just another body part

Something interesting to me happened in the improvisation workshop tonight.

We were partnered up for this exercise where one person would move their body, but only a single body part was to lead the movement.  The partner was to guess which part was being used at any given moment.  The mover was instructed to just do their own thing and move however they felt drawn to, but at the same time, to make clear enough movements for their watcher.  The movements were not to be so simple that it was in your face "Hey. This is my elbow. Elbow. Elbow. Elbow!!"  But we were not to make a collection of movements so scattered all over place that you were some swirling mass of body parts.

We each took turns, and at the end of the round we exchanged feedback with our partners, and mine said he felt compelled to say "wheels" several times....but he did not....and he had questions for himself about why he did not, as his guesses should have/could have been just as improvisational and off the cuff as my movements. 

Being that I was working from my wheelchair for that exercise (sorry for not stating that sooner), I took his observation as a compliment.  There is nothing better for me than complete integration when I move, and the chair being recognized as being part of my body as opposed to being separate from myself or a piece of furniture.

My partner was from another country and his English was minimal, but he kept calling my wheelchair "your cart".  So much changes when you rename a form, doesn't it??