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Langenscheidt
English Language Teaching
S C H O L A S T I C
Billy Elliot
By Melvin Burgess
Based on a motion picture screenplay
written by Lee Hall
LEVEL 1
M S C H O L A S T I C
Contents
-|
Billy Elliot
4-31
people and places
4
Chapter 1: Billy: I love to boogie

Chapter 2: Billy: Boys dont do ballet!

Chapter 3: Billy: Do the spin
C
V
J
Chapter 4: Jackie: My son Billy
14
Chapter 5: Billy: Just you and me
15
Chapter 6: Billy: Mams dance
18
Chapter 7: Billy: Black Friday
20
Chapter 8: Tony: Happy Christmas!
22
Chapter 9: Billy: Youre in trouble now
25
Chapter 10: Jackie: The scab bus
26
Chapter 11: Billy: A stupid dream
28
Chapter 12: Jackie: The letter
30
Epilogue: Jackie: Our Billy!
31
Fact Files
32-37
Ballet shoes!
32
Lets dance!
34
1984: the miners strike
36
Self-Study Activities
Jackie Elliot
Billy's dad. He's a miner. He's
on strike.
Tony Elliot
Billy's brother. He's 20 years
old. He's a miner and he's on
strike too. He hates the
police and he hates scabs.
Mrs Wilkinson I
'Miss'
Billy's ballet teacher. She lives
with her husband and
daughter Debbie. She teaches
ballet at the Social. The girls
and Billy call her 'Miss'.
Billy Elliot
Billy is 12 years old. He lives in
Everington with his dad, brother and
nan. His mum died two years
ago. He loves music and
dancing.
Places
Billy's best friend.
Billy's grandmother.
She's 80. She loved
dancing when she
was young.
Police and miners in 1984.
Everington is a mining town
near Durham in the north-east
of England. Most of the men
here are miners.
The story starts in 1984.
Mines are closing all over
Britain. The miners are angry.
They want to keep their jobs.
There are no other jobs for the
miners in Everington. They
decide to go on strike.
But some miners still go to
work. They want the money.
The strikers call them 'scabs'.
The Social is a club for the
people of Everington. They
meet their friends here and
have a beer. There are boxing
lessons and ballet lessons at
the Social.
Billy and his family live in a street
like this.
The Royal Ballet School is a
big school in London. They
teach ballet here.
Billy Elliot
Chapter 1 Billy: 1love to boogie'
I hate my brother. He's stupid but he has got some good
music. I li sten to his music when he's out at work wi th my
dad. Well - they're not at work, not now. They're on stri ke.
But they stil l go to the mine every day.
Nan loves the music too. Tony and Dad leave in the
morning, then the music goes on. I make breakfast for us
and we both dance. I can hear her in her bedroom. She
tri es to dance but she can't walk very well now - well , she
is eighty.
This morning, I made the eggs and danced to her
bedroom.
'Hey, Nan! Breakfast!' I called. I opened the door with
my foot and ... Oh no! Not again! Her bed was empty.
I put the eggs on the kitchen table and ran out of the
house. Where was she? She does this a lot. She forgets
things - she forgets her name.
I looked up the street. 'Nan! NAN!' Whi ch way? Then I
had an idea. I ran to the end of the street and up to some
trees. There she was. She often goes there. Why? Who
knows? Maybe she played there when she was little. She
looked frightened.
'Who are you?' she said.
O
'I t's me, Nan. Bi l l y!'
She di dn't look very happy. Then we both heard
something. Behi nd us ... on the road ... we saw them ...
lots of them. The pol ice. Their clothes were bl ack and they
had batons.
Nan looked at me. 'What are they?' she asked.
'Pol i ce, Nan. I t's the pol i ce.'
'Are they here for us?' she asked.
'No, Nan. Not us.' I said.
'I s it Jackie? Is it Tony?' she asked. I di dn't answer. I
di dn't want to know the answer. I took my nan's arm and
we walked slowly home.
* * *
'I love to boogi e / Ji tterbug boogi e ...' I 'm tryi ng to play
'Cosmi c Boogi e' on the piano and thinki ng about Mam*. It
was her piano. Mam's dead. She died two years ago. I
think about her a lot.
I 'v e got a l etter from her. She wrote it before she died.
'I 'm still here, Billy,' she wrote. But she i sn't here. She's
dead.
Mam was good at the piano. She played for all of us. I 'd
like piano lessons but they're too expensive. We hav en't
got the money. My dad's always tell i ng us that. We hav en't
got much. Not now that there's a strike.
'Bill y! Stop that!'
I t's Dad. He's goi ng out again with Tony in a minute.
Why do I have to stop? He's not goi ng to be here!
'Why ...?' Then I say the wrong thi ng. 'I f it was Mam ...'
Dad comes over. He closes the piano with a BANG!
'I 'm not tell i ng you agai n!'
I go to my room. Back to Tony's music ...
*Some peopl e in the north of Engl and say
'Mam'. Peopl e in the south say 'Mum'.
O
Chapter 2 Billy: Boys dont do ballet!
'Bi l l y Ell iot - this i sn't a tea party - i t's a boxi ng lesson!
Hi t hi m!'
I t's Saturday morning and I 'm at the boxi ng cl ub at the
Social. This morning, I 'm against Greavesy and he's bi gger
than me. I have my own ideas about boxing. I t's all about
your feet. So, I run and turn and jump. I move quickly.
Greavesy just stands there. George, the teacher, i sn't
happy.
'Hi t hi m! Don't dance around!'
BANG! I 'm on the floor. Greavesy's standing over me
and he's smil ing. I can hear George.
'Bi l l y Elli ot! Get up! You're goi ng to do it right. You're
not goi ng home yet.'
I get up. George pull s me to the punchbag. 'Hi t it! Your
poor father. He pays for boxi ng lessons. And this
happens!' And on ... and on ... and on ...
I 'm angry now. I hi t the punchbag. I hate the punchbag.
O
* * *
'Arms up. And one -
and two and three
and four. Feel the
musi c.'
On the other
side of the room,
there's a bal l et
cl ass. Someone's
pl ayi ng the
piano. One and
two and three and
four. As the music
plays, I hi t the
punchbag.
'One and two.' And bang
and hit. 'And three and four.' And hi t and bang.
'That's better,' George says. 'Stay here and get it right.
See you next week.'
And he goes out. All the other boys go too.
'Ri ght, girl s. And ... one and two. Debbie - don't look at
me. Look in front of you! And three ... and four ...'
I go and watch. I t's clever. They all dance together. Left
and two, and down and two, and turn and two. I try it. I
stretch out my leg. Yeah - easy!
'Why don't you try?'
I t's Debbie. She goes to my school .
'Nah,' I say. Boys don't do ballet!
'Legs up!'
They all stretch thei r legs. Mrs Wil kinson - she's the
teacher - walks around and looks closely at each leg.
I try it. Debbie laughs at me. 'Your l eg's movi ng!'
I look down. She's right. 'I 'm weari ng boxi ng shoes,' I
tell her.
O
Mrs Wil kinson takes a ci garette from her pocket. She
smokes a lot. 'OK, girl s. And ... one and two and three and
four.'
I want to do it too. I try but i t's di fficul t. I start to li sten
to the music. I t's easier then.
'Shoes off!' Miss is in front of me.
'Not me, Miss ...'I start to say - but she's already
walking down the room. I take off my shoes and then
she's back again - with bal l et shoes.
'Here you are,' she says, 'You can't dance in boxi ng
shoes.'
I don't know, but then I think 'Why not?'
* * x
So, I do it. I do bal l et for the first time. It i sn't easy but
Miss is a good teacher. We're all standing on one leg with
0
the other leg behind. Miss comes over.
'I like the l eg/ she says, and then walks off. She doesn't
say much but I 'm happy.
* * *
I 'm walking home later and Miss dri ves by. She sees me
and stops the car. Debbi e's sitti ng in the back. Oh, I think,
Debbi e's her daughter!
Miss is stil l smoking. She looks at me. 'I t's 50p a lesson,
you know. Bri ng me the money next week.'
T can't. I 'm goi ng to boxi ng.'
'You're terrible at boxi ng!' says Debbie, and laughs.
'Be qui et!' Miss looks around at Debbie and then back at
me. 'Di dn't you enjoy it today?'
I don't say anything.
'I t's your l i fe,' she says and off
they go.
Miss was right. I enjoyed it
but the music was a bit
boring. I think about
Fred Astaire. My nan
l oves him. He can
dance! I want to
dance like him.
I run and jump
down the
road. Fred
Astai re's music
is playing in my
head and I feel great!
Chapter 3 Billy: Do the spin
I think about bal l et all the time. One and two and up
and down. Mi ss's words and the music are always in my
head. But there's a problem - 1 feel stupi d! And then
there's my dad. And Tony! Miners don't do ball et. Mi ners'
sons don't do ball et. Miners don't do much when they're
on strike.
The strike is goi ng to end soon. I heard it on the TV. The
cold w eather's coming. The strikers and thei r famil ies are
goi ng to be cold and hungry. They're goi ng to need
money. The strike is goi ng to be over by Christmas.
People know about the bal l et at school but I don't care.
Some of the boys laugh at me.
'Hey, Bil ly! Where are your pink bal l et shoes today?'
What do they know? Debbie Wi l ki nson's al ways talking
to me too. She and her mam are posh - not like my family.
She walked home wi th me from school the other day.
'Lots of boys do ball et, you know,' she said.
'Don't be stupid. Who? Who do we know?'
'No one here but lots of men do it. Are you coming next
week?' She looked at me.
I 'm goi ng to boxing. My dad says,' I said. I was a bi t
angry.
'OK.' She walked off. She li ves in the ni ce part of town.
In a posh house with a posh garden. Her and her mam
don't know anything about our life. Then the music comes
back in my head. I start to dance. And I forget about my
life too.
* * *
I 'v e got this fri end, Michael . He hates football - not like
me. We're different but we're best friends. I can talk to hi m
about things. I told hi m about the ball et. I did some of the

moves. He thinks i t's cool.

'Leg out, arm out, one two!' I said. 'Eyes to the front.'
Michael laughed. 'When's the next lesson?'
'I 'm not goi ng,' I said. 'Bal l et's for gi rl s. I feel stupi d.'
'You are stupi d!' Michael laughed. 'Anyway, i t's not just
for girl s. I t's different for men. Men are stronger.'
He was right. I can jump hi gher than the gi rl s in the
bal l et class. And I 'm better than most of them.
So I went again. On Saturday, I took my 50p from the
kitchen table and I went to the Social. This week, the class
was in a different room. That was good because I di dn't
want to see George.
At the start, it was bor
I di dn't know the moves
So I stopped. Miss came
over.
'What are you
doi ng?'
'I don't know the
moves, Mi ss,' I said.
'Fol l ow the girl s. Go
the back and watch them
And ... one, two, three.'
That was OK but it was stil l a bit
boring. Then Miss showed us the spin. You spin around
and around very fast and then you stop. You must stay in
the same pl ace. It looks great but i t's very di fficul t. You fall
on the floor a lot. We all tri ed it.
'Do it at home,' Miss sai d, 'Try again and again. You can
do i t.'
At the end of the class, Miss came over to me. 'So, are
you coming next week?'
'I don't know, Mi ss.'
She looked at my bal l et shoes. 'Gi ve me those, then.'

I di dn't want to. I

wanted to learn the
spin and do it at
boxing. I wanted to see
George's face!
'No, i t's OK,' I said
and I gave her my 50p.
She took it and went
off. She di dn't say
anything.
At home, Nan was in
the ki tchen.
'Bal l et shoes! How
l ovel y!' she said.
'Don't tell Dad!' I sai d and ran into my room. Luckily,
Dad and Tony were out. Dad is NOT goi ng to understand
about bal l et shoes. Dad i sn't goi ng to understand about
any of this.
I put the bal l et shoes under my bed wi th my boxi ng
things. Anyway, I 'm goi ng to go to boxi ng soon. I 'm goi ng
to go when I can do the spin ...
Chapter 4 Jackie: My son Billy
There's something funny about Bil ly at the moment.
He's a bi t different from the other boys - I know that. But
now, i t's this 'spi nni ng'.
He does it everywhere. He puts out hi s arms and spins
around and around. He looks a bi t stupid. Like a girl! He
doesn't care - not Billy.
'I t's a boxi ng move,' he tell s me.
Boxing! Someti mes, I can't bel ieve Bil ly is my son.
Then, there's the strike. We started four months ago.
We're so poor now. We hav en't got money for anything.
0
What's goi ng to happen? We don't know. Maybe they're
goi ng to close the mines. Maybe they decided a l ong time
ago. So why are we doi ng this? Tony's angry. I see it in hi s
eyes - every day at the mine. What's he goi ng to do i f
there's no mine?
Some men choose to work. We call them 'scabs'. The
strikers stand together at the mine. The scabs go through
in buses. There are pol i ce everywhere. We shout at the
buses. We bang on the windows. The scabs look
frightened. I 'm not surprised.
This morning, I was next to George. I t was col d. We
waited for the scab buses.
'Li sten, Jacki e/ he said, 'Forget the money - the 50p for
the boxing. I don't do it for the money.'
'What?!' I di dn't understand.
'I t's Billy. He doesn't come to boxi ng now. Is it because
of the money?'
I started to think. Where did Bil ly go every Saturday
morning?
Then a bus came in and everyone started to shout.
'SCAB! SCAB! SCAB!'
I shouted wi th the other men but I thought about other
things. Tomorrow was Saturday. Bi l l y's boxi ng day. I had
an idea ...
Chapter 5 Billy: Just you and me
I can spin now! I can do everythi ng - all the moves.
Miss teaches me for a lot of the lesson. The girls aren't
happy about it.
'Mi ss - what about us?' they say.
She doesn't listen. 'I 'm busy!'
Then it happened. Michael often said to me, 'What
about your dad? What are you goi ng to do?'
0
Yeah, it happened. I was in the centre of the class. Miss
was next to me.
'And stretch your leg, Billy.'
I looked up and there he was by the door. His face was
red. Miss saw hi m too. The music stopped.
'You! Out! Now!' he shouted.
Miss wanted to say something but I stopped her. I had
enough problems. I foll owed Dad out of the Social .
* * *
'Bal l et!'
We were in the ki tchen. Dad di dn't speak to me when
we left the Social. Maybe he was too angry - I don't know.
'What's wrong with bal l et?' I said. 'Lots of peopl e do it.'
Dad's face was red again.
'Lots of GI RLS do bal l et, Billy. Not boys! Boys do
football or boxi ng.'
It was true in a way. Ball et i sn't boxing. You don't hi t
anyone. I t's not mining. So my dad can't understand it.
So i t's not boxi ng or mining. Well, so what? I 'm not the
same as my dad. I can be different.
'I li ke danci ng, Dad. That's all it is - danci ng. Why's
that so bad?'
'Li sten, forget about danci ng! You're not doi ng it!
Understand?'
I jumped up and shouted in hi s face, 'I hate you!' I ran
out of the house. I ran and ran. I hated my dad. I loved
danci ng and I was good at it. I knew that. Miss knew it
too. Suddenly, I wanted to see her.
x x x
I was in Mi ss's house. It was funny. Me, Debbie, Miss
and her husband. He was funny too. He was always in the
pub, Debbie said. He always had a beer in hi s hand.
'Oh, i t's li ttl e Gene Kel l y/ he
sai d when he saw me.
'Be quiet, Tom/ Miss said. 'You're
not in the pub now.'
I had dinner with them. Later, Miss
took me home in her car. She stopped near
my house and looked at me.
'Billy, I 'm thinki ng about the Royal Ball et
School .'
'Aren't you a bi t old, Mi ss?' I said.
'Not me! You! There's an audition in
Newcastle*. In two weeks.'
Ball et school? Me? Ball et - all day,
every day ...
'Can you do bal l et as a job
then, Mi ss?' I asked her.
'Yes, if you're good
enough.'
'But I don't know any thi ng/
'Look.' She took a cigarette from her bag. They teach
you. I t's a school . And ...' She waited a mi nute.' I think
you're good enough.'
Wow! She di dn't usuall y say anything ni ce.
'What about my dad?'
'I can speak to hi m i f you want.'
'No! Please, Mi ss.' I knew my dad.
'I can give you more l essons/ she sai d, 'Just you and
me. Don't think about the money. I 'm not doi ng it for the
money.'
I thought about it. My dad di dn't know about it and
that was wrong. But I wanted to be a dancer.
I smi led at Miss, 'OK, then.'
*A bi g ci ty in the north-east of Engl and.

She smi led too. She di dn't usuall y smile.

'Si x o'cl ock on Monday at the Soci al / she said.
'OK/ I opened the car door.
'Oh, and Bi l l y Bring something wi th you. Something
that's i mportant to you. We must think of an idea for the
audition dance.'
Chapter 6 Billy: Mams daoce
There w asn't much time - the audi ti on was in two
weeks. I met Miss al most every ni ght. 'I 'm goi ng to
Mi chael 's house/ I told Dad.
The first evening, I had some things wi th me. My
footbal l. Some T. Rex music - 'I li ke to boogi e'. It was
Tony's. I di dn't ask hi m. Then there was the letter from my
mam.
Miss started to read the letter. 'Dear Billy.' She stopped.
'Can I read this, Bil ly?'
'Yeah/ I said.
' "I 'm sti ll here, Billy. You can't see me. But I am. I 'm
always wi th you. Don't forget that. And I love you. Be true
to Bil ly Ell iot, all your l i fe." '
Miss looked away and di dn't say anything.
A r e you OK, Mi ss?' I asked. 'She's goi ng to cry/ I
thought.
'She was a very special person, Bi l l y/ she said.
'Nah - she was just my mam/ I said.
'What did your mam like doi ng?' she asked me.
'She li ked musi c/ I sai d, and then we listened to the
T. Rex musi c.
'I like to boogie
Ji tterbug boogi e
I li ke to boogie
On a Saturday ni ght.'
0
'I t's happy musi c/ Miss sai d, 'Dance music. And your
mam li ked thi s?'
'Aye*.'
'Then this is our dance, Billy. Let's go!'
We danced and jumped and ran around. We thought of
lots of new moves.
'Now, think about your mam/ Miss said. 'She's
watchi ng you. She's smi li ng and laughi ng.'
And it worked! I thought about mam and I di d a great
spin. I was on top of the world!
* * *
At home, things were very di fferent. No one was on top
of the world. There were pol ice all over the town. They
frightened me.
Tony was never frightened. He shouted a lot at Dad.
'What's wrong with you?! This strike is our only hope!'
Dad di dn't answer. He just sat there and said nothing. I
was sorry for hi m.
x x x
Tonight, I 'm in bed, and I hear something in the kitchen.
I t's Dad and Tony. I sit up and listen. Tony sounds very
angry.
'I 'm not goi ng to sit at home and do nothi ng!!' he
shouts. 'You think i t's the end, but for me, i t's the start.
Now, move!'
I run into the kitchen. Tony has a baton - a pol ice baton.
Where did he get that? What's he goi ng to do wi th it?
This ti me, Dad shouts back, 'You're not going! And
you're not goi ng to use that.' He's l ooking at the baton.
*Some peopl e in the north say 'Aye' for 'Yes', speci all y
in Scotland. Bi l l y 's dad comes from Scotland.
'Forget about the poli ce! They're doi ng a
job - that's al l .'
'Try and stop me, then!' says Tony. 'You
can't do anything. You're nothing. Without
Mam, you're NOTHI NG!'
They're by the back door. Dad's face is
white. Suddenly he hi ts Tony. CRACK! Tony
falls to the floor.
'Stop it! Stop i t!' I shout.
Tony gets up slowly. He doesn't
say a word. He doesn't l ook at Dad.
He just runs out of the door. The
baton is under his arm. Dad doesn't
stop hi m this time.
Chapter 7 Billy: Black Friday
'Bil ly! You're not tryi ng! Arm up!'
'What?'
I 'm at the Social wi th Miss but I can only think about
last ni ght and my dad and Tony.
'Eyes to the front!'
BANG! Dad hi ts Tony.
'Do it again, Bi l l y!'
BANG! Tony's on the floor.
'Billy, that's not good enough!'
'I can't!'
Suddenl y I hate her.
She's standing right next to me and smoking in my face.
'Do it agai n!' she says.
'No!'
'What?!' She can't bel i eve it.
Suddenly, I am angry about everythi ng. Last ni ght, the
audition. Everythi ng's goi ng wrong. Tony was right about

one thing. Without Mam, we're all nothing. And she's

never coming back.
I run out of the room. Miss foll ows me.
'Billy, I 'm sorry,' she says. 'I want to help you.'
'No, you don't. The audi ti on's for you - not for me.'
'That's not true!' she says.
I can't stop now. 'What have you got? Nothing. No
dance school. What are you? You're nothi ng!'
'Don't speak to me like that!' Then, she hi ts me across
the face. She looks very surprised. I 'm surprised too!
I want to run. But ... I can't leave. I must dance. And
because I can't leave, I start to cry.
She puts out her arms. 'I 'm sorry, Billy.'
And I cry in her arms for about five minutes. I can't
stop.
'Ri ght,' she says. 'I s that enough?'
'Yes,' I say. 'Sorry, Mi ss.'
'Ri ght, then,' she says. 'Let's start agai n.'
* * *
There was something di fferent about that Friday. Black
Friday, Dad call ed it. The audition was the next morning.
I walked home after my last lesson wi th Miss. I was
happy I did my audition dance in my head. Then I turned
into our road ... and saw them all. There were pol ice
everywhere.
Mrs Watts li ves near us. She saw me and pull ed me into
her house.
'Get in, Bil ly!'
'What's happeni ng?'
'I t's your* Tony. He's in trouble. The pol ice want hi m.'
*I n the north people sometimes say 'your Bi l l y' or
'our Tony'; it means the person is in your family.
Tony! I di dn't understand. Where did he go at ni ght?
What did he do?
My Dad and Tony - speciall y Tony - hate the pol ice.
Now, I understand.
I saw one man. He was in front of one of the pol ice. The
pol i ceman hi t hi m with hi s baton. He di dn't stop. He hi t
hi m again and again.
Then I saw our* Tony. He ran up the road with the
pol ice all around hi m. They were faster than hi m. I ran to
the door.
Tony ! In here!' He di dn't hear me. It was too loud -
everyone shouted, batons banged on doors.
After that, I saw about twenty pol ice - all together. And
our Tony was under them ...
Chapter 8 Tony: Happy Christmas!
I stayed in the pol ice stati on that ni ght. There was no
bed. 'Where do I sl eep?' I asked. They laughed. I was
bl ack and blue. I hate the pol ice.
Next morning I sat in the courtroom. There was a bi g
pol i ceman next to me. I saw Dad and our Billy. Dad was
angry but he di dn't say anything. It was over very quickly.
Pay the court one hundred pounds, they said. We
hav en't got any money. They know that.
'And a happy Christmas to you too,' I shouted.
'Get out of here!' sai d the pol iceman.
We walked home - me, Dad and Billy. I wanted to get
home and go to bed. I wanted to cry like a li ttle boy. But
there was this woman, in front of our house.
'Who's that?' I asked. She came up to Billy. Di d she
know hi m?
'Where were you, Bi ll y? What happened?'

Bi l ly di dn't want to say anything. But she wai ted.

'Our Tony was in court/ he said quietly. 'I went too.' He
di dn't look at her.
Our dad looked at Bi ll y and this woman. Did he know
her too? 'What's goi ng on?' I thought.
'Let's go i n / Dad said.
'What's all this about?' I said. I di dn't want this. Things
were bad enough. I di dn't li ke this woman. She was posh.
She had posh clothes. She wasn't li ke us.
We went into the l ivi ng room. Bil ly di dn't look very
happy. 'He's in troubl e/ I thought. Then she started.
'Today, Bil ly had an audition for the Royal Ball et
School. I know things are difficult b u t...'
I di dn't bel ieve my ears. I laughed. I looked at Bil ly and
laughed again.
'What?! Bal l et?!' I said.
I went over to the woman and shouted in her face.
'My brother does not do ball et, you stupid woman! My
brother is not goi ng to do bal l et!'
Her face was white. She was frightened but she di dn't
move.
0
'Don't shout at me/ she said. 'Bi l l y 's a very good
dancer. Where does he go after school every day? You
don't know and you don't care.'
I wanted to hi t her. She knew but she di dn't care.
'I s Bil ly goi ng to be li ke you?' she sai d to me. 'No job,
no hope? Do you want that for Bil ly?'
'He's not goi ng to be a scab,' I shouted. 'Look at hi m.
He's only 12. He's a chil d. And you're putting stupid ideas
in his head.'
'You learn better when you're young,' said Billy.
'Shut i t!' I shouted at hi m. I turned back to her. 'My
brother is not runni ng around in a stupid dress for you or
anyone.'
'I t's not for me,' she said. 'I t's for Billy.' And then she
turned to Billy. 'See you, Bi l l y!' she sai d and walked out of
the house.
'Get out of our house!' I shouted at her. 'And don't
come back!' She di dn't hear.
I wanted to hi t Bil ly then. I wanted to hi t someone. But
he was behind our dad.
'Shut up! I hate you!' he shouted at me. I looked at him.
'He's right - he hates me,' I thought.
'You l ittl e ...'I tried to hi t hi m, but Dad stopped me.
Bi l ly ran out of the back door.
I looked at Dad. 'I 'm goi ng to the p u b/ I said. I banged
the door on my way out. And if I see that posh woman
again ...

Chapter 9 Billy: Youre in trouble now

Th at was the worst Christmas of my l i fe!' I said. I was
with Michael. It was the day after Christmas and we were
out in the cold.
'No Christmas tree, no nothi ng!' And no Mam.
'Have some of thi s.' He had some of hi s dad's beer. I
tried it.
'Yeuch! I don't li ke i t,' I said.
'What do you want to do then?' asked Michael.
'Let's go to the Soci al !'
'Why?' Michael asked, 'There's no one there now.'
'So l et's go!' I sai d and we went.
* * *
Michael and I were in the boxi ng club.
'OK,' I said, 'You're the girl. Up and one and two.'
We did some of the moves together. It was good to
dance again. Suddenly, Michael stopped.
'What is i t?' I looked at the door. It was my dad. This
ti me, I di dn't want to run. I di dn't care.
I walked over to hi m. I looked at hi m. And then I did
my audition dance. I jumped and spun. I wanted to show
Dad everythi ng. When I finished, he di dn't say anything.
dances. That was me.
A you do that for?'
He looked at me and
Ell iot. Bil ly Ell iot
ran out of the room.
'Billy, what did
well , that was Bil ly
sai d Michael.
'You're in big
trouble now!'
He was ri ght but,
Chapter 10 Jackie: The scab bus
I 'm almost runni ng down that road. Bil ly ... our Billy.
He's good at something - no, not good ... fantasti c! Now, I
don't know much about ball et. I t's for posh peopl e - like
that Mrs Wilkinson. But maybe ... just maybe ...
My head's spinning and I 'm thinki ng about my Sarah.
My wife. I can almost hear her.
'Hel p the boy, Jackie! What's wrong with you?! He's our
son.'
She's right. That Mrs Wil kinson is ri ght too. I 'm goi ng to
see her - now.
Her husband opens the door. He looks at me.
'I n there,' he says.
I go into the li vi ng room. There she is with her
cigarettes.
'How much is it goi ng to cost?' I ask her.
'Happy Christmas to you too!' she says, then she smil es.
'Si t down.'
* * *
Tm OK.' I don't want to stay for long. 'How much?'
'For the audition? The cost of the bus to London and a
hotel for the ni ght. I can help ...'
'I don't want your money!' I say. 'How good is he?'
She smokes her cigarette and looks at me. 'He's the best,
Mr El l i ot.'
'Thanks.' I leave. I need time. I must think.
What can I do? But I already know the answer.
* * *
I t's six o'cl ock in the morning, and I 'm wai ti ng for the
bus with the other men. I t's the scab bus.
I 'm doi ng it for Billy. I must help hi m - he's my son.
I di dn't sleep last ni ght ... I 'm doi ng it for one week.
One week's money for our Bi l l y's audition.
Our Tony doesn't know. No one knows yet. Only the
other scabs.
The bus comes and we all get on. No one speaks as we
drive there. When we arrive, I can hear the men. 'Scab,
scab, scab!' they shout.
I know the words. I shouted them last week ...
We drive through the men. BANG, BANG, BANG! They
bang on the bus windows. The pol ice try to stop them. The
bus stops. Their faces are so close. I 'm very frightened
now. I look around me. Some of the scabs put thei r hands
over thei r faces. Not me. I don't care. I look out of the
window and then I see hi m. I t's Tony. He's looking back at
me. He can't bel i eve hi s eyes. I don't know what to do. HE
CAN'T BELIEVE HI S EYES. The bus moves on.
X X X
'Dad, Dad! What are you doi ng?'
I 'm off the bus. I 'm goi ng to go into the mine. And there
he is - our Tony. He's call ing to me. He's like a l ittl e boy
agai n. I go over to hi m.
'I 'm sorry, son. I t's for Bil ly,' I say and then I start to cry.
'You can't go back, Dad. Not now.' Tony looks at me
and he's crying too.
'There's another way, Dad. We can help Billy. Pl ease!'
* * *
So, I di dn't go into the mine. I went home wi th our
Tony. I told hi m all about Bil ly and the ball et.
'We're goi ng to find that money, Dad,' he said. 'Bi l l y 's
goi ng to the audition.'
Tony had to be strong. I w asn't - not now.
Chapter 11Billy: A stupid dream
I 'm on a bus to London wi th my dad. I can't bel i eve it.
Wasn't it all a stupid dream - me and the Royal Ball et
School? But peopl e in the town helped wi th the money. We
had a dance at the Social ... and then, there were some of
my mam's things. Tm goi ng to sell them,' Dad sai d one
morning. I don't want to think about that.
* * *
I hated the Royal Ball et School when I saw it. It was so
big and posh.
'How much is this goi ng to cost?!' Dad said.
I changed into my dance clothes. There were other boys
there. They were posh too. They di dn't understand my
Engl ish.
'Sorry?' 'What did you say?'
'Oh, shut i t!'
Then there was the audition. There were five peopl e
from the Royal Ball et School there. They sat behind a long
table. They di dn't li ke me.
'Do you have some music, Bi l l y?' I gave it to them.
T. Rex. It wasn't right for that place. I know that now.
I di dn't dance. I di dn't move. I just looked at them.
Then, I heard Miss in my ear.
'Billy, you're not tryi ng. Go on - just do it!'
So, I did it - badly. When I finished, nobody said
anything. They wrote some things down. Then one of
them sai d, 'Thank you, Billy. You can go now.'
I almost ran out of there. All that work, all that money -
for nothing. I just wanted to go home.
* * *
But it wasn't over. They call ed me and Dad into the
audition room again. We sat in front of that long table.
'Now, Billy, we have some questi ons for you,' one of
them said, 'Why do you li ke bal l et?'
I di dn't answer. I w asn't right for this pl ace.
'Don't know,' I said.
'Well, what do you li ke about danci ng?'
Dad looked at me.
'Um. Everythi ng.'
0
'He dances all the ti me/ my dad said.
'Yes, we'v e got a l etter from Mrs Wil kinson here. And
you, Mr El l iot, do you like bal l et?'
'Um, well I don't know much about i t/ Dad said.
Well, that was true. And that was about it.
We got up and walked to the door.
'One more thing, Bi l l y/ said a very posh woman. 'How
do you feel when you dance?'
I thought for a minute.
'I feel good / I started. 'When I dance, I forget the world
and the strike and everythi ng. There's fire in my body. I t's
li ke ... i t's like fl yi ng.'
That sounded stupid, I thought.
Chapter 12 Jackie: The letter
Poor Billy. When we got home, he went to bed. He
di dn't want any dinner. He di dn't want to talk.
And that place ... It was a di fferent world. All those rich
boys. Special danci ng lessons. Big houses. Posh cars. It
wasn't us ...
But ... the Royal Ball et peopl e. Maybe they weren't so
bad. When we left the audition room, one of the teachers
sai d, 'Good luck with the strike, Mr El l i ot.'
* * *
We waited one week. Two weeks. Then the letter
arri ved. Bil ly was at school . It was a long day. Bil ly came
home at four o'clock. We were all there.
Bil ly took the letter. No one said anything. He went into
his nan's room, and closed the door. Then ... nothing. He
di dn't come out. In the end, we went in there. I opened the
door. Bil ly started to cry.
'I did i t/ he sai d quietly, 'I 'm i n.'
>
* * *
YEEESSSS! I ran up the road to the Social. He did it! Our
Bil ly! I wanted to tell everyone. I ran into the Social.
'He's in! He did i t!'
Nobody answered.
'I t's over, Jackie. We're goi ng back.'
'What?'
'The stri ke's over. We're goi ng back to work on
Monday.'
x x x
So that was it. The mine di dn't stay open very l ong after
that. That was ten years ago, now. It was the end for me.
But li fe is only just starti ng for Billy. And that's something!
Epilogue lackie: Our Billy!
Well, London doesn't change. I t's stil l big. I t's still
expensive but we di dn't pay for our bal l et tickets. I 'm
sitti ng here wi th our Tony. I t's funny to see your name in
big letters. There - on the front of the Royal Opera House.
'The Royal Bal let. Bil ly El l i ot.' Our Billy.
Then the music starts. And there he is. He runs on and
... jumps. What a jump! No one does it like Billy. He spins
and spi ns. Everyone's watching. He's the best!
And he's smi li ng all the time. He's smi li ng at us.
So, I stand up and I shout, 'Bill y! Bil ly Ell i ot!'
Tony's standing wi th me,'Our Bi l l y!' he shouts.
And other peopl e stand up too. And, you know, I 'm
never goi ng to forget this. I t's the best time of my life!
The end
>
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FACT FILE
B a l l e t k o e !
Use your dictionary for new words.
Q Who started the Royal
Ballet School?
A A famous dancer called
Ninette de Valois, in 1926.
Q Which famous dancers
went there?
A Dame Margot Fonteyn,
Wayne Sleep and Darcey
Bussell.
Q How old are the
students?
A They start at 11and leave when they're 18.
Do they just do ballet and dance?
No. They have school lessons too and they take the same
exams as other schools.
Where is the school?
The school for the younger students is in a beautiful park
in London called Richmond Park (Billy and his dad come
here for the audition).
Where do the older students go?
The Upper School for 16- to 18-year-olds is cool - it's in Covent
Garden, right in the centre of London. It's next door to the
Royal Opera House. The Royal Ballet dance here.
Do the students dance at the ROH?
Yes, in their last year.
Who can study here?
Anyone... if they can dance like Billy!
I t n o t e a s y !
Ballet dancers are very strong and
very fit. They work hard every day.
They can't have lots of holidays.
And they are never happy with
their bodies. 'I don't like my
feet.' 'My legs are too short.' 'My
arms are too fat.' Dancers are also
very thin, specially the girls. Some
young dancers have eating
problems and they get too thin.
Ballet is hard work for your body.
You can be a dancer at 17 or 18,
but most dancers only work for
20 years. Then you are too old
and you must find a different job.
Jumping
When people go
to the ballet, they
want to see big jumps.
Some people can do this.
Some people can't. Your bones
must be right.
Do you know any famous dancers?
Who are they? What kind of dance
do they do?
Alicia Markova:
Famous at 14!
Born: Lilian Alice Marks, December
1910, north London.
Life change: One day, when she
was 8, her mother said, 'Your feet
are flat.' She took her to ballet
classes. Lilian's life changed on
that day.
FromLondon to Monte Carlo:
Diaghilev was a Russian with a big
dance group. He was in London
and he saw Lilian. 'This child is
going to be a star!' he said. He
took her to join his dance group in
Monte Carlo in 1925.
Name change: Diaghilev changed
Lilian's name to Alicia Markova (he
didn't ask her first!)
First big dance: She danced the
most important part in Le
Rossignol in Paris in 1925 when
she was only 14! Alicia Markova
was soon very famous.
Dancing life: She danced all
around the world. She stopped
dancing when she was 50. After
that she was a teacher.
What do these words mean? I
$
exam fit fat thin bones
let's dance!
Some people say, 'The British can't dance!' Is that true?
Maybe, but they still love dancing. So who cares? These
dances were all in fashion in the UK in the last 100 years
Use your dictionary to find new words.
Ste-TH ECH A RLESTON
Music: jazz, ragtime
This dance came to
the UK from South Carolina in the
US. It came with shorter skirts and
shorter hair for women. British
girls loved it. Their mothers hated
it. It's a very fast dance. You flap
your arms and kick your legs out.
Time: the 7950s
Rock 'n' roll a"5e: J 'VING
came to us,"c: rck 'n' roll, Elvis
Britain with
Bill Haley's film, Rock Around the Clock.
When British teenagers saw it in cinemas,
they started dancing! They danced
everywhere - in the cinemas, in the streets ..
You do this dance with a partner. The women
wear big skirts. The men wear straight
trousers and soft shoes.
This easy dance started with the Beatles
music. One of their songs is called 'Twist
and Shout'. You twist your hips in time
to the music. You can do this dance
with someone or on your own.

I 1* * the 1960s
Dance. THE TWIST
Musi the Beatles
Timp" the 1980s
;re-.B A KD A N Cm C rew
Music: electro music, Rock y
Breakdancing started with James
Brown in the 1960s and his song 'One Good
Foot'. He got down on the floor and did
moves with his feet. People loved it. Then
everyone forgot about it. It came back in the
1980s and they called it breakdancing. You
change your move when there's a break in the
music. It has very difficult moves.
This started with disco in the 1970s.
Big sounds, lots of coloured lights
and fast music. In the 1980s
teenagers went to raves and
danced to house music all night.
Raves were in big, old, empty
buildings. There are lots of types
of dance music - trance, techno,
ambient, house ...
I ,n,e; tte 1990s
t e s r r * .
Time: the 2000s
S S 5 5 - -
You mosh in a
mosh pit in front of the band.
You jump up and bang into other
people. They bang into you. You
wear shoes with hard tops and a
T-shirt with the band's name on.
Can you do any of these dances? What
dances do you do in your country? Did
your parents do any of these dances?
What do these words mean?
flap hips kick soft straight
1984: THE MINERS7
T
he story of Billy Elliot
happens in 1984 in a small
mining town in the north of
England. They mine coal here.
The miners' strike was a very
important time in Britain.
The strike started in March
1984. The government wanted
to close 20 coal mines. About
20,000 miners worked at these
mines. Some miners wanted to
keep the jobs. But some miners
didn't want to go on strike. The
government and the police
kept the mines open. After one
year, the strikers went back to
work. And then the mines
started to close.
The scab's
daughter
1984:1was there
/ My dad didn't go on strike. He didn't think
it was right. He worked. At first I went to
school. But the other children shouted 'Scab' at
me and took all my schoolbooks. The teachers
didn't help me. I was frightened, so I stayed at
home. My friends didn't speak to me.
After the strike, we moved to another town.
I was a student in London. I went up to the
north one weekend. I wanted to help the
miners. But the police got me. 'Only strikers can
stand on the picket line,' the law said. They took
me to court. Two hundred pounds, it cost me.
So I went back to London.
The student
In 1984 230,000 miners worked in
the coal mines in England and
Wales. Today, there are 7,000 miners.
In 1984 there were 170 mines open.
Today, there are 9.
Where is your electricity going to come from?
Coal is bad for the world. It makes CO 2 and CO2 makes
global warming faster. What other things can we use?
STRIKE
... the sun? ... the wind? ... the sea?
We use coal to make electricity. Where does your electricity
come fromnow?
Where is it going to come fromwhen you're 30 years old?
Are there often strikes
in your country? What
are they about?
The striker's
t What do these words mean? You can use your
: dictionary.
: coal government kept (past ofkeep)
picket line law electricity global warming
There was nothing to eat. At Christmas
we got one thing each. Some miners
in Germany gave us footballs! And we got
Christmas lunch fromFrance. That was great!
< It was hard work. We left home on Sunday
and got back on Friday night. We stayed in
an empty school. We got to the picket line before
the sun came up. First the strikers arrived. They
shouted at us. Then the scabs arrived. We took
theminto the mine. A lot of us were sorry for
the strikers. But you can't break the law.
SELF-STUDY ACTIVITIES
Chapters 1-4
Before you read
Use a dictionary for this section.
1 Match the verbs and nouns.
2 Do you do boxing or ballet? Which do you like better?
3 Choose the right verb.
spin jump go on strike stretch
a) When you ... you go up in the air.
b) When you ... you go around and around.
c) When you ... you make your body long.
d) When you ... you stop work.
4 Answer the questions.
a) Does a miner work in the dark or in the light?
b) Who uses a baton in their job? A police officer, a
miner or a ballet dancer?
c) What happens on Christmas Day in your house?
d) Who is stronger - your mum or your dad?
e) Do posh people wear cheap clothes or expensive
clothes?
After you read
5 Read People and places on pages 4-5.
a) How many people live in Billy's house? Who are
they?
b) What can children and teenagers do for fun at the
Social?
c) The miners are on strike. Why do some miners still go
to work?
>
6 Who ...
a) would like piano lessons?
b) doesn't want to hear the piano?
c) is better at boxing - Billy or Greavesy?
d) smokes all the time?
e) was Fred Astaire?
f) says, The miner's strike is going to be over by
Christmas'?
g) thinks ballet is cool?
7 What do you think?
Is it cool for boys to do ballet?
Chapters 5-8
Before you read
8 Find the best word for these spaces. Use your dictionary.
trouble court audition
a) I want to be Juliet in the school play. The ... is
tomorrow. I hope I get the part.
b) Some men took a lot of money from the bank. The
police got them. They're going to be in ... tomorrow.
c) My brother didn't go to school for a week. He and
his friend went into town every day. He's in ... now.
9 Jackie learns from George that Billy isn't going to
boxing. What's Jackie going to do, do you think?
After you read
10 Answer the questions.
a) How does Jackie feel when he sees Billy in the ballet
class?
b) Why does Mrs Wilkinson want Billy to audition for the
Royal Ballet?
c) How does Mrs Wilkinson feel when she reads Billy's
mam's letter?
d) Why are Tony and Jackie shouting in the kitchen at
four o'clock in the morning?
>
SELF-STUDY ACTIVITIES
e) Why is Billy angry with Mrs Wilkinson in his lesson?
f) Why doesn't Billy go to the audition?
g) What does Tony think of Mrs Wilkinson?
11 You are Mrs Wilkinson. Write about meeting Billy's family.
Use the present tense.
12 What do you think?
You play the guitar in a band. That's all you want to do.
Your family don't like it. They don't think it's a good job.
What do you do?
Chapters 9 -Epilogue
Before you read
13 Which of these things is going to happen, do you think?
a) Billy is going to stop dancing.
b) Mrs Wilkinson is going to stop Billy's lessons.
c) Tony is going to go back to work and be a scab.
d) Jackie is going to change his ideas about ballet for
boys.
After you read
14 Put these events in order.
a) A letter arrives.
b) Billy and Jackie go to the audition in London.
c) Billy gets into the Royal Ballet.
d) Billy shows Jackie his audition dance.
e) Jackie decides to work for a week.
f) Jackie is going into the mine but Tony stops him.
g) Jackie sees Michael and Billy dancing at the Social.
h) They think it goes badly.
15 What do you think?
Billy follows his dream and he gets there. Can anyone
follow their dream?
Why/why not?

NewWords!
What do these words mean?
audition (n)............................
ballet (n)............................
bang (n & v)..........................
baton (n)............................
beer(n) ............................
boxing (n)............................
Christmas (Day) (n)............................
cigarette (n)............................
court (n)........................... / courtroom (n)
jump (v)............................
mine (n)............................/ mining (n)
piano (n)............................
posh (adj)............................
punchbag (n)............................
smoke (v).........................
spin (n & v)........................../ past spun ....
stretch (v).........................
strike (n)........................../ be on strike (v)
strong (adj).........................
trouble (n)........................../ be in trouble (v)
rr
' Boys don't mu uuuei, Diuy: ooys ao jootoall or b o x i n g '
Billy is 11 years old, arid li/e isnt easy. His mums dead. His dad arid his
brother are on strike and theyve got no money. But Billy has a dream.
He wants to be a dancer. Every week he goes to dance classes. He wants to
audition for the Royal Ballet School. But how can he tell his /amily?
With Fact Files Including The 1984 Miners* Strike and Lets Dance!
Scholastic Readers are a unique blend of contemporary teenage fiction
and magazlne-style Fact Files, simplified for students of English.
Each story /ocuses on issues that will motivate and engage teenage
classes and the Fact Files explore the themes raised in each story.
They are published at four levels jrom Starter to Intermediate.
Beginners
Pre-A 1
(300 headwords)
Elementary
A1
(600 headwords)
Pre-Intermediate -
Intermediate
A2
(1000 headwords)
Intermediate
11
(1500 headwords)
2005 Universal Studios Licensing LLLP. Billy Elliot
Tiger Aspect Pictures (Billy Boy) Limited. All Rights Reserved.