Red Bull BC One

**Other Interests:** Comics, art, illustrations, playing with my kids **Other Profession:** Illustration, graphic design **Motto:** “You can only succeed if you listen to your heart and have the courage to follow the path it’s leading you.” **Profile** B-Boy SPEEDY was appointed as one of the five judges for the RED BULL BC ONE in Soweto, South Africa. Being Storm’s younger brother, SPEEDY has been developing his skills and dance style for nearly 20 years and is renowned worldwide within the B-Boy community. In the early 90s, he traveled the world as part of the well known German old school B-Boy crew Fresh Force. Later on, he became a member of the even more famous German crew Battle Squad consisting of crew members such as Storm and Swift. Today SPEEDY mostly works as an illustrator for books and comics. He still practices his dance skills, but most of all dances for fun. His signature move is his incredible elbow-spin. SPEEDY lives with his wife and two children in Aschaffenburg. He works as a freelance illustrator, comic-strip artist, and graphic designer. He has been drawing comics since he was ten years old and during high school years he started working as a paid graffiti artist painting legal walls. He feels that doing graffiti led to his career as designer and illustrator. He studied at the technical art school in Hamburg and at the academy for communication and design in Frankfurt where he received a degree in 1999. Since then, under the name of “ZKY Design,” he has worked as a freelancer in illustration and communications design for publishers, advertising agencies, and other companies. He also is a successful illustrator of children’s books. SPEEDY still performs on stage and teaches dance. He gives workshops all over the planet and has been teaching breaking for almost 10 years at the dance school “Tanzschule Alisch” in Aschaffenburg. When he is not dancing or working; his favorite pastime is to play with his kids. SPEEDY got into breaking when his brother Storm started in 1984. He not only was inspired by his brother, but also by the film “Beat Street” and especially by the “Electro Rock” video from England in 1986. SPEEDY loved the energy and power in breaking and also being part of the scene. He said the vibe was different then. He loved the cohesion back in the days. It felt like one big family. SPEEDY is a versatile dancer. He not only breaks, but, like his brother, is also experienced in locking and popping. Elbow-spins, butterflies, and one-hand swipes are his favorite moves. Asked how he would describe his own style, he says, “creative powerfootworkmoves” and laughs. For SPEEDY breaking is about creativity. A good B-Boy is creative and expresses personality through his dance. Finding your own style is important, as is understanding the nature of a battle. “You need to watch your opponent and answer him in a battle. If you don’t do that, the battle doesn’t make sense.” SPEEDY hopes he will be able to dance all his life. At least he knows he will stay within the culture, be creative, paint, and meet other creative people, great dancers and inspiring thinkers. To him the RED BULL BC ONE is one of the outstanding places for stimulating encounters.