Fabian Bautz (Switzerland) "Dalcroze Essentials: Eurhythmics in Primary School"
"Dalcroze Essentials: Eurhythmics in Primary School"
A three-session short course with Fabian Bautz (Switzerland)
My main goal is to plant new seeds on how we can connect with the children in our classes. To achieve that, I wish to create a flexible atmosphere where communicating, sharing, playing together, and experimenting is central. I hope this short course will nourish participants' trust: in the moment, in themselves and their inspiration, and the multitude of possible solutions while in class.
One central learning objective of my class is the role of play and creation in the moment. In that process we cannot help but reconnect to our own playfulness. Another one is to implement `questions & dialogue´ as the primary guardrail for cooperation with the children.
I will come up with lots of questions, to be discussed together and in break-out rooms. We will also play with physical objects, using the `famous´ four parameters (Time, Space, Dynamic, and Form); and explore children’s songs of course. We will discuss the importance and role of rituals, “Experiencing - Recognizing - Naming” as a guideline for exercises, and sculptural gestalts in 2D (floor) and 3D (within the room).
In the best of cases, participants in this course will have profound experiences of themselves, and of their ways of teaching. They will develop deeper curiosity and flexibility in their relationship with the children, and be encouraged to try different and new approaches whenever necessary (together with the children ;-)
This short course is for participants who seek to both guide and foster
a co-creative environment with children. We will discuss applications in a Eurythmics context, but special training is not required and participants may apply their learning in other contexts as well.
Each of the 3 sessions of the short course will include:
- Questions, statements, and reports about Eurhythmics in school today (specifications, global differences, challenging situations etc.)
- Practical experience and examples with physical material such as hoops, blocks, tennis or wooden balls, rattles.
- Children´s songs as a starting point for creating and demonstrating exercises (practicing spontaneity).
- Coordination exercises for our own awareness and flexibility.
- Discussion and exchange in breakout rooms.
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C. Fabian Bautz holds Diplomas in eurythmics, music education, TaKeTiNa Rhythm-Teaching, and Humanistic Psychology. Based in Switzerland since 2001, he has taught Improvisation classes at the Formation Continue of IJD in Geneva, graduate eurhythmics classes at the University of Theater Music in Zürich, and the Lucerne University of Music. Decades of teaching children directly, and of mentoring those who teach them, have shaped and nourished his understanding and approach to eurhythmics. Since 2019 he is working for the HSLU´s Department of Continuing Education in Lucerne. Fabian is a former board member of Rhythmik-Schweiz, and of FIER (president 2019-2023).
This short course was originally given March 17-April 1, 2026.
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