Poppin’, lockin’, backspin – this is the heartbeat of hip-hop! Six dancers whirl across the stage, acrobatic, powerful, light-footed and comical. However, even thoughtfulness determines the action about love, communication, origin and tradition. Hip-hop is used here intelligently and imaginatively as an art form and yet loses nothing of its authenticity. The dancers have very different cultural backgrounds. Hip-hop integrates the strength to process a diverse range of influences and tensions and thus represents a kind of »second identity« – which is the very title itself.

Takao Baba, born in 1974 in Kyoto/Japan, instigated the founding of the E-Motion company in Dusseldorf in 2003. As from 1998 he was a member of the Massive Creation Crew, London. As member of the breakdance group Flying Steps the Berliner Kadir Memis became world champion several times at international B-Boy battles. Nadia Espiritu, Dusseldorf, Niranh Chanthabouasy, Heidelberg, and Andrea Böge, Stuttgart, are active as dancers, choreographers and teachers at home and abroad. Lewon Tatewosian was born in Armenia and lives in Stuttgart.

»2nd ID« emerged in cooperation with Célestine Hennermann, former dramatic advisor of choreographer William Forsythe at the Ballet Frankfurt/Main.

When they take over and continue one another’s juddering movements, flirt in a duo or mix hip-hop with flamenco or oriental reminiscences, then the acrobatic moves and styles look like a bafflingly effortless communication of cultures« (Evelyn Beyer, Neue Presse, Hannover, 25.02.2008).