The '39 Series'

The last decade of Gurdjieff's life, the second stage of his Movements teaching, was one of extraordinary creativity. He demonstrated the new Movements, but rarely explained much about them. His presence was so strong -it literally filled the whole place- that one could absorb the new exercise in a direct way. No further explanation was needed. It was never allowed to make choreographic notes, because this activity would reduce one's first and complete impression to an analytical or rational attitude.
Gurdjieff studied the results of each new Movement he gave by observing the state of the people in the class. Many of his new exercises did not reach the goal he had in mind. It is reported that sometimes he went away during the classes, to come back after a while to propose a small change in a Movement: for instance, a wrist that had been straight was now bent, an arm that was horizontal forward was now diagonally forward. Occasionally, even these new changes did not bring about the desired state in the dancers, and he then gave a strict order: "No... stop and forget this one, don't perform it again ever." However, if a Movement did create the desired state in the psyche and bodily expressions of the performers he'd say, "That's it, this one is set and ready now. What number are we?" referring to the numbers they gave to the new set of "successful" Movements, representing the slowly growing list of what became the "39 Series."
The 39 Series were thus the kernel of his new exercises, the ones he had accepted as finished and relevant. All his other attempts, many of which have been remembered and have been performed since by his students, did not have his full approval. However beautiful they are, their relevance remains open to discussion.