We love watching talented people perform… and it’s even better when their performances include a surprise twist!
In 2016, Leilani Tian and Skyler Semien were both seniors at Northview High School in Duluth, Georgia. For the annual talent show, the two students decided to team up to perform a beautiful dance together. The only thing is that the two young ladies were trained in two very different styles of dance.
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Skyler, who is now studying dance at Georgia State University, specialized in hip hop dancing.
While Leilani, who went on to study at Stanford University, is an accomplished ballerina.
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Where can two very different dancers find common ground? In a dance-off battle, of course!
So Leilani and Skyler decided to choreograph a gorgeous dance routine called “Ballet vs. Hip Hop,” and the video is a beautiful mix of the two styles.
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At first the two dancers demonstrate their incredibly nimble moves in tandem.
As Leilani, en pointe, gracefully shows off her ballet training, Skylar proves that hip hop moves require a ton of skill as well. Skylar pops and locks, does an impressive “robot,” and even gives Leilani a run for her money in the flexibility department.
Check out that backbend — wow!
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But then, just to prove that they’re full of surprises… the two dancers change things up halfway through their performance. It turns out that Skylar was hiding some serious ballerina skills of her own!
Suddenly they’re both dancing beautifully together, at one point doing a series of pique turns that would leave less qualified dancers seriously dizzy.
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Gorgeous and unexpected! Watch their stunning performance below, and don’t forget to share with a dance lover you know!
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