‘AGT: All-Stars’ Premiere: Fan-Favorite Act Returns to Stage, Earns Golden Buzzer

America’s Got Talent: All Stars kicked off with an exciting premiere episode on Monday night, including a surprising use of the Golden Buzzer from judge Howie Mandel. The comedian made sure fan-favorite act Light Balance Kids secured a spot in the finale. The group finished in second place during America’s Got Talent Season 14 in 2019.

Light Balance Kids is a dance group from Ukraine, with its members wearing unique light-up costumes. During their act on Monday night, they brought ’80s arcade games to life as they danced to Junior Senior’s “Move Your Feet.” The performance had the audience moving their feet, too. They gave a standing ovation before Mandel and the other judges praised their performance.

“You’ve always been one of my favorite acts that I have seen in the history of America’s Got Talent and there’s such an amazing message here. Where you come from, at this point, it’s arguably the darkest place in the world and you come across the globe to bring us light,” Mandel said before he hit the Golden Buzzer. “If I can do anything on behalf of America, on behalf of AGT: All-Stars, to bring you even more light than you brought us, I’d like to do that for you.”

Dancers Maryna Zaitseva, Mariia Honiukova, and Darya Cherepakha later told PEOPLE that earning the buzzer helped them briefly forget “all the fears and suffering our country and compatriots are experiencing now.” They called it “one of the biggest moments of pure joy and happiness” in their lives. They also had very little time to prepare their act before filming.

“It was [a] big challenge, but anything is possible when you do what you love,” the dancers told PEOPLE. “Living in a war is like a waking nightmare. AGT has energized, and powerfully equipped us, with positive emotions, given us hope for a better future, and provided us with strong support… Our mission is to bring a little more light to this world. We are here to tell people that no matter what, light will always overcome darkness.”

Light Balance Kids was not the only act to secure a spot in the final. Hand-balancing group The Bello Sisters, who were finalists in Season 15, also moved on. The All Stars premiere episode also included aerialist Alan Silva; poet Aneeshwar Kunchala; beat-boxers Berywarm; singers Calysta Bevier, Jeanick Fournier, and Jimmy Herrod, comedy mentalist Lioz Shem Tov, and America’s Got Talent Season 2 winner, ventriloquist Terry Fator. AGT: All Stars airs Mondays at 8 p.m. ET on NBC and is available to stream on Peacock.