The Dalcroze System of Musical Education Still Has Validity to Day

I realize that the majority of my readers onin London. My class was taught a maypole dance.
seeing the word "eurhythmics" will think of AnnieAll I can remember of the event is looking up at
Lennox and Dave Stewart of the famous popthe plaited ribbons and feeling ill at ease in my
group of the same name. My reference point,drab green tunic.
however, is the same as Annie Lennox whoJacques Dalcroze considered the rhythmic
named the group after the movement techniquemovements in eurhythmics to be a form of
she learnt in school.musical education. As far as he was concerned
Expressed succinctly eurhythmics (also speltthey were not an end in themselves or a form of
eurhthmics) can be defined as "harmonious bodilydance. Nevertheless, his methods were an
movement as a form of artistic expression -important influence on 20th century theatrical
specifically, the Dalcroze system of musicaldance, especially in European and American
education in which bodily movements are used tomodern dance.
represent musical rhythms."To early modern dancers eurhythmics were
Eurhythmics was developed around 1905 by aconsidered to be an alternative, nonballetic
Swiss musician called Emile Jaques Dalcroze. Hechoreographic technique. Ruth St. Denis used
was a Professor of Harmony at the Genevaeurhythmic principles in her work. Mary Wigman
Conservatory. He felt that the conventional wayand Doris Humphrey, turned their backs on
of training professional musicians was verymusically influenced choreography and developed
unsatisfactory. He was looking for a way tonew forms of pure dance.
improve his students musical abilities throughIn the word of ballet, Sergei Diaghilev was one of
increasing their sensitivity to rhythm and throughthe first people to become interested in the
this he hoped to enable them to bring deeperDalcroze system and Nijinsky's revolutionary "The
personal interpretations to the music they played.Rite of Spring" choreographed in 1913 for
He believed that this would enable students toDiaghilev's company shows strong eurhythmic
experience music at a more visceral level.influences. Marie Rambert,and Hanya Holm were
His method was founded on rhythmicpupils of Jaques Dalcroze and through them and
movements of the body, ear training and voice orothers contemporary ballet and theatre dance
instrumental improvisations. All exercises werehave been influenced by eurhythmics.
designed to develop deeper powers ofThere are many parts of the world where
concentration and fast physical responses. Theeurhyhmics are totally unnecessary. There are still
motivation and inspiration for the movement isinnumerable societies where the rhythms of life
the rhythm of the music.and music are understood at their deepest levels.
A eurhymics teacher needs an analytical, focussedIn the areas of West Africa with which I am
and imaginative mind. They must be able tofamiliar mothers carry their babies tied to their
watch how people move and analysize thatbacks. This way they experience every
movement to use it to form the basis of anmovement that she makes. When mother bends
exercise. The system was about humandown, baby changes position in space, when she
movement as a response to musical rhythm.tenses her muscles, when she laughs the baby
There are no steps or choreography to be learn.experiences the change in movement. Women
Dalcroze did not consider eurhymics to be adance with their babies on their backs. The
dance form or a type of therapy. Later it was toamazing result is that by the time the child can
be used for both these purposes.walk it knows the dances having learnt them on
In Dalcroze's system time is shown bytheir mothers' back.
movements of the arms, and time duration (noteI was doing research in Northern Ghana which is
values) by movements of the feet and body. Foran area where dances consist of much leaping
example a quarter note is shown by a single step.and twirling. As the men priouette their batakari's
The teacher would play one or two bars of music(smocks) billow out like open umbrellas. There was
which the student then actively performed asa transistor radio on the ground playing local music
movements while the teacher played the nextto which a little boy of about eighteen months
two bars. So the student has to listen to a newwas dancing. Round and round he whirled with a
rhythm while performing the one already heard.happy smile on his face. Finally he became dizzy
These exercises required and helped to developand fell over. He sat in the dust waiting for the
the students' concentration. Some of his exercisesgiddiness to pass. Then he got up and started to
were deceptively simple.dance again. He was already dancing to the
Jaques Dalcroze first applied his new method torhythm of Life. He had an understanding and
children in elementary schools. Young children areknowledge which no one would ever be able to
so delightfully open to trying new things withouttake away from him.
preconceived ideas. The activity just needs toIt would be highly misleading to give the
hold their attention. After this in 1910 he set-up animpression that everyone in West Africa is a
institute near Dresden and a Central School wasnatural dancer. My late father Dr.S.D. Cudjoe was
later established in Geneva. To-day there arefrom the coastal area of the Volta Region in
institutes of eurhythmics in London, Paris, Berlin,Ghana. I remember him telling me how if a man
Stockholm and New York City. The method iswas dancing badly the drummers stopped playing,
taught in schools throughout Europe and theforcing the person to retire to the sidelines.
Western Hemisphere.However, women dancers were tolerated no
I was exposed to the method as a child at schoolmatter what and the drummers continued playing!