Born: 23 May 1891, Denmark
Died: 11 May 1975
Country most active: Denmark
Also known as: NA
Astrid Gøssel was a music educator who worked for many years as a movement educator. Based on her work with children’s sensory-motor and rhythmic-musical development, she developed a pedagogical method she called “the guided and motivated movement game”.
Her practice was based on a holistic view of a “unity between learning, understanding and creative activity”, and between a child’s motor, rhythmic and other musical development. Studying young children’s spontaneous play, Gøssel focused on the importance of play for the young child’s physical and mental development and emphasized that limiting opportunities for play also limits development. She was also inspired by jazz music, its rhythmic expression and improvisation, and studied different forms of movement across various cultures.