A four-man dance squad called Adem Show from the Central Asian country of Kyrgyzstan put on a breathtaking Mortal Kombat-inspired routine on last night’s episode of America’s Got Talent. The Raiden-like leader manipulating a trio of contortionist ninja is stunning (and often painful) to watch.
Judging from the production and staging of the clip posted last night to the America’s Got Talent YouTube channel, the show’s producers are well aware of how special and unique Adem Show’s performance is. The whole group gets a flashy entrance set against a montage of less interesting performers, and each member gets an intro with a title card describing their character. There’s Elektro (who is clearly inspired by Raiden), Vortex (who is basically Smoke), Inferno (Scorpion) and Vortex (Sub-Zero).
The scripted drama of the intro is a bit much, but once the four start moving, all of that nonsense is forgotten. Elektro acts as the puppet master behind the trio, pretending to manipulate their bodies as each show off their particular talents. Vortex twists and contorts his limbs into poses that look painful (but, for a professional contortionist, are hopefully not). Inferno isolates parts of his body, like his head, keeping them still while the rest of him dances, creating a very cool effect. Finally, there’s Cyclone, who ends the routine in an impossible-looking balanced pose standing on one foot.
Damn. I have no idea how America’s Got Talent works, but at the end of Adem Show’s performance, they got four yes votes and the loud adoration of an incredibly enthusiastic crowd. Even Mortal Kombat co-creator Ed Boon was impressed. Check out the entire routine below, and be impressed for yourself.