Curriculum Spotlight: Introduction to Eurythmy in the Classroom by Elsa Macauley

Eurythmy is an art form that is FUN!  It also takes concentration.  When working with Eurythmy, the lessons are planned according to the development of the growing child so that there is enough challenge to allow for individual growth, and enough success to build self-confidence. 

I began doing Eurythmy as a part of my Waldorf Teacher Training when I lived in Chicago.  I loved the way that the sounds of speech were able to become gesture so that poetry could be moved.  I began to experience the spoken word in a new way. 

In my youth I enjoyed singing in choirs and playing percussion in band and orchestra.  I also had a love for poetry and theater.  After doing Eurythmy, I was amazed that there was an art form which existed to help us deepen our relationship to language and to music while building new dynamic movement skills. 

These skills helped me to integrate what I was hearing into my own body.  My movement became an expression for poetry, grammar, rhythms, musical tones and intervals.  The forms which we moved in space were challenging to remember, and my consciousness had to be both within myself and in the surroundings.  I became more aware of the influence my movements had on those around me.  My coordination improved, and my thinking became clearer and deeper.

After having these experiences, I decided that I would become a Eurythmist.  I graduated from the Waldorf Teacher Training and moved New York to learn Eurythmy at Eurythmy Spring Valley.  After four years of full-time study I graduated and began to teach children and adults. 

Depending on the age of the children in a class the activities will differ.  Each class includes poetry or stories which relate to the curriculum accompanied by movement gestures of the sounds of speech; choreography in space of straight and curved lines in various degrees of difficulty including mirror picture forms and geometric forms as the children grow older; work with copper balls or rods to allow the children to find their own center as well as interact with each other; and musical elements of melody, rhythm and beat.

The fifth grade is now working on moving the five-pointed star which is the geometrical archetype of many flowers.  To move the star together they need to be able to both know their own path of travel from one point of the star to the next, and be aware of the others so that they pass without cutting anyone off.  They are at once centered within their own intention and movement and aware of those around them. 

To complement their botany block, I’ve brought them the photographic work of Karl Blossfeldt.  After looking through a book of his complete work, one of the students said, “Karl was a genius!”  The students picked out several photographs of flowers, for which they then came up with forms and gestures.  The photo shown is the first of Karl’s photographs which we moved in space.

In middle school the students are going through a lot of changes in the growth of their bones as well as a new experience of their inner emotions.  In class, we are focused on regulating rhythms as well as going into levity and gravity.  One of these students recently wrote a short paragraph about his experience of his Eurythmy class.  His last statement was, “At the end of every Eurythmy class I feel enlightened.” Of course, as a Eurythmy teacher I can’t be more pleased to hear this!  Pedagogical Eurythmy strives to allow each student to come to a deeper experience of themselves and to bring them into harmony with the world.   - Elsa Macauley

Eurythmy Class, written by JJ Savage

In my eurythmy class there is a multitude of activities Masai and I do. First, we swap out outside shoes with our eurythmy shoes. After that, we take eight eurythmy rods and set them up like train tracks. Then we use the formation of the rods as an obstacle course. Next we do a geometric form using our arms and legs. Later we balance the rods on our heads and walk back and forth. Finally, we end with a closing verse that includes eurythmic movements. At the end of every eurythmy class I feel enlightened.

Of Horses and Waldorf Education by Jose Bosch

Winston S. Churchill once said, “There is something about the outside of a horse that is good for the inside of a man”, and I could not be more in agreement.  When I was six, my father took me to a local trail barn for my first horseback riding experience.  While the string of horses were being saddled, I wandered over to a nearby fenced pasture, admiring a large dark bay horse standing at the top of a hill in the distance.  As I climbed the fence rail for a better look, the horse turned suddenly and began to gallop in my direction.  He bound directly towards me, covering the ground quickly with each graceful, powerful leap. I stood there, frozen to the fence rail in awe and fear, when this large creature slid to a halt just a few feet from me. I could not move.  The horse towered over me, breathing me in and out, his head high above mine. Our eyes locked. Taking one more deep breath in, the horse's nostrils flared and he exhaled vigorously, blowing wet, cold snot all over my face. The horse turned and walked away, his interest in me satisfied. I, on the other hand, was hooked. "Horse fever”, well-known by equestrians everywhere, took me over and never left. 

Jose and Otis in their previous careers as competitive Cross Country horse and rider.

Many years later, a professional equestrian trainer, I had the pleasure of working with a fellow trainer in her therapeutic horseback riding program. I saw before me the magic and power of those horses helping the inside of humans in need.  The children and adults served by this program were struggling with Autism, Sensory Integrative Dysfunction, Learning and Language Disabilities, Attention Deficit Disorder, Developmental Delays, Emotional and Psychological Challenges, and more.  

How can one animal provide so much benefit to such a range of individuals? The answer lies in the horse’s natural makeup and has been known since Hippocrates wrote about the horse’s therapeutic abilities for humans in 400 B.C. First of all, a horse's physical constitution and movement benefits riders with diverse needs. The horses natural gait, which mimics that of a human – variable, rhythmic, and repetitive – coupled with the animal's body warmth, provides a combination of sensory, motor, and neurological inputs that deliver a wide array of therapeutic effects. Equine assisted activities and therapies are now widely recognized as having a spectrum of benefits both physical and psychological, that often supercede the effects of traditionally administered therapies. Studies have shown that the benefits of Equine Therapy include improvements in assertiveness, emotional awareness, empathy, stress tolerance, flexibility, strength, impulse control, and interpersonal relationship skills to name a few.  

However, the greatest benefit horses have for children and adults struggling with ADHD, autism, and other learning, developmental, and social, emotional, or psychological challenges, is that the horse is a mirror of these struggles. Horses are prey animals, prone to nervousness, suspicion, and hyperawareness. As horses, they also don't pretend at anything else - they behave however they are feeling - anxious, bold, relaxed, confused, and so forth. In working with horses, we need to be for them exactly who we need to be for ourselves when we struggle with feelings such as anxiety, fear, or confusion. This process - the process of finding a way to be for the horse what we need to be for ourselves, is the most powerful benefit of working with horses.

As Waldorf teachers, we have learned to work inwardly, to develop capacities and forces so that we can help foster the healthy development of our students. Working with horses will allow our students to develop their inner capacities to overcome challenges in life. Since being at Otto Specht School, I have seen incredible break throughs, moments of joy, and connections made. I look forward to guiding students in the unique experiences that caring for and riding on horses will bring. 

#Giving Tuesday OSS

Otto Specht School has joined #GivingTuesday, a pioneering effort to harness the collective power of partners charities, families, businesses, and individuals. The movement is transforming how people think, talk about, and participate in the giving season. Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, and Cyber Monday have become recognized days of holiday shopping. #GivingTuesday brings attention to philanthropy, donations, and kind actions - a movement we can really get behind!

We encourage you to give a gift on Tuesday, November 28, 2017 that will help bring the horses home to OS! We are so excited to be adding rescued mustang Otis to our staff to begin our Therapeutic Riding program! Your donation will help us complete the infrastructure he needs, find him a friend, and provide the necessary care, food, and supplies. We are fortunate to have been gifted the horse and some supplies already and now we need you to get us the rest of the way! Join together with the Otto Specht School community by making your gift on this national day of giving. GIVE NOW! This year, every dollar you give to support Otto Specht School on #GivingTuesday will be matched (up to $6,500) by parents and teachers who are willing to go the extra mile to make this happen and challenge you to get involved as well. With this exciting incentive, we are hoping to outdo ourselves.

If you have been waiting until the right time to make a gift, this is it. And if your employer offers a match, you are in a unique position to TRIPLE YOUR IMPACT.

Please consider making a gift in honor of a friend or family member. In doing so, you will be able to share Otto Specht School with someone who might otherwise not know about us. By introducing new people to the school now, you are creating the potential for supporters in the future. We also ask that you share our messages on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and of course by word of mouth. Your endorsements and support are critical to the success of this one day campaign.

In the spirit of #GivingTuesday, I hope you will make your gift to the school on November 28th, so that it will be twice as powerful!

Have questions? Contact Chela Crane at ccrane@ottospecht.org.