Born in 1985 in Leverkusen, Philippe Kratz first encountered dance through German Tanztheater, guided by pedagogue and choreographer Suheyla Ferwer. This early experience left a lasting mark on his artistic path, sparking a deep and enduring interest in what moves people, both physically and emotionally.

His training developed between classical dance studies at the École supérieure de danse du Québec in Montreal and the Staatliche Ballettschule in Berlin. He later became a long-standing member of the Aterballetto Company, working with numerous international choreographers. It was in this environment that he began to pursue his own choreographic voice, with particular encouragement from Cristina Bozzolini, former artistic director of Aterballetto and Nuovo Balletto di Toscana.

After creating several early works for the company, he made his debut in 2017 with Phoenix, set to original music by Italian songwriter Borderline Order. His choreographic research broadly explores processes of construction, destruction, deconstruction and recomposition, focusing on the resilient core that runs through them.
In 2018 he created “O”, a duet conceived in response to a 2017 press conference in Hong Kong between two humanoid robots. The piece reflects on the idea of attaining a form of eternity, where inorganic matter might carry the fullness of human experience. In a transcendental state, two beings move to the rhythm of their unstoppable hearts. The work won the 32nd Hannover Choreography Competition and earned a residency with the Australian Dance Theatre. He had already been named a “Hoffnungsträger / one to watch” by TANZ magazine in 2015, a recognition he received again in 2019.

In 2019 he also received an award from the Italian magazine Danza&Danza for the ensemble work cloud|materia, inspired by the writings of Anni Albers—key Bauhaus figure, essayist, textile artist and designer. A central idea from Albers resonates strongly in his work: “We must come down to earth, from the clouds where we live in vagueness, and experience the most real thing there is: the material.” This principle deeply reflects Kratz’s approach, for whom understanding human existence inevitably passes through conscious physical effort.

In 2025, he created Leuchtspur for Theater Trier, presented in the evening program Metamorphosen.
Always drawn to direct dialogue and exchange with other artists, Kratz has collaborated—and continues to collaborate—with numerous institutions and companies, including Aterballetto, TanzMainz, Gauthier Dance Company, Nuovo Balletto di Toscana, Wiener Staatsballett, Bayerisches Staatsballett, the Croatian National Ballet in Zagreb, and Teatro alla Scala in Milan.
In 2024 and 2025, he served as Artistic Director of Nuovo Balletto di Toscana. As both artistic director and choreographer, he was also awarded the Italian production grant at the 2025 Venice Biennale Danza, under the direction of Wayne McGregor, with the project SISIFO FELICE.