A stylish, impressively physical dance piece that proves just about anything can be possible with self-belief and determinationRating
Excellent
One of the things I love about Theatre for Young Audiences is its solid commitment to be inclusive, collaborative and inspiring, and you’d really have to go some to find a show that does this more effectively than the wonderful Boys Don’t Dance from disabled-led Marc Brew Company.
Before it begins we’re given a video overview of what to expect that explains access features, from creative captions to audio description, to notes on how it’s ok to behave in the auditorium. The young audience is then in a chilled space and ready for a hot show which is aimed at ages 7-12 years, but with its stylish aesthetic and fabulously nostalgic soundtrack could easily be appreciated by adults.
The provocation Boys Don’t Dance clearly must be answered with ‘Really? Who says?’ and this impressive semi-autobiographical work, conceived and directed by Marc Brew, doesn’t just prove the point but actively smashes preconceptions about masculinity and disability. In an exhilarating hour of non-verbal storytelling it sets out to demonstrate how anyone can dance.
A man in a wheelchair (Piotr Iwanicki) thinks back to his youth when he had the use of his legs. As he stares into the mirror his younger self (Ross Malloy) seemingly magically emerges, and helps relate the story of growing up in Outback Australia through an extraordinary performance that has the audience enthralled. It’s visually impressive and suggests how the unexpected can become real.
Clever staging features a ramp, beneath which a TV set is embedded and where clips showing social expectation of gender binaries are featured: a man must play sports and drink beer to be successful in this world. And this boy can certainly pull off those manly BMX bike tricks, which are whooped by an impressed audience. But what he really wants to do is dance, and the TV also reveals films and music videos that glimpse at another life, where talent can include exceptional dancing. He must hone his skill in private, hilariously performing to an audience of sheep, or when his mother thinks he’s lazily sitting in front of the screen.
If you were impressed by BMX tricks then Malloy’s dancing will blow your mind. He’s enormously charismatic and moves with astounding precision and elegance that boldly refutes the premise that boys don’t dance: he was clearly born to do this. The room is electric as the young audience sit up to watch, cheering on his extraordinary feats. A beautifully curated soundtrack by Azariah Felton additionally helps tell the story using nostalgic numbers such as ‘We’re Not Gonna Take It’, ‘The Time of My Life’ and ‘Got to Move On’.
The boy feels himself when in a world of glamour, dressing in his mother’s clothes, but is actively endangered when he takes his best life into the outside world and there’s a valuable moment of empathy as his distress becomes palpable. This moment of feminisation further raises interesting questions about what society sees as suitable for males and females. Who says men can’t wear skirts?
The performance is then augmented as Iwanicki, playing the boy’s older self, demonstrates what he has made achievable after losing the use of his legs; manipulating his wheelchair to create new forms of movement and art that reclaim the dance while bringing bodies and metal into a symbiotic tension. The pair work with an uplifting joyful energy, celebrating possibility together and challenging norms.
This is a tale of bravery and risk taking, demonstrated not only through emotional strength but incredible physical ability and meticulous performances. It’s a genuine inspiration to all to find self-belief and pursue what you love to do.
Boys Don’t Dance is aimed at ages 7-12 years and plays at the Imaginate Festival until Saturday 6 June.
Concept and Direction: Marc Brew
Choreography: Marc Brew in collaboration with the performers
Rehearsal Director: Hayley Earlam / Jade Adamson
Composer: Azariah Felton
Set and Costume Design: Rachel O’Neill
AV Designer: Jamie Wardrop
Dramaturg: Drew Taylor-Wilson
Executive Producer: Susan Hay
Producer (Imaginate): Pamela Walker
Commissioned by Imaginate in partnership with Aberdeen Performing Arts, supported by OneRen. Supported by the Scottish Government’s Festivals Expo Fund, development funded by Creative Scotland with support from The Work Room.
