Rose Theater, Jazz at Lincoln Heart, New York, NY.
March 28, 2025.
Boy Blue, the hip hop firm from London, generously graced the stage of the Rose Theater at Lincoln Heart in New York Metropolis for a brief three days on the finish of March 2025. The corporate was based in 2001, by composer Michael ‘Mikey J’ Asante MBE, and choreographer Kenrick ‘H2O’ Sandy MBE with the imaginative and prescient to create a protected, supportive, family-like atmosphere to discover the chances of hip hop from each the music and dance views. That is the primary time the group has been to NYC to carry out its extremely profitable present, Cycles, offered by Lincoln Heart Presents.
Hip hop is completely different on the opposite aspect of the pond, and there are a pair causes for the divergence from its Bronx roots. England has an extended historical past of supporting the theater and reveres and upholds respect for dwell theatrical productions. Moreover, the federal government funds artwork in a extra strong means than within the U.S. Within the final practically 25 years that Boy Blue has been a corporation, growing work comes with these philosophical and structural frameworks in place. Within the U.S., hip hop took a extra industrial route and has but to discover a stronghold within the proscenium theater realm because it has within the UK and different components of Europe.
Cycles is an summary ode to hip hip, each choreographically and musically. The dancers wore gender-neutral multi-layers costumes, and moved primarily as a gaggle whereas continuously permitting one or two dancers to have solo or duet moments of their explicit model. Whereas a lot of the present is clearly choreographed, the freestyle sections are improvisation that modifications from efficiency to efficiency.
In ballet, the work of the corps is usually probably the most troublesome, as they should be completely precise in motion and musicality to create the beautiful impact of whole unity. Even in probably the most well-regarded corporations all over the world, that is troublesome to attain. In Cycles, the “corps” (actually an evolving group of dancers that change relying on who’s being featured in the mean time), was tighter and extra succinct than any ballet firm I’ve seen in recent times. On condition that the choreography was extra fluid than sharp, attaining this hallowed unity and this sense of rhythmic cohesion was really spectacular.
Whereas my expertise with hip hop is proscribed, my expertise with dance will not be, and watching Cycles gave me all the pieces I actually love about dance, whatever the style or model: creativity, technical prowess, considerate integration of lights and costumes, sensible music, and an mental complexity nestled into the work in a means you may’t at all times see, however which provides the work a steady basis to permit the viewers to really feel protected in no matter journey lays forward.
By Emily Sarkissian of Dance Informa.
