Breakin’ Convention Festival celebrates 20 years of hip-hop innovation and excellence at Sadler’s Wells in April 2023
Stellar anniversary line-up includes Ghetto Funk Collective, b-boy Samuka, La Diva aux Pieds Nus, Far From The Norm, Justin de Jager and Boy Blue.
For the first time, Breakin’ Convention presents a series of events across London venues in the lead-up to the Festival at Sadler’s Wells.
Hosted and curated by UK hip-hop theatre legend and Breakin’ Convention Artistic Director Jonzi D, Breakin’ Convention 2023 showcases the best of hip-hop with local talents, top poppers, lockers, b-boys and b-girls, and a wide range of exciting international acts.
The foyer undergoes a total makeover, with performances from live DJs, bespoke graffiti and freestyle sessions, in an ultimate celebration of hip-hop culture.
Breakin’ Convention is excited to announce the first international and UK headline acts of the 2023 Festival. More international and local acts will be announced in due course.
Hailing from across The Netherlands, Ghetto Funk Collective is a dance company specialised in locking. The group came together through their mutual love for funk music and culture. Inspired by the 1970s era, the crew keeps the timeless spirit of funk powerful, with each of the eight performers showcasing exceptional dance moves.
Brazilian b-boy Samuka is a member of Ill-Abilities, an international breakdancing crew comprised of eight disabled dancers from around the world. Rather than seeing disability as a limitation, the crew focuses on their positive or “ill” abilities, showcasing their unique dance moves. Samuka had a leg amputation at 14 and has since grown into one of the top breakers, showcasing incredible break-dancing skills across international events.
La Diva aux Pieds Nus is a French dance collective made up of five Black women – Séréna Freira, Julie Laventure, Leila Miretti, Stéphie Téhoué and Mayvis William. The group performs ‘Le Matin’, a piece by top choreographer and dancer Nicolas Huchard, who has worked with Christine & The Queens and Madonna. The collective dances in unison across waacking, krump, popping, hip hop, house and Afro to celebrate women in their individuality and plurality.
UK dance company Far From The Norm, led by Olivier award-winning choreographer Botis Seva, creates social and political work through hip-hop theatre and experimental movement.
The company returns to the Festival with a piece packed with its usual relevant messages and high-energy moves.
Dutch threading artist Justin de Jager presents a new piece for three UK dancers. Starting as a breaker, de Jager has been fascinated by “threading” in hip hop, where a dancer creates an opening by connecting several body parts and then passing through that opening with yet another body part.
He keeps pushing the concept’s limits to develop his own ideas in award-winning productions. Joining the list of groundbreaking acts in the 2023 celebrations is Boy Blue, east London’s leading street dance company and the multi-award-winning brainchild of composer Michael ‘Mikey J’ Asante MBE and choreographer Kenrick ‘H2O’ Sandy MBE.
