The Missing Element

Guild Hall will present “The Missing Element” at LTV on Saturday, July 16, at 7 p.m. direct from the project’s premiere at Works & Process at the Guggenheim. “The Missing Element” is an immersive experience exploring the universal elements of earth, wind, fire, water, and space, fusing the virtuoso music-making of beatbox with awe-inspiring street dance.

World champion beatboxers of The Beatbox House and leading street dancers representing Krumping, FlexN, and Breakdancing will embark on an adventure of sound, music, and movement, where all sound featured is 100 percent human generated. The performance opens with a live DJ set by multi-media artist, musician, and East End native, FlyKai.

Leading up to the performance at LTV, “The Missing Element” will cause a stir at surprise pop-up performances throughout East Hampton, including the Main Beach Concert Series and Stephen Talkhouse. The company will also facilitate workshops with the Bridgehampton Childcare & Recreation Center.

Creative directors Chris Celiz, a world champion beatboxer, and b-boy Anthony Vito Rodriguez “Invertebrate” have assembled a formidable cast that comprises Krumper Brian “Hallow Dreamz” Henry, flexers Joseph Carella “Klassic” and King Havoc, breakers Graham Reese “B-boy Kilo” and Rodriguez, and members of the Beatbox House, including Amit Bhowmick, Celiz, Neil Meadows “NaPoM,” Gene Shinozaki, and Kenny Urban. Dancer, host, filmmaker and co-founder of YAK Films, Kash Gaines, will join “The Missing Element” during their weeklong residency.

Beatboxing is growing into a global phenomenon branching out from its hip-hop roots, and The Beatbox House is a collective of world champion beatboxers. Through education, performance, and collaboration, the collective is rebranding the art as a new form of music, pushing the boundaries of the possibilities of the human voice.

“The virtuosic Beat Boxing, Krump, Flex, and Break dancing that come together in performances of ‘The Missing Element’ are rigorous and miraculously nimble, which makes for a dynamic confluence as renovations forge ahead and Guild Hall goes offsite,” said Duke Dang, Executive Director of Works & Process at The Guggenheim. “It is exciting that Guild Hall has taken this opportunity to present programs that seamlessly imbue the community with awe-inspiring performances in expected and unexpected places and ways, serving the community well beyond the walls of Guild Hall. Keep an eye out for the pop-ups at Main Beach and Stephen Talkhouse, that will culminate in a concert performance at LTV. You don’t want to miss this.”

“The Missing Element” was commissioned by Works & Process at the Guggenheim and created at the peak of the pandemic in two Works & Process bubble residencies.

Tickets to “The Missing Element” are $75 ($67 for Guild Hall members) and can be purchased at guildhall.org/events. The program will take place at LTV Studios, 75 Industrial Road, Wainscott. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. Patrons must show proof of vaccination and face masks are recommended but not required.