Review: Breakin’ Convention Festival 2026, FRICTION, Sadler’s Wells

Arriving at Sadler’s Wells is a multisensorial bear hug of graffiti, beats, love, laughter and inclusion.  In the established, capable hands of Artistic Director and Curator, Jonzi D, this vibrant celebration of all things Hip Hop is an utter joy.   Breakin’ Convention, in partnership with Sadlers, hosts this collaborative, international immersion.  Across all surfaces, levels and spaces, explosive dance sets compel, silent disco headsets contain, bodies throb with joy, wreathed in smiles, secure in this bias-free environment.    Everyone is invited to spectate, participate and celebrate, with music, movement and the heady aromas and flavours of Caribbean cuisine.

Jacqui Beckford (BSL Interpreter, Founder of The Interpreters of Colour Network) opens the event with inclusive communication, capturing the spirit of hip-hop, sharing her experience of theatre, movement and expression.   Jonzi, the passionate, inimitable host and MC, champions each act, spits incisive spoken word and encourages confident performances and rapturous reactions from everyone.

Each act brings its own captivating force, exemplifying the many dimensions of hip-hop, including music, language, politics, movement and emotion.   Every curated performance showcases flexibility, discipline, energy and emotion.   The acts vary from IMD Legion’s visual storytelling and interactive choreography with vast cinematic scapes, to the old-school/new faces of Let it Happen (sisters Norah, Yarah and Rosa), AS Compagnie’s intense locking and pacing, and the feminine fluidity of Ekleido.  

The complex freestyle, choreography and expression of Mikee Trice (with Elijah Smith) transport us from stillness to vibration to complex floorwork and fast pace.  We learn how Mikee is a living testament to the Academy Breakin’ Convention (ABC), who offer a 2-year course, awarding a Level 3 Extended Diploma in Production Arts.  ABC’s pioneering UK certification offers education across all aspects of Hip Hop theatre, including self-care, history, dance styles, scripting, marketing and a pathway to the cultural industry.   Mikee is passionate about his ambassadorship of ABC and its role in his creative emergence.

The daring different-ability of ILL-Abilities (Reduouan ‘Redo’ Ait Chitt and Samuel ‘Samuka’ Henrique Silveira da Lima) has an audacious beauty and dexterity. ILL-Abilities exemplify courage, pace and complexity, demonstrating their honed skills, self-acceptance and prowess.   

A best man’s wedding speech portrays the humour, nuanced emotion and dramatic stillness of Lanre Malaolu.  Lanre uses his style, grace and poise to explore the pain and trauma of the younger self, with tender embodiment of acknowledgement, self-care and self-acceptance.  His incarnation of silence, pain, humour, self-exploration and survival evokes tears, laughter and quiet reflection.  

This showcase concludes with the RockFace Crew.  They share four generations of international origins, emerging from West Coast USA and Black Panther influences, and deep connections through energy, acrobatics and raw power. 

Staging and lighting (Imogen Clarke) engage with the dimensions of each performance, from lavish screening to spotlights.  Sound (Paulo Melis)  is clear and immersive throughout the many musical genres, including soul, jazz, and of course, hip-hop.   Dance styles, including Breaking (B-Boying/B-Girling), Popping, Locking, Krumping, House Dance, Waacking and Freestyle/Improvisation are all generously represented.   

For anyone with a superficial exposure to Hip-Hop, this celebration highlights opportunities to learn from the black historical influences in both movement and music, raw (often personal) storytelling, political observation, rap, spoken word and expressive discourse leveraging dance, music and word.  Sadlers’ active embrace and hosting of Breakin’ Convention shows they champion the inclusion and celebration of Hip-Hop as a core contributor to contemporary and extemporary dance. 

Breakin’ Convention assaults class, bias, colonisation, appropriation and expectations.   Through their values and principles, Jonzi, the Convention team and ABC embody humane principles, inspiring behaviours, beliefs and culture; all exceptionally well. In the event’s 23^rd year, Jonzi continues to inspire peace, love, unity and fun in every fibre of his presence, his spoken word and commitment across age, geography, ability and understanding.   Learn, share, appreciate and feel every emotion in this intense, inclusive celebration of all things Hip Hop.  

Artistic Director – Jonzi D
Director – Michelle Norton
Programme Manager – Lisa Parkes
Assistant Producer – Kate Bodner
Technical Production Manager – Mishi Bekesi
Lighting Design – Imogen Clarke
Company Stage Manager – Emma Cameron
Deputy Stage Manager – Lou Stevens
Sound – Paulo Melis
LBS Deputy Stage Manager – Zackary James-Moussi

Breakin’ Convention has completed its performances at Sadler’s Wells but continues on a 9-date tour of UK cities.