Breakin' Convention
The groundbreaking festival of hip hop dance theatre from around the world, and around the corner
Breakin’ Convention is coming back to Brighton in 2026! Prepare to be blown away by high-energy, world-class performances from celebrated poppers, lockers, b-boys and b-girls.
This year's line-up features Femme Fatale (France/ Mexico/ South Korea), a mesmerising female trio known for their musicality, precision and technique. You’ll also experience some members of the trailblazing ILL-Abilities (Netherlands/Brazil), an all-star crew of differently abled b-boys. All this, plus incredible local talent from Brighton.
Joining for the evening performance is the mighty TRAPLORD, the Olivier Award-winning creation from Ivan Michael Blackstock - a visionary creative behind choreography for Beyoncé and other global names. Exploring masculinity and mental health, TRAPLORD is a powerful fusion of movement and storytelling which challenges racial stereotypes of Black men.
Curated and hosted by UK hip hop theatre legend and Breakin’ Convention Artistic Director Jonzi D, this dynamic celebration of hip hop culture will fill the entire venue from stage to foyer with live DJs, graffiti artists, freestyle dance sessions, and much more.
Since 2004, Breakin’ Convention, based at Sadler’s Wells Theatre in London, has led the global hip hop theatre movement, showcasing trailblazing artists and connecting communities through the power of dance, music, and storytelling.
Femme Fatale
Femme Fatale is a group of 3 female international dancers: Marie Poppins, Lily Frias and Dassy Lee. They are based in Los Angeles, but are originally from different countries: France, Mexico and Korea. They moved to the United States to pursue their dreams as professional dancers and Choreographers.
They are mostly known for their strong abilities in Popping, Animation, Robot and a high level of musicality with a feminine touch. Their mix of cultural background and unique individual styles is what makes an original and a powerful female collective. They use their femininity as a strength, their technique as a weapon, and their passion as a power.
They are putting their style of dance in the commercial world, their goal is to be role models for women and inspire the future dance generation all over the world. They joined their strengths to create “Rising in Motion”, a thrilling theatre show empowering women, showcasing the different emotions and aspects of a strong woman’s journey in search for her dream and self- love.
As a group, Femme Fatale performed for Bebe Rexha, Cirque du Soleil, Red Bull, Marc Jacobs and they have worked individually with artists and brands such as Madonna, Clavin Harris, Justin Bieber, Gap and Timberland. They have been starred in major dance TV shows: So You Think You Can Dance and America’s Best Dance Crew.
ILL-Abilities
ILL-Abilities is an International Breakdance Crew comprised of differently-abled dancers, all of whom have overcome extraordinary challenges to become some of the best dancers in the world.
This crew originated from an idea by Montreal-based dancer/motivational speaker Luca “Lazylegz” Patuelli to create an all-star team of some of the world’s best differently-abled dancers.
ILL-Abilities was officially formed in 2007, with four founding members Lazyegz, Tommy Guns, Kujo, and Checho whose goal was to compete and perform internationally showing the world that anything is possible. They are more than just a b-boy crew- they are a global movement that inspires and educates, championing that there are no limits.
TRAPLORD
Evening performance only
Choreographer and cultural innovator Ivan Michael Blackstock explores themes of life, death and rebirth in this Olivier Awarding-winning show. Wandering between dreams and reality, TRAPLORD takes audiences on a new heroic journey to self-actualisation. Using dance, theatre and spoken word to explore raw themes of mental health and masculinity, TRAPLORD is an invitation to question the stereotyping of Black men in contemporary western society – portraying an attempt to escape from a mental state of being condemned before having lived.
TRAPLORD premiered at 180 Studios, London and won the 2023 Laurence Olivier Award for Best New Dance Production.
“Traplord is loud, audacious, edgy, surprisingly sensitive and worth seeing”
★★★★ The Times
“It’s a truly impressive piece, a confident mixture of speech, theatre, music and dance, tied together”
★★★★ The Guardian
“Technically brilliant and conceptually unique exploration of Blackness and masculinity”
★★★★ The Stage
Find out more about Ivan Blackstock
Ivan Blackstock
Ivan Michael Blackstock is a South London-born multidisciplinary creative, whose work as an artist, mentor, and cultural innovator has been seen across Europe’s most iconic venues and beyond.
Ivan is focused on his work as an independent artist, creating thought-provoking and political artistic expressions. His work have been showcased on TV and at iconic venues worldwide, including Sadler’s Wells, 180 Studios, La Villette in Paris, Kampnagel in Hamburg, and ITA in Amsterdam, and is proudly recognized for his award for Breakthrough Cultural Excellence in Film and Video for Nowness, Dazed - 100 Shortlist 2021, and his role as contributing editor at Fact Magazine.
His growing success has catapulted his career into a multidimensional innovative space, and he has since founded CRXSS PLATFXRM, an organization platforming talent that constructs new paths for subculture creatives. CRXSS PLATFXRM also delivers high-profile partnership events and consultancy with major cultural venues, brands, and independent businesses such as Nike, Red Bull, Soho House, and UAL: Central Saint Martins.
Now extending his creativity by tapping into the world of film and media, Ivan created TRAPLORD BLK MEME/RA for Channel 4 Random Acts in Autumn 2021, choreographed for Beyonce’s Black Is King and Grammy award-winning music video ‘Brown Skin Girl’, and founded his very own media production company ALTRUVIOLET, for which his multi-media production ‘TRAPLORD’ is the premier work and winner of Britain’s most prestigious stage honour: the 2023 Olivier Award for Best New Dance Production. His most recent career highlights include serving as Former Artistic Director at 180 Studios and his appointment as Associate Artist at The Southbank Centre announced autumn 2024.
*There is a £3.50 per order charge for all phone and online bookings (not applicable to Brighton Dome & Brighton Festival members)
**Stage timings are subject to change