BalletBoyz Artistic Directors Michael Nunn and Billy Trevitt met as students at the Royal Ballet School.
In 1987 they graduated into The Royal Ballet company where they danced for twelve years. During this time, a shared interest in photography and film found them creating a documentary for Channel 4, titled BalletBoyz. The four-part series revealed their lives as “ordinary” ballet dancers.
Their fascination with the twin strands of stage and screen has continued throughout their careers. ​
Founded in 2000, BalletBoyz established itself as one of the most original and innovative forces in modern dance known with a reputation for excellence in performance on stage and on screen: revolutionising programming formats, commissioning work and collaborating with cutting-edge talents.
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The company has won numerous awards and nominations including an Olivier Award, National Dance Awards, an International Emmy and The Golden Prague and Rose d’Or Awards twice.
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Alongside stage and screen work, the company is engaged in many projects which offer dance opportunities to those who find themselves marginalised by traditional dance offerings.
1999
BalletBoyz was born right here, with a backstage video diary of life at the Royal Opera House.
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Broadcast on Channel 4 in 1999.
2001
Pointless
Pointless was performed in London at the legendary Roundhouse when BalletBoyz was known as George Piper Dances. The show features works by Paul Lightfoot, Sol León, William Forsythe and Russell Maliphant. ​
'Britain's most off-the-wall ballet dancers.' Daily Telegraph
2004
Rise and Fall
Maliphant cleverly mined the strict ballet training of both the Boyz and Guillem.​​
'A brave new world for all three of these stunning classicists, who are here recast in a dazzling choreographic essay about trust and intimacy which takes these bodies to a place ballet never reaches.' Times
2005
2006
Light and Movement
A 30 minute documentary following the partnership between choreographer Russell Maliphant and lighting designer Michael Hulls for the performance of Rise and Fall.
2007
Strictly Bolshoi
Michael and Billy follow the world's most sought after ballet choreographer, Christopher Wheeldon, as he becomes the first Englishman to be invited to create a new work for the prestigious Bolshoi Ballet in Moscow.
Broadcast December 2007 on Channel4.
Ballet for the People
Farewell Darcey Bussell
Having danced with Bussell from a young age at The Royal Ballet School, the Boyz were delighted to have the opportunity to organise this show to mark her retirement after twenty years of dancing with The Royal Ballet.
To watch parts 2, 3, and 4, click here
2008
BalletBoyz: The Greatest Hits
2009
The Rite of Spring
A radical new interpretation of The Rite of Spring. The one-night-only showstopper featured a mix of professional and amateur dancers, all drawn from radically different modern dance styles including
tango,
street and
pole dancing.
The one hour performance documentary was part of the BBC Christmas 2009 season.
The Royal Ballet in Cuba
Charts The Royal Ballet’s historic visit to Cuba, featuring Carlos Acosta and stars of the company with breath-taking performance footage.
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Broadcast December 2009 on More4.
2010
The Next Generation
2011
Filmed over two years in the UK and on location in Ethiopia, the documentary follows the group as they travel to Addis Ababa to become the first UK dance company to perform in Ethiopia.​
Made for More4.
2012
Random Acts
BalletBoyz have created a number of short films for Channel 4 Random Acts and independently, which can be found here.
2013
Kama Sutra
The ancient Indian Hindu text inspired a new piece of work.
2014
2015
July 2014 saw the Serpent/Fallen tour culminate in a special one-off performance at London's iconic Roundhouse.
Broadcast 30 October 2015 on BBC4.
2016
Young Men Feature Film
Shot on location in Northern France featuring dancers from BalletBoyz dance company. Based on the hugely successful stage production that premiered at Sadler’s Wells Theatre in 2015, Young Men was choreographed by Iván Pérez with a commissioned score by singer songwriter Keaton Henson.
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2019
2017
2020
2022
2023
England on Fire
Inspired by the mind-blowing book England on Fire by Stephen Ellcock and Mat Osman, the stage show England on Fire constituted a search for meaning amid the challenges of life in the modern and ancient worlds.
Ten musicians. One rock band. Twelve dancers. Four performances. Burning the dance floor.
2025
The Principles of Classical Dance
Inspired by Anthony Crickmay’s photographs published in 1979 in Joan Lawson’s book of the same name, The Principles of Classical Dance pays homage to one of the most prolific and influential British dance photographers. Set to Bach’s Goldberg Variations and featuring stars of The Royal Ballet, the film showcases the poetry of simplicity in movement and highlights the detailed and crafted process behind the creation of a striking image.
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Co-produced by BalletBoyz and The Royal Ballet, and generously supported by the Abderrahim Crickmay Charitable Settlement.
