+
Pop Culture

Female Lebanese dance troupe returns to 'America's Got Talent' with an even more jaw-dropping performance

Howie Mandel called it the 'best moment in AGT history.'

mayyas agt, mayas dance, agt dance

Vegas, here they come!

All-female Lebanese dance troupe the Mayyas returned to the “America’s Got Talent” stage on Sept. 7 with yet another spectacular performance.

If you haven’t seen their first appearance on "AGT," do yourself a favor and watch it. The group, whose name means “walk of the Lioness,” earned themselves a nearly instant Golden Buzzer back in June after promising to “hypnotize” the audience and totally delivering on that promise.

Blending both Chinese and Lebanese folklore, the decadently clad women created mesmerizing illusions on the dance floor all in precise synchronization. Judge Sofía Vergara called it “the most beautiful creative dancing I’ve ever seen.”

The Mayyas certainly perfected their act for the competition’s semifinal, offering a kaleidoscopic display that was nothing short of jaw-dropping.


The group’s presence always has a delightful eeriness, but this time it was downright goosebump inducing—particularly when one dancer transformed her hands into a snake’s head and puppeted a message in Arabic that, according to The National News, translates to: "His soul and my soul, my soul and his soul, saw two souls existing in one body.”

Earlier in the show’s season, the troupe shared that for women in Arab culture, building a dance career was not generally supported. Winning would mean getting a chance to “prove to the world what Arab women can do, the art we can create, the fights we fight.”

It seems that breaking barriers is exactly what the Mayyas came to do, and they are undoubtedly succeeding. As soon as their beautiful and chilling act finished, Vergara ran up to the stage to give the dancers a hug. Howie Mandel called the Mayyas the “best moment in AGT history,” saying they “need to be the poster people for female empowerment.

Even Simon Cowell declared that this is a performance that “changes the world.

Countless singers, dancers and variety acts come to “AGT” in hopes to win the ultimate prize (other than the million bucks, of course)—becoming a headline Vegas act.

The Mayyas are well on their way to that coveted destination. But even if they don’t make it to the very end, they have already won in other ways.

via wakaflockafloccar / TikTok

It's amazing to consider just how quickly the world has changed over the past 11 months. If you were to have told someone in February 2020 that the entire country would be on some form of lockdown, nearly everyone would be wearing a mask, and half a million people were going to die due to a virus, no one would have believed you.

Yet, here we are.

PPE masks were the last thing on Leah Holland of Georgetown, Kentucky's mind on March 4, 2020, when she got a tattoo inspired by the words of a close friend.

Keep ReadingShow less
via Wikimedia Commons

The water bill at the Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis residence appears to be pretty low after recent revelations the couple made about their family's bathing habits.

In a recent appearance on Dax Shepard's "Armchair Expert" podcast, they admitted they're not that into bathing themselves or their two children, Dimitri Portwood, 4, and Wyatt Isabelle, 6.

Keep ReadingShow less
via PamTina_/Twitter

Pam's little brother is so sweet.

Pam has a little brother, who recently learned that he is actually her half-brother.

Of course, half-siblings are still very much siblings, but Pam's brother doesn't quite grasp the concept yet and seems upset about having to part with 50% of his sister.

Keep ReadingShow less
Pop Culture

'Rainbow Bridge' poem has long comforted grieving pet parents. Finally, the author is revealed.

For years, the creator of this beloved piece has been shrouded in mystery.

Canva

For years, 'Rainbow Bridge" seemed to simply exist without an author.

For grieving pet parents, few words come closer to providing some sort of comfort than those of “Rainbow Bridge.” After all, the poignant and wildly popular poem offers a slice of hope, promising a reunion with our furry loved ones in a magical paradise of the afterlife. Even for those who aren’t so theologically inclined, the imagery can be soothing after irrevocable loss.

For so long, “Rainbow Bridge” has seemingly existed as its own entity, being handed out by vets or shared in condolence cards and online sans a credited author. However, thanks to the tireless sleuthing of historian and author Paul Koudounaris, that mystery has been solved.

Keep ReadingShow less
via Pexels

A couple havng a fun coversation on a date

When we think about gifted conversationalists, we’re more likely to think of great talkers—those who wow us with their insights, wit, and charm. However, communication experts believe that if you want to make a great impression on someone, knowing how to listen goes a long way.

Those of us who love being verbose may think the world loves us because of how well we can talk. But the person sitting in front of you has a lot to say, and nothing makes them feel better during a conversation than your undivided attention.

As the old saying goes, we never quite remember everything someone has said to us, but we’ll never forget how they made us feel. When you actively listen to your conversation partner, they feel that you value them and are receptive to their needs. It also eases any feelings of conflict or resentment.

Keep ReadingShow less

Island School Class, circa 1970s.

Parents, do you think your child would be able to survive if they were transported back to the '70s or '80s? Could they live at a time before the digital revolution put a huge chunk of our lives online?

These days, everyone has a phone in their pocket, but before then, if you were in public and needed to call someone, you used a pay phone. Can you remember the last time you stuck 50 cents into one and grabbed the grubby handset?

According to the U.S. Federal Communications Commission, roughly 100,000 pay phones remain in the U.S., down from 2 million in 1999.

Do you think a 10-year-old kid would have any idea how to use a payphone in 2022? Would they be able to use a Thomas Guide map to find out how to get somewhere? If they stepped into a time warp and wound up in 1975, could they throw a Led Zeppelin album on the record player at a party?

Keep ReadingShow less