The idea made me smile.  Worms have segmented body parts that help it to move. ‘These segments either contract or relax independently to cause the body to lengthen in one area or contract in other areas.  Segmentation helps the worm to be flexible and strong in its movement.  If each segment moved together without being independent, the earthworm would be stationary.’ https://www.sas.upenn.edu/~rlenet/Earthworms.html

Worms breathe through their skin, are hermaphrodites and lay eggs, but they are similar to us in many other ways.  They have a digestive system that includes a mouth, pharynx, and intestine, a circulatory system that sends blood through their organs, and a structure that functions like a human heart. I like worms.

A big distinguishing factor between us and worms is that the we have muscles with bones that aid our movement. Maybe our focus on the limbs and skeleton has led us to gloss over the horizontal segmentation in the body. This workshop will explore some of these horizontal structures – the arch of the foot, the pelvic floor, diaphragm and soft palate, that enable the springiness and aliveness of our movement, as well as the horizontal qualities of our muscle tissue.

We will be exploring vertically and horizontally (a lying down upright worm), so make sure you bring something to lie on if you wish, and books/blocks for your head. This workshop builds on an exploration with AMMAS in 2023.