Sadler’s Wells’ critically acclaimed international festival of hip hop dance theatre, Breakin’ Convention, is back, with performances from UK and international companies and crews.
Now in its 14th year, this hugely popular Sadler’s Wells Production is once again hosted and curated by Associate Artist Jonzi D. Following the annual festival at Sadler’s Wells over the May bank holiday (Saturday 29 April – Monday 1 May), Breakin’ Convention will then tour for a second consecutive year, to nine venues across the UK until early June 2017 marks Breakin’ Convention’s seventh UK tour.
Breakin’ Convention has firmly established itself as one of the major highlights on the British dance calendar and one of the world’s greatest celebrations of hip hop culture.
The London festival on Saturday 29 and Sunday 30 April sees Sadler’s Wells’ foyer transformed with DJs, freestyle dance jams, graffiti exhibitions, workshops from top international artists and live aerosol art. The participatory activities take place pre-show and during the interval.
Following performances at Sadler’s Wells, Breakin’ Convention tours to Edinburgh, Nottingham, Norwich, Southampton, Salford, Leicester, Blackpool, Brighton and Birmingham. The UK tour offers local dance companies the opportunity to perform alongside international acts.
The tour line-up includes Soweto Skeleton Movers, a highlight of last year’s festival. Mixing comedic contortionism with the Pantsula dance style native to the townships of South Africa and performing to Kwaito music, a form of Afro house and the soundtrack of the liberation struggle, the group returns by popular demand.
Joining them on tour is Canadian group Tentacle Tribe. Founded in 2012, the Montreal-based dance company creates uncommon dance works with a contemporary twist using conceptual hip hop and influences from all types of earthly creatures. The duo’s work experiments with intricate partnering, refined musicality and physical choreography. Tentacle Tribe recently performed at Breakin’ Convention in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Completing the international line up are Just Dance from South Korea. Under the artistic direction of B-Boy Ducky of the Drifterz Crew, Just Dance presents an updated vision of Korean shamanistic mask performance. Live Korean drumming accompanies a crew of poppers and b-boys, many of whom have world titles to their name. Earlier in 2016 the group performed at Breakin’ Convention in Charlotte, North Carolina. The London dates mark their Breakin’ Convention UK premiere.
The festival also features work from artists who have taken part in Open Art Surgery and Back To The Lab, Breakin’ Convention’s professional development platforms.
For the fifth consecutive year Breakin’ Convention takes it back to the roots of hip hop on bank holiday Monday 1 May with Park Jam, an outdoor party suitable for all the family in Spa Fields Park.
For more information on Breakin’ Convention, visit the Sadler’s Wells website.