We’re always impressed with children who perform in front of crowds. Not only do they have to master a craft, but the audience pressure adds a whole new level of skill to what they’re doing.

And while Veronica Zhilina looked a bit nervous as she first took her place on the ice, that soon went away as her desire to put on a perfect figure skating routine took over (not to mention the attention it takes to execute some of her moves!).

A delicate routine but a fierce competitor

At the beginning of her routine, she holds an orb of light, which she then shows the audience as they raise their own like they’re at a concert.

Once her mind is set on her performance, she’s all in.

And it’s hard to argue that anyone does figure skating better than the Russians. Even children manage to so incredibly graceful while executing maneuvers so perfectly.

It’s unclear how old she is in this video from 2019, but it is a children’s (or at least a junior) competition – and presumably in Russia since the judges are speaking the language.

The song she’s chosen for her performance is the melancholy “Hallelujah,” original by Leonard Cohen but in this case performed by Alexandra Berk, who recorded the song after performing it on the 2008 season of X-Factor.

Its melody and crescendos are ideal for a dance routine that also includes a few big moves.

The next big thing?

Russia has no shortage of figure skating superstars. But get this: Veronica Zhilina turned 12 in 2020. That means she was either a mere 10 or 11 years old last year during this performance.