| Maker | Donna Chittick- BackBone |
| Duration | 60 min |
The biggest battle doesn't always happen on the dance floor; it happens within.
Sessions makes this struggle visible and tangible.
In this raw and rhythmic dance performance, the energy of a hip-hop battle is transformed into a powerful story about doubt, identity, and the feeling of constantly having to prove yourself. Watch as five performers move across the stage with strength and vulnerability, each bringing their own perspective on (and experience with) a world that doesn’t always think they belong.
Text and dance that challenge the way you think
While many dance performances shy away from language, Sessions shows how words and movement can strengthen one another. An MC gives voice to what’s happening inside the dancers, while their movement makes those inner tensions visible. BackBone's performances, under the artistic direction of Donna Chittick, are raw and layered. They challenge you to reflect on your role in society. Sessions is an ode to self-taught makers, vocationally trained creatives, and everyone who took a different path and never felt fully seen or recognized because of it.
Vibration belts for the deaf and hard-of-hearing
In Sessions, music is not only heard, it’s felt. For deaf and hard-of-hearing visitors, vibration belts are available: wearable devices worn around the waist that translate music into physical vibrations. This allows the rhythm and energy of the performance to be experienced through the body*.
*Before the performance, an interpreter will offer an introduction to the work. You can reserve a vibration belt when you buy your ticket. There are a limited number of belts available. Reservations can be made up to 72 hours in advance, while supplies last. If you have questions, please contact elisia@backboneconnects.nl
BackBone is a hip-hop dance company creating work that is sharp, urgent, and rooted in hip-hop values: intensity, authenticity in performance, grounded choreography, and bold storytelling. Their productions are raw and profound, designed to spark the audience’s curiosity and challenge them to reflect on their role in society.
BackBone was founded in 2012 by Alida Dors. After Alida moved to Theater Rotterdam, Donna Chittick stepped in as artistic director at the end of 2022.
Donna Chittick is a choreographer and artistic director of the hip-hop dance company BackBone. As a maker and connector, she is building a new generation within hip-hop dance, rooted in diverse backgrounds and development paths.
Born on Sint Maarten and raised with music and movement, she developed her dance practice as an autodidact within the hip-hop scene in Amsterdam. This non-traditional path forms the foundation of her artistic vision, which embraces different forms of talent and craftsmanship.
Since 2016, she has been creating choreographic work that is physical, direct, and deeply rooted in hip-hop. Drawing from personal observations, she explores themes such as identity, connection, and the relationship between the individual and the collective.
Since 2022, she has been leading BackBone, where she works from principles such as Each One Teach One and builds an inclusive, forward-looking space for hip-hop within the performing arts.
Concept: Donna Chittick
Choreography: Donna Chittick in collaboration with the dancers
Dancers: Manou te Voortwis, Stephano Linkers, among others
Writer: Manouschka Zeegelaar Breeveld
Final direction: Maarten van Hinten
Third eye: Sheralynn Adriaansz
Technical producer: Luca van Deurzen
Technicians: Gijs Feskens + Tijmen
Sound design: DJ Lovesupreme
Dramaturg: Yahmani Blackman
Styling: Ishijah Thompson
Korzo Zaal