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‘AGT’ judges thought they’d seen it all — until a dance crew set the stage on fire (literally)

‘AGT’ judges were stunned when this group’s boots went up in flames — and that was just the beginning

When people hear of someone setting the stage on fire in 'America's Got Talent', they often mean it metaphorically. However, that wasn't the case with the Argentinian dance group that quite literally set the stage on fire. The 10-member dance group going by the name of Legión and calling themselves an Argentinian Malambo company brought a lot of energy as they stepped on stage. They stated how they work regular jobs while trying to make time for their passion, which is dance. When Simon Cowell asked the group, "Do you think you're going to win, and what would the money mean to you?" The group replied without hesitation, "We think we're going to win this, and with the money, we would love to have our own studio because of all this preparation we've been doing in Fabian's parents' backyard."

As the group stepped in, taking their positions, everyone looked around, wondering what was taking them so long. Then in a dramatic twist, the crew members stepped in with blowtorches and set the Argentinian dance group's boots on fire. As the Argentinian troupe stood on stage unfazed, with boots ablaze, they waited, letting the tension build. Then all of a sudden the group erupted into coordinated footwork as one group member stood at the back and played the bombo legüero, an Argentine drum. As the group danced with their synchronized footwork, more Legión members joined from the wings with drums, adding layers to the rhythmic storm.

The performance evolved from coordinated footwork into a full-blown spectacle of stuntwork. What followed was the group coming on stage with steel chains as they vigorously spun the chains around with breathtaking precision along with group members with flaming steel swords clashing them in sparks of pure drama. The crowd was losing it; Legión had the crowd engulfed as well with their energy. As they danced, the lead dance member shouted passionate chants in Spanish. Just as the performance crescendoed to an end, a fiery rogue boot flew in the air, clearly unplanned but luckily harmless, which further added a layer of raw unpredictability to a performance that was already ablaze with power.

As Legión finished their performance, everyone erupted into a standing ovation, awestruck by the powerful performance they had just witnessed. The 'AGT' crew members came along with fire extinguishers to tame the fire. As everyone applauded, one of the dancers got teary-eyed as Simon Cowell started to speak, "We needed that. That was epic." Howie Mandell then said, "That was very exciting, very unexpected, very surprising." He spotted the crying dancer and asked him, "What are you thinking?" Teary-eyed, the Legión member stated, "Malambo is life. It's everything for us, and this is a big dream for us." 

As Sofia Vergara's turn came to speak, her words took everyone by surprise: "Everyone is so fascinated with you guys because, for them, this is something so different and exotic. You know, I'm South American, and I've seen this dance many times." As she uttered these words, the entire audience started booing her. Vergara then continued speaking. "For me, you guys have to do something spectacular…" The crew looked disheartened, almost as if their entire life's efforts had just been invalidated. But then, Vergara continued, with her tone shifting, "And that was spectacular. I thought that was amazing, and I had never seen something like that, and that's exactly why I'm going to do this."

With a sudden, dramatic gesture, she slammed the Golden Buzzer. It took everyone by surprise, Legión, the audience, and even Cowell, who looked visibly shocked as Vergara hit the buzzer. As the confetti flowed down, so did Legión's tears as they dropped to their knees in celebration. They were one step away from achieving their dreams, and the world was watching.