Unitree dancing robots perform dances on America's Got Talent. Photo：Screenshot of the show's YouTube video

Chinese dancing robots have just stolen the show on America's Got Talent. A performance by Chinese dancer Wu Yufei and eight humanoid robots from Unitree Robotics drew a standing ovation on the season premiere of America's Got Talent, as the synchronized routine to Lady Gaga's "Abracadabra" captivated judges and viewers alike, according to the Xinhua News Agency.

Chinese robotics company Unitree Robotics confirmed to the Global Times on Friday that the robots featured in the performance were its G1 humanoid models.

Eight humanoid robots led by a dancer impressed judges and audiences with a synchronized dance performance on the Season 21 premiere of America's Got Talent. Chinese dancer Yufei Wu, 26, began the June 2 performance alone before robots marched onto the stage and joined him in a choreographed routine. The robots moved in sync with Wu, executing precise gestures and acrobatic somersaults that prompted loud cheers from the audience.

"That was crazy!" one audience member was heard saying during the performance.

"The judges exclaimed, 'That's incredible, absolutely spectacular!' In the end, Wu Yufei advanced to the next round with unanimous approval from the judges, according to Xinhua.

The appearance quickly spread across social media after the episode aired on Tuesday local time, with clips of the routine drawing widespread attention online both in China and the overseas. 

Many viewers expressing surprise and admiration. 

Some Chinese netizens praised the young performers and the country's technological progress, calling the moment a source of "national pride." 

Foreign viewers also left enthusiastic comments under the show's YouTube video. One viewer praised the combination of dance and robotics, calling it one of the most memorable acts they had seen on the show. Another wrote, "If anything deserved a golden buzzer it was this. This was literally the most unique, rare, and incredible thing that I've ever saw." Another said, "The young man's dancing was excellent and the robots really amplified it. Amazing performance." A third viewer added, "To be honest, I've watched it more than 10 times."

Launched in 2006, America's Got Talent is one of the most popular television talent competitions in the US, broadcast by NBC television network and featuring contestants competing for a $1 million grand prize. 

The news comes as Unitree Robotics' initial public offering (IPO) met the requirements for issuance, listing, and information disclosure on Monday.

Unitree Robotics seeks to raise 4.2 billion yuan ($620 million) through a listing on Shanghai's STAR board, with the proceeds to be earmarked for four major projects — intelligent robot model development, robot hardware development, new intelligent robot product development, and the construction of an intelligent robot manufacturing base.

The recent appearance of Chinese humanoid robots on America's Got Talent has drawn fresh international attention to China's rapidly advancing robotics sector. For many American viewers, the performance may have been their first close look at Unitree's humanoid models, underscoring how Chinese robotics is moving from a niche technology field into the global public spotlight, Liu Gang, chief economist at the Chinese Institute of New Generation Artificial Intelligence Development Strategies, told the Global Times on Friday.

Liu said in recent years, China's humanoid robotics industry has moved from technological breakthroughs toward large-scale commercialization. Meanwhile, Chinese humanoid robots have been wildly gaining fans overseas. Behind them, Chinese robot-related companies also play a pivotal role in the global supply chain.

In 2025, Unitree Robotics recorded a 335 percent year-on-year increase in revenue, according to People's Daily.

Meanwhile, more than 40 percent of its revenue already comes from markets outside China, according to a CNBC report.

This is an important signal, Liu said, adding that it suggests that Chinese robotics firms are not only serving domestic demand, but are also gaining traction in overseas markets through competitive pricing, rapid product iteration, and improving performance. In other words, Chinese robotics is becoming a global business, not just a domestic industrial story.

However, recently some US lawmakers have continuously targeted China-based robotics firms. 

According to a Washington Times report on Thursday, a bipartisan group of lawmakers introduced the Guarding the U.S. Against Adversarial Robotics Dominance (GUARD) Act, a bill requiring national security agencies to begin a review process for any humanoid and quadruped robots made by China or other countries. The legislation requires scrutiny of robots made by China and other foreign adversaries and would prohibit the importation of robots determined to be a national security threat to the US, according to a press release seen on the website of the US House select committee on China. 

According to a Reuters report in March 26, two US senators has planned to introduce a bill called "the American Security Robotics Act" that would ban the government from buying or operating humanoid robots made by Chinese firms.

The expert said that these moves reflect some US politicians' concerns about the growing competitiveness of China's robotics industry, but they also risk politicizing a fast-evolving commercial sector. Excessive restrictions could slow cross-border innovation and fragment the global robotics industry, ultimately raising costs for businesses and consumers on both sides. 

However, despite political headwinds, Chinese robotics companies continue to improve product quality, safety, and supply-chain transparency, remaining attractive in global markets, Liu said.