Dance Major Ilo E. shares Dance Photography Project: 9raxis

Dance Major Ilo E. is currently enrolled in the course, Intro to Black Feminism taught by Dr. Marcellite Failla, and for his final project pursued a dance photography exhibition featuring nine images that symbolize his Black feminist identity entitled "9raxis". Learn more about the project in Ilo's words below, and view some of the images captured by faculty member Lori Teague!

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9raxis is a combination of the term ‘praxis’ and the number ‘9’. I chose the word praxis because of its intrinsic relationship to Black feminist thought. According to Black feminist scholar Patricia Hill Collins, Black feminist thought does several things. First and foremost, Black feminism is an oppositional framework. In challenging oppression it creates an informational cycle between activism, Black feminist theory, and praxis. In understanding the intersection of oppression for marginalized identities (i.e. race and gender), Black feminists use shared experiences to empower collective standpoints, as well as exercise coalition building. In Black feminism ‘the personal is political’, and thus ALL oppressed people must be free. 

In P2axis, my spine curved in a perfect arc as I swung my flesh around me, amused and in awe by the shapes it made.  Feeling liberated, my flesh filled my kinesphere. I chose the colors gold, black, and green to represent the Jamaican flag. On the flag, green represents the vegetation of the island. Gold represents the wealth and warmth of the land. And black represents the people. I swing the black cloth around me letting it curl, wave, and fill with air to represent my liberated body, as well as the flesh of my ancestors. I like to think it also represents the fluidity of my gender, sexuality, and being. 

In Pr5xis, my hair whirled, poked, and reached around my head as I walked across the space, bouncing and swinging my arms. “Stand up” by reggae artists Kabaka Pyramid and Nathalia blasted throughout the Schwartz studio. Like hip-hop, reggae represents conscious movers of a conscious movement. Over the years, reggae music has become intrinsically tied to Rastafarians: members of an apolitical, social, and spiritual movement that originated in Jamaica. Rastafarianism, like Black feminism, vouches for the self-governing, actualization, and freedom of all oppressed people; including displaced Africans.

One may notice that 9raxis features themes of culture, gender, sexuality, and race amongst other things. I ask that you both acknowledge these themes and appreciate the dynamics, depth, and feeling of each photo to reach beyond them. Find new meanings and your own praxis.

Click here to learn more about 9raxis!