2018-2019 Index

Biography 3 Passed Dates 14 Members 5 Press 16 Performances 8 Contact 19

The Ruggeds Having a unique style, each members are Having a unique style, each member is a recog- recognized gures in the Bboy Scene. Win- nized figure in The Bboy Scene. Winning numerous battles around the world as solos but also as ning numerous battles around the world as crew, the Ruggeds became World Champions in solos but also as crew, the Ruggeds became 2014 after winning the UK BBoy Championships. World Champions in 2014 after winning the UK BBoy Championships. Beside the battle stage they have worked with countless international artists such as Madonna, Rita Ora, Justin Bieber, Fedde le Grand & Martin Their talent and personality brought them on the Garrix. They are the reference of Breakdancing American TV Show World Of Dance Season 2. in the dutch industry and have been part of many TV shows like Holland’s Got Talent, Dance Dance They bring together their different experiences Dance & Everybody Dance Now. They have colla- in performing, choreographing, organizing events, borated with brands such as Swatch, Hennessy, producing music and videos, acting and more, Nike, Footlocker & G Star Raw and events such in order to create a positive synergy. as The Dutch Design Week, The European Olympic Bringing Hip Hop and Breaking to its highest level Games, and more. They've won the title of "Best of creativity to inspire the new generation, is the Show" several times at BOTY Benelux and The purpose of The Ruggeds. Dance in Zurich. “ We are The Ruggeds: Rough around the edges, From performing throughout the world, they have unpolished, a honest expression of ourselves. built a strong following on social media reaching Not a team and far more than a crew, we are more than 182K followers. family. A reflection of society where we find unity in diversity.”

3 4 Sjoerd Poldermans "Stepper" The youngster of the crew, started dancing at the age of 8 in the north of Holland, Laren. He is an all round bboy. In the breaking scene he is well known for his complex footworks, slides and treating always hitting the beats with his steps, and switching up the tempo if the music tells him so. This is why he goes by the name Bboy Stepper. Representing the new generation of dutch bboys, he has won numerous solo battles such as BOTY Benelux 2017, Red Bull BC One Holland 2016, R16 Korea Qualifier 2015.

Niek Traa He went from discovering flips in the countryside when he was a child, to some of the biggest stages in the world. Considered as one of the most influential Bboy of his generation, he has won many solo titles, like Battle Of The Year, HipOpsession and R-16. Besides being involved as a competitor, he's responsible for World Bboy Classic, the world’s most important 2vs2 bboy competition, that takes place every year in Eindhoven. Being experienced in many different fields such as TV, Cinema, Live Performances, and large projects that involve creative people from different backgrounds, he is now Artistic Director of The Ruggeds.

Virgil Dey "Skychief" Has been breaking for more than 14 years. His style is based on explosive movements and flips, with a signature way of dancing influen- ced by his Surinamese, Ghanaian background. He has the ability to show you and make you feel the music with his unique moves. His musi- cality and originality brought him to the final of Experimental of Juste Debout 2016 in Paris and to winning countless battles around the world. Being an artist who’s always eager to learn new things, he is also a DJ known as Dj Vir The Sir.

5 Andy Tjong-Kim-Sang "Duzk" The big brother and the rawest of the crew, started dancing in the streets of Delft 15 years ago. His style is a combination of unorthodox footwork steps, footwork flows and dynamic movements. Taken from his love for comics, the name Duzk stands as a symbol for freedom and that is what exactly the way Duzk dances, in the moment, spontaneous, raw and uncut. Duzk’s way of dancing is the embodiment of RUGGED. After a back injury, Andy naturally got interested in body movement and bodyweight workout which brought him to create “Quality of Motion” a workout training in Rotterdam.

Taoufik Amrani "Tawfiq" Started breaking at the age of 15, pretty much by himself in his hometown called Harderwijk. Being a self taught bboy, he has created a unique style based on intricate dynamic and power moves. Always pushing things to the next level, Tawfiq keeps on improving and creating moves day by day. He is one of the best powermovers of his generation which brought him to work with Martin Garrix, Justin Bieber etc.. and to represent The Netherlands in many battles worldwide.

Rico Ebenizer Coker "Zoopreme" The man with multiple talents. Coming all the way from Denmark with Guambian roots, Rico is an all round dancer from Bboying to Popping to Hip Hop to Choreo, he can learn and do any styles! As a remarkable Bboy, he is known for his explosive moves and subtle musicality. Besides being an active competitor, he is well familiar with theater play, acting, TV programs, shows and live performance. As an artist, he is efficient, patient, contributing and focused, and always up for a challenge.

6 Jessy Kemper "Jazzy Gypz" Was born a bboy. His father, who was also the teacher of most of the crew members, taught him how to break when he was 7 years old. Since then he has developed a distinctive style, focusing on Toprock, Footwork, Form and Concept. Being a natural performer and compe- titor, he has won several competitions around the world and has worked with artists such as Rita Ora, Justin Bieber and with Blaze The Show. Being an ambitious and creative artist, he also produces music under the name Boi Beige, and is a model for brands such as Nike, Footlocker etc..

Roy Overdijk The flexible man with a thousand ideas. Flexible in his body but also flexible in his mind. He is able to adapt himself in any situation from an underground battle to modeling for Swatch to perform on international stage with Jazz musicians. His dance style comes from Breaking but his endless creativity took him to develop a unique way of dancing : exploring “impossible” shapes and complex movements with a deep connection with the music. Having a natural charisma and presence, he is one of a kind performer that won't leave you indifferent.

7 Performances

8 Adrenaline

(creation 2017) : Light design Ido Koppenaal The Ruggeds trade the battle realm for the Composers stage in their theatre debut, exploring the cra- Y’skid & Boi Beige ving for Adrenaline in our society. For a short Set design & Costumes moment Adrenaline demands all focus, and Robin de Kruijff /Motion Paintings disregards our tendency to look to the future. Klim van de Laarschot /Spearhead.nu What makes us long for that uncertainty, and Artwork the unknown, fueling actions that divert us from Klim van de Laarschot /Spearhead.nu predetermined paths? Producer Duration : 60mn Angelo Martinus /Mad Skills Executive Producer Concept, Choreography & Dance Stichting Rugged Solutions The Ruggeds Co-Production Dancers Parktheater Eindhoven Andy ‘Duzk’ Tjong-Kim Sang, Roy Overdijk, Support Jessy ‘Jazzy Gypz’ Kemper, Virgil ‘Skychief’ Brabants Kenniscentrum Kunst en Cultuur Dey, Sjoerd ‘Stepper’ Poldermans, Tawfiq Fonds Cultuur Participatie Amrani, Niek Traa, Rico ‘Zoopreme’ Coker Cultuur Eindhoven Artistic director Thanks Niek Traa Rugged Studio Dramaturgy & Director Stichting Gebouw 52 Jonzi D Assistent Director WATCH H ER E Delphine "Deydey" Nguyen

9 ‘Effortlessly entertaining’ The Times

‘Kept topping their energy’ The New York Times

10 Between Us

(creation 2019) : Credits:

You have family and you have friends. But what Choreography: Roy Overdijk if your friends are your family? The Ruggeds have known each other since childhood. Artistic director: Niek Traa Growing up together they became their own kind of family, not held together by DNA, but Performers: Jessy 'Jazzy Gypz' Kemper / Leelou by experiences. In Between Us they try to un- Demierre / Niek Traa / Rico 'Zoopreme' Coker / ravel the ties that bind them together, between Roy Overdijk / Sjoerd 'Stepper' Poldermans / each other and between the audience. Tawfiq Amrani / Virgil 'Skychief' Dey What makes them a family? How deep do their connections go? Composers: Boi Beige & Y’skid

With a mix of dance, music, acrobatics and physical Graphic design/ Artdirection: SPEARHEAD.NU theatre The Ruggeds will take the audience along for a ride into the tale of their family ties. Decor: SPEARHEAD.NU / Ido Koppendaal / Mike Merrington / Remy van de Pas Between Us is the second theatre production of The Ruggeds. In 2017 they have toured with their Light design: Ido Koppenaal first successful production Adrenaline through the Netherlands. Fragments of this production were Between Us is a coproduction with Parktheater also performed with great success in London, New Eindhoven and financially supported by Fonds York and San Francisco. Podiumkunsten, Brabant C, Fonds 21 and Prins Bernhard Cultuurfonds.

THE RUGGEDS PRESENT

11 Showcases

Showcase by The Ruggeds WATCH H ER E (3 to 10 minutes): Energetic and fun performance on uptempo music, where the incredible breakdancing, high level tricks, and flips will blow the crowd’s mind!

WEEP Special Act WATCH H ER E (3 to 6 minutes) : A coordinated Light Show where The Ruggeds are perfectly synced with the music as they move in and out of the spotlights captivating the audience with big breakdance moves and illusions!

12 Personalized shows

The Client will take part in the creation of the Credit : show together with the choreographer. He can - Dutch Design Week Opening Show 2018 have input concerning the music, the theme, the - Company Party costumes, the length of the show, the staging - Ted X etc.. That way, the Client will have a UNIQUE performance created especially for the event. WATCH H ER E

13 Passed dates

ADRENALINE TOUR

2017 DUTCH TOUR (30 cities) 2017 Nederlandse Dansdagen / Maastricht 2017 Byre Theater / Scotland 2017 Trayectos Festival / Zaragoza, Spain 2017 Boing! Festival / Canterbury 2016 London 2016 Doncaster 2016 Bristol 2016 Whitley Bay 2016 Nottingham 2016 Blackpool 2016 King’s Lynn 2016 Canterbury 2016 Bournemouth 2016 Luxembourg 2015 Breakin Convention / London 2015 Breakin Convention / Charlotte 2015 Breakin Convention / Apollo Theater, New York 2015 International Hip Hop Fest / Palace of Fine Arts, San Francisco 2015 Summer Dance Forever / Amsterdam 2015 KKNK Festival / South Africa

PERFORMANCES (2014 - 2018 more than 200 showcases): TV SHOW & COMMERCIAL WORK : Nike Footlocker 2018 May The Dance Be With You (special Asics guests) / Beijing, China TedX Eindhoven 2017 G-Starr commercial Reebok 2017 Jeans Center commercial Yves Saint Laurent 2017 Circus Gerschtanowitz (1st) Pioneer 2017 Swatch print Marc Ecko 2016 Afrojack music video clip “Move to the Rabobank sound” Performance for The King of The Nether- 2016 Rita Ora concert lands 2016 Footlocker commercial Pathe 2016 Hennessy commercial + billboard print / Unilever Shanghai Swatch 2015 Dance, Dance, Dance Fedde Le Grand 2015 Justin Bieber music video clip “Where r Ladies Of Soul u now” / Los Angeles Dutch Design Week 2015 NewYorker commercial JD Sport 2015 JBL commercial Red Bull Bc One Finals / Amsterdam 2014 Everybody Dance Now (2nd) Red Bull 2014 Got To Dance / Germany (semi-final) Trudo 2014 Prosieben commercial Dutch Technology Week 2014 Orange commercial KPN 2013 Martin Garrix music video clip “Animals” Olympic Games 2013 Smirnoff Nightlife Exchange, show with Etos Madonna / New York IBE Asia 2012 Holland’s Got Talent (2nd)

14 COMPETITIONS : 2009 Evolution Europe/Germany/(1st) The Ruggeds 2017 Dutch Bboy Championships (1st) The 2009 Hip Hop Connection/Pesaro, Italy/(1st) Ruggeds The Ruggeds 2017 Block Party / Boulder, USA (1st) The 2009 Raw Circles/ Antwerp, Belgium/(1st) Ruggeds Royalone, Niek 2017 IBE Asia / Chongqing, China (2nd) Jazzy 2009 Vibrations Urbainnes/Bordeaux, France 2016 IBE Crew Battle (1st) The Ruggeds (1st) Skychief, Squarez, Niek 2016 Red Bull Bc One, Holland Cypher (1st) 2009 Evolution 4/Atlanta,USA/(3rd) The Rug- Stepper geds 2016 Dutch Bboy Championships (1st) The 2008 IBE Crew Battle/Heerlen, Holland/(1st) Ruggeds The Ruggeds 2016 The Dance / Zurich (2nd) + Best Show 2008 JR One/Tokyo, Japan/(1st) Niek The Ruggeds 2008 Break2Win Seven2Smoke/ Odessa, 2016 Hip Opsession / Nantes (1st) The Rug- Ukraine/(1st) Niek geds 2008 Beats 'n Pieces/ Warwick, UK/(1st) Niek, 2015 R16 Europe (1st) The Ruggeds Squarez 2015 IBE Crew battle (1st) The Ruggeds 2007 Battle de Calais/Calais, France/(1st) 2015 BIS / Shanghai (1st) Niek Samson, Gypz, Niek 2014 Uk Bboy Ch mpionships (1st) The 2007 Red Bull BC-1 Qualifier West-Eu- Ruggeds rope/Stuttgart, Germany/(1st) Niek 2014 Dutch Bboy Championships (1st) The 2007 The Quest/Götenburg, Sweden/(1st) Niek, Ruggeds Duzk 2014 World bboy Classic (1st) Skychief & 2006 UK Champs 1on1 Qualifier/Amsterdam, Zoopreme Holland/(1st) Niek 2014 Raw Circles / Belgium (1st) Niek & 2006 Jammin on Beat/Scheveningen, Hol- Skychief land/(1st) The Ruggeds 2014 Silverback (2nd) Niek 2006 Tromp festival/ Eindhoven, Holland/(1st) 2013 Battle Of The Year (2nd) The Ruggeds Gypz, Niek, Perry Box 2012 HipOpsession/ Nantes, France/(1st) Niek 2012 Dutch Bboy Champs/ Eindhoven, Hol- land/(1st) The Ruggeds 2012 Multiple Jam/Amsterdam, Holland/(1st) Leelou, Niek 2012 Circle Industry/ Salzburg, Austria/(2nd) Niek, Skychief 2012 Red Bull BC-1 Holland/ Eindhoven, Hol- land/(Semi Final) Skychief 2012 Simply Authentic / France / Duzk, Squarez & Roy 2011 Eurobattle/Porto, Portugal/(1st) The Ruggeds 2011 Outbreak Qualifier/Hannover, Ger- many/(1st) Niek, Jazzy Gypz 2011 IBE Seven 2 Smoke/Heerlen, Holland (1st) Niek 2011 IBE Crew battle/Heerlen, Holland (1st) The Ruggeds 2011 BOTY 1on1/ Montpellier, France/(1st) Niek 2010 Battle de VNR/Paris, France/(1st) The Ruggeds 2010 Getting BSE, Bury St. Edmonds, UK/(1st) Niek, Abdul 2010 R16 1on1/Seoul, Korea/(1st) Niek 2010 Eurobattle/Porto, Portugal/(1st) The Ruggeds 2010 Red Bull BC-1/Tokyo, Japan/(2nd) Niek 2010 DBC/ Eindhoven, Netherlands (2nd) The Ruggeds 15 16 17 Breakdan Groot Westland ce-crew The R verkent t uggeds oppen van h aar kunnen

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18 Contact Artistic director : Niek TRAA +31626782626 Manager : [email protected] Delphine NGUYEN +33665030281 Website : [email protected] www.theruggeds.com 19