Press Release: Rebellious & politically charged contemporary hip hop theatre - Botis Seva, 24 Sept

[Jan McNulty]

WILD CARD
Botis Seva: InNoForm
Thursday 24 September 
Performance at 8pm, pre-show activities from 7pm
Sadler’s Wells Lilian Baylis Studio, EC1R 4TN

Tickets: £17
Ticket office: 020 7863 8000 or www.sadlerswells.com

This autumn Sadler’s Wells presents hip hop dancer and choreographer Botis Seva on Thursday 24 September in the Lilian Baylis Studio as the newest and one of the youngest ever curators of Wild Card, the unique initiative providing a glimpse of the rich variety of work that makes up the current dance landscape. Seva presents a rebellious, immersive and politically charged evening examining questions of race and identity in modern Britain and taking the hip hop form in surprising directions.

Presented in partnership with Sadler’s Wells resident company Breakin’ Convention, this Wild Card evening reveals hip hop theatre in a new light, incorporating elements of contemporary dance, spoken word and physical performance. Instead of handing over clearly formed narratives, Seva provides audiences with an immersive experience challenging them to engage with the issues of the work, crack the code, and piece the story together. 

InNoForm challenges the social and political forces that structure young people’s lives in Britain today. Seva also invites the audience to question the commercialised brand of hip hop culture we have become accustomed to today, proposing a more thought-provoking and socially engaged perspective and reminding audiences that hip hop’s roots lie in the quest for justice and truth.

Botis Seva said: “The commercialised culture in which we live today means that there is often little freedom for people to think. I want people to break out of their boxes and be free to see things from a different perspective. A lot of people who think they know what hip hop is might be surprised by what they see in my show.”

A Londoner born and bred, Botis Seva has made performance pieces across theatre, film and local community work with his company Far From The Norm since 2010. At the age of 23, he is one of the youngest ever guests of Wild Card. Seva has performed at various international showcases including Breakin’ Convention. He is currently mentored by Sadler’s Wells Associate Artist Hofesh Shechter. 

Increasingly popular with audiences and artists alike, Wild Card opens the stage to an exciting and adventurous community of dance makers, giving a broad range of artists the unique opportunity to curate their own programmes of dance. These specially curated evenings feature exploratory approaches to choreography and combine different mediums, broadening audiences’ perspectives on dance made today. 

Wild Card is part of Sadler’s Wells’ programme of support for young and emerging dance talent, alongside other initiatives including the New Wave Associates programme, Sadler’s Wells Summer University and hosting the National Youth DanceCompany.


InNoForm is presented in partnership with Breakin’ Convention 

Wild Card is supported by The Andrew Lloyd Webber Foundation and The Garrick Charitable Trust. 

Free post-show talk (BSL-interpreted): Thursday 24 September 

Pre-show activities from 7pm and extra content to be announced. See www.sadlerswells.com for details

NOTES TO EDITORS:

Sadler’s Wells
Sadler's Wells is a world leader in contemporary dance, committed to producing, commissioning and presenting new works and to bringing the very best international and UK dance to London and worldwide audiences. Under the Artistic Directorship of Alistair Spalding the theatre’s acclaimed year-round programme spans dance of every kind, from contemporary to flamenco, Bollywood to ballet, salsa to street dance and tango to tap. Since 2005 it has helped to bring over 90 new dance works to the stage and its international award-winning commissions and collaborative productions regularly tour the world. Sadler’s Wells supports 16 appointed world class Associate Artists, three Resident Companies and an Associate Company and nurtures the next generation of talent through hosting the National Youth Dance Company, its Summer University programme, its Wild Card initiative and its New Wave Associates.

Located in Islington in north London, the current theatre is the sixth to have stood on the site since it was first built by Richard Sadler in 1683. The venue has played an illustrious role in the history of theatre ever since, with The Royal Ballet, Birmingham Royal Ballet and English National Opera all having started at Sadler’s Wells.

Sadler’s Wells is an Arts Council National Portfolio Organisation and currently receives approximately 9% of its revenue from Arts Council England.