Niki Awandee Tsappos ^(SWE) Raised on Rhythm 9-11 October 2025

Programme

The rhythms are everywhere - in the beat of the skipping rope on the tarmac and in the steps from the stairwell. And they do something to us, if we let them. IRaised on Rhythm Choreographer and freestyle pioneer Niki 'Awandee' Tsappos wants to draw our attention to how rhythms unite, liberate and set people in motion. But where does a rhythm begin and where does it end? With Sweden's hip-hop dance maestro Damon Frost as narrator and spiritual guide, a winding journey into the universe of rhythms begins. The beats he makes in the moment are combined with recorded music co-created with Erik Hjärpe, also known as Voz Vibrante. 

The four dancers Damon Frost, Amalie Sasha Schanke, Yared Tilahun Cederlund and Rebecca Wolete invite the audience to play games and rituals, where they let the rhythms propagate in the room and become a common pulse. 

Niki "Awandee" Tsappos has been dancing to her own beat from a young age. Today, she inspires her global dance community as an acclaimed dancer, choreographer, teacher and judge. In 2022, the National Theatre presented Niki "Awandee" Tsappos' full-length workHead Peace. 

Raised on Rhytm premiered at the Royal Dramatic Theatre where it played to full houses in spring 2023. 

"I've been doing dance and music all my life, as long as I can remember. It has been a way for me to navigate life, to ground myself and find my own core. The rhythm never lies." 

- Niki "Awandee" Tsappos.