1984 is a tough year for the Elliot family. Living in gritty and run-down Everington, in County Durham in the north of England, Jackie Elliot is still grieving for his wife who passed away a year before. He has money woes—a coal miner, Jackie is out on strike with his co-workers to protest union troubles. His oldest son, Tony, is one of the union's chief bullies, and none of the striking men dare return to work or cross the picket line for fear of reprisals.
Jackie feels that it's time for Billy, his youngest son, to start acting more like a man and sends him to boxing lessons, but Billy is immediately drawn to the ballet class taking place on the other side of the gym. He joins the class without telling his father, but when Jackie finds out the truth he is absolutely furious. He thinks all ballet dancers are effeminate, and fears there is something wrong with his son. He forbids Billy from going to classes, but by now Billy has a passion for dancing and cannot quit, taking lessons privately with the ballet teacher, Sandra Wilkinson, an unfulfilled middle-class woman in town.
Mrs. Wilkinson encourages Billy to go in for an open audition to study at the Royal Ballet School in London, training him privately in the evenings. Billy is nervous but excited for the audition; however, when his brother is involved in an altercation at the picket line and ends up getting arrested, Billy misses his audition. Mrs. Wilkinson is angry that Tony's stupidity has impacted Billy and deprived him of the biggest opportunity of his life and tells Jackie about the missed audition. Having no idea Billy was still dancing, Jackie and Tony become angry.
While Billy is not gay, his best friend, Michael, is and comes out to Billy over the Christmas vacation. Billy is supportive of Michael, and clearly a far more open-minded young man than he has been raised to be. Over the break, Jackie catches Billy at the gym, dancing, and is shocked by his talent. Seeing how talented Billy truly is, Jackie resolves to make enough money to pay for Billy to go to London and audition. Mrs. Wilkinson offers to pay but Jackie is determined to raise it himself. He tries to cross the picket line to return to paid work, but Tony prevents him from doing so, and his fellow miners and some neighbors contribute a little money to the audition fund. To make up the difference Jackie pawns his wife's jewelry. Jackie takes Billy to London himself.
When they arrive at the audition, it is obvious to Billy that he does not come from the traditional ballet background. He performs well in the audition, but he is so wound up and nervous after that he punches another boy in the face. The members of the review panel sternly scold him for his violent behavior, but still want to talk to him about dancing. The assistant principal of the school asks why he wants to dance and what it feels like when he is dancing. Billy, never a particularly eloquent boy, becomes a little tongue-tied but tells her that it is like "electricity" in his body, making a compelling argument for his passion.
Even though he believes he blew his only chance to escape the mining town, Billy receives a letter from the Royal Ballet School telling him that he has been accepted. Billy leaves Everington behind to attend school in London.
In 1998, Billy is twenty-five years old. Jackie, Tony, and Michael, still his best friend, settle into their seats at the theater to watch Billy dance in Swan Lake. Jackie, a tough and easily angered man, is moved, and his eyes fill with tears as he watches his son dance.
