Vital and gripping, BLKDOG is Botis Seva’s Olivier award winning Hip-Hop dance theatre production.

Through haunting childhood memories and adult life traumas, BLKDOG questions how we fight through our vices to find a sense of peace and reveals a vicious connection of how self-discovery can lead to self-destruction.

The music has grown from a long-standing collaboration with Torben Sylvest and includes a mixture of original music and words that adds layers of meaning, highlighting the inner workings of the characters on stage. Tom Visser’s lighting brings a dark smog of disillusion as the choreography delves into the underbelly of life, while the hooded caps and padded costumes by Ryan Laight echo the protection and comfort of childhood.

“An expressive masterpiece…
BLKDOG lived up to its reputation”

— Arts Hub, Melbourne

“BLKDOG [invites you] to contemplate, feel, and question our relationship with the world, others, and ourselves, confirming dance as a universal language”

— Scenes Magazine, Switzerland

In 2018, Botis was commissioned to present a piece of work as part of Reckonings, a night which celebrated the 20th anniversary of Sadler's Wells current theatre. Alongside Alesandra Seutin and Julie Cunningham, Botis presented BLKDOG, inspired by Sally Brampton’s Shoot The Damn Dog, a work that delves into the notions of inner city coping mechanisms.

BLKDOG is a critically and publicly acclaimed production, with prestigious industry recognitions including winning Best New Dance Production at the Olivier Awards 2019; the first ever win for a Hip Hop production.

Since its inception, BLKDOG’s international success continues to grow; BLKDOG has been presented in 24 countries, with over 90 performances reaching 48,769 audiences.

The Team

Director & Choreographer Botis Seva
Music Composer Torben Sylvest
Lighting Designer Tom Visser
Costume Designer Ryan Dawson Laight
Rehearsal Director Hayleigh Sellors, Victoria Shulungu, Jordan Douglas

Executive Producer Lee Griffiths
Senior Production Manager Andy Downie
Touring Production Manager & Relighters Andrej Gubanov, Chris Burr, Seth Rook Williams
Tour Manager Gabija Cepelyte

Costume Makers Jordan Goertz, Julie Sayers, Kelsey Vickery, Kingsley Hall, Lou Petty
Mix Engineer Pär Carlsson
Research & Development Rehearsal Director Ekin Bernay

Contribution Artists Charlotte Clark, Clarissa Shulungu, Ezra Owen, Isaac Ouro-Gnao, Savanah Anais Rowe, Shiloh Seva, Tyrone Isaac-Stuart

Co-produced by Far From The Norm, Norrlandsoperan and Sadler’s Wells. Supported by Arts Council England, Kingston University, Laban Theatre, Siobhan Davies Dance and UEL Dance: Urban Practice Department

PREVIOUS TOUR DATES

2026

Germany, Finland, Cyprus

Kampnagel, Cyprus Contemporary Dance Festival, Theater Heilbronn, Helsinki Festival

2025

Goteborgoperan, Rising Melbourne, Waves Festival, Fondazione I Teatri

Sweden, Australia, Denmark, Italy

STEPS Dance Festival - Nebia, Equilibre, Kurtheater, Dampfzentrale, Salle du Lignon, Abbey Theater, Festival de Marseille, Seongnam Arts Centre, The Joyce Theater, OZ Arts Nashville, National Arts Centre Ottawa, The Clarice: University of Maryland, Danse Danse

Switzerland, Ireland, France, South Korea, USA, Canada

2024

2023

Belgium, Germany, Italy, Romania, China, Singapore, Hungary, The Netherlands

DE SINGEL, Düsseldorf Festival, LA Biennale di Venezia, SIBIU International Theater Festival, Shanghai International Dance Center, Singapore International Festival of the Arts, Trafó, Theater Rotterdam

2022

Luxembourg, France, Sweden, Germany, UK

Théâtres de la Ville Luxembourg, Points Communs, Dansenhus, Stora Teatern, Sara Kulturhus, Norrlandsoperan, COLOURS Festival, Sadler’s Wells, Yvonne Arnaud, Saffron Hall, Lighthouse Poole, Nottingham Playhouse

2021

UK, The Netherlands, Slovenia, Greece, Australia

Kalamata Festival, Adelaide Festival, Front@ Festival, Summer Dance Forever, The Lowry, Sadler’s Wells, Riley Theatre, DanceEast, The House, Midlands Arts Centre, Northern Stage, DanceEast, NST City, Warwick Arts Centre

Screenshot+2026-07-03+at+20.32.36.png — Rose Sall Sao

What audiences are saying…

"I still haven't got over the performance. Utterly mesmerising - skill, passion, precision, all wrapped up in spellbinding stories - I'll never forget it"
"I was completely mesmerised. It was dark, it was painful. It was about pain. It was about life. It was about hope"
"I felt tears going down my face without my control. I was taken back to places where I haven't been for a while. I loved every single second"
"Knowing when to be still to allow the audience to absorb and process what is unfolding on the stage. Utterly brilliant. Totally challenging."
"The emotion of each performer was more than they had in the tank. You could see their expressive exhaustion. Thank you for a needed exhale and re-think"

What the press think…

“It is both self-discovery and self-destruction, childhood traumas that play out into adult dramas, and a view into what daily depression and anxiety feels like.”

Luxembourg Times
"Right off the bat, he pushes the boundaries of the origins and roots of street dance... A moving and beautifully crafted performance that will have you body-popping in your seat. A must-see."

Kol Magazine, UK
"BLKDOG implores us to see our brothers and sisters and manifest a humanity rooted in healing."

Dance Criticism, Hungary
"This is interpretative dance of a calibre rarely seen. Theatrical excellence to be appreciated and savoured. Visceral, powerful, expressive."

The Blurb, UK
"To say that the dancers are terrific barely does them justice. Their togetherness and synchronicity need to be seen to be believed."

Seeing Dance, USA
“Seva’s dance language has its roots in hip-hop, but flowers in unexpected ways.”

Financial Times (UK)
"An expressive masterpiece... BLKDOG lived up to its reputation."

Arts Hub - Melbourne
"It was indeed a “Far from the Norm” production"

Black Ottawa Scene, Canada

PREVIOUS TOUR DATES

2026

Germany, Finland, Cyprus

2025

Sweden, Australia, Denmark, Italy

Switzerland, Ireland, France, South Korea, USA, Canada

2024

2023

Belgium, Germany, Italy, Romania, China, Singapore, Hungary, The Netherlands

2022

Luxembourg, France, Sweden, Germany, UK

2021

UK, The Netherlands, Slovenia, Greece, Australia

"I still haven't got over the performance. Utterly mesmerising - skill, passion, precision, all wrapped up in spellbinding stories - I'll never forget it"

"I was completely mesmerised. It was dark, it was painful. It was about pain. It was about life. It was about hope"

"I felt tears going down my face without my control. I was taken back to places where I haven't been for a while. I loved every single second"

"Knowing when to be still to allow the audience to absorb and process what is unfolding on the stage. Utterly brilliant. Totally challenging."

"The emotion of each performer was more than they had in the tank. You could see their expressive exhaustion. Thank you for a needed exhale and re-think"

“It is both self-discovery and self-destruction, childhood traumas that play out into adult dramas, and a view into what daily depression and anxiety feels like.”

"Right off the bat, he pushes the boundaries of the origins and roots of street dance... A moving and beautifully crafted performance that will have you body-popping in your seat. A must-see."

"BLKDOG implores us to see our brothers and sisters and manifest a humanity rooted in healing."

"This is interpretative dance of a calibre rarely seen. Theatrical excellence to be appreciated and savoured. Visceral, powerful, expressive."

"To say that the dancers are terrific barely does them justice. Their togetherness and synchronicity need to be seen to be believed."

“Seva’s dance language has its roots in hip-hop, but flowers in unexpected ways.”

"An expressive masterpiece... BLKDOG lived up to its reputation."

"It was indeed a “Far from the Norm” production"