Two dancers who began their training in Swindon are set to return to the town’s stage this summer as part of a major anniversary production by internationally acclaimed dance company BalletBoyz.
BalletBoyz will bring Still Pointless to the Wyvern Theatre in June as the company marks 25 years since the debut of its groundbreaking production Pointless at London’s Roundhouse.
Among the cast are Dan Baines and Dylan Jones, both of whom trained through Swindon Dance’s Centre for Advanced Training programme before going on to national and international careers in contemporary dance.
Dan Baines, who grew up in the Wiltshire countryside, joined BalletBoyz as an apprentice before touring with the company in 2022 in Deluxe.
Since graduating, he has worked alongside a wide range of leading choreographers and creatives including Tim Burton, Akram Khan and Matthew Bourne.
Alongside performing, he now teaches workshops for emerging dancers at institutions including Pineapple Dance Studios and Rambert School.
Fellow performer Dylan Jones also trained at Swindon Dance after originally beginning his movement background in parkour.
He later joined the National Youth Dance Company before studying at Rambert School of Ballet and Contemporary Dance.
Since graduating, Dylan has performed with companies including Avant Garde Dance, New Adventures and productions at Sadler’s Wells, while also developing work as a choreographer and composer.
Still Pointless revisits elements of the original Pointless production while also introducing new choreography and music.
The performance opens with an excerpt from Russell Maliphant’s acclaimed work Critical Mass, which formed part of BalletBoyz’ original Roundhouse programme in 2001.
The anniversary production also includes a world premiere from choreographer Seirian Griffiths alongside excerpts from works by Christopher Wheeldon, Maxine Doyle, Liam Scarlett, Xie Xin and Javier de Frutos.
Music featured throughout the production includes compositions by Max Richter, Cassie Kinoshi and Keaton Henson.
The performance forms part of BalletBoyz’ UK tour celebrating a quarter-century of contemporary dance across stage and screen.
