Review: Cycles at Factory International is a ‘powerful celebration of community and dance’

Boy Blue’s Cycles delivered a high-energy fusion of hip-hop that dazzled music at Aviva Studios over the weekend.

Following its world premiere at the Barbican in 2024, this production once again showcased the company’s signature style, blending rhythmic precision with raw emotion.

Cycles is intended as an exploration of the act of dancing, that begins and ends quietly but explodes as a beating heart at its peak.

Boy Blue’s Cycles at Factory International

The performance opens with an empty stage, with the eight dancers sitting around, watching each other and waiting to join the action. One after the other, they start dancing on the notes of ever-fast-paced music, starting a journey that will leave the audience breathless. 

For the entirety of the performance, the only elements moving on the stage are the dancers and the mesmerizing use of lighting, shifting from cold to warmer tones enhancing the dancers’ movements and creating a sense of progression. At some point, a golden circle of light opens on the stage, and as the dancers jump into it one after the other, their steps become more vigorous and one big light dominates the stage.

The first act gives each performer their own moment to shine with solo choreographies. The combination of fluid motion, pulsating beats, and striking visuals make for an immersive experience, creating almost a physical urge to join the performers on the stage and flow with the music.

Impressive synchronisation

Unfortunately, the second half fails to maintain the same wow effect. Unlike the first act, which gave space to individual expression, the latter half leaned into a more choral performance. We see them using their hands, folding into each other bodies, gather at the centre of the stage to become one.

While the synchronisation between the eight performers was impressive, the lack of a clear narrative thread between dance pieces became more evident, especially in the last moments of the show. As a result, the unchanging stage and lighting setup, which initially felt dynamic, started to feel heavier—almost claustrophobic. This shift in atmosphere, while perhaps intentional, made the latter part of the performance less engaging compared to its captivating beginning.

Hip-hop lovers looking for pyrotechnics and virtuosity won’t be disappointed, although sometimes it feels like the dancers’ talent is held back so that they can all be at the core of the final choreography as a team, but never the central pieces of it as individuals. Their outfits, grey and baggy, also reinforce the idea of their role as the medium between the audience and the music itself.

The story of Boy Blue

Established in 2001 in East London, Boy Blue has built several opportunities and a strong community for the many hip-hop dancers, creating a strong network of seven regular companies. This same sense of community permeates every moment of the show, including the short interval: this is not just a dancing performance, but a conversation, a welcoming space for all to join. 

Boy Blue, led by Michael ‘Mikey J’ Asante and Kenrick ‘H2O’ Sandy, has a well-earned reputation for pushing the boundaries of hip-hop theatre. Their work, including Free Your Mind (2023), has received critical acclaim, and they were recently honoured with the inaugural Sky Arts Award for Dance in 2024.