Name: Niels “STORM” Robitzky
Nationality: German
Residence: Berlin, Germany
Profession: Dancer, choreographer
Website: www.STORMdance.de

As a little boy, STORM loved to dance, and at age fourteen, seriously caught onto B-Boying, popping, and locking. He went on his first tour for the "Bravo Breakdance Sensation," in 1984, but soon after that, the “breakdance“ hype died down. Nevertheless, STORM didn’t stop. He made contact with other B-Boys who were still active and stayed creative and productive throughout the time when breaking was out of fashion. By 1991, his crew Battle Squad was one of the leading B-Boy crews worldwide, one of the few helping to keep the dance alive. In 1991 and 1992, Battle Squad won the "International Battle of the Year:" Because of the difficulties STORM experienced in the days when B-Boying was considered obsolete, he decided to establish Hip Hop culture in the theatre world.

From 1992 on, he danced with a New York dance company called “GhettOriginal.“ He performed in shows at the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. and Lincoln Center in New York City. While living in New York, he retrieved his feeling for "funk" by practicing with Mr Wiggles and Adesola and started to work a lot more on his popping and locking skills. At the same time, he hosted the Hip Hop Magazine “Freestyle“ on the German TV channel, VIVA. After quitting this job in early 1996, he formed a dance company called the “STORM and Jazzy Project“ in his hometown, Berlin. With two different choreographed pieces, they toured many different theatres around the world.

When STORM wasn’t dancing, he was working on a book “From Swipe to STORM“ which was published in January 2000 and tells the story of breaking in Germany.

In 2000, STORM choreographed a solo dance named “Solo for Two" and staged it all over the world in more than 40 countries and 160 cities. In 2004 he conceptualized "The Art of Urban Dance" and choreographed an informative, didactic piece with ten other dancers from Europe. This show also toured around the world with generous support from the Goethe Institute in the Middle East and Asia. In 2004 STORM starred in the German Hip Hop movie "Status Yo" where he played a gas station worker. He also directed and choreographed parts of the opening ceremonies of the "Expo 2000" in Hanover and the "FIFA Worldcup 2006” in Germany"

Today STORM choreographs and directs dance pieces for different theatres and institutions all over the world. His latest Solo "Virtuelevation" which premiered in January 2006 in Suresnes, France, is gaining the same widespread popularity as "Solo for two."