With a neat touch of self-deprecating humour and wordplay Michael Nunn and William Trevitt return to the London stage to celebrate 25 years of BalletBoyz with Still Pointless at 25. The launch of their phenomenally successful venture coincided with the release of the film Billy Elliot and the spin off effect that saw a rise in applications for boys in ballet schools. There has certainly been a shift in gender balance in dance schools and companies and the standard of male-presenting dancers has risen astoundingly. The juxtaposition of the words ‘boys’ and ‘ballet’ no longer attracts the degree of sneering disrespect which was the case before and that is a cause for celebration. As was tonight’s show. Well done BalletBoyz!
It was a hardworking evening for the cast of ten exceptional contemporary dancers plus directors, Michael Nunn and William Trevitt, who made a guest appearance in Russell Maliphant’s Critical Mass in a very direct connection with the Round House launch in 2001. They gave a good showing on stage and their performance was greeted by a veritable roar from the audience. Their amiable charm ensured the feel-good factor was in evidence throughout the evening. Their love of filming stood them in good stead when needed for a costume change pause while also giving an informative introduction to the choreographers of the evening. Fallen, created in 2013 and also by Maliphant followed later on the programme. Nunn and Trevitt noted the strong influence that Maliphant had on the company and it was good to see his works well represented.
The heavy weight contemporary pieces came from Liam Scarlett and Christopher Wheeldon. Scarlett’s Serpent started on a rather revisionist note but soon found its own voice. The structure is finely tuned as emotions flow back and forth between the dancers. Yasset Roldan and Dan Baines had a powerful duet building on the opening moves of the work. Meantime a sculpted group of dancers moving at a slower pace side stage accompany the duets and solos, giving substance to the piece. It has a neat finish with the dancers lying on stage and raising one arm to form a serpent head.
Wheeldon’s Us, opens as the two dancers stand side by side allowing a tentative touch of fingertips to send a frisson of energy flickering through their bodies. This awakening of senses, accompanied by Max Richter’s music, leads into a tender and very beautiful duet for Paris Fitzpatrick and Dylan Jones.
Ripple, also a lyrical work in loose fitting costumes of watery blues and greens was another piece of great beauty from Chinese choreographer Xie Xin. The constant ebb and flow of the dynamics gave pace and structure in a work that used the stage space well in fluid movement and effective lighting.
There was one premiere Motor Cortex from dancer/choreographer Seirian Griffiths to an atmospheric sound score from Berwyn Cooper. Dim lighting and dark overalls added to the sense of uncertainty in a mutating world where relationships were guarded but not aggressive. However the choreography, with a great deal of floor-based work and interesting partnerships showed Griffiths as a dance maker to watch. Kai Tomioka, Dylan Jones and Paris Fitzpatrick did well in the opening trio and were given good support by the company.
It was a welcome return for Iván Pérez’ Young Men, first performed at Sadler’s Wells in 2015. It remains a hugely impressive work, the filming so real in the mud and grime and the dancers so committed and in the moment. Benji Knapper, gave an astounding performance as a damaged victim of the fighting, representing so many thousands who never recovered from the ravages of war. It is a timely reminder in uncertain times.
Maxine Doyle’s Bradley 4:18 also featured Benji Knapper this time with Luigi Nardone. It’s a fierce slice of life and the company give impressive performances in a myriad of moods. It has moments of raw humour, but is a far from happy situation as the dancers struggle to understand and deal with their emotions.
I loved Fiction, Javier de Frutos’ irreverent close to the evening. The ‘fiction’ was his death (thankfully not true) while the reality was the wild dance chaos with undercover structure that de Frutos does so well. Ballet class turned upside down and dancers swinging round the barre kept the mood light and gave Kai Tomioka a star role to finish.
