Red Bull Flying Bach
External organiser: FKP Scorpio Sverige AB.
If you think classical music and break dancing are like oil and water, think again. In this exhilarating show, Red Bull Flying Bach, dance troupe Flying Steps – four-time break dancing world champions – and famous opera director Christoph Hagel demonstrate that the combination is phenomenal. The performance features break dancing’s entire offering of popping, locking and hip-hop steps to the sounds of Johann Sebastian Bach’s famous Well-Tempered Clavier.
It is a unique experience in which “fine” and “urban” culture meet in a combination of classical music and electronic beats. With Red Bull Flying Bach, Vartan Bassil has proven that break dancing isn’t just a form of dance – it is pure art.
During the performance, we will follow nine dancers and their teacher as they practice for their big day. The teacher punishes their failures, and when a mysterious woman enters the dance studio, the conflict reaches its climax.
Contemporary dance meets break dance; man meets woman; lust meets rejection; arrogance meets curiosity. We will see head spins, power moves, freezes and incredible effects, while witnessing disputes, fights, disappointment and success. Just like the music of Bach, the pendulum swings between peaks and valleys, while the tempo, temperament and dance steps change constantly.
The Flying Steps formed in Berlin in 1993 and is currently one of the world’s most successful urban dance troupes, with unparalleled shows and unique choreography. Vartan Bassil, artistic director and one of the founders of the Flying Steps, says the inspiration for Red Bull Flying Bach came after attending a classical performance. “I liked the idea of replacing a ballerina doing pirouettes on her toes with a break dancer doing head spins,” he explains.
The performance received the 2010 ECHO Klassik special prize, and since then, it has captivated over 500,000 people in 35 different countries world-wide.