Essence Magazine Review

Urban Bush Women
The dance troupe gives hair-raising performances

“We are bombarded with impossible images that affect our self-esteem and how we’re conditioned to think,” says Urban Bush Women artistic director Jawole Willa Jo Zollar (seated) after a recent performance of her recent performance of her company’s celebrated piece HairStories. “I want to create a world in which every little Black girl. Every little girl, every child can feel comfortable being himself or herself.”

Zollar’s determination to lead us down the road of self-acceptance inspired her to create HairStories, an affirming piece that she based on interviews with Black women around the country about the importance of our hair, incorporating video and ehuberant dance, Urban Bush Women has captivated audiences from Amherst, Massachusetts, to Santa Cruz, California. “We’re taught that kinky hair is not attractive,” says Zollar, who has been heading the company for 13 years. “This means that Black hair is not attractive. And we should all know that’s not true.”

Lisa Brennan