As part of FORM Dance Projects' That's Two, Thank You triple bill at Eternity Playhouse, Merge delivers exactly what its title promises: a thrilling collision between two distinct street dance traditions that somehow creates something entirely new.
The performance begins unconventionally in the theatre's foyer bar, where Naethiel 'Tango' Lumbera establishes his presence through crisp breaking moves. The urban grunge aesthetic and technical precision immediately signal this won't be conventional contemporary dance. Audiences follow Lumbera into the auditorium proper, where the real spectacle begins.
Special guest Akuma Diva joins the stage, bringing the sharp, theatrical gestures of Waacking, a dance form born in Los Angeles' LGBTQ+ club scene of the 1970s. What unfolds is essentially a dance battle, but one choreographed with wit and genuine respect for both forms' distinct lineages and cultural significance.
Director Anastasios Repousi (Bboy Taz), whose credentials in Australian street dance are impeccable, demonstrates sophisticated understanding of both traditions. Rather than simply alternating between styles, Merge explores how these dance languages might converse. Breaking's floor work and power moves exist in productive tension with Waacking's arm-focused voguing and theatrical posing.
Both performers demonstrate exceptional technical command. Lumbera, a multi-award winning breaker, executes freezes and footwork with the kind of control that comes from years of competitive training. Akuma Diva's Waacking is equally impressive, with razor-sharp arm movements that slice through space with precision timing.
What elevates Merge beyond technical demonstration is its humour. The piece acknowledges the inherent playfulness of dance battles while avoiding the aggressive machismo that sometimes accompanies competitive breaking. Instead, there's genuine joy in watching two masters of different crafts figure out how to share space without compromising their distinct identities.
Theodore Carroll's lighting design supports this dialogue beautifully, creating distinct zones for each dancer while allowing moments where the boundaries blur. The visual clarity helps audiences appreciate the technical differences between the forms while emphasising their surprising compatibilities. Their use of the theatre space aisles reinforces this tension between the boundaries and the common ground.
The piece builds to a rousing finale that, according to audience response, genuinely got the entire room moving (no small achievement in a seated theatre context). This energy transfer speaks to street dance's fundamental power as participatory culture, even when presented as theatrical spectacle.
Merge now represents an important moment in Australian dance programming. Street dance forms like Breaking and Waacking are often relegated to competition contexts or variety showcases. Seeing them treated with the production values and curatorial attention typically reserved for contemporary or classical forms validates these traditions as legitimate theatrical art.
There's also something particularly meaningful about presenting Breaking and Waacking together. Both emerged from marginalised communities, Breaking from Black and Latinx youth in the Bronx, Waacking from Black and Latinx LGBTQ+ communities in Los Angeles. Both forms carry histories of resilience, creativity under constraint, and the transformation of limited resources into limitless expression.
Repousi's directorial approach honours these histories while refusing nostalgia. Merge doesn't recreate the cypher or the club but imagines what happens when these dance languages meet in contemporary theatrical context. The result feels genuinely innovative rather than appropriative, a distinction that matters.
As the opening piece in the That's Two, Thank You program, Merge establishes the evening's commitment to showcasing diverse approaches to the duet form. It proves that two bodies in dialogue can generate not just technical excellence but genuine cultural conversation.
For audiences unfamiliar with street dance traditions, Merge offers an accessible yet sophisticated introduction. For those already versed in these forms, it demonstrates how theatrical presentation can honour street dance's competitive roots while exploring new choreographic possibilities.
More info: https://www.form.org.au/thats-two-thank-you-2026/
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