Israeli dancing dog act makes finals of ‘America’s Got Talent’

Israeli dog trainer Roni Sagi and her dancing dog Rhythm advanced to the final of  “America’s Got Talent” on Friday after a performance that earned them a standing ovation.

Dressed in yellow and with a yellow ribbon in her hair, Sagi and her border collie performed to “What a Feeling” from the movie “Flashdance,” garnering copious praise from the judges.

Sagi told Channel 12 news on Saturday night that the yellow parts of her outfit were in solidarity with the 97 hostages who were taken by terrorists on October 7 and are still being held captive in Gaza (yellow ribbons and yellow in general have come to symbolize the plight of the hostages).

Sagi’s sister Sol posted a video of Roni and Rhythm from Thursday’s performance, writing, “So proud of you for dedicating this performance to the hostages, our brothers and sisters who were taken brutally from their home.”

Judge Heidi Klum called the dance a “winning performance,” dubbing it “spectacular” and “amazing” and praising Sagi’s patience in training Rhythm.

Judge and show creator Simon Cowell said that if it were the Olympics, he would have scored the performance a 10.

“That was better than anything I’ve seen before,” he said.

After the judges had delivered their comments, host Terry Crews asked Sagi what the best thing was about dancing with Rhythm.

“I think it’s about being able to show that you can speak two different languages and still connect, and I hope this is the message that people will take, not just for this kind of show, but for living in general,” she said.

Later, after the results of the evening’s performances revealed that Sagi and Rhythm had been voted into the finals, Sagi posted, “AGT finals here we go.”

“Couldn’t be more proud of my best friend who showed how beautiful the relationship between dogs and humans can be. Watching him so happy as we do our thing on the biggest stage in the world made me the happiest person in the world, and to know that all the people at home could see his joy and feel it along with us is the most incredible feeling,” she added.

The trainer, who herself danced for nine years before entering the world of dog dancing, has received accolades in Israeli media before, appearing on public broadcaster Kan in 2021 during a competition in the Czech Republic, with another dancing dog of hers — Pesach, also a border collie.

Sagi and Rhythm will perform in the final on Tuesday night, and the results will be revealed the following Tuesday, September 24.