The Bite Magazine - Spring/Summer 2023 - Issue 33

biteperformance The Main Show E xploding onto the stage was the master guru, Jonzi D, with his usual BSL (British Sign Language) signer, Jacqui Beck- ford, ensuring the performance was always accessible. Af- ter hyping up the crowd, he took us through the 20-year history of Breakin’ Convention through poetry lyrics in his usual man- ner with a peppering of humour. With so much to remember from 2004, no wonder he used the aid of his phone to ensure he didn’t miss any moments out. And what a history! My top performances from the first part of the show were Break- in’ Convention’s Youth Dance Company from the UK, Mover from South Korea, Threading Theater from the Netherlands and the UK, and Ghetto Funk Collective, also from the Netherlands. First to perform and set the scene of the night were the Youth Dance Company performers. Their energy was lit! Of course, be- ing Breakin’s protégés, they had to showcase some outstanding choreography to stand up to what was to follow. Mover, a six-member crew (Tazo, Mario, Sknuf, Pocket, Steel 8 and Rocket) performed ‘Merry Go Round’, which highlighted the concept that, like the repeated two-turntables beat of the same name, our lives flow like that rhythm. The performance was staged like a judging dance competition, where two dancers bat- tled, and one played host, even getting the audience excited and involved. After the battle, the three ‘judges’ sitting on one side of the stage had to vote for their ‘winner’. What followed next was each danc- er’s moment to shine, and then they danced in an ensemble. The b-boys (and b-girl) gave us floor work, steps and locks that were New York street-worthy; it felt like we were gifted with hip-hop moves 1-0-1 in the best of presentations. Their freezes were as- tounding! Threading Theater performed ‘Balloon’, which had me watch intensively as their unique dance convention of hand-to-foot or hand-to-hand connections was always intact throughout the en- tire set. A trio of performers created loops to step through via their hands or a hand and foot being connected. Showcasing extreme agility of balance and tight-space movement, they were like beautiful worms crawling in and out of themselves and each other. At one point, they formed a human knot through the intercon- nectivity that I just sat amazed as this new dance style inspired all sorts of artistry ideas in me. I loved the human connection - especially after such a disjointed previous two years over the pandemic; it was beautiful to see intimate human interaction via art. I was extremely pleased to know that they performed on both nights. I don’t think I could tire of watching them; something is mesmerising about their dance performance. Ghetto Funk Collective bowed us out for the interval on Saturday but closed the show on Sunday - very befitting of their energy. The nine dancers compelled us to reminisce about James Brown- era funk dance days. Their groovy forward-step-slide moves across the stage had the audience itching to get up and join them. When they popped off stage and came back with props to set up like a living room, I felt like I was in a New York Speakeasy venue, especially given that their costumes depicted that movement. The dancers gave us all funk-pop dance moves, including the Mashed Potato, the American shuffle, the Bugaloo and the Camel walk. The audience loved this set! Lots of ‘whoops!’ and ‘oh yeah’ emit- ted from around me. Other performances in this section were Gully South Block, who performed ‘The Insight 2.0’ and Max Revell, who performed ‘Samuel’, from the UK. Mover from South Korea Threading Theater Ghetto Funk Collective Gully South Block