Bergen International Festival: Elements of Freestyle, Asylmottaket and more

Elements of Freestyle by ISH Dance Collective, Grieghallen, Bergen; June 1, 2025
Asylmottaket, Festival Square, Bergen; May 31, 2025
Festival round-up

Among the songs played as the audience made their way into Bergen’s Grieghallen, the Bergen International Festival’s main stage and the city’s biggest concert hall was ‘One Step Beyond,’ the 1979 hit by Madness. It seemed very appropriate for a show that does indeed take things beyond the norm as it mashes us extreme urban sports and art, specifically dance and music. Elements of Freestyle by ISH Dance Collective might not be the nuttiest show around, to mis-quote the lyrics, but it sure rocks.

ISH Dance Collective has been around for 25 years, the company’s name deriving from the suffix ‘-ish,’ used when something isn’t quite definable, sort of both one thing and another. Which pretty much sums up Elements of Freestyle, its signature show. It’s urban sports, but it’s also dance, and there’s live music.

The action all takes place on and around a set of four large skating ramps that, along with the metalwork that supports them, are moved around and assembled in multiple ways to showcase the talents of the ten artists. With out audience warned to “Watch out for flying skateboards,” we were off.

The performers are all stars. From the world of freerunning (one of those disciplines that has long straddled the boundary between sport and performance art) there’s professional parkour athlete Siebe van de Spijker and world champion Bart van der Linden (‘The Flying Dutchman’). Freestyle basketball comes courtesy of Michael van Beek, who juggles and much more. We’ve all seen a basketball spun on a finger, but on a toe? Yes!

Inline skating provides a lot of thrills, Sven Boekhorst (winner of the much acclaimed ‘Triple Crown’ of X-Games, Gravity Games and World Championships) and Jelle Briggeman, flying through the air and sliding along edges as though it were the most natural thing in the world. Pim Wouters really does make his skateboard fly, while BMX flatland artist Dez Maarsen duets superbly with his bike.

But while Elements of Freestyle is full of thrills and tricks, perhaps its biggest trick of all is that it is so well-paced. Little pauses give the viewer (and the artists) time to breathe, none more so than one beautiful dance solo by breakdancer Shane Boers, which included some startling freezes while balancing on his hands. It was as if he was in his own world, totally unaware that a hall full of people was watching. His dance buddies, multi-award-winning b-boy and breakdancer Arnold Put and Denden Karadeniz (choreographer and founder of Zero Dance Theatre: the first hip-hop/contemporary fusion company in the Netherlands) were equally impressive.

And ‘buddies’ is something else that comes through strongly too. The show has a lovely spirit. You get the impression that the performers are actually really good mates, and are having as much of a good time as we are.

Given we were in a venue named after composer Edvard Greig, born in Bergen and who lived much of his life there, it seemed appropriate that music should play such an important part in proceedings. A pre-recorded soundtrack by Rik Ronner moves easily between electronica, heavy metal and grunge but is beautifully overlaid by live music from cellist Annie Tangberg and violinist Vera van der Bie, sat on opposite sides of the stage.

Mike den Ottolander’s lighting that hints at arena floodlights gives everything a stadium feel.

It was a fabulous hour of sometimes heart-in-mouth, sometimes quite beautiful action. The very much family-oriented audience lapped it up, giving them an enthusiastic ovation at the end.

In a way, it’s crazy. But it works. Is it dance? Well, ‘ish,’ I guess is the answer to that. It’s certainly art, although ISH founder and artistic director, Marco Gerris, claims he never had that in mind when he made the show. Whatever you call it, Elements of Freestyle is definitely entertaining.

The previous day saw more dance at the Bergen International Festival in the shape of Asylmottaket. Presented in Festival Square, it was a celebration of cultural identity, assimilation, and community, created by dancers, musicians, cultural workers and volunteers who have backgrounds in both Tamil and Norwegian culture, and experiences of living temporarily in reception centres (the title translates as ‘asylum reception’).

Having begun on stage with a series of short dances that combined classical Tamil dance from Kollywood films (‘Kollywood’ being a combining of Kodambakkam, a Chennai neighbourhood known for its film studios and Hollywood) with contemporary movement, traditional music and modern soundscapes, and dialogue. With performers straddling the whole age range and giving their all, it was upbeat, vibrant and fun.

The experience then continued with everyone and anyone able to participate in activities including henna painting, food tasting (it was seriously tasty!), dance workshops, and storytelling. It was a lovely way to spend a sunny Saturday lunchtime.

Other dance shows at the Bergen International Festival that I sadly didn’t get to see included Absence x Greig in which breakdancers from Bergen-based crew Absence were inspired by Grieg’s music to create dance to a soundtrack by musician and composer Kato Ådland (also from the city) that explores phases and emotions throughout Grieg’s life.

Youth dance was also given a platform on Festival Youth Day when talented students from the Norwegian Cultural School Council Vestland gave a day of performances on the Festival Square stage.

Bergen, with its harbour that reaches right into its heart, is truly beautiful, especially when the sun shines. It really buzzed on festival weekends especially, and not only with arts events. The food market down by the waterfront was seriously tempting. And, of course, the spectacular fjords are just a short ferry ride away.

In the city, there was so much else to catch in what was the 73rd Bergen International Festival. As always, all the arts were covered although music was not surprisingly very much to the fore, with performances across the city, including at Troldhaugen, home of composer Edvard Grieg for 22 years, and which he once called his “best opus so far.”

The most dramatic location surely had to be Fløyen, however. A four-minute, 320-metre climb on the Fløibanen funicular railway takes you to a lookout with spectacular views over the city and its harbour. It is stunningly scenic, as indeed are some of the walks from the top station. That lookout and the nearby restaurant provided just a couple of settings for OperaUp! a series of open-air mini concerts. There were even some performances on the train itself!

As international festivals go, it may be slightly off the radar, but the Bergen International Festival is well worth a visit.

The 2026 and 74th Bergen International Festival will run from May 27 to June 10. Visit www,fib.no to learn more.