NBC AMERICA'S GOT TALENT -- "Auditions 6" Episode 1407 -- Pictured: Bencha Theater -- (Photo by: Trae Patton/NBC)
Auditions for America’s Got Talent season 14 end tonight with one last round of contestants hoping to impress the judges and move forward in the competition. One of the acts performing tonight is Bencha Theater, a multi-media performance group who put their own stunning twist on dance and acrobatics.
The official synopsis for the sixth and final audition episode of the season reads “Auditions conclude as acts of all types and contestants of all ages audition for the chance to win the $1 million prize; the golden buzzer sends one more lucky act directly to the live shows in Los Angeles.” Judge Julianne Hough is the only one with a golden buzzer up for grabs – could Bencha Talent be the act that wins her over?
Before you watch them perform on AGT tonight, here’s what you should know about Bencha Theater:
They Are an Acrobatic Dance Group From the Netherlands
According to their website bio, the Netherlands-based group “are unique in combining professional talent with broad-ranging emotional expression, providing an extra dimension to [their] performances.” Their troupe is comprised of acrobats, dancers, and musicians each with “international reputations.”
The current team is made up of artistic leader Rachel Melief, co-founder and acrobat Dimiter Simeonov, acrobats/dancers Micka Karlsson, Sarah Kooij, and Romain Touron, and musicians Marieke Van Der Heyden (cellist) and Robert Baba (violinist). The team also employs a number of freelance dancers and acrobats, and includes rigging, sound, and technical producers to create their show’s intended effect.
One look at their Instagram page (which had only a little over 150 followers before their AGT appearance) shows that their specialty is high-flying acrobatics acts, suspended in the air by silks or ropes and harnesses. While all their skills and stunts look impressive, their most unique display of talent is dance choreographed in harnesses suspended from walls, buildings, and other structures so that the movements occur parallel to the ground below.
They Will Be Performing Their Vertical Wall Dance For Their AGT Audition
A promo photo of Bencha Theater’s performance, released ahead of tonight’s episode by NBC, shows three of the group’s members suspended on a rope and harness as they “climb” up a vertical wall that has a futuristic-looking clock projected onto it. This still resembles a video shared of the group’s 2013 performance in Bankok, published on Youtube by Marc van Laere.
If their AGT performance is anything like the one caught on video (see video above for reference), viewers should expect to see synchronized dance that seemingly defies gravity, accompanied by video screen projecting images and clips to match the acrobats’ dance moves and musicians scoring the act from down below on the ground.
Bencha Theater offered a news update on their website that they had incorporated this mobile wall into their acts, writing “With this spectacular show it’s about the total experience and technics. Now, we have a new stage… A cool, high wall. The wall is our playground for innovative video content and high tech flight systems. Our international acrobats will fly and jump, giving a WOW moment to your event or festival!”
Tune in to America’s Got Talent, Tuesday nights at 8/7c on NBC.