Nina Burri
August 15, By Christian Murray
This Long Island City resident has talent.
Nina Burri, a contortionist who lives in the LINC building in Court Square, is in the quarter finals of the popular TV show America’s Got Talent.
Burri,36, will be performing live at the Radio City Music Hall next Tuesday, August 19, in her pursuit to win the top prize. The show will be broadcast live at 9pm on NBC and she is hoping that her fellow Long Island City residents will vote for her.
Burri, who is a recent immigrant from Switzerland, is a former ballerina who worked at various ballet companies throughout Europe until she was 30. When she retired, she went to China for six months and learned contortion.
“When I got back to Switzerland, I continued my training and got better and better,” Burri said.
Burri then worked for Swiss National Circus before deciding to move to the United States with her husband, a personal trainer.
“Switzerland is a beautiful country but it is small, while America is so big and has so many opportunities,” she said.
Her talents are very much in demand.
“I am artist and acrobat and people hire me for shows, circuses and gala events,” she said.
