Development News – Christine Wardle

We’ve had a very busy few months since the last Newsletter, and I can safely say that we are experiencing a tangible increase in interest in Dalcroze Eurhythmics – not all from the places you might expect!

On 28th June I was at the House of Commons representing Dalcroze UK as Members of the Movement and Dance Division of the Sport and Recreation Alliance (SRA).  The event was organised by the SRA to launch a 7-year long research project entitled “The Social Value of Movement and Dance”.  The ‘star turns’ endorsing this report were Shirley Ballas, Head Judge of Strictly Come Dancing, and Kim Leadbeater, MP for Batley and Spen, and Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group for Sport.   Somehow, Shirley had never heard of Dalcroze Eurhythmics, but she has now!

If you are interested in reading this report, there is a link here https://www.sportandrecreation.org.uk/pages/social-value-of-movement

Dalcroze UK Patrons

We promised you exciting news about a new Dalcroze UK Patron and we delivered on is July with the announcement that Annie Lennox, of Eurythmics fame but now at least as well known for her campaigning work, is our new Patron.  What is exciting for us, particularly, is that Annie was keen to be named our Patron not because she named the band after Dalcroze Eurhythmics (although she did), but rather because she first experienced the method through primary school dance lessons in Aberdeen.  Clearly something she has never forgotten.

In the months since the announcement, we have seen our social media reach up 400%, reactions up 800%, comments up 800% and shares up 1000% on what we would normally expect!  The announcement has been shared world-wide, including by the Institut Jaques-Dalcroze in Geneva.  As you may imagine, Annie receives thousands of requests like ours and most are filtered out by her management team.  Consequently, as she is so fully committed, we have agreed that we will not bother her with requests for appearances or other input.  However, we can confidently say that her appointment as our Patron has successfully raised the profile of Dalcroze UK and of Dalcroze Eurhythmics, so we are very grateful to her.

Partnerships

Perhaps it was the Annie Lennox-effect?  We don’t know, but we now have some concrete projects in the pipeline with the new Shireland CBSO Academy and with Warwick School.   It is still too soon to make any firm announcements, but we hope to be able to do so very soon.

On 3rd October, Adam Hope, Dalcroze UK Trustee and I, visited the Shireland CBSO Academy in West Bromwich, just weeks after it opened, to meet the Director of Music, Dave Harris.   As the first state school in Britain to be established in partnership with an orchestra, it has already received national publicity.  It aims to mark a radical new approach to music education, innovatively addressing the much-publicised decline in the position of the creative arts in many schools.  We presented ideas where we felt Dalcroze Eurhythmics as a method, and Dalcroze UK as an organisation, could help make this happen.

In the meantime, are you interested in teaching opportunities in the Midlands?  Or do you know any Dalcroze-trained teachers who might be?  If so, please let either myself or Jacqueline Vann know.

Membership

Dalcroze UK is all the stronger for the support from Members and we are very grateful for that.  With effect from September, you can now pay your Membership fees by Direct Debit.  Contact Sandi on admin@dalcroze.org.uk for more information.