As the pioneering BalletBoyz company celebrates its 25th anniversary and Billy Elliot returns to the stage, the landscape for male dancers appears transformed from the turn of the century. Yet a certain macho dismissiveness remains, according to those involved.
The Name That Stuck
William Trevitt, co-founder of BalletBoyz, admits: "We always thought BalletBoyz was a really stupid name. We wanted not to be BalletBoyz." The BBC gave them the tag after Trevitt and Michael Nunn made a behind-the-scenes documentary at the Royal Opera House. Their laddish charm won fans, and when they founded their own company, the name stuck. It carries a hint of the Chippendales, Trevitt recalls: "We had a theatre manager asking if the dancers could take their shirts off in the second act."
Changing Perceptions
Over 25 years, Nunn and Trevitt have boosted the image of men dancing. Their work focused on "two matching energies and exploring the balance between them," says Trevitt. Around the same time, the film Billy Elliot (2000) told the story of a miner's son who wanted to dance, later adapted into a multi-award-winning musical still touring today.
Layton Williams, who played Billy on stage and was a Strictly runner-up, notes: "It's cool to dance now, isn't it? My nephew is dancing on TikTok with his mates."
Stigma Remains
Despite progress, Nunn insists: "What hasn't changed is there's still a big stigma around men dancing." Statistics show a mixed picture. Applications to the Royal Ballet School's Lower School rose 227% from 1999-2000 to pre-Covid, but girls' applications rose 349%. Post-Covid, numbers have dropped, especially for younger boys who often start by joining sisters at dance classes.
School dance education has suffered, with GCSE dance entrants down 60% since 2008 and A-level halved. Laura Nicholson of One Dance UK says: "The gap widened dramatically with the collapse of dance education in schools."
Positive Role Models
Ashley Banjo of Diversity, who won Britain's Got Talent in 2009, says social media has opened doors: "Some of the biggest TikTok creators are dancers. Dance is now associated more with TikTok than the Royal Ballet." He acknowledges stigma from his school days but says he "owned it."
Kevin Young, a dance teacher, recalls a student who refused to perform a Bob Fosse piece, saying: "My dad cannot see me on stage doing this." After discussion, the boy apologised and performed. Young notes: "The stigma hasn't completely gone away but it's quieter."
TV and Social Media Impact
Strictly Come Dancing has driven change, though in 2007, BalletBoyz were told "we can't have two men dancing together" for a tango slot. Now, same-sex couples are common. Tom Holland, former stage Billy Elliot and Spider-Man actor, is set to play Fred Astaire, showing an action hero who also dances.
Williams says: "One day you'll see me in a trackie, the next I'm glammed up. There are many ways to be a dancer and be a man."
The Joy of Dance
Seven-year-old Louie from London says: "If I'm down, dancing makes me feel better and forget my worries." He advises other boys: "We all have equal rights. They should do it!"
Still Pointless: BalletBoyz at 25 is at Sadler's Wells, London, 12-16 May; touring to 11 July. Billy Elliot the Musical is at the Adelphi Theatre, London, to 31 July; touring 4-28 November. Diversity: Soul is at Cliffs Pavilion, Southend-on-Sea, 10 May.
