Book Review – How the New Art of Eurythmy Began

If you are new to eurythmy and want to get a good feel for it, I have got a book for you! How the New Art of Eurythmy Began: Lory Maier-Smits, the First Eurythmist by Magdelene Seigloch is a fantastic book that takes a look into the life of the first eurythmist, Lory Maier-Smits, and how she helped in the development of eurythmy. It shows her dedication and sacrifice…. even belief, in the work she set forth to do.

In reading about her life, you can see what lead her to seek out this new art form of movement. Rudolf Steiner was waiting for someone he could use as an instrument to get this form of movement out to the world! Lory came along at the right time. It was as if she had been prepared for it her whole life. The conversations she has with Steiner are so sweet. You can tell Steiner cared about the people he worked with just as much as he cared about his work and his purpose. Lory did not live near Steiner, so she received instruction bit by bit. He would give her a little and she would work on it for a few months. Then they would see each other again, and it would be another few months. Her work and dedication to learning what she had been taught was incredible! Days, practicing hours on end, and those days turned into weeks and months, practicing the same thing over and over! That is commitment!

It was quite beautiful to read how it all unfolded. After she had received plenty of instruction, Steiner kind of handed over the reigns to her, allowing her to add some of her own artistic touch to the movements. Of course, he loved everything she did! Like I said, it was as if she was made for this! The book tells of her victories, as well as her struggles to make certain pieces her own, and to make sure it was speaking to her soul correctly. Great advice to live by when working on eurythmy yourself! As she lived out her life, had a family, got older, she was in and out of work with eurythmy, yet it always remained within her. She loved being around the performances and in the schools any chance she got. She was so connected to it. And in being connected to eurythmy, she was connected to nature and creative forces, to the point that the earth even celebrated her life on the day of her funeral services with a lengthy, beautifully arched rainbow!

After reading this book, I felt a little more at ease. It’s okay to make mistakes. It’s okay to add some personal flare, as long as the principles of the gestures remain. I felt enlightened. I felt the desire to practice more and focus more on the feelings of my soul. I felt, as Steiner told Lory, “You must learn to let you heart rise up into your head – not the opposite, letting your head go down into your heart.” After reading that, I asked, What does that mean? What does it mean to me? How can I apply this? I did learn what that meant to me and how to apply it. I also felt the first stirrings of eurythmy and how valuable it truly is to humanity. You will feel the spirit of eurythmy if you read this. You will really understand the depth of it a little more. It will help you to catch the soul of it all!