Focus, discipline and the ability to be yourself, these are the main attributes you need to be a male dancer, says Leon Poulton, from the eight-strong troupe BalletBoyz. The all-male dance group is coming to Watford Palace Theatre this weekend with a reworking of its groundbreaking show, TALENT.

BalletBoyz is the brainchild of former Royal Ballet lead dancers Michael Nunn and William Trevitt, who formed the company in 2001.

In 2009, the pair decided to retire from dancing and pass on their skills to a younger generation.

BalletBoyz has been nominated for the prestigious National Dance Awards Critics’ Circle, in the category of Best Independent Company, and TALENT won the 2011 London Dance Award at this year’s London Festival Fringe.

The story of their success is an uplifting tale of the determination to make fresh and exciting new choreography and produce dynamic and inspirational dance.

Michael and William put together a new dance group from scratch featuring eight dancers, who were handpicked from open auditions. Among them was Leon Poulton, who graduated from Laban in 2009 with a first class honours degree. An all-round sportsman and gymnast, Leon started dancing at the age of 16 when the Balletboyz ran workshops at his Essex school.

Leon, now 23, says: “Working in an all-male group there’s a completely different atmosphere. We’re all quite relaxed around each other when we’re working and creating. You need that enjoyment to be creative and just be yourself and venture out there.“

Last summer saw the boys venture further than ever with a summer camp in Martha‘s Vineyard in America as well as working with Ethiopian dancers and choreographers. During this trip, Leon got the chance to create some original choreography of his own.

“I was teaching a small group of dancers and got them to join in our performance on stage. Doing something like this you really do find out that dance is universal. You pick up a lot just by watching and learning the rhythms and movements of others and that bonds you.“

Training more than eight hours a day for at least five days a week, BalletBoyz is more than just a day job. Each of the dancers brings individual talents as well and it is this that makes them so exciting to watch.

“The most important thing I‘ve learned is to put yourself across in your dance not to be a robot.“

The show comes to Watford Palace Theatre, Clarendon Road, Watford on Saturday, January 14 at 7.45pm. Details: 01923 225671, www.watfordpalacetheatre.co.uk