Broken Pieces
A Journey of Resilience, Identity and Transformation
A deeply personal Afro-contemporary dance work tracing Appiah Annan’s journey from the streets of Ghana to life in contemporary Melbourne.
About the Work
Broken Pieces is an intimate and powerful solo dance work created by acclaimed Ghanaian-Australian artist Appiah Annan.
Drawing on more than a decade of artistic research and choreographic development, the work explores themes of migration, identity, belonging, resilience and cultural memory through a unique fusion of Afro-contemporary dance, live music and visual storytelling.
Part autobiography and part cultural reflection, Broken Pieces invites audiences into Appiah’s personal journey — from growing up on the streets of Ghana in the 1980s to navigating life as an artist, migrant and cultural leader in Australia.
The work examines the fragments that shape us: memories, relationships, traditions, places and experiences. Individually they may seem disconnected, but together they form the story of who we are.
Artistic Vision
For nearly a decade, Appiah has been researching and developing an original Afro-contemporary movement language that bridges traditional African movement traditions with contemporary dance practice.
Broken Pieces represents the culmination of this exploration.
The work asks:
How do we carry our history within us?
How do the experiences that shape our lives remain present within our bodies, even as we move through different countries, cultures and identities?
Through movement, music and storytelling, Broken Pieces explores the emotional and spiritual threads that connect Appiah to family, ancestors, community and place.
Developing a Movement Language
At the heart of the work is an extensive choreographic investigation into traditional Ghanaian war dances.
Historically, these dances were performed to preserve history, honour ancestors and strengthen community identity.
Rather than recreating these traditional forms, Appiah began examining the underlying movement pathways that give them meaning and power.
By tracing each movement back to its source within the body, he was able to deconstruct and reimagine these traditions through a contemporary lens.
The resulting movement vocabulary retains the emotional and cultural essence of the original forms while creating something entirely new.
This process has become a defining feature of Appiah’s choreographic practice and represents an important contribution to the development of Afro-contemporary dance in Australia.
Music, Memory and Place
As both a musician and choreographer, Appiah’s creative process explores the intimate relationship between movement and sound.
For Broken Pieces, he created an original score centred around the kora, the 21-string harp of West Africa.
The composition draws inspiration from the rhythms and sounds of Melbourne itself — the flow of the Yarra River, the movement of trains and trams, hidden laneways and the everyday rituals of urban life.
These contemporary sounds intertwine with the ancient voice of the kora, creating a soundtrack that mirrors Appiah’s own experience of living between cultures.
The music becomes a conversation between past and present, homeland and adopted home, memory and possibility.
Creating During COVID-19
Developed during the COVID-19 pandemic, Broken Pieces emerged at a time when questions of isolation, connection and belonging became particularly relevant.
The constraints of lockdown created an opportunity for deeper reflection, allowing the work to evolve into an intimate exploration of identity and resilience.
Adapted for screen, the project brought together Appiah with Melbourne-based sound engineer Michael Tilbrook and filmmaker Camille El Feghali to create a cinematic interpretation of the work.
Presented online through Multicultural Arts Victoria, the project reached audiences during Harmony Week and Cultural Diversity Week, reinforcing its themes of connection, understanding and shared humanity.
Influences
The work draws inspiration from internationally renowned artists including:
- Alvin Ailey
- Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui
- Akram Khan
- Qudus Onikeku
While influenced by these contemporary dance innovators, Broken Pieces remains deeply rooted in Appiah’s own cultural experiences and artistic vision.
Themes
- Migration
- Identity
- Resilience
- Cultural memory
- Ancestral connection
- Belonging
- Transformation
- Home
- Storytelling
Presentation History
The Randall Stage 2022
Kiram Arts Festival 2023
“Broken Pieces is about understanding that every experience, every challenge and every connection becomes part of who we are. What may appear broken or disconnected often forms the foundation of our strength, identity and future.”
