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Irish dancer wins Tony Award

February 17, 2011

By Staff Reporter

Kowalik, 14, and his co-stars David Alvarez and Kiril Kulish, each received the Best Actor award for the title role of Billy Elliott, which they perform on alternating nights.
The show, which is currently playing to sold-out houses on Broadway, swept the boards at the awards ceremony.
Irish dancer Kowalik took to the stage at the world-renowned awards ceremony to demonstrate exactly why the musical, which is based on the film of the same name, released in 2000, has become such a huge sensation in the United States. Performing a song from the show, Long Island teen Kowalik wowed the star-studded audience with his amazing footwork and ferocious energy.
Speaking to the Irish Echo about his Broadway success, Kowalik said: “I’m still in shock with my win.”
“Since Sunday night, memories of my dancing days keep flooding my mind; all the people, the places and the events that have touched my life,” he said.
“Irish dance has so shaped Trent’s path,” added his proud mother, Lauretta Kowalik.
“The discipline and the precision created a work ethic he still abides by. His desire to achieve led him to the knowledge
“I hope to stay with it as long as I can,” said Kowalik of the Broadway show.
Kowalik moved from Long Island to London in September 2007 to live in the “Billy House” and to star in the West End run of “Billy Elliot.”
Last summer, he returned to the U.S. to begin rehearsals for the Broadway run. A champion Irish dancer, Kowalik began his dance career at the tender age of three.
To date, the talented teen has also been undefeated five times as the North American Irish Dancing Champion and has also claimed every major title in Irish dancing, from the All-Ireland title, to the All-Scotland title.

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