This is the shocking moment a fire dancer sets his face ablaze while he was performing tricks in front of a horrified audience.

The show – in Russian-annexed Crimea in southern Ukrainian – was filmed by an audience member in the port town and resort of Feodosia.

As the dancer – named only as Grigory, 35, in local media – twirls a long batton alight at both ends he raises the flames to his mouth.

But instead of spitting out a stream of flame, the fuel seems to catch fire in his mouth and he collapses with his face engulfed in flames.

Quick-thinking passersby rush forward, smothering the fire with their T-shirts before a person who appears to be another dancer arrives with something resembling a bottle of flame retardant.

The gruesome footage has reportedly since gone viral on social media.

The Crimean Ministry of Health said that the man was hospitalised at the Simferopol Clinical Emergency Hospital.

He is now said to be in a serious but stable condition.

Officials are investigating the incident.

It is currently thought that the horror blaze occurred because the fire dancer was using low-quality kerosene.