Ian Hotko

Hotko was born in Maribor, Slovenia. He began dancing when he was around three years old, initially influenced by the music and arts that surrounded him at home. Both of his parents are musicians, and they encouraged his interest in movement and performance from an early age. By the age of seven, he was already competing in dance competitions.

His early development took place in several Slovenian dance schools, including Center Plesa, Pingi and later Vibe in Maribor. As he grew older, Hotko increasingly focused on freestyle and battle dancing, developing a style that combined hip-hop foundations with popping, acrobatic elements and his own interpretation of music.

By his early teens, Hotko had already established himself in competitive dance. He won multiple world and European titles in disciplines including hip-hop solo, hip-hop battle, popping solo and popping duo. By 2024, when he was 14, he had become a multiple-time world champion.

A major turning point came in 2025, when Hotko won the Slovenian final of Red Bull Dance Your Style and qualified for the world final in Los Angeles. His performance in Los Angeles attracted international attention, with videos of his battle spreading widely across social media. Although he did not reach the final, the appearance significantly increased his international profile.

The attention also changed the scale of his career. Hotko began traveling more frequently, teaching workshops, appearing at international events and working with brands and dance organizations. His performances and workshops have taken him to countries across Europe and beyond, while his online videos have introduced his style to a much larger audience.

Hotko's approach to dance is closely connected to freestyle culture. Rather than treating dance purely as a sequence of rehearsed movements, he emphasizes musicality, individuality and the ability to respond spontaneously to the music. This has become an increasingly important part of his public identity as he moves from being primarily a competition dancer toward becoming a performer, teacher and independent creator.

Alongside dance, Hotko has remained involved in other forms of physical training, including martial arts and fitness. He has also spoken about the discipline required to balance intensive training, competitions, travel and school during his teenage years.

By 2026, Hotko had accumulated numerous international titles and continued competing, performing and teaching internationally. He was also named the 2025 Večerova osebnost Štajerske, becoming the youngest recipient of the regional recognition at the time.

At 17, Ian Hotko is still at the beginning of his professional career. His story is unusual not simply because of the number of titles he has won, but because his international profile began developing while he was still a teenager. From dancing at home in Maribor to performing in front of an international audience in Los Angeles, his career has developed around a combination of competition, freestyle culture, discipline and the search for an individual style.

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