Breakin’ Convention

Never have I seen the Festival Theatre buzzing like it is tonight!

First up are local acts – the Inverclyde Breakers, Flyin’ Jalapenos and Psycho Stylez. The Breakers show enthusiasm and a lot of promising young talent as they kick the show off with some serious west coast attitude and a wholesome anti-bullying theme. Psycho Stylez are what Inverclyde Breakers will hope to be in about ten years. Some superb circling is topped off with flips to drive the audience wild!

After ‘round the corner’ came ‘round the world’ as acts from France, New York and Korea (hailed by host and connoisseur of Hip Hop Jonzi D as the world’s no.1 Hip Hop nation – I was quite surprised too!)

Salah from France was until recently a relative unknown, but a star performance on Incroyable Talent (France’s version of Britain’s Got Talent) has made him a household name across the Channel. His movement and miming are incredible with the audience eating out of the palm of his hand. The show is worth seeing for this man alone. Catch him while you can, because his star will rise.

For those of you who hanker back to more innocent days when the world was young and the term ‘hip-hop’ was less a musical genre and more like a description of how granny ended up in hospital, you may enjoy The Rock from New York City. Many of the performers are amongst the original architects of the hip-hop genre as it emerged from the streets. Although there are probably a few more wrinkles amongst these esteemed breakers, there is no question that they can still shake it with the best of them. The classic tunes will also have you tapping your feet.

The last act, Myosung, are a sight to behold. An eleven-strong crew tear up the dancefloor with all the enthusiasm of a class of schoolboys being told they have no homework. The theme is an anti-war message which clearly has the northern half of the country in mind. In truth, its peace and love is a little tired but they pull it off well. A musical mix from Pachelbel to Paul Simon is accompanied with some gravity-defying moves. The boys’ sheer enthusiasm and desire to please the audience is enough to round off a great overall show.

– Rebecca Hale