Boy Blue

A driving force in the development of London’s hip hop scene, with choreographies that have triumphed worldwide in the biggest theaters, the Boy Blue dance group is the spiritual child of two great artists: composer Michael “Mikey J” Asante and choreographer Kenrick “H2O” Sandy. It’s no coincidence that they worked with Danny Boyle (director of Slumdog Millionaire) on the opening ceremony of the London Olympics in 2012 and that they are artistic associates of London’s Barbican Centre.

They will be coming to the Summer Nostos Festival with two different performances, one at the Alternative Stage and a second one at the Agora, with jam and hip-hop dance that will create ideal party conditions. This way, the audience will have the opportunity to see the team in completely different conditions and realize not only its artistic power, but also the range of its expressive potential.

Especially for the Alternative Stage, the group has prepared Project R.E.B.E.L., choreographed by Kenrick “H2O” Sandy to a musical composition by Michael “Mikey J” Asante. Its aim is to raise a series of questions about cultural identity, what it really means to belong to a community, and how we manage the feeling of being powerless. It will be quite an experience for the audience, who will be able to watch the show at a 360-degree perspective.

The scene will be different at the Agora, where Summer Nostos Festival visitors will participate in a community celebration created by Boy Blue—a community they call family. Fifteen dancers trained by the award-winning team will present a special, riveting show. Loud, pulsating music will spread throughout the Agora as formations of dancers appear in a series of successive and composite choreographies. Their precision is impressive. Their movement is thrilling. You feel their energy is shooting through you. The audience will by swept away by this unique atmosphere.

The Boy Blue team has won the Laurence Olivier Award for Outstanding Achievement in an Affiliated Theater and was nominated for the same prize in 2017 with Blak Whyte Gray. The creative duo has built one of the top dance training programs in East London since 2001. Using its special technique, it energizes more than a hundred young dancers each week to study with dance professionals. With ages ranging from 4 to 30 years, those interested are trained in the art of hip hop and come to understand the concept of choreography. And the truth is that hip hop stars Michael "Mikey J" Asante and choreographer Kenrick "H2O" Sandy are happiest when teaching all these young people.