The whole is greater than the sum of it’s parts.
“Not Just Any Body Part” is a title that is close to my heart, for many different reasons. At its core, it represents my belief that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.
First inspired by the name as a student at Canada’s National Ballet School (NBS), I was deeply moved and called to action after attending the “Not Just Any Body” conference, which explored the possibility of advancing health, well-being and excellence in dance and dancers. The event was a shared vision of Mavis Staines, Artistic Director at NBS, and her Dutch partners. They joined forces across two continents, through site-specific workshops and joint satellite sessions in Toronto and the The Hague, as well as other downlink and internet sites around the globe.
The title of my business is an expansion of the name in a way that incorporates my training in Expressive Arts Therapy. For example, body part mythology helps to develop awareness of anatomy and posture, and the relationship of body parts to each other and the whole body. Personal and collective themes and metaphors associated with each body part are explored, as well as the relationship of body parts to feelings and the imagination. In essence, Expressive Arts Therapy explores the idea, “If the body could speak, what would it say?”
For me, “Not Just Any Body Part” is such a beautiful marriage of the current artistic lens through which I practice and share my work and the excellence that Canada’s National Ballet School has instilled in me. It represents my vision to build on a career as a performer, while supporting others through the healing arts.
Left to Right: Betty Oliphant, Maggie Forgeron & Karen Kain
Top: Artwork by Maggie Forgeron
Dancer: Maggie Forgeron, “Alpha & Omega”
Choreographer: Kevin O’Day
Photographer: Christian Kleiner
Company: Kevin O’Day Ballett Nationaltheater Mannheim
Not Just Any Body Part 