Cycles at Aviva Studios
Kristy Stott, Theatre Editor
Sensational and synchronised, experience Boy Blue’s latest hip hop production – Cycles – at Aviva Studios, home of Factory International, this spring.
Founded by Michael ‘Mikey J’ Asante and Kenrick ‘H2O’ Sandy, Boy Blue are an Olivier Award-winning dance company and the UK’s most celebrated hip hop theatre company. Following the huge success of Aviva Studios’ opening show – Free Your Mind (2023) – which saw Boy Blue team up with Danny Boyle, Es Devlin, Sabrina Mahfouz and Gareth Pugh, we’re thrilled that the company return to Manchester with this captivating new work.
Cycles is an exploration of hip hop dance in all its forms. Executed with fluidity, tenacity and skill, this production explores the beauty of movement and the euphoric connection between music and dance.
Nine powerful dancers fill the performance space: Jimmy Allan, Nicey Belgrave, Tanaka Bingwa, Gabija Čepelytė, Paris Crossley, Evion Hackett, Kyron ‘Nykro’ Jake, Kelsey ‘Hydro’ Miller, Corey Owens. Terrific and unapologetic, this performance explores the shared pleasures of dance – between each performer, their soundtrack and their audience.
Since their foundation in East London in 2001, Boy Blue have proven themselves as a radical force in UK hip hop dance theatre. Alongside creating world-class ground-breaking dance productions, the company is dedicated to supporting emerging young dance artists, providing education and professional performance opportunities. The company were also the worthy recipients of the inaugural Sky Arts Award for Dance in 2024.
Following the success of its world premiere at the Barbican last year, Cycles is ready to take Aviva Studios by storm. We can’t wait to welcome Boy Blue back to Manchester.
