Boy Blue - Cycles

Knowing that this was a dance piece, I was very excited to see Cycles by Boy Blue, especially at a venue that I have never been to before, the beautiful Aviva Studios. As the audience entered the auditorium, there seemed to be a buzz in the air of excitement and anticipation.

The show itself was composed of nine phenomenal dancers, who show the evolution and creations that hip hop has brought us. They didn’t stop moving in a cascade of movement and dance and I couldn’t keep my eyes off the action. Each and every dancer threw every ounce of their being into their movements, as was evident by their dancing. There was a motif running throughout the piece of the dancers running, in slow-motion, around the circle of light in the centre of the stage, and I really found that it tied the whole piece together in an incredibly clever way. This, along with the motif of waving their arms in front of them, in sync, created a powerful togetherness amongst the dancers. The way that the dancers never stop moving showed their insane stamina, which never faded.

The staging, although simple, was extremely effective, with chairs along each side for the dancers when they were not dancing, and a large space in the middle of the stage, often shining in a single circle of light, where a lot of the action occurred. One of my personal favourite moments of the movement was when each person took turns in showcasing their art, with the others cheering them on in a semicircle. It was a clear nod to dance circles and reminded me of the classic hip hop movies.

The dancers, Jimmy Allan, Paris Crossley, Nicey Belgrave, Tanaka Bingwa, Gabija ?epelyt?, Evion Hackett, Kyron ‘Nykro’ Jake, Kelsey ‘Hydro’ Miller and Corey Owens, really were wonderful. Jimmy Allan’s facial expressions really brought a new level to his dancing and I loved his moment, in the centre of a line up, that brought laughter to the audience. Paris Crossley’s popping was actually insane. It looked unreal and really brought something to the piece that I can’t quite explain. Nicey Belgrave stood out, for me, by the way the piece started and ended with her. The full circle moment was just brilliant. Tanaka Bingwa had the most infectious energy that fed his fellow dancers and was truly an addition to the piece that could not be missed. Gabija ?epelyt? had me captivated. The way that she moved, in a moment on the floor, was simply stunning. I couldn’t keep my eyes off the fluidity of her movements.  Evion Hackett jumped and stayed off the floor for much longer than I thought possible, with a poise and grace that reminded me of an antelope or gazelle. Kyron ‘Nykro’ Jake moved with such intensity, at one moment, that I could barely breathe. The audience loved him.  Kelsey ‘Hydro’ Miller moved seamlessly, as though his bones weren’t even connected, which was just beautiful. And, last but not least, Corey Owens, was a whirlwind of arms and legs, moving at such a rate that it made me feel like I was watching a storm growing. Each of the dancers, individually, were amazing. Together, as a collective, they were unbelievable.

The composer and father of the piece, Michael ‘Mikey J’ Asante and the choreographer, Kenrick ‘H2O’ Sandy, should be immensely proud of what they have created. I am not in any doubt about why they have won numerous awards and accolades for their works.

Cycles is at the Aviva Studios in Manchester until Saturday 22nd March. If you love dance, or any kind of movement theatre, then you will not be disappointed by this. It is simply wonderful. And I cannot recommend it enough.