We talked to Vladislav Shahov and Ekaterina Popova who won the Professional Rising Star Ballroom at the UK Open in January this year. Vlad is from Russia originally, Katia comes from Byelorussia but they live in Florida now and represent USA. They are US Rising Star Ballroom champions as well.
We might be more excited [on the day of the competition] and that helps but overall your dancing is going to be the same as the day of your last practice
Let's start with the congratulations. You danced beautifully on Tuesday.
[Ekaterina]: Thank you very much
Very good result in Rising Star, how did you do yesterday in the Open event?
[Ekaterina]: Well, we finished in the top 48. We thought it was a great result for us, considering it is our first competition abroad since we started dancing together..
[Vlad]: We did not get the 1st place, it'll take more time (laughing)
I will start, traditionally, with a question about when you started dancing and where.
[Vlad]: I started dancing when I was 10 years old in Moscow, Russia. When I was 15 I moved to the United States, and then back home to finish the university. About 8 years ago I went back to New York and started representing USA.
I guess you danced in the meantime (laughing)
[Vlad]: Oh yes, I had a number of partners. Probably about nine which is an average I think. Two years ago I split up with my last partner before Katia. I hope this is the last one (laughing). I hope no more changes.
Why did you get into dancing?
[Vlad]: My older sister was dancing. She is 4 years older than me. My Mum took me there and one year after that I started travelling around the country. I liked that and probably because of that I stayed dancing.
[Ekaterina]: My parents have a dance school in Minsk. I am from Byelorussia. I was always around dancers and it was natural from me to start dancing. It seemed exciting to me. I was involved with the competitions since I was 8 years old. I had three partners before Vlad. So not nine, just three (laughing). So, as I say, my parents got me involved with dancing and since then I couldn't stop. I lived in Moscow for few years, I had a partner there. Five years ago I moved to America.
Why did you move to USA?
[Ekaterina]: My partner at the time and I thought there were more possibilities there. You can travel better, there is more work, more competitions compared to Byelorussia. My brother lives in Denver, Colorado and I also wanted to be closer to him. Eventually, I hope my parents will move here too.
How did you meet?
[Vlad]: We met in Blackpool... Katia, you can tell
[Ekaterina]: No, no, I let you answer this one (laughing)
[Vlad]: We were both dancing in the USA, I lived in New York and she lived in California.
[Ekaterina]: Pretty far away from each other
[Vlad]: We saw one another every so often because we were competing against each other. But it was in Blackpool, when for some reason, between rounds, I came up and started talking to her (laughing). What reason, I have no idea.
I can see one reason, she is very pretty!
[Vlad]: Probably this was one of the reasons (Katia is laughing). After that, we started communicating more often. After a while we became girlfriend and boyfriend. But at that time we were both dancing with previous partners. Katia split with her partner first and then after few months I've split with mine. Katia was still searching for a new partner. We had a try-out in California and when we showed the video to Jonathan Wilkins, one of our most favourite coaches, he said, this is it. I also showed it to Erminio Stefano, who is one of my first teachers in USA, and he liked it very much. So we decided to give it a go. She is from California and I am from New York, and one month after this try-out we decided to move to Florida.
[Ekaterina]: Somebody had to move anyway, either me to New York or him to California. So we decided to move to a different place together.
To be fair?
[Ekaterina]: Yes (laughing). Besides, we love it there, it is always warm.
I guess similar climate to California
[Vlad]: Yes, but California is a very busy place. We have to travel every weekend so I like to come back to a place where it is quiet, sunny, calm and peaceful. Then you can concentrate on what is important. I like that resort type of place where you can swim in the ocean.
[Ekaterina]: It is closer to Europe, to England, it is easier to travel.
[Vlad]: When she asked me to move to California first, I said it is far away from England so there is no way!
[Ekaterina]: Yes, it is true. Obviously I asked you that because I lived there, so it would have been easy for me. But we are very happy with our choice of Florida.
Where in California, in LA?
[Ekaterina]: Yes, in Orange County. This is where I used to teach in the studio.
What do you like about dancing?
[Vlad]: I would say I like the whole process, I like practising, dancing with a woman, dancing to the live orchestra. Actually, the live orchestra is the best. I like travelling, meeting so many different people. I have friends in every single state in the USA.
Dancing friends?
[Vlad]: Yes. I still have some friends from school but because we are travelling so much we get surrounded by so many good people, we make new friends. That's why I want to be involved in this particular sport, I say sport, but I mean art as well. You get to meet very interesting people.
Is the sport side more important, or art?
[Vlad]: I would say 50/50.
[Ekaterina]: I would say the same. Practice requires lots of energy, also performing, like we did on Tuesday, was six rounds and it is pretty hard. It is pretty close to sport.
How important to you is competitive side, the fact you are fighting against the other couple?
[Vlad]: I think, in my mind, I am not fighting against other couples. I am fighting against my own mind. I am thinking of what I would like to show to the audience, to the judges, of what I want to portray with my dancing. This is important to me now, not the fact that I need to beat this or the other couple. It was different when I was younger. I wanted to beat everybody! Right now, it is more about the fight with your own self and achieving goals you set for yourself.
[Ekaterina]: It is not so much about beating the other couples as much as it is about performing your own personal best. We don't really think who is going to be there, we are just doing what we have practiced numerous times. We know it's not going to be any better on the day of the competition. Yes, we might be more excited and that helps, but overall your dancing is going to be the same as the day of your last practice. On the day of competition you just perform, and this is what I enjoy the most.
So if you had a choice of doing shows or competing what would you prefer?
[Vlad]: Both.
OK, but if both were happening at the same time? In a show you can present yourself, you are free to do whatever you want. At the competition you compete against the others and within the rules.
[Vlad]: OK, in such case I would pick competition. I think the element of competition is still important.
[Ekaterina]: You still want to be appreciated. No matter how much you like to perform and express yourself, you still want to be placed very well. You are not thinking about it all the time, but subconsciously you want to be in that first place.
It sound like you are contradicting yourself now...
[Vlad]: As I said, it is close to 50/50. For me, couple of years ago, it was all about winning. So it is an evolution for me. I am moving towards thinking of my own development, of what I want to show, of what I want to get from the lessons and from the practice. Before, it was all about winning - of course it helps to have drive and ambition.
Now tell me what is good and bad about your partner. Please don't place safe, be honest (laughing).
[Ekaterina]: OK, I will start with a good thing. I like that he is confident and also very persistent. If he has something on his mind, he is going to do it and complete it. These are all great things. But they can be negative as well, when he gets a bit extreme. I know the reason he does it is that he wants to achieve his goals.
[Vlad]: I'd say the great thing about her is that she has strong opinions about things, in both dancing and outside of dancing. This is good. She is also committed.
So how does it work for you, when she has a strong opinion about something in dancing?
[Vlad]: I have a stronger one (laughing). Seriously, we have almost the same opinions in many things, which is good and bad at the same time. But usually, when she thinks about it for a bit, she can see where I am coming from because I do explain it. Then it just comes together. However, the energy she has is strong – it is very good. I don't like weak people. I like people with opinion even if I don't agree with it. I prefer that over people who say "yes" all the time.
OK, but what you don't like about her?
[Ekaterina]: The fact I don't agree with you (laughing).
[Vlad]: Yeah! I have a strong mind and vision and if somebody doesn't agree with me I need to hear explanation. I need an explanation which I would believe in.
So, in the end, you have to be convinced to do something rather than do it because the other person wants it?
[Vlad]: Exactly.
Isn't it a bit strong?
[Vlad]: This is how it works so far in all my dance career and my life. There should always be a reason for things.
Hence nine partners ...
[Ekaterina]: (laughing)
[Vlad]: I moved a lot, I moved places four times so that accounts for four partners' changes. Multiply by two.
[Ekaterina]: Two partners in each place.
[Vlad]: So you see, it is all right.
Who is driving when you are travelling to competitions?
[Vlad]: I am.
Who is cooking?
[Ekaterina]: I am, and sometimes we enjoy cooking together.
[Vlad]: I like cooking but I don't have time for that.
I thought you were doing almost everything together, how come you don't have time to do it, but she does? Don't you have free time at the same time?
[Ekaterina]: Not really. He teaches a bit more than me. Of course, we practice at the same time. But we don't go to the studio at the same time every day.
What do you like to cook?
[Ekaterina]: I occasionally bake cakes, which is what I enjoy. We like to eat salads, meat, sushi... It might not be very good for us, but we like it (laughing).
[Vlad]: We are always looking for something new to cook.
So you are not cooking traditional Russian foods?
[Ekaterina]: We do, but only on holidays. Other that that, we try different things.
[Vlad]: I usually don't eat sweet stuff but Katia makes a cake which is the best cake I ever tried. It takes a long time when she does it from scratch. But it is unbelievable, best dessert I ever had.
[Ekaterina]: It is chocolate raspberry cake.
[Vlad]: It is not too sweet. It is delicious.
We must start a new series: recipes from or for dancers (laughing). But we would have to taste it first ourselves!
[Ekaterina]: Sure, and we would have a competition.
And I would be a judge, OK? Lovely idea. Do you also like traditional American food? By that I mean McDonalds, Burger King .... (laughing)
[Ekaterina]: Yes, we do. Actually we eat there quite a bit. Which is not a great thing, but when we don't have time to cook and we want to have something quick, that's where we eat.
[Vlad]: I don't really like it.
[Ekaterina]: You still eat it.
[Vlad]: Just because it is easy and because of the time issue. Actually, it could be just a salad and a chicken which is OK, but not the fries. She likes fries. I don't.
You are a walking proof that eating at McDonalds doesn't make you fat.
[Ekaterina]: Only if you practise a lot on the dance floor (laughing).
How much do you practise?
[Ekaterina]: Every day at least two hours. Sometimes more. When we are away, it is more, because we are there only for lessons and practise. So we dance almost all day. This time, we did not get that much practice time in England because I had some visa issues. I just got it one week before the competition.
[Vlad]: She got the visa on Wednesday, 5 hours before the flight. Last year we did not make it to London at all because there was so much paperwork. I got my visa on the day of the Rising Star competition. So it was too late. You never know how long it is going to take. Sometimes it takes two days to do it, sometimes two weeks. So it is a problem. That's why we did not go to London at all since we started to dance together a year and a half ago.
[Ekaterina]: This is our first competition together abroad. We are very happy that we are here and very happy that we won.
Is your visa only allowing one trip to England or multiple? Will you be here for Blackpool?
[Ekaterina]: It is for six months so should be OK.
[Vlad]: I am ready for Blackpool and I will be there.
[Ekaterina]: Since I got my visa only a week ago we did not have time to plan the Blackpool yet, but we want to be there. We were booking hotel for the UK Open on our way to the airport. It was crazy so we did not book anything for Blackpool yet.
[Vlad]: We are lucky we did not end up sleeping on the beach
[Ekaterina]: Yes (laughing), we managed to get a room here.
[Vlad]: Actually, somehow it was better flight and better hotel this time for me that when I used to plan everything couple of years ago.
[Ekaterina]: Sometimes the best things happen when you do the last minute. You might get lucky.
I must admit that the best holidays we had were the last moment, not the planned ones. I guess when you plan something, you also expect things. When you book last minute, you are just happy when anything works out (laughing).
[Vlad]: That was my life in New York. There were a lot of unexpected things going on. So after three years I decided to get organised, and get a more peaceful life. I decided to remove all the distractions and do what I came here to do in the first place. We still travel to New York at least once a month. I still have my lessons there, I have my students, Erminio Stefano is there...
[Ekaterina]: More coaches travel to New York or Los Angeles. We get new information and then we go back home and practice.
Katia, I can see you are used to Florida climate and you caught a bit of cold here
[Ekaterina]: Well, it is an ongoing thing. It started in New York. I got worse and worse after, because of travelling. When we danced on Tuesday I did not feel my best. But no matter what, I still enjoyed it very much!
[Vlad]: I was very healthy, enough for both of us (laughing). I knew she did not feel well and I was ready for that. She made it all the way from the first round to the sixth round..
[Ekaterina]: Yes, I did not die (laughing). Even when you are perfectly healthy it is not easy to do six rounds. When you are sick it is really hard.
[Vlad]: And I survived
[Ekaterina]: Yes (laughing). He survived me.
How often do you see your families?
[Vlad]: My Mum comes to the US nationals in September.
[Ekaterina]: She lives in America.
[Vlad]: She lives in Oklahoma but I don't see her very often. She likes peaceful locations, lakes, no travel. But I see her at least once a year at the nationals.
[Ekaterina]: I see my parents once a year as well, when they visit me and my brother. The last time I was back home in Byelorussia was three years ago. We might go this year.
To Minsk, or to Moscow
[Ekaterina]: Probably both, it is not that far.
In American terms maybe...
[Ekaterina]: OK, when you go to Moscow, it is easy to get to Minsk from there.
When you have some free time, what do you like to do?
[Ekaterina]: We go to the beach mostly. We are in Florida, the weather is good. Vlad goes fishing.
[Vlad]: I like fishing.
[Ekaterina]: I like shopping so when I get a chance I do that. We go to the movies. We play tennis.
[Vlad]: We do a lot of stuff actually.
What kind of movies?
[Ekaterina]: Anything really. He likes the horror movies and action movies. I enjoy the comedies more.
[Vlad]: Fishing is one thing I can wake up for early. I don't really have patience but for that particular activity I do. I can wake up at four or five o'clock in the morning and go to the pier for fishing. I would never do that for anything else. OK, sometimes I have to for the flight or the competition but generally no. In US we usually dance in the evening, from 7pm.
[Ekaterina]: Or even later at night.
[Vlad]: Yes, like midnight.
[Ekaterina]: We don't like to wake up early unless we have to. When we have free time we sleep till late.
What kind of holidays do you like? Most people actually go to Florida for vacations. What do you do?
[Ekaterina]: I don't remember the last time we actually went for vacation.
[Vlad]: That's why I think Florida is perfect for me. I come back from the competition and I can have my vacations at home. You come out of the airport, you have palm trees, perfect weather, you are in the holiday mood straight away. I don't need to go anywhere. We live 5 minutes away from the beach. You don't have to fly anywhere, whenever you have a half a day off, you are on vacation.
Perfect, if it wasn't for the hurricanes...
[Ekaterina]: Actually, before I left California, we had a really big earthquake. It was a new experience for me, and I was scared. Everyone was saying that it'll be even worse in Florida, as it has hurricanes. But we did not experienced any yet.
[Vlad]: We live in the St Petersburg area, near Tampa.
[Ekaterina]: Maybe we were just lucky. But so far everything is good.
[Vlad]: For the last year and a half, I have not regretted moving there.
If you could change something in dancing, what would you do?
[Vlad]: I would like to get all the great dancers together.
[Ekaterina]: I wanted to say the same thing. I don't know if there is anything, at this point, that anyone can do about it. It would be great if everyone was free to dance wherever they want...
[Vlad]: When you rank yourself first in the world, of course you are the first, but there are still some couples missing. Especially in the Amateur field. I would like to see all of them together in Blackpool. But right now, some of them are not there. So you are first, but really there is always a question would I be first if the others were there too...
Yes, I agree
[Vlad]: It kind of works for both organisations, everybody has their own reasons to keep separate probably...
There are twice as many World champions every year.
[Vlad]: It works but, I guess it has positive and negative side at the same time. In the end of the day, couples will choose the best coaches for themselves regardless of what federation they are in.
[Ekaterina]: It would be nice if you did not have to choose where to dance. If you could go to compete say, in Germany, and not be afraid that something is going to happen.
OK, that's politics. But what would you change in dancing itself? For instance, WDSF introduced some new steps to the Viennese Waltz. Do you like the idea?
[Vlad]: I don't mind.
[Ekaterina]: I prefer to keep it classic. Viennese Waltz is the only dance where everybody does the same steps. So I think it is a fair way to compare couples because they are doing the same thing. In the other dances you can have routines that, perhaps, work better for you. And you can't do that in Viennese Waltz.
[Vlad]: I like that, in one of the Asian competitions I think, you have certain basic figures and every finalist has to dance these basic figures in the same order. It is nice to watch.
Where do they do it?
[Ekaterina]: In one of the competitions at the Asian Tour, if I'm not mistaken. All the couples start with the same steps for the first 15 sec or so, and after that they all go back to their own routines.
[Vlad]: It is nice to watch when all these six top couples dance the same basic choreography and you can see a clear difference.
[Ekaterina]: Yes, the different styles they have of the same step.
Changing the subject completely, tell me what communication methods do you use, what do you visit on the internet
[Ekaterina]: We are using our phones all the time...
Phones, by definition, are for talking (laughing)
[Vlad]: Nowadays, you use your phones for everything but talking (laughing)!
[Ekaterina]: We text each other sometimes when we are in different rooms and you want to say something quickly. We use Facebook, we don't have Twitter. Obviously we use internet on the phone for anything from booking the flights and hotels to emailing teachers for lessons.
Are all the "old masters" have email account by which you can contact them?
[Vlad]: The ones we want to contact usually have (laughing).
[Ekaterina]: This is the world nowadays, no matter what your age is you need to adapt. In fact, when I was getting my visa application, they told me that the only way you can learn about if your application was successful or not is by email. There is no other way apparently. And I was thinking that they assume you have access to your email all the time! That's how the world is changing.
Which dancing websites do you visit?
[Ekaterina]: We use dancesportinfo.net a lot a lot and dance-news for the English competition information.
[Vlad]: We use dancebeat.com for the US competitions.
[Ekaterina]: It is very popular because you can read all the news of all the US competitions and winners even if you have not been there. We enjoy reading online about dancing.
[Vlad]: I like watching a lot of dance videos.
[Ekaterina]: Yes, we both do. We like watching competitions online as well.
Would you prefer to watch or read interviews?
[Ekaterina]: I prefer to read the interviews, and also articles. I prefer that in written form.
What are you plans for the nearest future?
[Ekaterina]: Obviously we plan to go back and have few days off (laughing). So we want to relax for few days and enjoy Florida. But not for too long as we have some competitions in US coming up. There is one in Florida, and one in New York. We would like to plan everything for Blackpool as well.
Any personal plans?
[Vlad]: No vacations...
[Ekaterina]: We have to compete and work so no personal plans I guess.
Getting married, having kids, buying a house, getting a big garden .... (laughing)
[Vlad]: Not yet
[Ekaterina]: Definitely not children yet because we would like to dance. We are still young of course, so there is still time. So, not in the nearest future.
Do you like Blackpool music?
[Ekaterina]: Yes, we love it, especially Vlad.
[Vlad]: Yes, I love it. Gives me inspiration every time. Every two years or so they come up with something new as well, new songs. I can play twenty Blackpool waltzes in a row at the practice. I have no problem with that. She has (laughing).
[Ekaterina]: I like it when I come there to compete as that creates a special atmosphere. But not necessarily to practice.
[Vlad]: I can play twenty Blackpool waltzes in a row at the practice. I have no problem with that. She has (laughing).
[Ekaterina]: B Blackpool music to me is very special when you are actually in that place.
[Vlad]: With the six rounds it is pretty much the same feeling that you will have.
[Ekaterina]: It is true.
When you teaching younger couples, do you play more modern music or classic strict tempo?
[Ekaterina]: Actually, we don't teach that many kids. Back at home in Russia and Byelorussia we used to teach a lot of children but no so much anymore. No matter the age, I think that modern music is easier to understand for the students.
[Vlad]: I prefer classic dance music. Helps me focus and just enjoy the pure beauty of the sound. For Latin, there is a lot of pop music that has a Cha Cha tempo. However, the words, the lyrics, just don't belong to that dance. Often it is not the proper rhythm either.
[Ekaterina]: It has a beat but it doesn't have the same character.
[Vlad]: You can dance to it, but you lose the true character of the dance itself.
Is there anyone in the dancing world you admire?
[Ekaterina]: Yes, a lot of great dancers. We enjoy watching videos of Karen and Marcus Hilton, John Wood and Anne Gleave, Andrew Sinkinson and Charlotte Jorgensen, Luca Baricchi and Loraine Barry... There is a lot.
[Vlad]: Before I came to New York I had a break from dancing for five years. I started again seven years, ago and my inspiration at the time was Mirko Gozzoli and Alessia Betti.
[Ekaterina]: They are one of our all-time favourites.
[Vlad]: Thanks to them, I started to believe in myself. I sometimes watch one of his videos to get inspired before the competition.
His?
[Vlad]: Yes, I said that. When I watch them dancing, I really watch him, I don't watch them as a couple. For me they are perfect as a couple together but it is him I watch. For me he is very realistic in portraying the character of each dance.
Your biggest dream?
[Vlad]: To be a World champion one day
[Ekaterina]: I'm guessing a lot of people say that.
[Vlad]: If they don't, they should (laughing). Everybody should aspire to get to the highest position in their chosen field.
[Ekaterina]: Be Blackpool champions, World champions, United States champions. To develop ourselves, and hopefully the results will follow.
Is there anything we could do to improve our services for the dance community?
[Ekaterina]: It would be great if couples could order a video of themselves from a competition in England, like the individual photos on the couple's profile page.
There are strict rules and limitations at some competitions against recording videos
[Ekaterina]: It would be nice to see a short video of each couple prepared by Dancesportinfo or DSI.
[Vlad]: If you could do one dance for each couple it would be nice.
Thank you very much for talking to us. And get well soon Katia!
All the photos taken on the day by Peter Suba
