Like many 16-year-olds, Tyler Vandeveld loves practicing his favourite sport down at the local park - but unlike others, he knows showing off his skills comes with risks. That's because, despite requiring more strength and stamina than football and rugby, his sport of choice still attracts unfair prejudice. And while it has been 24 years since the film Billy Elliot tried to shatter stigma around boy dancers, Tyler heartbreakingly knows full well it still exists.
He was brutally attacked by a gang of teenage thugs while practising somersaults in his local Bournemouth park one day. "They threw a beer can filled with urine at the back of my head," Tyler tells the Mirror . "All because I was dancing.
It was horrible." BGT Golden buzzer duo not focused on £250k prize as they make plea on Ukraine's 'horror' Tyler, 16, was brutally attacked in the park by thugs with a beer can for dancing ( Image: PR HANDOUT) Ben, 17, says they've all been picked on and assaulted because of their passion ( Image: PR HANDOUT) It's not the first time Tyler's been targeted by bullies for his love of contemporary dance - and he's not alone. All 37 members of the Phoenix Boys, a specialist school for young boys, aged seven to 17, have been verbally and physically assaulted because of their passion.
"We've all been called spiteful names or been picked on," says Tyler. "But we come together and it makes us stronger as a group." They're now hoping that same resilience will see them triumph on tonight's Bri.
