Wow! what a pleasure it was to see the young performers do their thang' at Sadler's Wells last night.
Being a teacher who cares greatly about performance opportunities for children, I was interested to see how the youth considered to be the future talent of Hip Hop theatre were going to run things.
First up to perform were 'Platinum', a street crew of all ages performing their piece 'EVOLUTION.' This was fast paced, energetic and hard hitting. This crew seem to have mastered swag in a way that is hard to teach. Some nicely shaped formations and a clear representation of how 'age ain't nothing but a number (to quote the late and wonderful Aaliyah) when it comes to showing your moves on the main stage. A nice little surprise from the smallest dancers of the group hitting out with the highest energy to Beyonce's '7/11' which gave the piece a cheeky and impressive finish.
Next Baanji and Muti performed their piece 'Submerge'. Choreographed by the performers themselves, this piece was certainly gripping, like when you're about to find out what happens at the end of that film! The movements in the choreography gave a sense of having power and struggling, whilst demonstrating emotion and pain at times. The music and lighting helped to give this piece a certain mood, and strong emotions came through in the performance. It certainly made me think and appreciate the way that their movement only could portray the idea of power and struggle.
A penultimate performance from Unity Youth, who have been a favourite of mine ever since I saw them on 'Got to Dance' in 2014. They are soooooo clean in their movements! I wish all of my school kids could watch them, just so they can see how to hold a really nice Freeze frame in Drama! When they are still, they are like ICE, and when they move, all I see are clean clean lines. This crew clearly rehearse and train hard and moved in formations the red arrows couldn't even match. I loved the way individual talents were showcased, especially in the middle section, and I LOVE their grimey roots, representing East London.
Finally, Tyrus McKenzie aged 15 seems to have a number of amazing achievements under his belt and is a member of ZooNation Youth company. He performed 'Can I have your attention' which he choreographed himself. Again, his musicality is second to none, and his showcase of various styles blending into one another was impressive. He clearly has a bright future. Click the link above to see his piece.
Lastly, the Premiere of the video 'Unsocial Media' was presented, in which 20 young artists (MCs, aerosol artists, film makers and producers) came together to produce a music video highlighting the problem with social media. A hot topic in schools at the moment and everywhere actually, it was promising to see that this concept was being brought to the fore by the generation who use social media to the max. Awareness of how we live in a virtual world full of 'friends' as opposed to nurturing proper relationships with people is so important, and told through the medium of dance and music? I can't think of a better way to communicate the message.
It's thanks to projects like Future Elements from the Breakin' Convention that young artists can be born, inspired and nurtured to develop. As an educator, I feel so strongly that these opportunities remain and grow so that more young people can master an art and get an opportunity to perform on a proper platform. This way they get a taste of success, and have something to strive for. Actually 'doing it' is what creates the hunger and determination to stick at an art such as dance and performance. If we can allow the younger generation to do this, they'll no longer have to just dream about it and imagine it, but can hold it in their hands.
An inspiring project with a strong message. Here's to the future of Hip Hop theatre.
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