If Billy Elliot then Roland Petit?

On Tuesday the big news came out that the Broadway adaptation of Billy Elliot (first a Universal Pictures release in 2000) is set to sweep The 63rd Tony Awards. It took 15 Tony nominations.




So what has that got to do with writing scripts for Hollywood? Well, there's a long history between the great white way and tinsel town - a reciprocal one. Even if you aren't a theatre buff, it pays to keep tabs on what's hot on, and off, Broadway.

While noodling around this morning I came across a gorgeous Parisian site that represents the incomparable ballet shop Repetto. It turns out that it was started by the famous male ballet dancer Roland Petit's mother (by his request) shortly before World War II.

Petit blossomed into a choreographer in the 40s, got involved in theatre for a while and choreographed the movie Hans Christian Andersen before returning to ballet. He distinguished himself with angular movements that lend themselves particularly well to theatre, mime and props.

Here's a clip featuring Luigi Bonino performing Charlot (one of Petit's signature dance hall routines), for the Ballet National de Marseilles.



Maybe it's just me but I smell a story...a period drama based on the life of a real man who didn't just beat the odds but is, now, the most influential choreographer of our time. If Billy Elliot can be a hit, then why not the tale of Roland Petit?