Celebrities with Heavy Accents

This dancing bear was left without a cave to crawl into after the Russian Winter Festival yesterday so I let him hibernate at my place. A Russian accordion player named Misha also needed space so he too took an extra bed.

My home is quickly turning into a favorite pit-stop for wayward Russians but I'm truly enjoying their company. Over a table of pepperoni pizza and Russian moonshine, I learned how surprisingly talented my new guests are.

Misha and Alexy (the bear) work together for a world renowned dance group called Barynya. If fact, Misha (Mikhail Smirnov) founded the group in 1991 at age 24. It's flourished into a traveling performance troupe featuring Russian, Cossack, Ukrainian, Jewish and Russian Gypsy traditional dancing.

Music from alien instruments like the balalaika, garmoshka accordion and Gypsy guitar are also played. Barynya has performed in the prestigious Carnegie Hall, the United Nations, the Smithsonian Institute and the Russian Embassy in Washington D.C. The group performs tumbles, jumps, spins, splits, leaps and kicks with the greatest of ease.

So popular are they that they were showcased on "Superstars of Dance" on NBC last year. Misha was one of the judges for a season.

To view more photos of the event, click here.