our circle still and quiet. 

Or sometimes we listen to a piece of classical music. 

Class 2 has been enjoying the carnival of the animals. The Swan, The Lion. 

Swan Lake is a favourite.

As our class comes to an end we thank each other for the class and lead out to music.

I work to develop and support a respectful space where the children can work together to be successful. That they can stand on their own and also be part of the group.

We all enjoy the accomplishment of a new form or sequence. 

I feel so fortunate to be able to bring this beautiful work to the children.

Kind regards

Julie

(Eurythmy inspired movement)