The Gurdjieff Movements: A Communication of Ancient Wisdom

by Wim van Dullemen

Overview

The teachings of the Russian spiritual visionary G.I. Gurdjieff (~1866-1949) are still being studied by an ever-growing number of people worldwide. While scores of books exist about the man and his teaching methods, few devote significant coverage to "the Gurdjieff Movements." These dozens of precise and mostly asymmetrical gestures, arranged into detailed choreographies for groups of practitioners, were designed by Gurdjieff himself. They are sometimes practiced accompanied by a haunting and highly-rhythmic piano music-developed by the master, with the assistance of Thomas de Hartmann, a distinguished professional composer and one of his earliest students.
This new book by author Wim van Dullemen reconsiders the eminent role of this vital yet often neglected component in the transmission of Gurdjieff's legacy. Dullemen, whose first Movements' teacher received her instruction from Gurdjieff himself, is in a unique position to offer background, theory and first-hand experience about this subject. He is a professional musician and a long-time practitioner of the Gurdjieff work who trained in these Movements and served as a master accompanist for the practice for over thirty years.
No book can "teach" the Movements, the author candidly admits, since the cosmology they rest within can only be learned in an experiential context from a teacher who has incorporated them at a level far beyond ordinary familiarity. The author makes no such attempt to detail them within the pages of his book. Far from an instruction manual, The Gurdjieff Movements, A Communication of Ancient Wisdom, offers invaluable insight into and greater understanding of the whys and wherefores of this third arm of the vast teaching that comprises Gurdjieff's complete communication: his books, his oral teachings, and finally his Movements.
Dullemen's treatment will appeal to many, including scholars, new or long-time students of the Gurdjieff tradition, musicians, purveyors of sacred music and dance, and the general public desiring an insider's view to a practice based in ancient wisdom. The author has skillfully integrated:
* autobiographical descriptions of the master Gurdjieff and others
* interviews with direct pupils of Gurdjieff
* diligent research within a wide range of firsthand sources
* descriptions of the scientific, cultural and social climate during Gurdjieff's time, and the possible relation between these and his teaching.
A fascinating journey with an experienced guide.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781942493341
Publisher:	Hohm Press
Publication date:	06/01/2018
Pages:	304
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.60(d)

About the Author

Wim van Dullemen is a musician who studied with the Dutch composer & piano virtuoso Wolfgang Wijdeveld. He met the Gurdjieff work in 1964 & for 20 years played the Gurdjieff-deHartmann compositions for Movement classes led by direct pupils of Gurdjieff. Interviewed widely on this subject, his numerous articles have been published both in the U.S. & Europe. Since 1995 he has devoted himself entirely to this work. Presently, he leads a group on Gurdjieff's teachings & regularly gives courses & performances in Movements in many countries, most recently in Turkey during the yearly festival of Mevlevi Dervishes.

Read an Excerpt

My first experience of the Movements felt like I had participated in a ritual. In the first place, the Movements teacher, in this case Ms. Claustres, who fulfilled the task of leading the ritual in such a way that direct and physical contact with the energetic source of Gurdjieff's teaching could be brought about, made possible for her through her lengthy contact with Gurdjieff and her knowledge of the Movements. As a second element, a group of participants oriented in the same spiritual direction and who together executed complex movements fitting for the ritual. The final attribute of this ritual was the music, at that moment played by a participant in this Movements class. In this particular case, it was music composed by Gurdjieff himself, something that is somewhat of an exception in Movements classes. I have wondered if my experience may have been different if the music by another composer had been played. I am almost certain that this would have been the case, which confirms for me how pure the ingredients in this alchemy must be, and how expertly, accurately and conscientiously these ingredients must be dosed to achieve a good result.
A striking difference with other religious or spiritual rituals was the absence of ecstasy. However gripping the view of another reality was in this experience of Movements, it was not at the cost of normal functions. Movements are so constructed that these normal functions must remain continuously active. Different perceptions occur simultaneously — a tangible component of Gurdjieff's discipline: the simultaneous contact with thoughts, emotions and the physical body, for example, or the experiencing of our inner world without us losing contact with the world around us.
Movements are a ritual created by Gurdjieff, and it is this ritual that Ms. Claustres calls the "practical approach." Gurdjieff's teaching is experienced directly through the body and not as a theory. It must be emphasized that both Ms. Claustres and myself describe Movements from the perspective of a practitioner, from participation in the process and not from observing them. Watching a Movements class can leave a lasting impression, but this is less effective. Watching a film also leaves an impression, but this bears little relation to practicing Movements yourself.

Table of Contents

Preface vii

Part I Background

Chapter 1 Georg Ivanovitch Gurdjieff 1

Chapter 2 Inventory and Classification of Gurdjieff's Legacy 14

Chapter 3 Gurdjieff's Conveyance of His Teaching 25

Chapter 4 The Struggle of the Magicians 39

Chapter 5 Beelzebub's Tales to his Grandson 49

Chapter 6 Gurdjieff's Final Years, His Death and the Succession (to the Throne) 70

Chapter 7 Regarding "Gurdjieff Groups" and the Dissemination of His Teachings after His Death 78

Chapter 8 The Flip Side 90

Chapter 9 Gurdjieff's Teachings 95

Chapter 10 The Two Rudimentary Elements 105

Chapter 11 Music by Gurdjieff / de Hartmann 116

Chapter 12 Objectivity and Subjectivity in Art 137

Part II Gurdjieff's Movements

Chapter 13 What Are Movements? 151

Chapter 14 My First Experience with Movements 159

Chapter 15 The Outward Appearance of Movements and the Soul of a Doll 164

Chapter 16 An Ongoing Journey of Discovery - Finding "The Great Prayer" and the Choreographies 172

Chapter 17 The Chronological Triptych 188

Chapter 18 Crossing the Line Between Traditional Dances and Gurdjieff's Own Creations 201

Chapter 19 The Music for the Movements 225

Chapter 20 Historical Performances and Film Registrations 241

Chapter 21 The Transmission of Movements after Gurdjieff's Death 247

Chapter 22 Choreographies - Their Possibilities and Impossibilities, and Inner and Outer Requirements for Practicing Movements 259

Chapter 23 Recent Developments 268

Addenda

I Titles and Backgrounds as Noted by Thomas de Hartmann Prior to the Performance 281

II Correspondence of "French" Numbers and "American" Numbers Assigned to Movements 282

III About the Film 283

Index 287

Contact Information 292

Editorial Reviews

"...worth waiting for! The best presentation of Gurdjieff Movements published." — Reijo Oksanen, Gurdjieff Internet Guide

"Demands a significant place in the exposition of Gurdjieff's genius." — Paul Beekman Taylor, G. I. Gurdjieff: A New Life

From the Publisher