Ukrainian Oleksandr Leshchenko delivered a one-of-a-kind audition on America’s Got Talent, combining his amazing dance skills and a brilliant multimedia presentation. Earlier this season on the show, Leshchenko danced inside a 4D holographic cube to Birdy’s “Wings” in a mesmerising audition. The 34-year-old’s lithe dancing told a story onstage, in combination with inspired visuals that moved and responded precisely with his choreography.
Leshchenko brought a childlike sense of wonder and fun to the performance, making it quite the feel good experience. His dance moves appeared to create the visuals, with the graphics in the 4D cube moving and shifting to his motions, for example moving the hands of a giant clock to the beat. You can watch the unique audition for yourself below.
What’s even more impressive is that Leshchenko isn’t just a dancer, as he was also the choreographer and director for the complex performance. The dancer appeared onstage with his wife Lina, who is the creative producer of the show. The pair presented the show in collaboration with Kyiv-based studio Magic Innovations, which have used the cube for a variety of diverse performances.
The judges were clearly impressed with Leshchenko’s audition, with Sofía Vergara saying “that was the best thing I’ve seen this season. That was insane.” Simon Cowell weighed in next, saying “There was a lot of technology in this act, and I think that can be a bit soulless. But you combine it with everything else. You are such a star – this is an audition we are all gonna remember.” Later in the season Leshchenko took his act to the next level in the qualifiers, as you can see below.
Judge Heidi Klum said “we have seen a lot of mixture between technology and reality put together, but never quite like this before. You dance so beautifully. There were just so many amazing wow moments. It was incredible – well done.”
When the Leshchenkos said they were from Ukraine at the start of the audition, they got quite a warm reception from the audience. Judge Howie Mandell reflected on their journey in his comments, saying “What’s amazing for me is when you come from the country you’re from, from such strife, and you have the ability to just flourish creatively so beautifully.”
Howie gave the Leshchenkos their first yes vote, and then the other three judges followed suit, giving the couple a clean sweep. Vergara told the couple that they have an “amazing chance” of winning the whole season in her closing comments. She wasn’t too far off, as Leshchenko progressed up until the top five before being eliminated in the semi-finals.
Fans online were just as impressed with the act as the judges, adding comments such as “I watched this hundreds of times. It is truly amazing. I don’t know how this didn’t get the golden buzzer. Best performance I have ever seen on AGT.” This sentiment was a popular one, with many fans saying Leshchenko definitely deserved to get the golden buzzer.
