STEINER EDUCATION AUSTRALIA
AUSTRALIAN STEINER CURRICULUM
FRAMEWORK
The Arts:
EURYTHMY CURRICULUM
(DANCE A)
Kindergarten/Foundation to Year 10
April 2015
The Australian Steiner Curriculum: Eurythmy was developed to meet the recognition and
equivalence given to alternate internationally recognised curricula by the Australian Curriculum
Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA).
While this process is currently not available for the Arts, Steiner Education Australia has made
this curriculum available for Steiner Schools to use to meet state requirements based on the
Australian Curriculum.
© Steiner Education Australia DANCE A: EURYTHMY CURRICULUM K-10
www.steinereducation.edu.au
Version: April 2015
Revisions included in this document:
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Rationale
‘I seek within
The activity of creative powers,
The life of creative forces.
The earthly force of weight
Speaks to me
Through the word of my feet;
The forming might of the air
Speaks to me
Through the singing of my hands;
The power of heavenly light,
Speaks to me
Through the thinking of my head,
How the world in the human being,
Speaks, sings and thinks.’
Rudolf Steineri
Steiner education places the human being in direct relationship to all that exists and can be understood.
Within the Steiner school, the developing child unfolds as a being whose very nature is recognised as a
microcosmic realisation of all that is revealed in the world. Therefore, Steiner education draws
correlations between observable manifestations of the world, inner experience and human development.
At its essence, eurythmy draws on the creative forming forces which shape all existence and are active in
the human being. An intrinsic understanding of the connection between the world and the human being is
strongly brought about through the artistic medium of eurythmy.
Eurythmy is an art form where inner movements, evoked in the human being through speech and music,
are made visible through movements of the body. Underpinning this artistic pursuit is an exploration into
form and metamorphosis. Readily observable representations of form and metamorphosis can be found,
for example, in crystalline structures and in the living growth-processes in plants. More subtle aspects of
form and metamorphosis can be seen in the sentient expressions and/or gesture qualities of animals and
in thought patterns of human beings. These naturally occurring form principles come to artistic expression
when the human being creates, and the human being is most intimately creative when using one’s own
body as the instrument, when speaking and singing. In eurythmy, the splendour of the human being as a
‘creator being’ is brought to consciousness when, through beautiful, rhythmic movements, the forms
which arise when speaking and singing are made visible.
Through eurythmy, archetypal forms and their varied manifestations are discovered and explored. Form
and metamorphosis arises through an ever-changing relationship between time and space. Underpinning
all nuanced form is also the interplay between qualities of expansion and contraction. The subtle ways in
which these qualities combine create a great variation of external forms and inner experiences that can
be recognized. At their most minimal, the contrasting qualities of expansion and contraction are revealed
through the straight line and the curve, or as point and periphery. Here is to be found the most
fundamental of gesture principles. These known form gestures can also be experienced as movement
tendencies in the soul life of the human being. Soul or emotional expressions of expansion and
contraction have been recognized as a tendency towards introversion and extroversion, melancholy and
cheer, or cowardice and courage. Thus, form and metamorphosis can be understood to have both inner
and outer expressions. Through eurythmy, the artful task begins whereby the student comprehends the
relationship between his or her inner experiences, external manifestations of form in the world and the
creative forming of words and tone. When the human being speaks or sings, expansion and contraction,
and time and space, come into dynamic relationship. This relationship occurs during the creative forming
of sounds and tones.
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Sounds and tones, formed by the human larynx, are worked with consciously in eurythmy. They provide a
window through which the beauty and wonder of form and gesture can be understood, and bring the
human being into relationship with archetypal forms and metamorphic processes. The difference between
sounds crafted through speech, which give rise to vowels and consonants, and tones formed when
singing, which create pitch and tone colour, is perceivable. In each instance, quite different forming
principles are brought into play. These different principles are studied discretely through the two branches
of eurythmy. The different ways in which human beings create through these forming forces is studied
through: speech eurythmy, which brings to visible form the spoken word; and tone eurythmy, which
reveals the inner experiences and structure of music. Artistically, eurythmy can be best explored when
working with material already imbued with creative, human endeavour. Stories, poetry, imaginative
picturing and music provide students with an artistic basis from which to begin their exploration into
movement.
The whole human being comes into expression when creating eurythmy. Eurythmy movement sequences
arise from meaningful gestures which reveal the flow and shape of form that can be seen in the larynx,
mouth and lips when speaking or singing. These gestures are combined with spatial patterning. Some
patterns bring to light the musical or grammatical structure underpinning the material with which the
student works, while others draw on archetypal, naturally occurring forms seen in nature or from
perceivable tendencies in human soul experiences. These sequences are created and performed both
individually and collaboratively. Through an artful combination of eurythmic sequences, the relationship
between sound or tone, musical or grammatical structure, archetypal form principles and the human
being in space and time, is brought to expression. Through the subtle way in which the gestures and
patterns are chosen and formed, the human being’s inner, soul relationship to the spoken word,
imaginative picture and music is also revealed. The development and refinement of technical movement
skills, and an understanding of movement principles, enables the body to become the ‘invisible’
instrument through which the sounds, tones, forms and metamorphic processes can be made visible.
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Through eurythmy gestures and archetypal formations, as well as through improvised and newly created
sequences, students explore and express personal, cultural, social, emotional, philosophical and spiritual
meaning and intent. Terminology specific to eurythmy, the spoken word and music is also acquired. The
acquisition of this terminology enables students to express themselves creatively when exploring,
creating and refining eurythmy both individually and collaboratively, as well as when evaluating and
discussing viewed works, literature and music. Through practise, choreography, performance and
appreciation, students identify, connect and experience their own culture kinship, as well as that of
ancient and present civilisations, indigenous cultures and other communities throughout the world.
Pursuit in eurythmy brings the human being, in body, soul and spirit, into joyful harmony. It enkindles
innovative thinking, helps to integrate students’ academic learning through kinaesthetic experience,
enlivens feeling life and furthers physical coordination. Through practising, choreographing, performing
and appreciating eurythmy, students become flexible and self-assured movement artists, develop
innovative problem-solving skills, acquire capacities of observation, school their inner life, gain multimodal, trans-disciplinary understanding and obtain an appreciation of the world around them. Eurythmy
also works towards the integration and harmonisation of cognitive, emotional and physical growth
processes. This harmonisation process occurs within the individual and with regard to the students’
interaction as members of a community. Through practicing archetypal movements in eurythmy, in
accordance with the students’ developmental stage and in a warm and creative manner, imbalances in
the human being and in the workings of the class can be brought into harmonious relationship.
Aims
Eurythmy knowledge, understanding and skills ensure that, individually and collaboratively, students
develop:
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body awareness and spatial orientation, as well as technical and expressive skills, which allow
them to express and communicate the elements of eurythmy, artistically and creatively through
movement
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a healthy relationship to self and others, including understanding of and tolerance for individual
movement tendencies and knowledge of factors which contribute towards productive
engagement with movement as an ensemble
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an awareness and understanding of the relationship between the human being in movement,
natural form elements and form tendencies perceivable in the soul
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an understanding of the interconnectedness between movement principles (growth) and
structural form (frozen form) as well as an understanding of form and metamorphosis
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knowledge of the relationship between time and space and how movement exists through the
interplay of these two principles, as well as how the manipulation of these principles creates the
possibility for differentiated movement
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a harmonious relationship between qualities of expansion and contraction and a balancing of
movement capability within the human being in relation to these contrasting elements and the
three directions in space
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choreographic skills which enable the communication of meaning and intention through
sequenced elements of eurythmy
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performance skills which encompass, age appropriately, an awareness of the performance
space, ensemble members and the audience
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appreciation for their own and others’ works and respect for and knowledge of diverse factors
and heritages which influence and inform the creation of movement art forms
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Learning in Eurythmy
From the first class of the Waldorf School upwards we have introduced eurythmy,
this expression of visible speech. What is expressed in eurythmy rests upon laws
just as language does. Speech has laws, and so has eurythmy. Eurythmy lets the
soul life flow outwards and thereby becomes a real expression of the human being,
like language; eurythmy is visible speech.
Rudolf Steinerii
The study of music is the study of the human being. The two are inseparable, and
eurythmy is the art which brings this most clearly to expression… [we are guided]
along a path towards an understanding of the human form as music come to rest –
the movements of eurythmy bring this music back to life.
Dorothea Mier iii
Learning in eurythmy involves students exploring meaningful movement. In eurythmy, the human body is
the instrument and the space directly surrounding the body and between performers is the ‘substance’
with which the student works. The interactive relationship and harmonious exchange between inner
experience and outer space, within the context of time and in response to the spoken word, music or
imaginative imagery, is the sphere in which eurythmy learning takes place. The body becomes the
refined instrument through which this interaction can be made visible. Learning in eurythmy develops
aptitude for and an understanding of artistic movement and begins with sensing and imitation.
Importantly, through the choice of appropriate exercises and well-chosen poetry, prose and music, the
capacity for imagination, picture building, and an affirming experience of one’s place in the world, is
established.
Students develop their skills and understanding through practising, choreographing, performing,
experiencing, appreciating and analysing eurythmy. They make reference to themes explored during
Main Lessons and in cross-curricular learning corresponding to their developmental stage. Students
engage with form specific and improvised elements of artistic movement expression, including the
elements of space, time, flow, dynamics, movement communication and the contrast between point and
periphery, while using safe eurythmy practices. They develop bodily, kinaesthetic awareness, movement
techniques, lateral thinking skills, and subtle, feeling capabilities.
Making in eurythmy begins with imitation in Foundation - Class 3 and, in accordance with the
developmental stage of the child, evolves increasingly toward the capacity for independent, creative
movement expression by Year 10. It involves learning, developing and refining both fundamental and
specialised movement skills which include specific, movement pattern and gesture archetypes. Students
also learn to work creatively with eurythmy elements, enabling individual and collaborative artistic
expression. Age sensitively, students learn and create eurythmy initially through imitating the teacher’s
movements, then by improvising possible combinations of patterns and gestures, and choreographing
individually and collaboratively. They also deepen their eurythmy by practising and refining sequences,
and by rehearing and performing.
Responding in eurythmy initially calls for the children’s responses to remain solely in the realm of
experience and imitative practice, living as imaginative pictures and movement enjoyment. The teacher
warmly observes the young child’s responses, through the way in which he or she engages with the work.
Throughout Classes 4 to 8 students respond by appreciating their own and others work which involves
viewing, reflecting, identifying, describing and discerning. During these years, students respond to
concrete elements of eurythmy which can be directly experienced. As mindful, intellectual engagement
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with eurythmy becomes possible in Year 10, fully articulated and well considered responses, which
involve reflection, evaluation and thoughtful consideration, become possible.
Knowledge
In eurythmy, students develop kinaesthetic and conceptual knowledge of form and metamorphosis. They
become aware of the ways in which the essence of form and movement manifests, and understand that
formations arise and change in relation to time and space. Students gain knowledge of forming forces
evident in nature, as well as how these forming principles are reflected in the soul life of the human being,
in thought patterns and in artistic endeavour. They learn that the laws inherent in eurythmy connect with
feelings and, through movement, experience the relationship between inner life and the outer world.
Students gain knowledge of how forming forces are creatively at work when the human being speaks and
sings. They develop an understanding of how sound and tone formations can be shown through
eurythmy gestures, and how these gestures can be artistically wrought, making the spoken word or tone
visible. When creating, practising and considering eurythmy, students gain knowledge of form principles
arising from the interplay of space, time, tempo, dynamics and relationship. Students also gain
knowledge of specific forms such as: geometric forms, rhyme patterns, binary form, ternary form, sonata
form, and rondo form. In Classes F-3, knowledge of these elements is built through imitative practice.
Throughout the stages, knowledge and understanding of form principles become increasingly concrete.
Artistically, students develop knowledge of how to choreograph by identifying, combining, augmenting
and sequencing the elements of eurythmy. Through choreography, students understand ways in which to
give artistic expression to the spoken word or music. They appreciate that subtle listening and sensing
skills are needed which enable them to align their movements with the intention of the composer or
author. Within this context, they develop knowledge of grammatical forms underpinning poetry and prose,
as well as structural features in music. They also gain an understanding of a variety of choreographic
techniques and devises, including synchronisation and cascading, for example. Students explore the
ways in which viewpoints and attitudes, arising from personal, group, cultural, language and/or historical
influences, guide and inspire authors, composers and choreographers. They realise that technical ability,
skill level and resources, influence making and choreographing. Knowledge of these aspects enables
students to appreciate, compare and evaluate their own choreography, and that of others, within an
informed context. Intrinsically, students learn about stages in the development of performance pieces and
the phases of exploration, development, practice, rehearsal and performance. They gain knowledge of
eurythmy as a performing art, as well as an endeavour which brings about personal health and social
well-being.
Cross-curricular integration allows for knowledge of eurythmy to be explored within the context of other
subjects. Discoveries made in the Main Lessons and/or in other disciplines can be further explored in
eurythmy. Historical and cultural contributions toward a variety of styles of artistic movement are studied,
including those of Asian and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander origin.
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Skills, techniques and processes
Students develop their skills in and understanding of eurythmy by engaging practically and conceptually
with:
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progressively complex movement combinations and sequences, individually and within ensemble
configurations
an increasingly detailed exploration into form, structure and movement principles, as well as a
working knowledge of music, speech and movement vocabulary
objects, such as copper rods, balls, scarves and staffs, which assist students in the concrete
development of posture, space, the relationship between inner and outer, and the development
of timing and rhythm
elements informing choreographic process and decisions
factors which enhance aesthetics, movement communication, relationship, expression and
performance
refined technique whereby the body becomes a transparent medium through which the
movement of the soul is made visible
safe and respectful practices when making, rehearsing, performing and appreciating
Conceptual and technical skill progression and development is approached with the developmental stage
of the child in mind.
In all stages, practical skill development focuses on furthering student ability with regard to foundational
elements of movement and eurythmy. In later stages, practical skill development includes the ability to
combine these elements effectively when practising and performing complex and technically demanding
sequences, and when creating sophisticated and layered responses to artistic material when
choreographing. As students mature and develop their practical skills, they progress through learning
phases which include: imitation; assisted execution of learnt sequences; independent execution of learnt
sequences; assisted progression of skill refinement; independent skill refinement; assisted creators of
simple sequences; choreographers of increasingly sophisticated capacity. While imitation is the sole form
of learning during Foundation to Class 2, students in Years 9 and 10 combine all learning approaches to
further their ability.
Conceptual skill development begins as the child becomes immersed in meaningful movement
expression which corresponds truthfully to the imaginative picture created by the eurythmy teacher.
Increasingly, the teacher guides the student in the development of critical thinking skills through the
processes of viewing, listening, reflecting, describing, judging, comparing, discerning, assessing,
evaluating and analysing. From Class 3, conceptualising can expand to included reflections and
comments on the aesthetic appeal and beauty of form and movement that manifests when viewing well
executed, simple form structures and movement patterns, or when forming gestures carefully. Initially,
these skills are developed within the contexts of concrete and readily observable form and movement
phenomena, directly experienced by the student. By the end Year 10, thought development has
progressed and students explore both concrete and abstract concepts. Factors that influence the practice
and creation of eurythmy and other movement arts are fully explored at this time. Examples of considered
areas include but are not limited to: complex form principles; philosophies; ideologies; culture; history;
sympathies; antipathies; viewpoints and attitudes.
Skill development in eurythmy is best furthered through a layering approach whereby the combination of
teaching methodology, resources and practice combine to build imaginative picturing, subtle feeling,
movement technique and future capacity. Factors considered include Rudolf Steiner’s stage indications,
eurythmy indications, the needs of the students, the capacity of the teaching eurythmist and the school
context.
A note on Making and Responding in eurythmy: Students engage with eurythmy via a two-way stream.
The first stream moves inward and denotes the way in which eurythmy forms and sequences work on
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and foster the growing child and the developing social fabric of the class; here the structure of form is the
creative principle, or the maker, and the student, initially the unconscious but gradually the conscious
responder. The second stream begins later and moves outward. This second stream expresses the
process whereby the student becomes the maker and conscious responder. Once the second stream is
established, eurythmy learning oscillates between the two. It is through the second stream that students
develop their skills as choreographers, performers and critical appreciators, informed by experiences they
have gained and skills they have developed through their engagement with the first stream.
When working with the first stream, the eurythmy teacher lays down the elements of eurythmy age
appropriately through story/poetry, music and/or imaginative pictures, and students learn skills by
practising pre-choreographed sequences and, as appropriate, through guided, improvisation.
When developing skills in the second stream, students engage in the creative processes in accordance
with their stage development. Their engagement becomes increasingly sophisticated and by Year 10
students engage through:
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Choreography, which includes sensing, identifying, improvising, selecting, organising, and
structuring movement to communicate their intention and meaning and to reveal the elements of
eurythmy
Performance, which includes practising, rehearsing, refining movement sequences and
expressive techniques, as well as skills which show movement relationship to space, audience
and ensemble members
Appreciation, which includes viewing, recounting, describing, explaining, evaluating and critically
analysing their own eurythmy and that of others
Materials
The materials for eurythmy begin with the human body, the space around the body, the imaginative
picture, form principles underpinning existence and the subtle reading of soul movement in response to
speech and music. Materials also extend to objects, such as copper rods, balls and scarves. The
application of form principles grows out of an understanding of metamorphosis and the relationship
between form principles, growth, speech and music. The student experiences and practises the elements
of eurythmy and uses them to show meaning and to expresses his or her ideas when rehearsing,
choreographing and performing. Through the use of music, speech and movement vocabulary, the
student expresses him or herself increasingly articulately when discussing movement principles and
when sharing ideas. Production components such as performance space, costumes, props, lighting, sets,
sound and multimedia elements may be incorporated in the study of eurythmy.
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Foundation to Class 2
Kindergarten aged children are still in an important period of rapid, physical growth and lessons in
eurythmy assist to harmonise their experience of their body in space. Through unconscious sensing, the
children gain impressions that stream towards them. They discover themselves as belonging to the world
and community within the protective experience of ‘wholeness’. As yet, they do not question their
surroundings and instead drink in and imitate all that they see. They develop their experiences and order
their understanding through games and playful movement.
At this stage, the eurythmy exercises are taught with centre facing, circular orientation and with the
concept of ‘wholeness’ in mind. Elements of movement are developed in a joyful, creative manner.
Children enter into creative movement through imitation and develop fundamental movement skills, as
well as movement gestures specific to eurythmy and fine and gross motor skills. The children imitate the
teacher’s movement which creatively reveal the picture built through the material with which the children
work. Gestures give expression to simple characters from stories, actions (for example, gnomes
hammering), inner experiences articulated through poetry (for example, the rising sun) and qualities
experienced when listening to pentatonic music. Particular importance is placed on consonants and
eurythmy gestures that emphasise large limb movements followed by small gestures. Musically, the
melodies in the pentatonic mode are ideally suited to the dream-like delight in music that enables the
young child to live into the innocence of melody and musical form in all its simplicity. Instruments, such as
chimes, triangles or wooden flutes, can also contribute to the children’s musical experience. Simple
rhythmical elements in poetic verse or music, such as claps, stamps and light or heavy steps, can be
gently introduced.
The fairy-tale mood permeates Class 1 and children continue to work with form principles and gestures
arising from the narrative. The lesson structure follows a consistent pattern which creates a healthy
rhythm and secure foundation. Variations in the flow of the lesson are introduced when celebration is
called for. Birthdays, the seasonal festivals and other, meaningful surprise events can be beautifully
woven into the eurythmy lesson.
As in the first Main Lesson, the first eurythmy lesson in Class 1 explores the Straight Line and the Curve.
As the most fundamental of form principles, straight and curved forms become the building blocks for all
further development in choreography. The teacher artistically creates form sequences which explore
these form principles and merges them meaningfully. Musically, the pentatonic tonality continues to
prevail as the Class 1 child still hovers between heaven and earth. However, the capacity for inner
visualisation becomes stronger throughout the year, which means that eurythmy gestures and forms can
be worked with in greater detail. Expressive aspects of movement can also be brought gently as students
become more conscious of their feeling/soul forces, for example their sympathies and antipathies, or their
experience of happiness and sadness as expressed in a fairy-tale.
Throughout Class 2, the fairy-tale and legend mood still provides much of the backdrop. Formations
continue to be created with circle, centre-facing orientation, although the teacher can now include more
challenging combinations which provide the children with an opportunity to learn new skills. From Term 2,
a seasonal poem can introduce a new experience of individuality as a simple circle form gives way to
more complicated choreography. This new form allows the children to become a little more conscious of
their own movement within the group movement. Following the Main Lesson which delves into a story,
e.g. The King of Ireland’s Son, elements from the tale can be used and provide the basis for continued
exploration into narrative movement.
Throughout the year, the students begin to develop an awareness of their own body in spatial relationship
with others. Their ability to create a ‘soul or feeling mood’ through their movement also develops. This
development begins to form the basis for soul, or emotional expression which is strongly worked with in
later stages. The teacher does not yet speak openly of this quality, yet it is to be made palpable at certain
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key moments within each lesson as children imitate the teacher’s movements which give form to rich,
imaginative pictures. By gently awakening to mood through gesture, the children begin to become
conscious of what it means, for example, to be happy or sad. As they discern this quality, they begin to
develop a capacity for moral responsibility. By inwardly connect gestures to feelings, eurythmy becomes
an instrument through which moral imagination is developed and empathy emerges. To this end, it is
critical that the teacher chooses truthful and enlivening pictures, poems and stories with which to work.
The eurythmic forming of the story or poem builds the moral integrity of the child in a subtle way.
The eurythmy lessons can now be crafted with the students as co-creators at key moments. The
festivals, for example, provide a wonderful opportunity for the children to explore and suggest meaningful
ways in which to show elements of the story or verse through movement. The children can now delight in
co-choreographing in preparation for their presentation.
Content Description
Content Elaborations
K – 2.1
Experience and develop
elements of eurythmy
and fundamental
movement skills and
explore and improvise
ways in which ensouled
movement can express
story, verse, poetry and
music
Working across stage Content Elaborations
K-2.1.1 Exploring and improvising a diverse and contrasting range of
movements, including:
expanding and contracting arm gestures (large limb movements,
followed by small)
expanding and contracting circle formations
varied weight (heaviness and lightness practised playfully through
movement)
varied tempo
differentiated step styles (for example: skipping and hopping,
walking like giants and tip-toeing like elves, running like the
bubbly brook and flowing like a deep river, fluttering like a butterfly
and soaring like an eagle)
K-2.1.2 Improvising and exploring movements which embody the features
of characters from the stories and/or poems such as:
movements which depict the flight of a bird,
the hop of a kangaroo
the slithering of a snake
the swaying of leaves in a tree
the hammering of the shoemaker
the sweeping of the housekeeper
K-2.1.3 Improvising and exploring fundamental gestures and movements
which depict expanding and contracting qualities inherent in stories,
poems and music
Foundation/Kindergarten Content Elaborations
K.1.1 Using stories, verses and music with imaginative pictures and/or
illustrative musical motives such as:
rhythmic and seasonal verses
action/daily life verses
stories with repetitions including theme and variation (e.g. The
Flippy Floppy Pancake; The Three Billy Goats Gruff)
stories created by the teacher that encourage a sense of delight
and trust in the world
stories of the Dreaming from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
peoples
live music (the pentatonic scale is indicated)
K.1.2 Imitating and experiencing simple spatial form elements created in
the circle
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Content Description
Content Elaborations
K.1.3 Observing and imitating eurythmy sound gestures, with particular
emphasis on:
simple, well-formed sound combinations
consonants, particularly B
ensouled gesture
illustrative gesture
Year One Content Elaborations
1.1.1 Experiencing, imitating and exploring eurythmy sound gestures and
spatial form elements to stories, verses, poetry and music including:
fairy tales
rhythmic and seasonal verses
action/ daily life verses
selected stories, verses and poems from a variety of cultures
live music with emphasis on the interval and mood of the 5th
Year Two Content Elaborations
2.1.1 Experiencing, imitating and exploring eurythmy sound gestures and
spatial form elements to stories, verses, poems and music with an
emphasis on:
Celtic stories and poems, fables and stories or poems about
Saints
rhythmic and seasonal verses
live music, introducing simple, melodic music pieces using a
major scale (C- major, G – major and D - major), from the
Baroque to the Romantic periods
2.1.2 Exploring form elements which include:
Formations with AB circle groupings
partner dances/sequences which include both adjacent and
opposite partners
Cassini curve (We seek one another)
‘I and You’ sequence
large, follow the leader spirals
dexterity (concentration) exercises
forward/backward direction changes
clapping and stepping with increasing and decreasing counts
2.1.3 Using imaginative pictures, integrated with music, explore flowing
arm movements which show the opening and closing nature of the scale,
from the ground tone to the octave
2.1.4 Consciously work with rhythm in a playful manner
Years One and Two Content Elaborations
1-2.1.1 Developing body awareness through simple, playful rod work, for
example:
rolling the rod up and down the arm
jumping over the rod
gripping; under/over grip; holding; sliding; bouncing the rod in the
hand
1-2.1.2 Exploring rhythm freely and without correction through gentle
rhythmic exercises including clapping, walking, skipping and stamping, for
example, in response to music and rhythmic poetry
K – 2.2
Develop movement
skills and technique by
observing, imitating,
improvising and
practising simple
Working across Stage Content Elaborations
K-2.2.1 Practising and furthering fundamental movement skills, a range of
eurythmy gestures and formations that develop:
general body awareness
spatial awareness
movement control
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DANCE A: EURYTHMY Curriculum Years K-10
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Version: April 2015
Page 12 of 47
Content Description
Content Elaborations
eurythmy gestures,
formations and
fundamental
movements
expression
coordination
harmonised expanding and contracting tendencies
K-2.2.2 Practising and improvising steps and various claps to portray
elements of a story, verse, poetry and music, such as:
clapping, hammering, tapping
walking, stamping, tip-toeing, skipping, hopping
K-2.2.3 Improvising illustrative movements in response to story, poetry,
music or imaginative picturing (for example, flying like a butterfly)
K-2.2.4 Responding to story, poetry or music expressively and
illustratively through differentiated movement intention (for example,
respond, through movement, to dynamics, mood and tempo, and imitate
differing amounts of movement tension and release)
Foundation/Kindergarten Content Elaborations
K.2.1 Practising spatial form elements which include, for example:
circle formations
follow the leader formations
stellar formations using concrete objects and/or images (for
example, while working with a poem or verse about a spider’s
web, children, in turn, create a simple star form by unwinding a
ball of string across the circle, from child to child)
simple weaving using various groupings (for example, certain
children may be crouching stones while others become the
flowing stream moving among the stones)
K.2.2 Developing fine motor skills using simple rhymes and/or music as
creative material. Include exercises which bring about concrete body
awareness through touch (e.g. Incy Wincy Spider as finger exercises;
‘Open, shut them’ as hand expansion and contraction exercise; foot
exercises which draw awareness to foot position and placement; fist
hammering like a blacksmith)
Year One Content Elaborations
1.2.1 Observing and imitating the evolution sequences of sounds as well
as sound sequences for calming and stimulating (calming: LMNPQ;
stimulating: DFGKH; R can be used at the end of both sequences to
rhythmatise the movement)
1.2.2 Practising spatial form elements which include:
circle, centre facing orientation
the contrast between straight and curved lines
gentle introduction of AB grouping (only one group moving at a
time)
follow the leader formations which include lemniscates without
crossing
directions in space (forwards/backwards, right/left and up/down)
movement in various tempos
awareness of stillness
1.2.3 Experiencing and practising movements which depict the mood of
the 5th by fluidly moving the arms between the tone gesture for C and the
tone gesture for G (attention is not drawn to individual tone positions and
the harmonious, opening and closing experience becomes the focus)
1.2.4 Developing a movement awareness of pitch through practising the
rise and fall of the melody line with the arms, feet and body
Year Two Content Elaborations
2.2.1 Imitating and practising a range of eurythmy gestures and
improvised arm movements in response to stories, poems, rhymes,
verses and music
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DANCE A: EURYTHMY Curriculum Years K-10
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Version: April 2015
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Content Description
Content Elaborations
2.2.2 Practising formations using AB groupings and partner dances
2.2.3 Practising moving synchronised formations with a partner who is on
the opposite side of the circle
Years One and Two Content Elaborations
1-2.2.1 Practising rhythmic exercises, for example, clapping, walking,
skipping and stamping to different rhythms in music and rhythmic poetry.
Students imitate at this stage and are not explicitly corrected
K - 2.3 Share and
present learnt eurythmy
sequences to a familiar
audience to illustrate
the story, verse, poem
or music - including
those from community
cultures
Years One and Two Content Elaborations
1-2.3.1 Presenting learnt eurythmy and movement sequences, together
with the teacher, to the Class Teacher, members of the school community,
parents and/or siblings within the framework of festivals
1-2.3.2 Demonstrating and communicating expression and dynamics by
imitating the eurythmy teacher’s movement, for example, gently walking,
lightness/heaviness of arms and/or steps, skipping, stamping, fast/slow
(tempo changes)
1-2.3.3 Demonstrating and communicating mood and character through
illustrative gesture
1-2.3.4 Using simple props, such a veils and wooden staffs, to highlight
and accentuate story elements
K – 2.4 Respond to
eurythmy, and dances
and experience the way
in which movements
show nature forms,
story, poetry and music
(including from
Aboriginal and Torres
Strait Islander peoples)
Working across Stage Content Elaborations
K-1.4.1 Correlating themes explored in eurythmy with manifestations in
the natural world (for example, light movements of the arms are taught in
relation to the flight of a butterfly, a flow of children moving around the
room can be likened with the flowing of a stream)
K-1.4.2 Experiencing implicitly that eurythmy can show the qualities
inherent in the story, poetry or music
K-2.4.3 Recognising the way in which movements can depict a diverse
range of imaginative pictures, motives, moods and characters
K-2.4.4 Choosing stories, poetry, music, imaginative picturing and
movement sequences which bring rich pictures to the child, enliven a
sense of joyful participation and subtlety provide an experience of the
correlation between movement and sound
K-2.4.5 Viewing live eurythmy performances for enjoyment and to extend
and deepen their awareness of eurythmy and movement possibility
K-2.4.6 Viewing other children perform eurythmy and enjoying the
movement which shows the stories, poems, verses and music being
brought to life
K-2.4.7 Viewing performances of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
dances and talking about concrete movements shown through the
movement, such as the twitching of the kangaroo’s ears
Year Two Content Elaborations
2.4.1 Listening and observation skills are consciously worked with in the
lesson as children watch other class members, led by the teacher,
demonstrate learnt eurythmy sequences
2.4.1 Watching and participating in seasonal festivals, experiencing where
and why people move artistically so as to celebrate
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DANCE A: EURYTHMY Curriculum Years K-10
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Version: April 2015
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Examples of knowledge and skills appropriate for students in Eurythmy at Kindergarten
In kindergarten, students are introduced to movement imaginatively by exploring and practising the
basic elements of eurythmy to verses, stories and pentatonic music. Through imitating the teacher,
students become acquainted with skills and pictures, focusing their eurythmy practice on:
Body


Body awareness - in relation to space, gestures, objects and other people
Body parts and actions - including parts of the body and different ways of moving (for example,
hands, feet, fingers, arms, with stamping, clapping, finger games, etc.)
Space






Levels - moving through a range of zones including low, medium and high (for example,
crouching, standing and moving in the middle, stretching, reaching)
Orientation – Circle, centre-facing orientation; ‘follow the leader’ formations
Direction – forwards and backwards, towards and away from, the centre of the circle
Dimension - expanding and contracting movements including large and small gestures
Personal and general space - concentrating on individual movement (self-awareness) and on
moving with others in the circle (social-awareness)
Pathways – simple weaving and patterning; finger, hand and foot games (e.g. open ‘doors’,
close ‘doors’), moving objects in the air (e.g. veils, little wooden rods), moving in ways that
explore under, over, around, above and through
Time



Tempo - increasing, deceasing tempo in time to the music/songs, acquiring footwork
proficiency
Listening - establishing listening skills
Rhythm/Beat- clapping with hands, tapping with toes, heels and the whole foot
Dynamics




Tension and release - developing control of energy level/degree of relaxation and muscle
tension
Mood – for example, moving in ways that show different elements in story or music such as
climbing up a mountain proudly, tripping over bridge carefully or flying through the air freely
Weight - heavy/light; soft/loud (for example, soft, elf-like tiptoe and loud giant steps)
Movement qualities – vigorous, immaterial, fluid, sharp (for example, movements that show
various qualities or states of being: awake; asleep; the elements - earth, water, air, fire)
Relationships


Interaction – imitation, leading/following; partnering; meeting; departing
Use of simple props
Fundamental Movement Skills


Locomotor movements – for example, walking, running, stamping, skipping, galloping
Non-Locomotor movements – for example, crouching, stretching, arm gestures, expanding and
contracting
Technical Skills


Technical skills - developed through imitation and through imaginative imagery which supports
the quality of movement
Exercises and material chosen to develop body control, gestalt, balance, coordination, social
awareness and listening skills, as well as language and musical awareness
Choreographic Focus



Imitating meaningful movements
Simple variations on centre-facing, circle movements and follow the leader formations
Emphasis on consonants
Performance

Perform, together with the teacher, to familiar audiences at festivals or in plays (as appropriate)
©SEA:ASCF
DANCE A: EURYTHMY Curriculum Years K-10
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Examples of knowledge and skills appropriate for students in Eurythmy at Kindergarten
Safe Practices



Use of well-fitting, non-slippery eurythmy shoes
Awareness of space and physical boundaries when moving with others and when using props
Mindfulness of physical needs including hydration, temperature, comfortable clothing
Examples of knowledge and skills appropriate for students in Eurythmy at Years 1 & 2
In Classes 1 and 2, students are introduced to the basic elements of eurythmy through stories and
fables, pentatonic music and simple, classical music pieces. Through imitating the teacher, and with
gradually emerging independence, students become acquainted with skills and images, focusing their
eurythmy practice on:
Body


Body awareness - in relation to space, gestures, objects and other people
Body parts and actions - including parts of the body and different ways of moving (for
example, hands, feet, fingers, arms, with stamping, clapping etc.)
Space
 Levels - moving through a range of zones including low, medium and high (for example,
crouching, standing and moving in the middle, stretching, reaching)
 Orientation – Circle, centre-facing orientation; ‘follow the leader’ formations
 Direction – With circle orientation, explore all directions including: forwards and backwards;
right /left; up /down
 Dimension - expanding and contracting movements including large and small gestures
 Personal and general space - concentrating on individual movement (self-awareness) and on
moving with others in the circle (social-awareness)
 Pathways & Formations – Straight line and Curve; weaving and patterning; Cassini curve; I
and You; finger, hand and foot games (for example, open ‘doors’, close ‘doors’), moving
objects in the air (for example, veils, little wooden rods), moving in ways that explore under,
over, around, above and through
Time



Pitch


Tempo - increasing, deceasing tempo in time to the music, acquiring footwork proficiency
Listening - establishing listening skills
Rhythm/Beat- Rhythm is emphasised including stepping, clapping, tapping with toes, heels
and the whole foot. Emphasis is placed on rhythm
Melody line – rise and fall
Interval quality - 5th emphasised
Dynamics
 Tension and release - developing control of energy levels/degree of relaxation and muscle
tension
 Mood – for example, moving in ways that show different elements in story or music such as a
sleeping mouse, a great bear or flying through the air
 Weight - heavy/light; soft/loud
 Movement qualities – vigorous, immaterial, fluid, sharp (for example, movements that show
various qualities or states of being: awake; asleep; the elements - earth, water, air, fire)
Concentration & Dexterity
 Dexterity development through concentration exercises
 Listening skills – teacher instruction, quality of speech, musicality
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Examples of knowledge and skills appropriate for students in Eurythmy at Years 1 & 2
Relationships
 Interaction – imitation; lead/follow; partnering; meeting and departing
 Synchronisation – moving in unison with others; moving in unison with a partner on the
opposite side of the circle
 Use of simple props
Fundamental Movement Skills
 Locomotor movements – for example, walking, running, stamping, skipping, galloping
 Non-Locomotor movements – for example, crouching, stretching, arm gestures, pitch,
expanding and contracting
Technical Skills
 Technical skills - developed through imitation and through imaginative imagery which
supports the quality of movement
 Exercises and material chosen to develop body control, gestalt, balance, coordination, social
awareness and listening skills, as well as to develop language and musicality
 Teacher guidance to develop body control, rhythm, gestures and spatial awareness
Choreographic focus
 Imitating meaningful movements
 Imitating combined movements through sequencing
 Imaginative improvisations, for example, flying like a bird, hammering like a blacksmith
 Circle formations including forms with A/B groupings
 I and You exercise
 Cassini Curve
Performance
 Perform to familiar audiences at assembly, in festivals or in plays (as appropriate)
Safe Practices
 Use of well-fitting, non-slippery eurythmy shoes
 Awareness of space and physical boundaries when moving with others and when using
props
 Mindfulness of physical needs including hydration, temperature, comfortable clothing
Conceptual Understanding Appropriate for this Stage
 Through movement, experience the relationship between eurythmy and sounds of speech,
music, imaginative picturing and things in the natural world
 Experience the cycle of the year, the quality of the 5th, harmonious social workings and
images filled with wonder by moving to appropriate stories, verses and music which are
imaginatively and lovingly brought by the teacher
Foundation to Class 2 Achievement Standard
By the end of Class 2, students imitate eurythmic movements which meaningfully portray elements of
speech, music and imagery. Their body awareness and sense of space has begun to develop and circle
orientation can be maintained with students moving gestures, rhythms and formations harmoniously in
unison.
Students’ experience how their movements correlate to story, verse, and music, as well as to formations
evident in the world around them. Students demonstrate safe practice.
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Class 2 Eurythmy
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Years 3 & 4
Children in Class 3 and 4 are now well established in the rhythmical life of the school and the seasonal
and festive cycle of the year. Their appreciation of language is well developed and they derive rich, inner
pictures from what they hear. Through eurythmy, they work with these pictures creatively and
expressively.
Throughout Class 3, the content of the lesson focuses on the inner beauty and harmonious structure of
form and gesture. Genesis, which is explored at the beginning of the year in the Hebrew Creation Stories
Main Lesson, brings to the children imaginative pictures which describe creation and can be wonderfully
worked with in eurythmy. Differentiated qualities and forms, namely - light, day and night, the waters and
the firmament, the sun and moon, the animals and the human being, come into being out of an unformed
state. The children’s immersion in the Hebrew creation story aligns with inner experience and, at about
the age of nine, a change occurs which marks this developmental shift. Images of arising, independent
forms, mirror their newly unfolding relationship to self and others. They begin to see themselves as
individuals, separate from the community of home, the class or school. An inner unsettledness may be
apparent, which may result in a wish to test authority as they seek reassurance. The student begins to
discover an inner world of personal thoughts and feelings which is separate from those experienced by
others. As a result of this emerging personal inner-life, the child wants to know the world and the teacher
from a new angle, and wishes to confirm their position in the world. To stabilise this uncertainty, the
curriculum provides security by introducing themes which explore why we are here on earth, and how
one can fulfil earthly tasks.
In addition to Genesis, other creation stories, stories and poems with farming themes, as well as
concepts arising out of the Measurement Main Lesson, become suitable material through which the
children can explore forming principles and differentiated movement. Musically, C - Major scale, as a
variation of expansion and contraction, is also introduced and can be brought creatively to the students in
combination with the days of creation described in Genesis. The correlation between these expanding
and contracting movements with specific tones and arm positions comes in later in the year, after the
class teacher has introduced the musical notes. Once this occurs, the children’s relationship to music
then shifts. It is now important that they become schooled by musical structure and laws, and that the
movements correlate more exactly to simple, musical principles.
Children in Class 3 begin to learn and perform the formations and gestures independently and, for the
first time, the connection between gesture and speech, and gesture and music, is made conscious. A
certain degree of independence now enters the lesson and the children delight in the discovery that their
movements are connected to speech. The children can identify many sounds and begin to create their
own combinations of gestures. Children explore, practise and refine gestures by working with simple
rhymes or verses which clearly illustrate sound repetition, and musical pieces which are built around the
experience of the third. Movement elements continue to be explored in the circle and students practice
many variations of moving around the circle. These variations include: direction changes; AB groupings;
forward and backward movement as expanding and contracting qualities; curve and straight line
combinations; as well as weaving and simple call and answer forms. When moving to poems, stories or
music, children learn to depict feelings and moods finely and expressively, through carefully performed
sequences.
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In Class 4, children experience their world subjectively and finding their own sense of self is important.
Learning in eurythmy now focuses on an experience of the strength and character of form and gesture.
For the first time, forward facing orientation, where the child experiences his or her position in space
independently and objectively, is added as a new spatial relationship, although the circle is not
abandoned. Individual self-consciousness becomes stronger and the child’s place within friendship
groups is important as, although they strive for independence, they yet yearn for the security of
community. Children in this developmental stage appreciate challenges within the realm of their
capability. Multi-directional orientation in space, as well as spatial zones, is introduced with students
moving forward and backwards, right and left and up and down. Repetition of form with changing
orientation creates new challenges which are well met. The hero’s journey becomes important and the
children become immersed in stories which reveal paths taken by characters they can look up to. The
stories introduced in the Norse Mythology Main Lesson provide wonderful material with which to work in
eurythmy. As the children develop gestures and steps which embody the characters explored, their sense
of morality is refined.
Class 3 Verse iv
Class 4 Viking Battlev
Spatial Awareness, Coordination and Rhythmic Movement Unit
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Content Description
Content Elaborations
3-4.1 Investigate and
discover new elements
of eurythmy and further
develop familiar
sequences and
fundamental movement
skills safely
Working across stage Content Elaborations
3-4.1.1 Investigating, discovering and independently learning all sound
gestures
3-4.1.2 Discovering gesture combinations independently in response to
identified sounds in words (for example, creating their own eurythmy
gestures to names and key characters in a story)
3-4.1.3 Playfully discovering and/or consolidating:
simple geometric square and triangle forms and transitions
Cassini curves
crown form (circle facing in Class 3, front facing Class 4)
formations in all directions including loops, curves, straight lines,
both forward and backwards
3-4.1.4 Experiencing a balance between active and quiet eurythmy
movements as a result of a well-structured lesson
3-4.1.5 Learning rod exercises which include:
seven fold
twelve fold
spiral
Class 3 Content Elaborations
3.1.1 Investigating and discovering eurythmy gestures and form elements
in response to:
stories from the Old Testament
farming and house building stories or poems
seasonal nature stories and poems
live music
3.1.2 Exploring expanding and contracting gesture movements in
response to major and minor thirds in music
3.1.3 Imaginatively, through story and/or pictures and in response to
music, exploring general arm movements which suggest the opening and
closing of C - major scale (laying the foundation for the eurythmy tone
gestures)
3.1.4 Investigating and exploring movement expression which reveals the
four elements of earth, water, air and fire
3.1.5 Exploring rod exercises that emphasise contrast
Class 4 Content Elaborations
4.1.1 Investigating and discovering eurythmy gestures and form elements
to stories and verses from Norse Mythology
4.1.2 Experiencing and discovering formation elements which include:
forward facing orientation
crown form facing the front
pentagram
elementary apollonian form laws including nouns and verbs
(active, passive and duration)
simple square transitions
forms which explore all directions in space consciously including
forward/backwards, right/left, up/down
mirror formations with one axis
moving together in Norse battle formations
4.1.3 Exploring alliteration steps through poems from Norse Mythology
4.1.4 Experiencing and discovering tone gestures for C - major scale as
concrete arm positions; learn, in relation to the circle of 5th, arm
movements for G-Major, D-Major and F-Major, B-Major; and exploring
gestures for sharps and flats
4.1.5 Learning rod exercises with precision, including:
rod throwing and catching to develop coordination and courage
waterfall
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DANCE A: EURYTHMY Curriculum Years K-10
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Content Description
Content Elaborations
3-4.2 Practise eurythmy
gestures and formations
to enhance movement
capacity and clarity
Working across stage Content Elaborations
3-4.2.1 Practising diverse rhythms and combinations of rhythms
Incorporate stepping and clapping, mostly in unison, but now simple
cannon exercises can begin
Class 3 Content Elaborations
3.2.1 Practising vowels in combination with concentration, dexterity and
jumping/springing exercises
3.2.2 Practising coordination ‘ae’ with arms and feet
3.2.3 Practising, with circle facing orientation, the crown form, as well as
form combinations which include all directions in space
3.2.4 Practising major and minor through contracting and expanding
formations, as well as through spiral formations. Learn these movements
as qualities which express happiness and sadness, darkness and
lightness, for example
3.2.5 Practising contrasting movements by rehearsing large sweeping
formations and small wavy formations
Class 4 Content Elaborations
4.2.1 Practising a variety of formations with forward facing orientation
4.2.2 Practising exact stepping of melody lines
3-4.3 Perform learnt
sequences to an
audience to
communicate ideas,
cultural stories and
music through
movement
Working across stage Content Elaborations
3-4.3.1 Refining learnt sequences and the ability to move with others in
preparation for performance
3-4.3.2 Presenting learnt formations and arm gestures to an audience, as
an ensemble (without the teacher moving with the class)
3-4.3.3 Performing a variety of movements in performance which show a
range of movement qualities, expressions and ideas; for example,
performing light, fluid steps when depicting birds and heavy steps when
moving as giants
3-4.3.4 Rehearsing and performing stories, poems and music which
explore the environment and cultural diversity, including:
stories from the old testament and Hebrew music in Class 3
stories and poetry from Norse Mythology in Class 4
material from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples
poetry which recounts nature scenes and seasonal experiences
3-4.4 Identify and reflect
on ways in which
elements of eurythmy
show human
experience, cultural
expressions, sounds of
speech, qualities of
music, form tendencies,
and changing seasonal
moods (including
Aboriginal and Torres
Strait Islander culture)
Working across stage Content Elaborations
3-4.4.1 Experiencing and identifying qualities of happy and sad as
expresses in major and minor in music
3-4.4.2 Experiencing the different types of movement used when exploring
Hebrew stories and music, stories from Norse Mythology and when
viewing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander dances
3-4.4.3 Identifying, remembering and naming the eurythmy speech sound
gestures and basic tone gesture positions
3-4.4.4 Discerning and discussing qualities of movement which create
beautifully performed formations and gestures
3-4.4.5 Experiencing and identifying form tendencies and movement
differentiation that expresses seasonal mood
Question example appropriate to the stage: In viewing your friends
practise the Cassini curve, can you see how beautiful it looks when they
carefully move together and smoothly follow the line of the form? Can you
see how we now have the Sun and the Moon where we could before see
the circle?
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Examples of knowledge and skills appropriate for students in Eurythmy at Years 3 & 4
In this Classes 3 and 4, students expand their knowledge of the elements of eurythmy and build on and
refine concepts and understandings which are conveyed through eurythmy gestures and movement.
Increasingly independently, students become acquainted with skills, images and concepts, focusing
their eurythmy practice on:
Body



Body awareness - in relation to space, gestures, objects, other people, different locations/stage
space
Body parts and actions - including parts of the body and different ways of moving
Body Zones – For example, front/back; right/left; cross-lateral
Space






Levels - moving through a range of zones including low, medium and high; forming gestures in
the middle sphere, above the head or low to the ground
Orientation – Forward-facing; centre-facing; ‘follow-the-leader’
Direction – forwards/backwards; right /left; up /down; circular; diagonal; sideways steps
Dimension - expanding and contracting movements including large and small gestures and
forms, narrow and wide angles
Personal and general space - concentrating on individual movement and self-awareness when
facing the front, as well as on social-awareness when moving with others frontally or centrefacing.
Pathways & Formations – Geometric (triangles, squares); crown formation; organic; flowing;
angular; symmetrical; asymmetrical; combination; straight line and curve; weaving; Cassini
curve; I and You; moving objects in the air (for example, veils, balls, copper rods)
Time & Musicality in Tone and Speech








Listening skills – developed in relation to both music and poetry
Melody line – rise and fall
Interval quality – major and minor 3rds emphasised
Tempo - increasing, deceasing tempo in time to the music, slow/fast
Rhythm - Rhythmic stepping, clapping, passing rods to poetry and music; syncopation
Beat – walking the beat
Consonant and vowel gestures – forming gestures according to the tone of speech and context
Stillness - holding back gesture and form, freeze or pause then continue
Dynamics





Differentiation – controlling qualities of movements and changing movement intention in
response to meaning and dynamics in music and speech
Mood – lightness/darkness; happy/sad; bold/timid
Weight - heavy/light; soft/loud; watery/dense; airy/fiery
Movement qualities – vigorous, immaterial, fluid, sharp, sustained
Alliteration – strongly stepping alliteration rhythm in poetry and strongly forming alliterated
consonant gestures
Concentration & Dexterity

Dexterity development through concentration exercises with music and verses
Relationships





Interaction - leading/following; partnering - meeting and departing, circling, moving side by
side, taking turns
Groupings – A/B formations; smaller groupings
Spatial relationships – near/far; alongside/adjacent/opposite; mirrored/parallel
Synchronisation – moving in unison with others in a variety of formations and when forming
gestures
Use of props (for example, veils, rods, staffs, balls, branches, drums, tambourines, recorders,
etc.)
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Examples of knowledge and skills appropriate for students in Eurythmy at Years 3 & 4
Fundamental Movement Skills


Locomotor movements – for example, walking, stamping, skipping, galloping
Non-Locomotor movements – for example, contracting, stretching
Technical Skills


Increase body control, gestalt, gesture clarity, form accuracy and ensemble awareness
Develop the ability to walk in all directions, forwards, backwards and sideways, and build
confidence
Choreographic focus






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
Triangles and squares in geometry
Form progressions which start and end in the same position
Combining movements through sequencing
Symmetrical formations with frontal orientation
Contrast and repetition
I and You step patterns
Cassini Curve variations
Gesture combinations that well-illustrate key words
Performance

Perform to audiences at assembly, in festivals or in plays
Safe Practices



Use of well-fitting, non-slippery eurythmy shoes
Awareness of space and physical boundaries when moving with others and when using props
Mindfulness of physical needs including hydration, temperature, comfortable clothing
Conceptual Understanding Appropriate for this Stage
Students:






Memorise and independently perform frequently used vowels and consonants and understand
the sound gesture’s relationship to speech
Memorise and independently perform formations
Experience and identify moods expressed in story, poetry and music (for example, qualities of
happy and sad in major and minor) and experience how these qualities are shown through
eurythmy
Identify and discuss the shapes created when performing the formations
Experience the difference between the major and minor third
Identify the alliterated consonant in alliteration poetry and know when to step
Years 3 and 4 Achievement Standard
By the end of Class 4, students describe elements of eurythmy and sense and identify the correlation
between some familiar gestures and sounds of speech and musical tones. They recognize that beautiful
movement can be created when moving collaboratively as a class and when performing gestures and
formations artistically.
Students learn eurythmy sequences that represent stories, poetry, imaginative pictures and music. They
collaborate to create and rehearse eurythmy with both circle and forward facing orientation and perform
gestures and formations clearly and accurately. Students present qualities of expression relating to
experiences of feeling.
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Years 5 & 6
In Class 5, the children have arrived at the ‘golden age of childhood’ where a harmony between physical
capability, emotional maturity and cognitive capacity is often evident as a momentary reprise before the
onset of next developmental stage which leads to puberty. The Main Lesson cycle takes students through
the study of the great epochs of humanity and they gain rich and diverse pictures of cultural expressions.
By observing cultural change, the children also experience humanity’s progression which places human
experience within the flow of time. Children in Class 5 develop skills which enable them to understand
and reveal each cultural impulse through eurythmy. They consider the daily life, stories and mythologies
which arise from each culture, and develop differentiation techniques and style-specific gestures (Cultural
Epoch eurythmy gestures). The Ancient Greece Main Lesson in particular, becomes a leitmotiv for the
year, especially during the latter half. The children’s developmental phase can be seen as aligning to
qualities of balance, harmony and beauty which are evident in Ancient Greek sculpture, architecture and
painting. Aspects of movement flow, rhythm, grace and lightness are well addressed in combination with
Greek Mythology and the children’s capacity to understand patterning becomes flexible.
Class 5 students also explore the plant world in the Botany Main Lesson and mathematical patterning in
the Geometry Main Lesson. These studies provide a backdrop from which to investigate a great variety of
movements arising from form principles evident in the plant kingdom and arising out of mathematical form
principles. It is important for students to engage concretely with these forming principles and many
examples of plants, showing different plant form and growth patterns, as well as beautifully rendered
geometric construction, should be brought to the class.
In tone eurythmy students continue to refine their ability to depict beat, rhythm, melody, time, phrasing
and dynamics. Two voices in music are now explored through movement, and students learn to hear
each voice and the exchange between the two musical parts. They explore simple ways in which to
express this relationship through choreography.
From Class 6 the children are able to approach quite challenging exercises and they respond to this
challenge eagerly, seeking to discover their individual strengths and weaknesses so as to further their
abilities. A new stage in physical growth, which will continue throughout the pubescent years, begins and
the experience of the octave is important at this time as it works as a balancing force that provides the
soul with an experience of the higher self, whilst the body strongly develops physically. This physical
change is also accompanied by a greater aptitude for cognition, as well as a deepening awareness of
emotions which lead to an interest in refined movement expression. Through the Peace and Energy
Dances, and the Merry and Tragic Measures, for example, this soul life is explored and expressive and
contrasting tendencies, rhythm, precise footwork and harmonious movement communication can be
developed. In combination with the Astronomy Main Lessons, children investigate and choreograph
complex patterning based on stellar formations in many variations. Poetry, music and movement styles,
which are specific to a variety cultures - including that of people from Asian decent and Aboriginal and
Torres Strait Islander peoples, are studied. These studies augment the History and Geography
curriculum.
Tone eurythmy throughout Class 6 expands to include an understanding of the mathematical ratios
underpinning intervals and, in combination with the Music curriculum and the Physics Main Lesson,
students learn to hear intervals and to perform their gestures and corresponding forms.
Throughout the stage, knowledge and skills that have been previously developed are applied and drawn
upon more consciously; all elements introduced during the primary years are extended and worked with
in more complex combinations.
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Content Description
Content Elaborations
5-6.1 Explore and
experiment with
elements of eurythmy
and create sequences
that combine movement
features in familiar and
new ways to express
meaning
Class 5 Content Elaborations
5.1.1 Exploring eurythmy movement combinations in response to poetry,
stories and music from the cultural epochs of humanity, including:
Ancient India
Ancient Persia
Ancient Egypt
Ancient Greece
as well as to poetry, stories and music:
in languages other than English
from a diverse range of cultures
dreaming and music from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
peoples
5.1.2 Experimenting with and further exploring formations for grammar
(apollonian formations)
5.1.3 Exploring hexameter rhythm in poetry in combination with the
Ancient Greece Main Lesson
5.1.4 Exploring continuous movement through moving ‘planetary eights’
(continuously moving figure of eights along a circle)
5.1.5 Experimenting with mirror movements, in both forms and arms,
spiral forms, solo and in groups
5.1.6 Exploring past/present/future as qualities which can be expressed
through directions in space
5.1.7 Exploring tone gestures to music from the Baroque to the Classical
period
5.1.8 Experimenting with movements for two voices in music, including the
fundamentals of beat, melody and rhythm and how these elements relate
musically
Class 6 Content Elaborations
6.1.1 Exploring eurythmy gestures and formations in response to poetry
about:
Ancient Rome, including poems in Latin
Nature and seasonal poems
6.1.2 Experiencing formations corresponding to a happy and sad mood
using the happy and melancholy preludes (Heiter Auftakt/Tragisher
Auftakt) and, respectively, suitable major or minor music
6.1.3 Exploring transformations for geometric patterns
6.1.4 Experimenting with steps, rod throwing and arm movements which
correspond to and explore the qualities inherent in each of the Greek
rhythms including, among others:
anapaest; dactyl; amphibrachs and Jambus
6.1.5 Furthering understanding of apollonian (grammatical) form elements
6.1.6 Re-visiting alliteration steps and consonant repetition
6.1.7 Developing the qualities of intervals and their gestures and forms
with particular emphasis on the octave and corresponding spatial forms
(including intensive work on interval and harmony hearing exercises;
these elements can be worked with in conjunction to the Science Main
Lesson – Acoustics, Optics & Warmth)
5-6.2 Refine movement
technique and develop
movement expression.
(with increasing clarity,
balance, focus,
accuracy, coordination)
Working across stage Content Elaborations
5-6.2.1 Practicing difficult formations including different types of
lemniscates and stellar formations such as the pentagon, hexagon,
septagon and octagon
5-6.2.2 Rehearsing formations performed with a forward facing orientation
5-6.2.3 Practising many scales in both major and minor key
5-6.2.4 Furthering concentration, coordination and dexterity by practising
exercises including:
Kibitz skip, with and without rods
Step combinations with a focus on technique and accuracy
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Content Description
Content Elaborations
5-6.2.5 Practising elements of choreography including, but not limited to:
Cascades
Cannons
A/B groupings
rondo form
synchronisation
solo and ensemble configurations
5-6.2.6 Experimenting with and developing expressiveness to
communicate meaning in stories, poetry and Dreaming, as well as in
music
5-6.2.7 Developing movement clarity, focus and accuracy in the lead up to
performance
5-6.2.8 Furthering movement consciousness and clarity by pictorially
recording practised eurythmy formations and chosen gestures in a
workbook
Class 5 Content Elaborations
5.2.1 Rehearsing suitable gestures and formations to effectively portray
texts or music from the cultural epochs
5.2.2 Practising foreign language gesture indications with an emphasis on
gesture differentiation and movement style
5.2.3 Developing movement technique to effectively portray Aboriginal
and Torres Strait Islander Dreaming
5.2.4 Practising straight line and curve movement differentiation through
‘the inner has conquered/the outer has conquered’ in relation to form
elements in nature. For example, the pointy form of maple leaves, the
smooth forms of pebbles
5.2.5 Practising ‘behold yourself, behold the world’ form curves as
manifestations of inward and outward expression
Class 6 Content Elaborations
6.2.1 Refining movement contrast and soul expression through working
with the Energy and Peace dances as well as through soul gestures for
love, belief, hope, sadness etc.
6.2.2 Practising ‘light streams upwards/ darkness pushes downwards’
6.2.3 Practising the octave, which is uplifting and provides an experience
which balances the students’ feelings of earthly weight which arises as
their physical development strongly and rightly comes to the fore. (As the
physical body further develops, the student can also experience the
foretelling of their higher self through the octave. This interval also
provides a sheath and expansion of soul at this stage)
5-6.3 Perform eurythmy
to communicate the
choreographer’s intent
and to convey an
experience of the
cultural epochs as well
as stories and music
from many cultures,
including Asian and
Aboriginal and Torres
Strait Islander societies
Working across stage Content Elaborations
5-6.3.1 Exhibiting movement clarity, focus and accuracy when performing
5-6.3.2 Demonstrating learnt techniques which depict qualities of culture
and/or language
5-6.3.3 Appling elements of eurythmy to convey meaning when
performing
5-6.3.4 Developing movement consciousness which demonstrates a
working awareness of relationships which exist between the individual
performer, the ensemble and the audience
5-6.3.5 Using costuming and lighting to enhance the audiences
appreciation of the performance and to convey additional layers of
meaning and experience
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Content Description
Content Elaborations
5-6.4 Reflect on how
elements of eurythmy
combine to
communicate meaning
in relation to nature
forms, cultural epochs,
literature, music,
mythologies of different
peoples, and Dreaming
stories of Aboriginal
and Torres Strait
Islander People.
Working across stage Content Elaborations
5-6.4.1 Using a workbook, pictorially recording formations and chosen
sound gestures so as to become increasingly conscious of movements
being practised
5-6.4.2 Discussing the relationship between word and movement, or
music and movement, both in terms of gesture and form
5-6.4.3 Experiencing the way in which eurythmy communicates ideas by
watching live performances including other classes and/or fellow class
members perform learnt sequences
5-6.4.4 Reflecting on and discussing aspects of movement performed by
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander dancers
Class 5 Content Elaborations
5.4.1 In conjunction with the Botany Main Lesson, moving, discussing and
exploring the relationship between the rich variety of forms which exist in
the plant world and which can be experienced in movement through
eurythmy
5.4.2 Identifying and discussing examples of inner and outer as
contrasting form tendencies found in nature, for example leaf variegation
Class 6 Content Elaborations
6.4.1 In conjunction with the Acoustics, Optics and Warmth Main Lesson,
identifying and discussing forms and movements arising from tone
(Chladni plate experiments)
6.4.2 Reflecting on movement expression by discussing, for example:
energetic movement, needed for the energy dance
expansive movement, suitable for the happy prelude
gentle movement, appropriate for the peace dance
melancholic movement, suitable for the tragic prelude
Eurythmy as part of Class 5 play of Persephone
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Examples of knowledge and skills appropriate for students in Eurythmy at Years 5 and 6
In Classes 5 and 6, students expand and extend their knowledge of eurythmic elements and their
ability to use these elements creatively when making and performing. They build on and refine their
knowledge, understanding skills through eurythmic practices, focusing on:
Body



Body zones/parts/action – lower, middle, upper zones; legs, arms, hands etc.; a variety of
actions, for example, straight arms, curved arms, bend legs straight legs,
contraction/expansion
Eurythmy gesture combinations including all vowels and consonants, as well as some soul
gestures
Exercises which create body balance - ‘light streams upwards/ darkness pushes downwards’
Space






Levels - moving through a range of zones including low, medium and high; forming gestures in
the middle sphere, above the head or low to the ground
Orientation – Forward-facing; centre-facing; ‘follow-the-leader’; combination
Direction – forwards/backwards; right /left; up /down; circular; diagonal; sideways steps; direct;
undulating
Dimension - expanding and contracting movements including large and small gestures and
forms, narrow and wide angles
Personal and general space - concentrating on individual movement and self-awareness when
facing the front, as well as on social-awareness when moving with others in a variety of
configurations
Pathways & Formations – Apollonian formations; Geometric formations; geometric transitions;
crown formation; organic; flowing; angular; symmetrical; asymmetrical; combination; straight
line and curve; weaving; axis mirroring; rotational mirroring; planetary eights; moving objects
through the air (for example, copper rod throwing)
Time, Dynamics & Musicality in Tone and Speech












Listening skills – developed in relation to music and poetry
Melody line – rise and fall, contour
Interval quality – major and minor 3rds emphasised; intensive work with the octave in Class 6
Scales – a variety in major and minor including experience of sharps and flats and their
corresponding gestures
Tempo - acceleration/deceleration; allegro/largo etc.
Rhythm – developed in relation to music and language - hexameter, dactyl, amphibrachs and
iambus; quaver, crotchet, minim, semibreve etc.; rhythmic relationship to longs and shorts;
rhythmic correlation between backwards/forwards and asleep/awake; rhythmic stepping,
clapping, passing rods to poetry and music; regular and irregular rhythms; syncopation
Beat – walking the beat; right/left beat steps; bar line
Phrasing – contouring musical and language phrasing
Consonant and vowel gestures – forming gestures according to the tone of speech and context
Past/present/future - qualities expressed through directions in space
Stillness - holding back gesture and form, freeze or pause then continue
Dynamics & Expressive Techniques – Contouring; crescendo/decrescendo; forte/piano;
staccato/legato; forceful; weak; fiery; airy; watery; earthy; slashing; light, flicking; resisting;
exclamation and question in speech
Relationships




Groupings - solo, duet, ensemble of various sizes
Spatial relationship - near/far; alongside/adjacent/opposite; mirrored/parallel. For example,
stellar formations including the pentagon, hexagon, septagon and octagon, 4 x 4 rows, various
A/B circles; small or large groups of students in lines, diagonals, clusters, squares, spirals
Interaction – moving around each other; coming together and parting; space between
performers; synchronisation
Giving and receiving – rod/staff exercises; copper ball exercises; taking turns;
cannons/cascades
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Examples of knowledge and skills appropriate for students in Eurythmy at Years 5 and 6
Fundamental movement skills

Combining locomotor movements and non- locomotor movements
Technical skills



Developing technical aptitude in body control, accuracy, gestalt, strength, balance,
coordination and spatial awareness
Achieving spatial and dynamic changes e.g. kibitz jump, kibitz sideways, shrinking, exploding,
expansion
Combining sound or tone gesture sequences and formations
Safe Practices





Use of well-fitting, non-slippery eurythmy shoes
Awareness of space and physical boundaries when moving with others and when using props
Awareness of performance space when performing in new environments
Mindfulness of physical needs including hydration, temperature, comfortable clothing
Working safely and respectfully in groups
Choreographic focus












Apollonian formations
Question/answer
Heiter Auftakt /Tragisher Auftakt
Energy dance/ peace dance
The inner has conquered /the outer has conquered
Geometric formations and transitions
Stellar formations and transitions
Organic formations
Fluid/curved formations
Combination formations
Elements of choreography including cascades, cannons, synchronisation, A/B groupings,
repetition, rondo form, rotational mirroring; axis mirroring
Solo and ensemble configurations
Conceptual Understanding Appropriate for this Stage
Students:








Know and use familiar tone and speech gestures and combine these when choreographing
short poems or pieces of music
Identify and discuss elements of language and music, such as: verbs and nouns; rhythm, pitch
and beat; major and minor; phrasing and contouring; mood; and meaning, and know how these
elements are expressed through eurythmy
Identify, explore and discuss the correlation between eurythmy soul gestures and inner
feelings/states of being
When creating, explore and discuss the ways in which eurythmy movements show elements in
the story, poem or music, as well as the culture/peoples from which the story or music comes.
Comprehend, move and draw a variety of formations and geometric transitions
Discuss the relationship between forms in nature and eurythmy formations. For example, in
conjunction with the study of the Botany Main Lesson, move, discuss and explore the
relationship between the rich variety of forms which exist in the plant world and which can be
experienced in movement through eurythmy
Discuss the relationship between parts of speech and Apollonian choreography
Discuss and explore movement styles and gestures that appropriately depict the nuances of
poetry and music from a great variety of cultures, times and places
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Years 5 and 6 Achievement Standard
By the end of Class 6, students explain how eurythmy gestures they make and view, relate to speech and
tone, and how formations express botanical forms, geometry, grammar, poetic rhythm, the rise and fall of
speech and elements of music. They identify gestures which reveal inner characteristics of the different
cultural epochs, and explore how movement can be nuanced to show qualities of soul experience.
Students rehearse and perform learnt eurythmy gestures, formations and structure movement sequences
using elements of eurythmy, and the principles of form, to give artistic expression to poetry, music and
imaginative images. They work collaboratively when creating, rehearsing and performing eurythmy, and
demonstrate developing technical and expressive skills.
Pentagon transition form – Class 5 / 6
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Years 7 & 8
In Years 7 and 8, students deepen their understanding of eurythmy and further develop their ability to
reveal form principles, geometry, poetry, story, music and imaginative picturing through their movement.
They create movement sequences collaboratively and refine their skills whilst working with the ensemble.
The Year 7 student finds him or herself on the threshold between childhood and adolescence and,
throughout this stage, the young person develops a new relationship to his or her body. Rapid limb
growth and physical development may result in a period of reduced coordination and a changing sense of
space, although the student’s capacity and aptitude for movement refinement and exactitude increases
once the adolescent has become accustomed to his or her new physicality. The relationship between
emotion and a sense of wellbeing becomes more pronounced, and cogitative capacity matures with
students able to engage more astutely when investigating, distinguishing and comparing aspect of
movement and inter-disciplinary themes.
A strong emphasis on skill development and refined technique provides students with challenging
undertakings through which they can school their developing relationship to their body in space. Students
deepen their understanding of how to express the elements of eurythmy through movement, and they
develop skills which enable them to do this effectively. They work independently and collaboratively when
practising, choreographing and performing eurythmy. The practice of eurythmy now includes: relatively
complex, free-flowing formations; a great variety of geometric structures and corresponding transitions;
an emphasis on movement contrast in all areas; intensive work with scales and music pieces in both
major and minor keys; intervals and their gestures; soul/mood gestures, expressive techniques and foot
and head placements for states of being; rapid tempo changes and dynamics; and movement clarity,
projection and audience/performer engagement.
Students have the opportunity to respond to a diverse range of artistic material including poetry, prose
and music. They engage with works from a range of cultural and historical backgrounds, languages,
periods of time and locations. Students develop their understanding of how these factors influence
literature, music and forms of artistic movement, including eurythmy. Their understanding informs their
practice, choreography and performance.
Throughout the stage, knowledge and skills are best developed and furthered by working with a number
of different artistic pieces, as opposed to one or two, as variety is the spice of life for the adolescent. The
choice of artistic material provides students with the opportunity to build rich inner pictures and allows
students to practise exercises, devise choreography, perform and grapple with themes which explore
concepts pertaining to their developmental stage. Eurythmy exercises, chosen by the teacher, assist in
harmonising their new physical, emotional and cogitative capacities.
Students understand that safe practices underlie their study of eurythmy. They perform within their own
body capacity and work safely in groups.
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Content Description
Content Elaborations
7-8.1 Discover elements
of form and
metamorphosis and
develop spatial
awareness and creative
expression by
improvising,
sequencing and
learning choreographic
forms and eurythmy
gestures
7-8.1.1 Learning archetypal eurythmy gestures and, through
improvisation and experimentation, discovering expressive combinations
which meaningfully depict a range of artistic material including, for
example:
texts exploring themes from the main lessons
as well as…
 Year 7
texts and music from the Middle Ages and the Renaissance
poetry and short stories about King Arthur and the Knights of the
Round Table
poetry and short stories arising from the Geography and History
Main Lessons
excerpts from The Canterbury Tales
form principles arising from the Maths in Nature Main Lesson
 Year 8
Excerpts from works by Shakespeare with accompanying Steiner
forms (simplified if required)
humorous texts and music
texts and music with dramatic themes
ballads
texts and music from diverse cultures and periods of history
music which modulates between major and minor
7-8.1.2 Exploring ways in which inner experience can be conveyed, and
how emotional expression can be schooled through eurythmic movement
by, for example:
increasing movement differentiation
developing inner balance through contrast; for example, exploring
dramatic, forceful, large arm gestures as well as very fine
gestures, sometimes only with the finger-tips
as well as…
 Year 7
soul gestures
foot/head placements for courage and states of being (I am
here/not here)
sympathy and antipathy gestalt (concave/convex body gesture)
yes/no steps
gesture and directional aspects of major and minor
 Year 8
emphasising the minor keys
focussing on music which modulates between major and minor
7-8.1.3 Exploring increasingly complex formations including:
improvised formations in response to the spoken word or music
sequenced patterning arising from combinations of archetypal
form tendencies
geometric transitions and their inversions
as well as…
 Year 7
crystalline and growth formations relating to the Maths in Nature
Main Lesson
apollonian formations – include head gestures and body leans (all
work is to be accompanied by dramatic arm gestures)
major and minor directions in space in response to music pieces
which modulate between major and minor*
 Year 8
interval formations and gestures in conjunction with music from a
broad range of cultures and periods
formations to longer pieces of music which modulate from major
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Content Description
Content Elaborations
-
to minor
formations to music pieces in which the experience of the interval
is pronounced and which are choreographed using interval forms
revisiting the ‘inner/outer’ has conquered as polar form elements
7-8.1.4 Developing concentration and movement discipline by
engaging with:
increasingly complex copper rod exercises
improvisations on known rod exercises to develop new
combinations
rhythmic exercises
timing exercises
revisiting the kibitz skip (Year 8)
7-8.2 Refine and
develop movement
skills and technique by
practising the elements
of eurythmy artistically
and safely in response
to feedback
Working across stage Content Elaborations
7-8.2.1 Developing arm gesture clarity, with an emphasis on the quality
of movement required for:
each archetypal sound gesture
tone gestures including ♯ and♭
various major and minor scales; minor scales consciously
introduced in Year 7 with a focus on minor throughout year 8
interval gestures; used in Year 7 and taught consciously from
Year 8
major and minor chord gestures
soul gestures
nuanced gestures
combined and sequences gestures
7-8.2.2 Developing spatial awareness and formation clarity, with an
emphasis on, for example:
straight lines and curves
directions in space
follow the leader formations
forward facing formations
mirror formations
A/B variations, cascades, cannons
7-8.2.3 Refining and improving movement differentiation, contrast and
expression, including:
control and intention
qualities of light/dark through applied muscle tension or release
dynamics - piano/forte, weight, tension/release
tempo - slow/fast
timing, rhythm and beat
space - expansion/contraction; inner/outer; four directions,
up/down; direction changes
time and flow
relationship and communication
transitions
 Year 8
Contrasts strongly explored
7-8.2.4 Applying safe movement practices when creating, rehearsing
and performing eurythmy sequences and when incorporating object
manipulation and/or props (for example, when using rods, balls, flags,
scarves); identifying individual movement capacity and safe spatial
distance when using objects or props
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Content Description
Content Elaborations
Year 7 Content Elaborations
7.2.1 Exploring and selecting foot positions, yes/no gestures and body
leans to show meaning. For example, leaning forwards then backwards to
show sympathy and antipathy respectively; applying yes and no steps
purposefully to enhance meaning
Year 8 Content Elaborations
8.2.1 Refining foot placement, movement fluidity and purpose by carefully
applying three-fold-walking
7-8.3 Improvise,
combine and nuance
elements of eurythmy to
show literal
representations of story
as well as structural and
interpretive responses
to speech, music and
imaginative images
Working across stage Content Elaborations
7-8.3.1 Selecting eurythmy gestures that reveal the literal meaning of the
story or poem
7-8.3.2 Differentiating gesture quality and size to show meaning. For
example, choosing to depict the word flower with a small ‘L’ and the word
world with a large ‘L’
7-8.3.3 Discovering movements which show non-literal representations of
story and instead show ‘structural’ elements of music and language. For
example, the interpretation of voice tonality into an undulating pattern that
shows the rise and fall of speech, major and minor directionality, rhyme
forms
7-8.3.4 Improvising movements which show an individual and
interpretative response to story, poetry, music and imagining
7-8.4 Create and
structure eurythmy
sequences using
choreographic devises,
gestures and form
elements in a way which
depicts both story or
image and archetypal
form principles and
choreographic intent.
Working across stage Content Elaborations
7-8.4.1 Selecting, sequencing and personalising eurythmy gesture
combinations and form elements to express meaning and depict a chosen
element or elements evident in the story, poetry or music
Possible lesson questions – forms and elements: For example - How
can the phrasing of this simple melody line be shown through group
formation? Which orientation is best used when choreographing this piece
of music, centre-facing circle, forward facing or a combination of both?
Which one sound, in each line of poetry, reveals the meaning of that line?
Which combinations of gestures reveal this melody line?
7-8.4.2 Documenting choreographic process and recording gesture and
form choices to enable development, progression and refinement of work
over a period of time
7-8.4.3 Considering and evaluating choreographic choices and refining
choreographic sequencing in response to feedback
7-8.5 Perform with
confidence, clarity and
expression, and
effectively portray
stories, poetry and
music from diverse
cultural and historical
backgrounds.
Working across stage Content Elaborations
7-8.5.1 Performing choreographed sequences displaying the elements of
eurythmy and the choreographer’s intent clearly and confidently
7-8.5.2 Adapting choreographed sequences to new spaces when
rehearsing for performance
7-8.5.3 Displaying an awareness and understanding of cultural, historical,
time, location and style specific features in literature, music and artistic
movement and how these characteristics are effectively portrayed when
performing eurythmy
7-8.5.4 Using rehearsal, feedback, reflection and evaluation to enhance
clarity, intent, precision, projection, confidence, focus, relationship to
ensemble, relationship to space and expression in the lead-up to
performance
7-8.5.5 Understanding the difference in approach needed when
rehearsing and performing, and moving in ways that enhanced ensemble
cohesion
7-8.5.6 Working respectfully and safely with ensemble members in the
lead up to and during performance
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Content Description
Content Elaborations
7-8.6 Investigates,
comprehends and
evaluates factors which
are chosen to influence
elements of production
and choreography
Working across stage Content Elaborations
7-8.6.1 Investigating and discussing ways in which the material being
worked with informs choreographic choice and aspects of production
including stage space, costuming and lighting choice
7-8.6.2 Developing listening and sensing skills that enable consideration
of inner experience in relation to form, gesture, music and poetry
Year 7 Content Elaborations
7.6.1 Investigating form principles evident in the plant world in relation to
the Maths in Nature Main Lesson and experimenting with ways in which
growth forms can be applied, transformed and sequenced when
choreographing eurythmy
Year 8 Content Elaborations
8.6.1 Identifying and describing the influence technological development
has had on production and performance
Possible lesson questions – technology: In what setting was artistic
movement performed throughout periods in history and what has the
development of electrical lighting enabled? How has advancement in
textile production influenced costuming?
8.6.3 Discerning and explaining factors which influence choreography
including number of performers, aptitude of ensemble members,
orientation, focus elements (for example, vowels or consonants, melody,
rhythm or beat, mood or grammatical structure) as well as choices arising
from cultural, historical period, location and personal factors
8.6.4 Identifying and discussing ways in which choreographers express
their intent by combining the elements of eurythmy in individual and
diverse ways
Examples of knowledge and skills appropriate for students in Eurythmy at Years 7 and 8
In this Years 7 and 8, students expand and extend their knowledge of eurythmic elements and their
ability to use these elements creatively when making and performing. They build on and refine their
knowledge, understanding and skills through eurythmic practices, focusing on:
Body


General Body Awareness – for example, limbs, torso, head; gestalt; zones - down, middle, up;
hands, feet
Specialised body awareness - distribution of weight (for example, standbein/spielbein); foot
placement – threefold walking; tone streaming through the skeletal system; gesture forming
using the muscular system; body leans; head and foot placements for states of being; leading
formations and gestures from the centre of eurythmic movement – the rhythmic system
Space
 All aspects of space used with increasing complexity - for example, direction, dimension, form:
free-flowing and geometric, positive and negative space, planes, pathways, patterns, general
and personal space
 Spatial movements for specific eurythmy indications and/or exercises - for example, Apollonian
formations (including head gestures and body leans); preludes and postludes; major and minor
directionality; interval gestures and formations; all sound and soul gestures; the ‘inner/outer’
has conquered; geometric transitions and their inversions
 Performance space – adapt movements in accordance with the nature of the space and
position of the audience (for example, small/large stage, raised stage/floor stage, raked stage,
tiered seating, flat seating, in the round/semi-round, outside oval/amphitheatre, etc.)
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Examples of knowledge and skills appropriate for students in Eurythmy at Years 7 and 8
Time, Dynamics and Musicality in Tone and Speech
 All elements of time with increasing difficulty and in a variety of combinations – for example,
metre, beat, tempo, momentum, accent, duration, phrasing, rhythmic patterns, stillness and
past/present/future directions
 A range of dynamic and expressive elements with increased difficulty and in a variety of
combinations – for example: intonation; inflection; exclamation; mood; meaning; questioning;
call and answer; modulate from major to minor; contouring; crescendo/decrescendo; slow/fast/;
light/dark; forte/piano; staccato/legato; percussive/fluid; forceful; weak; fiery; airy; watery;
earthy; slashing; light, flicking; resisting; soul gestures; foot placements for states of being
Relationships
 Groupings - solo, duet, ensemble (various sizes and with increasingly complex configurations)
 Spatial relationship – between eurythmy students in a great variety of combinations; between
the body and space around the body; transitional space between gestures; between eurythmy
students and objects
 Interaction – awareness of ensemble members in a variety of situations when creating,
rehearsing and performing a range of form and gesture combinations; awareness of the
relationship between characters in a story or ballad; awareness of the relationship between
performers moving to different parts/voices in music; awareness of the relationship between
the stage space and the auditorium when performing (may include, for example, outside
performance and audience spaces)
 Giving and receiving – rod/staff exercises; copper ball exercises; taking turns;
cannons/cascades
Fundamental movement skills
 Coordination and general movement capacity – for example: harmonious gestalt; balanced
step that carries the body smoothly; parallel foot placement; sustained walking/fast
walking/threefold walking; kibitz skip; skipping; hopping; catching/throwing; gesturing
 Combinations of movement with increasing complexity
Technical skills
 Gesture clarity and form accuracy – combinations of increasing difficulty
 Centre of eurythmic movement – leading with the rhythmic system, achieved through a
refinement of step placement
 Differentiated and controlled gestures – for example: vowels; percussive consonants, air
consonants; major and minor chords
 Movement expression - showing aspects of music and poetry artistically by combining
elements in increasingly complex ways
Safe practices
 Awareness of own and others movement capacity when creating, rehearsing and performing
 Maintenance of safe spatial distance when using objects or props
 Awareness of available space when rehearsing and performing in new situations
 Mindfulness of floor surfaces and safe use of appropriate footwear
 Awareness of bodily needs such as hydration
Choreographic Focus
 Music pieces choreographed using interval forms
 Contrasting and dramatic movements to music, poetry and ballads (Year 8)
 Devices - repetition, inversion, accumulation, cascade, cannon, variation, development,
retrograde (movement sequences backwards), changing orientation,
 Movement phrases and motives, and the swings in-between motives/phrasing
 Unity/synchronisation/contrast
 Transitions
Choreographic forms
 Unary; Binary; Ternary; Quaternary (one, two, three & four parts)
 Interval, melody, the inner and the outer has conquered, geometric, stellar, crystalline, fluid,
rhyme pattern, apollonian, major and minor, crown, prelude and postlude formations
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Examples of knowledge and skills appropriate for students in Eurythmy at Years 7 and 8
Conceptual Understanding Appropriate for this Stage
Students:
 Identify, explore and discuss ways in which material being worked with informs choreographic
choice
 Discern and evaluate how dramatic music and poetry informs choreography, costuming and
lighting
 Identify and discuss ways in which choreographers express their intent by employing the
elements of eurythmy in individual and diverse ways
 Remember and explain regularly used form indications and eurythmy speech, tone and soul
gestures, as well as their relationship to speech, music and feeling
 Use eurythmy form indications and gestures when choreographing
 Identify and describe the influence technological development has had on production and
performance
 Investigate form principles evident in the plant world in relation to the Maths in Nature Main
Lesson and experiment with ways in which growth forms can be applied, transformed and
sequenced when choreographing eurythmy
 Investigate how poetry, story and music, from a variety of cultures, societies and peoples, may
express both culture specific and universal elements, and discuss how the uniqueness of each
poem, story or piece of music, and the environment from which it arose, can be shown through
eurythmy
 Know their developing capacity and learn through direct instruction and feedback
 Respect movement tendencies, styles and aptitude of class members and work socially and
constructively
Years 7 and 8 Achievement Standard
By the end of Year 8, students identify and discuss the elements of eurythmy and explore how gesture
relates to speech and tone, and how formations relate to naturally occurring form and growth principles,
as well as to geometry, music and poetry; they apply this knowledge when making and performing
eurythmy sequences. They experience and discuss how music and poetry from different cultures, times
and places reveals distinctive qualities and how these qualities can be shown through eurythmy.
Students choreograph eurythmy sequences demonstrating the selection and organisation of rod
exercises, gestures and formations to communicate choreographic intent which depicts the poem, music
or imaginative picture. They perform with confidence and clarity, movements which they learn and
choreograph, showing appropriate technical and expressive skills.
Ariel’s Dance, from a production of Shakespeare’s The Tempest
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Years 9 & 10
The young person now needs to engage with eurythmy consciously and creatively. Content that is
nourishing for their soul life, and which embodies powerful inner pictures or moving, musical motifs, is
brought. Students build on knowledge and skills developed during the previous years and participate in
making and responding with increased awareness and greater aptitude. Their capacity for intellectual
thought is coming to the fore and they engage more searchingly with the content of their learning.
Year 9 begins with a revision of all previously covered material. It is now important for the students to
understand the principles underpinning eurythmy movement and they undertake a review of eurythmy
with this in mind. They continue to study the correlation between eurythmy movement and forms and
growth process found in nature, making more astute observations and linking their realisations with their
developing understanding of the human being. The relationships between inner experience, sounds and
tones formed in the larynx, and poetry or music, becomes concretely explored, questioned and
understood.
During Year 9, the adolescents’ emotional life and sense of individual and social well-being is important.
Their soul mood strongly influences their experience of subject content, as well as their sense of self and
their interactions with fellow human beings. Poetry and music, rich in strong, emotional themes can be
brought as it provides a medium through which the breadth of human emotion, including antipathies and
sympathies, can be explored. Here, content focuses on exercising polarities of feeling and this
exploration can occur safely, within the context of artistic form. Advanced free-flowing, dramatic
choreography allows students to give movement expression to their feelings. The conscious introduction
of Dionysian forms can also school this area of soul life. Apollonian forms, geometric formations and the
TIAOAIT sequence develop the students’ capacity for logical thinking. This practice balances emotional
extremes through structured expression.
One of a series of forms for Schubert’s Impromptu D.946 vi
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Once in Year 10, the curriculum presents students with material whereby they work towards establishing
objectivity through overview. Students now discover and explore gesture in relation to the great cultural
epochs and this study augments themes covered in the English and History Main Lessons; students
investigate the archetypal human realm where stylized gesture expresses representative states of
consciousness as opposed to subjective experience. Complex form sequences which require heightened
concentration, such as Steiner’s formation for Goethe’s Hymn To Nature, are also particularly relevant
and the motives themselves further develop overview as students are led through a progression of
formations which correlate to organic life processes and space in relation to time (how form changes over
time, rhythm in nature - building and destroying growth forms). Tone eurythmy now calls for an artistic
representation of complex musical motifs, including movements that correlate to multiple musical parts
and tonal elements.
Students engage in practice though working on individually devised choreography, as well as
choreography devised by fellow students, class ensembles, the teacher, other professionals within the
field, and Rudolf Steiner. Style specific elements of choreography are explored and students use these
form elements when choreographing. Students improve their ability to perform specialised movements,
such as gesture or tone combinations formed through intended tension and release, while also
developing their understanding of the principles of space, time and flow, dynamics, movement
communication and relationship.
In both tone and speech eurythmy, the emphasis is on the extension of knowledge and skills through
complex sequencing and a study of choreographic techniques in relation to form principles and inner
experience. Increased exactitude and the development of refined body and spatial awareness becomes a
focus as students aim to become an instrument through which the artistic material can be made visible.
Students also view and engage with styles of artistic movement created within diverse cultural contexts
and periods, as well as traditional and contemporary Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander dances.
Students identify key features communicated and worked with in traditional dances, and look at themes
and intensions explored through contemporary eurythmy and dance works by contemporary
choreographers.
Content Description
9-10.1 Personalise and
refine gestures to
achieve nuanced and
intended expression
through clearly formed
space and controlled
tension and release and
explore movement
within the context of
different genre and
styles
Content Elaborations
Year 9 Content Elaborations
9.1.1 Revising and further developing all elements of eurythmy associated
with sound gestures, consonants and vowels, and identifying features of
the muscular system including the impact muscular tension and release
has on gesture differentiation, movement flow and dynamics
9.1.2 Consciously exploring and practising pitch and interval gestures in
relation to: an objective, ‘felt’ experience of pitch and the intervals; human
anatomy and features of the skeletal system; mathematical tone ratios;
the circle (the head) and straight line (the limbs) as form elements and
their corresponding relationship to space and negative space; expansion
and contraction in the skeletal system; and form metamorphosis
9.1.3 Combining and refining elements of tone eurythmy by working on
pieces of music with strong melody lines, and express the melody through
intervals and tone gestures
9.1.4 Establishing and creating gestures for all chords as understood
interval combinations, coupled with expansion, contraction and direction.
Developing archetypal and nuanced gestures for all inversions of major
and minor chords, dominant 7th, augmented 7th, generally dissonant
chords and tri-tones
9.1.5 Further exploring learnt soul gestures and improvising gesture
combinations which depict emotional experiences and develop movement
expression
9.1.6 Exercising and engaging with elements of eurythmy which develop
an experience of contrast in all aspects
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Content Description
Content Elaborations
Year 10 Content Elaborations
10.1.1 Developing complex gestures of tones, intervals and chords
Working across stage Content Elaborations
9-10.1.1 Exploring new combinations of sound gestures and individually
choosing and improvising sound gestures in relation to the artistic material
with which one is working
9-10.1.2 Explore different styles of eurythmy for different languages
9-10.2 Establish a clear
overview of patterning
and structure and
exhibit proficiency in a
range of spatial skills in
varying contexts
Year 9 Content Elaborations
9.2.1 Revising and recognizing all ground elements of formation and,
through a systematic re-introduction of the laws underpinning eurythmy
forms, engaging critically with the concepts behind form indications and
eurythmy movements
9.2.2 Practising all pedagogical formation elements including harmonious
eight (multi directional), EVOE, the Large Star, hallelujah (with and without
curves), TIAOAIT, ‘He who Illumines the Clouds’, and geometric
formations
9.2.3 Re-visiting formations corresponding to a happy and sad mood
using the Happy and Melancholy preludes (heiter auftakt/tragisher auftakt)
and, respectively, suitable Major or Minor music
9.2.4 Practising contrapuntal formations
9.2.5 Refining technique so as to communicate point and periphery as
tangible spatial contrasts
Year 10 Content Elaborations
10.2.1 Exploring form indications for Epic, Lyric and Dramatic poetry in
relation to qualities of thinking, feeling and willing (Dionysian forms)
10.2.2 Improvising and practising form indications for pronouns, verse
structure and rhyme patterns
Working across stage Content Elaborations
9-10.2.1 Practising formations in a range of groupings, for example, solo,
duet and ensemble variations, in accordance with appropriate grouping
sizes informed by the story, poetry or music (for example, a three part
music piece is to be choreographed using one performer, or group of
performers, for each musical voice; solo formations should be created for
poems with a definite, individualistic theme or when emphasising a single,
musical voice)
9-10.2.2 Exploring orientation and developing proficiency in performing
learnt and improvised sequences when changing direction (for example,
forward facing, follow the nose, facing different directions – front, side,
back to the audience) and in new spaces
9-10.2.3 Exploring spatial zones for example, up/down,
crouching/stretching
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Content Description
Content Elaborations
9-10.3 Identify, re-work
and apply learnt, style
specific choreographic
form indications with
purpose when
choreographing
Year 9 Content Elaborations
9.3.1 Identifying key features in the story, poem or music and the
corresponding choreographic form indications
9.3.2 Choreographing sequences using Eurythmy indications to a range of
dramatic and emotive pieces. For example, to dramatic and emotive
poetry, and to music with two and more parts, and/or strong contrasts
between major and minor (using music up to the end of the Romantic
period).
Year 10 Content Elaborations
10.3.1 Choreographing sequences using Eurythmy indications to a range
of poetry and music, for example, to dramatic, epic or lyric poetry and to
music with two and more parts, with an emphasis on using music up to the
end of the Romantic period, although contemporary works can be
included selectively, and to movements from sonatas or other longer
pieces of music
Working across stage Content Elaborations
9-10.3.1 Appling form and gesture indications appropriately and
manipulating indications to create original and artistic works when
choreographing individual and group devised choreography, using for
example:
Apollonian and Dionysian form indications
spatial directions for the Tonic, dominant, subdominant in music
movement tendencies for consonant/dissonant harmonies in music
rhyme formations in response to poetic structure
point/periphery as form principles which express meaning
cascades as elements of time and space
rondo, call and answer and A/B form variations
dynamics through differentiated tension
soul gestures as emotional expression
Sound (speech), tone and chord gestures
9-10.4 Interpret poetry,
prose and music and
transform meaning and
subtle, inner
experiences into
movement expression
by using choreographic
devises
Year 9 Content Elaborations
9.4.1 Identifying the elements of earth, water, air and fire in relation to
states in nature, qualities in the human being, and in response to story,
poetry or music and developing movements which portray these elements
effectively
Possible lesson questions – culture: How does an understanding of the
four elements, as articulated in Ancient Greece, relate to the human being
and what does knowledge of the traditional Chinese and Aya Vedic five
elements contribute to our understanding?
Working across stage Content Elaborations
9-10.4.1 Identifying and recognising stress and intonation patterns of
speech and showing appropriate prosody through differentiated
movement intention
Possible lesson questions – technique: How do the stress and
intonation patterns of speech, which are especially evident when a poem
is spoken artistically, inform our employment of tension and release in
each gesture and our execution of the form?
9-10.4.2 Identifying individual and combined aspects of the story, poem or
music that can be interpreted through movement including: rhythm; beat;
pitch and melody; harmony; chords; and dissonance; alliteration;
assonance; rhyme forms; composition forms (for example the Sonata
form); tempo; dynamics; as well as imagery, mood and emotion
Possible lesson questions – listening: Which element of music, melody,
rhythm or beat, is strongly represented during this music piece. Which
aspect or aspects of the music do you wish to reveal through your
movement?
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Content Description
Content Elaborations
9-10.5 Perform devised
sequences to
communicate the
choreographer’s intent
and apply expressive
techniques to effectively
portray mood and
meaning within the
context of style and
genre
Working across stage Content Elaborations
9-10.5.1 Refining technique, with emphasis on movement clarity,
projection and focus, in preparation for performance
9-10.5.2 Displaying an awareness of how relationship between audience
and performer/s is established, and demonstrating the ability to establish
this relationship in varying contexts
Possible lesson questions – relationship: What is my relationship to the
space, the ensemble and the audience in a large auditorium with a raised
stage and what type of projection is needed in this instance? How can I
include the audience and maintain ensemble relationship when performing
in the round? In what way do I change my projection when performing for
different audiences, for example, very young children?
9-10.5.3 Identifying ways in which to respond flexibly, artistically and
safely, in unforeseen circumstances or in the event of mishap, so as to
safely maintain performance, if possible and appropriate
Possible lesson questions: What shall I do if another ensemble member
performs a sequence incorrectly and this impacts on my own sequencing?
How should I respond if I forget an element of the choreography? Under
what circumstances is it no longer safe to continue performing?
9-10.5.4 Performing choreographed sequences as intended, showing the
choreographer’s vision and style
9-10.5.5 Using expressive elements effectively to enhance performance
and communicate meaning
9-10.6 Practise and
refine movement to
proficiently portray
dynamics, tempo,
weight, time and flow,
relationship and
movement
communication
Working across stage Content Elaborations
9-10.6.1 Revealing qualities in the story, poem or music by integrating
movement dynamics, including acceleration/deceleration, tempo, weight,
time and flow, when rehearsing and performing
9-10.6.2 Intensively practising threefold walking and foot placement, in
terms of both fluidity and varied tension, thereby enabling time and flow,
tempo, dynamics, for example - piano/forte, and movement qualities, for
example - dark/light, to be shown through the step
9-10.6.3 Identifying beat and rhythm in the music and refining the capacity
to show and/or manipulate these elements when creating and performing
9-10.6.4 Practising concentration, rod and ball exercises to the point of
virtuosity
Possible lesson questions - skill development: How can you use object
manipulation safely to enhance posture, timing, fluidity, spatial awareness
and movement communication?
9-10.7 Explore cultural
elements, as expressed
through movement,
from both ancient and
modern societies,
including the Ancient
Cultural Epochs, and
works from Asian and
Aboriginal and Torres
Strait Islander peoples
Year 9 Content Elaborations
9.7.1 Exploring movement styles and dances from Asian and Aboriginal
and Torres Strait Islander heritage including traditional forms of
dance/movement as well as current practices and new developments
Year 10 Content Elaborations
10.7.1 Developing and exploring Eurythmy gesture indications for the
cultural epochs and applying these gestures when practising poems and
music relating to past cultures including: Ancient India; Stories from the
Old Testament; Ancient Persia; Babylon and Egypt; Ancient Greece; and
Rome
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Content Description
Content Elaborations
9-10.8 Evaluate their
own choreography and
performance, and that
of others, to inform and
refine future work
Working across stage Content Elaborations
9-10.8.1 Identifying and critically discussing the correlation between
choreography, sound and the piece with which one is working
Possible lesson questions: How successfully did the group
choreography represent the three voices in the music? Were Apollonian or
Dionysian form principles most suitable when choreographing sequences
to a particular poem?
9-10.8.2 Recognising personal capacities and identifying elements to
improve and refine so as to further develop choreography and
performance
9-10.8.3 Considering feedback to develop objective, self-evaluation skills
and assessing if their choreographic intent has been successfully
conveyed
9-10.8.4 Providing feedback to others respectfully, recognising
achievements and enabling refinement of work
9-10.9 Appreciate and
compare eurythmy and
dance styles from a
range of periods and
genres, and identify and
discuss influences and
impulses underpinning
the development of
artistic movement styles
Year 10 Content Elaborations
10.9.1 Identifying and critically discussing the ways in which culture, time
and place influences dance styles, including eurythmy and dances
choreographed by people who are of Aboriginal and Torres Straight
Islander decent
10.9.2 Considering the position of eurythmy within the context of global
and Australian dance trends
10.9.3 Investigating and identifying differing views and philosophies and
how these might influence creating and performing
Working across stage Content Elaborations
9-10.9.1 Investigating eurythmy and dance from a range of genres and
periods, and identifying and critically discussing the ways in which
eurythmy and elements of dance/artistic movement have been used to
express meaning and how styles change within varying contexts
9-10.9.2 Exploring and identifying the impact technological development
and digital technology, for example, sound, lighting, visual effects, social
media and video sharing sites, has had on creating and performing
eurythmy and dance, and on societal awareness and appreciation of
movement art forms
Possible lesson questions: How have technological developments, such
as electrical lighting or recorded music, affected movement performance?
What does live music contribute to a performance? How do
choreographers and/or production designers combine kinaesthetic and
visual elements? What has image/video sharing enabled and how has this
impacted on eurythmy/dance creating and performing?
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Year 10 rehearsal
Year 10
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Examples of knowledge and skills appropriate for students in Eurythmy at Years 9 and 10
In Years 9 and 10, students expand and extend their knowledge of eurythmic elements and their ability
to use these elements creatively when making and performing. They build on and refine their
knowledge, understanding and skills through eurythmic practices, focusing on:
Body






Physical body awareness as well as feeling ‘body’ awareness
Body part articulation, weight transfer and zones
Vertical, horizontal and combination
Movement stream and movement sculpturing
Starting point of eurythmic movement (rhythmic system; collarbone)
Metabolic/limb system, rhythmic system, nerve/sense system
Space
 All aspects of space used in increasingly complex and refined ways - Inner and outer,
expansion and contraction, orientation, direction, dimension, height, shape, active and passive
space, positive and negative space, planes, pathways, general space, personal space and
performance space
 Muscular sculpting (speech eurythmy)
Time, Dynamics, Pitch and Musicality in Tone and Speech
 All aspects of time in relation to language, music and movement - meter, beat, tempo,
momentum, duration, accent, phrasing, rhythmic patterns, past/present/future and stillness
 Streaming through skeletal structure (tone eurythmy)
 All aspects of dynamics in relation to language, music and movement – for example:
differentiated movement qualities applied to varied material and in a range of contexts; plosive
sounds/breath sounds/water sound/vowel sounds etc.; weight, force and energy
 Musicality – foot placement; gesture nuancing; stresses; melody, intonation, pitch, phrasing,
breaths, pauses; the body becomes the instrument through which music and speech is made
visible
Relationships
 Various groupings and spatial relationships
 ‘Soul’ feeling in relation to movement and the space around the body to reveal emotive and
subtle feeling qualities in story, poetry and music
 Ensemble awareness and audience/performer relationship
Technical skills
 Extending technical competence in all aspects of eurythmy – for example: coordination;
orientation/directions in space; gesture and form clarity; form and gesture combinations;
gesture and step differentiation; general fluidity; contrast; movement communication; moving
the space around the body and between class members; tension and release; accuracy; and
endurance
Expressive skills
 Representation of polarity and contrast
 Epoch and cultural representations through gestalt, gesture and step
 Extending confidence, clarity of movement and intension, projection, movement
communication, focus, musicality and expression of creative speech
Safe practices
 Knowledge and structure or musculoskeletal system
 Identify potential safety hazards when using copper rods and other props
 Identifying potential safety hazards in a eurythmy studio or venue
Choreographic Focus
 Style chosen in response to the nature of the poem or music
 As appropriate to choreographic intent
©SEA:ASCF
DANCE A: EURYTHMY Curriculum Years K-10
www.steinereducation.edu.au
Version: April 2015
Page 46 of 47
Examples of knowledge and skills appropriate for students in Eurythmy at Years 9 and 10
Choreographic forms
 Variations of point and periphery in increasing complexity
 Apollonian
 Dionysian
 Interval
 Major & minor, tonic, dominant, sub-dominant
 Multi-voiced music
 Forms choreographed by Rudolf Steiner
Conceptual Understanding Appropriate for this Stage
Students:
 Conceptually understand all aspects of eurythmy presented up to the end of the stage (note:
additional content is brought in Years 11 & 12)
 Identify and critically explore form principles underpinning gesture, patterning and
choreography
 Know and explain the relationship between the musculoskeletal system and music and speech
 Explore and discuss the seat of thinking, feeling, willing in the human being
 Explore and discuss the concepts of macrocosm/microcosm
 Experience Self in the present by grappling with polarity (Year 9)
 Understand and explain the evolution of consciousness past to present (Year 10)
 Explore and critically investigate the relationship between eurythmy and other movement arts
 Explore and discuss the role of choreography and factors influencing choreographic choice
 Identify an articulate the influence technological development has had on movement arts and
eurythmy
Years 9 and 10 Achievement Standard
By the end of Year 10, students identify, consider and discuss elements of eurythmy and the relationship
between eurythmic movement, and speech, music and principles of form. They explore factors which
influence choreographic choice, and discuss how these factors are expressed in eurythmy that they
make, perform and view. They evaluate the position of eurythmy within the context of artistic movement
in general, and assess the impact culture, place and time has on the development of artistic movement
expressions.
Students learn, rehearse and perform archetypal eurythmy gestures and formations and choreograph
eurythmy sequences by combining and nuancing these gestures and formations to give artistic
expression to poetry and music and to communicate their understanding and experience of speech, tone
and form principles, as well as their choreographic inspiration. They choreograph, rehearse and perform
eurythmy, demonstrating technical and expressive skills appropriate to the genre, poetry and music.
i
Steiner, R. lecture to Eurythmists,11th July 1924
Steiner, R. 1995, The Kingdom of Childhood, Lecture 6, Torquay, England, August 1924, GA311, Anthroposophic
Press, NY
iii Mier, Dorothea, in introduction to Eurythmy as Visible Singing, lectures by Rudolf Steiner, available at
http://wn.rsarchive.org/Lectures/GA278/English/AMTRP1996/EuViSg_forward.html
iv Form and verse by Diane Tatum, Kamaroi Rudolf Steiner School
v Tatum, Diane; Class IV Eurythmy Teaching manual : Vikings, Gods and Giants
vi Form by Elizabeth Chan, Glenaeon Rudolf Steiner School
ii
©SEA:ASCF
DANCE A: EURYTHMY Curriculum Years K-10
www.steinereducation.edu.au
Version: April 2015
Page 47 of 47