Speech Workouts: One-Week Speech Intensives
“We have speech to thank for much that lives in our feeling of egohood, in our feeling of being a personality. Our feelings can rise to a mood almost of prayer: I hear the language around me being spoken and through the speech the power of the ‘I’ flows into me!”
About Speech Workouts
These one-week intensive blocks are joined with the full-time speech training. They offer an introduction to the artistic forming of speech through Rudolf Steiner’s exercises in articulation and breathing, fluency, style, and the movement practices of eurythmy and Greek gymnastics. Any block may be taken separately, and all blocks are appropriate for any level of experience.
Class days run from 8:15am to 4:00pm, with a break for lunch. Each day includes two or three speech classes, plus eurythmy and/or Greek gymnastics. During speech lessons we will work with Rudolf Steiner's foundational speech exercises and with poetic texts through which we will explore the capacities that the exercises promote. Eurythmy classes will work with the nature of the sounds of speech, with rhythm, and with breathing. Greek gymnastics will focus on finding a balance between heaven and earth, past and future, self and other – the basis in movement for speech.
For more information, and to register, please email info@steinerspeecharts.org.
2024-2025 Speech Workouts:
Eight days in September: Wed, Sept 4 - Fri, Sept 13, 2024
One week in early November: Mon-Fri, November 4-8, 2024
One week in January: Mon-Fri, January 13-17, 2025
Four days in April: Tue-Fri, April 22-15, 2025, tbc
The Faculty
Barbara Renold
Barbara Renold is the co-founder of the Steiner School of Speech Arts. She trained in Speech and Drama at the Goetheanum in Dornach, Switzerland, and the Harkness Studio in Sydney, Australia. As the speech and drama teacher at Sunbridge College (1983-2007), she directed many student productions and gave speech lessons to students in all programs of the college. Barbara has directed two full cycles of Rudolf Steiner’s mystery dramas (1987-98 and 2006-14). This work culminated in the August 2014 Mystery Drama Festival at the Threefold community in Spring Valley, NY, in which all four dramas were presented by one cast, in one conference, for the first time in the English-speaking world. Barbara holds a BA in math from Douglas College and two MA’s in elementary education.
Jennifer Kleinbach
Jennifer Kleinbach teaches speech in the Threefold community for the School of Eurythmy, Sunbridge Institute, the Fiber Craft Studio, and the Steiner School of Speech Arts. She directs community speech ensembles for local festival performances, performs solo and as the speaker for Eurythmy Spring Valley’s student and professional ensembles. Jennifer received her Speech Formation diploma from the Speech School of North America and her Eurythmy diploma from the School of Eurythmy in Spring Valley, NY. She has toured with Eurythmy Spring Valley’s stage ensemble as a eurythmist (2000-05) and speaker, and performed under Barbara Renold’s direction in Threefold community productions of Rudolf Steiner’s mystery dramas (2007, 2012-14). Jennifer holds certificates in Foundation Year and Goethean Studies from Rudolf Steiner College, a BA in classical languages from Haverford College, and an MA in medieval studies from the University of Notre Dame.
Weekend and week-long intensives scheduled for:
September 4 - 13, 2024
November 4 - 8, 2024
January 13 - 17, 2025
April 22 - 25, 2025, tbc
Schedule: Most blocks will follow a regular Mon-Fri school week, with classes from 8:15-4p. Any block may be taken separately, and all blocks are appropriate for any level of experience. Join our email list to receive early announcements of upcoming intensives.
Tuition: $500 per week including a $50 non-refundable application fee. Registration deadline is 14 days before the beginning of each block. We are committed to making these workshops accessible to every interested person; to request information about sliding scale payments, email barbararenold@yahoo.com.
Location: The intensives are held on the campus of Threefold Educational Foundation in Chestnut Ridge, NY, about 30 miles northwest of New York City. Visit this page for information about the Threefold community, this page for short-term housing information, and this page for directions.
Information: Do you have questions about the intensives? Please email info@steinerspeecharts.org to start a conversation.
To register: Visit this page to register and pay online, or click here to access a registration form (PDF).
