After a successful holiday run of 20 performances last year, Breakin’ NYC has returned to the NYC stage for its limited-engagement Off-Broadway premiere at Theater 555. Directed and choreographed by Angel Kaba and hosted by MC Ajalé Olaseni Coard, the high-energy blockbuster break-dance musical takes audiences on a journey through the evolution and “heart/beat” of Hip Hop, from its origins in the 1970s, at block parties on the streets of the Bronx, to being embraced by Michael Jackson, the King of Pop, during its Golden Age of the 1990s and into Y2K, to going global (and even being represented at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris).
A dynamic cast of ten exhaustively trained and consummately skilled principal dancers – Jihad Aly, Messiah Brown, Justin S. Herbin, Choung Woo Hyun, Irina Brigita Laiciu, Adrian Teodor Martin, Kayla Muchotrigo, Rafaela Oliveira, and Nicholas Porter, along with Ajalé – moves to the beat of the music through seven segments of Hip Hop’s iconic styles, from Break Dancing to Lite Feet, Poppin’, Lockin’, House, Body Percussion, Crump, and Freestyle, with the MC guiding the story, interacting with the audience, leading the dancing, and shining a spotlight on the performers – a multi-ethnic and multi-racial cast from NYC, NJ, California, Romania, Peru, and South Korea, that represents our diverse culture and brings Breakin’ to vibrant life.
Performed on a bare stage with four colorful graffiti/street art images of silhouetted break dancers at the sides (graphic design by Elodie Dufroux) and an active full-scale projection screen behind (set design and production supervision by Peter Feuchtwanger), the show, inspired by the format of the long-running “Stomp or Blue Man Group but in dance,” according to producer Eric Krebs, features each member of the cast in solos highlighting their individual specialties and facing off in breaking battles, some rapping to the (unseen) DJ’s music and some telling their personal stories of how Hip Hop saved their lives by healing through “expression without boundaries,” and the full company moving together in sync and coming together as a community united by their love and mastery of the genre.
The electrifying production, enhanced with lighting (by Joan Racho-Jansen) that accentuates the moods and situations, is not only a showcase for the sensational dancers (Ali’s break dancing is one of the standouts); it also provides an in-depth lesson on the history, styles, components, and legends of Hip Hop, relayed in direct address to the audience by the ebullient Ajalé and in the vintage video projections on the back screen (video production also by Ali), which are interspersed between each segment of live dancing and rapping to introduce us to their origins, key elements, and interesting facts. For example, The Lockers appeared on the ‘70s TV show Soul Train and, like all the other dancers, weren’t paid, so, knowing their own worth, walked out – and returned when they did get paid. Fortunately for us, Theater 555 values the talent of the extraordinary artists of Breakin’ NYC and has brought them and their passion for Hip Hop to the Off-Broadway stage.
But they weren’t the only ones on stage. As a pre-show warmup, Ajalé invited volunteers from the audience to join her in dancing, then, to emphasize the widespread appeal of Hip Hop, asked the entire house where they’re from (including the boroughs of the native New Yorkers), encouraged everyone to clap along throughout the show, and to feel free to stand up and move to the beat. At the performance I attended, the fully engaged crowd responded enthusiastically, consistently cheering and calling out to the DJ and company. And after the curtain call, audience members were again invited up to the stage to “show their stuff” in a dance-off that made everyone feel a part of the joy, power, and inclusivity of the show and the genre.
Whether you’re a lifelong fan of Hip Hop and want to see it performed on stage by an astonishing company of experts, or you’re unfamiliar with the style and want to learn more about its journey from the Bronx into a worldwide cultural phenomenon, Breakin’ NYC is an exhilarating don’t-miss theatrical block party that is as enlightening and uplifting as it is entertaining.
Running Time: Approximately 70 minutes, without intermission.
Breakin’ NYC plays through Sunday, August 31, 2025, at Theater 555, 555 W 42nd Street, NYC. For tickets (priced at $29-89, plus fees), go online.
