Crawl

I would like to invite the Ukrainian Hip Hop dancer Oleh Kuznetsov - known as Bboy Kuzya - to come and perform. In 2022, this breakdance figure gained public recognition by posting short videos on TikTok where he learned and then reproduced movements from traditional dances such as Hopak and Povzunets. At a time when Russia had just invaded Ukraine, these complex and virtuoso gestures, broadcast on social media, became an act of resistance: a defiant response to the pro-Putin propaganda that claimed the superiority of Russian culture over Ukrainian culture.

Oleh Kuznetsov's performances are raw. By stripping these dances of music, costumes, and everything that constitutes their folklore, he isolates the naked gesture, exposing pure form: he blurs the boundary between very distant styles, managing to bring these movements into the realm of Hip Hop.

As a choreographer, I am interested in these erased popular cultures myself. My piece Hopak - to be created in 2024 - raises the question of the future of these dances. But, since they have been largely lost, I approach them from the perspective of reinvention, transformation, what I call "choreographic recycling." By reproducing gestures, it seems to me that Kuzya's practice is more in line with a tradition of collage and ready-made.

In his short videos, Kuzya punctuates his breakdance phrases with these traditional elements that he interprets perfectly, without ever considering making a separate piece. For Crawl, I would like to choreograph a solo for him, moving him towards a complete piece while I shift my research towards urban dance, which is unfamiliar to him. This solo would form a diptych with my piece Hopak around this question that is dear to me: the evolution of dance over time. In addition to this solo, I would like Kuzya to lead a workshop in which Hip Hop dancers from all backgrounds, whether professional or amateur, would participate.

Distribution / Team

• Olga Dukhovna: conception & choreographer
• Bboy Kuzya: performer
• Simon Hatab: dramaturge
• Amélie-Anne Chapelain: production manager
• Enora Floc’h: production coordinator

Premiere

• 2025 — Work in progress

Partners

• Production C.A.M.P