The movement work and the course materials forced me to reflect on my passive compliance with a system that strictly regulates how bodies are expected to behave in certain settings. Classrooms give us little choice over the movement of our own bodies if we do not want to be punished for not adhering to the rules. I won’t pretend that I don’t conform to sitting behind a desk, in a chair, in class each day, but I will say that our work with Maree encouraged me to explore movement outside of class that goes against societal expectations. When things feel out of balance, I sometimes feel an intense desire to dance, to stretch, to find ways to move my body just because it feels good, and to do this entire routine outside, in public. It’s a small act of rebellion against society’s expectations for how our bodies should behave in public settings, but it feels liberating to actively disagree with the system.
