14-year-old contortionist made Simon Cowell duck on 'AGT' — but her upside-down bullseye stole the show
Self-taught contortionist Sofie Dossi wowed the judges on 'America's Got Talent' Season 11 with her daring stunt and earned a standing ovation for the act. The 14-year-old from Cypress, California, blew everyone away when she used "homemade" metal stands to balance herself and her bare feet to wield a bow while shooting an arrow directly to the center of a marked target. The visually mind-boggling audition was divided into several small stunts. Dossi told the judges that at the age of 12, she came across a contortionist's video on YouTube and got instantly intrigued to try out her luck. From then on, there was no looking back.
For the first part, she showcased her skills with simple leg tricks, then she moved on to picking up an apple from the stand with her feet and placing it in her mouth. She even took a big bite, to the amusement of the audience and the judges. After which, host Nick Cannon walked onto the stage and handed her the bow and arrow. While Dossi was performing the daredevil act, Simon Cowell remained partially ducked with an expression of horror all over his face. He remained seated in the same posture in complete disbelief even after the stunt was over. Dossi moved directly to the 'Judges Cut' round after receiving four "yes" votes from the judges.
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Dossi even got the coveted Golden Buzzer for her hair-raising performance from guest judge Reba McEntire. She competed successfully till the semi-finals but was eliminated due to the lack of votes right before reaching the top five spot in the finale. Dossi returned in 2019 to try her luck on 'America's Got Talent: The Champions' but got knocked out during the preliminaries. In 2023, Dossi came back as a guest performer on the 'AGT' stage and teamed up with McEntire. The duo rendered a powerful collaborative act, as the 'Queen of Country Music' sang her latest single, 'Can't Even Get The Blues,' Dossi delivering mind-numbing ariel stunts in the background.
The self-proclaimed gymnast returned in 2024 to compete for Heidi Klum's team on 'America's Got Talent: Fantasy League'. She quickly earned the Golden Buzzer for shooting a flame-throwing arrow at a specific target while doing a handstand, per NBC. “Because timing is everything, and I don’t want anyone to kerfuffle this, as Mel would say, I will give you this Golden Buzzer right now,” Heidi had reacted. “I mean this. This is competitive, and I don’t like to give my fellow mentors credit,” Howie Mandel told Klum, adding, “but if tonight was my Golden Buzzer, I would use it on you.”
“Not that you need it,” the former supermodel had gushed, adding, “I push it for you because I love you and believe in you, and I think you’re amazing!” Unfortunately, Dossi couldn't get to the finals and was eliminated midway. Dossi continues to hone her skills with every performance. At present, the young artist enjoys over nine million fans on YouTube and a thriving stage career with several scheduled shows.