Review by Jess Green
Tickets were gifted in return for an honest review.
25 years after the company’s origin and their critically acclaimed first performance at The Roundhouse in 2001, BalletBoyz is once again lead onto the stage by renowned dancers Michael Nunn and William Trevitt, with Still Pointless. This retrospective takes us as on a journey of recollection, through their past 25 years of daring, innovative dance, introducing each performance with a historic video of its inception and featuring choreographers from across the company’s history; Christopher Wheeldon, Maxine Doyle, Laim Scarlett, Xie Xin, Javier De Frutos and a brand new feature piece from cast member Serian Griffiths.
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| Photo by Amber Hunt. |
I would proffer that this show is primarily for those culturists who have experienced its iterations over the years and are invested in its premise, its history and its people. I could hear murmurs of joyous reminiscence from audience members following their most familiar numbers. Having said that, as a BalletBoyz first-timer, the diary-esque format of the show makes it accessible to those who, like me, lack the historic context. Having witnessed only moments before, the video extracts from their original 2001 rehearsal and show, I was immediately excited to see Michael and William perform their earliest piece (Russell Maliphant’s Critical Mass), and in awe of the enduring quality of their skill. The video-dance-video format was very clever. Initially, I thought it might become tiresome over the 2 hours but I was wrong. It not only added pockets of levity and humour to an otherwise quite intense show, but it also showcased the sheer wealth of creative talent involved in the production over the years. It's a privilege to bear witness to an individual’s process of creation and this medium allows us a glimpse not just into the minds of the choreographers but their individual creative languages and how each translates into their contribution to the diversity of live dance. This show I think, would also appeal to lovers of dance as a dignified art. What I adore about ballet, and what this show in particular has in spades, is its seriousness. There is no hint at scantily dressed men in close contact being the object of humour or a signal of sexuality, or anything other than as necessary to the art form as a brush to a painter. This solemnity is visceral through the feeling of respect in the auditorium as the dancers use only their trained bodies to portray extraordinarily interpretable feelings of love, fear, danger, joy and more.
Young Men, a piece choreographed by Ivan Perez, explores themes of war, vividly stirring the audience’s emotions. The principal dancer in this piece, Benji Knapper was astonishing in their almost contortion-esque movements, depicting pain, distress and trauma so clearly that the beauty almost became ugly.
Serian Griffiths’ Motor Cortex was the most futuristic feeling of the contemporary numbers. Using repetitive movement patterns and working with the exceptional lighting of Andrew Ellis, he manages to illicit an almost claustrophobic feeling of moving within tight space.
There is a popular idiom in ballroom dancing, that the male is "the vase", thus allowing the female of the partnership to be "the flower". Well the dancers of BalletBoyz are undoubtedly both the vase and the flower, and this is no more obvious than in the number titled Serpent, choreographed by Liam Scarlett. The costuming, lighting and choreography collectively pay homage to the beauty of the male body, in its strength and power, but also in the qualities sometimes overlooked in traditionally male ballet roles: its fluidity, softness, and grace. The supple, snake like movements in this piece took my breath away and this was for me the standout performance of the evening.
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| Photo by Amber Hunt. |
Bradley 4:18, by Maxine Doyle was like nothing I’ve seen through dance before: anger expressed through comedic movement and an almost maniacal energy created a fascinating portrayal of male emotion, and Javier de Frutos’ humorous depiction of a rehearsal room was the perfect invitation to share in the performers’ exhilaration in the closing number, Fiction.
I cannot compliment highly enough, this company of phenomenally talented, and practised dancers (Joshua Attwood, Dan Baines, Paris Fitzpatrick, Seirian Griffiths, JJ James, Dylan Jones, Benji Knapper, Luigi Nardone, Yasset Roldan, and Kai Tomioka), whose passion, energy and dedication to their craft brought this show to life. There is something very special about the unique energy of a collective of male-presenting dancers, strong in body and spirit and defying the notion that dance is not a masculine discipline. The title pun "pointless" (a pun based on the lack of the female pointe shoe) stirred in me how much I respect that male-centered dance is so less often about costuming and glamour, allowing the eye of the audience to see more clearly the muscle control, the strength and the expertise that animate these pieces.
My one criticism would be that the first few numbers of the show felt quite similar in energy, meaning that I felt a little disengaged around half an hour into the first act. I’m sure the rhyme and reason is clear to the decision makers but as an onlooker, it would’ve increased my enjoyment had some of the later pieces been woven in closer to the top of the show, creating variety and hence momentum.
I left the theatre not only yearning for past days spent in rehearsal rooms but feeling inspired by the unfathomable skill of the performers and the breadth of creative energy behind not just this piece of theatre, but the whole company.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Still Pointless: BalletBoyz at 25 plays at Sadler's Well in London until Saturday 16th May 2026. For tickets visit https://www.sadlerswells.com/whats-on/still-pointless-balletboyz-at-25/
After the London run the show tours until Saturday 11th July 2026. For dates and venues visit https://www.balletboyz.com/booknow
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| Photo by Amber Hunt. |
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