Breakin’ Convention’s final tour stop brought artists from around the world to Blackpool, but it was House of Wingz’s joyous celebration of community, identity and individuality that proved the town’s dance scene is already operating on an international stage.
Breakin’ Convention – the international festival of hip hop presented by Sadler’s Wells and hip hop pioneer Jonzi D – is built on the idea that this is a culture that belongs to everybody. And when it arrived on the Grand Theatre stage for the final night of its national tour on 6th June, one of the evening’s most memorable performances came from a local company determined not to make everybody the same.
Local crew House of Wingz’ performed Under One Beat, a piece co-choreographed by Inimfon Ekpenyong Iniama (Ini) and Aish De Belle that emerged as one of the standout performances of the night – joyous, generous and unmistakably rooted in the community.
Set to Martin Solveig’s Exotic Disco Mix of Salif Keita’s Madan, the piece unfolded as a journey through identity, belonging and collective strength. It depicted a lone woman entering a new community while others around her attempt to shape and influence her. But rather than compromising her individuality she insists upon it, helping the community around her to achieve a deeper understanding of togetherness – one built on difference rather than conformity.
It’s a premise that speaks to the heart of House of Wingz’ ethos. Unlike most competitive dance crews, where tight, structured choreography and visual uniformity is the ultimate goal, House of Wingz has always leant into its crew’s diversity. Dancers of varying abilities, backgrounds, movement styles and ages – from nine to 49 for Under One Beat – share the same stage. Rather than smoothing out those distinctions, Aish and Ini’s choreography leaned into them.
The crew’s movements reflected their diversity, creating something with beautifully textured and intricately woven seams rather than something that attempts to be seamless. House foundations underpinned a medley of Afro fusion, hip hop and contemporary influences, punctuated by moments of individual freestyle that allowed each performer to assert their own identity within the wider ensemble.
Fast formation changes swept across the stage with kinetic energy. Lifts, tricks and cascading rises and falls generated shifting textures, while the golden-hour palette of the lighting designed by Aish bathed everything in a Blackpool seaside summer evening warmth.
Ini’s intelligent and playful choreographic influence could be felt throughout. Since arriving in Blackpool from Nigeria in 2025, she has become an increasingly important presence within our town’s cultural landscape, introducing Afro dance training and cultural education through House of Wingz in ways previously unavailable locally – in schools, youth clubs and her regular Monday night dance classes.
Blending traditional African movement with contemporary dance and acro influences has brought a new elevated dynamic to the House of Wingz crew while also bringing a powerful element of storytelling to their performance.
Afro dance was more than an aesthetic in Under One Beat – its rhythms and energy provoked questions of identity and belonging as individual dancers were brought into focus before being reabsorbed into the collective. An easy narrative about fitting in was developed into a bolder statement – communities flourish when difference is acknowledged rather than erased.
Under One Beat presented something clearly inspired by Blackpool, while drawing on movement traditions, cultural references and choreographic approaches that extend far beyond our coastline.
And that ethos was felt throughout the night – from the moment hip hop pioneer Jonzi D welcomed the audience with a powerful poem about unity in our community being more important than ever. He pointed out that the night would showcase work from around the world and around the corner. Together, these performances demonstrated why Breakin’ Convention is one of the world’s most important platforms for hip hop theatre.
Ivan Michael Blackstock’s Olivier Award-winning TRAPLORD brought raw intensity and emotional depth to the night, while Lithuania’s Low Air demonstrated how street dance and contemporary performance can collide to emotional effect. Manchester crew 0161 demonstrated more North West talent with their slick and acrobatic routine while LA-based trio Femme Fatale delivered razor-sharp musicality.
The show opened with another special local performance from the House of Free Saké – a collaboration between House of Wingz, local b-boys the Freefly Crew and musical duo Hot Saké, who brought a live music element to the Breakin’ Convention stage for the first time. The result was a fun, playful and highly-skilled performance that demonstrated the creative confidence and collaboration that’s flourishing within Blackpool’s creative scene.
Blackpool has long been associated with entertainment, spectacle and performance but what local reps House of Wingz demonstrated is that the town is equally capable of producing contemporary artistic work of genuine ambition and excellence.
Taking the mic for a conversation with Jonzi D, Aish spoke passionately about our town’s ambition to become City of Culture in 2029. Watching Breakin’ Convention – as it platformed artists from Nigeria, Lithuania, LA, Korea, France, Mexico, London and Blackpool – it was clear we are ready.
As award-winning local theatre-maker Harry Clayton-Wright observed after the performance: “Our town’s talent and continued contribution to the world of dance should never be underestimated, underplayed or undervalued and House of Wingz are at the forefront of that important conversation.
“I had the immense joy of sitting in on a few rehearsals in the lead up to the show, watching the piece develop and seeing the graft and precision House of Wingz put in up close. To achieve excellence is not for the faint hearted and I need to highlight Ini’s contribution as a key part in bringing this vision to life.
“Ini is a stunning technical dancer, who gives such breath and flow to combinations that are complex and dynamic with ease. But she’s also someone who builds and shapes choreographic narratives working in connection with the talent in the room to facilitate everyone being able to push past their limits and reach exciting new heights together. It’s so clear that she guides and encourages everyone to be their best, coaching performers to feel confident in new lifts that allowed the piece to excel to new energetic heights.”
If Breakin’ Convention exists to showcase the future of hip hop theatre, House of Wingz made a compelling case that part of that future is being built right here in Blackpool.
