Dance Troupe Credits Nightbirde for AMERICA’S GOT TALENT Audition Inspiration
By Movieguide® Contributor
A dance troupe credited Nightbirde, aka Jane Marczewski, for the inspiration to audition for AMERICA’S GOT TALENT.
“Lebanon is not considered a place where you can build a career out of dancing. It’s hard, really hard — and harder for women,” choreographer Nadim Cherfan explained. “I grew up watching AMERICA’S GOT TALENT, and I was inspired by so many people, but what really got us to audition this year is Nightbirde, when she said, ‘You can’t wait until life isn’t hard anymore before you decide to be happy.’”
Nightbirde skyrocketed to fame last summer on the popular reality competition.
As Movieguide® previously reported:
Worship leader and singer-songwriter Jane Marczewski, better known by her stage name Nightbirde, went viral after her heartfelt performance of an original song earned her a “Golden Buzzer” on AMERICA’S GOT TALENT.
“On June 8, Marczweski walked onto the stage with a smile as judges Simon Cowell, Howie Mandel, Heidi Klum, and Sofia Vergara posed their introductory questions,” Movieguide® previously wrote. “Behind her joyful attitude, the 30-year-old Marcweski revealed that she was battling cancer in her lungs, lymph nodes, ribs, liver, and spine.”
After the 30-year-old Liberty University grad sang her original song “It’s OK” on the show, the song hit the top charts on iTunes.
Although Nightbirde revealed that she has a 2% chance of living, she told audiences during her audition to look beyond her circumstances.
“It’s important that everyone knows that I’m so much more than the bad things that happened to me,” she told the judges.
Popular Christian author and blogger Ann Voskamp recently reached out to Nightbirde and shared one of the artist’s blog posts about how she turns to God amid her severe battle with cancer.
The two-time cancer survivor confessed that she struggled to find purpose and answers in her pain.
“I have had cancer three times now, and I have barely passed thirty. There are times when I wonder what I must have done to deserve such a story. I fear sometimes that when I die and meet with God, that He will say I disappointed Him, or offended Him, or failed Him. Maybe He’ll say I just never learned the lesson, or that I wasn’t grateful enough. But one thing I know for sure is this: He can never say that He did not know me,” Nightbirde said.
Nightbirde’s cancer, unfortunately, prevented her from continuing in the competition, and she died earlier this year.
However, while the troupe, known as the Mayyas, cited her as their inspiration and they also received a golden buzzer, that’s where the similarities end.
Nightbirde strongly professed a Christian faith, but the dance the Mayyas performed contained explicit references to the Hindu goddess Durga, who has many arms. Additionally, much of their choreography depicted the “third eye,” another reference to the Hindu god Shiva, and is often considered to be the source of his occult power.
This performance emphasizes the need for parents to continually monitor their children’s media consumption. While shows like AMERICA’S GOT TALENT may include an inspirational host like Terry Crews and many stories of Christian faith, not all performances are acceptable. Media discernment is key in helping your child understand what they are watching.
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