Storm
Berlin | Germany
Niels Robitzky, alias Storm, counts amongst the pioneers of hiphop-culture in Europe.
Very early, he decided to dance. In the 1990’s, he is one of the first to develop choreographies with dance styles associate to the hiphop culture, and to question this specific stage form. Storm became one of the most presented choreographers and dancers, touring worldwide, with no distinction for poor or prestigious conditions – some even call him the “Baryshnikov of hiphop”!
Storm started to dance in 1983, at age 14, performing in clubs all across Germany with the support of a youth magazine. Little after, medias would turn their back to hiphop-culture, but Storm kept on.
With his exceptional eclecticism, Storm became a refence in almost all technics of the hiphop-culture – from b-boying to popping, from locking to boogaloo.
Since 1991 and until today, his crew Battle Squad has an international reputation.
After a collaboration with Ghettoriginal in New York, he founded The Storm & Jazzy Project in Berlin (1996) – one of the first hiphop-rooted dance companies presented on French and international theatre stages: Maison de la Danse, Dresden Opera House, Munich Opera House, Tanzhaus NRW, HAU Berlin, Biennale Venezia, Theatre Workshop New York, Kennedy Center Washington, Esplanade Singapore… Since 1996, Storm and his company is represented by French organization MOOV’N AKTION (Paris) for his stage works, opening up number of opportunities for cultural cooperation projects and international collaborations with dancers and companies (Brazil, Cuba, Vietnam, Singapore…)
His first solo work, Solo for Two (2000), toured world-wide – and is still on the billboard. Using video as part of his composition and as a set – back in the days not yet very much used – he kept this tool for most of his coming works, where he is also music producer.
Other solo works followed: Virtuelevation – Aufzug mit Tiefsinn zum Hochmut zum Fall (2006), Storm… in classical context – and the auto-biographical 28 Years in 28 Minutes, almost a legacy to his life as a dancer, building a bridge between the past and today, between hiphop-culture, his personal life and Germany in the 1970’s.
Storm also developed larger works, such as Slippin’ & Slidin’ (2003) and The Art of Urban Dance (2004), which all toured internationally. With Brazilian company Discípulos do Rítmo, Storm created the quintet Tá Limpo! (2001). Commissions gave birth to unique works such as X-Pos-Yos-Elf (Expo 2000 in Hannover), and, for the Soccer World Cup in 2006, a creation with 7 dancers from Discípulos do Rítmo, Geometronomics, followed by the opening ceremony of the World Cup in Munich.
Today, his choreographical repertory is presented by camin aktion.
With Raphael Hillebrand, Storm developed Hot Moves in Berlin, a featuring of urban culture in the form of a theatre talk-show, representing dance, music and other aesthetics. This format found its maturity under the name Dialogic Mouvement – Forum for contemporary urban dance, presented at Radialsystem Berlin, produced by Raphael Hillebrand, Anna Wagner and Storm.
Author of two books, actor, unmissable in important dance battles (i.e. Battle of the Year) for his critical reflexions on judging, a unique teacher – Storm is, without any doubt, part of the living memory of both, hiphop-culture and dance.
Photo © Jakub Tryniszewski