High-flying global dance sensation returns to wow Houston audiences

After a wildly successful Texas debut last year and sold-out tours across Europe, Australia, and Japan, Red Bull Flying Bach is heading back our way. The high-flying breakdance/classical music crew is performing in Houston, Dallas, and San Antonio at the beginning of 2017, and tickets are now on sale.

But wait: breakdancing and classical music? The two actually are a perfect match under the supervision of artistic directors Vartan Bassil and Christoph Hagel, who excel at blending high society with urban culture. This particular performance, which is at the Hobby Center for three shows January 20-22, mashes up breakdancing with an adaptation of Johann Sebastian Bach’s Well‐Tempered Clavier.

The incredible artists who execute Bassil’s gravity-defying moves are the Flying Steps, a German troupe formed by Bassil in 1993. The four-time breakdance world champions currently have more than 35 professional dancers in their lineup, and they are joined for Red Bull Flying Bach by Swedish ballerina Anna Holmström.

Bassil teamed up with opera conductor Hagel in 2010, looking to redefine audiences’ perceptions of breakdancing. And rather than simply busting a move to a classical soundtrack, the duo wanted the dancers to fully embody the music and convey a story. The result, Red Bull Flying Bach, premiered that year in Berlin’s Neue Nationalgalerie, bringing the sold-out audience to its feet.

“I liked the idea of replacing a ballerina doing pirouettes on her toes with a breakdancer doing head spins,” Bassil explains.

The story here follows six dancers as they rehearse for their big performance, the teacher constantly pushing them and their boundaries to make it all work. Then a mysterious woman enters the rehearsal room, and everything — desire, arrogance, disappointment, delight — reaches a climactic height.

Tickets, which start at $29.50 for the Houston stop, can be purchased here. Use the promo code FRIENDS to get 20 percent off your ticket, or if you're a group of four use the code FAMILY to get the fourth ticket free (you'll need to purchase four tickets to activate the discount).

If you’re still trying to wrap your head around the concept of Red Bull Flying Bach, let the teaser video below satisfy your curiosity.