18 Billy Elliots Reunite on Stage for a Moving Homecoming

[I have one question for you, Billy! How does it feel when you dance?]

The curtain, which had fallen after the performance of Billy Elliot, rises once again.

Starting with ballet dancer Lim Sun-woo, the Billys from the first generation onwards take turns answering the final question posed to the young boy Billy before his audition for the Royal Ballet School.

In celebration of the Billy Elliot Homecoming Day, 18 actors who have played the role across the 2010, 2017, 2021, and the current 2026 seasons gathered on a single stage.

The theater erupted in cheers as the special curtain call concluded, joined by the child actors currently playing the role of Michael.

[Ji Yoon-ho / 4th Generation Michael: Seeing the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd generation Billys was overwhelming. I was amazed to see them perform ballet and acrobatics even better than I expected.]

The Billys from the 2010 Korean premiere have grown into adults, leading intense lives as professional ballet dancers, actors, and office workers.

[Park Jun-hyung / 1st Generation Billy (Actor): There are fans here who loved and cherished us during the premiere. I want to express my deepest gratitude, as I wouldn't be standing here today without them.]

For Lim Sun-woo, a 1st generation Billy who is now a principal dancer at the Universal Ballet, this season is particularly special as he performs as Adult Billy.

[Lim Sun-woo / 1st Generation Billy (Principal Dancer at Universal Ballet): I feel very happy these days. When I lift the young Billys into the air during the Dream Ballet sequence, it feels like I am lifting my 16-year-old self. It makes me emotional, and I am dancing with such joy. I am spending an unforgettable time in my life.]

Billy Elliot is a title role that requires young boys, before their voices change, to lead the stage with skills honed over nearly two years, including ballet, tap dance, acrobatics, as well as singing and acting.

The boys who once lived intensely as Billy Elliot are all, much like Billy, currently running toward their own respective dreams.

[Kim Hyun-jun / 2nd Generation Billy (University Student): In 2017, when I was 13, I discovered my dream of becoming a ballet dancer on this stage. The moments I spent doing my absolute best, hoping the audience would not regret watching the show, have shaped who I am today.]

[Jeon Gang-hyuk / 3rd Generation Billy (Arts High School Student): (During the 3rd generation performances) it overlapped with the COVID-19 pandemic, so I had never heard cheers like this before. Could you do that one more time?]

Jung Jin-ho, a 1st generation Billy working as an investment banking analyst in Hong Kong, Eric Taylor, a 2nd generation Billy living in New Zealand, and Seong Ji-hwan, a 2nd generation Billy studying in the UK, all returned to Korea just for this day and sweated together in the practice room.

What does Billy Elliot mean to them?

[Eric Taylor / 2nd Generation Billy (Living in New Zealand): I think Billy gave me the courage and confidence to overcome difficult things.]

[Jung Jin-ho / 1st Generation Billy (Investment Banker in Hong Kong): If you work hard and always try to find meaning in experiences that seem unrelated, the direction you are meant to go in is decided naturally. And I think Billy was that starting point for me.]

The Homecoming Day, which brought together the past leads of Billy Elliot, was a meaningful moment where both actors and the audience shared memories and promised to look toward the future.

Reported by Kim Soo-hyun | Video by Kim Jong-mi | VJ by Oh Se-gwan | Video courtesy of Seensee Company | Produced by SBS Digital News
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.