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LIMBO CITY — How low can you go? For Shemika Campbell, the answer is lower than anyone else in the world.
Campbell is a world-class limbo dancer and also the world record-holder for the lowest limbo at just 8.5 inches. When you watch her limbo under a car, a snake, shelves, poles and people (yes, people) in this video, you'll see exactly why she's been called the "Limbo Queen."
As Campbell explains in the video, limbo is actually a dance form that originated in Trinidad and Tobago, where she's from. Limbo dance was traditionally done at wakes to symbolize moving from one life to another. Now, Campbell's keeping the tradition of the dance alive and following in the footsteps of her mother and grandmother by doing so.
"My grandmother was a limbo dancer, my mother was a limbo dancer and it's only right that I'm a limbo dancer," Campbell says in the video. "I had to carry on that legacy not only for my family but also for my culture."
Watching Campbell limbo under seemingly impossible bars is truly amazing. I think I was most impressed when she explained that she actually holds her breath so she can contort her body the right way when she limbos under the bar set at 8.5 inches.
But the impossible part is what got Campbell so interested in limbo.
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This scene played out on a golf course in Florida where a crane blocked an alligator to protect its family."That's one of the things that really drew me to limbo — it was something that I couldn't do easily," she says. "I love the challenge."
Anyone who has seen Campbell limbo knows that it seems to be second nature for her. The idea that limbo posed any sort of challenge for her is mind-boggling.
Campbell has set a total of two certified world records, appeared on "America's Got Talent" twice and "The Ellen DeGeneres Show," and is now traveling the world spreading her love of limbo with others.
"I absolutely love limbo. I love everything about it," she explains in the video. "People think limbo is just for fun. For Trinidadians like myself, it's really a big part of our culture. I feel like that's where my job comes in, to really show you this is more than just a fun activity."
