Why Choreopoem Live Literature -

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Well as Zora Neale Hurston once remaked of black people - 'the will to adorn' I agree in own my writing (poetry allows me this the most ) it is part of my character I have been described as a bit florid or extravagant - which is excellent the best I could wish for my poetry is to to be 'kora - like' its musical effect truly beautiful - this confirms in my own mind my urban griot status which sits well with my mandinka african roots - as I thought about this work it seemed perfectly sensible to me that this would clearly be a choreopoem -I will move my body (its centrality is vital - people are genuinely taken aback by that part- is it because I am middle aged ?) its so apt - in the greek sense of those words but also the nature of the piece - I am able to draw here on the profound iconic work of Ntzake Shangwe -'For Colored Girls' when the term was first used to describe poetic text with physical theatre on stage live literature encompasses performance poetry, orality being key rather than on the page Jean Binta Breeze has been invaluable to me in freeing my poetry performances to utilize fully all my artistic abilities -particularly voice in poetic speech and song -very helpful too is Benji Reid for making me aware of the profund beauty of my bodies own lauguage expression its storytelling - and how to intertwine it with live text - I shared with him my love of butoh asian and african martial arts movements - I do write simultaneously for both page and stage - retaining some of my afrocentric lineage I could go further with this in so far that it is a monologue - embracing many big themes concepts - a conversation with the self - stemming from loneliness (a very interesting word in its myriad meanings in the west) - choreopolectics - a question and answer, a discourse with self and/or audience I know I want to do something I have never ever seen before ( onstage too youth and body beautiful focused) tackling big stuff not clever rhymes, or goverment agenda stuff or whats deemed fashionable right now - stuff no one is focusing on or talking about or highlighting basically something I could care about I would want to pay to see