Celebrating Our Sistahs United in the power of dance

All-female French crew to create dynamic impact at Brea in’ Convention.

By Joel Campbell

BREAKIN’ CONVENTION, the international festival of hip hop dance theatre, celebrates its 20th anniversary at Sadler’s Wells this April.

With a national tour to follow, the London festival features allfemale French crew La Diva aux Pieds Nus, meaning The Barefoot Diva.

However, there’s more than one diva taking the stage, five Black women, united in their faith in the power of dance, are collectively set to create a dynamic impact at Breakin’ Convention on Saturday April 29 and Sunday April 30.

Founder Jonzi D has historically promoted women as part of Breakin’ Convention’s annual programmes.

La Diva aux Pieds Nus come courtesy of leading choreographer Nicolas Huchard. Celebrating women’s individuality and plurality, The Barefoot Diva dances at the crossroads of Africa and Europe, remaking the rules and asserting power, strength and excellence. Dancers Séréna Freira, Julie Laventure, Leila Miretti, Stéphie Téhoué and Mayvis William make up the crew and while hip hop and house music was inspirational at the outset of their journey, styles like Waaking, a dance form exuding confidence and similar to vogueing, is key.

Speaking to Lifestyle, Séréna says: “I use dance as resilience, to free myself”.

Julie adds that her dance style is characterised by hip hop and house dance movements plus Afro-Caribbean, Latino and traditional African dance forms.

“I combine my contemporary core with the power of urban dance floorwork, organicity, with the rupture of footwork from house dance culture, the percussive intensity borrowed from Krump and popping,” she enthused.

Each dancer adds their own personal element. “There is something very intimate about this show. We are speaking with our bodies, to claim that we can all be different and dance with any body shape” says Leila.

Stéphie adds: “This show is about asserting our identities as women and as Black women.

“We’ve always had the feeling that we don’t belong. I feel like I have to fight three times as hard as anyone else to get what I deserve. That’s why this show has been like therapy for me”.

Mayvis said: “Celebrating the diversity of Black women is something I feel very strongly about. This show can reach all generations. If I’d seen a group and a performance like this when I was 15, it would have really inspired me.”

La Divas aux Pieds Nus are at Breakin’ Convention, Sadler’s Wells, on April 29 and 30. Breakin’ Convention celebrates 20 years this year, for more information go to https://www.breakinconvention. com/festival-info