CALGARY — Edmonton’s Acro Canine Crew is officially moving on to the finals of America’s Got Talent.The group was one of six acts selected from a field of 12 semifinalists during Wednesday's results show. The six acts advancing through the public vote will join four performers who had already secured spots in the finale through Golden Buzzers.Acro Canine Crew's advancement came after a performance built around a sleepover theme, with the group's young acrobatic dancers and trained dogs taking the stage to Cyndi Lauper's “Girls Just Want to Have Fun.”The routine was another variation on the act's central concept: combining canine performance with acrobatics and dance rather than presenting the dogs as a standalone animal act..The semifinal routine opened with the group leaning into the sleepover concept before transitioning into the acrobatic portions of the performance.Acro Canine Crew was one of two canine acts competing that night. Olivia Befus, a teenage dog trainer from Michigan, performed with three of her dogs, meaning viewers had two different dog-focused acts to consider when voting for the six available spots in the finale.Judge Howie Mandel acknowledged the situation while discussing Befus' performance, saying he wished the two dog acts had ''appeared on separate nights because viewers would inevitably compare them while voting.''Both acts ultimately advanced to the finale..During its audition earlier this season, the Edmonton group impressed the judges and audience so much that host Terry Crews slammed his Golden Buzzer, sending the performers directly to the live shows.NBC described the act as a surprising combination of acrobatic dancers and trained dogs, with Crews praising the group after their audition.During the quarterfinals, Acro Canine Crew again received positive feedback from the judges before advancing to the semifinals. TV Insider reported that Vergara praised the dogs and dancers, while Mandel said the act combined several elements, including dog performance, tumbling, acrobatics and dance.The group’s success has attracted attention back home, with Alberta Premier Danielle Smith previously wishing the Edmonton performers luck as they represented the province on the international stage."From Edmonton to one of the world's biggest stages!" Smith captioned in a post on X. "Good luck to the Acro Canine Crew on America’s Got Talent tonight. Alberta is watching, and we’re all cheering you on!".The America’s Got Talent finale is scheduled for Tuesday, Sept. 22, with the Season 21 winner set to be announced the following night, Wednesday, Sept. 23.The winning act will receive the Season 21 title along with the show’s $1 million prize.
