MEANINGFUL MOVEMENT: DALCROZE EURHYTHMICS FOR ALL
Dr. Marla Butke
Adjunct Professor, Otterbein University & Capital University
Master Teaching Artist - American Eurhythmics Society
[email protected]
11:00-4:00, January 12, 2017
IMEA Pre-Conference, Ft. Wayne, Indiana
Sponsored by
“Joy arises in the child the moment his faculties are liberated from any restraint, and he
becomes conscious of his control over them, and decides on the direction in which that control
shall be exercised. The joy is the product of a joint sense of emancipation and responsibility.”
- Jaques-Dalcroze
Emile Jaques-Dalcroze and his approach
• born in 1865 to Swiss parents (died 1950)
• was appointed Professor of harmony, solfège, and composition at the Geneva
Conservatory, careful observation of his students showed him that while the students
could be good musical technicians, they often did not hear or feel the nuances of the
music
• the approach involves the whole body, mind, and emotions by representing an integrated
physical, intellectual, and emotional experience
• three components of this approach are eurhythmics, solfège, and improvisation
• special emphasis on child-centered learning
• the body is the first instrument of expression
Objectives of the Approach
• Focus/Concentration
• Teaching of the music elements through movement, rhythm being the most important
• Solfège
• Expression
Ø Plastique animée - "An artistic and creative embodiment of music through individual
or group movement” (Butke/Frego). It is a combination of improvisation and
choreography, a physicalization of the music, and an expressive visualization of the
music in an artistic and meaningful way.
Session I: INTRODUCTION TO DALCROZE EURHYTHMICS
• Alphabet/Number Pairs (focus) – students say alphabet letters followed by numbers with
a steady beat and use hands to reinforce beat. Variation #1– say number first then a
letter. Variation #2 – two pairs out loud, then alternate with two pairs using inner hearing.
• Coke/Pepsi (focus) - students say opposite word pattern (teacher says "coke, coke, pepsi,
coke" – the students say "pepsi, pepsi, coke, pepsi").
• Opposite Rhythm (focus) – teacher pats a 4 or 8 beat pattern on a hand drum using
quarter and eighth notes and the students clap back the opposite rhythms, in pairs one
student taps the original pattern and the other student taps the opposite rhythm.
• Hip-Hop (steady beat/subdivision/note values) – students will pair up and place right
hands out with palms up and tap in each other’s hand the beat. They will tap twice as fast
(eighth notes) when they hear the word “hip” and twice as slow (half notes) when they
hear the word “hop.” Assign student "A" and student "B" and the teacher calls out hip
and hop for "A" and "B" separately. Students then will step to the beat and follow the
same directions while the teacher plays the beat on the hand drum. Add the recording
("Jellicle Ball" Webber) and follow same procedure. Address micro-beat/macro-beat.
• Anacrusis, Crusis, Metacrusis - Walk around and face partner and clap at same time and
tennis analogy. Discuss anacrusis - preparation, crusis - moment of arrival, metacrusis follow through (cyclical). Conducting - "Press, Hug, Welcome, Lift" - "Air on the G
String" by Bach and "Love Song" by Sara Bareilles.
• Canon – Interrupted - students imitate teacher tapping body parts. Uninterrupted canon –
teacher starts and students come in 4 beats later (2 beats, 1 beat behind). “Frere Jacques”
– students clap melodic rhythm 4 beats behind, or walk melodic rhythm 4 beats behind,
or clap first and sing 4 beats behind. Perform a triple canon.
• Note values - Using elastics, students will form a "river" in pairs and pull half notes and
quarter notes. Add "Fight Song" by Platten and pull half notes during the verse and
quarter notes during the refrain.
• Rhythmic Patterns - Walk ostinato pattern quarter/half and use arms. Using
"Gymnopedie #1 by Satie, walk the pattern, then partner up and sway, then alone, then
with a partner, then in a small group going in and out of the circle with the arms.
• Syncopation - Using elastics, students will form a "river" in pairs and pull the syncopated
pattern of two dotted quarter notes and quarter notes. Use with "Oblivion" by Piazzolla
and "Hello" by Adele.
• Mixed Meter - Students walk in phrases of 4 one direction, then in direction of 5, then
students walk in phrases as indicated by teacher with John Williams’ “Double Trouble”
Harry Potter for first half, and in pairs showing space with tapping for second half (intro
- 2 measures of 4, 5 measures of 4, 3 measures of 5, one measure of 7, 2 measures of 4
interlude, 5 measures of 4, 4 measures of 5, followed by measures of 4 until end).
• Harmonic Dictation (tonic/dominant/subdominant/submediant harmony)
Ø Teacher repeatedly plays a tonic (I) chord as quarter notes with the root in the bass.
The students walk forward.
Ø Teacher repeatedly plays a dominant-seventh (V7) chord as quarter notes with the
root in the bass. The students walk backwards.
Ø Teacher repeatedly plays a subdominant (IV) chord as quarter notes with the root in
the bass. The students walk sideways.
Ø Teacher repeatedly plays a submediant (vi) chord as quarter notes with the root in the
bass. Students walk in a circle.
Ø Teacher plays simple chord progressions on piano, have students walk forward when
they hear the tonic chord, walk sideways when they hear the subdominant chord,
walk backwards when they hear the dominant chord, and walk in an individual circle
when they hear the submediant chord.
Pedagogy and Lunch
______________________________________________________________________________
Session II: SOLFEGE
• Scale Work
Ø In a circle, students sing scale and walk the beat, showing the half steps, and walk
backwards when descending. Variation #1- when drum plays, sing and move to
eighth notes. Variation #2 - when drum plays, use inner hearing, when drum plays
again, sing out loud.
Ø Fixed do - sing F and G scales.
Ø Sing scales with solfège, numbers, and letters.
Ø Sing scale in different meters - 4/4 (4 eighths, quarter), 3/4 (quarter, 2 eighths,
quarter rest), 6/8 (quarter, eighth).
Ø Additive scale - conduct in 4, sing scale adding one note at a time, and then
subtracting one note at a time, sing in parts, add walking the beat.
Ø Students sing pitches in solfège on board and move appropriate spacing
(CEDEGCBCGAGEFGC), hip/hop, retrograde, canon.
• “Water Canon” – walk beat, sing using solfège on beats 1&4, then 2&3, then put
together. Sing in canon.
Pedagogy and Break
___________________________________________________________________________
Session III: EXPRESSIVITY AND CREATIVITY THROUGH EURHYTHMICS, PIANO
IMPROVISATION
•
•
Expressive Exploration
Ø Walk beat in different directions (forward, backward, sideways, zigzag, geometric
shapes).
Ø Walk beat for various expressive qualities – dynamics/articulation, think of energy
levels (strong/weak, light/heavy, forceful/gentle).
Ø Show beat on different parts of body (non-locomotor).
Ø Show beat with non-locomotor movements – bend, twist, stretch, swing, pull, push,
flick.
Flow - Using Prelude in C Sharp by Bach), sway to the macro-beat, and write your name
(and others ) in cursive with your hands/arms in a flowing manner.
•
•
•
•
•
•
Piano Improvisation – using Dorian mode, pentatonic, atonal. Combine with walking,
running, swaying, skipping, jumping. Using Suite No. 3 in D by Bach walk 16 beats, skip
32 beats, repeat and then you choose until the end of the piece.
Mirroring - "Song for Viola" by Peter Adams - mirror in partners in 12/8 - 4 beat phrases.
Diamond Shape Mirroring - "Sure on this Shining Night - Lauridsen
Ø Students stand in groups of four or five and form a diamond or star shape. One
student is the head of the group and faces outward. The rest of the students face in the
same direction as the head student. Ø When the music, "Sure on This Shining Night" by Lauridsen is played, the lead
student moves in a flowing, expressive manner to the music. The other students
mirror the movement using split second imitation. After leading for a few phrases,
the lead student turns one to the right, indicating that that student should now lead the
movement. All students are now facing the same direction as the new leader. Repeat
these steps until the music ends.
Statues – students are in a circle, one student goes in the middle and forms an interesting
body position and when the drum plays the next student in the circle joins the statue,
complimenting the first person (but not touching), then continues until all students are
part of the statue. Then when the teacher says flow the statue slowly moves in a flowing
manner until the teacher says freeze and then it freezes. (“The Mission; Gabriel’s Oboe”).
Plastique animée – Saint-Saens, “Fossils” from Carnival of the Animals, walk beat and
show dynamics, articulations, show repeated rhythmic pattern with body, work in pairs.
Plastique animée – “Baba Yetu” by Christopher Tin – walk beat and with elastics show
whole notes, then get in small groups and show whole notes expressively, then get in
large group.
DiamondShape
QuartetsRubric
Flow
Unsatisfactory
Progressing
Satisfactory
Outstanding
Doesnot
demonstrate
continuous
movement.
Inconsistently
demonstrates
continuous
movement.
Usually
demonstrates
continuous
movement.
Always
demonstrates
continuous
movement.
Thequalityofthe
movementusually
reflectsthequality
ofthemusic.There
issomevarietyin
themovementin
termsoflevelsand
partsofthebody.
Usually interacts
with and/or follows
the group in an
appropriate way.
Thequalityofthe
movementalways
reflectsthequality
ofthemusic.There
ismuchvarietyin
themovementin
termsoflevelsand
partsofthebody.
Alwaysinteracts
withand/orfollows
thegroupinan
appropriateway.
CreativeMovements Thequalityofthe
movementdoesnot
reflectthequality
ofthemusic.
SocialInteraction
Doesnotinteract
withand/orfollow
thegroupinan
appropriateway.
Pedagogy and Wrap Up
Thequalityofthe
movement
inconsistently
reflectsthequality
ofthemusic.The
movementstays
thesamemostof
thetime.
Inconsistently
interactswith
and/orfollowsthe
groupinan
appropriateway.
Marla Butke, Ph.D., directs the Women's Chorale at Otterbein University and teaches Choral
Methods at Capital University. Recently retired as full professor of music at Ashland University,
she has also taught music education courses at Xavier University, The Ohio State University, and
Ohio Wesleyan University. Dr. Butke previously taught choral and general music in middle and
high schools in Ohio. She holds degrees from Miami University, Wright State University and
The Ohio State University. She is a Master Teaching Artist with the American Eurhythmics
Society, serves as the vice-president of the board of AES, and is the Ohio Chapter President. Dr.
Butke regularly presents workshops throughout the United States on Dalcroze Eurhythmics. Her
research in plastique animée was recently presented in Coventry, England. Dr. Butke was a
contributing author to Women and Music in America Since 1900, and has been published in
General Music Today, TRIAD, Update, The Orff Echo, and Enrollment Management. Her book,
co-authored by Dr. David Frego, Meaningful Movement: A Music Teacher's Guide to Dalcroze
Eurhythmics, was just released.
What is the American Eurhythmics Society?
Started by Dr. David Frego, Dr. Marla Butke, and Dr. Kathy Thomsen who are all Master
Teaching Artists and presently serve as the board members, the American Eurhythmics Society
seeks to continue the work of Dalcroze by providing training opportunities in Eurhythmics for
music educators who practice their craft in the classroom or in the private teaching studio. The
AES serves those teachers looking for meaningful ways to include movement rooted in the
philosophy of Dalcroze to meet national and state education standards, and to provide authentic
assessment opportunities. The AES teaches personal musicianship along with pedagogy and
applications of Eurhythmics.
2017 AES Training Centers (for certification and/or professional development)
• June 5-9, University of Hawaii, Oahu - Marla Butke, David Frego
• June 12-16, University of Texas, San Antonio - Marla Butke, David Frego
• June 26-30, University of St. Thomas, St. Paul - Kathy Thomsen
• July 10-14, Ashland University, Columbus - Marla Butke, David Frego
• July 10-21, University of Kentucky, Lexington - Todd Anderson
Check out the website at http://www.americaneurhythmics.org/ . If you become a member you
will have access to lesson plans, videos of lessons, piano improvisation ideas, and plastique
animée examples with children and adults, a bibliography, blogs, and an extensive recording list
with concepts to be taught.
To purchase "Meaningful Movement: A Music Teacher's Guide to Dalcroze Eurhythmics," by
Marla Butke & David Frego, check out https://www.musiciselementary.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=5827