Joshua Monten Dance CompanyGame Theory Term 2
14 – 17 May 2024
In the Studio
Schools
International Dance Week for students | Stages 2 - 6 | Arriving directly from Switzerland is Game Theory – a fast-paced, funny and playful dance celebration of play, sport, big emotions, and the highs and lows of playing games! This season of performances and workshops will have students looking at dance from a whole new perspective.
Date | Time |
---|---|
Tuesday 14 May 2024 | 10am, 12.30pm |
Wednesday 15 May 2024 | 10am, 12pm (Onsite workshop) |
Thursday 16 May 2024 | 10am, 12.30pm |
Friday 17 May 2024 | 10am (School workshop incursion) |
Ticket | Price |
---|---|
Performance only | $25 |
Performance and onsite workshop | $75 |
Incursion workshop | Dependent* |
*Price will be dependent on number of students participating. Please contact the Creative Learning team for more details on your booking form or email creativelearning@sydneyoperahouse.com
One complimentary teacher per class. Ratio required for supervision is one teacher per 15 students. The only authorised ticket agency for this event is the Sydney Opera House. For more information about Authorised Agencies, see the frequently asked questions below.
Onsite workshop: Student Artist Masterclass
Members of the Joshua Monten Dance Company offer a choreographic workshop based on Game Theory. The material in this dance production was inspired by the intense emotions and the spontaneously beautiful movements that arise in the flow of an intensely played game. The workshop begins with a contemporary dance warm-up, after which students learn a movement phrase taken from Game Theory. In the final half, students are invited to conduct their own game theory research, by improvising and collaboratively composing new dance sequences.
- Limited capacity of 90 students only
- This workshop takes place onsite at Sydney Opera House after the morning performance of Game Theory
- Wednesday 15 May 2024, 12pm
- 60mins
- Suitable for Years 4 – 12
School workshop incursion: Flashmob workshop
The Joshua Monten Dance Company believes that everyone should experience the thrill of participating in a dance performance, even those with no prior dance experience. They’ll come to teach some of their favourite moves to students — movement that is percussive, groovy and grounded, and which mixes a variety of dance styles with irony and playfulness. At the end of the workshop, students will give a spontaneous flashmob dance performance.
- Available for whole school or year group depending on number of students
- This workshop takes place at your school in a suitable hall, gym or dance studio
- Friday 17 May, 2024, 10am. Please note start time is negotiable
- 60-90mins
- Suitable for Years 4 - 12
Suitable for Stages 2 - 6
The performances are recommended for Years 3 - 12.
The workshops are recommended for Years 4 - 12.
The Opera House is committed to the safety and wellbeing of children that visit or engage with us. Read our Child Safety Policy
Run time
The duration of this event is 45 minutes plus a 15 minute Question and Answer session with the artists on stage.
Event duration is a guide only and may be subject to change.
Richard Peter, DewezetWhat’s wonderful about this company is that they take everything seriously, without being quite too serious about it...
Before dance became art, it was a game. Everyone loves a game…
Game Theory comes to Australia for the first time after delighting students across Europe. In this playful and joyous dance performance, students will recognise the building blocks of play and games - big emotions, freedom and rules, and adrenaline and flow.
Gaming is a source of inspiration for Joshua Monten and his dancers. For the creation of Game Theory they focused on the spontaneous beauty of movements that arise in the flow of an intensely played game. Be inspired by the language of sport and competitive games – with the dancers playfully moving through capoeira, table tennis, and Twister!
The games we like the best are often the ones we probably shouldn’t be playing in the first place. Games that have consequences and risks, games that are more than just a game, games that make our heads spin and can break our hearts.
Younger students will delight in the highs and lows of dance inspired by play, whilst students studying dance will be inspired by the fun and aesthetically rigorous choreography.
Accompanying these performances is a Dance workshop for Secondary students as part of our international dance week and Day Out at the House program. The Joshua Monten Dance Company is also available to come to your school to run a Flash Mob Dance Class after your students have enjoyed the performance on-site at the Sydney Opera House. Please contact the Creative Learning team for more details on your booking form or by emailing creativelearning@sydneyoperahouse.com.
Sydney Opera House presents

Joshua Monten was born near New York City and studied literature and cultural anthropology at Duke University before beginning his dance studies. As a dancer he has performed with Bern Ballett, Staatstheater Nürnberg, Theater Freiburg, öff öff productions and DA MOTUS! He has worked with choreographers such as Stijn Celis, Hofesh Shechter, Juha Marsalo, Doug Varone, Konstantinos Rigos and Tino Sehgal.
Joshua Monten regularly choreographs for ballet, opera, theater and freelance dance productions. He has received numerous choreography commissions from the Stadttheater Bern, the Ballet National du Rhin, the Staatstheater Nürnberg, the Staatstheater Braunschweig, Theater Bonn, Opéra National de Lorraine, The Yard (USA), Theaterhaus Gessnerallee (Zürich), Zentrum Paul Klee and Art Basel. His work has been broadcast on television stations such as Arte and Mezzo and has been seen live by more than 300 000 audience members.
In 2012 Joshua Monten founded his own dance company, working for adult and young audiences.

A Day Out at the House
Are you looking to extend your school excursion time onsite at Sydney Opera House?
For specific performances and workshops over the year we have combined a ‘performance/workshop’ with a walking tour of Sydney Opera House for a total 3-4 hour experience for your students at the House.
Ticket and Travel Subsidy
The Sydney Opera House is committed to providing the very best national and international performing arts experiences to NSW students as part of their educational studies.
The Sydney Opera House Arts Assist program provides the full cost of the Creative Learning performance ticket and $5 per student toward travel costs. School applications are assessed according to socioeconomic disadvantage, schools with special needs and individual responses regarding the School Profile and School Community.
The Sydney Opera House thanks and acknowledges our generous Arts Assist donors; The Greatorex Foundation and Sydney Opera House Ladies’ Committee.
Other information
Venue information
The Centre for Creativity will adhere to a maximum capacity of 1 person per two square metres, in line with the current NSW Public Health Order.
Our foyers will be open 60 minutes pre-show for Joan Sutherland Theatre performances, and two hours pre-show for Western Foyer venue performances. Refreshments will be available for purchase from our theatre bars. Please remember to maintain physical distancing whilst consuming drinks in our foyers.
All Sydney Opera House foyers are pram accessible, with lifts to the main and western foyers. The public lift to all foyers is accessible from the corridor near the escalators on the Lower Concourse and also in the Western Foyer via the corridor on the Ground Level (at the top of the escalators). Pram parking will be available outside the theatres in the Western Foyer consistent with COVID-safe rules.
Frequently asked questions
We recommend your group arrives early at the venue, at least 45 minutes prior to the performance start time.
If you are late, we will seat you as soon as possible, but please be aware that some events have lock out periods where late comers cannot be admitted until a suitable break in the performance. Occasionally this is not until the interval, and in some instances late comers won’t be admitted at all.
Please call Front of House on 02 9250 7134 to notify us if your group is running late.
The closest location to disembark from buses and coaches is on Macquarie Street. Please contact City of Sydney to confirm bus and coach set down areas. We recommend allowing an additional 10 minutes for walking from Macquarie Street. There is no bus parking onsite at Sydney Opera House.
Circular Quay is the closest station for public transport via train, bus and ferry. We recommend allowing 15 minutes to walk from Circular Quay for school groups. To view timetable information and ensure your public transport needs can be met, please contact Transport NSW. Please check the Transport NSW website for the latest advice and information on COVID-19 safety measures for public transport.
The safety and security of everyone visiting our site is paramount. We require all items larger than the dimensions of an A4 piece of paper to be cloaked. As our cloakrooms have limited space, we request that where possible teachers and students do not bring large bags/backpacks with them to the performance.
Yes. Please visit our Policies page for more information.
If your students are bringing a packed lunch, Royal Botanic Gardens adjacent to the Opera House is quite pleasant in fine weather. Alternatively, our restaurants offer everything from casual snacks to kid friendly meals.
Food and drink are permitted inside the foyers, but not in the venues.
Please contact our Creative Learning Ticketing Specialists on 02 9250 7770 as soon as possible to advise if your group can no longer attend. If your group can no longer attend because your school is located in a hotspot, or has had a positive case of COVID-19 symptoms, the Opera House has introduced flexible ticketing options to help you.
The Opera House is committed to the safety and wellbeing of children that visit or engage with us. Read our Child Safety Policy.
The Opera House has also developed a Child-friendly Code of Conduct to engage with our youngest visitors.
Getting here
The Sydney Opera House Car Park, operated by Wilson Parking, is open and available to use. Wilson Parking offer discounted parking if you book ahead. Please see their website for details.
Please check the Transport NSW website for the latest advice and information on travel and COVID-19 safety measures. You can catch public transport (bus, train, ferry) to Circular Quay and enjoy a six min walk to the Opera House.
Covid-safe information
The health and wellbeing of everyone attending the Opera House is our top priority. We’re committed to making your experience safe, comfortable and enjoyable, with a number of measures in place including regular cleaning of high-touch areas, air conditioning systems that maximise ventilation, and hand sanitiser stations positioned in all paths of travel. We encourage you to wear a mask in indoor settings or when physical distancing can’t be maintained, and please stay home if you feel unwell. If you need to discuss your ticketing or booking options, contact our Box Office team on 02 9250 7777.
Nothing is more important to us than the health and safety of everyone on site, and we are closely following NSW Health guidelines and advice. The Sydney Opera House is registered as a COVID Safe business with the NSW Government. For detailed information about our COVID-19 safety measures and what’s required of you when visiting, please see our plan your visit page.
Face masks are strongly recommended for all patrons while inside our theatres and foyers, including during the performance. Please bring your own mask.
As you move around the Opera House, practise physical distancing (1.5 metres whenever possible) and follow the guidance provided by our staff and signage.
Within venues, always take your allocated seat.
For detailed information about our COVID-19 safety measures and what’s required of you, please see our plan your visit page.
The Sydney Opera House no longer requires patrons to show that they are fully vaccinated against COVID-19.
Face masks are strongly recommended for all patrons while inside our theatres and foyers, including during the performance. Please bring your own mask.
Contact information is required when making a booking with us and upon arrival at the Opera House, as set out in our General Terms and Conditions for Tickets and Attendance at Events and our Customer Privacy Statement.
As the ticket purchaser, you are responsible for recording the contact details of your guests. Contact information will only be used for the purposes of contact tracing, if required, and will be deleted at least 28 days after your event.
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