Started in 2018 in Columbus, Ohio, by dance scholar and immigrant Lucille Toth, On Board(hers) is a contemporary dance project based on the experiences of female immigrants. The group uses movement and emotion to confront the impact of immigration on women.On Board(hers) is a space where vocal accents, multilingualism, and cultural pluralities are valued. On Board(hers) creates a sense of community in defiance of those who target social difference as a threat and cast immigration as something to be feared. Through movement, On Board(hers) provides a safe space for female immigrants to cope with traumatic memories encountered during the immigration journey. We seek to reclaim our own narrative and engage new dialogues with local communities.
Representing different ages, ethnicities, sexual orientations, socio-economic statuses, levels of education and dance backgrounds, On Board(hers) explores how global mobility is gendered, and reveals stories of women who are at the mercy of contemporary immigration policies, while underlining the fortitude of women’s work, humor, and solidarity.
Assistant Artistic Director and Dancer: Bita Bell
Choreographer: Lucille Toth
Performances
2019 Beeler Gallery, Columbus College of Art and Design, Ohio
2019 Wexner Center for the Arts, Columbus, Ohio
2018 Beeler Gallery, Columbus College of Art and Design, Ohio
Press
On Board(hers): Columbus Women Confront Immigrant Experience Through Dance
2019 PBS, WOSU Public Media
On Board(hers)
2019 Broad and High
Board(hers) around Bodies
2019 NPR, Voices of Excellence from Arts and Sciences
The Territory of Togetherness: CDA Works
2019 The Headtail Connection, Fenella Kennedy
Yes, She has an Accent, Why Don’t You?
2019 TEDx Talks
Arts Feature: On Board(hers)
2019 Columbus ALIVE
bita bell 