We know our dogs are smart creatures. It’s part of why we love them. We love to teach them tricks and to see them use their smarts to find the treats we hide for them. While these are basic tricks that all dogs can learn, there is another unique skill set that some people are teaching their dogs, and it’s one that wins competitions. It’s called the dog dance.

You read that right. Freestyle dog dance is a thing and it’s becoming all the rage in the world of dog sports.

While some people in the show dog world were on the fence about the sport, one woman named Sarah Roth took to the dance floor with her amazing dog Lizzy and put all their prejudices to rest.

Roth has been tapping her toes in the wonderful world of jazz and ballet for close to 30 years now, and in November of 2014, she decided to introduce her best dance partner to the world in a dog dance freestyle competition. When she did, it blew the world away.

“Lizzy has been learning tricks and freestyle moves since she was a puppy. But we’ve had many problems and she was not an easy dog. So our main focus for the first 3 years was on her social behaviour and not on dog sports,” explains Roth in Lizzy’s performer profile.

Dog dance freestyle emerged in several countries seemingly simultaneously in the late 1980s, including in England, Canada, and the U.S. The untraditional sport rapidly became a favorite among dog, art, and dance lovers and within a few years, the first official dog dance freestyle ensemble, Musical Canine Sports International became established in 1991.

The dance originally started out as an offshoot of traditional heelwork in show dogs.

This is an event to demonstrate obedience training in dogs, only put to music. As the sport gained in popularity, though, it became an outlet for all people with all dog breeds to demonstrate the bond between owner and dog as well as obedience and elaborate dog tricks.

“There are no compulsory movements or elements, so each team can present their individual strengths and skills. No other dog sport offers that much flexibility to … adapt each performance to the capabilities and needs of each team member (dog as well as human),” describes the Dog Dance International preamble.

Lizzy and Roth’s performance was spectacular!

It starts off with the two on opposite ends of the room. Their movements mimic each other so closely that one would think the dog were bound to her owner by some invisible tether.

As Roth lifts an arm, so does her dog, and if Roth moves backward, Lizzy is prancing in reverse right there with her. While their entire choreographed dance appears as fluid as a flowing river, it wasn’t always the case. Roth has worked hard with Lizzy, using a combination of treats and reward systems to help the dog learn to balance through all of her complex movements with their intermittent, perfectly timed pauses.

As the song picks up, so does the dance.

After moving separately, at a distance but in sync, the two come closer together as the song picks up. When Roth lowers herself to the ground, Lizzy starts weaving all around her. She runs between the space of her owner’s arm and leg, then turns around and jumps back over Roth in perfect synchronicity with the music in the background.

When Roth rises from the floor to do some more impressive leg work, Lizzy is not to be missed. She continues to swirl through, around, and in between her dance partner’s legs. There is no question that this dog is doing more than just obedience performing. She truly is dancing!

The crowds are already mesmerized by the beautiful sight before them. It’s clear that Lizzy shares a special, untouchable bond with her owner and a fond love of the art of dance. According to Roth, Lizzy has even come to learn to love the intoxicating feeling of being viewed by a large audience.

“[She] gets more and more confident and our relationship has improved a lot. She is also starting to enjoy the attention by the audience,” Roth explains.

Before the song comes to a close, Lizzy pulls off the big number.

As Roth bends her head toward the floor, Lizzy comes bounding from across the room and leaps over the dancer’s back as gracefully as a gazelle.

After the big leap, the two keep their footwork light in unison with the music.

Lizzy shows off some fancy heelwork as she stays close to Roth as they both stand, tiptoe, and swirl to the soft, light close of the song.

The video of their freestyle dog dance was shared to YouTube in 2014 and has been raking in the views ever since. This is a beautiful display of love, trust, and loyalty between a dog and her owner, and one that you truly have to see for yourself to appreciate the full scope of their talents.

See what has over 10 million people falling in love with the art of canine freestyle in the video below.

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Source: Sandra Roth/The Dodo