[Herald Interview] Botis Seva’s hip-hop ‘BLKDOG’ dives into youth trauma, depression

“BLKDOG” (Camilla Greenwell) Far From The Norm, the hip-hop dance company led by acclaimed choreographer Botis Seva, is set to make its Korean debut with “BLKDOG,” an emotionally charged hip-hop dance theater piece, at the Seongnam Arts Center in Gyeonggi Province, June 22-23. Premiered in 2018 at Sadler’s Wells Theater in London, “BLKDOG” won the Laurence Olivier Award for best new dance production at the 2019 Olivier Awards. This year, Seva joined Sadler’s Wells Theatre as an associate artist, marking another milestone in his rising career. In an email interview with The Korea Herald on Tuesday, Seva described “BLKDOG” as “a metaphorical representation of depression.” “But it also looks at how the human mind copes with trauma, grief and existing in this world today. ‘BLKDOG’ is an energy that will compress your thoughts and feelings and you as the audience, or the performer, have to understand how to deal with the emotions that creep up on you. We all deal with intrusive thoughts, and this is the BLKDOG we are fighting.” Botis Seva (HelenMaybanks) “BLKDOG,” inspired by Seva’s experiences of discrimination and oppression as a child, delves into how today’s youth cope with despair and fear, fighting to find a...