“You want to stop, we stop now. You are only a kid…I understand that, but now its the time to grow up . Its too soon for you, but that is the way it is “

The quote above more or less summarizes the story of  Ginostra. I enjoyed the film, even though it was not original or interesting. Nor did it possess any notable coming of age value -- which one would expect after seeing the cover artwork and reading the film description on the DVD cover. Ginostra can be classified as a crime thriller, with elements of drama and suspense.  But fans of either one of these genres may be unpleasantly surprised by the way they are presented in the film. Most of the other reviewers trashed the film on all levels -- starting with editing, going through absurd elements of the story plot and unrealistically shot scenes.  I also did not like the slow pace of the film (fell asleep the first night I tried to watch it), yet I would say that I am glad that I gave this film a chance -- as it had its good moments and ideas.

First the story… it may remind you of the famous film “ The Client “.  It is about an FBI agent Matt Benson (Harvey Keitel) who is sent to Italy to question and protect the 11-year-old Ettore -- a sole survivor from a car bombing, which resulted in the death of his family. The boy is not cooperative at first, but, after realizing that the FBI agent is his ” only chance for revenge”, he decides to help him out.  Of course the Mafia ( Cosa Nostra) is not happy with someone spilling his guts about them and is set to eliminate Ettore at all costs.

The performance of the young Mattia de Martino in the role of Ettore is one of the things that may possibly influence your final decision about the quality of the film. His interactions, both verbal and nonverbal, with the other personages in the film, help the viewer to create some kind of the idea of the personality of the main characters. Sadly, he did not get enough screen time -- which would have been a disaster if it was not for Harvey Keitel as the FBI agent, who also delivered an above average acting performance (something in his acting reminded me of the style of Robert de Niro).

The film’s tagline is : “The danger awaits outside. But fear has been installed inside …and in between lies an orphaned child …”.  The film would have been much better, in my opinion, if the director stuck to it. Speaking of him (the film’s director), I think that he could have done a better job in the overall direction of his film.  Some of the dialogue is quite dull.  But at the same time, a lot of information about what happened prior to the moments shown on screen is integrated into that dialogue.

To conclude, I would like to say that I was not completely disappointed by the film and, unlike other reviewers,  I would suggest that you see it and form your own opinion. ( By the way I loved the English accent of the actor -- probably because I speak English also with an accent) . Your comments on it are always welcome .

This review would have not been possible without the valuable support of CVMC. I would like to express my gratitude for providing the DVD.  Check  out the film’s page at CVMC. / click here for a Making of clip

my friend Joe is a classic coming of age film. Directed by Chris Bould, the film  is based on the book Janne, min vän written by Swedish author Peter Pohl.

my friend Joe tells the story of the unlikely friendship between two 12 year olds: Chris, who is Irish, and an American named Joe. Joe  mysteriously appears in Chris’s small Irish town, impressing him and his friends with amazing cycling skills.

But get ready for a surprise …because, despite the name, Joe isn’t a boy ….and you wouldn’t be the only one surprised to discover that. And no, I did not spoil the film for you, as Joe’s personality becomes clear  from the first minutes of the movie. Yet, I can assure you that this doesn’t make my friend Joe a predictable or boring film.  On the contrary, the story is told in a way that will keep you glued to the screen during the film’s entire 90 minutes.

I loved the atmosphere in this film -- it felt like watching  Stand By Me, with elements from Mickybo and Me and The Cure thrown in for good measure. Chris’s obsession with books and adventures reminded me of when I was his age, and his attitude towards girls isn’t much different than what mine has always been.  For one thing its rather easier to buddy up with people from your own gender.  It’s a classic issue really -- can there exist a real, pure friendship between a boy and a girl or is gender tension always bound to appear?

The film offers an interesting view of that question as the friendship between Chris and Joe  flourishes  when they are buddying up -- even if Chris is not aware that Joe  unwillingly has a gender-bender role. Chris grows fond of Joe because of the amazing bicycle stunts and boyish bravado and has no idea that Jan is really a girl who is a trapeze artist in a travelling circus. What he senses is that his friend is harboring a secret -- a secret he is bound to discover…

“sometimes you can’t tell everything -- even to a best friend”

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my friend Joe is an engaging and exciting coming of age drama which I highly recommend. Schuyler Fisk delivers an outstanding performing in the challenging role of Joe -- projecting toughness, vulnerability and  and girlish sensitivity all in one. The rest of the cast also did a good job. 

This film won the Silver Bear at the 1996 Berlin Film Festival.

PS: I have not read the book Janne, min vän -- but,  judging from the IMBD commentaries, it seems that it is a real masterpiece.  So, if you get a chance to confirm the validity of this statement, let me know !

Hello Antonio and thank you for agreeing to this exclusive interview for theskykid.com. I am quite excited to have you as a guest at my blog, as I have been following your career for years . We agreed to do this interview in Engish and Spanish, so that more people can read it.

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theskykid.com : Have you had any formal vocal training?

theskykid.com : ¿Has tenido algún entrenamiento vocal formal?

Antonio Jose : Yes. I have had and shortly I will again. In 1993, when I got the first prize of Veo Veo, from the Foundation of Teresa Rabal, they gave me a scholarship to study for 6 months in an academy to form the voice. On my own now, due to my next tour, I’m going to prepare with a vocal tutor.

Antonio Jose : Si, cuando gané en el 2003 el primer premio Veo Veo, de la Fundación Teresa Rabal, me dieron una beca de 6 meses para una academia de estudios para formar la voz. Ahora, con motivo de mi próxima gira también voy prepararme con un tutor vocal.

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theskykid.com : Who would you say has had the biggest musical influence on you?

theskykid.com :¿Quién dirías que te ha influenciado más musicalmente?

Antonio Jose : My mother was the one who realized that I could sing and the one who encouraged me to participate in the contests Veo Veo (2003 and 2005) as well as in television in Eurojunior (2005).

Antonio Jose : Mi madre fue la que se dio cuenta de que podía cantar y la que me animó a participar en los concursos Veo Veo (2003 y 2005) así como en televisión en Eurojunior (2005).

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theskykid.com : How has your music evolved since the “Te traigo flores” days?

theskykid.com : ¿Cómo ha evolucionado tu música desde los días de “Te traigo flores”?

Antonio Jose : My music has evolved as I’ve gotten older and as the rest of the world has, hehehe. On one hand, the new disc has changed from the FLAMECO sound of the first album to return to more of a pop sound.  But, on the other hand, the songs on the new disc are more international. The new disc TODO VUELVE A EMPEZAR (All Begins Again) shows, through its lyrics, the different things that happen to teenagers in a positive and amusing way. The differences between people are the reason for the different musical styles in this disc. But, on the other hand, everybody wants to be part of something. Just look at FACEBOOK or TUENTI.  This disc tries to bring everyone together.

Antonio Jose : A evolucionado como mi edad y como el mundo!!, jejeje. Aparte de cambiar los aires aflamencados del primer disco y volverme más pop, mis canciones ahora son más internacionales. El nuevo álbum “TODO VUELVE A EMPEZAR” refleja en sus letras esas cosas que nos pasan a los chicos y chicas de nuestra edad de una manera positiva y divertida, y en su música lo diferentes que somos, de ahí que cada tema sea de un estilo musical. Pero en el fondo todos queremos pertenecer a algo, y si no mírate el Facebook o el Tuenti. Este disco pretende ser un punto de unión.

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theskykid.com :  Why was there such a large gap between the release of your first CD and this new one? Were you working on other projects during that time?

theskykid.com : ¿Por qué ha pasado tanto tiempo desde la salida de tu primer CD y la de éste? ¿Has estado trabajando en otros proyectos durante todo este tiempo?

Antonio Jose : We decided to spend more time in the preparation of the new disc, to be sure about which was the best road to follow. Besides that, a proposal to change the musical style by my producer caused a lot of the delay.  But once the project started, everything went ok and quickly and, for me, the most important thing is the result and my feeling is the disc is fantastic!  What do you think about it?

Antonio Jose : Hemos querido tomarnos con más calma la preparación del nuevo disco, escuchamos muchísimas canciones antes de decidir qué camino seguir. Además, la propuesta del cambio de estilo musical realizada por mi productor influyó mucho en el retraso. Pero una vez echó a andar el proyecto, todo fluyo bien y rápidamente. El resultado final es lo más importante para mí, y creo que ha valido la pena esperar. Y vosotros que opináis?

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theskykid.com :  You seem to have weathered your voice change just fine. Your music seems to be as popular as ever. Do you have any indication from fan mail, etc. that you’ve retained fans from when you were younger and/or have gained new fans since your voice has matured?

theskykid.com : Parece que has llevado el cambio de tu voz bastante bien. Tu música parece ser tan popular como siempre. ¿Tienes noticias provenientes de correos de fans, etc. que indiquen que mantienes fans de cuando eras más joven y/o has ganado nuevos fans desde que tu voz ha madurado?

Antonio Jose :My voice has been maturing, as is usual for my age, but I have managed to maintain my identity.

Concerning your comments about fans… although a lot has happened between the first album to this new one, my relationship with my earlier fans has been growing up and by now we are friends. They supported me back then and I’m sure that they will continue to do so now and I thank them so much. In the same way, I would like to gain more fans due to this second album and know that, in the end, they will become my friends too.

Antonio Jose : Mi voz ha ido madurando, es cosa de la edad, pero he logrado mantener mi identidad.

Sobre lo que comentas de los fans, pese al tiempo que ha pasado, aquellos que en su día me dieron todo su apoyo se han convertido en mis amigos, a los cuales les estoy tremendamente agradecido. Y si con el nuevo trabajo consigo nuevos amigos, bienvenidos serán. Cuantos más seamos mejor.

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theskykid.com : In a video clip of the making of “Todo Vuelve A Empezar”, I noticed there was someone who appeared to be a conductor in the video with you. Who was that?

theskykid.com : En el videoclip del como se hizo “Todo vuelve a empezar”, noté que había alguien que parecía ser un presentador en el vídeo contigo. ¿Quién era?

Antonio Jose : Hehehe. He is not a conductor. He is my producer,Crister Garcia, and during the recording of the disc he was inside the cabin with me to give me all the relevant instructions for getting the best interpretation of each song. I would like to point out that all that you can see in the video is absolutely true and direct; it is the actual making of the record of the songs.

Antonio Jose : Jejeje. No es un presentador, es mi productor Crister García. Durante la grabación del disco entraba conmigo en la cabina para darme las indicaciones oportunas para extraer todo lo mejor de mí en la interpretación de cada canción. Todo lo que veis en los vídeos es riguroso directo.

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theskykid.com : Besides your own official website, there is at least one very popular fansite, plus a number of bloggers like myself who have written about you and your music for several years. Are you aware of the hype?

theskykid.com : Aparte de tu web oficial, hay al menos una web de fans bastante popular, aparte de una buena cantidad de blogueros como yo que han escrito sobre ti y tu música durante años. ¿Eres consciente de la expectación generada?

Antonio Jose : I am concious of the expectations of those waiting to listen to my second album.  You can be sure that I’ve been nervous about it as well.  That has motivated me to do my best so that everyone will not be disappointed.

Regarding your comments about the web… I want to clarify that we have done a new official website: www.antoniojose.com with all the material relating to this new second album “All Begins Again”. On the site there are also links to ANTONIOJOSE.AJ at Facebook, ANTONIOJOSEAT at Twitter, ANTONIO JOSE CLUB AJ at Tuenti and Youtube.com/CLUBAJ

The arrival of the album in the shops is due by the end of November. All the people who buy this second album directly will be members of CUL AJ and all of these friends will be able to participate in my next videoclips. We have a lot of  things pending and there will be more news about them soon.

Antonio Jose :Soy consciente de la expectación, los nervios se unen a la ilusión y eso me motiva a darlo todo para todos vosotros.

Aprovecho que lo has comentado, mi nueva web oficial www.antoniojosemusic.com se ha hecho para concentrar todo los contenidos e información sobre el nuevo disco “TODO VUELVE A EMPEZAR”. Junto a ella, tenemos los canales ANTONIOJOSE.AJ de facebook, ANTONIOJOSEAJ en Twitter, ANTONIO JOSE CLUB AJ en Tuenti y Youtube.com/CLUBAJ.

Además, con la puesta a la venta de disco en formato CD para finales del próximo mes de Noviembre, todos los que lo compren en este formato o lo hayan comprado en digital en Internet pasarán automáticamente a formar parte del CLUB AJ. Los amigos y amigas que pertenezcan a este club podrán participar en mis próximos videoclips de internet así como en concursos. Muchas cosas están por venir! Y nos lo pasaremos genial!

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theskykid.com :  So what’s next? Do have any plans for another CD? For tours? Spain? US?

theskykid.com : ¿Qué es lo siguiente? ¿Tienes planes para otro CD? ¿O una gira española o norteamericana?

Antonio Jose : Step by step. Now, we are preparing for the tour for this new album, which I hope will take us to many places in the world. Now, is your turn to ask for our concert in the theaters and other venues in your cities… After the tour, we don’t have specific plans, but I’m sure that really good things will occur.

Antonio Jose : Paso a paso. Ahora preparamos la gira de este nuevo álbum, la cual espero que pueda llegar a muchos lugares del mundo. Os tocará a vosotros pedir nuestro concierto a vuestros teatros y ayuntamientos.

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theskykid.com : Is there anything you want to add ?

theskykid.com : ¿Te gustaría añadir algo?

Antonio Jose : Thank you very much to your magazine for dedicating these lines to me. It is a real honor. I want to thank my fans and friends for their support.  They are the best! A very big kiss!   AJ

Antonio Jose : Muchas gracias a vuestra revista por dedicarme estas líneas, es todo un honor, y sobre todo a mis fans y amigos por estar ahí, por su apoyo que para mí es lo más grande. Un beso muy grande! AJ

Visit the official web site of Antonio Jose 
 

First of all, the film is not coming of age -- or at least not if you consider the individual, as one may argue that the director portrays the coming of age of a whole society (the white ribbon of the title symbolizes an innocence that has now been lost).

To start with, I was mislead by the description of the film at Wikipedia.  According to it:

¨The screenplay focuses on a children’s choir in a village in northern Germany just before World War I¨.

After reading that, and looking at the film’s front cover, I expected that the film would be similar to ¨Les choristes¨ and be a bit focused on music. Instead, I watched a psychological portrayal of the society in a small rural village in  Germany. 

Most of the time while watching the film I was trying to grasp its meaning and the relation between the scenes and the ideas which the director wanted to express. This was not an easy task as Michael Haneke seemingly aimed to make his film as chaotic and challenging to interpret as possible. Despite the symbolism in the film and the intriguing narration, I was rather bored by the film -- partly because I found the action too slow.  Thankfully, the majority of the actors were talented enough to make the viewer interested in the events in which their characters participated.  Puritanism, discipline, violence and abuse are the interrelated themes which are integrated into the storyline.

Despite being a new production, the entire film is shot in black and white, which I think was a good cinematographic decision. The film won several awards, including the Palme d’Or at the 62nd Cannes Film Festival -- yet I hesitate recommending it.

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In the film, Frederik Christian Johansen plays Stefan – a ten year old boy who practices boxing, following in the footsteps of his father who, as far as he knows, is a boxing champion who competes on the international stage and travels almost all the time.  The passion of Stephen reminded me of myself doing handball – playing at the same position my dad did when he was competing.  Stephen’s case however is a bit different – as he hasn’t seen his father in years. On his tenth birthday, Stefan doesn’t get the usual package in the mail from his father and he decides to go find him. Will he succeed in his quest?  What would his father say?

The cinematography of “Min far er bokser” has a different style than the one typical for many Scandinavian films. Instead of vivid colors, the director decided to use more subtle ones, with a lot of shadows. The story has been done before (I can think of at least several things sharing a similar plot) – yet however feels distinct to the film. While I was watching it, my eyes filled with tears in one of the final scenes – and that’s a clear signal that the movie evoked emotions in me – which on its own means that it must be good. If you have the chance to see this short film (25 minutes)  – do it – I highly recommend it .

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 Oliver Gardner

The newest member of the Billy rotation in London’s West End is 12 year old Oliver Gardner – affectionately known to family, friends and fans as Ollie.

Like all the boys who have played the role, the Saltford (near Bath, England) lad started dance at an early age. From the age of five, Ollie began accompanying his sister to her dance classes at the Dorothy Coleborn School of Dancing, in Bath, because his mother was a piano accompanist there.

His first dance teacher, Annette Hind, who is the owner of the school, recalls: “Ollie would come and watch his sister’s dance classes because his mum was playing the piano and he would hide behind the piano because he was shy. I thought that because his sister was so good and because he came from such a musical family, that he must be good too. Eventually we persuaded him to join and it became clear very, very quickly that he was going to be a star.”  Ollie learned ballet, tap and modern dance at the school and in five years, at the age of nine, he became a Junior Associate at the Royal Ballet School and then, later, a Mid Associate there.

He auditioned for Billy Elliot in April of 2008, was offered the role, and completed the rigorous “Billy School” in record time. The average training time for the role is 18 months.

Ollie’s debut as Billy, on May 12, 2009, was anything but ordinary. On his opening night, the show celebrated its fourth birthday and 1,700th show at the Victoria Palace Theatre in London. His family, friends and teachers were all in the sold out house to see him finally dance the part that he had been dreaming about for years.When interviewed after the performance he said: “When I came off the stage I felt relieved. I was glad that finally all the training had paid off and that I had finally done it. I’m just really happy. I have always wanted to be Billy. Before I went on I was a bit nervous, but more excited.”

In this video from the show’s “We Are Billy Elliot” series, Ollie talks about what it’s like to play Billy:

Ollie, Jake Pratt (who plays Michael, Billy’s best friend in the show) and Joe Caffrey (Billy’s dad in the musical) were interviewed by WhatsOnStage (WOS) TV in June of 2009:

In July, on a short break from the show, Ollie was able to pay a visit to his school – Kingswood School in Bath. One person who was particularly pleased to see him was his best friend Toby Douglas-Bate, who said: “It was amazing to see Ollie again. It was the strangest thing in the world because he is my best friend and he is still the same even though he is a star!”

This personable young man, this dynamo on stage, from all accounts has gotten over his shyness. As he is at a relatively young age in the role, his many fans hope that Ollie will be showcasing his considerable talents as Billy for many performances to come.

Says Ollie’s first dance teacher, Annette Hind, “He was destined to play that part. That was what he said he always wanted to do. When he was having his ballet lessons it was always his goal to dance professionally. I can’t tell you how proud I am. It almost brings tears to my eyes because I know he is going to have such a fantastic career.”

For more information about Ollie Gardner:

Visit: http://www.billyelliotthemusical.com/explore/cast/

OR

the Billy Elliot the Forum website:  http://www.billyelliottheforum.me.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=42&t=377

OR

the Friends of  Billy Elliot website: http://www.friendsofbilly.com/FriendsF/viewtopic.php?f=200&t=1884

Alex Ko

Broadway’s newest Billy (and, in fact, the most recent boy to debut in the role anywhere in the world), 13 year old Nicholas Alexander Ko  (who goes by Alex because his Dad liked the sound of that name better), has been dancing since he was a five year old kindergartener.

Born on February 3, 1996, the Iowa City, Iowa boy began his local dance training at the National Academy of Dance and Nolte Academy and gymnastics at the Iowa Gym-nest. Ko later registered for the Dance Forum, the University of Iowa’s community outreach program.

He later enrolled in the University’s Advanced Ballet Class, which is a class normally full of college-aged students. He is the youngest ever to be accepted to that program. He was a soloist in the UI Youth Ballet’s “Swan Lake” and “Nutcracker” productions, and was featured in a youth ensemble of the UI Dance Gala.

In 2007, Alex began taking private ballet lessons from UI Assistant Professor of Ballet & Choreography, Eloy Barragan, whom Alex now considers a mentor.  Barragan soon realized that his new student possessed star potential. “Iowa City has a lot of talent, young talent”, he said. “But Alex has something very unique, he has maturity and dedication and is committed to what he wants…. Alex has something really special. There’s a soul to his dance and that is what people notice.”

The close relationship that developed between the two led Alex to ask Barragan to create a solo in memory of his father, Sam, who had recently died of cancer. The result can be seen in this brief video:

In 2008, instructor and protege traveled to New York City where Alex participated in a 10-day dance instruction program at the prestigious Steps on Broadway. As fate would have it, one of Alex’s teachers there, Peter O’Brien, brought Alex to the attention of the Steps on Broadway director.  The director offered Alex a full scholarship to study at the school’s six-week summer intensive in July and August. With that scholarship to Steps on Broadway came vocal lessons and training with one of the choreographers from Billy Elliot The Musical. He was subsequently invited to audition for the musical, which he did in October, while the show was still in previews before it’s official Broadway opening on November 13th.

Alex was accepted into the “Billy School” in NYC, where he began the intense training program that all Billys go through on their way to playing the role. The culmination of that training was his debut in the show on October 6, 2009, as the replacement for departed original Broadway Billy, Kiril Kulish. The creative team behind the musical is committed to diversity in the cast and Alex becomes the second boy with an Asian heritage to play the role of Billy (the other being Matthew Koon who was in the London production).

Just three weeks into playing Billy, Alex is already receiving rave reviews from many repeat theater-goers of Billy Elliot the Musical who have seen all the current Broadway crop of Billys. One such critic said “I think it’s very, VERY clear, we don’t just have a new Billy, we have a new star on our hands!!!”

Picture at right: Cast Board in Imperial Theater Lobby on Alex Ko’s Opening Night

For more information on Alex Ko:

Visit his website:  http://www.alex-ko.com/ OR

Go to: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alex_Ko OR

Go to the Billy Elliot the Forum website:  http://www.billyelliottheforum.me.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=46&t=516

OR

Go to the Friends of Billy Elliot website:  http://www.friendsofbilly.com/FriendsF/viewtopic.php?f=202&t=1939

Series Epilogue

May 12, 2008 — Broadway Meets the West End: On the Occasion of the 3rd Birthday of Billy Elliot the Musical in London, Director Stephen Daldry Enjoys Cake With the Three Billys in the West End Production and the Three Boys Who Would Soon Be Originating the Role on Broadway (L-R Trent Kowalik, Layton Williams, Kiril Kulish, Corey Snide, Daldry, Josh Fedrick, and David Alvarez)

Before continuing with the review of the film I would like to honor Sergei Kuznetsov -- who over the years helped many people to realize their dreams. I have written several times about projects of his such as Steklovata, Alis and Chernila dlya pyatogo klassa. You can visit his official site where you can find a lot of information about his projects and his art works -- such as poems and prose .

Back to the film —  I found it really enjoyable and loved every minute of it. The cinematography is quite modern and the plot easy to follow. There are many comical scenes, many inspirational and, my favorite of all, those featuring music. The young cast is talented and well directed which influenced the film quality greatly. Admittingly, as someone who has seen a lot of Russian films -- I must note that the style of  directing for  “Ласковый Май ” is quite different from some such as  “Ivanovo detstvo” or “Koktabel”.

Even if the film is enjoyable -- it doesn’t have the artful value which I typically associate with the Russian cinema. What’s more, Sergei Kuznetsov said that he liked the story, but at times he departed from the true story of the group creation and success. Yet, I am sure that many people who are unaware of this departure from the real story (which, by the way, is available in writing at Sergey’s site) would enjoy the story the way it is told in the film.

I viewed the film in Russian, but I’m sure that versions in other languages will soon be available. What I am hoping for is that many people will see it, will listen to the wonderful Russian music and eventually may decide to help Sergei Kuznetsov -- who has never stopped creating wonderful music. Most of the time he distributes that music for free , but you may decide to support him and his studio by donating or getting some exclusive materials as described at his site. That would made a difference in the lives of many young people -- who love the music and want to be part of its creation.

Finally, I have decided to include an original concert recording of the group Ласковый Май performing back in the 90s. I know that if you like it as much as I do- you will find a way to see the film as well.

And before checking out the usual film screenshots -- here  is an original photo of Ласковый Май :

Don`t forget to visit the official film site .

Scenes from the film available in this reportage

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After seeing the Spanish film “Cobrades” yesterday -- I felt that I need to write more on the theme of violence at schools and cruelty in general.  Some of the scenes from Cobrades showed how some beating scenes were videotaped with the mobile phones of the students. Then these clips spread around -- either uploaded to some video site or sold to other students -- that practice is becoming fashionable these days as confirmed by the Ukrainian documentary ” Gene of cruelty ” ( Ген жестокости) -- on which I am going to focus this review.

In terms of cinematography ” Gene of cruelty”  won`t offer you something innovative -- it follows the documentary templates which include sharing of several real life stories, combined with extra footage and interviews with several scholars and a focus group consisting of young children aged 6 to 20.  What makes this documentary different from the rest is the usage of a lot of visual art to demonstrate the nature of cruelty and violence,  mostly by displaying drawings of children and attempting a psychological analysis of them.

One of the explanations of child cruelty in the documentary are the films and the video games. Nothing new -- you would say -- yes that has been said many times before -- but after a controlled experiment, it was proven that the reason behind the violence is the fact that, surrounded by so much violence from TV and films -- it becomes harder for the child to feel for or care for others. Another possible explanation was that now-a-days many kids spend a lot of time online and in front of the TV screen instead of being out playing with people from their own age group. A reason for this often is that various activities such as  dancing, skating, boxing, attending the swimming pool -- are usually very expensive, often unaffordable for the kids’ parents.

I think that Gene of cruelty, while not being original, is a good documentary and, if you are interested in psychology or involved in some social projects, you will benefit from seeing it. As of the moment the film is only available in the Russian language.   

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Tommy Batchelor

Tommy Batchelor is 14 years old and is from Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. He is the 4th boy to play Billy Elliot on Broadway.

When he was three years old, Tommy saw a television biography about the legendary tap dancer, Bill Bojangles, and promptly informed his family that he wanted to do that. So he began dance training at the age of four - at a studio called The Dance Factory - when his family lived in Minnesota. He has moved a couple of times since then, but Tommy kept acquiring dance skills wherever he lived.

Once in Florida, he really began to apply himself. For three years, he took dance classes at Palm Beach Ballet Center in Lake Park four days a week. One of his dance teachers, Stacey Downs, said that Tommy was so eager to dance that she had to order him to stop some days. “He’s like a racehorse, he just goes,” said Downs. “He has a great heart, he’s very emotional, very expressive. And I’ve never met such a quick study.”

All the hard work began to pay off when he earned a starring role in the 2006 Miami City Ballet production of The Nutcracker.  Then, at age 12, Tommy danced in the final rounds of the international ballet competition YAGP (Youth America Grand Prix) in New York City. A video of his performance in that 2008 competition can be found here:  2008 Junior Men’s YAGP

It was while at that competition that Tommy learned that he had won a role in Billy Elliot the Musical on Broadway, for which he had auditioned after being spotted by a talent scout in 2007 at a ballet competition in Orlando.

Like many of the other Billys, Tommy’s family has made numerous sacrifices to support his love of dance and theater. When he got the role, Tommy and his mom, Rebecca, moved from Florida into a fourth-floor walk-up in upper Manhattan. They ride subways downtown to the Imperial Theater. Tommy’s dad, Ed, who is a high school teacher in FL, and his older brother, Eddie, visit NYC when they can.

An original cast member when the show opened last November, Tommy was at first the understudy for Billy and for the role of Tall Boy/Posh Boy. Then, in March of 2009, Tommy joined the rotation as the 4th full-fledged Billy. A new video on the Billy Elliot the Musical Broadway official website, introduces Tommy as Billy: 

Though he has been a full-fledged Billy for over six months, because of the notoriety of the three original Broadway Billys (David Alvarez, Trent Kowalik and Kiril Kulish), who were involved in all the pre-Opening Night publicity for the show and then won the Tony for Best Actor in a Musical, Tommy has sometimes been the “forgotten Billy” — often not included in photo opportunities and interviews with the others.  A rare exception was at the Broadway Bears charity event at which Tommy did appear with his fellow Billys.

But that’s about to change. Tommy’s about to get his moment in the spotlight.

On September 10, 2009 the three boys who will play Billy Elliot for an extended stay in Chicago were announced. Tommy will anchor the group as the oldest and only one with experience in the role. The other two boys, who will play the role in rotation with Tommy, are Giuseppe Bausilio and Cesar Corrales. Here’s a video about this latest version of Billy Elliot the Musical, featuring an interview of director Stephen Daldry and a performance of Tommy Batchelor dancing to Elton John’s “Electricity” from the show:

It’s been announced that Tommy’s last performance as Billy, on Broadway, will be December 11, 2009. Then he will enter into rehearsals full-time with the rest of the Billy Elliot the Musical Chicago cast. The show opens in the Windy City in March, 2010.

Long before the Broadway show opened, in an interview with his hometown paper in Florida, The Palm Beach Post,Tommy related that a dance teacher once predicted he would one day be on Broadway. “But she thought I would be at least 20,” said Tommy, laughing.  So far in his young life, the resourceful teen has consistently beaten goals set by others for him — by plenty. With his talent, expect that trend to continue.

For more information about Tommy Batchelor:

Visit:  http://www.billyelliotbroadway.com/home.php

OR

the Billy Elliot the Forum website:  http://www.billyelliottheforum.me.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=61&t=924 

OR

the Friends of Billy Elliot website:  http://www.friendsofbilly.com/FriendsF/viewtopic.php?f=202&t=1107

Tom Holland
From Kingston, England, Tom Holland - who is 13 and currently stars as Billy in the West End - started dancing at a hip hop class on Saturday afternoons at a studio called Nifty Feet in Wimbledon, England.  He was spotted at age 10, at a dance show in Richmond, by Billy Elliot talent scouts who constantly scour the countryside looking for potential Billys. They invited him to audition for the musical.

Up to that point, Tom’s emphasis had been on street dance and acrobatics.  While those conducting the auditions loved how accomplished he was in those skills and for his outgoing personality and stage presence, they suggested that he take ballet lessons in order to be a viable candidate for the role of Billy.

Eight auditions and two years later he was finally offered a role in the show. But he took an unusual path to finally attain his goal of being Billy Elliot. On June 28, 2008, Tom made his West End debut – not as Billy, but as Billy’s best friend Michael.  It wasn’t until September 8, 2008 that Tom finally debuted as Billy Eliott.

In a series of videos on the official Billy Elliot the Musical London website, various cast and crew members are introduced to the public.  In one, Tom talks about what’s it’s like to play Billy:

With four shows as Billy under his belt, Tom was interviewed on a local British TV news program, along with another soon to be Billy, Tanner Pflueger ( profiled in Part 1 of this series).  A highlight of the interview is when Tom and Tanner, asked by the reporter what their Geordi accents sound like, demonstrated by singing in turn, acapella, the opening words of the musical’s signature song “Electricity”:

On an appearance on Britain’s popular TV show, The Feel Good Factor, Tom, along with fellow West End Billys Layton Williams and Tanner Pflueger, showcased their considerable skills dancing to a variation of the musical’s stirring culmination of its first act — “Angry Dance”.  Here’s their performance on that show:

Tom then did a follow-up to that show, working with five British schoolboys who then appeared with him on The Feel Good Factor. The result of weeks of work with the schoolboys was shown on a subsequent airing of the show:

To know Tom is to know his bubbly personality and his great sense of humor.  One newspaper reporter found that out first hand when, during an interview, she asked Tom where his talent comes from.  His reply: “My mum and dad joke about who I take after. I’ve seen them both dance and I have to say, there must have been a mix up at the hospital.”

All agree there was no mix up when the creative team of Billy Elliot the Musical decided that Tom Holland should be one of their Billys.

For more information on Tom Holland:

Visit:  http://www.billyelliotthemusical.com/home.php

OR

the Billy Elliot the Forum website:  http://www.billyelliottheforum.me.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=42&t=238

OR

the Friends of Billy Elliot website:  http://www.friendsofbilly.com/FriendsF/viewtopic.php?f=200&t=1047