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Hassan El Hajjami born on August 1st 1977, better known by the stage name HASPOP, is a French artist who combines dance, mime, and acting. In solo performance and as a member of dancing groups such as Pockemon Crew, which he founded, he has won several contests, including standing as individual champion in France and Europe for Popping (2003 and 2004, respectively) and, in 2004, world champion with the group.
In 2005 he relocated the United States, where he performed 1400 shows with the Cirque du Soleil in the Beatles LOVE show in Las Vegas in the role of the Walrus.
In 2010, he became more widely known to American audiences when he was selected as one of the semi-finalists for the 5th season of the NBC television program America's Got Talent. He is also one of the finalists for the 5th season of the French television program La France a un incroyable talent aired on M6.
He was born Hassan El-Hajjami on August 1, 1977, in Bron, France, near Lyons, to a family of modest means. From the ages of ten to twenty, he pursued the career of boxing, while at the same time earning a Certificat d'aptitude professionnelle in plastering and masonry. After asking a friend who was a street dancer to teach him some dance moves, Haspop turned his attention to dance. In 1999, he founded the hip-hop dance group, the Pockemon Crew, and went on to win a series of competitions, both on his own and with his group. In 2003, he was the individual champion in France for Popping, and then in 2004, he won the European title. In 2003 and 2004, the Pockemon Crew won French, world and European championships in hip-hop.
In 2005, he was invited by Cirque du Soleil to audition and was accepted. Unable to bring his two children (whom as of 2010 he visited routinely), he performed in the United States for Cirque du Soleil from 2005 to 2009 in the Love show in Las Vegas in the role of the "Walrus." In 2009, he decided to leave the Cirque, but with the challenges of the economic recession returned to street performance, residing in Santa Monica until, in June 2010, he began his participation in America's Got Talent.
America's Got TalentHaspop auditioned for the fifth season of America's Got Talent in Los Angeles, which aired on June 1, 2010. The three judges, Howie Mandel, Piers Morgan, and Sharon Osbourne, unanimously voted him forward to the next round in Las Vegas. Once he reached Las Vegas, the judges selected him as among the 10 acts to move directly to the quarterfinals in Hollywood without having to compete in another round of eliminations. A total of 48 acts were ultimately selected for the quarterfinals in Hollywood.
In Hollywood, he was in the third batch of 12 quarter finalists who performed live on July 27, 2010. The judges gave him positive reviews, with Howie Mandel commenting that "That is what I'm talking about. That is wow! It really is wow, Haspop!" Piers Morgan added that he thought Haspop's was "the performance of the night, so far." Sharon Osbourne agreed with the other two judges, stating that the performance was "spectacular, absolutely spectacular." On July 28, 2010, Haspop was voted by the viewers to move to the semifinals.
In 2005 he relocated the United States, where he performed 1400 shows with the Cirque du Soleil in the Beatles LOVE show in Las Vegas in the role of the Walrus.
In 2010, he became more widely known to American audiences when he was selected as one of the semi-finalists for the 5th season of the NBC television program America's Got Talent. He is also one of the finalists for the 5th season of the French television program La France a un incroyable talent aired on M6.
He was born Hassan El-Hajjami on August 1, 1977, in Bron, France, near Lyons, to a family of modest means. From the ages of ten to twenty, he pursued the career of boxing, while at the same time earning a Certificat d'aptitude professionnelle in plastering and masonry. After asking a friend who was a street dancer to teach him some dance moves, Haspop turned his attention to dance. In 1999, he founded the hip-hop dance group, the Pockemon Crew, and went on to win a series of competitions, both on his own and with his group. In 2003, he was the individual champion in France for Popping, and then in 2004, he won the European title. In 2003 and 2004, the Pockemon Crew won French, world and European championships in hip-hop.
In 2005, he was invited by Cirque du Soleil to audition and was accepted. Unable to bring his two children (whom as of 2010 he visited routinely), he performed in the United States for Cirque du Soleil from 2005 to 2009 in the Love show in Las Vegas in the role of the "Walrus." In 2009, he decided to leave the Cirque, but with the challenges of the economic recession returned to street performance, residing in Santa Monica until, in June 2010, he began his participation in America's Got Talent.
America's Got TalentHaspop auditioned for the fifth season of America's Got Talent in Los Angeles, which aired on June 1, 2010. The three judges, Howie Mandel, Piers Morgan, and Sharon Osbourne, unanimously voted him forward to the next round in Las Vegas. Once he reached Las Vegas, the judges selected him as among the 10 acts to move directly to the quarterfinals in Hollywood without having to compete in another round of eliminations. A total of 48 acts were ultimately selected for the quarterfinals in Hollywood.
In Hollywood, he was in the third batch of 12 quarter finalists who performed live on July 27, 2010. The judges gave him positive reviews, with Howie Mandel commenting that "That is what I'm talking about. That is wow! It really is wow, Haspop!" Piers Morgan added that he thought Haspop's was "the performance of the night, so far." Sharon Osbourne agreed with the other two judges, stating that the performance was "spectacular, absolutely spectacular." On July 28, 2010, Haspop was voted by the viewers to move to the semifinals.
