Bethan Habron-James
RNCM Young Strings Tutor in Musicianship
BMus, Licenciate Institut Jaques-Dalcroze, Diplome Superieur Institut Jaques-Dalcroze
Email: [email protected]
- Teaching Dalcroze Eurhythmics to undergraduates, postgraduates and children
- Mentoring Young Strings Interns (e.g. past Leverhulme Trust scheme)
- Staff recruitment (Young Strings)
- Student recruitment (PGCE with specialist instrumental teaching)
Bethan Habron-James (Diplôme Supérieur, Institut Jaques-Dalcroze, Geneva) is one of the foremost teachers of Dalcroze Eurhythmics in the UK, and is an ambassador for the method internationally (Switzerland, Italy, Spain, Ireland, Japan, South Korea, Vietnam, Australia). Besides teaching at the RNCM, she delivers training nationwide to Music Services and organisations (e.g. Youth Music, Aldeburgh Young Musicians, Sound Connect), and for many years was a lead teacher trainer and examiner for Dalcroze UK. She is an experienced teacher of children with special educational needs, undertaking some pioneering research into her practice in this field. Between 2013-2016, Bethan created and delivered a Dalcroze distance learning programme (online) for North West University, Potchefstroom, South Africa. Passionate about learning, in 2016 Bethan was awarded a Bangor University bursary to study for a PhD and PGCert/HE. She is currently engaged in an arts-based autoethnographic research study into her understanding of Dalcroze Eurhythmics as a student and teacher. Previously a professional violinist, Bethan continues to teach the violin and enjoys applying her Dalcroze knowledge to string teaching.
Current and Future Research
Bethan Habron-James’s current research activity focuses on her doctoral studies at Bangor University, North Wales. The working title of her PhD thesis is: An artistic autoethnographic inquiry into my understanding of Dalcroze Eurhythmics as student and teacher. The study will be presented as a multi-media output, to include film, creative writing, stitched collages and performance. Bethan’s inter- and trans-disciplinary interests create connections between her practice of Dalcroze and anthropology (Ingold), human geography (Malpas, Massey), interpersonal neurobiology (Seigel, Hill), sociology (DeNora), and textiles (Igoe, Dormor). Resonating with the world of textile design theory, her work is built on concepts of layers and fragments, which reflect her understanding of revealing knowledge through interaction with materials, and to move towards stitching meaning. Bethan approaches research with an on-going sense of curiosity, possibility and serendipity (van der Tuin), allowing an iterative dialogue between practice and theory. She strongly identifies with the concept of bricoleuse, as someone who adapts, improvises and creates anew from found and available material and ideas. A/r/tography is another concept that speaks to her hybrid identity as artist, researcher and teacher. Acknowledging the body as an archival source, her research is embodied, self-reflexive, performative and deeply personal. As a long-standing member of an international Dalcroze community, she is committed to furthering an understanding of Emile Jaques-Dalcroze’s writings and philosophy, through contemporary practice, discourse and theory. Looking ahead, Bethan hopes to apply insights from her doctorate to future research collaborations, with particular focus in the fields of wellbeing and pedagogy (pedagogy of care, trauma-informed, resilience). She hopes to continue to develop her unique weave of artistic, practice-informed research and enthuse others with a similar potential for their own creative projects.
Research Areas
- Dalcroze Pedagogy
- Dalcroze and Wellbeing
- Body-informed instrumental learning and teaching
- Inclusivity within Music Education
- Methodologies including autoethnography, artistic research (a/r/tography), writing as inquiry, bricolage
External Research Roles
- Peer reviewer for Psychology of Music
- Peer reviewer for Peter Lang book series, Music and Spirituality
- Peer reviewer for Peter Lang book, Exploring Power in Music, Spirituality and Well-Being: Autoethnographies
- Peer reviewer for ICDS (International Conference for Dalcroze Studies)
Research Funding
- Bangor University (funds to present at research conferences)
- RNCM (funds to present at research conferences)
Undergraduate Teaching
- 1st Yr School of Wind, Brass & Percussion: Rhythm, Pitch, Movement
- 3rd & 4th Yr: Application of Dalcroze to Piano Pedagogy
- Artist Development 1: Seminar Series & Lecture (Dalcroze)
- Undergraduate Elective: PACE (Physical Awareness, Communication and Expression)
Postgraduate Teaching
- Masters Practical Pedagogy Module: Dalcroze Application
- Masters ‘Dalcroze in Context’ research elective: Arts-Based & Autoethnographic Research (guest seminar)
- Masters in Music elective (Dalcroze Eurhythmics and Dynamic Rehearsal): deputised teaching
- PGCE (Postgraduate Certificate in Education): Dalcroze Application
Selected Outputs
Written Outputs
Habron-James, B. Navigating between trauma and well-being: A Dalcroze teacher’s quest for integration, in Exploring Power in Music, Spirituality and Well-Being: Autoethnographies Vol II, edited by Liesl van der Merwe, June Boyce-Tillman, Petra Jerling, Laetitia Orlandi, Peter Lang (in press).
Habron-James, B. FIER Paths to Rhythmics III: Rhythmics and Children. Geneva: FIER, 2017.
Habron-James, B. Book Review of ‘Eurhythmics for Autism and Other Neurophysiologic Diagnoses: A Sensorimotor Music-Based Treatment Approach’ by Dorita S. Berger. Approaches: An interdisciplinary journal of music therapy, Special Issue, 8(2), 216-218, 2016
Habron-James, B. La música en movimiento para niños con necesidadaes especiales. Eufonia: Didactica de la Música, 67, 13-18, 2016.
Habron-James, B. Sing up! Get a move on! Sing Up, 25, 44-45, 2015.
Habron-James, B. The application of Dalcroze Eurhythmics to the teaching of children with special educational needs, Thesis/Memoire de Diplôme, Institut Jaques-Dalcroze, Geneva, 2013.
Practice-based outputs (choreography and choral direction)
Habron-James, B. Flight of Song. International Society of Music Education World Conference, Glasgow, 2016.
Habron-James, B. Tracing Stones. First International Conference of Dalcroze Studies, Coventry University, Coventry, 2013
Public Presentations
Habron-James, B. Knowing as we go: an autoethnography of a Dalcroze pilgrim. 7th International Conference of Dalcroze Studies / Building bridges through music and movement: Inspire, Imagine, Transcend, Luxembourg, July 2025.
Habron-James, B. An autoethnographic tale of hidden vulnerabilities in the Dalcroze studio. 34th World Conference of International Society of Music Education / Advocacy for Sustainability in Music Education, Helsinki, Finland, July 2024.
Habron-James, B. The delights and challenges of being invited to play. Institut Jaques-Dalcroze Congrès / Connections to self: playing – listening – expression, Geneva, Switzerland, July 2023
Habron-James, B. Finding my methodological feet. International Conference of Autoethnography / Right to Roam, Bristol, UK, July 2022 (2021).
Web Resources
Habron-James, B. Knowing as we go: an autoethnography of a Dalcroze pilgrim / Meditations on Breath. International Conference of AutoEthnography https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hC-hFtPOZAk&t=932s (my performance @ 10mins11secs) July 2025
Habron-James, B. An inquiry into the meaning of Dalcroze Eurhythmics in the life journey of a student and teacher: an artful autoethnography. The story so far… Hamburg Online Open University (HOOU), https://learn.hoou.de/mod/page/view.php?id=9271, July 2021
Professional Activity
During her 25 years of teaching at the RNCM, Bethan has also worked on a freelance basis at Birmingham Conservatoire; Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, Cardiff; Manchester Music Service; Springwood Special School, Salford; Dalcroze UK Certificate Training Course (London, Dublin, Manchester); Birmingham Royal Ballet School. Through a long-standing relationship with the London Suzuki Group, she has established a profile infusing Suzuki pedagogy with her expertise in Dalcroze. Bethan’s deep interest in the cross-over between education and therapy found an expression in her participation in Drumming Down Dyspraxia, an Arts Council funded research project in Oldham, and Nottingham University’s Institute of Hearing Research project into musical training and transfer of listening skills in older adults, funded by the Medical Research Council. Another example of collaboration in a practice-research context was with the project, Moving into Composition (HEA-funded research) at Coventry University. These projects undoubtedly contributed to her growing interest in eventually pursuing her own, current, PhD research. Recent international teaching invitations have taken her to Australia, Hong Kong and Bangkok. Connecting with Life Soulutions, Bangkok, has allowed her to develop her practice in synergy with her doctoral studies, with its focus on a pedagogy of care, integration of the self, trauma-informed pedagogy and theory of play.
