This introduced me to the idea that one of the barriers stopping Billy from reaching his goals is going to be money, or lack of it. By showing Billy's impoverished home and environment, but not directly saying that he is poor, the director is letting the audience discover Billy's background without having to spell it out. I believe that this has more of an impact to the viewer. We can see the effect his poverty and social class have on his life, rather than having to be told. This helped me to understand that the film was going to involve some aspect of Billy struggling to overcome his background. .
The next thing preventing Billy from dancing is his family. Everyone around Billy expects him to be a man, to grow up. For example, he is expected to look after his grandma. We see Billy run out of the house to search for her when she goes missing. There is a zoom-in on his feet as he runs along the road, then a close up on his face. The camera then focuses on his grandma, who is wandering through the undergrowth. Evidently, she is quite old, and perhaps developing Alzheimer's. Billy has to be much more adult than other 11-year-olds. He does not get the support that most boys get from his family, especially his father, who expects him to box, to follow the traditions of his family. This is shown through the symbol of Billy's boxing gloves, which belonged to his grandfather. They symbolise the family tradition that Billy is expected to live up to; he must be masculine and bold. But Billy is not a particularly talented boxer. The camera tracks him as he dances around the ring, and the screen cuts to black when he is knocked out with one punch. As this is happening, there is a mid-shot of his father watching on through the caging that surrounds the boxing hall. He does not look happy. As Billy lies on the ground, the boxing coach says "You're a disgrace to them gloves, your father, and the traditions of this boxing hall".