Kiril Kulish

Kiril Jacob Kulish is an American actor, singer, and dancer born on February 16, 1994, in San Diego, California. His parents, Raisa Kulish and Phil Axelrod, are Jewish immigrants from Ukraine, and he grew up speaking Russian, Ukrainian, and English. His older brother Victor is a singer, songwriter, and recording engineer, while his older sister Beata works as a television and film producer.

Kulish began studying ballet at age five and took up ballroom dancing at age eight, training at the San Diego Academy of Ballet, where he became the youngest male admitted to the junior company. His competitive dance career produced significant results: he won the Junior division Grand Prix at the Youth America Grand Prix in 2006, 2007, and 2008, and received the Hope Award in the Pre-Competitive division in 2006. He also claimed first place in Latin Ballroom at the USA National Dance Championships in both 2006 and 2007, and in 2012 and 2013 became the Youth USA Champion in Latin Dance Sport, representing the United States in competitions in Beijing and Paris.

His Broadway career centers on the original American production of Billy Elliot the Musical. On April 22, 2008, it was announced that Kulish would share the title role with David Álvarez and Trent Kowalik. He appeared in the production's first preview performance on October 1, 2008, and his final performance took place on October 3, 2009. The production received 15 Tony Award nominations and won 10, including Best Musical and Best Book of a Musical. On June 7, 2009, Kulish, Álvarez, and Kowalik jointly won the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical, making Kulish one of the youngest recipients of that award. He also received a Theatre World Award in 2009 for the role.

Beyond Broadway, Kulish performed the lead role in a production of The Nutcracker ballet in late 2009. He served as a choreographer for Chasing Mem'ries, a musical at the Geffen Playhouse starring Tyne Daly and Robert Forster, and performed in Baz — A Musical Tour de Force in Las Vegas. In October 2012, he appeared alongside Jon Secada, Debbie Gravitte, and Liz Callaway in Loving the Silent Tears: A New Musical at the Shrine Theater in Los Angeles. In 2016, he joined season 22 of Dancing with the Stars as a professional dancer in the troupe. His television appearances include The 63rd Annual Tony Awards, Good Morning America, ABC's The View, Live with Regis and Kelly, Live with Regis and Michael, and an NBC Sports Special. Film credits include roles in Crossing, Damaged, and Sonata. Kulish has divided his time among San Diego, Los Angeles, and New York.