GG, CONJAH and PSUEDO will receive its world premiere from 26 to 30 August, an experimental performance that brings together hip hop, gaming culture and contemporary movement practices.
Collaborative practice drives the work
The piece is the result of a creative partnership between CONJAH and PSUEDO, and foregrounds questions of avatar, autonomy, play and the languages of movement. Central to the production is the work of Ooshcon, an award‑winning hip hop theatre choreographer and performer of Samoan and Palagi heritage whose practice is informed by street dance, animation, contemporary technique and Pasifika perspectives.
Ooshcon has an international profile. His prior work includes his solo show Glitch and the experimental hip hop theatre production Blueprint, both of which have toured, and he directed Aotearoa’s first krump‑theatre production, HYPAMASS. In promotional material for the new premiere he describes himself as “The Decipherer of Circles”, a name that connects him to street dance cyphers — the circular spaces where dancers exchange movement, communicate and test new material.
“Decipherer of circles comes from being connected and committed to street dance cultures,” Ooshcon said. “There’s often a coded language that, if you aren’t aware of, you might not be able to decipher.”
The production positions hip hop as a foundational element while layering influences from gaming and animation. According to the creatives, movement is treated as a form of language — something that can carry cultural meaning, identity and modes of social exchange.
Collaboration and audience responsibility
CONJAH is co‑led by Ooshcon and Jahra Wasasala; the pair have worked together for eight years. The production team says collaborative practice is central to their creative method and is what produces the most resonant work. The world premiere is also framed as an occasion to reconsider the relationship between performer and audience: how attention is given and how performance can impact spectators.
Ooshcon reflected on that responsibility, noting that when people choose to spend their time and attention on a performance, artists hold an opportunity to affect their lives positively. Rather than suggesting a single reading, the creators invite multiple responses from audiences.
The work’s blend of street‑based dance vernaculars, choreographic structures drawn from contemporary theatre and references to gaming cultures suggests a hybrid performance ecology. This positions GG as part of a broader trend in performance that seeks to collapse boundaries between digital cultures, popular urban movement and formal stagecraft.
- What to expect: Hip hop‑centred movement, gaming and avatar motifs, collaborative choreography.
- Creative leads: Ooshcon, CONJAH (Ooshcon and Jahra Wasasala) and PSUEDO.
- Run: 26–30 August (world premiere).
For audiences and workers in the creative industries, the production will be of interest for its model of long‑term collaboration and for the way it stages street dance as a living, communicative practice. It also provides a platform for Pasifika perspectives in contemporary hip hop performance, a strand of practice that has gained visibility internationally in recent years.
Practical information such as ticketing, venue details and age guidance were not provided in the material available. Prospective attendees should consult the presenting venue’s listings for session times and accessibility information.
| Element | Detail |
|---|---|
| Title | GG, CONJAH and PSUEDO |
| Creators | CONJAH (Ooshcon & Jahra Wasasala) and PSUEDO |
| Key artist | Ooshcon |
| Run dates | 26–30 August |
The staging of this premiere underlines how contemporary performance continues to mine the vocabularies of urban dance and digital culture. For performers and stage crews, such hybrid works demand particular labour: the technical rigour of animation‑inspired timing, the physical stamina of street dance, and the collaborative sensitivity required when multiple artistic traditions meet onstage.
Audiences interested in the intersections of hip hop, gaming and contemporary choreography should look out for further announcements from the presenting organisation regarding tickets and session times.
