Los Osos High School Trae Patton/NBC
Emily Gold and the Los Osos High School dance team gave it their all on America’s Got Talent weeks before her tragic death.
Fans were introduced to Gold and her teammates during the season 19 premiere, which aired in May, when they wowed the audience and judges with a routine to Usher’s “OMG.” Judge Simon Cowell was impressed with the teens’ ability, calling the performance “brilliant.”
“What I loved about this was first of all the energy,” Cowell, 64, told the group. “I think what I just saw is everything a great school should be doing, which is encouraging talent and friendship. ”
Cowell ultimately voted for the troupe to move forward in the competition alongside Heidi Klum and Sofia Vergara. Howie Mandel, for his part, disagreed. Despite Mandel’s pushback, Los Osos High School moved on to the quarterfinals. The group, which included 50 dancers, performed a mix of Fergie‘s “Fergalicious”, the Black Eyed Peas’ “Pump It” and Tag Team’s “Whoomp! (There It Is).”
Quite the journey! Created by Simon Cowell, America’s Got Talent debuted on NBC in June 2006, shortly after the show was set to launch in the U.K. While the contestants and their talents change each season, they’re not the only element that switches up. At first, the reality competition series was hosted by Regis Philbin […]
In addition to showing off their hip-hop dance moves and break dancing, the number featured a variety of stunts and gymnastics tricks. The group’s energy had Klum, 51, dancing along in her seat.
After the students finished, the crowd and judges applauded with Cowell giving the participants a standing ovation. The audience continued to roar with cheers while Klum complimented the group’s “blue wave.”
“I give you two thumbs up because you can’t hear a thing I’m telling you,” the model shouted over the cheering.
Vergara, 52, acknowledged that she had never seen a crowd go more wild for a performance like they did for the Rancho Cucamonga, California-based high school.
“It was so crazy,” she gushed. “It’s amazing.”
However, it was Cowell, who has been a big fan of them since their audition, who delivered the most touching compliment for the dancers.
“This was a gigantic step up. Seriously,” he said. “I don’t know anything about dance. However, that to me was an event.”
While Mandel was critical of the dancers in their audience, he admitted their performance was “nice” but it was still like a “half-time high school show.” Despite Mandel’s harsh feedback, the group appreciated his advice and would work on improvement in their next rehearsal.
Following a live vote, Los Osos High School was eliminated. The team’s choreographer, Rachel Muego, gushed about how well they did during their time on AGT.
Since America’s Got Talent debuted in June 2006, the show has gone through many changes — including swapping out the panel of judges from time to time. The series, created by Simon Cowell, kicked off with Piers Morgan, David Hasselhoff and Sharon Osbourne serving as judges. Later, the show expanded to four judges and Cowell […]
“First time choreographing for television and what an incredible experience 🥹,” she wrote via Instagram in August. “We’re sad that this chapter has ended mainly because of the bond we built with this team and how amazing the crew was at @agt but forever grateful for the lessons we learned and the memories we made!!!”
The following month, Us Weekly confirmed that Gold died by suicide at age 17. Her dance team paid tribute to their late captain.
“It is with such heavy heart that we share the passing of our beautiful, kind and loving Emily Gold, Senior and Varsity Dance Captain,” the Los Osos High School Varsity Dance Team wrote via an Instagram statement on Monday, September 16. “Emily has always embodied every aspect of our core team values through her strength, commitment, kindness, compassion, and the most humble heart.”
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