Eurhythmy

What it means

Eurhythmy, from the Greek for “good measure” or “beautiful flow,” denotes a balanced, harmonious relationship of movement. It means that the parts of a rhythmic shape – notes, steps, or syllables – stand in a coherent relationship and are experienced as a natural, flowing course.

Musical use

The term comes from ancient art theory and became in music a basic concept of a teaching that understands rhythm as bodily experienced movement. It links music, dance, and speech: a line of verse, a melody, and a dance step can follow the same ordering principle.

Eurhythmy should be distinguished from metre, which describes only the regular counting unit, and from arrhythmia, the absence of a recognisable coherence of movement. It is also to be kept apart from the later eurythmy of the anthroposophic movement art, which is a separate teaching of its own.

Performance practice

When making music, make sure phrases feel like one connected movement rather than a string of single notes. Try moving to the music, walk or clap the pulse, and look for the phrase’s point of weight: this makes its inner flow tangible.