Note: Isaac Feldpausch’s final show as Billy in Billy Elliot the Musical (BETM) in Owosso, Michigan, at the Lebowsky Center for Performing Arts, was on March 5, 2023.
Debut: February 24, 2023 (Owosso, MI)
Total Performances as Billy: 6 (No partial shows)
Upon his debut as Billy, Isaac Feldpausch becomes the 330th boy in the world to bring the character of Billy Elliot to life on stage in a professional, regional or community theatre production of the musical.
Isaac did his first show as Billy as a 12 year old, but then turned 13 the next day (D.O.B. = 25-Feb-2010). He’s a 7th grade student at the Owosso Middle School and, in addition to his performing skills, he has many other interests including playing the trumpet. He’s good enough at that to be 1st chair in his school’s 7th grade band. He also plays in the school’s jazz ensemble and likes to read, play games, camp, and ride his bike.
Isaac began dancing at the young age of four. In a recent interview for local media, he tells the story of how he started. “My sister danced, and I would watch her and try myself. My parents noticed I was pretty good at it, so they had me start lessons.”
Those lessons started at Kim’s Dance Dynamics. The dance studio’s owner, Kim Remenec, saw something in Isaac and he started on the competitive dance team at the age of six. He has competed in over 15 regional and national dance competitions, earning top ratings along the way — including such titles as “Mr. Mine Jr. Legacy”, “Mr. Junior Dance”, and “Mr. Dance America.”
Isaac now dances at Impact Dance Collective, studying Tap, Jazz, Contemporary, Lyrical, Ballet and Jazz Funk. He attends classes there on Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, averaging a total of 11 hours each week.
This video is from a dance competition in 2022. It showcases Isaac and three of the girls who are portraying ballet girls in BETM (Isla Britten, Kennedy Buza and Aspen Mills).
Credit: Video by Impact Dancer
Isaac has also been involved in acting and performing in various Lebowsky Center productions for the past several years. Most recently he played the role of “Tommy” in the Center’s Matilda The Musical in 2019 and was “Kurt von Trapp” in Sound of Music in 2022. Isaac has also danced there in the annual yuletide show called Holiday at Lebowsky.
Billy Elliot The Musical
As had been previously mentioned, Isaac has been taking dance at Impact Dance Collective for a while now. Co-Founders (along with Taylor Engel) of that dance facility, siblings Garrett and Erica Bradley, also happen to be the Artistic Director and Resident Choreographer at the Lebowsky Center for Performing Arts, respectively. So when they were thinking of doing BETM at Lebowsky, they immediately thought of Isaac, knowing his talent from both the studio and the Center.
As to how Isaac became Billy, we turn to Isaac’s mom, Cindy Feldpausch, who responded to the question, “What was your reaction when Garrett [Bradley] approached you about Isaac doing this role [Billy]?”
Cindy: “Honestly, my first reaction was “Wow”. It wasn’t because it was Billy Elliot or anything like that as I wasn’t familiar with that musical when Garrett mentioned it to me. It was more of a “Wow” because here was someone that I respected at the theater and, as one of Isaac’s dance teachers, who thought my son Isaac could tackle a lead role like this. It really gave me a new appreciation for Isaac’s talent”.
Isaac was thrilled at the opportunity and so his journey to “Be Billy” began. Says Isaac, “I started [rehearsing] before Christmas at the studio learning choreography from Erica [Bradley].” After the first of the year, rehearsals with the entire cast began.
In an interview, Isaac was asked about how his experiences preparing for the show have been. Here are some of those questions and his answers:
Question: What is your favorite number in the show?
Isaac: “Electricity. This song is the first time Billy expresses his dancing in front of his dad and gets to show him what he’s been doing instead of boxing. It’s fun for me because I love to dance. This is my biggest solo in the show. Also the Dream Ballet…where I dance with an older version of myself…”
Question: What is your most challenging number?
Isaac: “The most challenging is the Angry Dance because there is a lot of emotion I have to express through my tapping and yelling.”
Question: What Themes/Messages are important for the audience to gain from this show?
Isaac: “You should continue doing what you want to do and be true to yourself.”
When asked what his dance plans are for the future, Isaac replied: “I don’t really know. But I think I’ll continue to dance”.
Note: Production Photos in this profile courtesy of the Lebowsky Center for Performing Arts
For more information about Isaac Feldpausch, visit:
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