The company

It all began in Lyon, more than twenty-five years ago…

At the time, breakdancing was becoming increasingly popular and gradually establishing itself as a major phenomenon in urban culture in France. On the Peristyle of the Lyon Opera House, a group of passionate young dancers formed the Pockemon Crew. Very quickly, they set themselves an ambitious challenge—to win the “Grand Slam” of the world’s top international breakdance competitions—in order to assert their style and vision and gain recognition for their discipline.

Driven by their high standards, team spirit, and dedication, they achieved this goal and became the most awarded breakdancing company in the world – a status they still hold today.

Straddling the line between sport and performing arts, breakdancing struggled to find its place in theaters in the early 2000s. In 2004, Riyad Fghani, the collective’s founding figure and driving force, initiated a decisive shift by setting aside the spontaneity of battles: the Pockemon Crew transformed into a company, and breakdance within the collective became part of an artistic writing and choreographic creation process. With Sii…si!, the first play in the repertoire, Riyad Fghani revealed the full expressive power, technicality, and narrative strength of hip-hop. The Pockemon style emerged – precise, committed, rooted in the energy of battle, it draws on the values that underpin this culture: respect, perseverance, self-improvement, and open-mindedness.

Pioneers, the Pockemon are among the first hip-hop artists to have crossed the threshold of major cultural institutions. In 2003, they joined the Lyon Opera, where they would remain in residence for ten years. Alongside their choreographic activities, they developed tailor-made projects—performances, demonstrations,
battles—and a genuine culture of transmission that contributed to the democratization of hip-hop and to the company’s recognition by the
general public.

True to the spirit of transmission that drives hip-hop culture, the company’s members have trained over 6,000 people their workshops and educational programs in France and abroad. Today, the sixth generation of professional dancers – most of whom have come through the Pockemon Crew’s educational program – carries the company’s torch.

With a repertoire of thirteen choreographic plays combining artistic excellence and cultural commitment, ambitious projects combining stage creation, education, and performance, and more than one million spectators in over 50 countries, the Pockemon Crew is today one of the most emblematic, pioneering, and contemporary collectives on the contemporary hip-hop scene, fully anchored in its time.

Riyad Fghani

A major figure of his generation,
renowned for a unique and distinctive style.

Born in 1979 near Chalon-sur-Saône, Riyad Fghani discovered hip-hop dance as a teenager, introduced to it by his older brother and friends. He quickly found a space for expression and connection on the Peristyle of Lyon Opera which led to the creation of the Pockemon Crew in 1999 – a collective he helped to bring together and elevate to the highest international level…

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Years of experience

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Artistic collaborations

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Choreographic creations

In 2000, Riyad had a decisive moment in his career when he joined the Paris National Opera (Opéra Bastille) for the play La Chauve-Souris, directed by Coline Serreau and choreographed by Laura Scozzi. This unprecedented immersion for a hip-hop dancer allowed him to work alongside with contemporary and classical artists, circus performers, mimes, and actors, broadening his vision of movement and
choreographic writing.

In 2003, together with the dancers of Pockemon Crew, he entered the Lyon Opera where the company would remain in residence for ten years. Since 2004, Riyad has been the artistic director of the company, creating thirteen choreographic plays that blend rigor, poetry, and commitment. Among his most recent notable creations are Contrappunto
(2022), a unique collaboration with the Lyon Opera Ballet and History of breakdance (2024), which traces the epic journey of breakdancing and, between the lines, the history of Pockemon Crew. In 2025, Riyad created #Hashtag Declic, his latest work for young audiences, in which he deploys a choreography of the “digital body” and explores the fragile beauty of a world bent over screens.

A renowned dancer and choreographer, Riyad places transmission at the heart of his work. For more than twenty years, he has trained and mentored young dancers, revealing several generations of performers who today constitute the living DNA of the company.

Renowned for his precision, vision, and strategic mindset, Riyad Fghani is considered one of the leading artists of his generation. His career – bridging street culture and institutions, battles and theatres – has shaped a unique choreographic language. His artistic commitment has been central building the Pockemon Crew’s repertoire and reputation, developing a demanding style that combines virtuosity, storytelling, and the power of movement.