Extreme Sports and Dance Collide in ISH Dance Collective's Australian Premiere
The Netherlands' ISH Dance Collective will make its Australian debut at the Sydney Opera House with Elements of Freestyle, a high-energy fusion of urban sports, dance, and music. From June 25-29, 2025, they are set to transform the Joan Sutherland Theatre in a totally unexpected, never-before-seen way, taking over the stage with a giant skate ramp and merging the artistry of dance with the adrenaline of urban sports. This transformation will showcase the breathtaking skills of 12 elite artists.
Directed by Marco Gerris, familiar to audiences as a judge on So You Think You Can Dance (NL), Elements of Freestyle blends inline skating, skateboarding, freestyle basketball, free-running, and BMX with the dynamism of breakdance and hip-hop, all accompanied by live cello and violin. This performance promises an hour of heart-pounding excitement and gasp-worthy tricks as the artists push the boundaries of their disciplines.
ISH Dance Collective has spent nearly 25 years bringing hip-hop dance and urban sports to the stage, consistently challenging artistic limits. Gerris describes the show as capturing "those redeeming seconds that make a complicated trick ultimately succeed; about the freestylers' total focus, the feeling of complete and total freedom, and the ecstasy when they land it." He adds, "This show is a liberating and uplifting experience that we’ve been lucky to share with people all around the world. Our collective is so excited to bring our bold vision to one of the most famous theatres on the planet and shake up everyone’s expectations of what happens inside the Sydney Opera House!”
Ebony Bott, Head of Contemporary Performance at the Sydney Opera House, expressed her enthusiasm for the premiere: "ISH Dance Collective are world-leaders in inventive and unexpected live entertainment for all ages, and we’re thrilled to present their Australian premiere at the Sydney Opera House. These performers are incredible talents in their chosen disciplines – with Olympian level skill, they showcase the pure artistry of extreme sport. I can’t wait to experience the audience reaction when they see a skate ramp has taken over the stage in the Joan Sutherland Theatre and feel the energy unleashed by this epic show.”
Elements of Freestyle has garnered international acclaim, with Musicalnieuws calling it "unbelievable… You have to experience this, experience it in full color, live and soaked in music,” and iNews London describing it as “part hip-hop display, part daredevilry… a slickly choreographed theatrical celebration of urban sports.”
Pre-sale tickets begin at 9 am on Tuesday, February 25, 2025, followed by general public on sale at 9 am on Friday, February 28, 2025. Tickets start from $69.90 + $8.95 booking fee.