Dancer and Choreographer Chaquille Forrester-Osborne talks about dance collective, Gully South Block’s addition to this year’s Breakin’ Convention line up

Returning for another year this bank holiday weekend, the UK’s biggest celebration of hip hop culture returns with a fresh line up of inventive, creative and innovative dance works. On Saturday 4th and Sunday 5th May, dance collectives from across the globe will continue on with the Breakin’ Convention tradition of igniting imaginations whilst pushing the culture forward. Talented South London originated collective Gully South Block forms part of Saturday’s roster at Sadler’s Wells, this performance marking their second appearance at the festival – a testament to their skillset and determination, especially in their pursuit to highlight the powerful dance style of krump. Ahead of their performance, Chaquille tells us more about the concepts explored within their dance work, utilising the collectives skillsets to choreograph works and what the audience can expect!

Hi Chaquille, you’ll be taking part in this year’s Breakin’ Convention on Saturday 4th May, taking place at Sadler’s Wells, How are you feeling ahead of the event?

Hi, I am feeling very excited ahead of the event as this will be our second time performing at Breakin’ Convention. Myself and the team are grateful to be given the opportunity to showcase our art for the second time at a major festival.

You’re a member of Gully South Block, who’ll be presenting a piece revolving around the following concept – ‘To share your weakness is to make yourself vulnerable; to make yourself vulnerable is to show your strength’. What inspired you all to explore this further?

Each piece we do, we aim to give a deeper insight into our minds, individual environments, and lifestyles. This piece was inspired off the back of our previous Breakin’ Convention performance, which was entitled ‘The Insight‘. We wanted to dive much deeper down the rabbit hole and explore what vulnerability looks like through krump and how one person’s journey can have many different perspectives.

Gully South Block produce dance works predominantly showcasing the dance style of krump, however the collective also embody a range of other skill sets that include modelling, rapping, fashion, graphic design, videography and photography. What inspired the formation of the collective? How do you utilise the various skill sets that you all have to produce work?

The collective was born at our local youth club in Clapham called Devas Club. We would use the space to train and teach krump workshops every Wednesday & Thursday. As the name grew and more members were added, we realised that each member has a skill outside of dance can be utilised in a unique way. For example, our music for many of our performances has been made in house. The merch we now have obtained was designed by another member of the team… We make sure everyone’s skills get highlighted and showcased just to show our audience that we’re a creative collective alongside a set OF dope dancers.

The collective includes yourself, Lisandro Pinto, Taylor-Kae Knott, Laqwarn Robinson, Kyron Jake Anthony, Antonio Adu-Asante, Masaiya Thomas, Leo Clarke, Gary Clarke, Alicia Cox, Cache Thake, Malachi Lewis, Darrell Brade, Luca Murray, Yazmin Howlett, Max Chesire and Nathan Sinclair-Marsh. How have you all worked together to bring your dance piece to life?

The CORE collective includes:

Myself

Lisandro Pinto

Taylor-Kae Knott

Laqwarn Robinson

Kyron Jake Anthony

Antonio Adu-Asante

Masaiya Thomas

Alicia Cox

The GSB BRAND itself as a collection of affiliates and collaborators that have been mentioned in your list above. I have personally worked with each core member & affiliate prior to us performing at this year’s Breakin’ Convention, so it was very easy for us to bring our piece to life because we know everyone’s strengths and weaknesses. With every rehearsal we have had, we always have a plan in place which aids the energy of the rehearsal and helps everyone remain on the same wavelength/mindset throughout.

What does it mean to the collective to be chosen to form part of this year’s Breakin’ Convention?

It means a great deal to the collective because it gives us another opportunity to highlight KRUMP in a more theatrical way. Allowing us to take a deeper dive into the art form, showcasing the style and culture in another light whilst shedding light on personal & individual topics.

What have you learned/taken away from creating the piece?

I have learnt that it is always a blessing to be in a space with likeminded individuals who share the same goals and energy as me. I have also learnt that KRUMP can really be taken into different spaces and energies if we put our minds to it. Due to the history of the style, we are able to connect with our audience through a high intensity movement and culture, and at the same time deliver a quality performance for all ages, backgrounds, genders & races.

What can audiences expect from your dance piece?

The audience can expect:

• A deeper journey into an individual’s mind
• The Emotions that come from diving deeper into our feelings and emotions
• A level of vulnerability and what that looks like from the outside AND inside
• The strength and courage it takes to overcome our vulnerability and how empowered we feel afterwards

Questions by Lucy Basaba.

Gully South Block will perform as part of this year’s Breakin’ Convention on Saturday 4th May. To find out more about the event, visit here…