Boy Blue
Boy Blue is a UK-registered charity founded in 2001 that produces hip-hop dance theatre, runs a multi-generational youth training academy, and sells GCSE-aligned educational resources to schools, operating primarily through the Barbican, Sadler's Wells, Roundhouse, and international touring partners.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2001
- HeadquartersLondon, United Kingdom
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What Boy Blue does
Boy Blue is a UK-registered charity (No. 1189800) and hip-hop dance theatre company founded in East London in 2001 by composer Michael 'Mikey J' Asante MBE and choreographer Kenrick 'H2O' Sandy MBE. It produces large-scale theatrical productions, builds a multi-generational training community, and monetises curriculum content for schools. The core production technology is original choreography paired with original live and recorded music composition, augmented by video design and immersive staging (as deployed in Free Your Mind with Danny Boyle, Es Devlin and Sabrina Mahfouz, and the 270-degree Roundhouse staging of Cycles).
The company operates a portfolio of recurring products: signature productions (Cycles, Free Your Mind, REDD, Blak Whyte Gray, The Five & the Prophecy of Prana), youth programs (Mini Bluez ages 5-8, Sky Blue 8-11, Youth Open Class 11-16, plus named youth companies Aqua Blue, The Bluez and The Blueprint) running 40 Sundays a year with 100+ weekly dancers, and educational offerings including half-day (£250) and full-day (£350) school workshops and the GCSE-aligned Emancipation of Expressionism DVD and 87-page Education Resource Pack. Distribution is venue-led via Associate Artist status at the Barbican (since 2009) plus partnerships with Sadler's Wells, Roundhouse, Lincoln Center, and Factory International, with international touring to New York, Berlin and Holland in 2025-2026.
Revenue is assembled from co-commissioned productions (Arts Council England, Barbican, Lincoln Center, Roundhouse, Factory International), ticket sales, transactional class fees (£8-£15 per drop-in class), workshop and resource sales, commercial bookings, and donations. The customer base spans theatre audiences, secondary schools and dance colleges (curriculum buyers), and a long tail of youth dancers and their families embedded in the East London Dance Academy. Boy Blue also serves as Guest Artistic Director of the National Youth Dance Company in 2024-25, producing Gravity with 30+ young dancers.
Boy Blue firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Boy Blue
- Legal name
- Boy Blue
- Website
- https://boyblue.co.uk
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2001
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Boy Blue is a UK-registered charity founded in 2001 that produces hip-hop dance theatre, runs a multi-generational youth training academy, and sells GCSE-aligned educational resources to schools, operating primarily through the Barbican, Sadler's Wells, Roundhouse, and international touring partners.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Boy Blue industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Performing Arts
- NAICS
- Dance Companies (711120), Dance Companies (71112), Fine Arts Schools (61161), All Other Schools and Instruction (61169)
- SIC
- Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Youth/Student & Community Dance Recitals (MPAGADAI)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Children’s & Youth Theatre (MPAGABAE)
Keywords
Where Boy Blue is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- London
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
Boy Blue business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Ticket Sales: Revenue from main stage productions at major UK and international venues including Barbican, Roundhouse, Sadler's Wells, and touring to Birmingham, Manchester, New York, and Holland
- Educational Workshops: Half-day (£250) and full-day (£350) workshops for schools and institutions, plus GCSE workshops and Cycles repertoire workshops
- Educational Resources: Sale of Emancipation of Expressionism DVD (£10) and Education Resource Packs (£25 digital, £35 hard copy)
- Dance Classes: Weekly open classes for youth: Mini Bluez (age 5-8, £8), Sky Blue (age 8-11, £10), Youth Open Class (age 11-16, £15)
- Public Funding & Grants: Supported by Arts Council England, with co-commissioning from Barbican, Lincoln Center, Factory International, and other cultural bodies
- Commercial Bookings: Available for commercial work including corporate events, brand activations, and performance bookings
- Donations: Registered charity (No. 1189800) accepting donations to support the East London training Academy and developing young artists
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Mini Bluez (age 5-8) - £8 per class |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Sky Blue (age 8-11) - £10 per class |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Youth Open Class (age 11-16) - £15 per class |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Half Day Workshop - £250 + Travel + VAT |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Full Day Workshop - £350 + Travel + VAT |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Emancipation of Expressionism DVD - £10 |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | EOE Education Resource Pack - Digital £25 / Hard Copy £35 |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels7 records
Marketing channels7 records
Boy Blue product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Boy Blue is a hip-hop dance theatre company that creates and tours major stage productions combining original choreography with live music composition. Beyond performances, it operates a multi-generational youth training programme (East London Dance Academy) and delivers paid dance workshops and educational resources aligned with the UK GCSE Dance curriculum for schools and dance colleges.
Product overview
Boy Blue is a hip-hop dance theatre company founded in 2001 by Michael 'Mikey J' Asante and Kenrick 'H2O' Sandy. The company operates as a multi-product entertainment and education organization offering: (1) Major dance theatre productions including Cycles, Free Your Mind, REDD, Blak Whyte Gray, The Five & the Prophecy of Prana, Outliers, and A Night With Boy Blue showcases; (2) Film projects such as Project R.E.B.E.L; (3) Youth dance programs including Mini Bluez (ages 5-8), Sky Blue (ages 8-11), Youth Open Classes (ages 11-16), and the East London Dance Academy; (4) Educational services including Cycles Workshops, GCSE Workshops, and Emancipation of Expressionism educational resources; (5) Collaborative productions with National Youth Dance Company (Gravity) and Roundhouse (Project rEVOLUTION). The company also stages major events like annual Barbican Takeovers and Boy Blue In The Park performances at Regent's Park Open Air Theatre.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Mini Bluez: Dance classes for children aged 5-8 years, teaching hip hop foundations, street dance styles, and Boy Blue moves and grooves
- Sky Blue
- Youth Open Class
- Aqua Blue
- The Bluez
- The Blueprint
- Cycles
- Blak Whyte Gray
- REDD
- Free Your Mind
- Pied Piper: A Hip-Hop Dance Revolution
Products and services
- Cycles Hip-hop dance theatre production featuring nine powerful dancers in fluid, distilled movement; celebrates hip hop dance in all its forms and connects stage movement with live music.
- Free Your Mind Hip-hop dance theatre production reimagining The Matrix; combines hip-hop choreography with immersive design to explore technology, algorithms, and human freedom.
- REDD Dance theatre production investigating irreversible life moments and how they affect us differently; nine dancers on an introspective journey exploring inner peace after trauma.
- Blak Whyte Gray Hip-hop dance triple bill reflecting themes of identity, oppression and transcendence; performance of pure physical poetry.
- The Five & the Prophecy of Prana Narrative dance piece combining hip hop, manga, and martial arts; an original story about five young troublemakers sent to a rehabilitation camp.
- Project R.E.B.E.L Film project addressing cultural identity, belonging, and Brexit; rallying call for solidarity featuring young dancers from London unable to vote in the EU referendum.
- Gravity Production created with National Youth Dance Company as Guest Artistic Directors; toured multiple UK venues and Berlin.
- Mini Bluez Weekly dance classes for children aged 5-8 years teaching hip hop foundations, street dance styles, Boy Blue moves and grooves, choreography, and freestyle practice. Sundays 12:30-13:30, £8 per class.
- Sky Blue Weekly dance classes for children aged 8-11 years developing confidence and expression through creativity and performance skills using hip hop foundations. Sundays 13:30-15:00, £10 per class.
- Youth Open Classes Weekly open classes for young dancers aged 11-16 seeking quality street dance training with Boy Blue teachers. Sundays 12:30-14:00, £15 per class.
- Cycles Workshops In-depth workshops exploring Cycles repertoire including freestyle, musicality, social grooves, and choreographic development. Available as half-day (£250) or full-day (£350) for up to 25 students.
- GCSE Workshops Workshops based on Emancipation of Expressionism for GCSE Dance students. Available in 3-hour half-day (£250) or 5-hour full-day (£350) formats for up to 25 students.
- Emancipation of Expressionism Education Resources DVD and Education Resource Pack supporting GCSE Dance teachers and students. Includes educational cut with timecode, director's cut by Danny Boyle, backstage footage, and teaching resources. DVD £10, Digital pack £25, Hard copy pack £35.
Quantifiable outcome
- Laurence Olivier Award for Outstanding Achievement in an Affiliate Theatre (2006) for Pied Piper
- +5 more outcomes
Companies that use Boy Blue
Customer profileNamed customers8 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Boy Blue technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Boy Blue partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
13 partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and flagship.
- RoundhousecorePartnership for Roundhouse Three Sixty presenting Cycles (2026) and Project rEVOLUTION with Music Production, Poetry, and Dance Collectives. Youth programming collaboration.
- ZooNation: The Kate Prince CompanyminorPartnership on 2025 SHIFT Hip-Hop programme alongside Dancers' Career Development, supporting hip-hop artists' professional development.
- Dancers' Career DevelopmentminorPartnership on 2025 SHIFT Hip-Hop programme alongside ZooNation, supporting hip-hop artists' career transitions.
- Lincoln Center for the Performing ArtscoreCo-commissioner of Cycles (2024) alongside Barbican. Presented Cycles at Lincoln Center, New York in March 2025.
- National Youth Dance Company (NYDC)flagshipGuest Artistic Director appointment for 2024-25. Boy Blue led creation of production 'Gravity' with 30+ young dancers, touring to multiple UK venues and Berlin (Tanztreffen der Jugend festival). First NYDC piece to travel internationally.
- Factory International / Aviva StudioscoreCommissioned Free Your Mind (2023) for opening of Aviva Studios, Manchester. Cycles presented in 2025.
- Danny BoylecoreCo-creator of Free Your Mind (2023) alongside Kenrick Sandy, Michael Asante, Es Devlin, and Sabrina Mahfouz. Also collaborated on London 2012 Olympic Opening Ceremony and Emancipation of Expressionism film directed by Danny Boyle.
- Es DevlincoreCo-creative team member for Free Your Mind (2023) - providing immersive design and stage design expertise.
- Sabrina MahfouzcoreCo-creative team member for Free Your Mind (2023) - providing writing and dramaturgical expertise.
- Derry~Londonderry City of Culture 2013coreCo-commissioned The Five and the Prophecy of Prana alongside Barbican for City of Culture celebrations.
- Barbican CentreflagshipAssociate Artist relationship since 2009. Barbican is Boy Blue's primary venue partner and headquarters location. Multiple co-commissions including Cycles (2024), Blak Whyte Gray (2017), The Five (2013), and REDD (2019). Venue for A Night With Boy Blue showcases.
- Les Théâtres de la Ville de LuxembourgminorCo-producer of The Five and the Prophecy of Prana (2013) alongside Barbican.
- HOME ManchesterminorCo-producer of REDD (2019) alongside Lincoln Centre's White Light Festival.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Boy Blue competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Akram Khan Company: Internationally touring UK contemporary dance company producing large-scale narrative dance theatre productions with collaborators across theatre, music, and design. Comparable to Boy Blue in its co-creation model (Danny Boyle, Es Devlin collaborations) and international touring footprint, though in contemporary rather than hip-hop dance.
- Rambert: UK's largest contemporary dance company, producing main-stage dance theatre productions and running extensive learning programmes. Comparable business model (productions + education + touring) at a much larger scale; not hip-hop-specific but competes for the same venue slots, audiences, and Arts Council funding.
- Michael Clark Company: UK contemporary dance company with strong theatrical production profile and international touring. Jo Stendall (Boy Blue's Executive Director) previously worked at Michael Clark Company, indicating direct talent/expertise flow between the two organizations.
- English National Ballet: Major UK dance institution with extensive learning and participation programmes, comparable in combining large-scale productions with educational outreach. Competes with Boy Blue for the same Arts Council funding and venue partners (Sadler's Wells, Barbican).
- Candoco Dance Company: UK inclusive dance company producing contemporary dance theatre and running learning programmes. Comparable in being a UK charity-funded dance organization combining production with strong educational/community engagement.
- Hofesh Shechter Company: UK contemporary dance company producing theatrical dance productions with original commissioned scores and international touring. Operates at similar tier to Boy Blue in venue partnerships (Sadler's Wells) and touring relationships, though focused on contemporary rather than hip-hop dance.
Emerging players
- National Youth Dance Company (NYDC): National youth dance training company for 15-19 year olds, with which Boy Blue has a current Guest Artistic Director partnership (2024-25, Gravity production). Comparable in talent-development mission, though NYDC operates as a national training institution rather than an independent production company.
Direct peers
- Breakin' Convention: International festival of hip-hop dance theatre hosted by Sadler's Wells since 2004. Operates in the same genre and shares the same UK venue ecosystem (Sadler's Wells) as Boy Blue, and runs associated educational/outreach programmes.
- ZooNation: The Kate Prince Company: UK-based hip-hop dance theatre company founded in 2002, immediately comparable to Boy Blue in genre, mission, and audience. ZooNation is explicitly referenced as Boy Blue's partner on the 2025 SHIFT Hip-Hop programme, confirming direct peer relationship in the same niche.
- Avant Garde Dance Company: UK hip-hop dance company led by choreographer Anthony Matsena, producing full-length dance theatre productions and touring nationally. Comparable in scale, genre focus, and youth-development mission to Boy Blue.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Boy Blue social profiles
Digital presenceBoy Blue compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
Boy Blue financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Boy Blue leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles8 records
Boy Blue funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Boy Blue M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Boy Blue
What does Boy Blue do?
Boy Blue is a hip-hop dance theatre company that creates and tours major stage productions combining original choreography with live music composition. Beyond performances, it operates a multi-generational youth training programme (East London Dance Academy) and delivers paid dance workshops and educational resources aligned with the UK GCSE Dance curriculum for schools and dance colleges.
Is Boy Blue a public or private company?
Boy Blue is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Boy Blue founded?
Boy Blue was founded in 2001. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Boy Blue based?
Boy Blue is headquartered in London, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Boy Blue make money?
Seven revenue lines are on record. Ticket Sales are the primary driver. The others are educational Workshops, educational Resources, dance Classes, public Funding & Grants, commercial Bookings and donations.
Who are Boy Blue's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Akram Khan Company, Rambert, Michael Clark Company, English National Ballet, Candoco Dance Company and Hofesh Shechter Company. National Youth Dance Company (NYDC) is listed as an emerging player. Direct peers are Breakin' Convention, ZooNation: The Kate Prince Company and Avant Garde Dance Company.
Does Boy Blue have an API?
No public API is recorded for Boy Blue.
What industry is Boy Blue in?
Boy Blue's product category is Performing Arts. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAGADAI, Youth/Student & Community Dance Recitals, with a secondary code of MPAGABAE, Children’s & Youth Theatre. Its NAICS code is 711120 and its SIC code is 7812.