Eurhythmics

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I realize that the majority of my readers on seeing the word "eurhythmics" will probably think of Annie Lennox and Dave Stewart of the famous pop group of the same name. My reference point, however, is the same as Annie Lennox who named the group after the movement technique she learnt in school.

Expressed succinctly eurhythmics can be defined as "harmonious bodily movement as a form of artistic expression - specifically, the Dalcroze system of musical education in which bodily movements are used to represent musical rhythms." Eurhythmics was developed around 1905 by a Swiss musician called Emile Jaques Dalcroze. He was a Professor of Harmony at the Geneva Conservatory. He felt that the conventional way of training professional musicians was very unsatisfactory. Dalcroze was looking for a way to improve his students musical abilities through increasing their sensitivity to rhythm.

His method was founded on rhythmic movements of the body, ear training and voice or instrumental improvisations. All exercises were designed to develop deeper powers of concentration and fast physical responses.

In Dalcroze's system time is shown by movements of the arms, and time duration (note values) by movements of the feet and body. For example a quarter note is shown by a single step. The teacher would play one or two bars of music which the student then actively performed as movements while the teacher played the next two bars. So the student has to listen to a new rhythm while performing the one already heard. These exercises required and helped to develop the students' concentration.

Jaques Dalcroze first applied his new method to children in elementary schools. After this in 1910 he set-up an institute near Dresden and a Central School was later established in Geneva. To-day there are institutes in London, Paris, Berlin, Stockholm and New York City. The method is taught in schools throughout Europe and the Western Hemisphere. I was introduced to this method as a child at school in London.

Jacques Dalcroze considered the rhythmic movements in eurhythmics to be a form of musical education. As far as he was concerned they were not an end in themselves or a form of dance. Nevertheless, his methods were an important influence on 20th century theatrical dance, especially in European and American modern dance.

To early modern dancers eurhythmics were considered to be an alternative, non-balletic choreographic technique. Ruth St. Denis used eurhythmic principles in her work. Mary Wigman and Doris Humphrey, turned their backs on musically influencd choreography and developed new forms of pure dance.

In the world of ballet, Sergei Diaghilev was one of the first people to become interested in the Dalcroze system and Nijinsky's revolutionary "The Rite of Spring" choreographed in 1913 for Diaghilev's company shows strong eurhythmic influences. Marie Rambert,and Hanya Holm were pupils of Jaques Dalcroze and through them and others contemporary ballet, theatre dance have been influenced by eurhythmics.


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