This past week, Twitter has been blowing up with this video of these Russian dancers seemingly floating across the stage. The dance group, known as the Berezka Dance Ensemble, appear on stage with huge dress skirts that completely cover their feet.

It’s as if their legs are not moving at all. Also, all the girls are perfectly in sync to the point that they don’t seem real, rather like life-like animatronics. And no one can seem to crack how the dancers are doing it! 

So let’s break down everything we know about this dance routine and the performing group. 

1. This group of folk female dancers are known as the Berezka Dance Ensemble.

2. The Berezka Dance Ensemble was founded in 1948.

Moree specifically, the dance was founded in the Soviet Union by long-time dancer and choreographer, Nadezhda Nadezhdina.

3. They’re performing the traditional dance of Berezka.

It’s not magic or a machine making them move so effortlessly and robotically. It’s actually just the dancers taking mini and quick steps, which are hidden by their huge dress skirts. This, combined with being completely in sync with one another, gives audiences the illusion that these dancers are floating on top of the stage.

4. This movement became the dance group’s trademark.

The “Berezka” dance is now an iconic move of this dance group. It is very hard to replicate and takes a lot of training to nail the move. 

5. The dance is a “secret of the firm.” 

When founder Nadezhda Nadezhdina was asked about how this technical dance is learned and perfected to create the floating illusion, she said: “That’s a secret of the firm.” 

She explained the technical side of the dance that is now known in the Soviet Union as the “Beryozka step.” However, she even expressed that not even all their dancers can do it.

“You have to move in very small steps on a very low half-toe with the body held in a certain corresponding position,” Nadezhda told the New York Times.

Yikes. While this dance sounds easy to perform – and many may think that the long skirts would help make the moves easier to execute – it is way more difficult than anyone expects. Once this video spread across the internet, people’s reactions were shocked, confused, and also hilarious.

Here’s some of funniest Twitter theories on what’s really going on during the dance number:

The post Are These Russian Dancers Floating? first appeared on History In Memes.

Nobody likes jumping off the high diving board at a pool. It’s daunting, scary high, you usually belly flop, and your stomach gets red – it’s just a scary mess.

But that wasn’t the case for Rick Winters. 

During the 1983 World Record High Dive Challenge, hosted at the San Diego SeaWorld, Rick set the world record as the first person to attempt to successfully dive from the height of 172 feet (52 m). The height of 172 feet was an increase from the year prior’s world record. The 1982 high dive challenge height was 170 feet, which five divers attempted.

Even crazier – Rick Winters wasn’t the only preson to break this high dive world record that day! That’s right, Rick Winters was one of SIX divers that day! 

So, let’s dive in and check out these 6 daredevil record breakers!

First up, Rick Winters:

Following Rick Wniters was Rick Charls.

Looks like it was a big day for people named Rick!

Following the Ricks, two more divers attempted the record breaking dive.

The divers, Bruce Boccia and Mike Foley, both successfully completed the dive that day. 

Dana Kunze, who was 22 years old at the time, followed with the most impressive dive of the day.

Dana was already world champion high dive. He used his skills to his advantage to complete this insane and incredibly difficult dive in terms of execution. 

After Dana’s dive, things took a turn when Pat Picard attempted the final dive of the event.

Unfortunately, it did not go well. It’s hard to watch, but you can see for yourself here around the 26 minute mark:

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The post Would You Dive From 172 Feet? This Guy Did! first appeared on History In Memes.

Does the idea of a prehistoric shark with a mouth compared to “a circular saw blade filled with razor-sharp teeth” sound like something out of a horror movie? Well, surprise! This creepy creature, known as the frilled shark, actually exists and is lurking in the depths of ocean!

This uncommon and mysterious creature has been around since the days of dinosaurs, and there’s still a lot we don’t know about it. There’s even stuff we get wrong about it, even me!

So, is the frilled shark is really 80 million years old? Let’s dive into 6 facts about this prehistoric predator and find out!

1. The frilled shark has a long, snake-like body that can grow up to 6.5 feet in length.

2. The frilled shark has 300 extremely sharp teeth arranged in 25 rows and six pairs of gill slits.

The frilled shark’s gill slits are located on either side of its head, instead of the usual one pair found in most other sharks. It’s long body and sharp teeth are perfect for ambushing and snagging its unsuspecting prey.

3. Their favorite meal is squid. But it will also eat fish, crabs and other small sharks. 

4. Scientists believe that the frilled shark is so rare because it prefers to live in deep water, specifically as much as 5,000 feet below the surface.

5. There had only been two confirmed sightings of this prehistoric shark.

The first sighting was in Japanese waters back in the 1930s, and the second sighting was off the coast of Australia in 2007. 

6. The frilled shark doesn’t chew its food before swallowing it whole.

Instead, it wraps its body around its prey and then proceeds to swallow it like a snake. If you’re thinking that sounds pretty gruesome, you’re not alone. In fact, one scientist who had the opportunity to study a dead frilled shark compared its mouth to “a circular saw blade filled with razor-sharp teeth.” Yikes!

So, is the frilled shark in our video really 80 million years old? The short answer: No.

While frilled shark’s lineage goes back 80 million years, its actual lifespan is around 25 years.

So, watch their face as this eerie history lesson sinks in and warn them that the next time they’re out swimming in open water, try not to think about the fact that there might be a prehistoric predator lurking below… lest they’ll end up like one of its hapless victims!

The post Is the Prehistoric Frilled Shark Really 80 Million Years Old? first appeared on History In Memes.

In the annals of television history, there are few commercials that are as famous — or as polarizing — as the infamous “Screaming Kid” ad. First aired in 2004, the ad features a young boy in a grocery store who starts having a full-blown temper tantrum and screaming at the top of his lungs. The ad’s tagline: “Use Condoms.”

The commercial was an instant sensation, and to this day people still talk about how shocking and funny it was. But what made this commercial so effective? And why did it cause such a stir? Let’s take a closer look.

The Ad Itself

Imagine you’re watching a football game and it cuts to a commercial break. The tv ad that plays is a little kid and his dad at the grocery store shopping. The little boy keeps throwing candy into their cart and the dad puts it back. Little Timmy starts screaming, throwing a tantrum, and everyone in the store is giving the parent the side eye. Pretty typical situation that we’ve all seen play out IRL multiple times.

Could be anything from promoting candy to grocery stores, to a PSA about healthy eating or having patience as a parent. But it is none of the above. The ad is promoting condoms.

Yup, the ad is promoting wearing rubbers to prevent having kids! In particular, an ad to prevent having screaming kids.

The Ad’s Impact

When this ad first aired, it caused quite a bit of controversy. Some people found it to be humorous and clever, while others thought it was crass and offensive. It was even banned in Europe! However, there’s no denying that the ad was successful in getting people talking about Zazoo condoms.

It is pretty genius marketing if you think about it: Show the most stressful situation that you can be in – especially in a public setting with all the attention on you – and give the solution to prevent that situation from happening.

Love it or hate it, there’s no denying that the “Screaming Kid” ad was successful in getting people talking about Zazoo condoms. If you’re looking for an attention-grabbing way to advertise your product or service, you could do worse than taking a page from this company’s playbook.

Watch the ad and make sure you wrap it up to not get caught up in all the crying and screaming

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Michael Jackson, better known as “The King of Pop,” celebrated the 30 year anniversary of his solo career in 2001 with a star-studded concert special. MJ was joined on stage by famous names from the early 2000s and beyond. However, one of the more noteworthy (and iconic) moments of the two-night special was when comedian Chris Tucker and R&B Prince, Usher, joined MJ on stage during his performance of ‘You Rock My World.’

The King of Pop performed a two hour concert special at Madison Square Garden on September 7 and 10, 2001. The recorded show was later aired on CBS. The concert special was in celebration of Michael’s 30th year as a solo performer. The special was a combination of both nights’ performances and was watched by 30 million viewers when it was broadcasted.

Both nights featured A-list guests, who introduced or performed alongside Michael. These star-studded guests included Marc Anthony, Whitney Houston, Britney Spears and Missy Elliot. But MJ’s second night gave the world an unforgettable closing performance.

Comedian Chris Tucker and R&B artist Usher came out to dance with Michael during his closing song, ‘You Rock My World.’

Usher came out moonwalking and kept up dancing with MJ from there. And Chris, well, he tries his best to give a solid impression of some signature Michael moves. MJ’s reaction to the comedian’s attempts are priceless.

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The post Watch MJ’s Epic 2001 Dance-Off first appeared on History In Memes.