Man defines Space.
One stands upright and freely, raises one's head to the Height.
One falls into the Depths.
One stands firmly with both feet on the ground with one's hands wide apart in the Width.

One directs one's look and step f o r w a r d to the goal;
so one measures the Length.
One feels the resistive force – b a c k w a r d.
One draws a circle with one's hands;
they are r a y s. The shape of one's head is a picture
of the sphere around it.
So Man puts one's imprint in Space.
Human c o n s c i o u s n e s s is what distinguishes dimensions,
giving them meaning and measure.
One's consciousness is the center,
it defines the direction and interlaces with the sphere around.

Friedrich von Bothmer.

Bothmer gymnastics is another impetus of Anthroposophy, wisdom about Man.

The name of this gymnastics refers to the name of Count Friedrich von Bothmer. It was first introduced in the Waldorf school of Stuttgart (Germany) about a hundred years ago. Gymnastic exercises arose one after another while working with children aged 9 to 18. They were practised in large mixed-ability classes along with athletics and games. By 1926, the general outline of the sequence of all exercises had been formed. Its development was presented annually at public events.

The essence of this gymnastics is the knowledge and use of the forces in a person, in their movements. The task is to create an ideal image of the larger Man living in infinite space. According to the ideal image, the limited human body will change and grow. To the size of the Universe, to the size of the Creator Man! And the opposite gravity and weight, whose expression is fall, will serve to awaken and stimulate the will power of Man. It is an interaction with Space and Time.

Each gymnastic free exercise exists in space and time. Height, depth, width, span, length, front, back are not just dead concepts. These are the forces that direct and connect man with infinite space. The three dimensions – up-down, across and forward-backward – are the axes of space, as well as the axes of movement. They are embedded in the human body, in its organs of balance. The movement, in relation to these dimensions, fills them with vitality and even creates them. These are geometric shapes. To perceive and form them consciously, one needs an activity of thinking. Thanks to the latter, one can be fully aware of one’s own movement and be able to present it in space.

Movement also has duration and time. I raise my hand up to the side and down it on the other side. Movement allows for a rhythm in time to emerge – the rhythm of a circle that either obeys the gravity when the movement of the hand is complete, or can be picked up and continued, accelerated or changed. Movement can also suddenly be stopped. The rhythm can thus get its natural direction and finally disappear. Or it can be developed and shaped into something more. The rhythm goes into interaction of forces; this is the breath of movement, and it can be perceived by pupils through a rhythmic system that feels life.

The truth, strength and beauty of the movement are the criteria of its correctness…

Bothmer gymnastics is the meaning in every movement, a consistent conscious human aspiration to counteract the fall in different conditions; it is an aspiration and finding balance and equilibrium!!! And then it’s the ability to set goals and realize them. So a great man arises. Man coming from Time and living in Space.

Bothmer gymnastics found its supporters in Scandinavia many years ago. Education system for physical training teachers was designed in Sweden, based on Bothmer gymnastics! For me, this is a miracle of miracles – physical training teacher at school with knowledge and skills of playing, movements, and deep meanings. This is the education I dreamed of for my pupils. First, you have to give advice to yourself, and then “educate”, “teach” or “heal” the whole world!!!

So, Scandinavian Collegium of Bothmer Gymnastics gave the world not only the experience of training teachers, but also the school curriculum.

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Curriculum for schools of the Scandinavian Collegium of Bothmer gymnasts.
Göran Petersson and Gunilla Wennerholm, Ralph Cederqvist та Per Linden Thell.

 

Class 1-2, 7-8 years old.

Games, toys, constant movement of children. Ball and rope exercises, jumping, running, rhythms, and playing are important.

Göran Petersson

Göran Petersson

In the history of humanity, this is the Indian era. People lived carefree on the blessed land and had everything they needed for life.

*****

Class 3, 9 years old – “The Peasant”.

From this age, gymnastics began in schools. There are lots of circles, games, and rhythmic exercises. Balls and bags games continue. Rhythms. We develop empathy through playing. The teacher should describe the rules using imaginative pictures. The names of the games are important. They give a picture of the game. Here are also fairytales and adventure games. Transformation games like “catch and free”. Singing games with rhythms and dialogues. Games combined with other learning. Rope skipping exercises, various rope exercises.

The teacher takes the images from fairy tales and the adventure world and fills the content with different forms: running, jumping, balancing, crawling, rolling, support, swing and climb, somersaults. What is important is not how the child gets through but that he/she tries to get through in his/her own way. Ball games where hands skills are encouraged are valuable.

The first Bothmer gymnastics exercise is a circle for the children of the 3rd class. The children are building a house:

We come, and come from far and wide,
A-running and a-springing,
Gallóp, gallóp, and trot, trot, trot,
Gallóp, gallóp, and trot, trot, trot.
A-running and a-springing.
There stands for us a house built here,
Sound, as we shall tell;
Come now, let us look at it,
It will please us well.
Span wide the ring,
Each firm as a nail;
No-one among us
The others will fail.
Pillars so towering tall,
Windows so wide.
Come within, big and small,
Two side by side.
Open the windows out
Wide o´er the land
Heaven high, winging wide,
Firmly we stand.
Windows close! Repose!
Shut and open,
Open and shut
Wider open
Once more.
See, you and I.
You and I,
I and you
Seek one another, find one one another,
Seek one another, find one one another,
You and I,
I and you
See! See!
We´ve built a house and built it well
On rock and not on sand
Pillars so high,
Windows so wide, So shall it stand.
Tum-ta-ra-latum-ta-ra-la…

Gymnastic exercises for small children can be repeated again and again. Single movements can be practised separately. Also the running and jumping. But these should always be introduced into the circle.

This age corresponds to the Ancient Persia Era in the history of human development. What does this mean? In Ancient India, a man had had everything needed to support his or her life. Now time is changing and you have to work hard to get what you need for life – food, clothing, roof over your head. At this age – 9 years – the child comes to his/her Rubicon. Just like when Julius Caesar once crossed the Rubicon River without permission)))
Bothmer exercises help the child to cross their Rubicon).

Spiritual part of gymnastic activity.

Keywords for this age: Warmth – Enthusiasm – Imagination – Joy – Playfulness.

*****

Class 4, 10 years old – “The Hero”.
Playing is still essential at this age. Exciting motifs, where children through animal images demonstrate human qualities – the cunning fox, the dangerous wolf, the sluggish bear.
The important qualities acquired at this age are determination, courage and persistence. Passivity and laziness are overcome through gymnastic exercises and playing.
Running, jumping, rope skipping, ball games (catch and throw), partner exercises. Various Relays with balls and running are useful. The activity here is more important than the competition and winning.

The child’s “I” is strengthened. It’s me and my position, my posture.
Fourth class circles speak of who I am!
The ability to stand upright.
It is possible and necessary to introduce running in a stream in formations like in an “eight” crossing in the middle. This is an awakening moment.

I am standing.
I am walking.
I am running.
I am jumping up
(each jump goes with the spoken word).
I am jumping high up to the top of the wall.
I am swinging…
I am ringing the bells…
Far away and wide, high and far away.

Keywords for this age: Adventure – Courage – Rescue.

*****

Class 5, 11 years old – “The Greek”.

At this age, the curriculum of Waldorf schools has the History of the Ancient World Epoch. So they carefully consider the way of human development. The key epoch is Ancient Greece. Hence the name for this age)
Gymnastics adventure ball games like “King’s Ball” and “Ball Hunters”.
Relays.
Rhythmic jumps: “Play between Weight and Lightness”, the 3 rhythmical jumps: upper – middle – lower. At this age, skipping in canon is appropriate.

The Olympic Games take place at the end of the year. The ideal for athletics is The Greek Pentathlon: running, wrestling, archery, discus and javelin.
Wrestling – the meeting with another one. Agility, quick reaction, grips.

Ralph Cederqvist, Per Linden Thell

Ralph Cederqvist, Per Linden Thell

Bothmer exercises: “Triangle”, “Closed Triangle”, “Lateral Rotation”, “Rhythm”.
There are also exercises with sticks: “Rolling Stick”, “Triangle with Stick”, “Square with Stick”.

Ralph Cederqvist

Ralph Cederqvist, Per Linden Thell

Keywords: Ability – Harmony – Grace – Agility.

*****

Class 6, 12 years old – “The Roman”.

The muscles grow and become more sensitive. Body heaviness appears. Soreness from training awakes the consciousness of the muscles.
Competitions are important not to win the first place but to measure abilities with others. Rules and following them are important.
The atmosphere of “joy of movement” is important.
Lots of ball games. Basketball.
Rod exercises.
All kinds of triangles, rhythms.
Running, athletics, and jumping.

In history, this is the Ancient Rome Era. Roman legislation and law.
At that age, my pupils created stilts and mastered to walk on them, learned to juggle. There were many circus exercises. And the joy of owning their own body.

Bogdan Khalamendyk

Ralph Cederqvist, Per Linden Thell

Ralph Cederqvist, Per Linden Thell

Keywords: Rules – Accuracy – Skill.

*****

Class 7, 13 years old – “The Explorer”.

14 years old is the beginning of the third septennial. The limb system is active due to metabolism (substance exchange). These forces can strengthen the physical body as well as overload it.
At this age you can begin to put emphasis on the strength for boys and on aesthetic for girls.
Skill, beauty, power and precision are important qualities for both sexes.
Athletics.
Ball games. Racket games.
Basketball. Volleyball.
Instruction may be common for boys and girls, but sometimes it is divided into different activities but in the same hall. Girls are doing typical feminine exercises and boys are doing more masculine ones. But also exercises typical for the opposite sex are practised. Bothmer exercises strengthen the posture.
Rhythm.
“Lateral Rotation”, “Inward Jump”, “Fall into Space”, “Scales”, jumping. Canon exercises. Skipping with rope, two ropes and other exercises.

Keywords: Dynamic – Wielding Force – Grace.

*****

Class 8, 14 years old – “The Inventor”.

Exercises to experience and resist gravity in relation to one’s own body.
It is very good if you are able to dance ballroom dances: waltz, foxtrot.
“Big Rhythm”, “Movement to a Goal”, “Scales”, “Three Circles”, “Fall into Space”, “Closed Triangle” and others are important.
At this age, children themselves offer different variations of exercises.
Ball games: Basketball, Rugby.
Wrestling.

Per Linden Thell

Ralph Cederqvist

Keywords: Courage – Force and Rhythm – Sense of Humor

*****

Class 9, 15 years old – “The Rebel” Insurgent”.

“Outburst of will/Apathy” are common at this age.
Strength exercises of various kinds which are always in a meaningful context are required.
For this age, exercises to overcome difficulties, situations of misunderstanding with others are important.
Ball games: Basketball and Volleyball.
Bothmer exercises: “Fall into Space”, “Fall into Point”. The Rhythm of two interlacing circles (Walking in the vertical dimension), “Rising Height”, “Increasing Width”.
Movement directed to a goal (emphasis on power).

Keywords: Vertical plane – Transformation – Endurance – Rising Force.

*****

Class 10, 16 years old – “The World Citizen”.

The symbol of this age is a Discus thrower. Task: to find his/her own center of gravity and throw the discus horizontally.
The Horizontal dimension is significant in the social sphere.
Gymnastics further develops previous and new exercises.
Swinging and rotating.
Bothmer exercises: “Discus”, “Walking in the Horizontal Dimension”, “Whirl”, “Distorted Height”, “Distorted Width”, “Combination Jump”, “Twofold Eight”.

Keywords: Horizontal dimension – Center – Periphery – Sociality.

*****

Class 11, 17 years old – “The Philosopher”.

The symbol of this age is a Javelin thrower.
To find one’s aim and lifestyle.
Individual exercises.
Ball games as before.
Baseball, Handball, and Stickball (like Baseball).
All games should be held in the humane and playful way, so everyone can enjoy participating regardless of skill.
Bothmer exercises:
The Javelin, Movement directed to a goal, Walking in the sagittal dimension. “Three Circles”, “Distorted Height”, “Twofold Eight”, “Great Vertical”.

Ralph Cederqvist 

Keywords: Sagittal dimension – Targeting – Individuality – Responsibility.

*****

Class 12, 18 years old – “The Architect”.

Overview of the general situation through gymnastics. The pupils are trained by holding their own lessons with their classmates. They also arrange festivities and outdoor events for the whole school, where the older pupils take care of the younger ones.
Bothmer gymnastics exercises make awareness of 3 spatial dimensions – horizontal, sagittal, frontal.
To see the architectural in spatial movements.
The House since the 3-rd class is projected in the infinity of space.
Bothmer exercises: “Dome”, “Spinning about an inclined axis”, “Cross”.

Viktoriia Khalamendyk

Viktoriia Khalamendyk

Keywords: Three-dimensionality – Independence – Community Responsibility.

Classes 10-12 are a gymnasium. I understand how important it is for pupils of this age to have weekly Bothmer gymnastics classes.
To pass the way from the Man of the World to the Architect through the status of the Philosopher is possible only through physical exercises with deep meaning.
I put the groundwork for my dream: Bothmer gymnastics as a subject in the secondary school and gymnasium curriculum.
And may dreams come true.
Together to the victory of light and warmth, thinking, feelings and will.
To the common sense of new education!

Viktoriia Khalamendyk,
anthroposophist,
Waldorf teacher,
Doctor of Philosophy, professor.

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Resources:

1. Count Friedrich von Bothmer. Friedrich von Bothmer School of Movement. Original descriptions of Bothmer gymnastics exercises, compiled by the author himself. Translated from English by Yurii Lukovenko. Ukraine. Sweden, 2022. 51 p.

2. Göran Petersson, Gunilla Wennerholm. Curriculum for Gymnastics in Waldorf schools. / Nordiska Bothmergymnastiklärarutbildningen. Vardinge By 2010.

3. Khalamendyk Viktoriia. The Bothmer gymnastics: the experience of the Scandinavian Collegium. Birth history and curriculum for schools // http://dytynawaldorf.com.ua/articles-list/botmerivska-gimnastyka-dosvid-skandynavskoyi-kolegiyi/

 

Translated from Ukrainian by Myroslava Vasyliuk
жовтень-листопад 2023 р.

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