Theory and Development of Creativity for the Gifted

Case Study Assignment

July 20, 2015
Carol Charlton

CASE STUDY GIFTED AND TALENTED

Name: Billy Elliot
Grade: 6
Age: 11

Parents: Jackie Elliot (father, widower)

Residence: Durham, UK
Siblings: 1 older brother

Background Information:
Billy Elliot is the youngest child of Jackie, a coal miner. His mother died a year ago.
Billy lives with his father, grandmother and older brother Tony. Billy is responsible for
looking after his grandmother while his father and brother are working in the local coal
mines.
Billy became curious about ballet while observing classes that were being held in the
warehouse building where he was taking boxing lessons. Like other gifted youngsters, he
observed this new interest intensely. He made a special trip and borrowed a book on
dance from his local library. His interest grew and he discovered he could learn the steps
and movements quickly with focus and practice and he was soon able to surpass other
students who had been studying ballet for much longer. In a short time, Billy was
constantly practicing and dancing as he moved around his house and around town.
Mrs. Wilkinson, the ballet teacher sees a special talent in Billy and believes that he can
audition successfully for the Royal Ballet. At first Billys family was not supportive and
in fact, his father was quite angry when he learned the money he gave Billy for boxing
lessons was going to ballet lessons instead. Jackie has never been outside of Durham and
has traditional beliefs about gender roles, stating, Lads do football or boxing or
wrestling. Billys brother, Tony holds a similar mindset.
The death of Billys mother of course has deeply affected the family. His father has held
in his feelings. Mr. Elliots life has been defined by his role of providing for the family
through his coal miners job. With the miners on strike, there is additional tension in the
home. Billy has been left to figure things out on his own.
Because a male ballet dancer is rare in Billys town, he has only a few friends. These
include the teachers daughter, with whom he shares interests. Michael, who Billy has
learned is gay, is also his friend and they share the positions of being different and unique
in their small town.

Once his father saw him dance, he became supportive of Billys creative talent and made
many sacrifices to ensure that Billy was able to audition for the Royal Ballet. It has been
discovered that although Billys mother died, she frequently encouraged him to always be
himself. His family support has surely been motivating to Billy in succeeding in his
chosen field.
Characteristics:
Billy exhibits well-documented gifted traits such as extreme curiosity, an excellent
memory and a long attention span. His problem solving, focus and concentration are
apparent when he is dancing. He is able to learn and remember complicated steps and
routines. Billy has also demonstrated that he sensitive and caring in his relationship with
his grandmother. Billy can be soft-spoken and socially awkward not that unusual for
any 11-year old but his dancing does provide another outlet for self-expression.
Challenges:
In many ways, Billy is a typical 11-year old. However, one of the challenges is to
remember that his experience and development do not match his mental age and he still
needs to be treated as a child. Teachers and family members may think that Billy is
capable of making his own decisions or being more responsible and those expectations
can put excess pressure on Billy.
Billy is very aware of his fathers discomfort with the idea of any male, let alone his son,
being a ballet dancer. He is very frustrated with confusion and contradiction that go with
the fear of disappointing his father and the joy of using his talents and expressing his
creativity.
It is important for the teacher, school and family to take a holistic approach and have
some shared goals for Billys development. Billy can build his self-esteem and selfworth through achievements in dance, but he will also need to learn how to experience
and recover from failure. Adults should watch out for times when Billy could be too selfcritical and impatient with himself and others.
Recommendations:
Billy now has excellent support at home, but he will be living away from home as a very
young boy. He his fortunate to have a school and family situation that should nurture his
creativity and interests and also provide experiences that will help him to navigate the
real world.
Those who interact with Billy should be reminded to treat him as the 11-year old he is. If
not already in place, The Royal Ballet School team and/or other professionals should
evaluate Billy and develop a plan in collaboration with his family to address his
academic, social, emotional, and physical needs.

Billy should be encouraged to continue to interact with children his own age and practice
patience with them and himself. Due to his background and family situation, adults in his
life should watch for signs of depression, withdrawal and excessive stress.