Filipino Circus Performer Ehrlich Brings Unique Leviwand Act to ‘America’s Got Talent’
Trae Patton/NBC Reading Time: 3 minutes
Ehrlich “Firechill” Ocampo traveled all the way from the Philippines to audition for America’s Got Talent this year. The circus performer is bringing something totally new to the stage with a leviwand act that will blow your mind. Will this incredible act win Ehrlich the $1 million prize?
Ehrlich Performs Masterful Leviwand Act on the ‘America’s Got Talent’ Stage
Ehrlich is a master of leviwand, the manipulation of an object to make it seem like it is floating. He is a huge fan of Heidi Klum but really wants to impress Simon Cowell because he knows how hard it is to do so. For Ehrlich, performing on America’s Got Talent is a huge dream come true. Before stepping out onto the America’s Got Talent stage Ehrlich, shared a tearful FaceTime call with some of his closest supporters.
“I gave up everything to pursue my performing,” Ehrlich told the judges. “People thought I was crazy. I didn’t think I’ll make it here. But my friends and family, they supported me and they inspired me to fight. I’m here fighting for myself, my family, my friends, my community, my country and it is the dream to be here, the biggest stage in the world.”
The lights dimmed and the judges were instantly wowed by the magic Ehrlich created up on stage. He started off with his leviwands, twirling the glow-in-the-dark batons without using his hands. This act is a combination of the allure of magic and stunning dancing. At the end of the act, Ehrlich pulled out a glow-in-the-dark hula hoop and was able to master both the baton and the hula hoop at the same time. He calls this technique the “satellite.”
He Has Performed His Incredible Act with Cirque du Soleil
Ehrlich began dancing in 2005. His talents also include spinning poi, a skill that we might see him perform if he does get voted through to the next round of the competition. In 2013, Ehrlich discovered leviwand and was completely hooked right away. Two years later, he developed his act to include hula hoops. This passionate performer will only be using one hula hoop for his America’s Got Talent audition but can work up to six hula hoops at a time.
“What I love about being a #leviwand performer: the opportunity to dress up, have fun with my acts, and inspire others to be their own #heroes,” Ehrlich wrote on Instagram.
He represented the Philippines at the 36th Festival Mondial du Cirque de Demain in Paris in 2016. In 2019, Ehrlich got to perform his mesmerizing act with Cirque du Soleil in the show Syma. He also performed with Cirque du Soleil at Sea aboard the MSC Bellissima. Due to the pandemic, MSC cruises all came to a halt, forcing Ehrlich to return home to the Philippines.
In 2020, Ehrlich announced on Instagram that he had landed himself a contract with Circus Conelli in Zurich for 2022. Some of his full on-stage performances leading up to this announcement are posted on his YouTube page. His talents aren’t just limited to leviwand and hula hoops. Ehrlich is big on teaching others his craft as a choreographer and workshop leader.
He offers so many resources online on how to start leviwand and courses including a course called “Ehrlich’s Leviwand Method.” Ehrlich has used his story as a was to inspire others as a motivational speaker. He took his act all the way from the streets of Manila to performing for the circus.
To see Ehrlich’s full America’s Got Talent audition, tune in to NBC at 8 p.m. ET on Tuesday.
