SPIRIT LEVEL

What does it mean for music and dance to be spiritual? Can exploring this question take us beyond the physical, and help us understand what connects us as humans?

In this unique collaboration, composer Blasio Kavuma and choreographer Si Rawlinson team up to explore these questions through the languages of breakdance, gospel and modern composition.

The work will be presented fresh from an intensive development period, with a chance to discuss the first fruits of this brand-new partnership in a feedback session after the performance.

Merging street and contemporary dance with the sound-world of Olivier Messiaen, the pianism of black gospel and the rhythmic devices of African traditional music , the event promises to be an exciting collision of urban forms with post-impressionist musical language. As these forms connect with each other, they will discover what they share that makes them so spiritually uplifting.

Kavuma and Rawlinson share a strong belief in the power of art to illuminate social issues, and each brings a range of influences and experiences to the collaboration. Kavuma has commissioned and composed music with filmmakers, theatre-makers and visual artists, working as far as field as Japan and collaborating most recently with artist Gina Southgate. Si Rawlinson’s work has featured heavily in the b-boy scene as well as contemporary dance, taking him to such internationally renowned festivals as Breakin’ Convention, Inside Out and China Changing. His 2016 work INK has been described as “a showcase of astounding dance abilities and muscular virtuosity”