There are many forms of dance out there, from classic ballroom routines to lively salsa performances, but you might never have seen a dance quite like this before, performed by an exceptionally talented young woman and one very special accessory.
Usually, dancers need a human partner by their side, but all this girl needs is an oversized hula hoop.
Her name is Elena Iliukhina and she’s a Cyr wheel specialist.
For those who aren’t quite sure what a Cyr wheel is, it’s basically a large ring, usually made from aluminum or steel.
It’s big enough for an adult to stand inside and can be used in circus routines, interpretive dance performances, and other unique and beautiful shows by talented individuals from around the world.
If you put a Cyr wheel in the hands of most people, they wouldn’t know what to do with it, but in the hands of Elena, it turns into something truly special.
In an extraordinary performance, filmed in an elegant spotlit room and shared on YouTube, we see Elena walk out and pick up the Cyr wheel, posing confidently and gazing into the camera before launching into a truly mind-blowing routine.
To begin, she spins the wheel around and around, stepping gracefully over the bar as it passes between her feet, before stepping fully into the wheel and starting to spin.
From that moment on, Elena and the wheel become one.
Gripping tightly to the bar with her fingers and toes, Elena begins to spin around and around.
Her speed rises and the wheel begins to tilt dangerously close to the ground, but she still manages to keep herself upright the whole way through, and even pulls off some incredible acrobatic moves along the way.
At several moments throughout the performance, she lifts her legs up into the air, almost flying across the room, carried by the wheel.
There are even moments when it looks like she might just fly off the wheel altogether or fall flat on the floor, but she always manages to keep the big ring spinning, never faltering and making the whole thing look surprisingly simple.
And that’s probably the most impressive aspect of Elena’s performance: she makes it all look easy.
We can see her smiling throughout the entire clip, always looking cool, confident, and calm, even when the wheel is spinning almost too quickly for us to see clearly.
Her talent is utterly amazing, and it must take unreal strength, agility, and balance to pull off a performance like this!
Even the strongest athletes and best dancers in the business could struggle to handle a Cyr wheel, but Elena, as a highly trained and dedicated circus performer, does it all with grace and poise.
Tens of thousands of people have watched her performance so far, with many leaving positive comments talking about Elena’s beauty and elegance, as well as the almost poetic nature of her performance. Check it out for yourself down below!
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