“[The boys] felt on top of the world and live each day with the swag to boot,” Sydney Smedley tells PEOPLE
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():format(jpeg)/benson-boone-talent-show-030426-5-bb5d4cdd26224b3baf5fe1d588cabba5.jpg "Group of 8-Year-Olds Go Viral For Benson Boone-Inspired Performance During School Talent Show")
Credit: Courtesy of Sydney Smedley; Kevin Winter/Getty for The Recording Academy
NEED TO KNOW
- Sydney Smedley is a mother of four who owns her own dance studio in Medford, Ore.
- Her 8-year-old, Beckham, recently took the stage with his three best friends dressed as their favorite pop artist, Benson Boone
- Their February 2026 talent show performance went viral and amassed over 640,000 views on TikTok
As a professional choreographer and the owner of a dance studio, Sydney Smedley is no stranger to the spotlight. At home, though, the 36-year-old is a mother to four energetic boys who have always preferred the basketball court over the stage.
Still, every year, Smedley has offered to choreograph a routine for their school talent show in the hope that at least one of her boys would take her up on it. After years of eagerly suggesting the idea, when her second youngest son, Beckham, was in kindergarten, he finally agreed.
"Beckham is the first child to love the limelight and happens to have the most fun and supportive friends,” Smedley tells PEOPLE exclusively.
@sydsmed Facts: 1. These 2nd grade boys are obsessed with Benson Boone and more specifically his abs. 2. They picked out their outfits 3. They told me the very specific songs that needs to be in the mashup. I am merely their assistant 💁🏼♀️ @Benson Ever wanted to visit Southern Oregon? Here’s 4 reasons👯♂️👯♂️ #talentshow #bensonboone
♬ original sound - Sydsmed
That love of the spotlight went viral this year when 8-year-old Beckham and three of his closest friends, Austin Brendle, Korver Doll and Clark Bennett, decided to build a performance around their shared musical hero, Benson Boone.
“They are all huge fans!” Smedley shares, adding that she and her son traveled nearly four hours to attend the 23-year-old’s American Heart Tour last fall in Portland. So when it came time to pick a medley of songs for the show, Beckham was more than prepared.
To bring that same concert-style energy to the school gym, the four boys ended up choreographing their dance to a mash-up of “Sorry I’m Here for Someone Else,” “Mr Electric Blue” and Boone’s Grammy-nominated hit, “Beautiful Things.”
Preparation began in January 2026, with the big night scheduled for February. However, even as a mother who choreographs for a living, Smedley says rehearsals with four energetic 8-year-olds required plenty of flexibility and patience.
“The hardest part of practice was reigning in four 8-year-old boys,” she reveals. “We would practice a couple times, let them take a snack break, practice a couple more times, take a basketball break, practice again and reward them with candy.”
Credit: Amy Sussman/Getty
When it came to costumes, Smedley was “shocked” by how easily the boys came together to brainstorm a list of amazing ideas.
“On the first practice, they made it clear that six-pack shirts and wigs were a ‘must,' so we sat down together and went on Amazon. I found the jumpsuits but didn’t think they’d go for it, so I found a more ‘low key’ option,” Smedley recalls.
“In the end, they took a vote and three of the four boys wanted the jumpsuits, so we ordered them," she adds. "When everything came, it all fit well and they were completely obsessed with the whole look.”
Credit: Courtesy of Sydney Smedley
Before hitting the stage, Beckham, Austin, Korver and Clark had little to no nerves and, according to Smedley, they were running off “pure excitement and adrenaline.”
When the music started, the boys delivered a full-throttle performance complete with blue jumpsuits, wigs, fake abs and inflatable guitars. Given that the group had been participating in the school’s talent show together since kindergarten, their comfort really showed.
“I think they continue to do it each year because they love the attention they get from their peers,” Smedley explains. “Needless to say, they felt on top of the world and live each day with the swag to boot.”
Soon after, Smedley posted their performance on TikTok, captioned, "Facts: 1. These 2nd grade boys are obsessed with Benson Boone and more specifically his abs. 2. They picked out their outfits 3. They told me the very specific songs that need to be in the mashup. I am merely their assistant."
Credit: Courtesy of Sydney Smedley
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It quickly went viral, amassing over 640,000 views. Even though the viral video has yet to catch the attention of Boone himself, Smedley says the memory is already sealed.
“We will undoubtedly remember this talent show for the rest of their lives. The sweet innocence and excitement of such a simple core childhood memory is what it's all about,” she tells PEOPLE. “Hearing the kids in the gym sing along while our boys went absolutely ballistic on stage was pure magic."
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