ILL-Abilities - Interview

Picture Credit: Belinda Lawley

There are performances that entertain, and then there are performances that leave a lasting imprint long after the music fades. For Breakin’ Convention 2026, internationally acclaimed crew ILL-Abilities present Broken Source, a powerful duet that challenges perception, redefines movement, and celebrates the limitless possibilities of the human spirit.

At the heart of this compelling work are two extraordinary artists whose journeys into hip hop culture have been shaped through resilience, reinvention, and raw determination.

Redouan “Redo” Ait Chitt, one of the Netherlands’ most celebrated bboys, has spent years pushing boundaries both on and off the stage. A core member of ILL-Abilities, Redo has built an international reputation for transforming adversity into artistry. Known for his explosive creativity, musicality, and unmistakable style, he continues to inspire audiences worldwide through performances that speak to perseverance and self-expression.

Alongside him is Brazilian bboy Samuka, whose story is equally powerful. At just 14 years old, Samuka was diagnosed with cancer in his right leg, which led to amputation. Before that moment, his dream had been to become a professional football player. Life, however, took him in a different direction.

Through breaking and hip hop culture, Samuka discovered a new purpose. Dance became more than movement, it became freedom, identity, and transformation. What could have marked the end of one dream instead became the beginning of another.

Together, Redo and Samuka created Broken Source, a duet that is both intimate and explosive, blending physical innovation with emotional honesty. Their performance is not about limitation; it is about possibility. Every transition, freeze, and interaction on stage reflects years of lived experience, determination, and artistic evolution.

As Breakin’ Convention continues to champion the voices shaping global hip hop theatre, Broken Source stands out as a reminder of why breaking remains such a powerful artform: it gives people the space to rewrite their narratives on their own terms.

Redo and Samuka from Ill Abilities sat down with Wordplay Magazine to answer our infamous 10 Questions:

1. So tell me, how did it all begin? What was the idea behind forming a B-Boy crew formed of differently abled dancers?

⁠It all started back in 2007 with Luca “Lazylegz” Patuelli. He had this idea to bring together some of the best differently abled dancers from around the world and prove that anything is possible. What began as a dream to compete and perform internationally quickly turned into something much bigger. Even the name ILL ABILITIES™️ comes from hip hop culture, where “ill” means something dope, impressive, and full of talent. Instead of focusing on what we can’t do, the whole point was to highlight our unique abilities and flip the narrative. Once we started performing together, we realised how much our energy and our stories inspired people. That’s when the mission grew. Today, we’re not just a crew, we’re out there spreading positivity, sharing our journeys, and performing around the world to show that limitations don’t define you.

2. The crew is made up of dancers from all over the world, how often do you get together to train, there must be some huge logistical challenges involved?

The crew is spread across several countries, so getting everyone in the same place at the same time is definitely a challenge. Because of that, we don’t train together as a full group very often. When our schedules line up for a project, a show, or a tour, that’s when we come together and really dive in. Most of the time, we work in smaller setups; duos, trios, or whatever makes sense for the moment. It keeps things practical, but it also opens up creative possibilities. Working in smaller teams lets us adapt more easily, travel more, and build pieces that feel more personal and specific to each context. So yes, the logistics can be complicated, but we’ve learned to turn that into a strength. It pushes us to stay flexible, inventive, and connected, even when we’re not all in the same room.

Picture Credit: Belinda Lawley

3. Part of the work you do is to inspire people through work shops and seminars to do things they may feel they can’t achieve, it’s such a powerful thing to share your own stories with people to help them, are there any stories you can share of people you have inspired to start breaking?

Well, the group always receives beautiful messages about people that did give up in the past and came back to breaking, and also a lot of people that are starting now because of us. So it is very powerful and motivating also for us to keep pushing and exploring even more.

4. How would you describe your own dance styles?

Unique, exploring, opportunity.

5. You do something called Train the Trainer where you train able bodied instructors using simulations to change how they view differently-abled students.  This is such an interesting concept, how did you come up with it and develop it?

One of the reasons we developed the Train the Trainer program is because traditional dance education and institutions often don’t spend enough time teaching how to work with people who are different. Most systems are built around one idea of what a dancer should look like, move like, or learn like. For us, that never made sense. Through our own experiences, we realised that the limitation is often not the student, it’s the perspective of the teacher. So instead of only training differently abled dancers to fit into existing systems, we wanted to challenge the systems themselves.

That’s why we use simulations and interactive experiences. It allows instructors to step into a different reality for a moment and experience how communication, movement, trust, and creativity can change when you approach dance differently. Once they feel that themselves, their whole mindset shifts

Picture Credit: Belinda Lawley

6. Do you have any advice for our readers who may be trying to play the mad game of breaking?

Allow yourself to explore! What our body and mind can do when we allow it is just unbelievable. And most important, have fun while doing it.

7. Are there any dancers on your radar right now that we should check out?

Definitely! Check out bboy Kousei from Japan, it's the new generation coming strong and potentially a future member of the crew.

Picture Credit: Belinda Lawley

8. What albums are on heavy rotation on your Spotify playlist currently? 

Michael Jackson.

9. What do you like to do when you're not Breaking?

⁠Listening to music, write, work out, hang out with friends and family.

10. Name Three things you can't live without when you are training and preparing to compete?

For sure, music, a kneepad and cold shower.