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<small>[ 14 September 2004, 08:22 AM: Message edited by: Stuart Sweeney ]</small>

Sylvie Guillem and the Ballet Boyz
By Debra Craine for The Sunday Times


IT WAS a huge disappointment when injury forced the cancellation of Sylvie Guillem’s Covent Garden season in August. But to lose this Sadler’s Wells season would have been even more disappointing, for this is Guillem, ballet superstar, in the guise of contemporary dancer, and what a wonderful, mesmerising sight that is.

This is a showcase for five amazing talents. Guillem is joined on stage by her old Royal Ballet colleagues William Trevitt and Michael Nunn — aka the Ballet Boyz — while off stage the lighting designer Michael Hulls works his magic on Russell Maliphant’s beguiling choreography.

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This is a very fine programme and a triumph for the five artists involved: Guillem, Trevitt, Nunn, Maliphant and the lighting designer for all three works, Michael Hulls.

On the first night, a sold-out Sadler's Wells crowd gave them a standing ovation (well half did) at the end - an unusual event in the UK.

<small>[ 01 October 2004, 03:56 PM: Message edited by: Stuart Sweeney ]</small>

Sylvie Guillem and the Ballet Boyz - 28th September, Sadler's Wells, London

Audience reactions:

Joan Cushin: Spectacular! I haven’t seen the Ballet Boyz before, but they are amazing. “Two” and “Broken Fall” were my favourites. I wasn’t as convinced by the lighting.

Deborah Williams: Terrific! I wasn’t sure what to expect, but it was very interesting. All the pieces were equally good – very different and powerful. The programme was well put together.

Tony Preece: I was a mite disappointed. I’m not so keen on Maliphant – I prefer continental dance.

Laura: I loved it, especially “Two” and “Broken Fall”.

Andrew Hirst: Excellent! The solo dance “Two” was great and the music. I enjoyed the free-flowing movement and it was so visually exciting. And it wasn’t too long.

<small>[ 01 October 2004, 03:59 PM: Message edited by: Stuart Sweeney ]</small>

Strong-arm tactics
Sylvie Guillem and the Ballet Boyz are almost too much of a good thing, says David Dougill for The Sunday Times.


There is a world of difference between the programme Sylvie Guillem and the Ballet Boyz, as seen last week at Sadler’s Wells, and the show Guillem had planned for Covent Garden in August, but was forced to cancel because of an injury. There, she would have danced dramatic roles in narrative ballets by Ashton and MacMillan, with a specially assembled company, international co-stars and a full orchestra. At the Wells, we had a cast of three, no decor and recorded music for a triple bill of contemporary pieces, all by Russell Maliphant.

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Sylvie Guillem and The Ballet Boyz
By John Percival for The Stage


Recovered from the ankle injury that cancelled her Covent Garden season, Sylvie Guillem could not have chosen a tougher programme for her return than this one with Russell Maliphant’s choreography and the Ballet Boyz as partners. The keynote is Broken Fall, which the quartet created at Covent Garden last autumn, deservedly winning the Olivier Award for the year’s best new dance.

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Press Release:

"Rarely do we see artists so acutely responsive to each other's physical presence" Financial Times

Sadler's Wells and George Piper Dances
present the Ballet Boyz in
Naked World premiere
Saturday 4 - Saturday 11 June 2005
Performances at 7.30pm, Saturday matinee at 2.30pm
Tickets: £10 - £36
Ticket office 0870 737 7737 or via online www.sadlerswells.com

"In two series of video diaries, they did for the grand jeté what Jamie Oliver did for salsa verde. They de-mystified the workings of classical dance by giving it a human face in need of a shave, and they gave a cheerful two-finger salute to any lingering suspicion about men in tights." Independent On Sunday

2005 marks the 20th anniversary of today's greatest dance friendship, that of Michael Nunn and William Trevitt, aka the Ballet Boyz. Sadler's Wells has commissioned Nunn and Trevitt and their Olivier Award-winning company, George Piper Dances, to make a new work, Naked, which receives its world premiere on Tuesday 7 June. Recently appointed as an Associate Company of Sadler's Wells, Naked sees Nunn and Trevitt embark upon a new phase of choreographic collaboration with the critically acclaimed Russell Maliphant.

Naked explores themes of love, betrayal and revenge in a story of six characters, forever linked by a moment of irresistible desire that leads to fury and retribution. The highly acclaimed Oxana Panchenko and ex-Birmingham Royal Ballet Principal Monica Zamora also star.

William Trevitt and Michael Nunn danced with The Royal Ballet from 1987 to 1999. They have co-filmed and co-directed the Channel 4 documentary-style video diaries, Ballet Boyz (1999), Ballet Boyz II, The Next Step (2001) and the Rough Guide to Choreography (2004). They co-presented the 4Dance season on Channel 4 in Spring 2002 and July 2003. In January 2001 they founded George Piper Dances which was nominated for the 2001 and 2003 South Bank Show Dance Awards. Their most recent commission, Russell Maliphant's, Broken Fall, was awarded the Laurence Olivier Award for Best New Dance Production in 2004.

Russell Maliphant draws his influences from classical ballet, contact improvisation, yoga and capoeira. He studied at The Royal Ballet School from the age of 16 before working with a wide range of companies including Sadler's Wells Royal Ballet, DV8 Physical Theatre and Michael Clark and Company. He began creating and performing in his own works in 1991 and has choreographed more than 20 works to date. His awards include a Time Out Live Award (2002) for 'Outstanding Collaboration', the People's Choice Award from the Festival de Nouvelle Danse in Montreal 2002, and a South Bank Show Award in 2003.

William Trevitt and Michael Nunn give a post performance talk in the auditorium on Thursday 9 June 2005

The world premiere of Naked at Sadler's Wells is supported by The Robert Gavron Charitable Trust

Notes to Editors:

" William Trevitt trained at the Royal Ballet School, later joining The Royal Ballet in 1987. Promoted to Principal in 1994, his repertory included lead roles in Cinderella, La Fille mal gardee, Romeo and Juliet and Agon.

" Michael Nunn trained at the Bush Davies School and the Royal Ballet Upper School, joining the Royal Ballet in 1987. Promoted to First Soloist in 1997, he left the company with Trevitt in 1999. Later that year he and Trevitt became founder members of K Ballet.

" Monica Zamora
Born in Spain, Monica Zamora began her training in Bilbao. At the age of 15 she won the first scholarship at the prestigious Prix de Lausanne and in 1989 entered the Royal Ballet School. In 1991 she began dancing with Birmingham Royal Ballet. She was promoted to Principal in 1997 and while with BRB she toured all over the world and danced in a wide variety of choreographic styles. Zamora joined George Piper Dances for their Sadler's Wells Autumn 2003 season. She performed in Christopher Wheeldon's Mesmerics and Cathy Marston's work, Non Exeunt. She has also performed Steptext, Approximate Sonata I, V and Broken Fall with the Company.

" Oxana Panchenko
Born and trained in Kiev, Oxana Panchenko's professional career started in 1989 working with Kiev Opera House, English National Ballet, Munich Ballet, City Ballet of London, K Ballet, Adventures in Motion Pictures and, from April 2001, George Piper Dances. She has performed lead roles in major classical repertoire and works by Frederick Ashton, John Cranko, George Balanchine, Jiri Kylian, Twyla Tharp, David Bintley, John Neumeier, Michael Rolnick, Christopher Hampson, Matthew Bourne, Adam Cooper, Paul Lightfoot, Matthew Hart, Cathy Marston, Christopher Wheeldon, William Forsythe and Russell Maliphant. In 2002 Panchenko won the Time Out Award for her Outstanding Performance in Steptext, and in 2004 she won the Critics' Circle National Dance Award for Outstanding Female Artist (Classical).

Would love to see 'Naked' but can't make it to London any time soon.
Does anyone know if the video-mad Boyz have actually made videos and/or DVDs of their performances that are for sale to the general public??

I'm not aware of any, corrival, and if Dance Books don't have one, then the answer is definitely, no. It is increasingly expensive to commit dance to video/DVD and I understand that the Ballet Boyz run on tight budget. Wouldn't it be nice if the BBC recorded the Sadler's show and then released it on DVD.

An interview in The Independent by Lyndsey Winship with Sylvie Guillem who will be performing the the Ballet Boyz at Sadlers Wells April 20-23, 2005:

http://enjoyment.independent.co.uk/thea ... ory=631237

The Boyz summer schedule is posted http://www.gpdances.com/schedulegpd.htm
And there are some really nice photos on their website http://www.balletboyz.com/