Elements Of Freestyle
The Artistry of Urban Sports Takes Centre Stage
Reviewed By Karina Lawrence
Heading to the stunning Sydney Harbour and Iconic Sydney Opera House was the perfect scene and feel for The Australian Premier of Elements Of Freestyle.
This awe inspiring feast of urban artistry will leave you quite breathless with your adrenaline levels peaking high. This action packed sixty minute performance keeps you glued to your seat as you are left in total awe and appreciation for the talent witnessed right before your eyes.
Merging traditional theatre with breakdance, inline skating, skateboarding, freestyle basketball, BMX and free running, this explosive performance is certainly next level. Showcasing these extreme urban sports with dance, music and theatre.
Direct from the Netherlands’ ISH Dance Collective create a breathtaking spectacle of raw skill and artistry. The lighting, the sets the stunts are truly next level.
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 art forms.
The artistry behind the tricks is Directed by Marco Gerris’ (So You Think You Can Dance), who describes Elements of Freestyle as being “about those redeeming seconds that make a complicated trick ultimately succeed; about the freestylers’ total focus on the moment, the ecstasy and the feeling of complete and total freedom.”
The talented cast offer a blend of raw natural talent that combines with an expression of expertise and passion for what they do. They are charismatic and clearly spend hours perfecting their high end skills and tricks. Their performance is simultaneously both exquisitely beautiful and heart-pounding, full of excitement!
At times you simply will not believe your eyes.
The performers showcase their authentic personalities as they share their own unique fusions and radiate their passion with vibrant energy and what seems effortless skills. The cast include Denden Karadeniz – Breakdance, Dez Maarsen – BMX, Flatland Dietrich Pott – Breakdance, Jelle Briggeman – Inline skate, Liziano Ostiana – Freerunning, Michael van Beek – Freestyle Basketball, Pim Wouters – Skateboard, Siebe van de Spijker – Freerunning, Sven Boekhorst – Inline skate, and the tiny yet mighty Stasy Terehhova – Breakdance
Composition of this unique performance by Rik Ronner, Annie Tangberg and Vera van der Bie is beautifully presented and certainly appreciated by the audience who gasp and wow throughout this one of a kind performance matching the infectious energy and vibes witnessed on stage.
The blend of classical, electronic style music from Annie Tangberg who plays Cello and Vera van der Bie on Violin, meets the beats from the streets with an orchestral style fusion of live music that enhances the intertwining genres perfectly.
The lighting from Lighting Designer, Mike den Ottolander is both a futuristic blend that enhances this rock concert feel to that of a performance you’d also expect similar to ‘Cirque du Soleil’, while appreciating a theatre themed performance.
Dramaturg and Assistant Director, Arnout Lems executes the interludes and storytelling that bring this playground of magic to life.
The Set Design from Jerry Beckers of Solos International, is complex, innovative, clean and impressive. It leaves that sense of awe and wonder. The integration and set changes that are build right before your very eyes by the cast themselves, only adds to the anticipation and thrill of what’s to come.
The artistry of urban sports takes centre stage and shining bright underneath it’s unique and authentic light!
Be sure to follow this incredible journey that is no doubt taking the next generation of artistry to it’s very edge!
Elements of Freestyle makes its Australian premiere in a strictly limited season at the Sydney Opera House from June 26-29. ISH Dance Collective will take the show to Brisbane Powerhouse as part of Brisbane Festival from 24-27 September 2025.
