Ballet Boyz: The Talent

This was amazing ,very strong and powerful Here's my rave for Sydney Arts Guide http://www.sydneyartsguide.com.au/ballet-boyz-talent/ A vibrant ,sensuous ,virile , enthralling program that champions male dancing , ‘The Talent’ is a double bill of two short works Liam Scarlett’s ‘Serpent’ and Russell Maliphant’s ‘Fallen’. The company is called ‘Ballet Boyz ‘ and was established roughly fifteen years ago by Michael Nunn and William Trevitt who were then dancers with the Royal Ballet. The name has stuck , although Nunn and Trevitt don’t really like it , and the rest is dance history . The current program ‘The Talent ‘features a blend of superb dancers all of whom are aged between 18 and 25, come from either British or European background, and all are in incredibly fit , marvellous form . The company , for this programme nine men , performs 21st-century contemporary choreography accentuating the muscular and dangerous side and making it ever so more accessible and exciting . Both commisioned choreographers have to deal with the challenge of male only choreography and making it work and adapting for different body types and technical training . Both commisioned choreographers have to deal with the challenge of male only choreography and making it work and adapting for different body types and technical training . Scarlett’s ‘Serpent ‘ the opening work of the program , had slithery choreography in parts but also featured serpent like waving arms at times that were like undulating underwater seaweed. Or is it a reference to Matthew Bourne’s ‘Swan Lake’ ? The piece is performed on an open stage with a white backdrop and in typical Ballet Boyz style had a short video introduction before the live performance explosively began .The cast were in revealing knee length leggings with black striped accents . The energy palpably sizzles. One section has a pas de deux that is like wrestling.There is a Lloyd –Newson like crawl at one point and a possible Kylian influence .There is a rich lyrical quartet lit by golden light and some wonderful athletic sculptural pas de deux that shines. Flavien Esmeiu has a distinctive , mesmerising solo . Constant motion , forming fluid pas de deux and fine ensemble work is featured – there is no walking into place or semi false transitions. Mirroring dancers arch backward across the supportive knee of another, or roll across the back of someone else and then the roles are switched. Richetr’s lush score is eclectic and challenging ranging from sounding like Philip Glass to Bach and inbetween with harpsichord ,piano and violins combined with crashing industrial noise . Maliphants’s ‘Fallen’ has a sombre , ominous feel. Again in typical ‘Ballet Boyz’ style it opens with jaunty quirky film footage (in this case of rehearsal and interview with Maliphant)that segues to the live performance . In some ways it is as if the cast are fallen angels or are we meant to think of Dante ? Or are they trapped soldiers ? There is a menacing, ,militaristic feel at times and an uneasy sense of either belonging to the group or not .The cast are all in grey , sleeveless camouflage-like gear and there is most effective lighting by Mulls ( a constant collaborator with Maliphant ) of the pitiless back wall – at times the lighting is stark , other times dappled or shadowy. Amar’s music is snappy and relentlessly pulsating and driven. Maliphant’s brilliant choreography is full of powerful, hypnotic energy and includes martial arts influences. There are some wonderful sculptural tableaux and unusual lifts and balances . The work opens with the cast rotating in two circles going in different directions. There is also a lift /balance segment where there is a lift of a couple of the cast in the circles sort of as if segments of a tyre were lifted . Sometimes the cast appear to be unstoppable parts of a giant machine .Carruccio has an extraordinary solo with an amazing back bend as does Adam Kirkham in another featured mini-display . A terrific ,gripping atmospheric piece in a sensational performance. The short season sold out before it opened. The running time was 90 minutes including one interval. THE BALLET BOYZ: THE TALENT is playing at the Drama Theatre, Sydney Opera House until the 13th May. For more information about Ballet Boyz: The Talent, visit http://www.sydneyoperahouse.com/whatson/balletboyz.aspx?gclid=CL3OuaHirb4CFUIDvAod3IkA9w