Eurythmy In Canada

Eurythmy With Jonathan Snow - New Bloc

2010-03-31T07:33:00.001-04:00

Eurythmy for Adults Continues:

Open to all. The adult eurythmy group will start a new six week bloc, and we would be glad to have eurythmy enthusiasts join us. Starting April the 10th, the course will be held every Saturday from 4:15 to 5:15 pm in the TWS eurythmy room. No previous experience necessary. For registration or more information, write to jsnow@torontowaldorfschool.com .

Jonathan Snow

Can We Build A Canadian Tour?

2010-03-26T13:58:00.007-04:00

- Photo by R. Manacas

Christina Viebke-Wallace writes:

I have just recently returned to Nelson, British Columbia after four years of teaching in South Africa. It strikes me that there seem to be a lot more eurythmists living in Canada than there were when I left, and it seems about time that we did something together in the mood of the New World Symphony project. Please contact me if you are interested in discussing this!

Thanks, Christina

Dorothea Mier and Emmanuel Vukovich at Novalis Hall

2010-03-24T14:25:00.017-04:00

The Music of Bach: a performance/workshop featuring eurythmist, Dorothea Mier, and violinist, Emmanuel Vukovich. Sunday, May 2, 2010, 11.00 am at Novalis Hall (Camphill Angus ON)

Eurythmy was developed by Rudolf Steiner in the early part of the twentieth century. He believed that all art is the revelation of concealed laws of nature and gave the world this art of movement as a means of bringing expressive elements in music and poetry into visible form through the finely tuned instrument of the human body. This collaboration between Dorothea Mier and Emmanuel Vukovich is a wonder in itself arising as it does out of their individual dedication to the music of Bach. They will share the process of their working together in the course of this performance. Come prepared to be touched in a part of the soul where you have never been touched before!

Dorothea Mier attended Waldorf Schools in England in her formative years. Having graduated from Michael Hall School, she studied piano at the Birmingham School of Music. Residing in Dornach, Switzerland, from 1955-1980, she worked as a member of the Goetheanum Stage Group and was renowned as a teacher of eurythmy. She became the director of the Spring Valley Eurythmy School in New York State in 1980, a position she held for over twenty years. Now retired, she is free to conduct workshops worldwide.

Of Croatian and German descent and a native of Calgary, Emmanuel Vukovich graduated from McGill University in 2007 in music and environmental studies. He was leader of the Lloyd Carr-Harris String Quartet which won several national and international awards. Awarded the Canada Council for the Arts Orford String Quartet Scholarship in 2005, he became the first recipient of McGill University's Schulich School of Music Golden Violin Award in 2006. Emmanuel co-founded Music for Farms in 2008, a movement he promotes in his concerts for Community Supported Agriculture farms in Quebec, Ontario and in New York State and in his daily working life as a biodynamic farmer in Quebec.

The performance is part of an all-day Music For Farms event. You are welcome to attend part or all of the programme. For schedule and donation details, please contact Treasa O`Driscoll.

NOTE TO EURYTHMISTS: If you would be interested in participating in a workshop with Dorothea at the Toronto Waldorf School, please contact Angelika Warner or Jonathan Snow. (The workshop has not yet been confirmed.)

On The Wings Of The Arts

2010-02-18T08:07:00.003-05:00

Thursday, February 18, 7:30pm at the Toronto Waldorf School

Witness "moving" pieces of High School Performance Arts at this annual event.

+ Senior Eurythmy Group - led by Jonathan Snow

+ Performing Arts Strings and Winds Groups - led by Tony Browning

+ Performing Arts Choir and Ensemble - led by Patricia Mac Master

For details, call the school at 905-881-1611

Sessions in Barrie With Mary Brian

2010-02-10T19:11:00.002-05:00

Mary Brian is giving a hygienic eurythmy class on Monday mornings, 10-11am., in February and March, at Natura Medical Arts Centre, 105 Toronto St., Barrie. The class is on a drop-in basis, and is aimed at relaxing, refreshing, and increasing flexibility. Cost is $15/class and if someone wants to come, I appreciate a phone call ahead at 705-739-4114, ext.#2. Thanks! Mary Brian

Correction and Update from Marjorie Taliano-Nordas

2010-02-02T08:13:00.008-05:00

In an earlier post, I wrote that Marjorie was the Director of the Eurythmy School in Oslo. In fact, Coralee Schmandt is the Director. My apologies. The good news is that Coralee Schmandt is also a Canadian! Here is an update from Marjorie...

We've been and are practicing the Foundation Stone with Dorothea Mier who was visiting Oslo. I am now going to Dornach for another European project with 12 eurythmists. As well, I teach fulltime, from kindergarten to tenth grade; also teachers and parents...and I play flute! I will try to come to Montreal in May for a visit...

Right now it is clearer light everyday, snowy and frosty but not as cold as Canada and the darkness is lightening up everyday a little more.

Public Eurythmy Courses In Toronto Area

2010-01-11T20:20:00.007-05:00

To my amazement, several people have been (re-) discovering eurythmy via this blog. It's surprising how many people know something about eurythmy, and are keen to take courses. The eurythmists in the area are starting to respond. Here is the notice of an upcoming course...

Jonathan Snow is offering adult eurythmy classes from 4:15 - 5:15pm on Saturday afternoons starting January 16 in the eurythmy room at the Toronto Waldorf School. No previous experience necessary. Fee for the 6-lesson course is $75.

PLEASE TELL YOUR FRIENDS AND SPREAD THE WORD!

For questions and registration, contact Jonathan.

Arbor Vitae Project In Ottawa

2009-11-18T16:45:00.003-05:00

Sylvie Richard has recently completed her eurythmy training in Spring Valley, and she is not letting grass grow under her feet in Ottawa. She is already giving public performances of tone eurythmy and leading adult workshops - in English and in French! Of particular interest is the Arbor Vitae project...

I have prepared an artistic project called ARBOR VITAE project which I am promoting for the Waldorf schools and eventually for any group of children as well as to adult groups interested in participating in this artistic production. As the tittle alludes to, I use the very rich stories and images, poetry and music that exist around this reality of the Tree of Life. This is meant to be a co-creation with my participants so already the children in grade 6-7 at the Ottawa Waldorf School have created their own short poems about trees directed by their teacher in their exploration of the four elements (earth, water, air, fire) which we will be weaving into the fabric of the production. The format of work is in block of 4 weeks (ideally 3x/week), and we will have 4 phases in the project. Phase 1 is to work on skills which will allow the participants to be sufficiently comfortable with eurythmy gestures and forms. Time will be used as needed toward this goal- depending on the group. Since it is a co-creation I am very interested in the creative unfolding that will emerge through the different phases of the project. Some of my own artistic work solo will be weaved as well in the final production, so that one will be able to experience a multi-level of artistic capacities.I believe very deeply in the artistic capacities that live in the human being, and that is so very alive and mobile in children. We have started this week at the OWS with the grade4-5 and 6-7 classes and it is already full of promises!

Performance Makes Strong Impressions

2009-11-18T09:41:00.005-05:00

"...And there are those like you and me and many many others
Who can never forget the Man with the Broken Fingers.
His will, his pride as a free man, shall go on.
His shadow moves and his sacred fingers speak...."

The Remembrance Day program by Grasshopper Productions at the Toronto Waldorf School left very strong impressions on the audience. The Carl Sandburg piece, "The Man With The Broken Fingers" was especially powerful. In this post, I am restating (largely in my own words) some of the comments I have heard from high school eurythmy students. I have also invited other audience members to submit their own articles...MM

"Not bad.." This was meant as a compliment - the performance was actually very interesting to him. "Edgy...surprising...shocking..." It seems that the students were gripped, and they really felt engaged with what was happening on the stage. The eurythmy was not just happening "out there", but "in here". They used words like "weight...grounded...immediate...," and seemed surprised when they remembered they were talking about eurythmy.

There has been some discussion about the relationship between eurythmy and drama. It was very effective when the speaker very ceremoniously put on the boots, and began the Gestapo investigation. But when the costumes are so realistic, is it still eurythmy? Does the speech take over? Do we lose the power of eurythmy, and enter a realm of purely physical drama? Does it matter?

The students appreciated the artistic sequence. The Levertov pieces, which opened and closed the program, involved a rhythmical interplay of different elements, and provided a balance to the more visceral parts of the program. One student felt that the eurythmists somehow managed to maintain a spiritual quality while entering a very physical realm.

I have heard very little about the tone pieces...perhaps this is slowly working on a deeper level...

I asked, "if we showed the piece on YouTube, would people have a similar experience?."

They replied (in so many words), "No."

Youth Movement - Part Two

2009-11-01T11:25:00.003-05:00

This summer, at the Whitehorse Conference, I enjoyed a performance evening by Marjorie Taliano-Nordas. Marjorie spoke with affection and gratitude about her first eurythmy lessons with Christa Kuehn in Montreal. She is now the Director of the Eurythmy School in Oslo, and feels an enduring relationship to Canada.

Lori Scotchko, also from Canada, is currently studying at the Oslo school, and has promised an article about her experiences at this excellent school. I have also heard recently from Marie-Eve Piche, who is studying in Spring Valley. (Marc-Antoine Brodeur is studying in the UK, and you can see his earlier post here.)

It's wonderful that they are using the Internet (email and blog postings) to reach out. Although each of us often feels isolated, it's inspiring to re-discover tha we are part of an international community. We have so much to learn from each other, and this is a great way to start.

Grasshopper Productions - Ontario Tour

2009-10-26T17:23:00.004-04:00

Program at Toronto Waldorf School -Wednesday, November 11, 2009
For details, call the School at 905-881-1611

11am - High School Performance of No More Lies . Reflections on War. This program features eurythmy to poetry (including Two Threnodies and a Psalm by Denise Levertov, Dolce Et Decorum Est by Wilfred Owen, and The Man With The Broken Fingers by Carl Sandburg) and music (including Intermezzo in A Minor by Johannes Brahms, and Prelude/Wartime by Gregor Simon-McDonald).

2pm - Lower School Performance of The Wild Geese, a story from Lapland.

Tickets will be sold at the door: adults $10, students $5. All are welcome.

Program at Novalis Hall, Camphill Nottawasaga on Friday November 13
For details, contact Treasa O'Driscoll

Practical Things Like Stories and Eurythmy

2009-10-26T17:12:00.002-04:00

Grasshopper Productions will soon be presenting a Fairy Tale in eurythmy at the Toronto Waldorf School, and Jonathan Snow wrote this piece for parents in the school newsletter as a general introduction. - MM

Fairytales have been used from the dawn of mankind to convey wisdom to new generations of listeners. Raised to the status of "Volksgut" - cultural heritage of a people - by the scientific endeavours of men like the Grimm brothers during the Romantic era, they became used to convey moral lessons to children. A century later, modern psychology revisited tales and myths, using them as maps of the forces at work in the human psyche, most of which remain largely hidden from our waking consciousness. C.G. Jung argued that each of the different characters in these stories represented archetypal forces active within the soul of a single person. Rudolf Steiner indicated that the characters in fairytales may be direct representations of invisible but very concrete forces, which we can call spiritual beings, which are represented using imagery from the world perceptible to our everyday consciousness. In any case, we have slowly rediscovered that fairytales are not mere childish trifles, but are vehicles of great wisdom from which we as adults can profit.

Eurythmy, which strives to make visible that which normally remains hidden, is a medium of choice for conveying the many sheaths of a fairytale to an audience. It easily frees itself from representational realism, where clothing, mannerisms, etc. of a specific culture are reproduced as accurately and authentically as possible. Rather, eurythmy gives itself the task of conveying an accurate picture of the deeper truths embedded as seeds in works of art. To do this, it uses different qualities of movement and colours (in costumes and lighting), to show visual archetypes and create various moods, and thus speaks a language that reaches us beyond our intellectual comprehension.

The spoken word as conveyer of wisdom is not limited to a role of preserving past tradition. Poetic endeavours in all times seek to capture the essence of our world - visible and invisible - as the poet in all his modernity perceives it. Again, in poetry as in fairytales, we have a language that addresses far more than the human intellect. That which a text wishes to convey may be amplified by eurythmy using the same means as for fairytales. And, whereas fairytales offer us a plot to hold on to, poetry may leave us with no such anchor. So for those of us who have difficulty finding the entrance into modern lyrical art, eurythmy can serve as a kind of subtitles for the messages between the lines.

More on Renate Krause

2009-10-26T17:06:00.002-04:00

On October 6, Renate Krause decided that she had recovered sufficiently from an operation to resume her eurythmy work, and she opened our study group with a stimulating group eurythmy exercise. We were putting away chairs at the end of the meeting, when somehow she fell in a corner, with the result that her arm was broken. She has been in considerable pain, but she has recovered sufficiently to return home, and she is able to drive when she needs to. It's quite incredible how undaunted she seems by these difficult trials...

Feeling Our Feet

2009-07-05T12:55:00.003-04:00

Here is an excerpt from an interesting review of a book about barefoot running in The Toronto Star. The author has done extensive research and learned that athletic shoes are doing more harm than good, and says we should be paying much more attention to natural foot movements...

"LEONARDO DA VINCI observed that the human foot is 'a work of art and a masterpiece of engineering.'

Each foot/ankle combo contains 26 bones (both sides comprise one-quarter of the bones of the human body), 33 joints and more than 100 muscles, tendons and ligaments. Thousands of nerve endings also make our feet extremely sensitive – one of the reasons torturers throughout history have whipped the soles of prisoners' feet.

It's amazing that our feet can sustain the constant shock of walking, let alone running. Especially since, according to some scientists, we've been wrecking our feet. Our shoes, whether stilettos or cushioned, spring-loaded, gel-padded, air-bubble-infused sneakers, make us walk in a way that is not natural for our feet, studies say.

Watch a baby take those first steps. There's a natural way we all walk, with short strides, landing softly on our heels or the balls of our feet before our toes spring us forward.
Now walk in your best running shoes. You'll likely take longer strides and, due to the padding in the heels, strike down harder, unable to roll to the side because of the thick sole and inflexibility of the shoe. This rigid base also stops your toes from springing you forward, so your legs have to work harder.

We're also not feeling what's really going on with our feet. High shock-absorbing footwear prohibits our sensitive plantar surface from sending pain and pressure impulses that would naturally allow us to alter our gait to reduce stress.

"There's a benefit to barefoot running, I really think there is, no doubt," says Dr. Jack Taunton, the chief medical officer for the 2010 Olympic Winter Games. Taunton, director of the Allan McGavin Sports Medicine Centre at the University of British Columbia, has conducted studies on injured runners and basketball players that show with less support, the body heals faster. The foot and ankle are forced to build muscles that support the ailing area.
It's just the old adage, he says: 'If you don't use it, you lose it.'"

Introducing Pascal Jouneau

2009-06-03T11:05:00.002-04:00

Bonjour,
Je suis Pascal JOUNEAU, (formé à l'école de La haye en Hollande/ PaysBas) eurythmiste au Québec dans les deux écoles:
* Les enfants de la terre à Waterville près de Scherbrooke et
* L'Eau Vive à Victoriaville.

Je suis aussi eurythmiste Thérapeute formé en Suisse.

"I am Pascal Jouneau. I did my training in The Hague, and am now working in Quebec. I am teaching eurythmy in two schools: Les enfants de la terre in Waterville near Sherbrooke
and L'Eau Vive in Victoriaville. I am also a therapeutic eurythmist trained in Switzerland."

Eurythmy Association UK

2009-06-01T20:45:00.001-04:00

Stories and information about eurythmy in the United Kingdom are available at their website. You can also find a copy of their current newsletter on the site.

Youth Movement

2009-05-31T15:16:00.007-04:00

Marc-Antoine Brodeur is studying eurythmy in UK, and hopes to return to Canada when he's finished. Here is his report about a recent practicum...MM

Teenagers and Dissonance in Oslo

I arrived in Oslo, Norway just after a few days of deep snowfall and so the city was beautifully white and rounded. The land of alliteration met me with icy clearness. I was coming from Botton Village in green England, in my third year of eurythmy training, and about to plunge into ten days of teaching practice. My mentor Tatiana Magnussen, a Russian pianist turned eurythmist, was most inspiring to watch with the children. She had a solid strength about her and warm eyes that met them all with joy. The different moods she was able to create from kindergarten to the tenth grade demonstrated not only her understanding of the needs of the growing child but also her capacity to translate these soul and body needs through music and poetry into living expression. The children and teenagers loved it. She was also very respected by her colleagues.

Teenagers and dissonance

During my time in Asker Steiner school, Tatiana asked me to introduce the tenth grade to the worlds of major, minor and dissonance. She suggested I use 'The Death of Ase' from the Peer Gynt Suite (op.46) by Edward Grieg. This slow piece in 4/4, an Andante doloroso, proved to be very effective as it gave the necessary breadth of time to live into the new movements but also delivered all the intensity you would want for a teenage soul! The questions I asked myself included: how do I get the students to move what they are feeling at this time of their lives? How can I do this in a way that is fun and yet so intense that they forget about being cool but just dive in?

Just the Boys

I had a first class just with the young men-in-becoming. After a full eurythmy body and soul warm up, I had them in two lines, far apart, facing each other. They were to listen to the gentle major or minor rolling arpeggio and move towards each other with the appropriate gesture; they had to listen as they did not know what mood would come. Then, as a louder dissonant chord sounded, they were to plunge jumping down (with their legs) through the other line (who were doing the same in the opposite direction) while stretching and tensing with their arms forward and backward and all the while keeping very vertical and awake, eyes forward. Then, once having pierced through, they would slow into another major or minor in calmness, then breathe out, listening inside to what had just happened. Sometimes they laughed hard and other times there was a brief stillness that ensued; difficult to describe. They seemed to have had great joy in this and other variations.

Teenage Girls and Boys

The next day I did the same exercise with the whole class. The boys were quite well behaved but were so sure of their movements that they made it a bit too rough for the girls to be able to experience it with as much inwardness. Having known this might happen, I would have asked for a separate class with the girls so that they might have the chance to also have the tender experiences of minor and tearing dissonance.

Forms without Forms

When we came to 'The Death of Ase' I felt that what worked best (having been inspired by three weeks work with Dorothea Mier), was to have the students listen to the music and then move it in two groups guided by my hands with forms previously worked on with Tatiana. This we did many times, then slowly bringing in the gestures. Only later, if necessary, were the forms illustrated on the board. This guiding with the hands, until they knew the form without me, I think left them more free to experience the movement in space (getting out of their heads) and especially to be sensitive to moving together with their compatriots. It was touching to see them, through this whole process, come to a real experience of the music and to be able to express it with their bodies, right to the fingertips and toes.

A Teacher

It is with gratitude that I was able to observe Tatiana in her humble, devoted and energetic work. She was able to bring children and teenagers to real experiences of the essential nature of music and poetry. She was a solid rudder for the teens' tempestuous souls and a revealer of the joys of incarnation for the younger ones. Her inner calm and outer versatility met them in their growing needs and this they responded to with joy. So after a rewarding time in Oslo I bade them a warm farewell, put away my woolly mittens and returned to lush fields of England.

MONEY FOR PERFORMING

2009-04-08T14:11:00.002-04:00

Who said there is no money for eurythmy???

The Waldorf Education Fund (WEF) grants money every year to support eurythmy performances. Why not put some of this money to work in Canada? For details and application information, see the posting on the Association website. Deadline for submissions is October 15, 2009.

Solstad Visit - Update

2009-03-20T10:03:00.005-04:00

When Margrethe and Trond Solstad visited Richmond Hill last Fall, I showed them the construction site for the new Richmond Hill Centre For The Performing Arts., and mused, "wouldn't it be nice if you could perform there, along with some local talent?" Michael Grit is the very innovative Theatre Manager, and he is very interested in developing new audiences and would probably be quite supportive. Maybe we could even sell the 600+ tickets and fill the place!

Upon reflection, I saw that this idea was premature. I have been getting similar responses from other centres in Canada regarding the possibility of another Solstad visit. "Yes, it would be wonderful, and maybe we could even get an audience, but then what? How do we follow up? We simply have no resources to support the development of eurythmy."

I will keep you posted as plans for the Solstad tour develops. If they don't come to Canada, it may be possible for some of us to see them in Spring Valley...

Note: The image is a rendering of the main theatre at the Richmond Hill Centre. I experienced a production of Tosca recently, and was really impressed by the acoustics and many other features of the hall. (So many of the modern halls are pretty much dead!) Do you think the stage would be suitable for eurythmy?

Working Capital For The Arts

2009-03-03T10:53:00.005-05:00

Creative Trust is a Toronto-based organization that helps arts groups to raise working capital. Representatives from member companies attend workshops and training sessions, and learn how to manage the business side of their program. As they become better stewards of their limited resources, donor confidence increases and the IMPOSSIBLE starts to become POSSIBLE. (See Creative Trust Website)

Could this kind of knowledge be helpful to the development of eurythmy in Canada? Can we begin to develop a network of business/finance people who could contribute insights, connections and skills? Please post your comments, or contact me directly if you are interested.

Foundation Stone Performance - April 5

2009-02-27T14:14:00.003-05:00

The eurythmists of Northern Star Eurythmy are honoured to announce a visit by Patricia Smith, of Vancouver, for the weekend of 3-5 April 2009, for a performance and working rehearsals of the Foundation Stone Meditation.

The schedule for the weekend will be:
Friday 3 April, 7:30 – High School Performance
Saturday 4 April, 9:00 – 6:00 – rehearsals
Sunday 5 April, 9:00 – 11:30 – rehearsals
Sunday 5 April, 2:00 p.m. -Performance of the Foundation Stone Meditation

All events are at the Toronto Waldorf School.

Speaker: Patricia Smith (Vancouver)
Lights: Brian Searson (Richmond Hill) and Gioia Helms (Richmond Hill)
Eurythmists: Michael Chapitis (Toronto)
Maria Walker-Ebersole (East Aurora)
Mark Ebersole (East Aurora)
Angelika Warner (Richmond Hill)
Tatiana Lungu (Barrie)
Maria Helms (Richmond Hill)

Donations are very much appreciated, as is spreading the word that this performance is now brought to Canada.

Texas Eurythmy

2009-02-24T08:32:00.003-05:00

Here is an inspiring story from Texas. They started from scratch 10 years ago, and now look what's happening! (Click here for more details.)

In November 2006, the Austin Eurythmy Ensemble celebrated its 10th Anniversary as a professional eurythmy troupe. This is a milestone which the members mark with awe and delight for a past filled with incredibly satisfying performance work, whirlwind tours, amazing professional collaboration, important alliances and relationships, and, most of all, enormous gratitude for their many, many supporters.
For those who have been fortunate enough to travel some of this 10-year journey with the ensemble, this is a milestone in which you can take particular pleasure. Over the course of those years, the ensemble has grown by incredible leaps and bounds on many different levels. From their beginnings as a 4-member troupe with little or no budget and no local peer support (moving from Spring Valley, New York, rife with eurythmy, to Austin, Texas, theretofore void of eurythmy!), they have indeed grown into a mature troupe of professional artists complete with a devoted Circle of Friends and deeply satisfying professional relationships. The supporters of the Austin Eurythmy Ensemble, and in fact of eurythmy in general, can take delight in these accomplishments.
There are, indeed, many important accomplishments to be celebrated. Having been granted the unique position of artists-in-residence upon their arrival in Austin, Markus and Andrea Weder and Jolanda Frischknecht have been able to continue their work as professional eurythmists while at the same time enjoying the immensely satisfying work of teaching eurythmy at the Austin Waldorf School. Providing the school with consistent, high quality eurythmy instruction has not only benefited the school, resulting in programs such as the Austin Youth Eurythmy Troupe, an extra-curricular high school troupe, and the first ever International High School Eurythmy Festival, it has also fed a particular passion of the eurythmists to work intensely with youth. The reciprocity of this relationship is one that has in no small way lent to the momentum that has fueled the AEE’s work as an ensemble.
And work they have. Since their inception, the group has produced and performed over four different evening programs and numerous children’s programs, traveling across the U.S. and Canada in at least seven performance tours. Much to their delight, audiences have been readily complimentary with praise, commenting on the depth, eloquence, sophistication and precision that the ensemble brings to the stage. But more important than those individual elements of their programs is the quality of cohesion that the ensemble has achieved; indeed, a history of 10 years together has provided the space in which the members have been able to grow into more than the sum of its parts. As Rachel Andrews, former eurythmist at the Summerfield Waldorf School, succinctly stated upon the occasion of attending an AEE performance of Voices of the Hereafter, “A true Ensemble, one can experience [with the AEE] a strong collaboration between the artists not always present in eurythmy performances.” And from Mary Barhydt of the San Francisco Waldorf School upon witnessing the program Among the Ashes, “Of all the aspects of this group which is paramount in my memory, it is the truly ensemble quality of this group’s work.” These reflections are indicative of a high level of maturity and underscore the importance of longevity when considering the quality of performance art.
It is here necessary to point out the relationships the eurythmists have cultivated and enjoyed with their collaborative artists, for the nature of eurythmy to make visible the world of music and speech would make it impossible to practice it without supporting musicians and speech artists. Fellow eurythmists Barbara Bresette-Mills and Annette Heinze, pianist Dr. Anthony Tobin, speech artists Katherine Thivierge and Ellen Burke, violinist Rebecca Browne, and pianist Christina Lunceford are some of the many who deserve recognition here. They have offered their talent and time with generous hearts and their collaborations have helped to shape the ensemble into its present form.
In that present form, the ensemble pursues many opportunities to further develop the presence of eurythmy in the world. Along those lines, one of the most important manifestations of the past 10 years has been the Summer Eurythmy Academy. In these recurring month-long intensives, graduates of Waldorf education can more fully explore the art of eurythmy as it relates not only to performance work but also to self-development. The young adult has an opportunity to further his or her understanding of the soulful quality of eurythmy in the light of anthroposophy, as introductions to that topic are made and discussed. This has been an enormous success story, and the momentum of this work has carried it to the point that opportunities for the students to perform their work with the ensemble in a professional capacity are being explored.
In another effort to bring eurythmy more visibility, the ensemble has branched out into the public sphere with workshops, lecture/demonstrations, and public performances at local venues such as theaters and museums. The future holds more such work, and the ensemble is thrilled to be a part of the movement to bring eurythmy to a larger audience.
As they continue into the next decade, touring and performing across the U. S. and Europe and mentoring youth, the ensemble remains devoted to bringing eurythmy ever more fully into human consciousness. Taking a look back over their shoulders now
they can recognize that its many supporters and advocates are in no small way responsible for their success. The support of the Austin Waldorf School has been instrumental in the ensemble’s ability to pursue their goals, and their gratitude for this relationship is monumental. Many organizations and foundations have been steadily and consistently providing practical, monetary support needed for such work, and they are (in no order), the Eurythmy Association of North America, The Mid-States Shared Gifting Group, the Waldorf Educational Foundation, and the Rudolf Steiner Foundation. And to their dedicated Board of Directors, Circle of Friends, and the many, many others who have offered their support, both financial and otherwise, the ensemble wishes to offer a tremendous Thank You!

Warm Thoughts For Renate Krause

2009-02-04T08:26:00.002-05:00

Renate has continued to teach adult eurythmy classes in Thornhill, and she also brings eurythmy into the monthly Branch meetings. In her quiet way, she helps people to get a rich inner experience, and we no longer feel that we are just waving our arms about. In recent years, she has worked extensively with zodiac gestures, and seems to be able to make them meaningful even to novices.

Renate is suffering with illness, and will soon be having surgery. Let us send warm thoughts for her at this time.

A Conversation In Montreal

2009-01-28T17:55:00.003-05:00

It was really a pleasure to see Christa Kuehn again. Many of Canada's eurythmists had their first classes with Christa, including veterans such as Renate Krause! Christa has been a very active publicist and performer of eurythmy in Canada, and she inspires (challenges?) the current generation do more eurythmy with the public.

Claudia Maurice and Andree Lanthier were also part of the conversation. They are each working hard, overcoming obstacles and loving their work. We focused on some of the practical aspects relating to a eurythmy career, such as salaries, working/performance spaces, funding sources, and the deceptively simple question - How do I write a poster?

What is the priority, and how can we develop relationships with influential friends who can help?

Helene Besnard greeted us at the beginning of our meeting, and went off to give some last-minute coaching to her students. Later in the afternoon, we were treated to a workshop performance of parts of the Foundation Stone meditation. The audience (members of the Anthroposophical Society in Montreal and from across Canada) formed a circle in the performance space afterwards, and held a conversation in the eurythmy afterglow...

Event this Sunday in Thornhill!

2009-01-27T09:06:00.003-05:00

Here is the Invitation to the recent workshop-performance in Thornhill. If you would like to make a donation to Northern Star Eurythmy, please see "Foundation Stone Meditation" on the sidebar.

Northern Star Eurythmy is presenting a workshop and performance around the Foundation Stone Meditation in Thornhill at 2pm on Sunday February 1 at the Toronto Waldorf School. See below for Invitation details.

The group would like to acknowledge the support of the people at the Ita Wegman Foundation and the Camphill Foundation who have been so helpful and encouraging during the launch of the Northern Star Eurythmy project. Thank you!

INVITATION From Northern Star Eurythmy

Eurythmy Performance and Workshop around the Foundation Stone Meditation of the Anthroposophical Society, Sunday, February 1, 2009, 2-3pm, Toronto Waldorf School

Rudolf Steiner dedicated his life to bringing spiritual knowledge into the realm of modern scientific thought, personal meditation and transformative work, with the goal of renewing human beings, society and the earth itself. His last, and many consider his greatest effort to bring this about, was the renewal of the Anthroposophical Society at the Christmas Conference in Dornach, Switzerland, at Christmastime 1923-24. As the heart of this renewal he gave the mighty Foundation Stone Meditation, which, he said, brought together the central knowledge and wisdom of Anthroposophy.
In the months following the conference he gave a eurythmic choreography for this Meditation, which was performed exclusively in Dornach for many decades. In the 1990's then the decision was made to carry this work out into the world. As part of this impulse Dorothea Mier, from Eurythmy Spring Valley, came to Toronto, Canada, in November, ‘05, to work on the Foundation Stone Meditation eurythmically with all who were interested.
Out of this workshop a group, varying in number and participation from meeting to meeting, went on to continue this work for the next two years. Slowly but surely a knowledge of the forms, the gestures, the rhythms and other aspects grew between us. In Spring, 2007, this work group received the invitation to perform the Foundation Stone Meditation at the “Encircling Light, Expectant Silence” Conference of the North, to be held in White Horse, Yukon, Canada, in August, 2009.
Out of this the decision was made to found ourselves as a performing group dedicated to work on the Foundation Stone Meditation, Northern Star Eurythmy. Now, a year later, we are prepared to begin sharing this work. Next Sunday, February 1, we will be conducting a workshop and performance, open to all who are interested, at the Toronto Waldorf School in Thornhill. The whole group will be invited to explore motifs of the movements of the different sections of the piece together, after which we will perform parts of the Meditation on stage, in proper costume.
The workshop may provide deepening to those who have studied the Meditation on their own, and a dynamic introduction to those who are interested in exploring it for the first time. We invite everyone to come and join us!
In addition to sharing our work, we are hoping to raise much needed funds to cover the costs of costumes, lighting, conference fees and flights to the Yukon. We will be asking for a free-will donation–we suggest $20 per person as a guideline. We are a project of the Ita Wegman Foundation, a Canadian charity, and donations are eligible for tax receipts.
For further information, please call Maria Helms (905-883-0323) or Mark McAlister (905-883-3409).

Something A little Different...

2009-01-21T18:31:00.003-05:00

Now I know why Lois has not been able to submit her article about eurythmy and destiny...She's been getting ready for an exhibit at the upcoming interior design show. Here's some eurythmy at work in a new way...

"The most startling new furniture design premiered here is a transparent rendering of the rococo writing desk that appeared in an 18th Century Fragonard painting. Lois' design translates iconic decorations into clear recyclable acrylic. The fabrication of its base, that not only curves on two planes but has the strength to support a white marble top, was a year in development.
...Italian gardens of the 1750's have been a prime source of inspiration for my designs. Joining with Ian Morton of Nor-Am to create a glass garden pavilion for IDS09 was a natural pairing. We have been planning and developing this booth for 2 years."

Lois Macaulay draws from icons of art history to shape her furnishing line and design projects. Her store at 98 Avenue Road is open from 10 to 6 Monday to Saturday, with the exception of Tuesday, open by appointment. http://www.loismacaulay.com/

Michael Chapitis - New Directions In Therapeutic Eurythmy

2009-01-16T14:27:00.001-05:00

Michael Chapitis currently works with Kindergarten to Grade Eight students as a part time therapeutic/curative eurythmy specialist at the Alan Howard, Halton and Trillium Waldorf Schools in Ontario, Canada.. His work addresses the application of eurythmy in areas of physical and emotional imbalance in learning. Michael received much of his mentoring and further training with renowned educator Marjorie Spock, who witnessed the birthing of eurythmy under Rudolf Steiner in the early 1900s and founded Waldorf Schools in North America. Through this further development, Michael offers annual courses in Switzerland to eurythmists and physicians. Michael takes referrals for adults and children through the anthroposophical physicians of Pegasus Therapeutics, the medical centre in Thornhill, Ontario.

Some Notes And Updates

2009-01-16T13:32:00.003-05:00

Cynthia Gelder took her Masters of Science in Education in 2008 and she is currently teaching a class in Kuwait... Angelika Warner is working full time at the Toronto Waldorf School as both a pedagogic eurythmist and therapist. Her two sons are grown and starting their personal journeys, and she feels that she is perhaps now wise enough to begin appreciating life in wholly new ways...Maria Helms teaches eurythmy full time at the Toronto Waldorf School and also leads community events and adult workshops. She is a leading member of the Northern Star eurythmy group....Alexandru and Patricia Doroftei in Calgary are enjoying the antics of their young daughter, and periodically finding opportunities to do eurythmy with members of the Waldorf community. Ingrid Kohler has recently been married and may soon be moving from Ontario to the West Coast. Tatiana Lungu is working at Camphill Nottawasaga and is gradually finding opportunities for artistic work and performance.

Eurythmy and Destiny

2009-01-08T10:54:00.002-05:00

What happens when a eurythmist enters a new profession? Is eurythmy now just a fond memory, or does she come to life in new ways? Stay tuned...(Where's Lois?)

Margaret and Arthur Osmond - Welcome!

2009-01-08T10:49:00.003-05:00

Margaret and Arthur have recently moved from the UK and settled in Nova Scotia. (Now we have eurythmy from coast to coast!) They are starting to feel settled, and by the time you read this posting, Margaret will probably have given her first public workshop. Good luck!

Sylvie Richard

2009-01-08T10:47:00.001-05:00

Once I complete my training (soon!) I will be very interested in networking with my fellow Canadian eurythmists.

I also wanted to acknowledge the Anthroposophical Foundation of Canada which came forward with a grant which I will apply to loan re-payment from Eurythmy Spring Valley. I felt wonderful that an anthroposophical body could support eurythmy that way.

Helene Besnard

2009-01-08T10:37:00.002-05:00

Happy new year with strength and imagination!

This is my report.

Eurythmy: I give a regular adult course, once a week. We work on basics and, very humbly, parts of the Foundation Stone meditation forms. We want to be connected to the general work in the anthroposophical movment on the same theme. Most are anthroposophists and carry the soul stone in their hearts. Plus, workshops at the year's festivals.

Education through movement: I am often invited to present rhythm, rhymes and rounds to child educators in public daycares, and also Waldorf. Some class teachers come to me for help in their rhythmic morning part.

Writing: Three of my books are published: one on rhymes, rhythmics, dances and games. The second one is about the musical Mood of the 5th with stories and songs; the third one has fairy tales for 3 to 9 years's old.

Update From Claudia Maurice

2008-12-30T14:55:00.001-05:00

In the spring, I finished my last course at the departement of dance at the University of Quebec in Montreal. This last course has again been very interesting for the reason that it introduced me to a new and emerging field of science that was yet unknown to me: to "Somatic Education". Somatic Education groups together all those movement approaches which aim the "becoming conscious of the body in spatial mouvement", such as Alexander Technic, Feldenkrais, Yoga, Martial Arts, Body-Mind Centering a.s.o. (in North America, the Journal "Somatics" promotes this kind of approach to movement and it could be interesting for eurythmists to take note of their ideas because of their holistic, phenomenological and sensitive approach to the human organism). The underlying attitude is to consider the human being as an undivided body-mind entity and movement as the direct expression and testimony of "life" (the fact that an organism is living). To move is seen as a way to increase "life" within an organism, which again has a healing effect on it and is at the same time a means for spiritual development. What's especially striking within Somatic Education is the yearning to overcome the dualistic split between the physical and spiritual world and to include emtional and mental apsects when looking at the human organism in movement (for example in the idea that movement has a direct influence on the soul and mental life). The initial impulse of Somatic Education was to give back to the human being the right to appear as a being with spiritual aspects, aspects that ordinary science has more and more excluded or even denied. Yet, I felt that the fact that the access to the spiritual components of the human being is searched by eradicating the difference between physical and spiritual phenomena (body and soul are an inseparable unity) and the use of research methods coming from ordinary science has the exact opposite effect: the human being is once more reducd to its biological components (emotions and mental processes, even the human I, being phenomenas entirely engendered by the biological base of the human organism). At the end of the course, it seemed to me that Somatic Education gives the impression of treating the human being as a spiritual being, but, without that this comes out clearly in the literature, in fact reduces it to its biological aspects. Nonetheless, I think this doesn't devaluate the benefits of the different movement approaches grouped under Somatic Education. It rather shows that it is much harder for many human beings to realize consciously that certain experiences are in fact spiritual experiences, than to actually have spiritual experiences or perceptions. For me, it shows again the urgent necessity for the methods of spiritual science that Rudolf Steiner proposed in order to avoid that humanity stays unconscious of the spiritual world which is concretely present in many of our experiences more than we think. One way to remain unconscious of the spiritual world is to take spiritual phenomenas for phenomenas of the world of the senses, as shown above.

Media Story

2008-12-30T14:39:00.003-05:00

Adam McLean is a Staff Writer with the Richmond Hill Liberal. Following our interview, the following article appeared in the paper just before the performance (there are some delightful mis-quotes!):

Dance, poetry, music as one on stage, such is the realm of eurythmy.
Never heard of eurythmy before? Well, if you enjoy spoken words and expressive dance, eurythmy sounds like a candy store for your senses.
And you will be able to stuff yourself this Wednesday at the Toronto Waldorf School, located on Bathurst Street just south of Rutherford Road, as one of the world’s foremost eurythmists, Margrethe Solstad, will perform “The Dream We Carry - Moods of the Soul Through Movement Music and Poetry’.
The performance presented by Thornhill-based group Northern Star Eurythmy includes the work of poets like Maya Angelou and William Blake, interspersed with classical and modern musical selections.
Northern Star manager Mark McAlister explained what to expect from a eurythmy performance, such as ‘The Dream We Carry’. There are two types of eurythmy performances, Mr. McAlister said.
“There is the spoken aspect, where a poem is read aloud and the eurythmist moves interpretively to the text and then the music aspect where a pianist or guitarist will play and then the eurythmist moves to the tones and mood of the music,” he said.
Sometimes the two disciplines will be combined and with soft lighting and eurythmists dressed in shimmering veils, it can make for quite a spectacle of movement and physical art, Mr. McAlister explained.
And eurythmist Margrethe Solstad is seen as one of the best in the performing art, as she is the leader of the world’s centre for anthropo-physical art at the Goetheanum in Switzerland.
This is Ms Solstad’s first North American tour and Mr. McAlister calls her appearance a sign of a growing resurgence of performing arts in the area. “Performing arts doesn’t just happen on its own, it needs to be supported. I think people have been longing for performing arts and hopefully this will bring forward more performances in the future,” Mr. McAlister said.
“People are beginning to realize art plays an important part in their life and I think it is great when world class artists can be seen in our community rather than having to travel downtown,” he added.
You can find more information and purchase tickets for the performance by visiting www.nothern-stareurythmy.blogspot.com and you can also purchase tickets at the Toronto Waldorf School bookstore, 9100 Bathurst St. in Vaughan or at Books on the Hill, 12 Centre St. East, Richmond Hill.
Ticket prices range from $10 for students under 20, to $20 for adults and $50 for VIP tickets, which include a backstage pass and a chance to meet the artists and learn more about the performance.

Solstad Post Card

2008-12-30T13:43:00.000-05:00

Solstad News Release

2008-12-30T13:33:00.000-05:00

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
European Performing Artists Stop In Thornhill On North American Tour
Thornhill, Ontario, September 24, 2008...Northern Star Eurythmy presents The Dream We Carry – Moods Of The Soul Through Movement, Music and Poetry on Wednesday, October 8 at 7:30pm at the Waldorf Stage, 9100 Bathurst St., Thornhill.
This innovative stage performance features the work of several poets including Olav H. Hauge (Norway), Maya Angelou and William Blake, interspersed with classical and modern musical selections. Margrethe Solstad, eurythmist and leader of Performing Arts at the Goetheanum, Switzerland, and speech artist Trond Solstad, have designed this program for their first North American tour. They have invited celebrated pianist Esther Chu to join them for their Thornhill performance.
Eurythmy is an art of movement that opens new realms of expression for music and poetry, appealing to the full range of human senses. Eurythmy is featured on stages around the world, and makes practical contributions to social art, education and therapy.
This event is another example of the resurgence of the performing arts in York Region. Residents no longer need to make the trip to Toronto – they can experience world-class performances right in their own neighbourhood.
For program and ticket information, please visit www.northernstareurythmy.blogspot.com, or call Mark McAlister at 416-892-3656.

CULTURAL HOT-SPOT

2008-10-01T21:02:00.009-04:00

Tom and Nancy served me an excellent cup of (organic fair trade) coffee this morning at Books on the Hill (12 Centre St. E., Richmond Hill). We had a wide ranging conversation about the emergence of several promising new artistic ventures in the area, including the Richmond Hill Centre For The Peforming Arts and the Words Alive Literary Festival. We agreed that there are actually large numbers of people around here who are passionate about the performing arts and really excited about what's happening. Be sure to visit this cultural hot-spot and join the conversation....

A Norwegian Poem

2008-09-05T18:05:00.006-04:00

At the end of the video clip below, Margrethe performs a Norwegian poem by Anbjörg Pauline Oldervik, with Trond reciting.

You will notice that the movement at the beginning is silent as the eurythmist lays the foundation for the words that are to follow. ..It is also very interesting to see eurythmy with words in an unfamiliar language. We are not so concerned with meaning, and can have a richer appreciation of the poetry elements... Margrethe has provided a rough translation of the text, to set the mood:

something that awakens me
deep at night
no sound
nothing that moves

was it, perhaps, the realm out there
speaking of its beauty
giving me its profound peace

for a long time I wonder
until a knowledge awakens
Also, the realm is wondering
Also, I answer

A Virtual Introduction To Eurythmy

2008-09-05T10:44:00.008-04:00

Many readers will be unfamiliar with eurythmy, so I have posted some video clips of performances by Margrethe Solstad. (Some Solstad Snippets and Another Solstad Snippet)Eurythmy is all about making things happen in a physical space, but virtual images can be very useful as an introduction.

Another thought...If you observe waves at sea, it appears that the movement is horizontal, but a scientist will tell you that the water particles are actually moving up and down. In eurythmy, the reverse is true. Initially, one notices the physical movements of the eurythmist, and only gradually becomes aware of the movement in the surrounding space.

If you have questions about eurythmy, you can post them as comments, or contact me directly. Enjoy!

Some Solstad Snippets...

2008-09-05T10:14:00.003-04:00

Another Solstad Snippet...

2008-08-26T11:01:00.003-04:00

PROGRAMME - THE DREAM WE CARRY

2008-08-19T15:25:00.014-04:00

Here is the programme for the Solstads' performance in the Fall of 2008:
Since ancient times, many threads have been weaving between Norway and North America. In this performance, the artists bring many of these threads together, and express what is universally human, beyond race, country, and age.

PROGRAMME:
* Introduction
* Arietta, op.12, nr.1--- E. Grieg
* Din veg ---Olav H. Hauge
* Your way, Ask the wind, The cat,
The scythe, Arrow and bullet, It's the dream--- Olav H. Hauge
* Notturno, op.54, nr.4--- E. Grieg
* Caged bird ---Maya Angelou
* From piano sonata op.110 ---L.v. Beethoven

* Don't give me the whole truth, And I was sorrow,
Show us the field of rye, The rivers meet --- Olav H. Hauge
* Prelude op.31, nr.2 ---A. Skrjabin
* Bosnia Tune- J. Brodsky
* Prelude in e-flat minor, op.34, nr.14 ---D. Schostakovich

* There came a wind, I like to see it lap the miles,
Hope is the thing with feathers, To make a prairie ---E. Dickinson
* Dance, op.1, nr.1 ---D. Schostakovich
* The sledge hammer, The saw, The weathercock,
You were the wind---Olav H. Hauge
* From Papillons, nr. 5 --- R. Schumann

* Hear the voice of the Bard! ---W. Blake

* Phantasy Impromptu in c- sharp minor, op. 66--- F. Chopin

MARGRETHE SOLSTAD is a master eurythmy performer and teacher. After developing and engaging new audiences for eurythmy in Norway and across Europe, she is now eagerly anticipating her first North American tour. Margrethe oversaw the process for chartering the University College of Eurythmy in Norway, and she is currently the Leader of Performing Arts at the Goetheanum in Switzerland.

TROND SOLSTAD is an accomplished speech artist and teacher, breathing new life into the art of the spoken word. In addition to his considerable artistic talent, Trond is a very capable administrator, and is currently Secretary for Performing Arts at the Goetheanum.

ESTHER CHU obtained her Doctoral Degree of Music in piano performance at the University of Alberta, and frequently plays as a soloist or chamber musician. Esther has been contributing to the performing arts program at the Toronto Waldorf School for the past several years.