10/08/2026
Some behind the scenes shots from filming an incredible performance from The Cirque d'Art Theatre based on the piece, Bounty or Burden by Gretchen Stevens Cochran.
In West Africa, women carry goods on their heads to transport, market, and sell. These images of women look as if they are almost dancing as they navigate dirt roads under their burdensome loads.
On a trip to Ghana, Cochran had encountered this very scene that had previously been romanticized. The reality she soon discovered, however, was that the bounties quickly became burdens. The loads of weighted goods compress the neck and spine, usually crippling these women at a young age. They are paid a pittance and are cheaper to hire than to keep animals to do the job. Metaphorically, we all have bounties that can become burdens. Everything has its price. Sometimes the expense is monetary, other times we find we have compromised our integrity, our souls and that these bounties have, indeed, become burdens.
Make sure to stay tuned for the video of this performance!
