Introducing the NE x NRW Hip Hop Exchange Participants!

Development
Written By Will Baldwin-Pask

We are thrilled to announce the selected participants taking part in our international hip hop artist exchange programme!

The exchange is a partnership project between Arts Council England and the Urban Arts Ensemble at Theater Oberhausen (Germany), with delivery partner Moving Art Management, aimed at developing hip hop exchange between independent hip hop artists from the North East of England and North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW, Germany).

Read the full details and original announcement here.

UK Artists

1. Niamh Green – B-girl NRGY

Niamh is from the North East of England, living, training and working in Newcastle Upon Tyne. Her background with dance involves training of the styles Hip Hop, Breaking, Contemporary, Ballet and Jazz. She train sat Dance City in Newcastle, and teaches the younger generation of dancers Hip Hop foundations and the vast community of the culture.

2. Rob Anderson – B-boy Justice / Bad Taste Cru

Rob is a North East freelance dance artist, from & based in Newcastle Upon Tyne. He trained at the Northern School of Contemporary Dance, graduating with the Caroline Woolridge Award for Outstanding Performance, and is also a member of the former UK B-boy champions ‘Bad Taste Cru’. Rob is a co-creator of Triple Threat Battle - The North East's largest international Breaking Battle & community Hip-Hop event .

3. Connor Gribben – B-boy Gribz

Connor is a dancer and visual artist based in Newcastle, UK, with 16 years of experience across multiple dance styles. Over the past decade, Connor has competed in breaking battles worldwide, solidifying his reputation in the global dance scene while representing Battalions (UK) and From Down Town (France). Today, Connor's creative work blends dance, visual art, and wearable art into a distinctive, evolving practice.

German Artists

1. Joseph Louis Sitti – Twinn Liveness

Joseph Louis Sitti, known as Twinn Liveness, is a Krump dancer and host from Mönchengladbach, known as part of the Liveness Fam as well as the German Krump community Silverback Crew. With over 10 years of dance experience and 3 years of hosting, he has competed in numerous battles including Urban Champs, Giants Battle, and International Illest Battle. Since 2023, Twinn Liveness has also been a member of Germany's first-ever Urban Arts Ensemble at Theater Oberhausen, performing in interdisciplinary productions as well as screen campaigns.

2. David Mayinga – Block

David, known as BLOCK, is a Krump dancer from Düsseldorf and member of BANGERZKRUMP as well as the Silverback Crew. With over 14 years of dance experience, he has competed in international battles such as SDK, Pottclash, EBS, and Illest Battle in Paris, winning SDK Germany twice, Pottclash in 2024, and the first Bar Battle at Theater Oberhausen. In addition, BLOCK is also co-organizer of the Krump battle "Most Wanted" in Düsseldorf, viewing dance as freedom, therapy, and medicine.

3. Siryel Chtioui – Princess Wave

Siryel, known as Princess Wave / Fierce, is a Krump dancer from Düsseldorf and member of the Wave Fam and Bad Attitude Crew, the first collective of German female Krump artists. She has built a dance career spanning multiple styles, competing across Europe and Canada, as well as performing with Germany's first-ever Urban Arts Ensemble at Theater Oberhausen. Alongside performing, she has taught Krump in Hamburg, co-founded the online platform "What Moves You?!", and worked as a model and dancer.

Follow us and the artists for behind-the-scenes updates and developments as the exchange unfolds!

Will Baldwin-Pask
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