Two tier: Raphael Hillebrand performs in his production Nhieu Mat/Faces. The Berlin dancer and choreographer will team up with Ha Noi-based crew S.I.N.E. to stage a new hip-hop production in Ha Noi next week. — Photo raphael-hillebrand.com

HA NOI  (VNS) — Berlin hip-hop dancer and choreographer, Raphael, Hillebrand will team up with Ha Noi-based crew S.I.N.E. to stage a new hip-hop production in Ha Noi next week.

Born in Hong Kong and raised in Berlin, Hillebrand began dancing as a b-boy at jams and competitions in Berlin in 1997. He has won several championships, most notably the German Battle of the Year 2006 and the 2vs2 at the IBE in Rotterdam.

Not just a dancer, but a dynamic artist, he also performed in theatre productions and used both together to create pseudo dance pieces. Hillebrand's breakin' and poppin' techniques and vocabulary are playfully combined with lighting and mask props, to create a distinct Hillebrand flavour.

Last year the artist took his moves to Central America, touring his production POW – 2045.

Founded in 2011, the Vietnamese S.I.N.E crew, led by Linh, won Best B-Boy Crew of South East Asia's Battle of the Year in 2013. One year later, the crew made it to the semi-finals of the international Battle of the Year – the world's biggest b-boying competition.

The group is largely considered the best B-Boy group in Viet Nam. Their slogan "Saying is not enough" indicates the energy of the young dancers, which came through in international events R16 and Floor Wars.

Hillebrand and head of the S.I.N.E., Linh, first met at a B-Boy Battle 2004, where the local crew competed with the German visitors. Four years later, in 2008, the two dancers debuted their first joint production, Nhieu Mat/Faces. The production then went on tour in Europe in 2011.

In their up-coming production, the focus is on the interplay of light and movement. Modern lighting and sound effect will offers an extraordinary audio-visual experience for audience.

The performance will be supported by the dance-media-artist Christian "Mio" Loclair, who previously worked with Hillebrand on POW – 2045.

The show will be performed for the visit of German Foreign Minister Frank-Walther Steinmeier and for the 40th anniversary of German-Vietnamese diplomatic relations.

The show will take place at Cong Nhan Theatre, 42 Trang Tien Street on March 12-13, at 8pm.

Free tickets have been available at Goethe-Institut Ha Noi, 56-58 Nguyen Thai Hoc Street, from March 5. — VNS