GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — A dancer from West Michigan has advanced to the finale of the NBC hit show “America’s Got Talent.”
Matt Wagner, a Vicksburg native, is part of the dance group Diavolo. The group is among 10 finalists competing Tuesday for a $1 million grand prize and a headline show in Las Vegas.
“It is an absolute whirlwind,” Wagner told 24 Hour News 8 via FaceTime from the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. “We didn’t think we’d make it past the first couple (rounds).”
Wagner grew up in Vicksburg and spent his youth learning and later teaching gymnastics in Kalamazoo. In college, he decided to explore dance. He eventually auditioned for Diavolo, which led him all the way to LA, where the group is based.
The act uses massive set pieces to combine dance and acrobatics. They call it ‘architecture in motion.’
This is the second year Wagner has been touring with Diavolo. The group travels the world to perform their show.
But the finale of ‘AGT’ is by far their biggest stage yet.
“Basically, this is a highlight reel of Diavolo. What you see are the most epic moments that we can possibly fit into two and a half minutes,” Wagner said.
The dance group has put in 12-hour days for 18 days straight during the live shows, not including all their hard work beforehand.
How they fare against the nine other finalists — a mixture of singers, animal acts, comedians and more — is up to America.
But for Wagner, no matter what happens, it’s an experience he’ll never forget.
“Regardless of what happens tonight, and the results show tomorrow night, it’s an honor to be here,” Wagner said. “Because we get to show what we do and what we love and just who our very souls are to all of America.”
The America’s Got Talent finale airs Tuesday at 8 p.m. on WOOD TV8. The results show airs the same time Wednesday night.