The Dalcroze Teaching Method

Based on the belief that ‘rhythm is the basis of all music’,  Syntempo is on a mission to bring rhythm education into early childhood and adult education. This new approach of music and movement teaches the foundations of music, dance and rhythm through natural learning techniques. 

The Dalcroze teaching approach starts with listening and leads to moving. Our body becomes an instrument to perceive music through movements. From physically interacting with the building blocks of music such as pitch, pulse, melody or harmony (e.g. tapping feet, clapping hands and swaying the body) we not only develop key musical skills but also discover the intrinsic feeling of music expression. Dalcroze Eurhythmics is an holistic music education that starts from listening to bodily perceiving, to fostering our creativity through improvisation.

For Laban, expression is in the flow of movement. It represents the inner landscape of the mover. As he said, “ Movement in itself is a language in which man’s highest and most fundamental inspiration is expressed’. His movement analysis provide a language for the expression of movement and also provide an analytical tool for observing, creating and directing performance. 

SynTempo applies the Dalcroze and Laban teachings to develop four main skill sets:

1. Rhythmic movement (Eurhythmics): Learning to kinaesthetically perceive music through body movements.

2. Solfeggios: Naming and identifying pitches, intervals, melody and harmony. 

3. Improvisation: Self-expression and recreation through spontaneity,  based on learnt material. 

4. Expression: When we express music through the body, we also learn how to express our emotions. This can be applied to children who find it difficult to convey emotion and adults who want to express themselves more fully. 

In our lessons, all elements of music are taught through movement. The ability to feel music with the whole body encourages the development of auditory memory, communication, expression and creativity.  It also delivers increased confidence, coordination, concentration, listening skills and social ability.