In an explosion of extreme urban sports, dance, music and theatre laced with adrenaline, the Netherlands’ ISH Dance Collective will make its Australian premiere with Elements of Freestyle. Transforming the Joan Sutherland Theatre into an adventure playground from 25 – 29 June, this high-energy collision of form is directed by Marco Gerris, best known as a judge on So You Think You Can Dance (NL).
A spectacular feast for the senses, Elements of Freestyle fuses urban sports styles – inline skating, skateboarding, freestyle basketball, free-running and BMX – with breakdance, hip hop, and live cello and violin. Showcasing 12 elite boundary-pushing artists who merge the traditional with the street, this electrifying hour is jam-packed with heart-pounding excitement and gasp-worthy tricks.
ISH has been bringing hip hop dance and urban sports to the theatre for almost 25 years. Led by a vision to free themselves of boundaries and limits, the experimental company takes a bold approach to blending artforms.
Artistic Director of ISH Dance Collective Marco Gerris says, “Elements of Freestyle is about 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. 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!”
Sydney Opera House Head of Contemporary Performance Ebony Bott says, “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.”
ISH Dance Collective will present Elements of Freestyle from 25 – 29 June at Joan Sutherland Theatre, Sydney Opera House. For tickets and more information, visit www.sydneyoperahouse.com/dance/elements-freestyle.
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