The atmosphere in Art House 360’s lobby buzzed with anticipation as friends and family members gathered to watch local dance crew Barrio Dance Factory audition for NBC’s America’s Got Talent last week.
The studio overflowed with hometown pride as Madison’s dance scene celebrated Barrio securing their third “yes” from Simon Cowell, advancing them to the next round of the competition.
“We’re so thankful for our community supporting us and cheering on the home team while we’re away,” the team said in a video shared with their Verona-based studio.
Watch the full audition:
The pre-professional dance crew kicked off the broadcast as the very first act of the night, performing a shortened version of the routine that secured them their slot on the show back in November 2025. Their performance received the stamp of approval from three out of four judges on the panel with the exception of comedian Howie Mandel.
America’s Got Talent producers invited the dancers to audition for the show’s 21st season after an impressive routine on World of Dance, an international competition where Barrio Dance has earned several high placements in years prior, making a name for themselves in the professional dance community.
Studio owner AJ Juarez choreographed the featured routine, a high-energy hip-hop number set to a medley of Queen songs including the tracks “Don’t Stop Me Now,” “Bicycle Race” and “Another One Bites the Dust.”
As a fellow Co-founder of Art House 360 and friend of over a decade, Jessica Lanius was moved to tears by Barrio Dance’s performance on the national stage.
“When I first met AJ, I was like, why is he here? He’s not gonna stay because everybody leaves and goes to Chicago, LA and New York. I was thinking he was so talented, but he loved Madison, and he loved the sort of outlying communities,” Lanius said.
“His dream was to build that quality that would be in Chicago or LA here,” Lanius said. “I feel like it was the pinnacle of it. He just did it, and it just keeps getting better and better…I just hope it communicates to more people that we’re here and that this wonderful, incredible art is happening right here at home.”
Juarez and the Barrio dance team video-chatted with their home studio from California between rehearsals on Tuesday, thanking the community for their ongoing support while they competed at the World of Dance Summit in Anaheim.
“We celebrated that one nice accomplishment and now we’re right back to work, onto the next one,” the team said.
Despite receiving the three pivotal “yeses” needed to proceed in the competition, behind-the-scenes network deliberations will ultimately determine whether Barrio Dance returns for future episodes in the live shows.
Tune in to America’s Got Talent on NBC to see if Barrio Dance Factory moves forward in the competition.
