Raised by a sportive family, Tarek al-Turk dreamt of representing his country Palestine in acrobatics on the international stage ever since he was a child. But first the restrictions of traveling out of the Gaza Strip and then the war in Syria delayed his dreams.

Tarek, 30, enjoys an international reputation with his “vertical dance” that combines contemporary dance with acrobatics. A refugee in Germany since 2015, he is the founder of the dance troupe Flyscrapers, which brings together an international group of dancers and acrobats to dance on top of skyscrapers and high buildings across Germany.

The young Palestinian, nicknamed “the Arab Spider-Man” by the German media, is also known for the work he has done with Syrian and other Arab refugees, such as giving contemporary dance lessons where he uses corporal expression as therapy and a means of self-expression, so that they can cope with their new reality and assimilate into the German community.

Tarek, who uses his first name on stage, was introduced to the world of gymnastics when he was five years old by his father Jawdat al-Turk, a gymnastics trainer, and his mother Amal al-Najjar, a fitness instructor. He won the junior division’s national gymnastics tournament in Palestine when he was nine years old. Although he won many school and regional competitions, travel restrictions prevented him from participating in international competitions.