Youth Movement

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.