Botis Seva - Sing Child Sing

Far From the Norm
Fri 27 Nov 2026 8:00PM
  • Fri 27 Nov 2026
    8:00PM
    Quays Theatre
  • Orders subject to a £3.50 transaction fee.

Sing Child Sing explores how we carry the past within our bodies and what it takes to loosen its hold. Rooted in autobiographical experience, Botis Seva traces how abandonment, faith, and frustration become physically embedded, surfacing as both function and fracture.

How do we protect ourselves as we learn from the past, without living forever in its shadow? Performed by Seva and created with Far From The Norm, this new solo work is an unfiltered exploration of healing, identity, and the invisible legacies passed from one generation to the next. Set within a shifting interior landscape, part room, part memory, animated by sound and light, Botis’ distinctive movement language, merging hip hop and contemporary practice, becomes a site of recalibration.

An intimate, evolving portrait unfolds as time folds and refolds, bringing past and present selves into dialogue. Through searing physicality and emotional clarity, the body confronts inherited patterns and begins to rewire itself, reclaiming power with fierce, embodied intention.

Sing Child Sing is a portrait of a man suspended between memory and possibility, anatomically rebuilding himself as he loosens the patterns that have shaped him. It is a courageous act of transformation, an invitation to feel, to reckon, and to rise.

 

Reviews

“A major new talent” - New York Times, US 
 
“Seva has cemented himself as a heavyweight in the UK’s dance theatre world” - A Youngish Perspective, UK
 
“There is no doubt that Seva’s winning streak is continuing. His power, understanding, and passion shine on the stage” - Reviews Hub, UK

“Botis Seva, the most influential artist in contemporary dance today, is a phenomenal artist of unlimited emotional intelligence, innovative, demanding and exhausting physicality, but alsounparalleled hard work that inspires the modern generations of dancers and choreographers.” - National Herald, Greece
 
“Botis Seva has made quite a name for himself and his hip hop dance theatre company, Far From The Norm, over the past decade.” - Bachtrack, U

Additional Information

  • Age Recommendation: 14+
  • Runtime: Approx 60mins
  • Content Warning: Loud music, abstract depictions of violence, haze and partial nudity. 

About Botis Seva

Botis Seva is a distinctive choreographic voice rooted in Hip Hop dance theatre and driven by a freeform, multidisciplinary approach. His work draws from real-life experiences, his own and those of the communities around him, while borrowing cinematic, textual and visual art techniques to continually push the boundaries of creativity and performance.

Originally passionate about music, Botis spent his early years producing beats and MC’ing at his local youth club. After discovering dance at 15, he pursued a choreographic path outside mainstream education and founded Far From The Norm at 19 with friends who shared his appetite for experimentation.

Botis developed his early practice through mentorship and artistic opportunities with Breakin’ Convention at Sadler’s Wells, laying the foundation for a body of work that now spans stage, outdoor performance and film. His accolades include the Olivier Award for Best New Dance Production for BLKDOG (2019), the CHANEL Next Prize (2022) and the Carmen Mateux Best Choreographer Award (2023), alongside numerous international choreography awards. Botis became a Sadler’s Wells Associate Artist in 2024.

He has created films with directors including Douglas Bernadt and Freddie Leydon, with work recognised at Vimeo Best of the Year (2023), Kinsale Sharks (2023) and San Francisco Dance Film Festival (2018). His external stage commissions include Scottish Dance Theatre, NDT2 and Göteborgs Danskompani

About Far From The Norm

Far From The Norm is a Hip Hop Theatre company founded in 2009 by Artistic Director Botis Seva in a youth club in Dagenham. A collective of artists known for blending Hip Hop and Contemporary practice, the company was built on an “outsider” mentality; creatives who wanted to think differently, move differently and redefine what dance could be. That spirit continues to shape the company’s DNA today.

Under Seva’s direction, Far From The Norm deconstructs street dance vocabularies, challenges perceptions of Hip Hop and creates work that empowers marginalised communities. Their bold, evocative productions guide audiences through visceral experiences while confronting the truths of contemporary life. The company’s portfolio spans theatre, outdoor performance, immersive work and film.

After years of grassroots creation and self-investment, Far From The Norm’s productions now tour worldwide. Recent works include BLKDOG (2019) and Until We Sleep (2024), both acclaimed by critics and audiences alike.

Far From The Norm is a partner company at Lowry (UK) and is supported by Paul Hamlyn Foundation’s Arts Fund.

Credits

Director & Choreographer: Botis Seva
Composer: Torben Sylvest
Lighting Designer: Tom Visser & Chris Burr
Costume Designer: Ryan Dawson-Laight
Executive Producer: Lee Griffiths
Producer: Gabija Cepelyte
Senior Production Manager: Andy Downie
Rehearsal Director: Victoria Shulungu 
Creative Associate: Jordan Douglas 
Far From The Norm Dance Artist: Joshua Shanny Wynter

Sing Child Sing is a co-production with Dance East, Kurtheater Baden, The Lowry, Sadler’s Wells, schrit_tmacher Festival (NL), Tanz Köln, Theater Rotterdam, Rum för Dans and Les Théâtres de la Ville de Luxembourg. Sing Child Sing is commissioned by the Carmen Mateu Award.

Sing Child Sing production residency supported by Rum för Dans, and final creative residency Les Théâtres de la Ville de Luxembourg.

Sing Child Sing is supported by Arts Council England.

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