This article offers an analysis of Billy Elliot exploring the this adolescent’s battle against a silence that has been hanging over his family since his mother’s death. This quest is guided by the expression of his desire to dance. Our argument relies on C. Metz’s theory of the imaginary signifier and examines the enacting of a confrontation between the real, the unconscious, and desire, revealing the ethical and tragic journey of Billy’s desire.

Adolescence, 2025, 43, 1, 127-140.