Stories about (not) coming home

I myself was born in Norway, raised in Norway, and lived in this Norwegian bubble of luxury and ignorance of the unjust world outside. Yes, I've seen documentaries depicting the harsh realities other countries face every single day, but never has one hit me as hard as 'Stories of (not) coming home' did.

The play starts with the beautiful yet eye-opening documentary about life in Guatemala's red zones, where violent 'gangs' affect the safety and well-being of the inhabitants. Instead of recruiting young people to participate in dangerous 'gangs', young Cheez teaches children and the elderly to breakdance. One would think this would be highly valued and respected by the entire Guatemalan community, however, this threatens the lives of Cheez and the entire breakdancing community, as more people start breakdancing than joining gangs. The documentary is incredibly emotional, leaving the audience moved, inspired and in tears.

After the documentary itself, we meet Gato (a former member of Cheez's breakdance group), Niko and Piero. They tell each other's story, both verbally and through dance. We get to know their 'origin stories', their relationship with each other and hip hop/breakdance, and Gato's heartbreaking situation. Everything becomes so much more real, both seeing them breakdance 'in real life', rather on screen, but also seeing Gato perform and tell his story when he is physically in front of us.

"The whole performance leaves a huge impression on you; it's something you'll remember for a long time to come. They address several important issues, such as life in Guatemala's red zones, which are certainly not talked about enough. We really get to see how important dance is to the well-being of society, not only as an art form/means of expression, but also how dance benefits others outside the hip hop community, including me.

Aurora (15)

Photo: Kristian Glomnes, Seanse