A group of dancers onstage told America’s Got Talent judges Simon Cowell, Sofia Vergara, Howie Mandel, and Heidi Klum they would be fascinated, but they had no idea how true that prediction would be. But that is exactly what the Mayyas—an all-female dance group from Lebanon whose name means “proud walk of a lioness”—were able to achieve on Tuesday’s (June 21) show, earning a gold buzzer moment from one judge and rare praise from another.

“Unfortunately, being a female Arab dancer is still not totally accepted,” one of the dancers noted prior to the performance, which was choreographed by Nadim Cherfan. “Standing on the world’s greatest platform is our sole chance to show the world what Arab women can achieve, the art we can make, and the conflicts we can fight.”

When it was time to perform, the dancers requested that the judges come closer together for a better experience. The ladies then formed a single-file line and proceeded to form shapes with their arms and hands, occasionally using props such as feathers to give the impression that a couple of dozen pairs of arms were sprouting beautifully from the one dancer in front.

Dangling jeweled masks partially obscured the faces of all the Mayyas women as the line suddenly split. The crowd clapped as they brought their arms together to form rippling patterns, including a pair of eyes with one dancer in the middle portraying the pupil.

The judges were taken aback when the ensemble concluded their performance by rearranging into the original single-file line. “There are no words to express to you what we were experiencing over here,” Vergara said after all four gave the Mayyas a standing ovation.

“You said you were going to mesmerize us,” Mendel said. “We were mesmerized by what you did as we sat here and observed the movement, the precision, and the effort that went into it.”

“This truly, truly will make a difference in so many ways,” Cowell tweeted. “It was maybe the best dance performance we’ve ever seen. And I’m honored to have you here.”

When it came time to cast votes, three judges were unable to do so. “I would be very pleased to empower you even more on this path because you deserve it,” Vergara said before breaking her once-a-season Golden Buzzer, causing a shower of confetti to fall on stage. “I’d like to be a part of this!”

Watch the Mayyas’ captivating dance performance below: