There are many stunning dancers in this world with talents that can be mind-boggling. From ballet to Riverdance, it’s incredible what some people are able to do with their bodies.
While each dance is beautiful on its own, there’s one, in particular, that’s part of the Russian culture known for taking people’s breath away. Get ready to be mesmerized.
The Berezka Ensemble is a dance group that was founded by director, Nadezhda Nadezhdina, in 1948. Since then, they’ve traveled to countries all over the world to perform their folk routines – known for their circular formation and birch twigs.
But what makes this group’s performances most spellbinding is the Berezka’s “floating step.”
When the dancers are moving on stage, you would swear they were actually hovering above the ground. It’s hard to believe that their feet are actually touching the floor!
How the Berezka Ensemble performs this “floating” move is kept a secret – and supposedly only the dancers themselves know the real technique behind it.
One way they are able to conceal the “trick” behind the move is with their long, billowy skirts that nearly touch the ground. Also, at times their routine unfolds at such a slow pace that it’s truly hypnotizing.
In the video below, the crowd was in for a real treat when the Berezka Ensemble took the stage.
Slowly the female dancers emerged wearing their long red dresses and each carrying a branch in one hand and a scarf in the other. After they gave a respectful bow – that’s when the real magic began.
In groups of three to four, the ladies rotate in small circles as they stare into each other’s eyes. Not only does it look like they’re floating, but their grace is simply breathtaking.
The Berezka are so beautiful, they have an appearance of life-size dolls.
Next, the Russian dancers spread out into one large circle that also rotates around the stage. It’s so amazing to watch – are we sure their feet are really touching the ground?
It makes you wonder what the audience is thinking. But no, it’s not an illusion or a form of trickery.
There’s actually an art behind the move – and if you’re like me, I want to know what it is!
According to Oddity Central, there’s a rumor that the Berezka dancers are forbidden from revealing the “floating” secret to anyone – even their loved ones. However, the group’s leader, Mira Koltsova, said:
“No one is required to pledge secrecy, of course, it’d be silly. What makes people sit mesmerized is the expression of the soul. There is the material, and there is the spiritual. And if you put them on the scales, the spiritual outweighs the material.”
Going from the lack of explanations out there about this move – it goes to show these ladies still aren’t talking. Yet, it’s part of what makes their routines so magical.
In the video, the Berezka Ensemble’s act takes on a new twist as the music speeds up. Suddenly, the dancers do as well – and the performance becomes fast-paced.
At one point, the ladies form a long chain before spiraling themselves into a tangled circle. What a magnificent dance it is! I had trouble looking away, that’s for sure.
Get ready to be amazed by the Berezka Ensemble. You can watch their performance in the video below.
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