Urban Essentials 2026 | LOOP | Olivia Mitterhuemer (Austria)

Following its world premiere in Salzburg this July, Austrian choreographer Olivia Mitterhuemer’s house dance performance “LOOP” is coming to Vilnius, presented to Lithuanian audiences by the international hip-hop dance and culture festival Urban Essentials 2026.

In “LOOP”, four house dancers enter an uninterrupted cycle of movement. They walk, accelerate, dance. As the energy builds and pulsating house music fills the space, four bodies gradually merge into a shared rhythm.

This recurring cycle of movement is only possible when the dancers act together. It requires focus, precision and a sensitive awareness of one another. On stage, the dancers’ relationships are constantly shifting, while shapes, lines and directions of movement continuously rearrange themselves.

Inspired by the collective practice of house dance, the movement language of the style and geometric structures – the rhombus, hexagon and octagon – “LOOP” creates a choreography that can only emerge through moving together.

Olivia Mitterhuemer

Olivia Mitterhuemer is a dancer, choreographer and dance teacher based in Salzburg, Austria, whose practice focuses primarily on house dance and hip-hop freestyle. She is co-founder of the dance company “Potpourri Dance” and the international street and club dance festival “Flavourama”, making a significant contribution to the development and visibility of street and club dance culture in Europe. Olivia has received several awards for her creative work, including the Salzburg City Cultural Foundation Award (2024).

Potpourri Dance

Potpourri Dance is a dance company founded in 2006 by Farah Deen and Olivia Mitterhuemer, based in Salzburg and Vienna. Its work brings together street and club dance cultures – hip-hop and house dance – with the language of contemporary performing arts. Through performances, productions and educational programmes, the company aims to make these dance cultures accessible to wider audiences.

Creative Team

Artistic Direction and Choreography: Olivia Mitterhuemer
Performance and Co-Creation: Giulia Aiosa, Farah Deen, Arūnas Mozūraitis, Rachad Zangaba
Research: Farah Deen, Darya Kostskina, Ines Reisner, Ramona Peter, Daniel Krümke
Music: Manoo
Costumes and Set Design: Magdalena Neuburger, Olivia Mitterhuemer
Lighting and Technical Direction: Robert Schmidjell, Julian Besch
Producer: Carolin Gstädtner
Co-production: “Potpourri Dance” and “Toihaus Theater Salzburg”
Duration: 40 min.
Premiere: 2 July 2026, Toihaus Salzburg
Photo: Siegrid Cain
Funding: City of Salzburg, State of Salzburg, “Bildrecht”, and the Federal Ministry of Housing, Arts, Culture, Media and Sport.

Urban Essentials is one of Lithuania’s leading international hip-hop dance festivals. Held annually in Vilnius, this year’s festival is part of “Būti tarp. Su. Kintant” (“To Be Among. With. In Motion”), the 15th-anniversary programme of Vilnius City Dance Theatre “Low Air”.

The festival programme includes dance battles, performances, workshops and discussions taking place across different locations throughout the city. It offers a unique opportunity to immerse yourself in hip-hop dance culture, develop your skills and experience Vilnius as a vibrant, distinctive and authentic dance scene.

More information: www.urbanessentials.lt

The festival is funded by the Lithuanian Council for Culture and Vilnius City Municipality.