Dance Umbrella and Somerset House are excited to announce more details for London Battle which takes place at Dance Umbrella’s home, Somerset House, on the opening weekend of the festival, Saturday 7 October.
London Battle will take in the iconic open-air courtyard for a day packed with showcases, workshops, cyphers, live DJs and a big outdoor party. In celebration of the 50th anniversary of hip hop culture and with Breaking set to be the highlight of the 2024 Paris Olympics, Dance Umbrella and Somerset House are bringing together some of the most exciting talent from the four corners of London to go head-to-head across a diverse range of styles.
Curated by choreographer Jade Hackett, the audience will play their part in judging and deciding which part of our global city brings the best dance flavour – north, south, east or west.
Jade Hackett said: 'London Battle' is an explosive new festival featuring some of London’s finest within the hiphop and street dance communities. With dancers representing all the four corners of this city, it will be brimming with powerful and gravity-defying movement from its battlers and is certainly not a show to be missed.
Spectators can also participate in family fun classes and be entertained with incredible performances, including new work by award winning dance company, Boy Blue Ent. Finishing off with THE party of all parties as our Dj's help us to skank the evening away.
Come and enjoy an amazing day with us at 'London Battle' and truly celebrate our wonderful city, in style.'
Starting at 1pm this completely free event offers audiences plenty of opportunities to get involved beginning with a stellar line-up of workshops to get everyone moving with Turbo teaching house style, Olu on Afrobeats, Kloe Dean doing Hip Hop and Tiago will be Waacking. All abilities welcome!
Between 3.30 and 4.30pm there will be a series of showcase performances from some of London’s most exciting talent including krump collective Gully South Block (GSB); the UK’s most celebrated hip-hop dance theatre company Boy Blue, street dance expert Lauren Scott and Britain’s Got Talent 2023 contestants The Queens.
DJs featured across the day include: Midnight Train Collective and Josh Constanzo, and our MC for the day is actor and presenter Ashley J.
The London Battle finale commences at around 4.30pm with four teams hailing from the four corners of London, North, South, East and West meeting in the middle to slog it out for the London crown. Who will be the best? You decide!
Leading the team from the north is Troy Banton aka Dat Boi Troy from the Indahouse family. A house dance specialist, Troy also trained in classical ballet with the Russian ballet school, and in African Caribbean dance forms with Irie Dance Company. He’ll be joined by 19 year-old Rory Clarke, an exciting newcomer who regularly performs with ZooNation and Far From the Norm alongside the talented Anna Ponomarenko aka b-girl Stefani who this year took the silver medal at the European Breaking Championships.
The team from the south will be led by Nicholas Marvel (aka Marvel) who is a representative of Monsterz Crew UK. He is known for his signature animatronic popping style and inventive isolations. He’ll be accompanied by Team GB member and Red Bull BC One champion Roxanne Milliner (b-girl Roxy), as well as Chaldon Williams (aka Sev Raven), a choreographer, artist mentor and creator of the Tribe Wayz collective.
Representing east London is Jordan ‘JFunk’ Franklin, who has been performing as a member of one of the UK’s most celebrated hip hop dance theatre companies, Boy Blue, for over 10 years. He’ll be joined by dynamic dance artist and international champion Evion Hackett and creative performer Toby “Shush” Jackman.
Battling for the title from west London is breaking expert Lee Crowley, also known as Reckless-Lee, who is a member of the award-winning BirdGang Dance Company. He’ll be joined by fellow BirdGang crew member and multi-skilled performer, dancer and teacher Elise Antonia, and Benjamin Banishahi aka Shahi.
Once the winners are crowned there will be a celebration of Hip Hop bringing all the elements of the day together in one big party.
Dance Umbrella press contact: clair@breadandbutterpr.uk / 07957 272 534
For Somerset House enquiries contact: press@somersethouse.org.uk
Listings Information
Dance Umbrella & Somerset House present
LONDON BATTLE
Curated by Jade Hackett
Saturday 7 October 1 - 6.30pm
Somerset House’s Edmond J. Safra Fountain Court
Timetable
1 - 3.30 - Workshops
3.30 - 4.30 - Showcases
4.30 - 5.30 - Battle
5.30 - 6.30 - Party
Timings are subject to change with further artists to be announced.
Notes to editors:
Biogs
London Battle Curator: Jade Hackett
Jade Hackett is an experienced choreographer, dancer and actor who has appeared in productions including The Pied Piper, Boy Blue Entertainment, Stratford Theatre Royal; Blaze, international tour; Into the Hoodz, The Mad Hatter’s Tea Party and Some Like it Hip Hop for ZooNation Dance Company. Her theatre work has included Hex, National Theatre; Get Up Stand Up, The Bob Marley Musical; Sylvia, The Old Vic; Nine Night, Trafalgar Studios; Black Boys at Apollo Theatre. Jade has also appeared in several commercial projects including StreetDance 3D The Movie; campaigns for Adidas and ASOS; London Olympics and Baku European Games ceremonies. London Battle is a Dance Umbrella and Somerset House co-production
About Dance Umbrella
Dance Umbrella is a London festival 45 years in the making and moving with the times. Every year our festival ignites London and online with the next generation of trailblazing artists. Since 1978, we have been an international home for dance across a global city, presenting more than 1000 artists from 45 countries to over one million people. We have brought outstanding dance to more than 145 venues throughout London and online; from the high-profile stages of Sadler’s Wells, Southbank Centre and Barbican to local arts centres – and taking in the more unexpected locations of canal boats, ice rinks and car park rooftops in between. Since 2020, we have also given online audiences the chance to experience the festival through a curated programme including dance films and artist encounters. Dance Umbrella is also a commissioner of new work, co-producing with partners based in the UK and abroad, to invest in the next wave of international choreographic talent. Alongside this, we create year-round creative learning initiatives for all ages and nurture the development of arts professionals. Appointed in 2021, Dance Umbrella’s new Artistic Director/CEO Freddie Opoku-Addaie's vision for the festival builds on its 45-year track record of commissioning and producing excellent work. This new chapter introduces a programme that puts emerging and diverse talent at its heart, reflecting the global identity of our London home.
Dance Umbrella Festival 2023 takes place 6-31 October, across London and online.
Danceumbrella.co.uk
About Somerset House
Step Inside, Think Outside
As the home of cultural innovators, Somerset House is a site of origination, with a cultural programme offering alternative perspectives on the biggest issues of our time. We are a place of joy and discovery, where everyone is invited to Step Inside and Think Outside.
From our historic site in the heart of London, we work globally across art, creativity, business, and non-profit, nurturing new talent, methods and technologies. Our resident community of creative enterprises, arts organisations, artists and makers, makes us a centre of ideas, with most of our programme home-grown.
We sit at the meeting point of artistic and social innovation, bringing worlds and minds together to create surprising and often magical results. Our spirit of constant curiosity and counter perspective is integral to our history and key to our future.
somersethouse.org.uk