Credit : Alex Ferrelly
On Saturday, 10 May 2025, Boy Blue returned to the Barbican with ‘A Night With Boy Blue’, a powerful and uplifting weekend of dance, music and community. Founded in East London in 2001 by Michael ‘Mikey J’ Asante and Kenrick ‘H2O’ Sandy, Boy Blue has become a staple in the Barbican’s calendar. This year’s takeover showed exactly why. The event was part of a three-day biennial programme and closed with two back-to-back shows that had the audience fully locked in.
Close to 200 dancers, from four-year-olds to adults, brought the main stage to life with a showcase that proved just how wide-ranging and expressive hip-hop dance can be. The show was split into two halves and featured highlights from The Five and the Prophecy of Prana, a long-standing fan favourite that blends hip-hop with manga and martial arts. Its mix of clean choreography, humour and bold movement reminded the crowd just how versatile the form can be.
One of the most memorable moments came from Boy Blue’s youngest performers. They may have looked small, but their focus and confidence spoke volumes about the training behind the scenes. Their energy was matched by older dancers in standout pieces like Hung and Campaign, which delivered controlled intensity and clarity in movement. One routine, set to a fast-paced classical jazz track, filled the stage with precise chaos, dancers moving in all directions while never missing a beat. Another, set to a Missy Elliott remix of I Can’t Stand the Rain and performed by Company 1, Alpha Blue, used subtle footwork and gliding steps to create a rhythm that felt like watching rainfall in motion. The audience couldn’t look away.
Credit : Alex Ferrelly
Throughout the night, Sir Ashley J kept the crowd engaged and the energy high, mixing sharp hosting with light-hearted humour, including a recurring bit about Mikey J being “stuck in his dressing room”. He also shared that both his and Kenrick’s children were performing that night — a touching full-circle moment that highlighted the depth of Boy Blue’s legacy. These small personal touches added warmth to the show, making it feel not just like a polished production but a genuine gathering of generations.
This year’s event also took time to reflect on Boy Blue’s legacy. With over 20 years of pushing the culture forward and building up the next generation through dance and mentorship, there was much to celebrate.
From their presence on the AQA GCSE Dance syllabus to a shout-out for long-time leader Vicky ‘Skytilz’ Mantey, the night was just as much about recognition as it was about performance. The crowd, packed with proud parents, peers and supporters, added to the atmosphere of genuine community.
A key moment came toward the end with a piece set to Kendrick Lamar, again led by Alpha Blue. It sparked a spontaneous singalong from the crowd (or maybe just me!), turning the theatre into something closer to a shared space than a staged performance. Mikey J’s music direction tied the whole show together, blending beats, samples and original compositions to back each piece with purpose and flow.
By the end of the nearly three-hour show, the audience was buzzing. The mix of age, skill level and style showed how deep the talent runs and how committed Boy Blue is to lifting up every dancer on that stage.
Their motto, Educate, Enlighten, Entertain, ran through every section of the night. More than a showcase, this was a statement. Boy Blue isn’t just performing hip-hop. They’re preserving it, pushing it forward and building a community around it that keeps it real.
Rishma