The Summer Eurythmy Week August 7-14 2015, in Angus Ontario

The Summer Eurythmy Week August 7-14 2015, in Angus Ontario, was full of surprises!   After driving past endless fields, hills, cows  and forests, it was a miracle to arrive at tranquil “Camphill Nottawasaga!”  My mouth dropped open when I saw the “Novalis Hall.”  What empowering architecture! The beauty, the wooden floors, the grand piano and the wonderful stage…waiting!  My ideal eurythmy holiday was just beginning.  The nicest surprise was the genuine welcome!  Standing on my point of the seven-pointed star, I felt I belonged.  Thank-you to all who shared their space with us, prepared our lovely meals, put us up, and applauded our performances.  Gabrielle Schneider held the many practical, artistic and social strands together with her light touch.  She led us through many basic exercises such as “I and You”, “The Energy and Peace Dance”, “The wishes of the Soul”…and we found them inwardly nourishing and formative.

And surprise!  We had to do two public performances….That meant we had to work and not  shirk, during our intensive days together!  Gabrielle also invited her lay class to join us, and they fuelled the work with their enthusiasm!  I realised how lucky I am to be a trained eurythmist…and that eurythmy needs to be shared in the world. A real circle of friends grew out of the heartbeat of eurythmy.

Professional eurythmists from the East and West of Canada met in the centre. Johanna from Chicago and Marjorie Taliano Nordaas from the North (Oslo, Norway) completed the compass making us fourteen participants.

Marjorie had been touring her M.A. program ”Remembering Fuego” with her gifted concert pianist Jie Zhang, who incidently played for some of our tone classes and my Schubert “Nocturne” solo!  Marjorie gave a professional performance, a tremendous master class on Grieg’s Tone Form, leading us into the elemental quality of Norway, and shared indications for flute.

One afternoon we bathed in the sweet sounds of a lyre duo, John Billing and Chio, who made a stop on their international tour.  Other fun moments included roasting potatoes on the campfire, washing  endless dishes, clay modelling, the cows (which Gabrielle called the “kindergarten”) and chatting in the change room amidst the flurry of dresses and veils.

I can’t wait to see “Nymph and Goblin” again, and the four Elements” by the Barrie Group.  What an achievement!

Moving forward in the same spirit of community building through eurythmy, I would like to announce a summer eurythmy conference for Eurythmists and Enthusiasts, here in beautiful Nova Scotia!

August 17-21   For more information, contact me on 902 466-7735 or email: margaret_osmond@live.ca