[1] The term was first coined in 1975[2] by American writer Ntozake Shange in a description of her work, For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide / When the Rainbow Is Enuf.
Shange's attempt to depart from traditional western poetry and storytelling resulted in a new art form that doesn't contain specific plot elements or characters, but instead focuses on creating an emotional response from the audience.
[7] Another contemporary artist championing the choreopoem is Monica Prince,[8] author of How to Exterminate the Black Woman ([PANK], 2020)[9], and the forthcoming Roadmap (SFWP 2023).
Thus, her genre and praxis created an explorative and central space for Black Women's various and complex experiences, in a personal, familiar, yet crafted language and voice.
Her genre of choreopoem substantiated processes of narrative creation beyond what existed in both European Western theatrical dance practices and in the Black Theatre tradition alike.
After for colored girls, Shange continued to explore and utilize choreopoem, creating works such as boogie woogie landscapes (1977), From Okra to Greens/A Different Kinda Love Story: A Play/With Music & Dance (1978), Spell #7 (1979), and A photograph: lovers in motion (1979).