COLIN BATES- Billy Elliot

I was born in Los Angeles but now live in the state of Pennsylvania in America with my Mom, Dad, and older brother Stephen. Although I’ve always been athletic and began playing sports at an early age, my ambition soon became to be a performer on Broadway. Competing in dance since the age of 9, I have won many top awards. I enjoy all types of dance: ballet, tap, jazz, modern, lyrical and hip hop. For several years I also competed in gymnastics.
Persistently searching for auditions online, I found an open call audition for a national tour of Cameron Mackintosh’s ‘Oliver’ and landed the role of The Artful Dodger. While doing ‘Oliver’ I was able to develop my singing and acting skills and also dance. Returning home after finishing the tour I began auditioning in New York and eventually secured a role in a Robert De Niro movie in which I will be playing Matt Damon and Angelina Jolie’s son at age 13.
My real dream was still to perform on Broadway, so when we heard they were auditioning for ‘Billy Elliot’ in New York for an American production, I was thrilled to get an audition. After two days of intense dancing, singing and dialect training I learned that I would indeed have the opportunity to play Billy but instead of Broadway, I am fulfilling my dream on the West End in London! Since my Dad is British and still has most of his family here, it is exciting for me to have the experience of living in this country and being closer to my Grandma and Aunts. So a big thank you to Stephen Daldry, Jon Finn and Peter Darling for allowing me the opportunity to be in this wonderful production, and an even bigger thank you to my Mom, Dad and dance teacher, Mary Mock, for helping me to fulfil my dream!


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