BREAKIN’ CONVENTION ’16
Sadler’s Wells’ critically acclaimed international festival of hip hop dance theatre, Breakin’ Convention, is back from 29 April-2 May, with performances from UK and international companies and crews. Now in its 13th year, this hugely popular annual festival at Sadler’s Wells will then tour to eight venues across the UK until 1 June 2016. The incredible hip hop platform sees a huge spread of work year on year, on both the main stage and the Lilian Baylis Studio.
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 programme begins with a work in progress sharing by Birdgang Dance Company, which was first seen at Breakin’ Convention in 2013 (in its original form). The work will be developed as part of Breakin' Convention's long-term vision of supporting, commissioning and producing new hip hop theatre. Moving on to the main London festival, Sadler’s Wells’ foyer will be transformed with live DJs, freestyle dance jams, graffiti exhibitions, workshops from top international artists and live aerosol art.
The line-up includes three international acts who were highlights of last year’s festival, including France’s Antoinette Gomis, Spain’s award-winning and world Champion b-boy crew The Ruggeds from Holland, last seen at Breakin’ Convention in 2015. The UK line-up features World Street Dance Champions and Britain’s Got Talent finalists Flawless, hip hop dance crew Myself UK Dance Company, Kwame Asafo-Adjei with his company Spoken Movement and Pro-Motion, a supergroup of poppers featuring members of street dance troupes Flawless and Plague. Many acts in the 2016 line-up developed work as part of Breakin’ Convention initiatives Open Art Surgery and Back To The Lab.
Breakin’ Convention will then embark on its seventh national tour after the performances at Sadler’s Wells, taking in eight venues across the UK including newcomers Royal Concert Hall, Nottingham and Gulbenkian Theatre, Canterbury.