The Instructable Body: Student Bodies from Classrooms to Prisons

In this classroom there are no desks, no chairs, no pencil sharpeners, no papers, no books, no computers. The floor is smooth, unpolished wood. The walls are lined with mirrors, and attached to these walls, at waist height, are wooden poles that circle the perimeter of the room. In this room students position themselves as far away from each other as possible. Looking in the mirror to survey oneself is not only encouraged, but also required. Shoes are forbidden and bare feet are the rule. Occasionally, fragile, specially designed pink satin or very soft leather slippers, footwear that can be worn only in this room and never outside, is permitted. The clothing worn in this room must make visible the musculature of the body. Long, loose hair is fastened back to reveal the face and neck. Eating, drinking and gum chewing are prohibited. Sitting down is interdict, unless one is specifically told to do so. The bodies in this space are to be primed and alert, freed temporarily of appetites and bodily needs and prepped to explode into physical action.