'Ultimately it is an uplifting experience. I left with a sense of having witnessed something special even if I am not quite sure what it was.' James Traeger's reviews...
OUR VERDICT
4 STARS
I admit to some trepidation, but I shouldn’t have been worried. BalletBoyz was a revelation. I am not completely uncultured (although my kids disagree) but I do have a particular blind spot aimed at dance. I just don’t get it. Until now. My eyes have been opened by this lithe crew of extraordinary young men.
The show is a double bill. In the first half, entitled ‘Them’, this group of six men (definitely more men than boys, or even boyz for that matter) extemporised their personal response in movement to the music of composer Charlotte Harding. The notes say that the show ‘explores the individuality that resides within each dancer and the versatility of movement which the company has always been known for.’ I am not completely sure what that means, but for me, it looked like banter-in-movement in response to the jerky and jazzy syncopation of the music.
‘Them’ is set on a bare stage, the sole feature of which was a simple cubic scaffolding, about ten feet wide, with which they constantly toyed. The use of lighting, especially from behind, gave it a feel of a group of children in a jungle-gym. The dancers wore slightly odd, multi-coloured shell suits which added to this urban playground feel. One striking moment towards the end of this first act exemplified the vital energy of ‘Them’. The backlit dancers formed a shadowy pile of limbs into one corner of this simple square and the remaining dancer climbed up the rest. It was like the raising of a human flag, iwo-jima-esque, concluding with him sitting silhouetted some ten feet in the air atop the corner of the box. The gasps around me were audible.
After the interval came ‘Us’, by Christopher Wheeldon, with a score by Keaton Henson, both of whom I am sure I should have heard of. The music has a haunting, incessant quality, not unlike Phillip Glass. This act was somehow more polished, perhaps showing the touch of an experienced choreographer, but what do I know? For this set, they wore what looked like washed out grey morning coats which then gave way to white shirts and then for the finale just two men dancing bare-chested. It was soulful and expressive.
What else can a dance-heathen like me say about these BalletBoyz? Well, they are fit. The movement is genuinely breathtaking and the fact that they are all men exaggerates their grace, as if the whole thing is making a point, forcing us to use adjectives for fit blokes that don’t generally sit right, at least to those of us with un-woke sensibilities; words such as grace, flexibility, colour, lightness, and above all, beauty.
It would have been more impressive if the music had been live, and I still can’t figure out why ‘them’ is called ‘them’ and ‘us’, as it were, is ‘us’, but these are minor quibbles, and the decent house rose to a cheering ovation at the end. Ultimately it is an uplifting experience. I left with a sense of having witnessed something special even if I am not quite sure what it was. I can’t say this has me rushing to buy a season ticket to the Royal Ballet but I was impressed. Even if like me dance isn’t your thing, you must try Ballet Boyz. Men can be beautiful.
Venue: G Live, Guildford
Dates: 10 April, 7.30 pm
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