Ballet Boyz

dance

The Ballet Boyz left the classical stuff behind at the Royal Ballet. The duo, Michael Nunn and William Trevitt, entered the Royal Ballet School the same year and both ended up dancing leads. Updated, tinkered with, totally exploded ballet is their current focus. And as for being boyz? Trevitt, at 34, and Nunn, at 36, both married to Royal Ballet ballerinas, say things like: Do we look like boyz? If attitude counts, this saucy pair with their little company (five members including themselves) are definitely boyz.

Nunn and Trevitt turned a video diary demystifying the workings of ballet into Ballet Boyz, a hit TV documentary in Britain. So while the actual name of the troupe is George Piper Dances (their middle names), they're probably stuck for all time with Ballet Boyz. But the sassy name suits the well-connected innovators, whose friends and admirers – such as experimental dance icon William Forsythe, New York City Ballet choreographer Christopher Wheeldon and British innovator Russell Maliphant – eagerly created original work for them. So this sophisticated fledgling troupe, just two years old, comes to Annenberg with a to-die-for rep interspersed with video commentary and interviews, some of it shot in Philly. You don't want to miss this!

George Piper Dances presents Ballet Boyz, Thu., Oct. 23, 7:30 p.m., Fri., Oct. 24, 8 p.m., Sat., Oct. 25, 2 p.m. and 8 p.m., $28-$39, Annenberg Center, 3680 Walnut St., 215-898-3900

—Janet Anderson

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