Crufts 2022: Adorable Chihuahua steals the show with incredible Swan Lake ballet routine

Virgin Radio

14 Mar 2022, 12:42

A flat-coated Retriever might have won the top prize at Crufts 2022, but one Chihuahua completely stole the show.

Tiny pup Joya, and her owner Karen Bauman, have gone viral after their oddly emotional, and completely unexpected, performance of Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake. 

The wholesome performance received huge praise inside the competition and outside too, with Twitter going bananas for the dancing dog and her incredible ballet skills. 

One viewer wrote: “Please tell me why I’m watching crufts and have just cried at a chihuahua doing a ballet dance".

Another commented: “I cannot believe none of you told me there was a Chihuahua doing Swan Lake at Crufts."

In the truly adorable routine, Karen, clad in a white leotard and tutu, danced with Joya to the classical music, with Joya doing her best to exude poise and grace with her routine. 

The duo then elegantly sashayed around the stage (set with prop swans, obviously) before gracefully falling to the ground for the epic finish - paws in the air and all! 

Despite the extremely dramatic and stunning display, Joya didn’t manage to win any Crufts medals. 

Surprisingly though, it’s not the first time a pup has danced their dainty paws to Swan Lake at Crufts. Back in 2016, a Border Collie tried to win hearts with the same routine. 

Crufts 2022 handed out the main prizes on Sunday night (13th March) and it was Baxer, the flat-coated Retriever who picked up top prize - Best In Show. 

Waffle, a toy Poodle, was named reserve dog, while a group of Newfoundlands belonging to Leicestershire paramedic Pete Lewin won the Kennel Club Hero Dog award for helping people who are afraid of open-water swimming.