Bachatale Kale Phrala (BKP) is a contemporary dance group based in Slovakia and Czechia. They revamp street dance styles such as locking and popping by incorporating aesthetic elements from their shared Romani heritage.

Slovak filmmaker and The Rite (2019) cinematographer Igor Smitka and artist Bao Miro joined forces to direct this thrilling dance film that they describe as a “metaphorical portrait of Bachatale Kale Phrala on their journey to understanding their inner selves via experiencing the outer world.”

Split into four chapters, As Above So Below shows that Romani culture and heritage have a right to be supported and respected by the art world. As the film title suggests, everything in the physical realm is also reflected into the ethereal plane. The four filming locations are rich with metaphorical significance. The first chapter takes place in a metro station in the outskirts of Prague and shows how one adopts the culture of their environment. 

A messenger-like dog character takes us to the next chapter; a light filled art studio which symbolizes how darkness can be transmuted into light as well as how the craft is being finessed. The third chapter, Spiral, is inspired by a quote by Herman Hesse: “We are not going in circles, we are going upwards. The path is a spiral, we have already climbed many steps.” The final chapter, set in a contemporary art gallery, represents the stoic self-confidence that comes with finding one’s voice. 

On the surface, As Above So Below is a foot-tapping, style-popping, culture-mashing, pop-and-locking journey of artistic self-discovery, but this Odyssean dance film also pays homage to four decades of music, crafted and popularized by African Americans. From jazz and soul to funk and hip hop, these musical styles move hand-in-hand with Black liberation and have galvanized oppressed groups around the world.

The frustrations concerning discrimination that Nina Simone wove into her melodies, Run DMC spun into their bars, and queer Black youth exorcised on the dance floors of New York and Chicago are shared by many Roma today. Although they are the largest ethnic minority in Europe, 4 out of 5 Roma live in poverty and only 2% attend post-secondary education. Through this dance project, BKP uses its genre-blending style to take the spotlight off the statistics and onto a culture, people, and language that is making waves across Europe.