Night 4 of auditions on “America’s Got Talent” season 17 continued on June 21 with another slate of audition performances from acts vying for this year’s $1 million prize. Host Terry Crews was back in the theater with series judges Simon Cowell, Sofia Vergara, Heidi Klum and Howie Mandel after offering up his Golden Buzzer to saxophonist Avery Dixon on Night 1. Howie and Simon sent two more acts straight through to the lives when they gave singers Maddie and Sara James their Golden Buzzers on Night 2 and Night 3, respectively. This week, Sofia was hypnotized by the all female Lebanese dance group Mayyas and “empowered” them as the fourth judges’ choice act. Watch their full audition in the video above.
As the members of Mayyas explained, dancing is not an art form that women in the Arab world can easily participate in. As a group, they want to bring “new style and technique” to Lebanon, but were inspired to try out for AGT by Nightbirde when she said “we can’t wait until life isn’t hard anymore before you decide to be happy.” That message rings true for the women who have delayed their own dreams of being performers and so when they took the stage for their audition there was a goal of empowering all women resting on their shoulders. When Sofia ultimately hit her Golden Buzzer for them she told Mayyas that she “would be so honored to empower you even more in this journey because you deserve it.”
Like the women promised ahead of their audition, Sofia and the other judges were “hypnotized” by their highly synchronized moves that were viewed best from center stage. With their arms and feather props, the dancers created the images of many-armed deities, the slithering of snakes, and the breathy flaps of bird wings. They even created boxes that flowed with the fluidity of liquid and emerged into eyes, opening and closing.
Though Sofia had the golden moment with Mayyas, the other judges were just as impressed. Howie acknowledged the “time and effort” that must have went into creating something so hypnotic and Heidi thanked them for the “little glimpse into your culture” with the stunning dance. Simon said that they will make a difference “in so many ways” and that it’s “arguably the best dance act” that they’ve ever seen.
How much did YOU like Mayyas and do you think they can take home the $1 million prize? Sound off on them and the rest of the new season in the comments below and with other fans in our reality TV forum. Also be sure to make your predictions to influence our reality TV racetrack odds.
