Roni Sagi is officially the Israeli contestant to have made it the furthest on “America’s Got Talent,” taking up the very coveted second place in the 19th season of the competition show.
Sagi and her dog Rhythm gave an amazing final dance performance to “Scars to Your Beautiful” that absolutely stunned the judges and riveted the crowd, but it was Indiana janitor Richard Goodall’s understated and touching cover of “Faithfully” by Journey that ended up getting the highest number of votes.
Unfortunately, with the joy of finding out she had been so widely beloved by the crowds at home and the four judges came unbearably sad news for Sagi, too: Her father, who had suffered a traumatic brain injury right after she finished the audition stage of the show, passed away back at home in Israel.
After she got the news about her father’s accident, Roni wondered whether she should go onto the live performance stage of the show. It was her sister, Sol Sagi, a choreographer who was with her every step of the process of auditioning and choreographing numbers for the show, who convinced her.
“She said he wouldn’t forgive us if we give up on this opportunity,” Roni told Israel’s Channel 12 News. Their father’s condition, unfortunately, continued to worsen as she kept performing on the show, though Roni did manage to talk to him after her performance at the “America’s Got Talent” finals.
“I told him everything about what we’ve been through and about how proud he should be of us,” she shared. “The next day, the show with the results was shot, and while we were on stage, after the announcement, my sister came up to me and told me what I already felt inside. It was the most complex moment of my life. On the one hand all the excitement and the pride and joy that came with our great success; on the other hand, to lose my father without the ability to be by his side when it happens. I feel that he waited until the last moment, to make sure that I could finish performing because I couldn’t anymore, and that knowledge about how proud he would’ve been if he could see me gave me so much strength.”
Roni and Rhythm did get to shoot some delightful videos of them dancing with show host Terry Crews and one with judge Howie Mandel, where the border collie jumps over the Jewish Canadian comedian.
While Sagi’s Israeli identity wasn’t in focus on the show itself, she displayed that identity proudly whenever possible. “I was a proud Israeli and I represented my Israeli identity. Everyone knew where I was from. We tried to combine elements of yellow in the performances because we couldn’t include politics — in my opinion, it’s not political, it’s human,” the dancer, who went onstage wearing a yellow ribbon in her hair in one of the performances, said. She also said, “In the press conferences and in interviews, in every chance I got, I made sure to repeat that I’m Israeli and proud of where I come from.”
To Roni, it felt important that fellow Israelis saw how much love she got for her number.
“I don’t think there’s an Israeli today that is anywhere in the world and is getting judged 100% based on who they are as a person or their profession,” Sagi told Maariv last week. “The fact that you’re Israeli sometimes makes people look at you less positively or more positively. I just know that what I do with Rhythm is so special that I have no doubt that even people who don’t love Israel as much — if they have a little bit of room in their hearts for dogs — even if they won’t vote for me, will see how unique that is.”
Sagi did share her excitement on social media about coming in second, where she also congratulated Goodall and thanked her faithful pup. She said she has much more to share, but for now, she has to take the time to grieve for her dad. May his memory be a blessing.
We know their future holds great things, and we’re sure this isn’t the last time we’ll see Roni and Rhythm on our TV.
