Galery

1

It is a rather weird story. I was at a championship in Varna. I was 17 years old at that time and my partner and I became first. Sandra had come to find a dance teacher for the school here. She saw me, she liked me and she offered me a contract for employment here in Greece. However not as a competitive couple. She told me I would find myself a partner for the competitions and together we will represent Greece on all the contests. It seemed quite complicated at that time and I was only 17 years old. I generally tend to take risks very hard as I need stability. Then my mother encouraged me. My mother is a person of risk and has a great strength inside and because I am a single child – I don’t have a brother or sister, she backed me up completely and pushed me into the new thing. Sandra was calling me all the time, she sent us the contract… I was very negative towards this change. I was just starting my higher education in the National Sports Academy. Then my mom insisted and the next day we packed and we left. It all happened very spontaneous and very fast. We came here and I started work, however I told Sandra that I want a partner in order to continue my development.

Sandra was dancing, however she had never gone to competitions. While I was an athlete – every Saturday I was going to contests and I was at practices all the time. We were at a very different level, however in the beginning we started dancing together while I find myself a partner. I saw she has a great talent and she could achieve a lot – I liked her style and her behavior. I saw she has potential and we started to work hard. Then we found ourselves a coach, who made us a couple and so we started competing…

How do you combine your business with the competitions in dancing?

It is very hard. We talk a lot about this with her. Our relationship with Sandra is in several levels – we are like managers of the school and we have to be careful on one side that everybody feels good. Second – we have to be ok between each other as a couple because this is our life. We are very good friends with Sandra. However the friendship has nothing to do with work. Very often we fight and we have contradictions. However we manage, we learn….

Which is the country which has the best Latin dancers according to you?

Germans are great. Brian Watson and Carmen until 2007 were eight times world champions. He comes from South Africa and she comes from Stuttgart. She is my idol and it is very strange my idol is a woman. I like her temper a lot and her enthusiasm. She goes on the floor and gives her best. I like this about her – she gives her best! Since recently they are also coaching us.

What does dancing mean to you – work of fun?

Both. I am very lucky to be able to do what I like. And I do it with my heart and soul and with great pleasure.