Fusing the virtuosic music-making of beatbox with awe-inspiring street dance, The Missing Element, commissioned by Works & Process, marries the cypher widely found in rap, beatbox, and break dance with the circular architecture of the Guggenheim Museum and its Frank Lloyd Wright–designed Peter B. Lewis Theater. Creative directors Chris Celiz, a world champion beatboxer, and b-boy Anthony Vito Rodriguez “Invertebrate” assemble 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.

Created at the peak of the pandemic in two Works & Process bubble residencies, The Missing Element is an immersive experience exploring the universal elements of earth, wind, fire, water, and space. During the performance, street dancers and beatboxers utilize their abilities to embark on an adventure of sound and dance. All music and sound featured is 100% human-generated. Highlights from The Missing Element were performed throughout the pandemic at Little Island, the Guggenheim Museum rotunda, Kaatsbaan Cultural Park, Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, and NY PopsUp, ahead of its long-awaited and fully-produced world premiere this spring.

The Beatbox House is a collective of world champion beatboxers. Beatboxing is growing into a global phenomenon branching out from its hip-hop roots. 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.

Commissioned by Works & Process before the pandemic, The Missing Element was developed in Works & Process bubble residencies at Kaatsbaan Cultural Park in August 2020 and March 2021, made possible through the generous support of The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and Doris Duke Charitable Foundation.