“I was literally the only boy for a lot of my childhood dancing.”
“When people found out that I danced at school I got bullied,” he says. The role of Older Billy is currently played by Aaron Smyth, whose own story reflects the one he is performing. The musical gives us more, however, in the form of a striking scene in which young Billy dances together with the older self he hopes to become. The 2000 film ends with only a brief glimpse of the world that young Billy finally reaches, as a now-adult Billy appears on stage as the star of Matthew Bourne’s Swan Lake. It’s an outlet to let out their emotions, to jump for joy, get out a lot of energy.” “In an era where we’re trying to get our boys especially to talk about their feelings, your music and drama is something where kids can express themselves. She has worked in music theatre for more than 20 years, but also runs a preschool music and movement program. Sontag can relate to Mrs Wilkinson on a more personal level, too. “We got to see their clothing, their hairstyles, what class they were in, how it was treated as a class war, the poverty they would have gone through in those 12 months of striking. “We watched a lot of documentaries, did a lot of talking, read articles from the time,” says Sontag. The current production brought with it a lot of work, from dialect coaching to deep dives into the social conditions of Billy’s town. The musical is known as a challenging one for actors, particularly the notoriously tough Geordie accent they must master. He becomes her reason for getting up in the morning, her muse.” In the class she sees him as amusement and then she sees how good he is and he becomes her project. She’s changed by what Billy brings to her life. “What’s important is that she really is changed by the end of the piece. Lisa Sontag, who plays the tough mentor in the current production, says that Mrs Wilkinson is taken on her own path of transformation. The Billys are doing well for themselves.Īnother character with a pivotal role in Billy’s life is his dance teacher, Mrs Wilkinson. Artistic directors around the world say that it’s now easier to find men with the talents and abilities they require than women at the same level. This year the Australian Ballet took more men than women into the company, while last year Canada’s National Ballet School reported graduating more males than females. When McAllister began dancing professionally, he jokes, if you had two legs and were a boy you’d be given a job. There’s probably a little bit more social acceptance to a boy doing tap or hip hop or even maybe jazz, but Billy Elliot breaks down that barrier to ballet as well.” “What Billy Elliot did and does is make it OK for boys to do that. A lot of his company’s male dancers started out taking classes in tap, hip hop, street dance or other styles, and their potential for something more demanding was spotted. I definitely identify with Billy Elliot.”Īustralian Ballet artistic director David McAllister is a big believer in the Billy Effect. I was so far from where I am now, but the right commitment and dedication can really take you anywhere.
I mean, I’m from the Central Coast of New South Wales, I grew up by the beach, I grew up riding horses in the country.
#Who is billy elliot professional
“I’m about to start my sixth year as a professional ballet dancer and there’s no way in hell I thought that was going to happen. Today Andrews is a dancer with the Australian Ballet.
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