‘Iziegbe’, an eclectic twelve-minute dance film by choreographer, Izzy Odigie, reminds us that dance is a language that can be used for political imagination and storytelling.
'Everything is art. Everything is politics.’ Chinese contemporary artist and activist, Ai Weiwei once said while discussing his definition of art. He also opined that art is about freedom of expression and serves as a new way to communicate. For Weiwei, art is a powerful tool for expressing views on political, social and cultural issues within and across societies.
While authors and musicians have historically served as prime examples of creatives as political commentators, Izzy Odigie’s dance film, Iziegbe, positions dance as a productive tool for political expression—whether it be in opposition to police brutality or hegemonic notions of what African life is on the continent and in the diaspora. Released in late 2020 by Odigie, a 25-year-old Nigerian-American afrobeats choreographer, the film showcases the significance and impact of the body and its movements. Iziegbe represents the importance of dance as an embodied practice of music and serves as a reminder to viewers who often forget that dance is an aesthetic form that has its own language and power.
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