Raphael Xavier

Known for his “artful and mesmerizing” (Dance Magazine) take on hip-hop and breaking, Raphael Xavier takes this movement vocabulary to uncharted territory with a transcendent mix of poetry, precision, and spontaneity. His new work, Sassafrazz: Roots to Mastery, explores the three stages of Break Life: birth, life, and death, with three styles of breaking: top, footwork, and ground text. Three breakers and three musicians highlight the parallels between traditional breaking and jazz music, and the practitioner’s search for graceful aging in an art form associated with youth.

Free preperformance talks with Boston Dance Alliance executive director Debra Cash 30 minutes prior to curtain in the ICA Common Room.