Breakin’ Convention returns to Lighthouse on Saturday 30 May in a dynamic celebration of hip hop culture that will fill the venue from stage to foyer with live DJs, graffiti artists, freestyle dance sessions, and much more.
Curated and hosted by UK hip hop theatre legend and Breakin’ Convention Artistic Director Jonzi D, the main stage programme showcases high-energy performances from world class poppers, lockers, b-boys and b-girls.
This year’s line-up features new work from the mighty TRAPLORD, choreographer Ivan Michael Blackstock’s Olivier Award-winning creation, a performance from the amazing ILL-Abilities, an all-star crew of differently abled b-boys, and the mesmerising Femme Fatale (France/Mexico/South Korea) trio lauded for their precision and musicality.
Here, Femme Fatale shed some light on where they’re from and what they’re about…
How did Femme Fatale get together?
Femme Fatale came together around 2016 through Marie. She brought Lily and Dassy together to compete at Sweden Dance Delight. We created a piece, ended up winning, and later performed it in LA where it went viral. From there, things grew naturally and we decided to officially form the team. Since then, we’ve been traveling worldwide and working with companies like Cirque du Soleil, Breaking Convention, Red Bull, F1, and YSL. It all started very organically, and we’re still going strong.
What did the hip hop nation make of Femme Fatale and how have you made your place at the table?
Hip hop has always been part of us growing up. Each of us comes from different countries and backgrounds, but our shared love for street dance and hip hop culture brought us to the US to study the roots more deeply — and that’s what brought us together. We never tried to change ourselves to fit in. Instead, we embraced our differences and built something authentic as a group. We just kept creating and carving our own path. That felt fresh to the community, and over time we earned respect and support. At the same time, we’ve always aimed to give that same support back to the culture.
How have things improved for female crews and what needs to change next to make hip hop even more inclusive?
There has been improvement in a couple of areas, particularly with increased female representation. Regardless of the binary discourse in dance, women have always been pillars of the Hip Hop community and its history around the world. Today, female-presenting dancers may feel safer exploring different expressions of their femininity and using them as a form of empowerment.
What can continue to improve is the creation of more spaces for women to be in the rooms where major decisions are made, opportunities not only to contribute, but also to have a voice, ownership, and environments where they can grow as artists in all fields.
We all need to show up for events organised by women, not only in spaces created by and for women, but also in events and creative spaces ran by women that are open to all gender expressions.
What are the people of Poole going to see from Femme Fatale at Breakin’ Convention?
Audiences in Poole will see our piece Visual Voice, which reflects our journey — where we come from, how we grew, and how we’ve navigated life as female artists. It explores the highs and lows we’ve experienced, and the moments where our voices felt limited by society or obstacles. Through this piece, we share that process — our roots, our struggles, and our growth. We hope people can connect with it emotionally and leave feeling something.
Lily, a question for you about waacking – could you explain where it came from and how it has been incorporated in hip hop dance.
Whacking (also known as Waacking) is a multicultural dance style that emerged in the 1970s in gay clubs in Los Angeles. It is a dance form rooted in freedom of expression and a deep connection to music. Influenced by the disco movement, martial arts, the Golden Age of Hollywood, as well as each dancer’s individual expression, young gay men gave birth to Whacking.
Before we knew Whacking, there was Punking; the two movement expressions go hand in hand. The term “punking” comes from “punk,” which at the time was used as a derogatory term for gay men. Dancers and DJ Michael Angelo reclaimed the word as a form of empowerment, transforming something negative into something positive. “Expression from oppression,” which captures the essence of the dance. The original punkers danced to the music of DJ Michael Angelo in clubs like Gino’s and the Paradise Ballroom serving as staples in its history.
Punking and Whacking began to reach a wider audience as heterosexual dancers started attending gay clubs and learning from the original pioneers. The dance gained further exposure through shows like Soul Train and the Outrageous Waacking Dancers, a Los Angeles-based group. As the style grew in popularity, a new spelling — with a double “A” — emerged, separating it from its original roots. When original punker and professional dancer/choreographer Viktor Manoel returned to the scene in 2009 to teach Punking to younger generations, he noticed that much of its history had been lost along the way.
This led to a renewed effort to merge and reclaim the history of Whacking, as well as to support its evolution through newer generations, shaping the global form of the style as it is known today.
OG Punkers: Viktor Manoel, Arthur, Andrew, Billy Star, China Doll/Kenny, Lonny, Michael Angelo, Tinker and Tommy.
How have LGBTQ+ representation and visibility changed hip hop?
With the popularisation of queer dances like Voguing and Whacking, and the growing acceptance of queer music artists and culture in the mainstream, there has been a slight increase in the representation and visibility of the LGBTQ+ community. However, there is still a lot of work to be done to unify, recognise, and reclaim the vital role LGBTQ+ people have played in shaping street dance history and influencing many areas of the culture.
This includes music and DJs, club culture, movement, fashion, vernacular, and overall cultural influence.
Visibility and representation in art reflect society, so it’s important to consider the origins of hip hop and street dance, as well as the challenges that Black and Brown pioneers faced when these dances were created. By being more open and accepting of one another, we can create more representation and unity across all areas of dance — not just in performance, but also in the integration and respect of all gender expressions.
Breakin’ Convention takes over Lighthouse on Saturday 30 May. For more details and to book tickets please visit https://www.lighthousepoole.co.uk/event/breakin-convention-2026/ or call 01202 280000.
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