BalletBoyz: The Talent, Royal Opera House

A critic once wrote that when you attend a BalletBoyz: The TALENT show the atmosphere is akin to a gig, with a genuine buzz in the crowd before the lights go down.

That’s not surprising. This all male troupe is the brainchild of the original Balletboyz: Michael Nunn and William Trevitt. Blessed with solid technique, a preternatural awareness of each other onstage and the will to move ballet to new realms, Nunn and Trevitt embarked on the BalletBoyz project after leaving the Royal Ballet, where they started their illustrious careers.

They were able to attract the collaboration of such distinguished names in the dance world as ballerina Sylvie Guillem and choreographer Russell Maliphant. Multiple awards followed.

When they stopped dancing, Nunn and Trevitt were loath to abandon dance altogether. So they took nine dancers from different backgrounds, auditioning them primarily for that undefinable “something special” and formed BalletBoyz mark 2, aka BalletBoyz: The TALENT. 

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The style of the company is urban and intensely physical but capable of moments of heart-aching lyricism.  That nine dancers are capable of reproducing the mutual understanding which characterised Nunn and Trevitt’s partnership is little short of a miracle.

Each one of them is special, and yet they blend so perfectly into the ensemble it’s hard to believe they haven’t been dancing together all their lives. Energetic and graceful, they own the stage from the moment they step on it. More importantly perhaps, they’ve acquired a loyal and growing following among young audiences.

And behind the scenes, of course, you can detect the firm hand of the masters themselves - Nunn and Trevitt - in the choice of choreographers, the blend of pieces in any given programme, the actual training of the dancers and the very clear definition of the forward path of this exceptional group.

For their first ever performances at the ROH’s Linbury Studio BalletBoyz :The TALENT  bring a clutch of brand new works, including pieces by choreographer of the moment, Christopher Wheeldon, an Artistic Associate of the Royal Ballet with whom Nunn and Trevitt have collaborated before; Kristen McNally, Royal Ballet soloist and budding choreographer; and Royal Ballet Choreographic Affiliate, Alexander Whitley.

These are all premieres, so there’s not much we can tell you about them, except, to share the enthusiasm of What's On Stage, who said: “expect something heartfelt, erotic and immersive (…) I could have watched them dance all night.”