He Grew Up in Pasco, Built a TikTok Empire, and Made Simon Cowell Stand Up on America’s Got Talent
Abiud Sandoval stepped onto the *America’s Got Talent* stage and gave everything he had.
The breakdancer and TikTok sensation with deep Tri-Cities roots delivered an electric, all-out performance on August 18 during the Season 21 quarterfinals. In front of millions of viewers, he twisted, flipped, and hit his signature floor shimmy with pure energy and style.
Even Simon Cowell was impressed.
“The Best Act We’ve Seen Tonight by a Mile”
“That was by far, in my opinion, the best act we’ve seen tonight by a mile,” Cowell said as a standing ovation rose behind him. He predicted the performance would rack up “tens of millions” of views in the first 24 hours.
“We’re living in a viral world, and you are absolutely what people love,” he added.
The praise was strong. The moment was memorable. But it still wasn’t enough to keep him in the competition. Sandoval was one of seven acts eliminated the following night after the first round of quarterfinals.
Eleven new acts will compete in the second round of quarterfinals, airing Tuesday, August 25.
From Pasco to Millions of Followers
Sandoval, who performs under the stage name “Sando,” is a Los Angeles-based dancer with more than 13 million followers across TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook. His stylish, high-energy Latin-flair street dancing — sometimes smooth, sometimes goofy — has earned hundreds of millions of views and likes.
He still has strong ties to the Tri-Cities. Videos of him dancing have been filmed at the Columbia Center mall, the HAPO Center, and in front of local businesses. In 2021, while working at FedEx, he went viral with the “#SandoTwist” after rounding up fellow UPS, USPS, and Amazon workers to film the dance with him.
His AGT Journey
Sando first introduced his iconic shoulder-wiggle move (similar to the worm) to television audiences during his *AGT* audition earlier in the summer. Three of the four judges — Simon Cowell, Sofía Vergara, and Howie Mandel — voted yes, sending him through.
“This could open doors for me in the future,” he told the judges at the time.
He leveled up in the callbacks by adding more dancers and drone shots, earning his place in the quarterfinals. On the live stage he delivered one of the strongest performances of the night — only to fall short in the public vote.
A Moment That Still Mattered
Abiud Sandoval may not have advanced further, but he left a clear mark. A dancer who started in Pasco and built a massive online following proved he could hold his own on one of the biggest stages in the country — and even make Simon Cowell stand up and take notice.
Sometimes the performances that stay with people aren’t the ones that go the farthest. They’re the ones that make the whole room react.
Sando did exactly that.
