An hour-and-a-half later, ‘Talent’ pool is set
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Cuts like a knife
Sword swallower Dan Meyer stood and listened as Piers told him the judges loved his act and didn't dispute that he was one of the best in the world at what he does. But he would not be moving on to the next round.
New Orleans street performers Lil Countrie and Page 1NE talked about their long journey, with one of them saying, "I feel like I'm rebuilding my city one show at a time." Piers said it was a split decision, and The Hoff broke the news that they would not continue in the competition.
Xclusive, a popper who showed his best stuff, found out that it wasn't good enough to keep him around for another round.
Donald Braswell, the singer who had his vocal cords severed in a car accident 11 years ago, took the long walk to the judges' table to find out what his future held. The Hoff called Braswell's story "the comeback story of all time." Despite all that, The Hoff told Braswell he would not be going on to the next round.
"I have three beautiful girls, they know they my story, they know what's happened to me. But they never knew their daddy when he sang. They didn't know him. And," he said as he cried, "I wanted me girls to see me. I wanted this for them.
America's Next Top Dance Crews
Consider this the year of the dancer on "Talent," as dancers and dance crews make up nearly a quarter of the semifinalists.
Whether they can be considered a dance group, or not, a group of inflated animal mascots dressed in sports uniforms, the Zooperstars, made their way to the stage. A duck in the group fell flat on his face walking up the stage steps, which made for an unexpected laugh-out-loud moment. They broke into dance when Piers, the judge who most vehemently criticized the group at its first audition, told them they were moving on. Other dance groups followed, including the Slippery Kittens, the Dallas Desperados dance team, Sickstep, The Tapping Dads, and the DC Cowboys.
The dancing crews came down to The Sterling Silver Cloggers versus Beyond Belief Dance Company for a final spot. The cloggers went home and Beyond Belief continued to the next round.
Operamen
Michael Strelo-Smith and Neal E. Boyd, the two big opera singers who have captured America's collective heart early in the competition, were the last to learn their fate. Strelo-Smith got word first and wept when the judges told him he was through to the next round. That led viewers to think Boyd was out, but Piers told him he was still in it and told him to make the most of his opportunity, because it's the biggest one he'll have in his life.
Injured reserve
Since the taping of the audition rounds, Christine from the Russian Bar Trio suffered a serious injury doing a jump and the group had to bow out of the competition. That opened the door for one more act to be chosen from the judges' wild-card selections: singer Donald Braswell III; 11-year-old contortionist Victoria Jacoby; salsa dancers Junior and Emily; street performers Lil Countrie & Page 1NE; sword swallower Dan Meyer; grinder Miss Pussykatt; singer Kyle Rifkin; and popper Xclusive. Viewers can vote at nbc.com/AmericasGotTalent.
Victor Balta is a frequent contributor to msnbc.com. He lives in Philadelphia.
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