BLKDOG won the Olivier Award for Best New Dance Production in 2019 and is back with a London Premiere. First shown at Sadler’s Wells as part of Reckonings in 2018 the work has been developed into this new, full-length version.

Vital and gripping, BLKDOG is  Botis Seva’s haunting commentary on surviving adulthood as a childlike artist. A genre-defying blend of hip hop dance and free form antics, BLKDOG explores the inner battlefield of an ageing artist trying to retain his youth.

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.

South London-born, Seva formed his company Far From The Norm aged 19. Influenced by hip-hop theatre his talent grew largely unmentored and was nurtured on the streets of London. Seva’s work is rooted in his experience of social deprivation and racism shaping his unique physical style with echoes of hip-hop, street dance and black culture.

Image description: In a white-painted, institutional corridor with barred windows, a dancer spirals in mid air, both feet off the ground, one leg and one arm extended straight behind him. He wears loose trousers and his chest is bare. A quilted hood is drawn up tightly around his face and his expression is strained.