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Arts & Entertainment

Academy of Villains In Semi-Finals Tuesday

The mother of the dance group's South City-based director is crossing her fingers for their next America's Got Talent performance. The group is currently in New Jersey, gearing up to perform Tuesday night.

It comes as no surprise to Linda Shinn, mother of Academy of Villains executive producer CJ "Pharside" Jennings, that the San Mateo hip hop dance group are making waves on NBC's America's Got Talent.

Shinn is the executive director of the dance studio, House of Mayhem, where the Academy practices until as late as 3 or 4 a.m. some nights.

"They're in hell month right now; it's called that for the purpose of being diligent," she said.

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South City residents Jennings and Krystal Meraz are the group's choreographers. The dancers left on Friday for New Jersey to gear up for the semi-finals on Tuesday night. The group will return to the Bay Area on Thursday.

The Academy is comprised of dancers from San Francisco and San Mateo County, including Reggie Brown from Foster City.

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After qualifying for the America's Got Talent competition through a YouTube audition, the group wowed judges on August 14, and advanced to the next round.

Earlier this month, the Academy also competed in Las Vegas for Hip Hop International, what Shinn calls "the Olympics of hip hop," along with the Young SkullClub, another dance group from House of Mayhem studio. The Academy took home the bronze for the world division and gold for US adult.

The Academy of Villains will compete in the semi-finals of America's Got Talent this Tuesday at 8 p.m. on NBC.

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