Vital and gripping, BLKDOG is Botis Seva’s Olivier award winning Hip-Hop dance theatre production.
In an emotionally charged hip hop dance performance, BLKDOG reveals the vicious connection of how self-discovery leads to self-destruction. Through haunting childhood memories and adult life traumas, how do we fight through our vices to find a sense of peace.
With a pounding, brooding score the music adds layers of meaning highlighting the inner working of the characters’ minds. The music has grown from a long standing collaboration with Torben Lars Sylvest and includes a mixture of original music and words performed by Botis’ powerhouse company Far From The Norm and guests. Tom Visser’s lighting brings a dark smog of disillusion as the choreography delves into the underbelly of life, while the hooded caps and padded costumes by Ryan Laight echo the protection and comfort of childhood. BLKDOG searches for coping mechanisms in the ultimate hunt for acceptance.
“An expressive masterpiece…
BLKDOG lived up to its reputation”
— Arts Hub, Melbourne
“We appreciate the rigor that defines this deeply intimate and sensitive show. The alliance between the raw physicality of dance and theatrical construction proves resolutely effective.”
— Nevros Arts, Canada
“ BLKDOG [invites you] to contemplate, feel, and question our relationship with the world, others, and ourselves, confirming dance as a universal language”
-Scenes Magazine, Switzerland
“ For a stunned moment the audience communes in that silence, before erupting into a well deserved standing ovation”
-Culture Whisper, UK
BLKDOG transcends cultural boundaries and ignites conversations on a global scale. Its ability to resonate with audiences from different backgrounds and regions is a testament to the universal themes and artistry embedded within it.
Since its inception in 2018, when Botis was commissioned to present a piece of work celebrating the 20th anniversary of Sadler's Wells, London, BLKDOG has gone on to become a critically and publicly acclaimed production, with prestigious industry recognitions including Best New Dance Production at the Olivier Awards, nominated for Best New Dance Production at the Black British Theatre Awards and nominated for Best Modern Choreography at the National Dance Awards Critics Circles 2022.
“This is interpretative dance of a calibre rarely seen. Theatrical excellence to be appreciated and savoured.
Visceral. Powerful. Expressive”