An Introduction to Boy Blue | Factory+

WHAT IS BOY BLUE?

Boy Blue is an award-winning hip-hop dance company led and founded by composer Michael ‘Mikey J’ Asante, MBE and choreographer Kenrick ‘H2O’ Sandy, MBE.

Established in 2001 in East London, the company is popular with critics and audiences alike, known locally for the growing community space it has built for the many hip-hop dancers that make up its seven regular companies.

Over the past 20 years, Michael and Kenrick have accelerated the hip-hop dance movement, training hundreds of young people from the age of five.

“There’s tracks here that didn’t make it. I’ve got a whole folder here that’s just called Undecided.”

Michael Asante on the score to Free Your Mind

INFLUENCES: HIP-HOP WITH A BRITISH TWIST

Both creatives draw from hip-hop. Kenrick’s choreography focuses primarily on popping, breaking, krump and animation, which blends in-sync with Michael’s bass-driven, electronically made scores.

While hip-hop is usually associated with its US origins, Boy Blue stamp their signature mark on the genre, adding jungle, grime and garage influences to produce a more British take. [1]

Both creatives are inspired by their lived experiences, exploring themes such as social tensions. But there is also a drive to celebrate joy, tell stories rooted in history and experience, and inspire their communities.

Photo of Michael Asante wearing a black suit and hat, sat on a small wooden stool holding a mixer. The background is bright yellow. — Michael Asante by Benji Reid

STYLE: EXPERTS IN EXPERIMENTING

How do Michael and Kenrick play with dance and sound?

Michael often uses sampling, taking inspiration from certain sounds and energies, which he translates into a current-sounding score. He speaks about the importance of allowing time to play in order to turn a blank page into a fully-formed piece.

Kenrick’s work emphasises storytelling through movement. His work is sometimes based on usual forms and structures. At other times, he responds almost subconsciously to the music which Michael has created.

For both, there’s no fear of scrapping tracks or choreography – but also no limit to the possibilities of what they create.

Kenrick Sandy by Benji Reid

STRENGTH TO STRENGTH

Michael and Kenrick have gone from strength to strength throughout their careers. Their 2007 production Pied Piper: A Hip-Hop Dance Revolution won an Olivier Award for Outstanding Achievement in an Affiliate Theatre, firmly cementing their place in the hip-hop dance scene. The show achieved a sell-out season at Theatre Royal Stratford East.

At a global level, Boy Blue collaborated with Danny Boyle on the Opening Ceremony of the London 2012 Olympics, choreographing hundreds of young dancers for the segment ‘Frankie and June say thanks Tim’. Remember the purpose-built house and mobile phone love story?

More recently, Boy Blue won the Dance Award at the inaugural Sky Arts Awards in 2024 for producing world-class performances and for their commitment to empowering young people.

A group of contemporary dancers perform on a dimly lit stage, wearing patterned pants. One dancer is lifted above the rest with arms raised, while another pair interacts closely, creating a visually striking composition. — *BLAK WHYTE GRAY* (2018). Photo by Carl Fox.

TRAINING THE NEXT GEN

Boy Blue is a space for Michael and Kenrick to foster emerging hip-hop dancers. This commitment to empowering the most up-and-coming talent runs through all their work. Emancipation of Expressionism was the first hip-hop dance theatre piece to be added to the AQA GCSE Dance syllabus.

Kenrick and Michael want to turn students into athletes, new talent into professionals. Boy Blue is an opportunity to train their dancers in the correct mindset for the professional world. [1]

Three dancers on stage in Free Your Mind wearing long PVC coats and pink wigs — Free Your Mind, the official opening production for Aviva Studios, the home of Factory International © Tristram Kenton, October 2023

OUTSIDE OF BOY BLUE

Last year, Michael won the British Independent Film Award for Best Original Music as Composer for the Irish-language comedy Kneecap. He composed the music for Apple TV series Criminal Record and worked with Brian Eno to curate the music for all three series of Top Boy.

Kenrick has led choreography for renowned UK music talent such as FKA twigs and Rita Ora as well as for huge brand commercials and musicals. He has also flexed his moves in iconic music videos such as Sophie Ellis Bexter’s 'Murder on the Dancefloor'.

A group of five dancers on stage during Boy Blue, wearing white tracksuits, with serious expressions on their faces — *CYCLES* (2024).

MICHAEL AND KENRICK SOUND FAMILIAR?

Their names ring a bell? Michael and Kenrick were the masterminds behind the choreography and music for Free Your Mind – the Matrix-inspired show which officially opened Aviva Studios in October 2023.

Now, Boy Blue return to Aviva Studios with the critically acclaimed CYCLES – a celebration of hip-hop dance in all its forms through movement, connection, rhythm and groove.

CYCLES runs at Aviva Studios for a limited time only from 21-22 March.

[1] Winship, L. (2024). ‘You have to add the flavour, the butter, the jam’: Boy Blue on bringing hip hop energy to the dance world', The Guardian. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2024/mar/29/boy-blue-kenrick-sandy-michael-asante-cycles-barbican