Kikker X Freedom City: Hiphop Theater Night
Freedom City 9 Festival

Kikker X Freedom City: Hiphop Theater Night
Freedom City 9 Festival

Kikker X Freedom City: Hiphop Theater Night
Freedom City 9 Festival

Kikker X Freedom City: Hiphop Theater Night
Freedom City 9 Festival

Hiphop has always had more to say than there was space for. This night, we create that space. Three choreographers — international and Utrecht-based talent, all raised in hiphop culture — take over Theater Kikker for an evening that shifts how you see movement.
Three artists who learned their craft on the battle floor, where you make decisions under pressure, get no second chances, and the crowd is the judge, now bring their work to the theater. On the stage, the pressure disappears. What you see then is everything that was underneath it — and has been fighting to get out.
They each will perform works that take on what occupies almost everyone — inequality, balance, the small absurdities of everyday life. Each from a different perspective, each with a different movement language. Together they make for an evening you won't easily forget.
Afterwards, there's time for a drink and to meet the makers.
Performers
“The End” - Skarga Polina & Maksim Kuznetsov
Skarga Polina is a Netherlands-based movement artist working at the intersection of contemporary dance, physical performance, and energetic body practices. Maksim Kuznetsov is a Germany-based dance artist specializing in Breaking and Experimental performance. A multiple time Breaking champion and winner of numerous international competitions, he has built a strong image across Europe for his interesting style and powerful stage presence.
“The end” is a story of more than 2 people. More than male and female. It’s a feeling behind the character. Intimate Portraits resonates so well with our idea. When you create any kind of story - there is always a someone behind. This creative power. We want to open the curtain for this intimate sensation which we can only share together, hidden and found among the shelves with the books - these stories like ours.
BeApad - Gonzy
Gonzy has been perfecting multiple elements within hiphop. Experienced in dance, rap and beatmaking, Gonzy takes his artistry to the next level by challenging to combine these different artforms into one theater show.
ECHOES - Persona Collective
The quartet that calls themselves Persona Collective consists of Anaïs Mauri, Sem Houmes, Aleyna Demir and Rowan van den Boomen. They are 4 unique movers, with each different signatures and strengths. Krump, electro, contemporary, breaking and hip-hop are the most present styles in their works. With all of this, they complement each other’s way of moving and create art together. Persona Collective brings a fresh view on dance performances in theatre spaces, with their wide range of dance styles and interpretation of movement.
The Strength Within - Henoch, Gideon, and Nigel
Henoch, Gideon, and Nigel know each other from dance school. But you don't learn who someone is in a dance studio. Together, they bring African Streetstyle to the stage. The Strength Within is a performance about the ordinary material people are made of, told through infectious rhythms and with respect for the source.
In The Strength Within, the three return to what shaped them — youth, family, the places that stick with you and change your life. Three lives, three backgrounds, with one shared language: African street styles. Solo, they show where they come from. Together, they show what that means.
A performance about the ordinary material people are made of, told through infectious rhythms and with respect for the source.

ECHOES - Persona Collective
Persona Collective presents their performance “ECHOES”.
This piece is performed by three members of the collective, who take you on their journey.
Echoes filled with memories.
Trying to confront the self by hanging on to the nostalgic feelings.
How can I be most true to myself? Relive or resist?

“The End” - Maksim Kuznetsov & Skarga Polina
What happens with you after your dream, once luminous in anticipation, settles into reality?
The beauty of ending - this after taste which follows after the experience freshly happened.
Is it two of them? Or how many characters, emotions and destinies cross in this experimental dance piece?
Follow the whisper of the foot prints, when the one end opens the gates of new beginning.
“The End” is an experimental duet on the edge of two dance styles: contemporary & break dance. Composed by the famous heart touching music “The End” by The Doors. Sometimes you hear the music and you cannot imagine adding something else-even layering it with dance, because it touches you so strongly originally. We aim to dance exactly this feeling: how to express something what you cannot express with words?

BeApad - Gonzy
BeApad is a solo-performance by Gonzy with a blend of multiple elements of hiphop in one theater piece. An improvisation piece full of dancing, rapping and live beatmaking with the special BeApad suit.

About the Freedom City 9 Festival
Freedom City returns for its ninth edition during the weekend of June 19-22. As Utrecht’s largest hiphop festival, it takes over venues like TivoliVredenburg, De Helling, Theater Kikker, and Stadsschouwburg Utrecht, bringing you the best in dance battles, DJ sets, and live performances.
Freedom City celebrates hiphop culture, uniting the raw energy of the streets with the power of the stage. This year, we’re filling the city with talented dancers and artists from around the world, eager to share their skills and passion with you. We celebrate the freedom of self-expression and create space for everyone to be who they truly are.
With a more expansive program than ever, we use dance and music to break boundaries and connect people. Get ready for spectacular dance battles, theater performances, and live shows at Freedom City Festival! Top international talents will share the stage with local artists, all going all out to energetic beats. Skilled DJs will spin the most danceable genres, from hiphop and funk to house, disco, and more. Expect a weekend where music, dance, community, freedom, love, and passion take center stage.
For more info, visit the official Freedom City website: www.freedomcity.nl












