As the trailblazing BalletBoyz company marks its 25th anniversary and the beloved musical “Billy Elliot” returns to the stage, the world of male dance appears to have undergone a significant transformation since the dawn of the century. However, a persistent undercurrent of macho dismissal still exists.
“We always thought BalletBoyz was a really silly name. We didn’t want to be called BalletBoyz,” admits William Trevitt, a founder of the company coincidentally named BalletBoyz. The BBC bestowed this moniker upon them during the creation of a candid backstage documentary at London’s Royal Opera House, featuring Trevitt and fellow then-Royal Ballet dancers Michael Nunn. Their relatable, boyish charm resonated with audiences, and when they established their own company—initially a duo, later expanding to ten men—the name stuck. It’s a name that perhaps carries a faint echo of the Chippendales. “We had a theatre manager approach us saying, ‘Could you ask the dancers to remove their shirts in the second act?'” Trevitt recalls. This anecdote might offer a glimpse into the prevailing expectations surrounding male dancers.
BalletBoyz is embarking on a tour this month to commemorate its 25th anniversary. Over these two-and-a-half decades, Nunn and Trevitt have made substantial contributions to the perception of male dancers (it’s worth noting they have also featured female performers in their shows). While their primary intention was never to make a social statement but rather to create exceptional dance, they presented two heterosexual men dancing together, and subsequently a whole ensemble of young men, commissioning a repertoire that moved beyond romantic partnering to explore “two matching energies and the balance between them,” as Trevitt describes it.
Coinciding with Nunn and Trevitt’s video diaries, another iconic male dancer emerged onto the scene. The 2000 film “Billy Elliot” told the story of a miner’s son with a passion for dance, culminating in a moving final scene where he leaps into choreographer Matthew Bourne’s groundbreaking “Swan Lake,” featuring an all-male cast of swans. The film was adapted into a multi-award-winning musical that continues to thrive, with a new national tour commencing this autumn. This period seemed to signal a shift in the image and profile of male dancers—the so-called “Billy Elliot effect”—with whispers that one year, more boys than girls auditioned for the Royal Ballet School. It feels as though we are living in a culturally different era in 2026 compared to the turn of the millennium, especially concerning gender expectations. So, have attitudes towards boys and men dancing fundamentally changed?
“Dancing is considered cool now, isn’t it?” remarks Layton Williams, who portrayed the ninth Billy Elliot on stage and recently achieved a runner-up position on “Strictly Come Dancing” with professional partner Nikita Kuzmin. “My nephew dances on TikTok with his friends, and he’s a real lad.”