Dance Becomes Collective Action In Poor People S Tv Room

With the ongoing kidnappings of hundreds of Nigerian girls by the jihadist militant group Boko Haram, media coverage of the country’s female population often focuses on victims rather than fighters. Choreographer Okwui Okpokwasili wants to change that narrative to highlight how women have banded together to take action throughout history. Poor People’s TV Room is a new multimedia piece from Okpokwasili and director-designer Peter Born that takes inspiration from two major events: the Boko Haram kidnappings and the Women’s War of 1929, a revolt against British colonial forces.

Poor People’s TV Room explores these themes of resistance and unity through a mix of song, text, film, and choreography: Okpokwasili dances with three women from different generations. Dance represents a different kind of collective action, but there’s a connection between performance and protest in the Igbo language.