Press Release: Sadler's Wells Breakin' Convention: line-up announced, 1-4 July

[Jan McNulty]

 

Thursday 27 May

 

Breakin’ Convention 2021
Breakin’ Convention Presents & Breakout Convention
Sadler’s Wells, EC1R 4TN
Thursday 1 July - Sunday 4 July 2021 
Tickets: £15 - £45
Performances at 6pm and 8pm 
Tickets: www.sadlerswells.com  

Sadler’s Wells Breakin’ Convention, the influential festival of hip hop dance theatre returns for its 18th year and announces its eclectic line-up for this year’s socially distanced programme, curated by hip hop theatre pioneer and Sadler’s Wells Associate Artist Jonzi D.

 

Breakin’ Convention Presents showcases the UK Premiere of Compagnie Niya’s Gueules Noires on Thursday 1 & Friday 2 July. On Saturday 3 & Sunday 4, Breakout Convention features eight different performances from exceptional hip hop companies.

 

This year’s event follows Breakin’ Convention’s mini festival Social DisDancing in December 2020. Presenting its first live event since lockdown, Breakout Convention, includes performances from: 

AWA (UK) 
Made up of young dancers with different special needs and disabilities is AWA (Atypical with Attitude), making its Breakin’ Convention debut with a piece acknowledging the power of unity. Blindfolded dancers express feelings of loss and isolation whilst finding companionship and commonality through their hip hop dance vocabulary. The company featured as part of BBC talent show The Greatest Dancer in 2019. 

Bagsy (UK)
Waacking artist Bagsy asks what it means to be a man, in new work Surrender. Taking inspiration from his own identity, examining masculinity, expectations and Yoruba’s god of thunder Shango, Bagsy creates an intimate exploration of his journey through the form of waacking. The work was developed as part of Breakin’ Convention’s artistic development programme Back to the Lab (2021).

 

Compagnie Niya (France)
Alongside their full-length piece Gueules Noires on Thursday and Friday, Compagnie Niya also presents the UK premiere of an excerpt of Resurgence, a game between movement and sound. 

Dey Dey & Manuela (France/Germany)
Presenting the world premiere of Force D’Âme is Dey Dey and Manuela from the acclaimed Zamounda Crew (France). B-girl Manuela recently featured in Jonzi D & jessica Care Moore’s short film Our Bodies Back. Together, breaking and popping combines, contrasts and connects to reveal the inner journeys of two women.

Gemma Hoddy (UK)
Veteran of the award-winning Boy Blue, Gemma Hoddy presents Vintage. A quartet of women perform a sassy blend of iconic jazz dance shapes, punctuated by a furious popping technique. Paying homage to the classic generation of musical theatre, jazz samples and thumping hip hop beats are brought by producer and co-founder of Boy Blue, Mikey J Asante. 

Patience J (UK)
Last seen at Breakin’ Convention in 2015 with Girlz On Point (GOP), Patience J brings energy and attitude with Colours, a celebratory work exploring modern Afro dance forms from the African diaspora including n’dombolo and azonto. An established performer and choreographer, Patience J has collaborated with an assortment of world-famous brands and vocal artists.

Spoken Movement (UK)
Returning to Sadler’s Wells with Family Honour is Spoken Movement led by artistic director Kwame Asafo-Adjei. The work uses popping and tutting to illustrate a psychologically potent duet between Asafo-Adjei himself and dancer Catrina Nisbett which explores the religious and cultural taboos in a Ghanaian family. It has won multiple awards worldwide including Paris’ Danse Élargie in 2018.

W.A.R (UK)
W.A.R (We Ain’t Regular) brings the raw to the Sadler’s Wells stage with a world premiere performance. The company appeared alongside rap artist Stormzy for his performance of Shut Up at Glastonbury 2020.

As well as world-class dance crews and soloists, the 2021 programme features films from Breakin’ Convention’s latest initiatives Power to the Pixel and Next Day Delivery - a collaboration between choreographers and writers. Next Day Delivery films come from winners Sun Kim and Surid - (Gas) Lighting; Anthony and Kel Matsena - Too Much, Too Little; Ken Masters and Rob Anderson; and Berkavitch and Si Rawlinson - Eat The Rich.

 

2021 marks Breakin’ Convention’s 18th anniversary. Best known for its flagship annual festival, its year-round programme aims to grow the UK’s development of hip hop theatre. It encompasses professional development initiatives such as Back to the Lab, a two-week training and mentorship initiative leading to performance; a broad education programme; and alternative performance platforms such as Breakin’ Convention Presents.
 

Jonzi D is a Sadler’s Wells Associate Artist  

NOTES TO EDITORS

About Sadler’s Wells
Sadler's Wells is a world-leading dance organisation, committed to producing, commissioning, and presenting new works and to bringing the best domestic and international dance to UK 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. 

 

Audiences of over half a million come to Sadler’s Wells’ three London theatres each year, with many more enjoying its touring productions at venues across the UK and around the world and accessing its content through its Digital Stage. Sadler's Wells commissions, produces and presents more dance than any other theatre in the world, embracing the popular and the unknown. Since 2005, it has helped to bring over 180 new dance works to the stage, many of them involving its 16 Associate Artists, three Resident Companies and four Associate Companies – the most exciting talents working in dance today. 

 

Sadler’s Wells’ own productions have toured to some of the most prestigious theatres and festivals around the world, such as the Sydney Opera House, the Lincoln Center’s White Light Festival in New York, and the National Centre for Performing Arts in Beijing. 

 

Sadler’s Wells also nurtures the next generation of talent through a range of artist development initiatives including its New Wave Associates programmes, its Wild Card initiative and the National Youth Dance Company. A further 30,000 individuals take part in its learning and engagement programmes each year. 
 
During the Covid-19 crisis, Sadler’s Wells has continued to connect with global audiences through its Digital Stage, an online programme of performances and workshops for people to watch at home. Since 27 March 2020, the programme has been enjoyed by audiences all over the world, generating over 5 million video views globally. 

On 17 May 2021, live dance returns to Sadler’s Wells, with performances for socially distanced audiences. 

Sadler’s Wells is an Arts Council National Portfolio Organisation and currently receives approximately 10% of its revenue from Arts Council England. www.sadlerswells.com 

Sadler’s Wells social media handles: 
Facebook: @SadlersWells 
Twitter: @Sadlers_Wells 
Instagram: @sadlers_wells 
YouTube: Sadler’s Wells Theatre
 

About Breakin’ Convention
Breakin' Convention represents the origins and evolution of hip hop culture from around the world and around the corner. Through its international festivals and tours and professional development programme, Breakin' Convention is at the vanguard of the global development of hip hop theatre artists.

Supporting the artistic vison, hip hop theatre pioneer Jonzi D founded Breakin’ Convention, supported by Sadler’s Wells in 2004.  Breakin’ Convention is now part of Sadler’s Wells and produces its annual festival there. Since its inception, Breakin’ Convention has been pivotal to the development of the global hip hop theatre scene, touring nationally since 2007 and internationally since 2013. Breakin’ Convention has now reached live audiences of over 100,000.

Breakin’ Convention is committed to the development of hip hop theatre artists by providing a variety of participatory opportunities. These include professional development programmes for choreographers, dancers and emcees, projects for young people and educational activities in schools as well as bespoke special events.

www.breakinconvention.com

Breakin’ Convention social media handles: 
Facebook: @breakinconvention
Twitter: @BConvention
Instagram: @breakinconvention
YouTube: Breakin’ Convention BCTV