Lanre Malaolu: Hip Hop and British theatre aren't worlds apart

When you think of Hip-Hop dance, what are the first images that come to your mind? An explosive dance routine? A group of young people battling in an underground club? Rihanna Twerking on stage at the BRIT awards? Now when you think of theatre, more specifically British theatre, what are the first images that pop into your mind?…Worlds apart right?

The type of work I’ve ventured into as a choreographer and with the company Protocol I co-founded, is Hip-Hop dance theatre. Which fuses elements from both art forms in an interesting and dynamic way. Coming from a drama-led background and also having Hip-Hop dance influencing me from a young age, I’ve been able to experience both sides of the coin. Yes, British theatre and Hip-Hop as cultures in their own right are different. But I believe they share two fundamental elements that are the most important foundations to artistically work (and play) from. Storytelling and political awareness.

Hip-Hop as a culture shares the same depth, detail and political landscapes that British theatre does

We all know that British theatre and the plays put on are in many cases influenced by the political and cultural stories about the world as it was, is, or could be. How does this link in with Hip-Hop? One of the pinnacle moments of Hip-Hop’s birth and growth as a culture, was when a group of reformed gang members from the Bronx, came together in the early '70s headed by Kevin Donovan also known as Afrika Bambaataa, to form the Universal Zulu Nation. The main aim of the collective was to combat violence, racial tensions and other societal issues going on in the Bronx at the time, through music events, dance battles, graffiti art and youth empowerment.

Although many aspects of Hip-Hop’s culture have been commercialised into something more glitz and glam, Its roots are much more complex, and comes from a very socially and politically aware place.

So, how does this affect the work I make? And why is it Hip-Hop dance theatre?

There is an argument that what I do is simply dance theatre, because as well as Hip-Hop I now use elements of contemporary dance, text work and other styles in my pieces, however it all came from an understanding of Hip-Hop, its culture, and its energy. The energy of Hip-Hop as a dance form and a cultural movement is unlike anything I know. Just go to YouTube and type 'underground krump battle' and you’ll get a small taste of what I mean. A casual passer-by would probably mistake the scene as something dodgy, but the willingness to share, grow and challenge each other in the most positive and productive way as a culture, is one of the most important things I’ve have taken on as an artist. I want my work to change the world. That’s the braveness and boldness Hip-Hop has installed in me as a choreographer, and has also fed into my work as an actor.

Some people might see the term Hip-Hop dance and suddenly conjure up the images I mentioned at the start. But Hip-Hop as a culture shares the same depth, detail and political landscapes that British theatre does. Fusing both worlds together to tell a story that is engaging to watch, technically pin-point, while still managing to break a few artistic rules…well, that’s the hard part.

By Lanre Malaolu

Protocol Dance Company perform at Breakin' Convention which runs this weekend on 30 April and 1 May.