When the Phoenix Boys’ dance troupe took to the audition stage of Britain’s Got Talent 2024, the judges were shocked to hear they’d had a total of only three rehearsals. Their confidence was bright from the moment they appeared — the boys had already made the audience laugh, rattling off a mismatched list of places its members had been pulled from, from Kent to Glasgow, Cheshire to Manchester. But they never could have expected the insane reaction their once-in-a-lifetime audition would receive.
BGT has seen a multitude of street dancers battle for the crown. But a whole street’s worth of all-male ballet dancers?
Phoenix Boys had the audience spellbound from their very first move, blending traditional ballet and modern interpretive dance with an exciting, acrobatic edge. Between their ornamental backflips, cartwheels, pirouettes, and lifts, innumerable boys streamed onto the stage as the act progressed, doubling the power and sheer grace of this incredible performance. Their stellar audition has already gained nearly half a million views on YouTube!
The judges were taken aback, shocked into silence, before a huge standing ovation overtook the audience, joined by pro dance judge, Bruno Tonioli. After a moment’s thought, he slammed the Golden Buzzer so hard it split down the centre, breaking the button with a passion never seen before in BGT history.
Amanda Holden hit the nail on the head when she turned to Bruno, asking, “Did they remind you of you?”, to which he replied, “Yes,” and maneuvered up to the main stage for an emotional talk with the boys. He told the crowd, “People don’t really understand how hard it is to succeed as a dancer. The work that goes into it and the passion and, literally, you do it for nothing, you do it for love. And I felt that.”
Bruno stepped down from the stage in a flood of tears; a genuine insight into the pressures of male dancers as they fight for acceptance and success.
Named the UK’s “most vibrant and inclusive” dance and performance company, Phoenix Boys offers supplementary classes for aspiring male dancers, with a focus on helping boys thrive in the comfort of an all-male environment. Their site addresses the divide in acceptance of male and female dancers, recognizing dance as a tool which can help boys express their emotions and encouraging male dancers to create and share experiences that “every female dancer in the world takes for granted.”
At least 30 dancers from Phoenix Boys performed in this life-changing audition, with ages ranging from eight to 19 (which was somehow incorrectly spelled 8 to 10 on BGT itself). For more from the electrifying dance troupe, Phoenix Boys, subscribe to their YouTube Channel or follow them on Instagram. To learn more about their journey and upcoming performances, visit their official website.