Dear Friends of Eurythmy, November 2024

There is a real need and shortage of eurythmists and eurythmy teachers in North America. Pacific Eurythmy is striving to make training and eurythmy more accessible to a broader community.

Pedagogical eurythmy, alongside form drawing, are the two subjects completely unique to Waldorf education. The benefits of routine eurythmy practice are hard to enumerate. Intellectual learning is digested and reinforced. Social skills, musical, tonal and spatial awareness, phonics, integration of infantile reflexes, not to mention experiences of teamwork, humor, beauty and artistic expression are all brought into balance within weekly eurythmy classes. It’s all done as a matter of course; experienced through live music, stories, and challenging games. Importantly, it’s done; willfully engaging the body, soul and spirit. How fortunate are students who enjoy a complete Waldorf education?

Why do we need to use the qualifier “complete?” Without students who experience the power of this movement art in school, who will carry it into the future? What would happen to Waldorf education without eurythmists? How can we address this crisis?

This June, a group of Waldorf teachers remarked that pedagogical eurythmy programs in Waldorf schools seemed increasingly rare.  Amanda Leonard, a eurythmist in Portland, OR,  took up this question, and the results of her research are eye-opening:

Of the 118 Waldorf schools in North America, only 39% had eurythmy teachers last year.

Let’s reflect on this for a moment. Of all the students who are lucky enough to attend a Waldorf school, slightly more than a third have regular eurythmy teachers. Traveling teachers who provide intervals or “blocks” of lessons are a compromise to fill this gap, but a preponderance of Waldorf students don’t get to do eurythmy, much less regularly deepen and experience a progression through a full pedagogical program. Only ten schools in North America have positions posted. This can be seen as evidence that there is, and has been for quite a while, a real lack of trained eurythmists to teach at Waldorf Schools. We need to change this!

The Association for Waldorf Schools in North America (AWSNA) responded by saying that we’re already pretty far down this road; that we have a eurythmy teacher shortage.

Many solutions will be required, but here is one: Pacific Eurythmy training. This program, which is mentored by and feeds into Spring Valley Eurythmy, is aligned with the Section of the Performing Arts in Dornach, Switzerland. 

Please do what you can to support this qualified initiative. Faculty have created a vital course of study and attracted students, but cultivating this tender sprout will take awareness, funds, and spreading the word. Every kind of contribution is greatly appreciated! 

Donations may be made using the button below

Or sent to: Pacific Eurythmy at 7955 SE 79th Ave. Portland, OR 97206 

Please make checks payable to Portland Eurythmy.

In movement,

Jolanda Frischknecht, Carrie Mass (Faculty)

Francine Adams, Amanda Leonard, Virginia Berg (Advisory Group)

Pacific Eurythmy

Your contribution is tax deductible to the full extent of the law