Billy Elliot the Forum

So, with a few more shows under my belt from Ogunquit, I'm still not really sure I understand how the shadow dance scene from early in act 1 - the one in which Billy makes shadow puppets on the walls - plays/fits into the story? I mean, I think I get it could be a fore"shadow" of "bigger" things to come (from Billy). But part of me also thinks I'm missing a subtlety or piece of the back story that would make me say "eureka, that makes perfect sense". I'd love to hear your thoughts.

I see it as Billy's reaction to Debbie's summary dismissal ('You look like a dickhead to me!'). But, in truth, it a a moment when scenery has to change for the Grandma scene. As such, it is not that important to the story.

My two thoughts are as follows:-
1) It is simply a 'filler', whilst some of the scenery is changed after 'Shine' and before Grandma emerges from below, sitting at the breakfast table

2) It shows that Billy didn't really get to grips with the dancing and the Ballet Girls in 'Shine', but shows what he is good at, i.e. making shadows on the wall.

Here are my thoughts on the theatrical elements of the scene:

1. Most obviously, it is a transition between the Boxing Scene/Shine and the scene with Grandma.
2. It continues and strengthens the idea that Billy loves to dance.
3. It strengthens the idea that Billy has a strong fantasy life (including his conversations with his mother, and his later flight of fantasy in the Dream Ballet).
4. It foreshadows the Dream Ballet. The shadow figure that Billy makes on the wall is, after all, a swan.
5. It is an inside joke having to do with Peter Darling's name. The huge shadow works as a reference to Peter Pan and the shadow that he has lost. Peter Pan (shadow), and Darling (the name of the family that Peter visits, adopting Wendy as the "mother" to the Lost Boys).

For the Ogunquit show, there's a remote chance that this is Billy's way of following George's instruction "You can stay where you are and practice your jabs and uppercuts."

(No punchbag except an imaginary one for the one show early on when Joel spoke the original line. One extra chuckle for the superfans.)

I think Billy is taking a moment to ponder all that has just happened: his accidental participation in a dance class, being asked to come again, and being told he has quite a nice turnout. All of this despite Debbie's dismissal.

ERinVA wrote:1. Most obviously, it is a transition between the Boxing Scene/Shine and the scene with Grandma.
2. It continues and strengthens the idea that Billy loves to dance.
3. It strengthens the idea that Billy has a strong fantasy life (including his conversations with his mother, and his later flight of fantasy in the Dream Ballet).
4. It foreshadows the Dream Ballet. The shadow figure that Billy makes on the wall is, after all, a swan.
5. It is an inside joke having to do with Peter Darling's name. The huge shadow works as a reference to Peter Pan and the shadow that he has lost. Peter Pan (shadow), and Darling (the name of the family that Peter visits, adopting Wendy as the "mother" to the Lost Boys).

I never thought of the 5th, but all of the others have always been my thinking as well. Especially in conjunction with your number 2 above, it's a mirror to the scene when Billy does the Fred Astaire stick/cane bit in the movie as Mrs. Wilkinson and Debbie drive away. It shows us Billy has a love and an appreciation for dance.

I've always thought that the best part of theater was discovering or finding hidden meaning even where there may be none.
So obviously I'm predisposed to (completely subjective!) Ellen's inside joke reference to Peter Darling - pretty cool.
Thanks for all the responses.

The scene also shows that Billy is spending his free time experimenting with dance on his own. In that sense, it is similar to the scenes in the movie where he is dancing around the streets instead of just walking to get places.