Boys dance, too: Rathdrum teen taking national dance stage

RATHDRUM — Tyson Beckett’s parents always knew that their son was destined for the stage.

Tyson’s mom, Trudi Beckett, can recall how by the time he was 2 or 3 years old, Tyson could perform choreography from the Nintendo Wii game, “Michael Jackson: The Experience” just from hearing Michael Jackson songs.

Tyson’s passion and talent for dance only grew from those early days.

“We (had) an inside joke from the age of 5-6: if there’s a stage within a 5-mile radius, Tyson will somehow find a way to get on it,” Trudi Beckett said.

Now a teenager, Tyson is going on eight years of training in ballet dance; he’s also explored lyrical, hip-hop and jazz dance styles. He’s performed in several local theater productions and films and has been a member of the Expressions School of Performing Arts for the past five years.

This year, Tyson has entered the world of competition dance, where he’s competing at a national level. He’s received teacher shoutouts at two of his last three competitions and earned a scholarship to nationals with the New York City Dance Alliance.

Now, the Becketts are asking for the community’s support in Tyson’s biggest competition yet: Dance Icon, where the winner will receive $20,000 and a spot in singer Ciara’s upcoming music video.

In order to advance to the live judging round taking place in Arizona next month, Tyson has navigated multiple voting rounds and must place first in the semifinals to advance to the final voting phase.

As of Friday, Tyson is in eighth place in the semifinals. Votes can still be cast through Thursday.

If Tyson wins, he plans to put his prize money toward attending AMDA College of the Performing Arts after graduating in 2028 — a year early.

“His dreams are set high. He’s determined to make it to Broadway,” Beckett said.

Tyson also hopes to inspire other male dancers and reminds people that boys dance, too.

“As a young male dancer, I face a lot of criticism in my small town,” reads Tyson’s semifinalist profile. “I push through it and want to inspire other young male dancers to follow their passion and dreams. Dance is a way to express who you are and be your authentic self. Everyone deserves a chance to be just that.”

Beckett, seeing Tyson subjected to bullying from a young age, made the difficult decision to pull Tyson from traditional public school. He instead does his schooling online from home.

“There are many assumptions made about boys in ballet, both by other kids and adults,” Beckett said. “However, we are incredibly fortunate to have found a studio that supports all its dancers and works tirelessly to foster an inclusive and welcoming environment.”

Despite these challenges, Tyson’s passion has taken him further than anyone could have imagined.

“I’m the next Dance Icon because I have the passion and grit needed to bring a new energy and light to the dance stage,” Tyson said on his semifinalist profile. “Boys dance too!”

Votes for Tyson can be cast at danceicon.org/2025/tyson-beckett-2.