There may be mere hours to go before the winning act of America’s Got Talent is crowned, but in the eyes of many in Lebanon and abroad, Mayyas have already won.
Watching from her family’s home in Lebanon, Farah Charaf, 28, says she is incredibly proud of her sister, Aya, 24, who is one of the dancers in the group.
“They literally escalated their performance one show after another,” she tells The National. “And they never failed to amaze us with new and different visuals.”
The dance troupe performed in the America's Got Talent finals on Tuesday night, astonishing the judges.
"Fabulous," shouted judge Sofia Vergara at the co-ordinated dance. "Another level."
Fellow judge Howie Mandel said: "This is my favourite act ever on AGT."
In June, the group made their America's Got Talent debut with a routine that earned them a golden buzzer from Modern Family actress Vergara.
One performance after another, they have managed to leave the judges and audience equally blown away.
But for their loved ones back home, each win is a little dearer to their hearts as they watch the group making global headlines.
This is just the beginning for them
Ghady Al Hader
“I can’t describe how I felt watching the final performance,” says Ghady Al Hader, 20. “I’m a close friend of some of the girls, but I am incredibly proud of all of them.”
In a previous interview, founder and choreographer of the group Nadim Cherfan said the dancers had been putting in long hours ahead of their trip to Los Angeles.
“When it’s about art, nothing stands in your way,” said Cherfan. “It was challenging for the girls, but they pulled through.”
Their friends and family bore witness to their hard work, in their eyes making them all the more deserving of the winning title.
“This is just the beginning for them,” says Al Hader. “The girls are worldwide now.”
Karim Fattah, 21, another friend of some of the dancers, says the group's success is showing the world just what Arab women are capable of.
"I am proud of how far they’ve come and that with each performance they stole the audiences' breath away," Fattah says.
"They demonstrated 'what Arab women can do', to quote Lilia Hajj, a dancer, and they did it with spectacular fashion."
Mayyas’ advancement in America’s Got Talent has become a beacon of hope for many, especially as Lebanon battles a crippling economic crisis.
“Seeing a Lebanese group on the biggest stage in the world means everything to me and all the Lebanese people,” says Mohamad Ajouz, 21, another friend of the some of the dancers.
“They represent what the Lebanese woman can do and what the Lebanese citizens have to offer.”
Despite their confidence in the group's ability to bring the winning title home, their friends and family say they are proud of them no matter what.
“One thing I’d like to tell the girls is that you’re already winners to the whole world,” Ajouz says. “Thank you for showing the world what the true Lebanon is.”
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
How being social media savvy can improve your well being
Next time when procastinating online remember that you can save thousands on paying for a personal trainer and a gym membership simply by watching YouTube videos and keeping up with the latest health tips and trends.
As social media apps are becoming more and more consumed by health experts and nutritionists who are using it to awareness and encourage patients to engage in physical activity.
Elizabeth Watson, a personal trainer from Stay Fit gym in Abu Dhabi suggests that “individuals can use social media as a means of keeping fit, there are a lot of great exercises you can do and train from experts at home just by watching videos on YouTube”.
Norlyn Torrena, a clinical nutritionist from Burjeel Hospital advises her clients to be more technologically active “most of my clients are so engaged with their phones that I advise them to download applications that offer health related services”.
Torrena said that “most people believe that dieting and keeping fit is boring”.
However, by using social media apps keeping fit means that people are “modern and are kept up to date with the latest heath tips and trends”.
“It can be a guide to a healthy lifestyle and exercise if used in the correct way, so I really encourage my clients to download health applications” said Mrs Torrena.
People can also connect with each other and exchange “tips and notes, it’s extremely healthy and fun”.
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Director: Tim Miller
Starring: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Linda Hamilton, Mackenzie Davis
Rating: 3/5
Zayed Sustainability Prize
Indoor cricket in a nutshell
Indoor cricket in a nutshell
Indoor Cricket World Cup - Sept 16-20, Insportz, Dubai
16 Indoor cricket matches are 16 overs per side
8 There are eight players per team
9 There have been nine Indoor Cricket World Cups for men. Australia have won every one.
5 Five runs are deducted from the score when a wickets falls
4 Batsmen bat in pairs, facing four overs per partnership
Scoring In indoor cricket, runs are scored by way of both physical and bonus runs. Physical runs are scored by both batsmen completing a run from one crease to the other. Bonus runs are scored when the ball hits a net in different zones, but only when at least one physical run is score.
Zones
A Front net, behind the striker and wicketkeeper: 0 runs
B Side nets, between the striker and halfway down the pitch: 1 run
C Side nets between halfway and the bowlers end: 2 runs
D Back net: 4 runs on the bounce, 6 runs on the full
Greatest Royal Rumble results
John Cena pinned Triple H in a singles match
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Jeff Hardy retained the United States title against Jinder Mahal
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AJ Styles remains WWE World Heavyweight champion after he and Shinsuke Nakamura are both counted out
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Dust and sand storms compared
Sand storm
- Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
- Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
- Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
- Travel distance: Limited
- Source: Open desert areas with strong winds
Dust storm
- Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
- Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
- Duration: Can linger for days
- Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
- Source: Can be carried from distant regions
