Okwui Okpokwasili as part of New York Live Arts’ (NYLA) Studio Series in BG: Girl, Girl, Saturday, February 16. This series truly gives artists the room to present works-in-process such as BG: Girl, Girl, and equally important, there is always a Talk to help audiences learn more. Here’s my purposefully unedited take on this evening of “movement” in the spirit of...
The studio space at NYLA. Okwui was inside a revolving square frame suspended by invisible cords. Slowly moving. A hum. Audience quietly enters the dark room. Okwui’s hand is against her face, feet are turned in, hands move to her body. There is a hush in the room. She begins soft breaths, puffs her chest, shifts her hips, her shoulders hunker, she lifts one foot and rubs the other ankle. Folks are still walking in, looking for a seat. Her fingers reach her waist. More soft breaths. Jamil Olawale Kosoko (Producing Associate in Humanities and Engagement at NYLA) welcomes everyone. Okwui deepens her journey. Music begins. “Hello Baby…don’t cry…” Okwui begins turning slowly, singing, stops singing, sings again in another octave, then shape-shifting; closing in on her body, undulating, touching, and framing her body. Descending to the floor, she travels out from inside the square, explores the floor, slowly rises and takes deliberately slow steps towards pieces of paper. Walks quickly picks up the paper and reads a note explaining an exchange between 11 year old girls. Selfishness? The papers fall and she too fall. Thumping, dragging, fighting the floor for space. Exhausted. Sings. Stands and tells another story about a boyfriend. Okwuk shakes, shivers and eventually convulses to her knees. Stands. Okwui finally says, “The End…for now.” Funny, time and again, she exclaims, “I’m not a dancer…” HA!
The studio space at NYLA. Okwui was inside a revolving square frame suspended by invisible cords. Slowly moving. A hum. Audience quietly enters the dark room. Okwui’s hand is against her face, feet are turned in, hands move to her body. There is a hush in the room. She begins soft breaths, puffs her chest, shifts her hips, her shoulders hunker, she lifts one foot and rubs the other ankle. Folks are still walking in, looking for a seat. Her fingers reach her waist. More soft breaths. Jamil Olawale Kosoko (Producing Associate in Humanities and Engagement at NYLA) welcomes everyone. Okwui deepens her journey. Music begins. “Hello Baby…don’t cry…” Okwui begins turning slowly, singing, stops singing, sings again in another octave, then shape-shifting; closing in on her body, undulating, touching, and framing her body. Descending to the floor, she travels out from inside the square, explores the floor, slowly rises and takes deliberately slow steps towards pieces of paper. Walks quickly picks up the paper and reads a note explaining an exchange between 11 year old girls. Selfishness? The papers fall and she too fall. Thumping, dragging, fighting the floor for space. Exhausted. Sings. Stands and tells another story about a boyfriend. Okwuk shakes, shivers and eventually convulses to her knees. Stands. Okwui finally says, “The End…for now.” Funny, time and again, she exclaims, “I’m not a dancer…” HA!
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