NC Youth Tap Ensemble auditions for ‘America’s Got Talent’

The North Carolina Youth Tap Ensemble wants to be able to show America what residents already know — Chapel Hill’s got talent.

The ensemble performed Saturday in front of “America’s Got Talent” judges for a spot on the show at the Charlotte Convention Center.

The ensemble won’t find out if it has moved on to the next round of judging until mid-February, but dancers said they felt good about the performance.

“I think it went really well. I feel good about it, but obviously, I don’t want to assume it went better than it did,” said Sarah Linden, a high school junior and one of the dancers.

The ensemble was targeted by “America’s Got Talent” and called to audition, unlike many other acts that came without an express invitation.

“They said, ‘You’re on the top of our priority list’,” said Gene Medler, founder and artistic director of the ensemble. “It’s just exciting to get the recognition.”

Medler founded the ensemble in 1982 because he wanted to give his dancing class a chance to perform more often.

Three decades later, the ensemble frequently performs at local schools and nursing homes — and it also has performed in the culture festival leading up to the 2010 Olympics and cities across the world, including Mexico City, Rio de Janeiro and Helsinki.

“Anybody that would let us dance, we danced for them,” Medler said. “Now we are 49 strong and dancing all over the world.”

Most ensemble members come from the Triangle area and range from ages 8 to 18. The ensemble raises money to pay for travel and dance classes.

“The reason for that is the ensemble is open to every child who would like to audition and perform regardless of cost,” said Mike Hickey, father of three of the dancers.

“If you want to tap dance and you can tap dance, you can join the company.”

The 10 dancers selected to audition for “America’s Got Talent” said they were ecstatic when they learned they had been invited to try out and might have the chance to perform for a national audience.

“I was so excited and I was screaming on the phone with my mom,” said Taylor Hartzog, a dancer and high school senior.

Linden said the selected dancers practiced almost every night the week before the competition to perfect a piece called “Doom, Doom, Bop” — a fast-paced, rhythmic a cappella dance.

She said she was nervous before the performance, but once she started dancing her nerves subsided.

“During it wasn’t as nerve-wracking, because once you’re dancing you don’t really think about being nervous at all.”

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