I have spent quite a bit of time perusing the internet for inspiration for costumes. Two of Elena Slikhova's (partner of Charles-Guillame Schmidt) costumes definitely caught my eye. I find the first black number to be quite sexy, while the second yellow number is really playful.
In addition to these, I fell in love with Dariya Chesnokova's costume that she was sporting at the Embassy Ball earlier this year. The second costume of hers is one she was wearing in November 2009. I really like the use of strings of stones - though upon enquiring, it looks like making a similar costume may require hours upon upon hours of stringing!
*Images of Elena and the second one of Dariya are courtesy of dancesportinfo.net.
It is true that had it not been for my ex-boyfriend I would not have discovered my love for latin ballroom. However, we had made the wise decision not to partner together. We would often that get questioned - isn't it weird to watch your boyfriend dance with someone else? To be perfectly honest, it wasn't always easy to do so. But hey, I was pressed up against someone else too - so it was all fair.
Usually after a break-up one never has to see their ex again. Unfortunately, that is not the case here. But now that our relationship has ended, I can truly say that our decision to dance seperately was the best one we could have made for our dance career. I don't have to find a new partner! I am not saying that this is the case for everyone. There are many couples who have been able to have both a successful dance career and relationship together.
However, there are cases of successful partnerships coming to an end due to the relationship factor. If Karina and Slavik had not fallen prey to the breakup curse, they may have very well become world champions. Slavik is once again partnerless (at least for the time being) after his recent break up with Anna. Anna has since partnerered up with her new boyfriend Justinas Duknausko (who recently split up with Ekatrina).
Dancing is hard enough on its own. Furthermore, maintaining a positive relationship with one's dance partner is a challenge in itself without the stresses of being in a romantic relationship. But on the other hand would anyone else really understand my obsessive 5 days a week practice schedule and dancing provocatively with a dance partner? I guess it really depends on the individual. It's all a double-edged sword.
Check out Anna's rumba with her new partner Justinas:
I am a young working professional who discovered latin ballroom about a year ago. So I am an account executive by day and dance in the evenings or when I have a spare moment. I do latin ballroom and dabble in ballet (scary!).
