When he was just a 1-year-old toddler in Germany, Dergin Tokmak was stricken with polio and left partially paralyzed from the waist down.
But that didn't stop him from pursuing his dream of becoming a dancer, and after years of hard work and determination, he wowed audiences world over as a member of Cirque du Soleil.
In a new video, Tokmak, 38, shows off his break dancing skills, using unique moves he developed to incorporate his crutches.
"It is so much fun to play with the Crutches!," Tokmak wrote on YouTube. "It is incredible what you can do if you just open you mind. NO LIMITS WITH CRUTCHES."
It's that attitude that impressed directors of Cirque du Soleil back in 2004, when Tokmak auditioned for the role of "Limping Angel" in the show Varekai, according to the biography on his website. Though he was intimidated by the role at first, showrunners were convinced of his talent and cast him in the role, which he learned in under two months.
Now, after dancing for most of his life, Tokmak continues to bust a move with Cirque du Soleil and various commercial dance troupes in addition to keeping up with other passions like singing in a band. But his first love has always been break dancing, Tokmak said on his website.
"I want to pass on to the next generation ... so people can see that no handicap is too big or too limiting to dance," Tokmak said. "My message as an artist is to show the world that there is a creative soul in everyone with or without a handicap."
Check out Tokmak performing with Cirque du Soleil: