Three Boyz, Three Countries, One Dream

Reviewed by Paula Citron

Three Boyz, Three Countries, One Dream (a.k.a. King Ah De Dancehall)
Baby Boyz Dance Group (and friends)
Dance Immersion
Choreography by Trevor Brown, Kevin A. Ormsby, and Kay-Ann Ward
Enwave Theatre
Mar. 24 to 26, 2011

It would be easy to dismiss Three Boyz, Three Countries, One Dream out of hand, and the show certainly needs a lot of fixing. But there is also much to encourage.

Baby Boyz Dance Group is an ambitious urban dance company that uses hip-hop to tell serious stories. The show Three Boyz is dance theatre of epic proportions.

The story takes place in Ghana, Jamaica, and Canada, focusing on three young men, all called Stripes (played by Tabby Donaldson), who share the dream of being King of the Dancehall. Over 20 people grace the stage including actors and singers.

There is an amateur quality to the show, which includes long pauses, weak acting, and impenetrable accents. That being said, I doubt that there is another show in the country featuring urban dance on this level of wide-sweeping storytelling.

Needless to say, the dance numbers in Three Boyz are wonderful, even electrifying by the end.

The show continues at Enwave Theatre until Saturday.