Why and how do artists and makers borrow, appropriate and celebrate Hiphop - in terms of methods, expressions, aesthetics, formats and ideas?
Methodology and stylistic characteristics coming from Hiphop bleed into contemporary arts, contemporary dance and popular culture.
In this panel discussion, we will discuss how artists and makers who do not come from Hiphop use its methodology and aesthetics. Why and in what way has this become a trend in contemporary dance? Does this create a dilution of what Hiphop is, or is it enriching? Is Hiphop dancers' knowledge used as an effect in performances and choreography? Or does it help to emphasise what co-creative dance artists are and can be?
Panel: Dancer and choreographer Mathias Jin Budzt, stage arts critic and dancer Grace Tabea Tenga, musician Moonchild Sanelli og dancer and choreographer Oulouy.
Moderator: Artist, writer and community organizer Jessica Lauren Elizabeth Taylor.
The panel discussion will happen after the performance Afrikan Party by Supa Rich Kids by Oulouy, as an extension of the After Talk with the company. It is organized together with Oslo World
Bios:
Jessica Lauren Elizabeth Taylor is an artist, filmmaker, writer and programmer. Her roots are in the Southern United States, born in Mississippi and bred in Florida on former Timucan land. Taylor's work manifests through text, dialogue and video. Her work centers on themes of ritual, social politics and identity mythology of Black and Indigenous folks. She is chiefly concerned with the creation of racial equity in art and theater.
Grace Tabea Tenga is a clinical psychologist from the University of Oslo, dancer in the black womens collective B16 and performing arts critic in Klassekampen and arts journals such as Scenekunst, Shakespearetidsskriftet and Periskop.
Moonchild Sanelly: Known for her wide ranging sonic excursions, flamboyant costumes and collaborations with Damon Albarn, Gorillaz and African Express, the South African musician Moonchild Sanelly has done things her way from the beginning. Growing up in Port Elizabeth with a hip-hop producer brother and a mum who would put her onstage from a young age to compete in dance competitions, Sanelisiwe Twisha’s music-filled childhood was full of creativity. Her passion for music became ignited when she moved to Durban in 2005, initially to study fashion. There, she immersed herself in the local scene before she relocated to Johannesburg where she would write for reggae bands and freestyle against other rappers.
It didn’t take long until she established her sound, which she describes as ‘future-ghetto-funk’. Having crafted a live show where she designed flamboyant outfits to perform in, she became a star on her home turf, and found a global audience, performing at festivals such as SXSW, Primavera, Glastonbury, Boardmasters and beyond. After her debut album “Rabulpha!” put her on the global map, she signed to Transgressive records in 2020, kicking off with diverse mini-LP ‘Nüdes’. Her latest album “Phases” veers between Amapiano, Gqom, grime, pop, house and R&B while showcasing her vocal talents on more downtempo songs. Moonchild Sanelly contains multitudes.
Oulouy: Born in the Ivory Coast and living in Barcelona for decades, Oulouy combines his facet as a dancer, choreographer and artistic director, with his educational work, giving masterclasses all over the world. He gained a double nomination at the 24th Catalan Performing Arts Critics Awards and the Dansacat Awards as best dancer of the year, and was awarded second prize ant the 19th Burgos & New York International Choreography Competition. He is founder of the International Festival Oyofe, dedicated to urban dances.
Mathias Jin Budzt works as a dancer, teacher and choreographer within different genres of street/club dance; such as Break, Hip Hop and House. He has received the government’s work grant for dance artists and is co-founder of Subsdans, Soul Sessions Oslo and the crew dEEp doWN dopEiZM. Mathias is also a member of Kingwings Crew. Mathias was born in Seoul, Korea, adopted to Denmark and has lived in Norway since 2007. He is educated from Flow Dance Academy in Copenhagen and has further studied on his own by travelling to Paris, New York, Los Angeles, Osaka and Seoul. In 2008 and 2009 he was a part of Det Norske Teatret’s great success “The Jungle Book” that won the Hedda-award. He has also worked with impure company amongst others. With dEEp doWN dopEiZM he has performed at Dansens Hus, Bærum Kulturhus, San Francisco Hip Hop Dance fest and several other international dance festivals. In 2012 he was choreographer for Dansens Dager, and he has a long experience of teaching both at private dance studios and dance educations. Mathias has also experience from board work with eg. FFUK, PRODA and Danseinformasjonen.
The conversation is a continuation of the panel discussion Hiphop in contemporary art - part 1, where dance artists Jens Jeffry Trinidad and Camilla Tellefsen and head of the record label Oslo Records, Øyvind Holmboe Basmo talked about how Hiphop is a lifestyle and extends far beyond just being linked to genre and form. The conversation was moderated by Geir Haraldseth, curator at the National Museum.
- LISTEN TO THE RECORDING OF PART 1 HERE - (Language: Norwegian)