From the Editor

I can’t resist the cliché. You know the one: the buds appearing, the flowers opening, the renewal of life… It’s appropriate for so many reasons.

Let’s start with the the Conference taking place in Princeton, New Jersey from June 20th to June 24th. A glance at the list of presentations, workshops, demonstrations and performances (see www.dalcrozeusa.org for more information) actually suggest more of an abundant harvest than the green shoots. I am particularly excited about the pre-conference Symposium taking place June 20th – 21st. The theme – “Flow in Performance” – will be explored not only from the influential model created by Csikszentmihalyi, but also through such related topics as embodied cognition, gesture, and improvisation. A wide variety of fields will be represented, including neuroscience, music theory, musicology, education and motor control. The breadth and depth of the presentations bodes well for the reemergence of the American Dalcroze Journal in Winter 2017 as a peer-reviewed journal.

Then, from June 22nd to the 24th the full slate of Eurhythmics, Rhythmic Solfège, and Improvisation classes we offer will allow conference-goers to experience flow from many Dalcrozian vantage points.¹ The schedule is rounded out with demonstrations in pedagogy, as well as performances and opportunities to connect with others both musically and socially. The event culminates with a special banquet during which we will honor master teacher Anne Farber.

In addition to sharing our work as Dalcroze educators and practitioners, the conference will give us an opportunity to share and discuss some of the work of the DSA itself, which includes last fall’s historic approval of the Dalcroze Certificate Teacher Training Manual: The T2 Program. The manual sets forth standards and practices for Dalcroze Certification and lays the foundation for a new system of accreditation that training programs in the United States have authorized the DSA to administrator on their behalf. Our new handbook, the result of hundreds of collective hours of discussion and consensus building by the Professional Development Committee (PDC), a DSA board-mandated committee made up of American Diplôme and License holders is the first of its kind in this country. This past spring the DSA membership approved it in an online vote (another first). There was no significant opposition posed by the approximately 33% of the membership that participated in this vote. All DSA members who attend the General Meeting taking place at our national conference will have further opportunities to ask questions about the manual and learn more about the accreditation process. Congratulations to the PDC on this major achievement!

In past conferences, the General Meeting has also served as the forum for voting on the slate of candidates for the new Board offered by the Nominating Task Force. According to the new Bylaws adopted last summer, on a yearly basis on or around the Summer Solstice, the Board of Trustees now appoints its own members to staggered terms and elects its own Executive Committee, consisting of the President, Vice-President, Treasurer, and Secretary. In a nod to tradition, the Trustees will invite the membership to join them in voting to approve the current slate: William Bauer, President; Jeremy Dittus, Vice President; Anthony Molino, Treasurer; and Eunjin Lee, Secretary. An especially big salute goes to Kathryn Jones, who has served on the Board for several years, and as the DSA’s Treasurer for six years. Her service is all the more impressive considering the fact she has been simultaneously serving in the same capacity for the TriState Chapter. Thank you Kathryn! Thank you, as well, to Jessica Schaeffer, for stepping into the role of Interim Secretary at a time when we sorely needed one!

And of course here is the second issue of Dalcroze Connections. You have some interesting reading in store. The authors in this issue are each exploring special applications the Dalcroze work: Melissa Tucker inspires with an engaging account of her experiences with seniors; Adam Cole discovers connections between Dalcroze and Feldenkrais; and Patrick Cerria advocates for Dalcroze Education to meet the challenges of public schooling. Each of these writers provides further evidence that the revolutionary practice begun over 100 years ago by Emile Jaques-Dalcroze continues to evolve, grow, and make a beneficial impact on the world.

See you at the Conference!

Michael Joviala