Chinese robot dancers find rhythm on American talent show

When he made it to the AGT finale, some of those friends reached out on social media to wish him luck. He also received encouraging messages from local viewers he had never met.

"Even though we come from different countries and speak different languages, they sincerely wished me well in the competition," Wu said. "That stayed with me."

Wu grew up visiting the Sanxingdui Ruins, a site associated with the ancient Shu Kingdom dating back some 3,000 to 4,500 years. He said visiting the site was "like going to a park". During the contest, he brought one of those familiar faces across the Pacific, jokingly calling it a "mysterious force from the East".

For Fang, inspiration also comes from familiar stories and everyday life. Over the years, his team has incorporated elements such as Sichuan opera face-changing, the traditional Chinese composition A Hundred Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix, and Three Kingdoms (220-280) stories into the performances.

For the finale, choreographer Fang wanted to share a Chinese aesthetic that overseas audiences might be less familiar with than kung fu. Water sleeves offered one way to do that, with robots becoming partners in expressing an old art form.

Wu's appearance came in a year when American audiences encountered Chinese creativity in a variety of settings. In July, Chinese artists joined the Hollywood Film Music Orchestra for a Black Myth: Wukong concert in Los Angeles, while Lincoln Center expanded its previous Shanghai Day celebration into Chinese Arts Week. September brought Chinese dance dramas, including Dream of the Red Chamber, to New York.

On the final AGT stage, flowing sleeves and humanoid robots brought a bit of China to American viewers. Friendship also became part of the story Wu and his performers would carry home.