★★★★
The BalletBoyz have been going from strength to strength since they were formed by Michael Nunn and Billy Trevitt in 2001 following their breakaway from the Royal Ballet. The original remit was to make ballet more accessible and to bring challenging new works to theatres where dance was rarely seen.
The company have certainly more than achieved their original goal and the diversity of the audience and the overwhelming cheers and applause at the end of the evening certainly prove that their latest show is a popular hit.
The company of ten young male dancers are from diverse backgrounds and have varying levels of experience and differing skill sets. There’s a boyish French dancer who looks like he’s stepped straight from a Euro twink porn film, a beefy French dancer who would fit in easily in a Triga DVD and an assorted company of hot British boys showing off their biceps, tattoos and toned physiques. One thing they all have in common is their hard abs and rippling musculature which is particularly evident in the first piece, ‘Serpent’, choreographed by Liam Scarlett. The company are all topless dressed in skin tight Lycra which reveals every taut curve and shows off their amazing buttocks to full effect.
The dances? I almost forgot about those. I was too busy with lechery. The two contrasting pieces are both beautifully choreographed with the challenge of using only male dancers being met fully. ‘Serpent’ uses the dancers to full effect in a fluid display of masculinity, whilst ‘Fallen’ (choreographed by Russell Maliphant) is a more brutal and altogether harder piece which utilises their gymnastic skills, mixed in with ballet and contemporary dance moves. The lighting and music combine to showcase the two pieces and add to the atmosphere.
The show is definitely very accessible and easy on the eye. The audience in Leicester seemed to be having a fantastic time, judging by the riotous applause at the end of the evening. Whether you love dance, are new to dance or just like to sit and watch a troupe of ten young showing off their buff torsos, the show is well worth checking out.
The show continues from the 21st of March at The Cambridge Arts Theatre
Check out the rest of the dates (and the dancers) here:http://www.balletboyz.com
