Tippeke began as an impulse by Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker and Thierry De Mey in 1996 to experiment with some leftover 16mm film. A nursery rhyme that De Keersmaeker used to recite to her son almost daily during the period formed the starting point, together with a movement sequence that she had recently worked out. The enthusiasm after the first film rushes ensured that the project gradually began to take more serious form. Tippeke was initially a part of the show Woud, three movements to the music of Schönberg, Berg & Wagner. The music was performed live in the show and some dancers from the company also danced synchronically in front of the screen. Tippeke was also released onto the market later as a short film.