Dance is certainly an art form. If you can do one type of dance well, that’s an accomplishment. When you can do multiple types of dance, that’s even better.
When you do them at the same time? You get a YouTube video that goes viral with more than 8 million views!
That is exactly what happened to this clever teen dancer when she blended two very specific styles of dance into one soulful, unique performance.
Meet Annika Verplancke.
Dancing since the age of 4, she has become an accomplished dancer who’s released many videos. But, her 2015 performance at the Youth America Grand Prix European semi-finals in Paris is one that has really stood out.
It’s because she pits two styles of dance against each other (hip-hop and ballet)- but in one body.
It’s how she does it, though, that has everyone talking. Take a look.
If you look at her costume you’ll notice that half of it is a ballerina’s outfit, while the other half is totally hip-hop.
In her performance to the song “Heart Cry” by Drehz, she shows both dance styles at once.
One side of her costume showed off a beautiful tutu to highlight her delicate pirouettes, while the other side showed her in a sleek black outfit, which made all of her sharp hip-hop moves pop even more.
No matter the music or style that’s playing in the background, she never misses a step.
Many people have commented on the video. Here are just a few of the comments:
“Oh boy that’s amazing, do you know how hard it is to dance with only one pointe shoe on? Real hard, good job to her she’s great.”
“She mastered two opposite dance styles. Legendary.”
“Must have taken a lot to get used to dancing only half on pointe, good job.”
It’s hard to choose a favorite dance style because each one is done with such precision.
That’s probably why so many people have watched it over and over again.
Verplancke has quite the resume when it comes to dancing. She was just 13 at the time this video was taken.
Since this viral performance, she has studied at Ecole Supérieure de Danse de Cannes Rosella Hightower as well as the Juilliard School in New York City.
She was also fortunate enough to be a guest dancer with the Staatstheater Nürnberg Ballett in Germany, as well as a choreographer for The Dutch National Ballet Junior Company’s Choreographic Academy.
She has also won many awards for her dancing ability. We can see why.
Verplancke is still rolling ahead with her dancing career. Although the pandemic has sidelined many performances and practices, she is still keeping her eye on the prize.
She did take a year off to do some yoga teacher training and really think about the things that mattered to her most. She says that the pandemic gave her some much-needed time to think.
She has also been spending time on social media and finding different ways to participate in dance through Instagram. She’s even gotten some product offers.
No matter what Verplancke does, it’s safe to say she has a bright future. Even after five years, her performance is still getting a lot of buzz.
To see her soulful and unique dance mash-up, watch the video below.
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