Electrifying jumps at the Nischel

De Nischelhupper

Electronic bass and minimalist techno beats are the cornerstones for around ten people from Chemnitz who get together every weekend in a good mood. They call themselves De Nischelhupper and, when the weather is nice, dance to the "Jumpstyle" music style, the dance of the same name. For the eighth time, the main jumper Sven Leber and his Nischelhuppers invite you to the official jumpmeeting. On 23 April, jumpers from all over Germany will come together to rehearse mass choreographies at selected locations in Chemnitz. He reveals the locations in this interview.

Where does the sport you do come from? How did you come up with the idea of doing it yourself?
Sven Leber: Originally, "Jumpstyle" is a style of music that originated in America. The dance style then developed in the Benelux countries. The dance style was publicised through internet videos and became well-known. The band Scooter then triggered a hype in Germany in 2007 with "Jumping all over the World" and so "Jumpstyle" became more and more popular as a dance sport. Scooter also made me aware of it at the time and then I looked around from time to time to see if there were others in Chemnitz who also danced jumpstyle. Through a few contacts, I went to a training session organised by the Leipzig jump crew and loved it. A month later, there was "De Nischelhupper" in Chemnitz. We've now been around for seven years.

How many people did you start with seven years ago and how many jumpers are there in the Nischelhuppers now?
We started with three to five people. Now we're around ten. It varies. People leave for professional or personal reasons, then new people join. So far, we've always stayed at a group size of just over 10 Nischelhuppers. When the wave started back then, it spread very quickly thanks to the internet. We have our own YouTube channel, where we upload and distribute our videos, we are on Facebook - that's how we make ourselves known. And of course by word of mouth.

Sven Leber founded the jump crew "De Nischelhupper" in Chemnitz in 2009. Since then, the jumpers have been meeting regularly every weekend, including at Karl-Marx-Kopf when the weather is nice, to rehearse their choreographies. It can happen that they train until seven or eight in the evening.

If someone has never heard of Jumpstyle and doesn't know what it is or what it looks like, how would you describe the sport?
First of all, Jumpstyle is a dance sport. A street dance like breakdancing was in the 80s, for example. The main element of the dance is jumping. The important thing is that we dance to a very specific form of techno music. And then we jump our steps to the bass. There are fixed movements, basics that we teach each other at the meetings. And we develop a lot ourselves from these, whether tricks or combinations - there are no limits to our imagination. The only limit is your physical fitness. Jumpstyle can be danced solo, in a duo or in large groups. That's when it's the most fun. At jump meetings, 50 people can come together and jump the same choreography.

How big is the scene in Germany?
When we were founded, at the height of jumpstyle in Germany, the scene was of course very big. Every small town had a jump crew. In the meantime, that has relativised. Many people followed the hype back then and went with the wave. Those who are still involved now are behind this type of dance and live for it. The passion is really there. There is another jump team in Zwickau in the immediate vicinity. But there are also some jumpers beyond national borders. There are many in France, Italy and Eastern European countries. Leagues are also organised in certain forums on the Internet. The jumpers upload their solo videos and an expert jury rates them and chooses a winner. Of course, this type of competition can also be organised on a European or global scale.

"Jumping together in a group is of course much more fun than competing via videos on the internet," says Sven Leber. "That's why we organise regular jump meetings." The next jump meeting in Chemnitz will take place on 23 April. Several jumpers from all over Germany will be working on choreographies and, of course, performing them. And as the name "De Nischelhupper" suggests, the jumpers also meet for the jump meeting at the Nischel, of course.

How many people come to your jump meetings?
Our peak number was 80 jumpers who danced choreographies together in Chemnitz. We already have 70 participants registered for the next Jumpmeeting on 23 April. Many will be joining at short notice - from the region or further afield. Jumpers have registered from Rügen, Hamburg and Rhineland-Palatinate. Over the years, you naturally make contacts with other jumpers from all over Germany. The meetings are always a great opportunity to show each other the latest steps and jumps. In the early days, we went to a jump meeting in some city or other almost every weekend. Over the course of time, this has become less frequent. There is a big international jump meeting in Berlin in July, which is attended by jumpers from all over Europe. Of course, it's great to see the "stars" you only know from YouTube dancing together live.

When you have guests from all over Germany at your jump meetings, what do you show them about Chemnitz? Are there certain places where you perform?
Our favourite place is of course the Nischel. We have a lot of space here and it fits the name. At the same time, we can also show guests our landmark. Then we're also sometimes at the Roter Turm, the Rosenhof or the theatre square. This time we're also thinking of heading for the Brühl to show what we do there. That way we can contribute to the revitalisation of the Brühl right away.

De Nischelhupper don't just perform at their meetings, they are also popular show acts on stage. For example, they once put on a twelve-minute show at the city festival and showed the audience just how tough the sport actually is. The jumpers from Chemnitz made a big appearance in front of several thousand people at a Scooter gig in Dresden in 2010, where they supported a medley by the techno band by jumping on stage for three minutes.

How has the response been from the people of Chemnitz? Do you have a big audience at your meetings or gigs?
We definitely get a lot of feedback from the youth scene and many people are enthusiastic about our performances. We've made a name for ourselves there and we're proud of that. Older people usually walk past by chance, stop, think it's great and applaud loudly. We already have a considerable fan base among these age groups too.

How do you feel about city life in Chemnitz?
Well, it's certainly not as negative as many people make it out to be. There are also dirty corners in other cities. They say the city is getting older and older. Then we have to do something to make Chemnitz attractive for young people. And I think a lot is already happening through initiatives such as the Chemnitz Youth Team, which organises "Rock into your future" at Neumarkt. Incidentally, we're also involved in that this year. It's important that we provide even more impetus to keep young people here.

Do you have to encourage the people of Chemnitz?
Yes, I think so. But it's important to speak openly and honestly with the people of Chemnitz. You realise that there are critical voices. And you have to counteract that through openness.