Street performer culture is alive and well in and around Old Town Square. Acts range from men painted silver like statues to artists crafting landscapes using spray paint. Many of these entertainers are the same types of people tourists encounter in big U.S. cities like New York or LA, though Prague is not nearly as metropolitan as these areas. While all these acts deserve applause, the people I’ll really stop and observe are the ones that are unique to Czechia.

One such act was this young man, who had claimed a space for himself on a road outside the square by strategic placement of speakers. As he pressed play on his iPhone and stepped into the center of his invisible stage, slow piano began to trickle out from his stereo. He held in his hand a clear ball, which he proceeded to let slide along his arms as he simultaneously began to dance. He ended his dance in the pose pictured above, scarcely touching the ball with his hands the entire time. I had seen acts like this on talent shows, but never in real life. This type of dance is especially popular in Eastern Europe, which made it a sweet moment to witness so close to its home.