Sadler’s Wells and Breakin’ Convention present the Hip Hop Games on Stratford Waterfront in Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park this summer ahead of Breaking’s inaugural appearance at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games and the opening of Sadler’s Wells East. On Saturday 3 August from 12-7pm, eight east London dancers will compete across two teams in a hip hop dance improvisation game with a series of different creative challenges in a free event for all the family.

The Hip Hop Games is a concept born in France in 2011 from dancer, choreographer and artistic director Romuald Brizolier and is the first concept that offers a hip hop dance improvisation game staged through various creative challenges. The Hip Hop Games has since toured internationally, bringing together dancers from across the world and gaining widespread recognition.  

The line-up on Saturday 3 August includes Matthew ‘Omni’ Eudu, Nicolas Marvel, Lauren Scott and Paris Crossley who will form the popping crew. They will compete against the krump crew: Masaiya Thomas, Jordan ‘Sapien’ Douglas, Amanda ‘Siren’ Pefkou and Alicia ‘Mafia’ Cox. BBC 1Xtra will also present a range of DJs for this interactive event which sees audiences have their say on the winning team.

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A challenging work crated back in the latter part of the 1800s, Bizet‘s Carmen continues to stir emotion, the tale of an audacious young lady stealing the heart of a respectable Don José, a soldier committed to king and country and heartlessly abandoning his side once he’s left for the battlefield for another love interest – Escamillo, a fearless matador, a tumultuous tale that gets to the very heart of lust and love, and how they interlink and manifest. Carlos Acosta‘s Acosta Danza adapting the tale to embody the vitality of the 21st century, yet still in keeping with the traditional context of the piece

Acosta crafts a dynamic work able to meander between Carmen’s coquettishness, playfulness, tumultuousness and more vulnerable moments – Carmen the focus here, a woman that would otherwise be pushed aside societally – an energy actually quite powerful within her own femininity. The production a case study as to how someone’s charm and prowess can very easily entrance and bring about the descent of someone’s being if played around with.

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Since the troupe’s inception 30 years ago, YAMATO Drummers have stunned the world with their visually striking Taiko drum adorned set ups and heart thumping rhythms, the company’s originator Masa Ogawa transporting the ancient Japanese performance form to the masses. The troupe’s next show stopping performance – The Wings of the Phoenix set to take to the Peacock Theatre stage from Tuesday 4th until Saturday 22nd June. Ahead of opening night, Masa tells us more about the show’s premise, why he’s excited to bring the show to London – one of the world’s greatest hubs for performance and entertainment and why you should attend the show!

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Brazilian theatre company São Paulo make their long-anticipated London debut at Sadler’s Wells Theatre this Spring. Postponed due to the pandemic, was the triple bill worth the wait? For this part-time reviewer the answer is a resolute and lukewarm ‘afraid not’. Although technically brilliant, it is hard to believe that the dance company is at the forefront of the South American contemporary dance scene. The music was often dull, and when more engaging, hardly exciting. This was then paired with dances that failed to be creatively united due to unimaginative staging, uninspired costumes, and predictable choreography.

Courtesy of Camilo Munoz + Iari Davies.

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Sadler’s Wells is preparing for its East Bank venue launch next year, by inviting applications for its new innovative international choreographic school. Artists are invited to register their interest in Rose Choreographic School, which will be based at Sadler’s Wells’ new venue Sadler’s Wells East and launched on Tuesday 26 September. It is led by dramaturg and writer Martin Hargreaves with input from artistic faculty members and leading dance figures William Forsythe, Trajal Harrell and Alesandra Seutin.

Rose Choreographic School is an experimental research programme for artists to develop their practice through investigating questions of the choreographic, over a two-year period. They will have access to studio spaces, mentoring and a research budget and will engage in workshops, lectures and discursive events.

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Taken briefly off guard by a surprise announcement from the influential b-boy duo The Legendary Twins AKA Kevin and Keith Smith, Breakin’ Convention founder Jonzi D watches on as both read out the heartfelt statement inscribed on his award given by the New York State Assembly acknowledging his undeniable contribution to the movement of Hip Hop which celebrates 50 years this year. An advocate of Hip Hop culture here in the UK, Jonzi D has been crucial to bringing Hip Hop to our stages and training the thought leaders of tomorrow. Returning yet again with a weekend long celebration of the form, Breakin’ Convention transforms Sadler’s Wells into a forum to connect, share idea and platform new work.

Courtesy of Belinda Lawley.

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Set to stage the 20th edition of Breakin’ Convention, a weekend long celebration of Hip Hop, the event’s founder Jonzi D has led the way when it comes to platforming national/international/established/emerging talent – bridging the gap between artists and encouraging exchange. Taking place on Saturday 29th and Sunday 30th April, the event will comprise of a compact programme of exciting dance acts, as well as activities across Sadler’s Wells building honouring Hip Hop’s core elements of breaking/graffiti/DJing/Mcing/Knowledge. Ahead of event, Jonzi D explains what the weekend will entail!

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Comprising a group of fourteen young men and women and two children, The African Choir during the years of 1881-1893 embarked on an international tour of Britain, Canada and the US via boat. Missionaries, their connection to faith, integral, their mission to unite incredibly apparent. Tying their story to present prevalent issues of migration and division, Gregory Maqoma and Thuthuka Sibisi present Broken Chord.

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The ultimate question as to how and why we’re here is one that will forever intrigue mankind. Whether you don’t have an opinion, believe in religious ideas, spiritual ones, scientific ones, philosophical ones or a mixture of these, our outlooks on the world and how we perceive existence is in itself a powerful act. An exploration of what this looks like through the eyes of three dancers, Jules Cunningham’s how did we get here? ponders on the world beyond our immediate reality.

Courtesy of Camilla Greenwell.

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Courtesy of Camilla Greenwell.

Dance offers a vital platform to explore the abstract – ideas, beliefs, questions amongst other things that we hold. A connection between the physical and non-physical world, the existential takes centre stage. An exploration of the question – how did we get here? Choreographer Jules Cunningham in collaboration with award winning dancer Harry Alexander and Spice Girl Melanie Chisholm present a new dance work of the same name pondering our very existence. Ahead of the show, which will take place from the 19th to 29th January at Sadler’s Wells, Harry tells us more about the show’s themes, creating the show and what audiences can expect!

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