Boy Blue: Cycles – ★★★★★
More than a sound, a style or aesthetic, hip-hop is, and always has been, a movement. Cementing itself as one of the 20th century’s most important inventions, rivalling the rise of the Romantic poets in the 18th-century in impact, hip-hop has continued to reinvent itself, maintaining its relevancy in pop culture while staying true to the manifesto of its pioneers.
Founded in East London 2001 by composer Michael ‘Mikey J’ Asante, MBE and choreographer Kenrick ‘H2O’ Sandy, MBE, Boy Bluesought to leave a monumental stamp on hip-hop in the UK, becoming one of its definers and leaders. In its 25th anniversary, Boy Blue: Cycles is a celebration of this feat. In a bold, electric, dynamic show that never stumbles in energy or finesse, Cycles is a love letter to hip-hop culture, past, present and future.
The Sunday performance started with a brilliant curtain-raiser from Project rEVOLUTION, so the air in Roundhouse was teeming with restlessness and excitement as we waited for the performers to take to the stage. Asante took his place as the facilitator of atmosphere, and the band mounted their positions and one by one each dancer made their entrance, and in so doing, made their individual marks. The dancers run around the circumference of the Roundhouse’s stage, their movements jagged and robotic in nature. It’s a motif throughout the performance, moving in and out of a trance like state, almost as if in transition between worlds and times, before joining the action and the dancers centre stage.
Cycles is divided into several distinct movements, defined by varying musical styles that bleed into each other: they are different but there is something that binds them all together. The music never lets up, and the dancers mould themselves around the sound (or maybe vice versa). In the show’s first half, we find ourselves immersed in music and dance that incorporates traditional hip-hop, Afrobeats, Drum and Bass, Grime, all styles that feel rooted in the UK Black partying experience. The dancers are effortlessly cool, every step is clean and sharp but fluid, expressing the balance of expression and control. Dressed in baggy trousers and puffer jackets, their oversized clothes make each movement bigger, grander, a testament to Matthew Josephs’ costume design. They dance in harmony as an ensemble, with each member of the troupe matching the energy of the other. The solos give each member the opportunity to blend style, craft and personality and they rise to challenge impeccably. The first half feels like an introduction to Boy Blue, who they are, what they can do, what they sound like and feel like.
The second half, however, is the true triumph. In the second half we get a range of feelings and emotion as the routines portray scenes of struggle and power, loneliness and brotherhood, joy and rebirth. There are moments of crescendo where Asante takes the band to a musical zenith, and Sandy’s choreography meets them there, and it is a truly immersive experience. The second half utilises more traditional hip-hop styles including Krump and Breaking to tell the stories of the characters. We also get to see how this has given birth to modern hip-hop dance: the choreography includes a few “Tik-Tok” dances, and side by side this way, you can see how one has laid the foundation for the other. Through dance, it seems, they find a new way to breathe. Lee Currran’s lighting design is exciting, punctuating the ensemble's movement with strobe lights and spotlights. The show feels like it has many climaxes, but it ends leaving us both satisfied and eager for more. Boy Blue: Cycles is exhilarating.
The perfect way to commemorate a quarter of a decade changing the face of hip-hop dance in the UK, Cycles on the Roundhouse stage with an incredible live band is a perfect evening. Awe-inspiring, dynamic, hip-hop is far from dead, it is thriving.
★★★★★
By Melody Adebisi