Ovation

During their 12 years at The Royal Ballet between them, Michael and Billy danced all the Principal roles including: Romeo (Romeo and Juliet), Prince Siegfried (Swan Lake), Lescault and Des Grieux (Manon), Prince Charming (Cinderella), Florimund (Sleeping Beauty), Crown Prince Rudolph (Mayerling), King of the Sweets (Nutcracker) as well as creating roles for choreographers Kenneth MacMillan, Glen Tetley, Twyla Tharp, William Forsythe, David Bintley and Christopher Wheeldon. Michael was born in London and trained at the Bush Davies School and the Royal Ballet Upper School. He joined The Royal Ballet in 1987 and was promoted to First Soloist in 1997 before returning as Guest Principal for the 2004 Season. William was born in Cambridge and trained at The Royal Ballet School and joined The Royal Ballet in 1987. He was promoted to Principal in 1994 and also returned as Guest Principal for the 2004 Season. In 2000 they co-founded Balletboyz and the Company was nominated for the 2001 and 2003 South Bank Show dance awards. In 2002 Michael and William devised Critics Choice ***** which was awarded the Theatrical Management Association award for outstanding achievement in dance. The Company’s commission Broken Fall – a trio for Nunn, Trevitt and French Prima Ballerina Sylvie Guillem - was awarded the 2004 Laurence Olivier award for best new dance production. In 2007 the Boyz produced and danced in Darcey Bussell – Farewell, a tribute to The Royal Ballet’s Prinicpal ballerina on her retirement from The Royal Ballet, as well as curating and producing a gala event for the re-opening of the Royal Festival Hall entitled Ballet For The People. 2010 saw the first edition of Balletboyz’ groundbreaking new project the TALENT. Nunn and Trevitt selected nine male dancers from a variety of backgrounds and worked with them closely, mentoring and coaching to create a company of first-rate performers. The show has toured nationally and internationally to rave reviews, recently completing a sell out run at Sadler’s Wells. In Fall 2011 the Company will tour in the US. Michael and Billy both live in West London with their families. They make frequent television appearances and are regularly asked to comment on arts matters. They are Ambassadors for His Royal Highness Prince Charles’s charity Children and The Arts.

A CHANCE TO DANCE follows Michael Nunn and Billy Trevitt, two of the UK’s most prominent contemporary dancers and choreographers, in their quest to create a new dance company for Nigel Lythgoe in just 28 days. Traveling across the country, they audition dancers from dance schools in Washington, DC; Salt Lake City, UT; and Austin, TX. The competition and the pressure intensify as the final group heads to the dance mecca of Jacob’s Pillow, MA, where they must eliminate half the dancers and form a company for the grand finale: an original live performance in New York City.