Hip-hop dancers meet classical music

Classical music from the likes Bach, Mozart and Beethoven inspires the imagination and creations of numerous choreographers, particularly in the field of ballet. Having been widely used for scores in dances, films and commercials, it is an experimental and pioneering act for French hip-hop dancer and choreographer Mohamed Rouabah to bust street dance moves to the accompaniment of hip-hop music that's had a classical makeover.

Ballet de Rue, literally "street ballet," is a 50-minute show from France's Metamorphoz Company that combines urban street dance with classical music. It has attracted awe and turned stereotypes on their head since its debut last year. Having already mesmerized audiences around the world, the troupe has cartwheeled into Beijing and will strut their stuff tonight at the World Financial Center, before touring three other Chinese cities.

Clad in sportswear and hiding behind white masks, six classically trained dancers move harmoniously to Bach, Mozart and Beethoven with locking, popping moves that range from strobing to moonwalking, making what Rouabah describes as a "musical and visual journey that takes audiences to an anachronistic world."

The revised hip-hop dance sees the performers from the 2008-formed troupe also pay homage to classical music by imitating movements of a conductor. To accompany Bach, two dancers stand on their heads as their partners "strum" human-like cellos.

"Hip-hop is not danced to its expected music, but we have respected all the rules such as geometry, diagonals and crossings," said Rouabah. "The creation was born because of the music, so there was a complete symbiosis between the music and the movements."

Originating in the early 1990s in the Bronx, New York, hip-hop dance was used by African-Americans to deliver political protests and personal messages.

Yet in recent years, the dance form has evolved to embrace choreography that conveys delicate feelings or insightful stories.

"Emotion is the essence of dance anyway. Ballet de Rue is all about feelings. Each scene conveys a different feeling, such as joy, loneliness, love and even grief triggered by death," explained Rouabah, adding the show offers an insight into human beings and their relationships.

When: Friday, April 27, 6:30 pm

Where: World Financial Center, 2 Guandongdian Nanjie, Chaoyang district

Tickets: Free (booking required)

Contact: 5763-0093