PRISM

Sadler’s Wells East

★★★★★

“a true ensemble piece where the whole is greater than the sum of its parts”

Mirrors reflect endlessly, but what hides behind all that light? Tentacle Tribe’s UK premiere of ‘PRISM’ explores the seen and unseen through a mesmerising melange of dance styles warped by a kaleidoscope of mirrors. It’s bold, beautiful and presented by Breakin’ Convention – miss it and you’ll miss out.

‘PRISM’ charts a hypnotically abstract journey through complex themes. From light and dark, distorted realities and the multiplicity of nature, each section pulses with its own energy yet together breathes as one.

Choreographed by Tentacle Tribe co-founders Emmanuelle Lê Phan and Elon Höglund, ‘PRISM’ draws from a wealth of dance vocabularies to create a unique fusion of hip hop, contemporary, breakdance, freestyle and even the raw rhythms of nature. The forms ripple and collide, with innovative use of space and levels. Gathered groupings, threading movements and intimate lifts create togetherness, while solos, duets and clever canons isolate the dancers. Humans and animals merge, the appearance of a sinuous octopus a particularly pleasing moment. Freestyle sections fire off impressively fast spins, kicks and flips, and a final introspective moment takes everything in – including the audience. Choreographic brilliance unleashed in full force.

What elevates it further is the exquisite integration with set (Charles Cormier and Rahime Gay-Labbé), a mirrored floor and walls multiplying and separating the dancers to spectacular effect. When the cast converges in mirrored corners, they suddenly appear infinite, amplifying their dazzling talent a hundredfold. When mirrored wall sections split and move, the cast is isolated, cast into darkness or sometimes suspended like jellyfish, released from gravity and seemingly time. Most impressively, mirrored panels can shift and tilt, bending space and distorting reflections even further. Suddenly, walls become floors and the seemingly impenetrable barrier reveals hidden passageways through which dancers can vanish and reemerge as they cross between shadow and light. The angles are changed to concentrate or disperse light, reveal or conceal. I’ve never seen such well-integrated choreography – the mirrors almost deserve a credit of their own.

Set to Elon Höglund’s original score, the soundscape pulses with abstract textures, spoken word surfacing just once. With nature sounds, mechanical samples, synth, reverse audio and thumping bass beats, the soundtrack is pleasingly layered and complex. Each section moves straight into the other, with only a couple of pauses, driving the dance towards a stirring climax before falling away again. To hear in the post-show talk that Höglund composed this, sometimes in real time alongside choreographing and dancing, is impressive to say the least.

Benoit Larivière’s architectural lighting is another precisely sculpted, fully integrated element, utilising technical prowess and the laws of physics to perfectly compliment the movement. Carefully placed spotlights pierce the darkness, focusing or diffusing light depending on the mirror arrangement, and the smoky auditorium evocatively tracks every beam. The boldly coloured costumes, representing the main colours of the rainbow, is a clever detail, making the prismatic spectrum tangible and solid.

The cast (Lê Phan, Höglund, Rahime Gay-Labbé, Céline Richard-Robichon, Mecdy Jean-Pierre) is spectacular, executing the innovative fusion of styles with grace and flair. Fluid one moment, staccato the next, each section appears effortless and seamless – a true ensemble piece where the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.

A triumph of artistic collaboration, ‘PRISM’ is a mesmerising fusion of form and feeling. This spectacular UK debut is a real treat for dance lovers and theatre goers alike – don’t miss your chance to catch this reflection of brilliance.

PRISM

Sadler’s Wells East

Reviewed on 8th October 2025

by Hannah Bothelton

Photography by Do Phan Hoi

Previously reviewed at Sadler’s Wells’ venues:

A DECADE IN MOTION | ★★★★★ | September 2025

SHAW VS CHEKHOV | ★★★ | August 2025

PEAKY BLINDERS: RAMBERT’S THE REDEMPTION OF THOMAS SHELBY | ★★★★ | August 2025

SINBAD THE SAILOR | ★★★★★ | July 2025

R.O.S.E. | ★★★★★ | July 2025

QUADROPHENIA, A MOD BALLET | ★★★★★ | June 2025

INSIDE GIOVANNI’S ROOM | ★★★★★ | June 2025

ALICE | ★★★★ | May 2025

BAT OUT OF HELL THE MUSICAL | ★★★★ | May 2025

SPECKY CLARK | ★★★ | May 2025

PRISM

★★★★★

“a rich celebration of culture“

Returning for its 18th year, Breakin Convention is a 2-hour cornucopia of Hip Hop Dance theatre that revels in showcasing the full bounty that hip hop culture has become over the past 30 years. Devised, curated and MC’d by dancer and spoken word poet, Jonzi-D, the show takes in talents from around the world and is sure to satiate the appetite of any of the trueheads out there.

Dance and performance were interspaced with two short film series: ‘Next Day Delivery’ and ‘Power to the Pixel’. The concept for ‘Next Day Delivery’ was to make a new film within 24 hrs which had to feature props, music, and words of Jonzi’s choosing. For me the standout piece was dancer and choreographer Sun Kim’s collaboration with wordsmith and poet Surid in ‘(Gas) lighting’ which showcased Sun Kim’s slowed down popping and locking over a beautiful soundtrack performed by Ffion Campbell Davies and accompanied by Surid’s crisp diction.

Later, Atypical with Attitude, a company comprised of dancers with atypical physical or mental capabilities, premiered ‘Blindfolded’- a beautiful and engaging piece which appeared to reflect living through the digital, dystopian times of Covid-19. Opening to sounds reminiscent of frantic morse-code tapping and lighting that flicker the performers in and out of illumination; the dancers jolted their bodies to the flickering lights before performing a piece of staccato, interrupted routines which seems all too familiar to the stop start nature of the last two years.

The sense of being locked in routine also ran through Spoken Movement’s ‘Family Honour’. A multi award-winning dance psychodrama that explored the taut relationship between father and daughter through tutting (think vogueing in a toned-down, a hip hop sort of way), popping and precise choreography. Elsewhere Spin & S.I Stature used combative breaking and spoken word to shine light on the violent present-day struggles in Colombia and the female quartet Betty’s Blues merge jazz tap, popping and spoken word to wonderful effect in a fun and sassy piece. The show ended with the suitable finale of Patience J’s ‘Colours’; a 20-piece, high energy celebration of modern Afro Dance forms which featured the Congolese N’dombolo and the Ghanian Azonto which will be familiar to most, if not in name.

It must be said that not all pieces were five stars and there were awkward moments too when, for example, one Power to the Pixel entry appeared to promote the anti-vaccine conspiracy theory #Plandemic. However, it would be churlish to try to pick holes in individual performances when witnessing such a rich celebration of culture. A perfect offering to greet those blinking groggily back into life, theatre, and dance after our long-imposed hibernations.

Reviewed by Euan Vincent

Photography by Paul Hampartsoumian

Tag Archives: Breakin’ Convention

PRISM

★★★★★

Sadler’s Wells East

PRISM

Sadler’s Wells East

★★★★★

“a true ensemble piece where the whole is greater than the sum of its parts”