Have you ever wondered what happened to the 12 year old dancer that shocked the world with his robotic-like moves on America’s Got Talent? Here’s where Merrick Hanna is in 2026 and how he earned his TikTok fame.
https://youtu.be/J9vNmaZtZ3o
What Happened to AGT Dancer Merrick Hanna?
In 2017, Merrick Hanna took the America’s Got Talent stage, where he danced like a broken robot. Judges Simon COwell, Mel B, Howie Mandel, and Heidi Klum were impressed with this performance, voting him into the next round.
In the next round, the dancer performed to Lindsey Stirling and Andrew McMahon’s “In the Wilderness.” He once again earned his place in the next round of the competition. In the Quarterfinals, Merrick performed to a cover of “Lost Boy,” then he performed to Jon Bellion’s “iRobot (The Human Condition).”
Even though the audience was mesmerized by Merrick’s ability to dance as if he were floating in the air, he didn’t earn enough votes to continue in the competition. Luckily, AGT was only the start for Merrick. Following his appearance on the show, he performed on The Ellen Degeneres Show, appeared on Nickelodeon’s Lip Sync Battle Shorties and So You Think You Can Dance: The Next Generation. He’s also modeled for brands such as GAP Kids, H&M, and Honda.
Where is He Now?
It may not surprise you that Merrick is still a dancer in 2026. The dancer is now super active on social media, especially TikTok. Fun fact, he started his account back when the app was named Musical.ly.
Merrick’s unique dance style has prompted various trends on social media. He began the highly popular “glitch” dance trend that is still utilized widely today. Following his TikTok success, Merrick joined a content house named Vibe Crew in 2020. A year later, he was cast as the role of “Edward” in BRAT TV series “Attaway General.”
Merrick remains in a public relationship with fellow TikToker Indy Star. The couple began dating in 2023 and have been together ever since. The dancer currently has 33 thousand followers on TikTok, 3 million followers on Instagram, and 17 million subscribers on YouTube.
What do you think of Merrick Hanna? Do you currently watch him on social media? Let us know on X!
Words by:
Corey Cesare Corey Cesare is Talent Recap's Managing Editor and featured YouTube Host. She has a love of all things pop culture and an unhealthy obsession with celebrities. Corey earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism and Cinema/Screen Studies from the State University of New York at Oswego in 2021. She spends her spare time shooting astro, nature, and portrait photography, and coming up with movie ideas that she hopes to make into a film someday.
