This feel-good dance production by Paul Damiano from Kenya is inspired by the Swahili title “Haba na Haba” that translates to Step by Step. Through movement and playfulness, Paul reflects on his personal childhood memories and their impact on identity. The piece invites the audience to celebrate the moments that shape who we become.

Here we highlight voices and practices from the urban dance scene in the Ruhr area. Our starting point is to look at what is already there: we accompany urban crews and artists throughout the year in their endeavours and ask: what does the urban (dance) scene need to be vibrant and visible?

With the unskrewd Session, we create an innovative and interdisciplinary network format for musicians and creatives in Duisburg, focusing on urban arts. Through live acts, open mic sessions, expert talks, and networking opportunities, artists gain insights and connections to further their careers aiming to strengthen support structures for local creatives and foster new collaborations across disciplines.

In summer 2024, six dancers came together for our first dance research project. Our subject was to uncover our raw and unfiltered voices in an increasingly commercialized and institutionalized dance world. We explored themes of fragmented identities, migration, and realness while confronting our own ambivalence. We showed an excerpt of our research findings in an outdoor 360° performance in Duisburg City Harbour.