“This gave my mother the opportunity of mentioning to Dr. Steiner an idea....
Could one affect the physical body in a healing, strengthening, and regulating
way through certain rhythmic movements of the etheric body—which, after all,
was the center of all that was rhythmic—as well as of health and illness?
Dr. Steiner not only enthusiastically affirmed this possibility, but also
spontaneously declared himself ready to give the necessary directions, which
I could then work out with my mother’s help.” —Lory Maier-Smits

Alongside original material by Rudolf and Marie Steiner, this volume features
unique first-hand accounts of the birth of the art of eurythmy by a number
of its early students and practitioners. The practical and artistic stages of its
development are chronicled in detail, alongside reports from the first public
performance onward. 

Rudolf Steiner offers inspiration to the original eurythmists to make their
own discoveries—to perceive and fashion in movement their creative
“inner voice.” The artistic principles are established for later development
and elaboration, to reveal and foster human creativity in many poetic and
musical contexts. 

Through the texts, links gradually emerge between eurythmy and
temple-dances that accompanied ancient initiations. The impulse to dance
is rediscovered as inherent in the “lost Word,” or the primordial root
language still available in “genetic etymology”—the sounds of speech
used in all languages. Music eurythmy, we learn, did not start from dancing,
but from the archetypal structure of the musical system. Consequently,
we can witness directly how an eloquent performing art can properly
develop when technique and inspiration meet. The text is supported by
extensive supplementary material, including eurythmy forms, a chronological
survey, notes, and indexes 

∞ ∞ ∞

C O N T E N T S:

1st Course of Lessons: The Dionysian Element, Bottmingen/Basel, Sept. 16–24, 1912

2nd Course of Lessons: The Apollonian Element: Directionsf for Fashioning
the Soul for Expressing the Movement of Speech Forms, Dornach, Aug. 18–Sept. 11, 1915

Introductions to Eurythmy Performances, 1913–1925, with Accompanying
Programs and Material from Posters and Announcements

Faculty Meeting at the Eurythmeum, Stuttgart, Apr. 30, 1924

Six Humoresques for Eurythmy

Reports by Marie Steiner, Lory Maier-smits, Erna van Deventer,
Tatiana Kisseleff, Elisabeth Dollfus, and Hendrika Hollenbach