Embodying Music: A Textbook for Dalcroze Teacher Training towards the Dalcroze Professional Certificate
About this ebook
and profound philosophy stems from an oral tradition that can be traced back to those who
studied directly with Émile Jaques-Dalcroze in Geneva, Switzerland during his lifetime:
1865-1950. Recent trends in music education and Dalcroze students’ stated needs have
demanded more specificity and accessibility; these books aim to meet those needs by providing
examples of many important skills necessary for a successful Dalcrozian without being narrow
or prescriptive. Dalcroze Eurhythmics, Solfège, Improvisation, Plastique Animée, and Pedagogy
are all addressed in these volumes to prepare students to earn the Dalcroze Professional
Certificate; students using this text should be enrolled at an authorized Dalcroze Training Center
run by someone who holds the Diplômé Supérieur from l’Institut Jaques-Dalcroze in Geneva,
Switzerland. Students who use these books should already have had a fair amount of musical
training; an undergraduate degree in music is recommended (though not required) as the starting
point for readers of these texts. It is my hope that these books will enable individuals to gain
access to la Méthode Jaques-Dalcroze with more efficiency and facility while maintaining the
high standards of musicianship that are required to offer joyful and musically inspiring
coursework in Dalcroze Education.
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About the author
Dr. Jeremy Dittus, Diplôme Supérieur Jaques-Dalcroze, enjoys a career as a pianist,
theorist, and Dalcroze Education specialist. An avid recitalist, he has performed solo and
chamber programs and presented Dalcroze masterclasses throughout the United States,
Europe, South America, and Southeast Asia. He currently directs the Dalcroze School of
Music and Movement (formerly the Dalcroze School of the Rockies) teacher-training
program. He also serves on the faculty of Hope College in Holland, Michigan where he
teaches Dalcroze Eurhythmics for undergraduate music majors. Recently, he spearheaded
a Dalcroze program for the National Children’s Chorus and oversaw their team of
dedicated Dalcroze instructors across the United States; he also implemented a Dalcroze-
based Musicianship program at the Suzuki Music Institute of Dallas. A former Lecturer in
piano, theory, and solfège at the Baldwin-Wallace Conservatory in Cleveland, he also has
taught undergraduate solfège, piano, and composition courses at the University of
Colorado at Boulder as well as eurhythmics and solfège at l’Institut Jaques-Dalcroze in Geneva, Switzerland,
Colorado State University in Fort Collins, Colorado, and in Shanghai, China at the Shanghai Conservatory of Music.
He has served on the Board of Trustees of the Dalcroze Society of America (DSA), and in that capacity served as
past Vice-President. Additionally, he chaired the Professional Development Committee of the DSA from 2012-
2021, which created the first national standards for Dalcroze Education in the US, specifically for teacher-training
towards the Dalcroze Professional Certificate and the Dalcroze License. During his tenure, the DSA Council of
Diplômés was formed, and he currently serves as their Vice-Chair. Locally, he served on the state board for the
Colorado Federation of Music Clubs for several years and was Vice-President and President at different times for
that organization. In 2015, he was invited to serve on le Collège de l’Institut Jaques-Dalcroze (an organization that
supports and protects Dalcroze Education around the world), and he is honored to continue this post in the
present day also serving on the Bureau du Collège.
Dr. Dittus founded the Dalcroze School of Music and Movement in 2010 located in Dallas, Texas. The DSM is of the
few authorized Dalcroze training centers in the United States. The DSM offers Dalcroze Education classes
(Eurhythmics, Rhythmic-Solfège, and Advanced Dalcroze) for youth (pre-kindergarten through high school), adult
enrichment classes, and full-time study toward the Dalcroze Professional Certificate and Dalcroze License
(eurhythmics, solfège, improvisation, pedagogy, and plastique animée). The DSM youth curriculum has been used
at leading institutions throughout North America: Chicago, IL (DePaul University); Cleveland, OH (Baldwin-
Wallace University), Boston, MA (The Dalcroze School of Boston and Concord Conservatory); Salt Lake City, UT
(Rythmique Music School), Toronto, Canada (My Musical Upbringing); Denver/Boulder (Colorado Music Festival
and Integral Steps); and Salem, OR. The DSM welcomes students from all over the world; past students have come
from Canada, Bolivia, Peru, Chile, Brazil, Japan, Korea, China, Hong Kong, Macau, Singapore, The Netherlands, Spain,
Germany, Taiwan, Malaysia, and the UAE. The DSM is one of the pioneers in online Dalcroze Education, and it
continues to forge new pathways for increasing accessibility to Dalcroze Education. The unique blend of online
and in-person education in use at the school supports students from all over the world to access Dalcroze
Education while maintaining the highest standards of excellence.
As a clinician, Dr. Dittus strives for accessibility, clarity, and artistry in applications of the Dalcroze work. He is
honored to have shared Dalcroze Education or piano concerts at universities, conservatories, summer music
institutes, and music organizations throughout North America, South America, Europe, and Asia. Highlights
include Congrès International Jaques-Dalcroze, International Conference of Dalcroze Studies, Internacional Convención Suzuki de las Américas, El Festival Internacional Suzuki de Perú, World Piano Conference in Novi Sad,
Serbia, El Festival Internacional Suzuki de Ecuador, International Early Childhood Music and Movement Convention,
Dalcroze Canada National Workshop, Singapore International String Conference, l’Institut Jaques-Dalcroze Cours
d’Été, Dalcroze Society of America National Conference, Music Teacher’s National Conference, National Piano
Foundation, Suzuki Association of the Americas National Conference, American Orff-Schulwerk Association
National Convention, National Flute Convention, in addition to Music Educator/MTNA State
Conventions/Presentations in New York, Colorado, Arizona, Montana, Oregon, Wyoming, and Illinois, among
others. He has been a guest artist at leading institutions including the Shanghai Conservatory, Mahidol University
in Thailand, Hansei University in Korea, DEMUS in Thailand, Universiti Malaya, University of Saskatoon in Canada,
Colburn Music School, Carnegie Melon University, Denver University, University of Colorado at Boulder, DePaul
University, Wayne State University, Oklahoma State University, Texas A & M University, Southern Methodist
University, University of Washington, Metropolitan State University of Denver, University of Louisville, University
of Nebraska at Kearny, Longy School of Music, the University of Oregon, University of Northern Colorado, Webster
University, the Levine School of Music, among others. He has also presented workshops for organizations such as
the Hong Kong Dalcroze Association, the Korean Dalcroze Association, the Taiwan Dalcroze Society, most chapters
of the DSA (San Francisco, Pacific Northwest, New England, Rocky Mountain, Pittsburgh, and New York), Los
Angeles Suzuki Institute, Hawaii Suzuki Institute, Alaska Suzuki Institute, Oregon Suzuki Institute, Colorado Suzuki
Institute, and Rocky Ridge Music Center, among others.
In support of accessibility and equity, Dr Dittus has several published books on Dalcroze Education: Embodying
Music: A Textbook for Dalcroze Teacher Training toward the Dalcroze Certificate (Volumes I, II, III, and IV), Moving
Sound: A Textbook for Dalcroze Teacher Training toward the Dalcroze License (Volume I, II, III), and the entire
curriculum in place at the Dalcroze School of the Rockies: two volumes of Eurhythmics courses for students ages
4-7, five volumes of Rhythmic-Solfège youth program for students ages 6-14 (Rhythmic-Solfège I, II, III, IV, and V),
and three volumes of Advanced Dalcroze curriculum (Advanced Dalcroze I, II, and III) for students ages 11-18,
which culminates in the Advanced Placement Music Theory Exam. This DSM curriculum is in place at several
institutions across North America. He has authored articles for several publications including: Chemins de
Rythmique (Pathways to Eurhythmics) Volume 3, le Rythme, The Journal of the Dalcroze Society of America, Dalcroze
Connections, and the American Suzuki Journal.
In 2010, Dr. Dittus earned the Diplô me Supérieur, (a doctoral equivalent in Switzerland) from L’Institut Jaques-
Dalcroze in conjunction with La Haute Ek cole de Musique de Genève and Le Conservatoire de Musique de Genève.
While in Geneva, he received top honors including the 2009 Prix pour les qualities musicales exceptionnelles and the
2010 Prix pour les qualités artistiques et pédagogiques exceptionnelles. Before Switzerland, he had the honor of
studying at the Longy School of Music for the Dalcroze Professional Certificate and Dalcroze License (2005 and
2006, respectively). He completed a Doctor of Musical Arts in piano performance from the University of Colorado
at Boulder in 2007; for the Master of Music, he studied piano performance and music theory at the Cincinnati
College-Conservatory of Music (2002). During his undergraduate work, he obtained a Bachelor of Music in piano
performance and Bachelor of Science in chemistry (1999). Former teachers include Lisa Parker, Anne Farber, Ruth
Gianadda, Marie-Laure Bachmann, Sylvia del Bianco, Sylvie Morgenegg, Laurent Sourisse, Andrew Cooperstock,
Michael Chertock, Frank Weinstock, George Cherry, Eleanor Vail, and his mother, Karen Dittus.
