“… for those seeking fun, flair, and family-friendly thrills, it hits the mark.”
Fiona Hallenan-Barker
3.5 Wheelies
Venue : Joan Sutherland Theatre, Sydney Opera House
Sydney
Date: Thursday 26 June
ISH Dance Collective’s Elements of Freestyle delivers exactly what it advertises: a slick mashup of urban athleticism and theatrical spectacle. A fusion of street art meeting high art with expectations rising like a BMX mid-air. But while the tricks are undeniably impressive, the structure and pacing of the show leave some room for growth.
From BMX ballet to parkour pirouettes, Elements of Freestyle blends contemporary dance with high-octane urban sports. The large ensemble including skateboarder Pim Wouters, inline skaters Jelle Briggeman and Sven Boekhorst, and freerunners Liziano Ostiana and Siebe van de Spijker, all put on a high-energy display. There’s a thrilling novelty in seeing such feats performed on the opera stage of the Joan Sutherland Theatre. And for the first while, at least, the wow factor is undeniable.
Most of the show’s most impressive choreography appears in the opening scenes and that early adrenaline rush is hard to sustain, which leaves the latter half feeling slightly repetitive. Vignettes designed to shift set pieces around the stage slow the momentum, despite a pumping soundtrack and relentless high-fives. The energy dips when it should soar, and the choreography, while exciting, only reaches the exhilaration or vertical audacity that the audience expect on rare occasions.
Among the standout performers is Stasy Terehhova, whose versatile command of dance, breakdance, and acrobatics is a display of technical finesse and control. Breakdancers Denden Karadeniz and Dietrich Pott also keep the show moving, injecting each moment with physical flair and drive. BMX artist Dez Maarsen shares multiple duets with his bike, while Michael van Beek’s basketball acrobatics bring the comedic charm.
The production is accompanied by a live string duo; Annie Tangberg and Vera van der Bie, who act as musical narrators bridging the worlds of art and sport. A mid-show electric string solo from van der Bie stands out, a rock-star moment in a production preoccupied with style.
Visually slick and technically ambitious, Elements of Freestyle lives in the grey area between contemporary dance and action sports showcase. It’s not underground street culture, nor is it polished modern dance. It is performance as entertainment, geared more toward spectacle than narrative. The moving ramps and long scene changes may leave dance purists a little cold, but for those seeking fun, flair, and family-friendly thrills, it hits the mark.
photo credit: Ken Leanfore
Fiona Hallenwn-Barker, Theatre Now
