TEMECULA -- For years, they danced for their daughters.

Now, Temecula's Tapping Dad's are kicking up their heels on prime-time television as the novel group has garnered national attention on the NBC show, "America's Got Talent."

The dancing dads are among the Top 40 finalists pursuing the prize of $1 million and a chance to headline a show in Las Vegas. They can be seen performing on the program at 8 p.m. Wednesday as they compete to reach the Top 20.

The 18 men, from Temecula and Murrieta, span the ages of 26 to 54 and their occupations include business owners, entrepreneurs, construction workers, athletes, pilots, high-tech workers and teachers.

The common thread among the men is their daughters.

The original idea for the dads troupe was to perform their routine at the annual dance recital at Temecula Dance Company, where the girls studied.

"The father-daughter dance became the highlight of my year," said Ed Morel, one of the tappers and co-owner of the Temecula Dance Company. "It was an opportunity to share an interest with my daughter. To hear your daughter ask, 'Can we practice our dance?' That's golden."

The act proved popular and the group has performed at bigger venues and in front of larger audiences in the six years since their formation.

Now, The Tapping Dads are performing for millions of viewers. "America's Got Talent" is averaging more than 13 million viewers so far this summer, according to a release from NBC.

The program, hosted by Jerry Springer, has a variety show format and showcases performers from across the country, with the winner being chosen by the television viewing audience. The show features a colorful array of hopeful future stars -- singers, dancers and comedians of all ages -- who have a chance to strut and perform in front of a panel of celebrity judges including David Hasselhoff, Sharon Osbourne and Piers Morgan.

The Tapping Dads' journey into fame began when the show's producers where scouring YouTube videos in search of American-made talent. The group of working dads was discovered. In May, their run with the show began.

"We were surprised when we were first invited. We were also a little hesitant. This is something we did privately for our families," said Rod Amstutz, 41, a teacher. "While we thought we were good entertainment, we didn't really think we were worthy of national television and a nationwide audience."

Mike Fotekete, 36, who works in the construction industry, said the offer to join the show was surprising.

"We all kind of looked at each other, and said, 'OK, let's see where it goes,'" he said. "We decided rather quickly, that if we were going to do this, then let's do it right."

So, the dads gave it a shot. Since they made it on the show, they have stepped up their tapping game. The group, which used to practice once a week, is now practicing six times a week for a total of about 20 hours.

"The great side benefit is that collectively, we've lost almost 500 pounds," said Ed Morel, 52. "It's the world's greatest diet."

But the men seem to have a talent beyond tapping -- the ability to get the time off from work to pursue the television quest.

"We're not professional performers," Amstutz said. "We still have jobs. There are some contestants who see performing as their lifelong dream. We are going to make this work as long as we can. But we're not going to give up our families."

Even with the excitement, their journey is bittersweet. The dads have been in Los Angeles since Aug. 28, rehearsing away from their homes and families. They'll remain there until Sept. 9.

Rod said the men carry around 8-by-10-inch photos of their daughters as constant reminders of why they are dancing.

When he left for L.A. last week, Rod said, his 11-year-old daughter was bubbly and excited for her dad, telling him, "I love you. I support you." But his 8-year-old daughter was emotional.

"That made it really tough to leave," Amstutz said. "But they know we love them and we know they love us."

The Top 40 acts were selected by the three judges before the start of the Summer Olympics, when many regular programs went on hiatus. The first half of the Top 40 performances were aired Aug. 26 and 27. The second half of the Top 40 will air Tuesday and Wednesday, 10 acts each night, with the local dads performing the second night.

Each night after the performances, viewers will get an opportunity to vote for their favorites by phone and/or on the Web. Those votes determine which acts remain and which go home each night. The results of Wednesday night's votes will be revealed Sept. 9, which is also when all of the Top 20 acts will be known.

The dads said they have made friends and are in awe of some of the other contestants on the show.

It's been a long road already for the Tapping Dads -- and it will be nearly another week before they find out if their journey ends here or if they're propelled.

A love of family is what has guided the dads to the point they are at now; and continues to inspire them forward.

The group has two sayings, said Morel, the first being: "Believe." The second is: "We're in it to win it."

"If we win, we're going to win as normal, everyday dads who started tap dancing for their daughters," Morel said. "No matter what happens, we want to get out the message that it is so important to be a part of your child's life."

Contact staff writer Nicole Sack at (951) 676-4315, Ext. 2616, or nsack@californian.com.