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Newsletter 6/2002
Kate and Tinky Brass
Movements Classes
by Wim van Dullemen
For potential students of Gurdjieff's Movements, what is
offered by Kate and Tinky Brass could be compared to discovering
a gold vein on a mountain slope in the Rocky Mountains by
adventurous gold diggers. In this article, I would like to
summarise on what grounds I hold this opinion. But what makes
this difficult is that a relevant insight in the history of
the Movements is virtually non-existent, especially with those
that practise them as part of their "Fourth Way-discipline".
The only thing I can do here is to provide the basic facts.
If the reader wants to know more, my article in Stopinder,
number four, spring 2001, will be relevant.
The facts might not be agreeable to everybody, but I am willing
and able to back them up with data for any reader who contacts
me by email. One basic fact is the existence of three main
transmission lines through which Gurdjieff's Movements reach
us today. These lines originated from three key pupils, in
this area at least, and were kept intact by the respective
organisations to which this material was passed on. These
key pupils were Jessmin Howarth, Jeanne de Salzmann and John
Bennett. Although she was a much less influential teacher,
the name of Olgivanna Wright should also be mentioned as an
authority who has put her own creativity at the service of
the Movements. Another basic fact is that Jessmin Howarth
was an expert in the so-called "old Movements" and
Jeanne de Salzmann in the "newer exercises", while
Bennett's repertoire was based partly on Howarth's, partly
on De Salzmann's sources, and to a limited extend also on
his personal contacts with Gurdjieff.
These basic facts explain why students within the Gurdjieff
Foundation, especially those in Europe, have insufficient
knowledge of or experience with the older Movements. Jeanne
de Salzmann focussed on the large amount of exercises given
by Gurdjieff in his last years and whenever anybody wanted
to know more about the older Movements, she simply advised
to contact Jessmin Howarth, who - by the way - also supervised
any recording on film of the earlier Movements. Jessmin Howarth
taught her knowledge both in Europe, mainly in England, and
in the US, but the transmission lines have become either unclear
or practically extinct and there was a considerable risk that
many of the old Movements, as well as the specialised instructions
that went with them, would be lost.
Kate and Tinky Brass studied the authentic Movements material
as given by Jessmin Howarth, with additions given by Madame
Ouspensky, for over decades. It could very well be that they
are the last representatives of the knowledge passed on in
their transmission line, which was completely independent
from Foundation or Bennett lineages. I do think that through
their personal dedication, Movements which are virtually forgotten
nowadays, such as the Occupationals, a Women's Round Dance
and several others, were preserved.
That Kate and Tinky Brass now have made the momentous decision
to open their classes to every serious student is extremely
important for those interested in Gurdjieff's older Movements
and should not go unnoticed. I am grateful for their decision
and warmly recommend their courses.
Wim van Dullemen
dullemen@gurdjieff-movements.net
Movements Classes of Kate and Tinky Brass:
UK, Bath, e-mail:
katebrass@eggconnect.net, weekly
classes
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