Tap-dancing teens stole the spotlight on ‘AGT’ — and the crowd (including us) couldn’t stop cheering
Two boys stepped onto the grand stage of ‘America’s Got Talent’ wearing varsity jackets and caps, back in season nine. As soon as the audience saw the boys, they cheered them on with a round of applause. Spice Girls star Mel B was the first one to ask the contestants, Sean Jones and Luke Pilalis, what they were going to do for them that night, to which the duo replied, “We're going to be tap dancing.”
When asked about their style of tap dancing, Pilalis said that when they were three years old, his mom opened up a studio where they rehearsed, and that it was just "regular" tap dancing. As they took their spots, Heidi Klum was heard saying to Mel B, "I hope they're good." Their mothers were backstage, hoping for the best. And within no time, the two boys were seen grooving to the music. Then, when the word “busted” came up in the song, both the track and their dance style shifted. Jones and Pilalis moved to the beat, holding their heads with one hand, lifting one leg, and spinning across the stage.
The boys danced to Young MC's 'Bust a Move' and Digital Underground's 'Humpty Dance,' according to America's Got Talent Wiki. Their performance was perfectly synchronized and met with a lot of cheering from the audience. Sean and Luke then placed their hands behind their backs and heavily tapped on the floor, wearing black shoes and jeans. The sound from their shoes was so loud that it interrupted the song as the track intensified. Even the judges seemed to be enjoying the show. It was clear that not only were they charming, but they were talented as well.
Next was the move where they were seen swirling their heads in circles, making exaggerated faces while also moving their bodies perfectly. Next was the move where they were seen swirling their heads in circles, making nasty faces while also moving their body. They even split their legs, dropped to the floor, and with an instant jump, they got up again. They hugged each other from the back, took off their caps, and ended their performance by opening the buttons of their jackets in one swift move.
“I think the two of you are very talented. I really enjoyed it. Especially your facial expressions,” Klum stated. Howard Stern then mentioned that Klum might be flirting with the young boys, to which she stated, “just a little bit.” When the judges asked their ages, the contestants stated that they were 17 and 18, to which Stern jokingly said that they were "not that much younger than her boyfriend." Mel B then mentioned, “You made tap cool, so it's definitely different. I think the girls are going to go crazy for you.” The two got three "yes" votes from Klum, Mel B, and comedian Howie Mandel, and a "no" from Stern. The boys advanced to Judgment Week, where they performed on 'New York, New York.' After dancing to MKTO's 'Classic' in the Quarterfinals, they were eliminated.
