What type of dances are the Movements?

G. I. Gurdjieff’s Movements cannot be assigned to any common dance form. They can be classified as group dances, whereby all dancers share the music or a common rhythmn.

Is there a choreography?

Each Movement has a unique choreography. Depending on the Movement, the choreography can be the same for all dancers or vary. The bodily gestures, postures and foot patterns are demonstrated by the teacher and rehearsed step by step by the class.

Does the group position itself in a certain formation?

At the beginning of a Movement, the dancers position themselves into rows, consisting each of six people. Each participant is assigned a fixed position in the formation, which it does not leave or only leave temporarily during the course of the dance. The respective column in which the dancer is located is also important in Gurdjieff’s Movements.

Where does the music for Gurdjieff’s Movements come from?

The Movements are accompanied by a pianist on the piano, making use of traditional compositions by Gurdjieff and his students or improvising. The interaction between pianist, teacher and dancers is crucial for the energetic level of the group.

What’s the relation between the individual dancer and the group?

Each participant is seen as part of a larger whole. The dancer is a small cog within a superordinate machinery . The participants‘ tasks are to mobilize their own capacities in order to meet the complex requirements of the Movements regarding precision, relaxation, momentum and rhythm.