London’s BalletBoyz start the Annenberg’s Dance Celebration season

For over three decades, the Annenberg Center’s Dance Celebration program has been playing host to the finest names in the modern dance world — and the artists gracing the stage literally hail from around the globe.

Dance Celebration’s 2014-15 season opener will be a London-based troupe called BalletBoyz, an all-male company formed by two former principal dancers from the Royal Ballet. There wasn’t any “grand design” in place when Michael Nunn and William Trevitt started BalletBoyz back in 2001. It was simply that the initial piece they worked on together was a male duet, but other internationally prominent choreographers they wanted to work with, such as William Forsythe (of Ballet Frankfurt), required female dancers also — so for the first eight years of the company’s existence they were a mixed company.

In a joint email from London, Nunn and Trevitt tell the story of how BalletBoyz evolved to its present configuration, including the realization that many choreographers enjoyed the challenge of choreographing for men.

“We had seen a group of young male dancers and were inspired by their enthusiasm, their hunger and their lack of fear,” they continue. “It seemed possible that if we could channel all of that raw potential and combine it with top-class choreography we might have something very fresh and exciting.”

Before all-boys was trendy

Nowadays, all-male dance companies are somewhat in vogue. Last season’s Bad Boys of Dance, for example, proved to be a significant hit with Dance Celebration audiences. However, the trend wasn’t obvious back when Nunn and Trevitt launched BalletBoyz. The response they got from appreciative audiences caught them by surprise.

One of the things that sets BalletBoyz apart from most other companies is creating dance works for both the stage and for film. In fact, short film works have been an essential component of their artistic output since the beginning.

“Stage and film both have very particular requirements, but they also rely on many of the same details,” the founders say. Working on stage, you’re “much more in the hands of the audience” and how they choose to view the show in the moment. But on film, you risk the viewer changing the channel, and “the influence of directors and editors is much stronger.” (For video samples of BalletBoyz work, check out the group on YouTube.)

The Annenberg-hosted program will include two Philadelphia premieres. First up is Serpent (2013), choreographed by Liam Scarlett, a young up-and-comer who has the distinction of being named the first artist-in-residence for London’s Royal Ballet. The performance will begin with a short film featuring Scarlett offering an inside view of his creative process.

Next up will be Fallen (2013) by Russell Maliphant, which won the National Dance Award for Best Modern Choreography.

The BalletBoyz mark the beginning of a particularly international lineup. Coming later this season will be Kibbutz Contemporary Dance Company from Israel; Black Grace from New Zealand, and the Montreal-based RUBBERBANDance Group. Also included will be return engagements by two of my favorites: Parsons Dance and world-famous Pilobolus.

BalletBoyz will appear at the Annenberg Center, 3680 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, on October 23-25. For tickets and more information, call 215-893-3900 or visit the Annenberg online.