image credit: Feras Shaheen
1000hr HYPE
Feras Shaheen and David Prakash are both part of Australia’s street dance community. They have been participating in cyphers, jams and battles nationally and internationally. The hype that is developed and experienced within these events keep Feras and David connected to their community and the cultures that it represents. Hype in street dance is a collective experience in curated contexts. A feeling that goes beyond words.
Hype is addictive in nature. It represents the act of giving, the act of not withholding, the act of letting go. To give hype is to elevate the communal experience of the space, to let go of one’s ego. It allows us to recognise each other.
Hype is to feel physically and spiritually compelled to offer something to the space. It is the feeling that can make your face scrunch up and move in a little closer to give a little more. Hype is part of our coexistence. We see it in protests, weddings, family gatherings, religious ceremonies and rituals. It is the recognition of one another and a testament to collective power, to fortify the spirit.
This is a homage, an appreciation, and an addiction we want to share. A feeling that continues… loops and lives on.
BIOS
Feras Shaheen is an artist curious in letting his conceptual interests lead him across a variety of mediums. Using choreography, installation work, film, performance, digital media, and street dance to communicate his ideas, the core of Feras’ practice is to connect and engage audiences. Holding a Bachelor of Design from Western Sydney University (2014), Feras often subverts traditional relationships between mediums to challenge audiences' perspectives.
Born in Dubai to Palestinian parents (Gaza/Al Lid), and moving to Western Sydney at age 11, Feras uses his practice as a way to reflect and examine how he views the world, addressing local and global issues. Winner of The Australian Ballet’s Telstra Emerging Choreographer (TEC) in 2021, Feras has performed and exhibited at Carriageworks, Venice Biennale, Pari, Kampnagel, AGNSW, Campbelltown Arts Centre, and Théâtre de la Ville. Recent works include ‘Art Festival’, ‘The Bop’, ongoing collaboration ‘Klapping’, and ‘Forum Q’.
Insta: @fezshaheen
David Prakash is an Indian/Samoan artist who began his journey into the realm of street dance in 2012. During this time, he has explored multiple genres such as Popping, Hip Hop, House, and Krump.
David has judged at various street dance battles in Melbourne and competed nationally/internationally. David’s practice is evolving daily, and his offerings in class settings are a direct reflection of his discoveries.
In 2016, David co-founded ‘Jam On Toast’, a weekly dance jam for the Melbourne dance community to dance, hang out and connect with new people.
David’s recent venture into the contemporary dance space has seen him in development outcomes for ‘Collision’ by Jo Lloyd, TASDANCE & Guts Dance, ‘4x4’ & ‘U>N>I>T>E>D’ with Chunky Move and in multiple creative projects with Jennifer Ma & Collaborators including Home(s), Submerge at Dancehouse, Art Echoes commissioned by Bunjil Place, ACCUMULATING and We Are Here.
One of David’s first major outcomes in 2022 featured a work titled ‘Insert Self’ presented by L2R, co-directed by David Prakash & Jayden Wall. ‘Interrogating common freedoms and authentic, urgent identity making’. The work as a result, acted as a container to echo the stories of young local artists with attachment to L2R and various street dance genres.
https://dpdpdp.cargo.site
Insta: @cadbury_boy
EXHIBITION
10 July - 27 July
OPENING: Wednesday 10 July
6 pm - 9 pm
Exhibition runtime:
10 July - 27 July