Show review by Julia Pattison: Balletboyz Deluxe at the Grand Opera House York

Dance has a language all of its own; these pieces spoke volumes and you were left in awe and wonder at the talent you’d just witnessed and the emotions expressed. Photo courtesy of George Piper.

Finally, with a mix of returning BalletBoyz and dancers who are new to the fold, after such a long time of uncertainty, it was like witnessing a rebirth of the company, particularly in their second dance piece, Bradley 4:18 featuring a seemingly successful young man struggling to connect with the world around him; very apt for these times.

Dancers Joseph Barton, Benjamin Knapper, Harry Price, Liam Riddick, Matthew Sandford and Will Thompson clearly demonstrated their exceptional talent as they performed two dance pieces, Ripple (choreographed by Xie Xin and featuring Apprentice dancer Daniel Baines) and Bradley 4:18 (choreographed by Maxine Doyle).

Co-founders and artistic directors Michael Nunn and William Trevitt were once the stars of the BalletBoyz shows, having set up the company in 2000 after leaving the Royal Ballet, and are rightly hailed as pioneers for making dance accessible and reaching wide audiences through their celebrated stage and television work.

The rapturous standing ovations on Monday, April 11 in York at the end of each dance piece clearly demonstrated that BalletBoyz continue to connect with and inspire their audiences.

There was a short piece of film projected at the beginning of the show, explaining about the company and their work, which was very informative; then it was straight into the first piece on stage, Ripple. This was a beautifully fluid dance, complemented by atmospheric music (Jiang Shaofeng) and lighting (Andrew Ellis).

The focus was on the form and movement of the seven incredibly physical and male dancers, who gave off a sense of grace and strength.

A most expressive, lyrical, flowing piece of choreography, with dramatic breaks in the flow like a current in deep water.

The second dance, Bradley 4:18 was a complete contrast to Ripple.

The lighting (Andrew Ellis) was stark, reflecting the mood of the dance.

The ominous music (Cassie Kinoshi) helped to make the strong and aggressive moves even more dramatic and powerful, as one by one the dancers came onto the stage to reveal Bradley’s internal struggle.

At one stage, a bitter fight broke out between the parts of self; you could hardly bear to watch at times – brutally honest, reflecting Bradley’s mental state.

Dance has a language all of its own; these pieces spoke volumes and you were left in awe and wonder at the talent you’d just witnessed and the emotions expressed.