Руcская версия |  English version

  I WANT PEOPLE TO BELIEVE IN GOD NOT IN POLITICS!  

Who brought you to dancing? What was the beginning?

- Nobody did it. I went infor figure skating from 4 till 8 but I gave it up as I failed to jump. In fact, I always was fond of different kinds of sport. I used to jump, run in school and and it's always me who had to carry the can for the school team. Then I went in for painting and used to play piano. When I was 11 we moved to a new district and I had some friends in my new school who went in for ballroom. That was a dance studio “Cherry Garden” it wasn’t in IDSF that time and I made up mind to join them. The most interesting thing is that my mom didn’t know what I did! Every month I asked her for 50 rubles and went in for dancing.  2 years I didn’t have a partner and everybody was laughing at me. Once my coach phoned my mom and said that I was very talented and we had to find a partner and dance more seriously. I danced Ballroom and Latin but liked Latin most of all, of course. I found a partner and changed the dance studio.  It was Sekistov’s studio and there I attendedLatin lessons of Chislov.We had very good results but few months later somebody hit me with a ball on my head, I fainted and got concussion of the brain. So I spent 5 months in a hospital and consequently we split with my partner. When I had try-out with some boy when Yevgeny Imrekov noticed me. He suggested trying out and we began to dance together and train in one of the famous Russian dance studio “Russian Club”. Our coaches were Viktor Nikovsky and Larisa Davydova.  They played a significant part in my dance life and career. After we split I began to dance with Artem Epifanov. We had been dancing till 2002. And then I left for England.    

How often do you come to Moscow and what are doing here? 

- I try to come every month. When I’m abroad I have some kind of nostalgia. First of all I want to see my friends and relatives, to feel our Russian frost and just have a rest. Secondly I make costumes here. I come for 4-5 days, sometimes longer.   

Do you come along or with DiFilippo?

- I often come along. For Stefano it is not so easy to get visa. I think it is not worth spending so much money. 

Who do you meet with when you come to Moscow?  

- Mainly I stay with my family but I also meet with many of the dancers. Sometimes I open my phonebook and call my friends up. We meet somewhere sometime or just chat over the phone. 

You were dancing with Cavin Klifton for 4 years and rather successful. Why did you split?  

- Many things influenced on it. Step by step. Within the last year of dancing together we didn’t have harmony in the couple. However we had good results and in 2003 we had the equal level of dancing we didn’t have progress. Maybe that played some part, to some extend. So we split. Moreover I felt not comfortable in England.   

Are you still friends and do you have good relations? Do you communicate with him?

-Yes, we are.

How did you begin to dance with Stefano? Was it planned?

- It was rather spontanous. They were planning to dance proffesionally as Anna-Luisa is older then Stefano (she is 31) she decided to finish her dancing career and began to judge and teach. So it is some kind of coincidence connected with my   separation with Cavin and Anna-Luisa’s decision.    

Are you only a dance couple or are you a couple out side the floor as well? 

- We not only a dance couple.

Where do you live? Where do you dance?

- We live in Rome. Our coach is Caroline Smith, lives in Venice (Podova) and we come every month and take lessons. She is totaly our coach including  style, costumes, choreography and technique. 

Who else do you train with besides Caroline Smith? 

- Sometimes we take lessons with Richard Porter, Yuker Haapalainen and Sirpa.   

What is your schedule of the thraingings? Do you have your own system? 

- In fact, everything is strictly planned including the next year that is why we have to plan the training schedule according to the trip schudule and lessons that we take.  Generally, we go to Caraline in Veniece for 2 weeks before the large competitions. There we train for 7-8 hours a day, lessons and practicing. Mainly we train and teach in Rome. We train in the morning or in the evening. It depends on our schedule.  

What do you focus most on? 

- We are working hard at the tequecal side of our dancing. Also we are training along especially me. So to say solo training. Stefono has been training with one teacher for 16 years and it is easer for him to understand his system  and approach. More over he is 27 ad I’m only 22. He is more sophisticated and experienced and always tries to help me. Stefano teaches me technique and I teach him emotianal side (laughing) so we dance together supplementing each other.    

What are you favorite competitions?

- Of caurse Blackpool is at the first palce. The second is International. I like the other tournements in England.

Do you like IDSF competitions?

- Yes, I do. They have become so native for me.  

Where do you prefer to dance England, Eupope or perhaps Asia?  

- In Russia!!! However we have danced only once in russia in Moscow but I hope that we come again. I would like to.   

What is your favorite dance?

- I adore Rumba and Jive. But in generally I love all of them. 

What are your plans for the future?

- The first goal is to become the World champions of course amd to win all important amatuer competitions. After that we are palnning to dance as professionals and reach the highest level there.  On finishing my dancing careree of course training. Perhaps I would like to have my owm business in the field of design and costumes. And probably to open my own dance school in Russia.  

Whom do you consider the rivals for you at the floor?

- In fact I like many couples, BUT… I always notice how good they dance while practicing and what disappears when they dance in the competitions. They loose the emotional side. I don’t have such a problem that is why I don’t have competitors in this field. But I have to work hard at my tequnical elemets to reach the highes level. I try do it in nearest time.  

Who of the dancers do you like most of all? 

- I like Karina and Carmen. Hanna as well. These three persons were differen from the others.  

And from males?

- Tornsberg, Brain and Slavik. I want to see  a man who dances for a woman at the floor and pays more attantion to a lady. 

What do you do when you have free time?

- I like reading. Sometimes we go to cinema.

What is your education?

- I finished school. I took an external degree the last 2 years at school. Then I went to England. Now I would like to get the education in the field of teacher’s training or something that is to do with design. 

Do you have some superstitions?

- No, I do not. I believe in dream and believe in my heart and God. 

Tell somthing about your family.

- My mom creats the costums for the dancers and my sister as well, Nastya. She dances in Danmark in Youth catregory.   She is very talented and purposeful. She will have seccess.   In fact I owe much to my family.  Upbringing gives you some kind of the base that gives you the confidence and power  within   your life. I would like to express boundless gratitude to my mom! She was near all the time when I have rises and falls. My seccsess is always her as well.     

What are your secrets of sexuality?

- Thanks for the compliment! Hounestly speeking it is much easier now then when I lived in England. In England the food is a bit different. In Italy I eat almost everything and go in for fitness everyday. Mainly than is cardia work. But the most important thing is the definite schedule. I eat 5-6 times a day but not much and of course it is very important to have a good night's rest.   

Do you go in for some other kand of dancing?

- We like swing with Stefano. And of course choreography (ballett).   

What atracts you most in your partner?

- He is purposeful and very hardworking. And he is alwas ready to help. 

What does dancing mean for you?

- I know it for sure that dancing helps me in life and helps to understand life. Our dance world  is like small Earth. And I would like to make some changes in it. I would like to make dancing more natural. I wish that evething the dancers do were from their hearts. I want people believe in their knowladge and God but not in politics.   

What would you like to change looking at the dancers today?

- Technique. I think that is some kind of a weak point that many dancers have. They don’t pay to much attantion to it and sometimes even don’t understand it. As for the emotional side I think, it is ok, especially in Russia. But technique is much to be desired. 

What is your motto of life?

- To bilieve in my instincs and myself.