S. Ama Wray and Robert Hylton choreographing in the early 2000s: The cultural politics of choreographic fusion in the United Kingdom

S. Ama Wray (formerly Sheron Wray) and Robert Hylton are part of a generation of Black British choreographers who gained recognition in the subsidized arts sector between the early 1990s and early 2000s. Their work was often labelled ‘choreographic fusion’, referring to the deliberate blending of dance styles from distinct cultural traditions. At the time, their work received little critical engagement. This article examines culturally hybrid choreography in relation to cultural policy, highlighting its role as a site of struggle for Black choreographers. It presents brief biographies of Wray and Hylton and analyses Wray’s (1998) Bare Hands, Broad Feet and Hylton’s (2001) Landscapes, focusing on their compositional methods. Stuart Hall’s theory of articulation draws attention to how their choreographies create continuities between artistic practice and cultural histories and resists dominant narratives of rupture-as-innovation. By recognizing them as creators of distinct choreographic methodologies, this article positions their stories within the broader history of contemporary choreography in Britain. Both choreographers remain active today, and their careers offer valuable insights into reinterpreting the UK dance archive of that era.