Dancers in brightly colored outfits crouched down, nearly sitting on the floor, and kicked their legs high above their heads to the cheers, laughter and applause of the audience.

These were just a few of the incredible feats performed by dancers of the Virsky Ukrainian National Dance Company on Tuesday night to an audience that nearly filled Eisenhower Auditorium.

Audience members expressed amazement at the athletic ability of the performers.

"It's one of the most strenuous activities," Dan McNulty said. "Being down in that position for that long is really hard on your legs."

Many people don't realize just how difficult it is, especially since Virsky dancers make it look so easy, McNulty (senior-hotel restaurant and institutional management) added.

"Go home, try it out, duck-walk for three minutes," he said.

Other amazing acts of the performance included leaping into 360 degree spins, stringing together cartwheel spins across the stage and various kicks and heel-clicks.

The performance opened with one performer presenting bread and salt on an embroidered towel, a Ukrainian symbol for sincerity and kindness. Performers continued by showcasing the many regional dance styles to the song "Ukraine, My Ukraine!"

At another point in the show, the women of the dance company performed a more relaxed dance. The curtain rose on a tightly knit group of dancers on a stepped pedestal, bathed in green light, which was meant to represent a weeping willow tree. The women proceeded to dance in circular patterns, holding willow branches.

Andrew Leskiw, president of the Penn State Ukrainian Society, said he thinks the show helped to spread awareness and teach those in attendance more about Ukraine.

"The show displayed a great deal of Ukrainian culture and gave the audience a great glimpse of Ukrainian dancing," Leskiw (senior-actuarial science) said.

Dan Nysch (sophomore-actuarial science) said he felt honored to have seen such a talented dance troop live.

"They are known as the best of the best," Nysch, the Ukrainian Club's vice president, said. "They're the Ferrari of Ukrainian dance."

Ukrainian dance companies in America perform the same dances, but Virsky does it much better, said Tom Maksymiuk, who performs in a dance company in Philadelphia.

Maksymiuk (sophomore-history) said he hopes the audience appreciated the skill involved in the dances.