A peaceful quiet descended over the hall last Wednesday, as students from Middle Cove gathered to experience something rare. They were there to watch a eurythmy performance themed ‘Passport to Everywhere’ with poetry from around the world and music from Beethoven to Philip Glass.

Eight adult eurythmy students from Pacifica College demonstrated their training, taking our students on a journey through joyful and earnest works exploring universal themes of human rights, freedom, and equality. They used expressive gestures, intricate spatial forms, colours and moods, to embody and make visible what would otherwise have only been heard and felt. The eurythmist’s inner experience of the music and poetry filled their gestures, creating a palpable fabric of energy that enthralled all those watching. This fabric felt full of life, connection, awareness and beauty, and settled over the audience like a calming blanket.

For our students it was a great opportunity to see what eurythmy actually is, and to experience from the outside how it looks and feels when people move together with intention and awareness. They were very impressed with the eurythmist’s spatial awareness, commenting on how impressive it was that they walked backwards so much yet never once bumped into each other. Others enjoyed the humourous pieces, such as when they all transformed from flowing with the music into a group of sweet meerkats looking out inquisitively.

Pacifica College, under the guidance of Jan Baker-Finch and Josefin Porteous have put together these two programs for primary and for high school students as part of the full-time, four year eurythmy training. They are currently on tour around Australia visiting Steiner schools in Brisbane, Sydney, Adelaide, and Perth. It was wonderful to host them at Glenaeon and collectively witness something beautiful and soothing for the soul.