
Photo by Peter Born.
Okwui Okpokwasili is a Brooklyn-based writer, performer, and choreographer. Okpokwasili creates multidisciplinary projects with collaborator Peter Born, and frequently collaborates with award-winning director Ralph Lemon. Her New York productions include Poor People’s TV Room, Bronx Gothic, winner of the 2014 Performance “Bessie” Award for Outstanding Production, and Pent-Up: A Revenge Dance, recipient of a 2010 New York Dance and 2009 Performance “Bessie” Award for Outstanding Production.
Okpokwasili was a Randjelovic/Stryker Commissioned Artist at New York Live Arts from 2015-2017. Her residencies and awards include Maggie Allesee National Center for Choreography (2012, 2016), NYFA Fellowship in Choreography (2013), Lower Manhattan Cultural Council’s Extended Life Program (2014-15), The Foundation for Contemporary Arts’ Artist Grants in Dance (2014), Creative Capital Grant (2016), New England Foundation for the Arts, and National Dance Project.
Donor -This award was generously supported by The Fred & Eve Simon Charitable Foundation.
This artist page was last updated on: 12.31.2024

Poor People's TV Room by Okwui Okpokwasili and Peter Born, 2017. New York Live Arts.
Video courtesy of the artist.

Bronx Gothic: The Oval by Okwui Okpokwasili, 2014. Performance Installation, River to River Festival.
Photo by Izzy Zimmerman.

Bronx Gothic by Okwui Okpokwasili, 2014. Danspace Project.
Photo by Ian Douglas.

Poor People's TV Room by Okwui Okpokwasili, 2017. NYLA, Nehemoyia Young & Katrina Reid.
Photo by Ian Douglas.

Poor People's TV Room by Okwui Okpokwasili, 2017. NYLA, Okwui Okpokwasili & Katrina Reid.
Photo by Ian Douglas.