Speaking to the Future:  The Foundation Stone of Love

Speaking to the Future:  The Foundation Stone of Love

A Conference to Honor the Centenary of the Anthroposophical Society 
Co-Hosted by the ASA and Threefold Branch and Sponsored by the Threefold Educational Foundation 

"Association means the possibility for a higher being to express itself through the members when they are united. Human associations are the secret places where higher spiritual beings descend in order to work through the single individuals, just as the soul works through the members of the body". - Rudolf Steiner 

We find ourselves at a propitious moment in the history of the Anthroposophical movement, 100 years after the foundational Christmas Conference in Dornach, Switzerland, 1923/24. Anthroposophy was not new to the world at that moment, but this Christmas Conference marked a significant moment in world history. During the conference, Rudolf Steiner inaugurated a unique and specific social form in the way he re-founded the Anthroposophical Society, with the School for Spiritual Science as its core. Simultaneously, the foundation for this Society was laid not into the earth, as it had been for the building of the First Goetheanum, but into human hearts, through the Foundation Stone Meditation. This means that a spiritual community can and will be achieved wherever human beings gather with one another in conscious awareness of it. 

This November 3-5, 2023, we will gather in Spring Valley, New York, in anticipation of this culminating 100-year rhythm, to explore the ways that the Foundation Stone Meditation, when contemplated individually, and experienced through eurythmy, brings a necessary strengthening not only to the inner life of the individual, but also, to our relationships in the social realm.

 The weekend will include keynote presentations by Mary Stewart Adams, the new General Secretary of the ASA, and Rudiger Janisch, as well as the Foundation Stone Meditation performed by Eurythmy Spring Valley, speech work with Jennifer Kleinbach and more. The Anthroposophical Society in America is pleased to join the on-going intensive work with the Foundation Stone Meditation that has occured in Spring Valley.

Also note that the first weekend of November marks the turning point in the season, known traditionally as the autumn cross quarter, during which time we honor and celebrate loved ones who have died. The weekend includes the opportunity to join in the community's sacred celebration of All Soul's. Please join us in-person for this weekend event, through which we intend to reinvigorate our awareness of what it means to be together in the good work of anthroposophy.

To learn more about all centenary events, visit anthroposophy.org/100

DATE
Friday, November 3 - Sunday November 5, 2023
Scroll down for a full event schedule!

LOCATION
This conference is co-Hosted by the ASA and Threefold Branch and Sponsored by the Threefold Educational Foundation and will take place at the anthroposophical Threefold Community near Spring Valley, NY. To learn more about our hosts, visit their website at threefold.org.

Address:
260 Hungry Hollow Road
Chestnut Ridge, NY 10977

The venue is just 30 miles from New York City and can be accessed via JFK, LaGuardia or Newark, though Newark is the closest. More information regarding travel to and from the event will be available upon registration. You can also click here for information about travel and click here for near by accomodations. NOTE: Holder House, the dormitory-style accomodations on campus, are completely FULL for the weekend. Please find accommodations at one of the other options (many others suggested). 
 

TICKETS
The ticket price includes access to all conference activities, coffee/tea and snacks, as well as two dinners and two lunches at the Threefold Cafe. Breakfast is on your own. A la carte options are available for purchase at the Threefold Cafe between 8-9am on Saturday and Sunday. Gluten free, dairy free and vegetarian options will be avilable at each meal.  
 

Registration Fee Options: 
- ASA Members: $185
- Regular: $195
- Supporter: $250
- Youth & Equity: $120 
- Conference Only (No Meals): $85 

If you do not select meals ahead of time there will only be a limited number of meal plans available to add-on during on-site registration. Please plan ahead! Thank you. 
The "Youth and Equity" Registration Level is available if you are either under the age of 35 or are experiencing economic hardship that would otherwise limit your ability to attend. 
No refunds after October 27, 2023.

Click here to register today...Register by 10/28!
 

SCHEDULE*
*This schedule is subject to minor changes and updates
Friday

2:00     Registration Table Open until 4pm 
3:00     Class Lesson 6 with Dorothea Mier
            Optional and For Members of the First Class (Bring your Blue Cards!)
4:30     Opening and Welcome
5:45     Dinner at Threefold Cafe
7:30     Music with Grigory Smirnov 
            Preparing for the Midnight Sun ~ The Christmas Foundation Meeting and its Meditation
            with Mary Stewart Adams 
            Foundation Stone in Eurythmy with Eurythmy Spring Valley

Saturday

8:00      Breakfast - On your own (a la carte at Threefold Cafe)
9:00      Speech work with Jennifer Kleinbach  
9:30      Questions Arising from the Heart: Introduction to the Conversation
             with Karl Fredrickson
10:00    Living Questions: Small Conversation Groups 
11:00    Snack & Coffee/Tea Break 
11:30    The Foundation Stone in Eurythmy
             with Sea-Anna Vasilas & Barbara Schneider-Serio
12:15    Living Questions in Community: Whole Group Conversation 
             with Rafael Manacas 
1:00      Lunch at Threefold Cafe  
3:00     Workshops: 
             ~Exploring Images from the Foundation Stone Meditation with Gesture with Lisa Dalton 
             ~The Hierarchies Speak: an exploration in drawing with chalk pastels with Bonnie Manacas 
             ~Speaking to the Future with the Youth Section of North America 
             ~Paradox: Biography Work and the Extra Development with Leah Walker
             ~The Art of Speaking - An Initiation Path: Experiencing Logodynamics with Christine Burke
4:15     Snack and Coffee/Tea Break
4:45     Speaking to the Future: All Group Activity 
6:00     Dinner at Threefold Cafe 
8:00     Thoughts in Connection to All Souls*
All Souls Festival, with eurythmy from Eurythmy Spring Valley and a festival address by Dorothea Mier 
            *This event is open to the public

Sunday

8:00      Breakfast- On your own  (a la carte at Threefold Cafe)
9:00      Speech work with Jennifer Kleinbach  
9:30      When a Seed Sprouts: The Foundation Stone Meditation
             with Rudiger Janisch
10:30    Snack and Coffee/Tea Break
11:00    Living Questions: Small Conversation Groups 
             with Karl Fredrickson
11:45    Living Questions in Community: Whole Group Conversation 
12:30    The Foundation Stone Meditation in eurythmy & Conference close 
1:00      Lunch and Goodbyes 

DOWNLOAD THE CONFERENCE MENU HERE

“The soil in which the Stone was laid could be no other than the hearts and souls of those united in the Society. And the Foundation Stone itself must be the attitude of mind which grows when anthroposophy gives shape to life. This attitude in life, as it is required by the signs of the present time, lies in the will to find — by deepening the human soul — the path to an awakened vision of the Spirit and to a life proceeding from the Spirit.” ​​​​​
     ~Rudolf Steiner, CW 26, 13 January, 1924

MEET YOUR PRESENTERS:
Mary Stewart Adams is a Star Lore Historian and the host of the weekly public radio podcast The Storyteller’s Night Sky. In 2011, she established one of the world’s first International Dark Sky Parks, and in 2021 published the book The Star Tales of Mother Goose. Mary met the work of Rudolf Steiner simultaneous to encountering ancient star wisdom in the 1980s, which was galvanized into a life path through encounter with astrosopher Hazel Straker in 1995. Mary serves as the General Secretary of the Anthroposophical Society in America as of October 2023.

Christine Burke met anthroposophy in 1997 and immediately signed up for the Rudolf Steiner College San Francisco Waldorf Teacher Training. During a rich and art infused training, she met the anthroposophical speech arts. In 2001, Christine embarked on the 4 year, full-time Speech training in England. Before meeting anthroposophy, Christine completed an associate’s degree in Literature and a bachelor’s degree in Linguistics. After the Speech training, Christine earned a master’s degree in Communication Studies. In retrospect, a clear path of the Word – or to the Word – has been her life’s companion, along with a healthy dose of finding and creating community. Christine now teaches Communication Studies part time at her local Community College and teaches Sacred Speech Work in workshops around the globe, with private students, and at Kairos Institute.

Central Regional Council member, author, actor, Lisa Dalton, is recognized as a world master teacher of Michael Chekhov’s approach to developing artists. In 2023, Lisa has shared this Anthroposophically -driven living art in theatre communities in Nepal, Israel, Belgium, Berlin, Barcelona, London, and around the US.

Angela Foster has been an active student of anthroposophy since 2008. Growing up in Texas, Angela is now embracing life in Atlanta, Georgia as an artist, teacher and mom of two daughters, currently homeschooling sixth grade. She a conscious practitioner of “beginner’s mind”, Angela has completed programs in foundation studies in Anthroposophy numerous times and is currently enrolled in Foundation Studies in Goethean Science through the Nature Institute. She and her husband manage the Anthroposophical Resource Center (ARC) an initiative in Decatur, Georgia that offers space for community events and serves as a little house for Anthroposophia.

Karl Fredrickson taught history in the Green Meadow Waldorf High School for 35 years. Since then he has taught main lesson blocks and advised teachers in a number of a schools, as well as giving talks on historical and anthroposophical themes. He lives now in Radburn, New Jersey, and spends his time writing, hiking and being a grandparent.

Rüdiger Janisch has been working in Curative Education and teaching in professional training programs in Germany and the United States for over 40 years. A long-time student of anthroposophy, he serves on the Collegium of the School for Spiritual Science in North America. His contributions to adult education methods were recognized in the context of an international research project sponsored by the European Union. He has been a member of the core faculty of a joint ‘Training for Trainers’ program supporting Curative Education and Social Therapy in Russia, Ukraine, Georgia, and Kyrgyzstan. He has also taught as an adjunct faculty member of the M.S. Ed program in Waldorf Remedial Education at Antioch University N.H. Having taught many different aspects of anthroposophy and Curative Education, he currently is focused on action research and the development of artistic and experiential approaches to the spiritual scientific study of the human being.

Jennifer Kleinbach has been performing and teaching speech arts and eurythmy in a variety of settings over the past 17 years. In 2000, she completed eurythmy training in Spring Valley, followed by touring with the stage ensemble (2000-2005), teaching eurythmy at Spring Valley (200-2007), and completing her speech training in 2005. Since 2004, she has performed in a variety of theatre productions (including the Mystery Dramas), festivals, and eurythmy performances. Jennifer currently leads a community speech chorus, teaches speech arts at Eurythmy Spring Valley, the Christian Community Seminary, and Steiner School of Speech Arts. She holds a BA in Classical Languages, an MA in Medieval Studies, completed the Foundation Year and Goethean Studies course at Rudolf Steiner College, and is an alumna of Sacramento Waldorf School.

Bonnie Manacas has a Masters of Fine Arts degree as well as 30 years experience as a Waldorf class teacher. She has studied painting with Donald Hall of the Assenza school and with Laura Summer. She has had several Exhibitions of her paintings in the Threefold community. She currently has an exhibition of her most recent work, oil paint and cold wax technique, at the Threefold Cafe.  Bonnie is also a singer and guitar player who performs frequently in and around the Threefold community.  She has performed her own translation of the Dream Song Of Olaf Asteson for many  years.

Rafael (Ray) Manaças was the Director of Threefold Educational Foundation for many years, retiring from full-time work in 2018.  He continues to be active helping with special projects at Threefold Foundation and in other parts of the community. He has been interested in human relationships and community building from his earliest experiences in rock and roll bands, through working with farms in early CSA ventures, helping to found a Waldorf School and throughout his tenure at Threefold.  He now has more time (but not as much as he thought he would!) to pursue interests that had to be set aside for many years.  Some of these are: relearning the guitar and playing music, woodworking, building stuff, exploring the mysteries of the four elements as they unfold in fermentation and bread, and playing with fire in general.

Dorothea Mier was educated at the Elmfield and Michael Hall Waldorf schools and the Birmingham School of Music in her native England, where she studied piano and graduated ARCM, ABSM. She studied eurythmy at the Lea van der Pals School in Dornach, Switzerland, going on to teach there for seventeen years. During that time, she was a member of the Goetheanum Stage Group under Marie Savitch, preeminent eurythmist and director. In 1980, Dorothea became the Artistic Director of Eurythmy Spring Valley, carrying the work there for 25 years until 2005, when she retired and became free for giving workshops worldwide. Dorothea continues to teach classes and give workshops at ESV.

Grigory Smirnov is a pianist and composer working with Eurythmy Spring Valley — the school and performing ensemble. His compositions have been performed on major stages worldwide, such as Carnegie Hall, Merkin Concert Hall, Tanglewood Festival and Moscow Philharmonic Hall. As a pianist he performs classical and improvisational music, his own compositions, and music for eurythmy. Originally from Siberia, Russia, he came to the United States in 2008 to continue his studies at The Juilliard School in New York City. Since 2019 he has been actively working in the Threefold Community in Spring Valley, NY.

Sea-Anna Vasilas has been teaching eurythmy internationally since 2011, after graduating from the four-year eurythmy training at Eurythmy Spring Valley in Spring Valley, New York. She first encountered eurythmy through her work with biodynamic agriculture and has continually been inspired by the living relationship between biodynamics and eurythmy. Sea-Anna earned her M.A. in performance eurythmy from Alanus University, and is currently a member of the Eurythmy Spring Valley faculty and ensemble.

Leah Walker has a deep interest in human development and earth evolution, particularly as described by Rudolf Steiner.  She is a biography worker, licensed professional counselor and certified homeopath, currently in private practice.  She holds a master’s degree in educational psychology from the University of Texas at Austin, and early on in her career worked with those recovering from addiction and then with detained and incarcerated teens.  She completed her training in biography work in 2000 and became a faculty member with the Center for Biography and Social Art in 2012.  Leah has a grown daughter and lives in Wayne, Illinois, in the US.   

Eurythmy Spring Valley (ESV) is a vibrant center for learning and performance, serving all levels of interest in eurythmy. Located 30 miles from New York City, ESV is part of the Threefold community of initiatives guided by the work of Rudolf Steiner. Founded in 1972 as a pioneering American eurythmy training, our School of Eurythmy supports the continued growth and development of the art of eurythmy with two full-time trainings, a low-residence part-time training, and one-day and weekend workshops for audiences ranging from the interested public to eurythmy professionals.The Eurythmy Spring Valley Ensemble, in residence at Eurythmy Spring Valley since 1986, is one of the world’s most active eurythmy touring groups, bringing full evening programs, children’s programs, and special performance projects to schools, communities, and conferences all over North America, Europe, and Asia.

The North American Youth Section is part of the global School for Spiritual Science.  The Youth Section sees its purpose more in connecting and advising than in research and  teaching. It is a vibrant hub, a place of meeting, exchange, and  stimulation. At the same time, it is a place to explore new initiatives, contemplative practices and approaches to understanding. The essential aim of the Section is future oriented: to support young people in their spiritual striving,  their need to understand the world, to connect and their urge to be active.

To learn more about all centenary events, visit anthroposophy.org/100
Are you a member? Join us for our Annual General Business Meeting on October 9, and a special Michaelmas gathering for members! 
Click HERE for more information