Jonzi D and a past edition of the Breakin’ Convention

IT’S 21 years since Jonzi D first brought breakdancing to Sadler’s Wells.

Back then Breakin’ Convention was a small but trailblazing show, drawing in a contempor­ary dance audience – in a contemporary dance space – to performances revolving around a hip-hop beat.

Back for another year at the theatre, he said it was his “biggest fear” that it might one day become too much part of the establishment.

The 54-year-old who lives in King’s Cross said: “When I first started looking at street dance as a theatrical vehicle, my plan was just: ‘We’ve got to get our own space, just to explore what hip hop theatre means’. I had no desire to take over anything and I don’t think we have really taken over. I’m just really happy that we’re being recognised for the work that we do.”

He added: “I do think there’s still a challenge with people that believe that what we do isn’t meant to be for the theatre. But as long as that challenge is still there, I’m going to be up for it. No doubt we are presenting some of the most exciting work in dance theatre.”

A past edition of the Breakin’ Convention [Belinda Lawley]

A new competition in breakdancing will be launching at the Paris Olympics this summer, and there is a burgeoning popularity of street dance in online dance crazes and music videos.

He turned down an MBE in 2012 and Jonzi D said he would still be a dance outsider while snobbery about break­dancing existed. Other forms are still seen as more “sophisticated”, he said, and are better funded.

Funding bodies such as Arts Council England continue to favour, for example, ballet over street dance.

He said things were changing and it was not just popular with a younger, traditionally black crowd, pointing out that Breakin’ audiences have become older and whiter. “We just need to run more nights,” he said, to make sure there were enough tickets to go around for everyone. “We should put on four nights instead of two.”

He added: “In classical ballet, somebody will do 12 pirouettes, and people will be like, ‘Wow, that’s amazing’. Whereas break dancers will spin on their heads continuously, and be doing that for hundreds of cycles. Also our understanding of momentum within breaking, it’s really pushed and progressed the potential of the body and what it can do.”

Breakin’ Convention is at Sadler’s Wells from May 3 to May 6.

Park Jam, a FREE family friendly hip hop festival, is at Spa Fields on bank holiday Monday (May 6), 1.30-6.30pm. First come first served.