Do you remember these guys? Hammerstep are a Brooklyn based dance crew with a twist – the fusion of hip hop and traditional Irish dance.
They catapulted themselves into the public eye in 2013 with a stunning audition on America’s Got Talent.
We have dug out the video for those of you that missed them the first time around.
Garret Coleman, co-founder of Hammerstep, reveals that he and his partner Jason Oremus “are both from traditional Irish dance backgrounds”.
He explained: “My mother dragged me aged five against my will but I soon grew to love Irish dance and ended up quitting all my other sports just to focus on dance. We’ve seen what dance can do for people’s lives so we want to put that on the world stage.”
Hammerstep then took to the stage and stunned the judges with their flawless routine, all whilst wearing their signature gasmasks.
Former Spice Girl Melanie Brown said: “You were weird, and dark and intense and mysterious, I’ve done a fair bit of dancing myself so I know how hard Irish dancing is. You blew me away!”
German supermodel Heidi Klum added: “At first I thought this was a little bit disturbing with the gasmasks and everything, but I do like the mixture of the Irish dancing and the hip hop and it was hardcore.”
Howard Stern simply stated: “Your skill level is so high that you’re impossible to ignore!”
The troupe obviously got their four ‘Yesses’ from the judges and sailed through to the next stage of the competition.
Hammerstep failed to make an impact in the latter stages of the show, but it seems they did set a precedent for Irish dance acts on TV talent shows.
Just a year later, an Irish dance troupe from Belfast wowed Simon Cowell and co with their hip hop performance.
More Irish dance videos
Flashmob Catholic style – happy couple stunned on wedding day
So why do Irish dancers keep their hands rigidly by their side?
Leading performer celebrates Irish dance in its simplest form
The Willis Clan – 12 talented siblings of Irish music and dance
