Rupert Christiansen

A farrago of Blakean mysticism and steampunk twaddle: BalletBoyz’s England on Fire, at Sadler’s Wells, reviewed

Time for this pioneering company to get back to rigorously choreographed basics

Apocalypse now: BalletBoyz's England on Fire at Sadler's Wells. Photo: Thomas Bradshaw  
issue 18 November 2023

It’s nearly a quarter of a century since Michael Nunn and William Trevitt bravely left their safe haven at the Royal Ballet to set up BalletBoyz, a company aimed at developing the underused potential of male dancers and exploiting Nunn and Trevitt’s passion for film technology. At the time this seemed like a useful mission – stereotypes and prejudices lingered around men in tights, and the formats for smaller dance companies needed loosening up.

It lasts a moderate 70 minutes and, in its nutty way, it’s quite enjoyable

One measure of BalletBoyz’s subsequent success is that so many of their experiments have...

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