Dalcroze Eurhythmics with Lisa Parker

A Eurhythmics introduction and demonstration with Lisa Parker, director of the Dalcroze Eurhythmics program at the Longy School of Music in Cambridge, MA. Lisa discusses Eurhythmics, its goals and benefits through a lesson on measure shape.
Learn more about Eurhythmics at www.dalcrozeusa.org
Learn more about Lisa Parker at www.longy.edu/a...
Lisa Parker received her Dalcroze training at the New York Dalcroze School under Dr. Hilda Schuster. In 1965 she earned the Diplome, the highest degree in Dalcroze studies at the Institut Jacques-Dalcroze in Geneva, Switzerland. She is a graduate cum laude of Smith College and received a MM from New England Conservatory of Music in Orchestral Conducting. She was conductor of the New England Conservatory Youth Singers for six years.
Lisa arrived in Boston in 1959 and began the exciting work of introducing the Dalcroze Method in area music schools: NEC, where she taught until 1971, Powers Music School, All Newton Music School, the Wellesley, North Shore and Boston branches of NEC Prep. Most of these programs are still running, taught by alumni of the Longy Dalcroze program.
She has taught at Longy since 1977 and worked to build a department which is recognized and praised throughout the Dalcroze world. In 2003, Lisa was awarded the first George Seaman award for excellence in teaching.
She has given workshops in Dalcroze Eurhythmics in many European countries as well as Canada, Australia, Israel, Japan and Taiwan. She has taught at every International Congress at the Institut Jacques-Dalcroze since 1979. She is a frequent workshop leader in workshops all over the USA.
Lisa has created many musical shows for children, which are innovative, interactive, improvisational and original. All of these shows, which combine story, movement, improvisation, as well as classical and folk music, have been performed at Longy as part of the Family Concert Series:Bartok, the Story of Bela Bartok, Kipling’s How the Elephant Got His Trunk, A Musical Zoo and The Bells of Merliee with author and singer Jennifer Smith.
She is the founder of Longy’s Music Alive, a group of eight players, originally with Young Audiences of Massachusetts and known for Curious George Goes to Music School and Sebastian, the Story of J.S. Bach, both of which have palyed for many years on the Longy Family Series concerts.
Lisa taught for three years at the Stearns Institute at Ravinia, working with singers on rhythm as well as dramatic expression. She has also played numerous two-piano improvisation concerts with colleague Anne Farber from New York.
This video was produced by Greg Ristow for the Dalcroze Society of America.
The art visible in the background is Billow and Five Dogwoods by artist Nancy Blum, on display in the Colorado State University Art Museum. (The DSA offers its thanks to the museum, its staff, and Ms. Blum.)