X_YUSUF_BOSS/coproducers
XANUUN

XANUUN (Somali for "pain") is a performance about power, heritage, and the impact of language. Choreographer Mohamed Yusuf Boss creates a gripping, physical performance in which dance, music, and spoken word merge into a powerful statement.
The performance is based on the stories of young Somali migrants who traveled through the Netherlands to the United Kingdom. Where they sought safety, they often found discrimination and excessive violence instead. XANUUN brings these stories to the stage and poses the question: how do words shape our bodies and souls?
One performer speaks from a radio booth, inspired by 'hate radio,' a Rwandan station that spread propaganda and hate. The dancers respond physically to the impact of these words. Their bodies become the battleground of power structures, where exclusion and resistance constantly shift. Grime and Trap provide the musical foundation of XANUUN—genres that capture the frustration and energy of a generation, giving the performance a raw and urgent dynamic.
XANUUN is a call to listen to voices that are too often ignored. It is expression, resistance, and remembrance.
"With rhythmic clapping, body percussion, and stomping on the floor, they build an incredibly swinging celebration. The performance surges toward a breathtaking finale."
"Enchanting. Impressive. Stunning. Mohamed Yusuf Boss’s new production 'TOBAN' showcases the raw power of the human body and offers hope. "
"Laba by choreographer Mohamed Yusuf Boss is an energetic ‘journey through no man’s land."
Credits
Concept Mohamed Yusuf Boss / Mark Fischer Choreographer Mohamed Yusuf Boss Dancers Ada Daniele, Ser Sebico, Shara Maaskant, Juersson Hermanus, Tara Salahshor Scenography André Pronk Music Rik van den Heuvel Dramaturg Merel Heering Creative production Mark Fischer