Eurythmy Festival – “I hear America Singing”

An Echo of the Eurythmy Festival, August 2023

Sponsored by the Eurythmy Association of North America and the Threefold Educational Foundation and School, Chestnut Ridge, New York

by Claudia Fontana

Each morning of the festival began with Du holde Kunst, O holy Art presented differently: as eurythmy solo, instrumental music, singing. Jeanne SimonMcDonald presented it in eurythmy with the vowel concordances in relation to musical intervals. Finally, on the last morning this beloved song was presented in a most hilarious rendition by Jennifer Kleinbach as an aspiring Diva, with her overly enthusiastic pianist, Sue Buffington, pumping the pedals like crazy, forcing the Diva to great pitch and volume! It brought down the house.

Eac h morning the speech artists spoke this verse as a chorus, “In primal days the Earth-Spirit addressed the Heavenly-Spirit.” We all participated in a most creative approach to this verse, led by one of the speech artists.

On the last morning, Dorothea Mier led us through the vowel sequence within the Foundation Stone Meditation. We were divided into two groups facing each other. Simultaneously, the one group did IAO, the other OAI. It was spectacular to experience the power of these different vowel sounds in the space done by so many eurythmists and then the incredible harmony when we were all united in the Ah gesture.

How all the workshops, lectures, rehearsals, lighting etc. were organized was a great feat of planning; and all went so smoothly. The evening performances by the many groups and individuals were the high points. All was so varied, so creative, innovative and colorful! I felt a true commitment, a love for our beloved eurythmy which presented itself here, with work done by individuals working on this continent.

The grand finale took place as a flash mob (pictured above) at the Bethesda Fountain in Central Park arranged by Alexandra Spadea and supported by Rudolf Steiner School alumni. In a big circle of over fifty people, we let our gestures for HALLELUJAH and EVOE soar into the sunshine!