Breakin' Convention Comes to Birmingham Hippodrome Next Month

Breakin' Convention's ground-breaking showcase of hip-hop dance theatre is set to feature an extraordinary line-up of local acts at Birmingham Hippodrome next month.

Hosted and curated by Breakin' Convention's Artistic Director Jonzi D, Breakin' Convention 2023 is on a UK tour, which culminates at the Hippodrome on Tuesday 13 -Wednesday 14 June.

The performances bring the Hippodrome's B-SIDE Hip-Hop Festival 2023 to a close, ending a week full of breakin', graffiti, DJ'ing and MC'ing across the city.

Birmingham's programme includes performances from West Midland's best hip-hop crews including top poppers, lockers, b-boys and b-girls, as well as international headliners MOVER, Ghetto Funk Collective, and Yvonne Smink, who will be performing on both days of Breakin' Convention.

The local line-up features Coady Crew, Company Apidae, Gfunk Collective, O'Driscoll Collective on Tuesday 13 June and DanceNuvo, Marshon Dance Company, Nathan Lafayette & Laura Hague on Wednesday 14 June.

Find out more about the acts below:

Company Apidae

Dancing together since their days in street dance troupe, Code Crew Leicester, Company Apidae is a collection of dancers that have spread across the UK but reunited to perform together. The company engages in dance, physical theatre and storytelling using hybrids of breakin' and contemporary language. Their piece, Dissension, tells a story of how individuals' bonds are tied into their fate. Inspiration for this piece came from the conceptual theme of "circles" and what they represent.

Street Dance Academy

Based in Cheshire, Street Dance Academy has created national and international competing crews, which have performed at Breakin' Convention and Dancers Delight. The academy has sent dancers to West End shows and music videos for global artists such as Harry Styles. With over 300 members, the school's focus is passion, pride and performance through hip-hop culture and street dance styles. The competing crew, Gfunk Collective, will perform Four 8s Saved Me in loving memory of Georgia Ogden, a crew member they tragically lost in a car accident. The piece explores the principle of connection, support and healing through movement and culture.

O'Driscoll Collective

Created in 2019 by Dance Artist and Choreographer, Jamaal O'Driscoll, the national dance collective inspires and engages individuals of all ages through dance and movement. The company combines raw, authentic breakin' with hip-hop theatre and aims to educate and inspire the next generation of b-boys and b-girls. O'Driscoll Collective's piece ONE%, explores themes of toxic masculinity and male mental health, utilising the elegance and rawness of breakin'.

DanceNuvo

Established in 2002 by Lucie Talbott, DanceNuvo provides an array of energetic street dance classes, projects and programmes in Birmingham, Eccleshall and Stafford. The company performed at Breakin' Convention's first tour 20 years ago and some of the original dancers are returning to perform this year. Their piece Malignant, looks at the consumer side of cancer and explores the theme of corruption.

Nathan Lafayette & Laura Hague

Birmingham based choreographer and performer, Nathan Lafayette has performed in solo and ensemble work at Sadlers wells, Breakin Convention, Artists 4 Artists presents: Scratch Dat, Dance2connect festival and B.I.D.F. Nathan creates pieces around the themes of love, death, morality, connection, energy, growth; with a strong focus on pure and vulnerable honesty. Laura Hague is a choreographer and dance artist who graduated from The Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts in 2018. Her dance credits include Commonwealth Games 2022, Alleyne Dance, Ascension Dance, The Royal Albert Hall, NEC Birmingham, FILA & Nike. Nathan and Laura will perform Hold Me Until Morning Comes in loving memory of Christopher John Humphreys.

Breakin' Convention is at Birmingham Hippodrome on Tuesday 13 June and Wednesday 14 June.

Tickets can be booked online at birminghamhippodrome.com or by calling 0844 338 5000*

*0844 calls will cost you 4.5p per minute plus your phone company's access charge.

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