rban streetdance meets theatre in a striking new show coming to Bradford.

The Blanca Li Dance Company takes electro – a heady brew of breakdance, disco, vogue, popping and locking – and mixes it with theatrical drama, contemporary dance and an exhilarating soundtrack.

The result is Elektro KIF, performed by eight young male electro dancers, following the hopes, fears, friendships and fights of a bunch of streetdancers.

Described as funny, fast and anarchic, with a Tao Gutierrez soundtrack mixing techno with electro house, afrobeat, sampling and classical music, this is dance as you’ve never seen it.

The director of Kif is acclaimed Spanish dancer, choreographer and film-maker Blanca Li, who has directed videos for the likes of Kanye West, Goldfrapp, Daft Punk and Blur.

This year sees the 20th anniversary of her dance company, which encompasses varied styles including hip-hop, flamenco, contemporary, classical and the electro style popular on the streets of Paris.

“Some dancers have been with us for 15 years and new ones come in every year. This keeps the energy in the company,” says Blanca.

“The dancers who have known my work for a long time assist me in helping new dancers to learn and rehearse, recreating the shows and keeping them in good shape.

“I have a really good team. We have toured the world with 13 different shows.”

Blanca has come a long way since she was a teenage dancer struggling to make it in New York. She started out as a gymnast – aged 12 she was competing in the Spanish national team – and at 15 she got into dance.

“I found it more artistic, creative and less competitive,” she says. “I had always told my mother I wanted to become a dancer. I wanted to create my own dances, so at a young age I started making my own choreography. I could never do one without the other.”

She adds: “At 17 I arrived in New York to study dance at the Martha Graham School. It was a great experience; I saw the birth of hip-hop and learned about styles of dance from all over the world.”

As reported in The Guide last week, Blanca has launched a competition called Dance Your City, inviting solo dancers and dance groups to create a one-minute video in front of an iconic landmark in their city.

They can upload the film on to the Dance Your City Facebook page and the winner will perform as the opening act for Elektro Kif at London’s Southbank Centre. The competition closes on February 6.

It was a Parisian landmark that inspired a video Blanca shot to promote competition.

“I love the Eiffel Tower; it’s very modern, even though it was constructed in 1881. I think it represents Paris, and electro dance started in Paris, so I thought it would be great to show this dance in front of the tower to give it an identity,” says Blanca.

  • Elektro Kif is at the Alhambra on Sunday, February 19 at 8pm. For tickets ring (01274) 432000.