Dance Sport & Life (Alex Muresan for Mondans)

About our guest:

Jay Olson, M.Sc. is a doctoral researcher at McGill University. He has also been a magician since he was 7 years old. Jay is known for his work as a consultant to reduce fatigue and improve the performance of business travelers and elite athletes.

Jay Olson is interested in how psychology and magic can be combined and overlapped. In the podcast, you can find how the placebo effect and the power of suggestion can help you enhance your performance and reduce jet lag, along with tip and tricks concerning light exposure.

Find out more about Jay Olson on https://www.jayolson.org/.

Topics discussed in this episode:

• How he got into magic;
• Overlapping and combining magic and psychology;
• Magic as a method in psychology;
• Circadian rhythm;
• Sleep hygiene;
• Light exposure & jet lag;
• Melatonin - if and when to take it;
• His go-to sleeping tools;
• Placebo & the power of suggestion;
• The psychology behind magic - influence.

Would you love to learn choreographies, technical details and different methods for improving your posture, style, and overall performance from the comfort of your home studio? Our online platform – Dancesportlife Academy – offers you a vast library of courses and high-quality recordings of dance camps from all over the world at highly discounted prices.

About the guest:

Dance has been in the life of Peter Townsend since he was 7. For many years he danced competitively and he became a Professional at the age of 21. He studied not only ballroom and latin but also classical, contemporary and jazz ballet and contact improvisation. He was a founding member of Team Amsterdam and he finds that one can be highly motivated by different thoughts and ideas. His approach to teaching is quite unique as he believes dancers need to have conversations from within themselves and from within the partnership. Peter has worked with amateur and professional World Champions in Ballroom, Latin and Showdance.

You can find more on his workshops by following Team Amsterdam: http://www.dutchdancelab.com/workshops-2018.

Topics discussed in this episode

• Peter Townsend's dance story;
• Team Amsterdam;
• The difference between teaching and coaching;
• The traits of a great dance student;
• The illusion of effortless dancing;
• The importance of structuring practice.

Would you love to learn choreographies, technical details and different methods for improving your posture, style, and overall performance from the comfort of your home studio? Our online platform – Dancesportlife Academy – offers you a vast library of courses and high-quality recordings of dance camps from all over the world at highly discounted prices.

Harry started GOC in 1987 in Mannheim’s “Rosengarten”, wanting to create a better experience for dancers and started a revolution. We sat down with him to get an insight into what the future of ballroom and latin look like and how we can save it from the demise coming from within. 

Follow us

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Youtube

Learn with us: Link

Watch our TV Series: Link

About our guests

Emanuel Valeri & Tania Kehlet are one of the most loved standard dancers. Their long career has been filed with great results both in Amateur and Professional division. Among their best results are titles like Blackpool Amateur champions and WDSF World and European Professional Standard champions - WDC & WDSF. They retired the competitive world at the PD World championship in Aarhus, Denmark in November 2016.

You can follow them on

• Facebook
• Emanuel’s Instagram / Tania’s Instagram
• Twitter

Topics discussed in this episode

• Beginning of their dancing career
• Schedule
• What is important in a dance couple
• What to look at when in search of a dance teacher
• Finding inspiration
• Bits of advice for teachers
• Life after the competitive career

Would you love to learn choreographies, technical details and different methods for improving your posture, style, and overall performance from the comfort of your home studio? Our online platform – Dancesportlife Academy – offers you a vast library of courses and high-quality recordings of dance camps from all over the world at highly discounted prices.

About our guest:

Life has a strange way of playing out, and it is very unpredictable. Watching a tango lesson touched Siscu Perez so much that it put him on a career path very different from the one he imagined. From a shy reclusive child who wanted to grow to be a history teacher, he came to be one of the greatest teachers in dancesport and an adjudicator in competitions all over the world.

Topics discussed in this episode

• His first impromptu encounter with dance
• The freedom dance brings
• Why did he choose teaching over competing
• The relationship between the two partners in dance
• The teachers that influenced him the most

Former professional ballroom dancer, fashion model, now author, dancesport teacher and choreographer - Dirk Heidemann is the personification of Latin dancing: colorful, passionate and raw. After more than 30 years of training and preparing 40 champions of Germany, Europe, World Champions, Blackpool and German Open, he is considered one of the best ballroom dance coaches in the world.

Topics discussed in this episode

• Life story and daily routines as a world-famous teacher
• How major differences of cultures can affect ballroom dance
• What are the 5 things he is looking as a judge in a couple
• Why technique is simply an instrument to help dancers show off what's really important
• How the physical beauty in dancesport is a top priority
• What makes a great dancer and how much your talent means in ballroom dancing world

Would you love to learn choreographies, technical details and different methods for improving your posture, style, and overall performance from the comfort of your home studio? Our online platform - Dancesportlife Academy - offers you a vast library of courses and high-quality recordings of dance camps from all over the world at highly discounted prices.

About our guests

Massimo and Laura are finalists in Professional Latin at the WDC European Championship and semifinalists in all the top competitions from the WDC World such as Blackpool or the International Championship.

You can follow them on

Instagram 

Topics discussed in this episode

• Dance Amore Camp lectures
• Their dancing story
• Their best memories
• Personality differences
• The three main characteristics of a great dance couple

You can watch our interview on YouTube.

Would you love to learn choreographies, technical details, and different methods for improving your posture, style, and overall performance from the comfort of your home studio? Our online platform – Dancesportlife Academy – offers you a vast library of courses and high-quality recordings of dance camps from all over the world at highly discounted prices.

About our guests:

Young, fresh and up for great things. Those words describe Anastasia Novikova and Winson Tam, winners of the World Open Latin in Belgrade in 2017. They both started at an early age are working hard ever since. Winson is easy going and catches the moves fast. Anastasia is analytical and thinks every move through. A complementary pair.
Through neverending trainings, practices, and routines what keeps them going is the feeling dancesport fires in them.

You can follow them on:
Anastasia Novikova/ Instagram, Facebook, Facebook for bddanceshoes
Winsom Tam/ Instagram, Facebook, YouTube

Topics discussed in this episode

• Starting at an early age
• Keeping motivated
• Their dancing and training schedule
• Seeking for inspiration and refreshing routines
• Where does talent come from
• Complementing each other
• The experience of doing 10 dances
• The importance of maintaining
• The trio of coaches: Tatsiana Lahvinovich Galchun, Alexey Galchun, and Zoran Ploh
• The side-business of Anastasia
• Winson's vlog

Would you love to learn choreographies, technical details and different methods for improving your posture, style, and overall performance from the comfort of your home studio? Our online platform – Dancesportlife Academy – offers you a vast library of courses and high-quality recordings of dance camps from all over the world at highly discounted prices.

I had the pleasure of sitting down with Anton in his studio, Kirova Dance, in Hallandale Beach, Florida. He’s got one of the most impressive resumes: World Professional 10 Dance Champion, and 29-time Canadian National Champion. Immigrating to Toronto from a small Ukrainian town, Anton rose through the ranks with determination, training under Oleg Yedlin at OLSI DanceSport and learning from the world’s top Latin and Standard experts. With his partner Antoaneta Popova, he dominated the amateur circuit, winning multiple World titles before transitioning to the professional WDSF field, where he continued to excel.

Now he is in Florida, transforming a traditional dance studio into a competitive ballroom and latin studio while filming engaging social content and staying in the best shape of his life (listen to hear about his morning routine, 5 mile+ runs and secret protein smoothie recipe)

Tune in to hear his whole life story, learn what it takes to become the best in the world, how to evaluate your team of teachers, your relationships with your partner and so much more… 

Show Links:

Anton’s Instagram

Kirova Dance

DanceSportLife & Mondans Socials:

⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠ & Podcast instagram

⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠

⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠

⁠⁠Youtube⁠⁠

Get better at ballroom and latin with our masterclasses, courses and camp lectures: ⁠⁠Link⁠⁠

Watch Beyond (A Dance TV Show): ⁠⁠Link⁠⁠

About the guest

Aleksander Makarov became an iconic figure in dancesport, teaching champions like Madis Abel and Aleksandra Galkina. His last partner is also his actual wife and he had been dancing with her in the last 4-5 years of his dance career, which were the most successful. They won International Championships U21 and they’re second and third in Blackpool U21. Though he decided to stop dancing at a young age, for him this moment was the strongest push to start teaching because he wanted to prove everyone that he still wanted to achieve great things as a teacher, not only as a dancer.

Topics discussed in this episode

• How important are the basics and technique in ballroom dancing in order to understand when to move forward with your performance
• The role of a teacher in building a strong mindset
• Going through tough times as a team and how important is to have the teacher’s support
• How important is it to have the dancing stamina and practicing for the competition on a daily basis
• How does he improve to become the best in his field

Would you love to learn choreographies, technical details and different methods for improving your posture, style, and overall performance from the comfort of your home studio? Our online platform – Dancesportlife Academy – offers you a vast library of courses and high-quality recordings of dance camps from all over the world at highly discounted prices.

Alex sits down with Rares Cojoc, the #1 Ranked WDSF Ballroom Dancer, 22x Romanian Champion to dig deep into what was the catalyst that started his dance career, the teachers who "found" him and nurtured him (Catia and Giordano Vanone), what it feels like to quit the thing that brings you so much joy in life and more.

Alex spent a long weekend with Rares and his partner Andreea Matei (next episode) in Bucharest looking at their practice routine, family life, balancing dance, family and business in a healthy way.

If you enjoyed this episode, head over to dancesportlife.com to start a FREE 7-day trial and enjoy dance content, over 50 courses in ballroom and latin dance, fashion, makeup and contest preparation.

About our guests

Peter & Kristina Stokkebroe are one of the biggest names in the world of Latin-American dancing. They are multiple times Danish Champions, British Open Champions, European & World Champions. 

You can follow them on

Summer Dancecamp website

Instagram Kristina

Instagram Peter

Topics discussed in this episode

• Their dance history
• Magical moments
• Uniqueness
• Having the right teachers
• The continuous quest
• Life after competing
• The growth of knowledge
• About quick fixes
• Summer Dancecamp
• Dance Federations
• The viral video of little William

Would you love to learn choreographies, technical details and different methods for improving your posture, style, and overall performance from the comfort of your home studio? Our online platform – Dancesportlife Academy – offers you a vast library of courses and high-quality recordings of dance camps from all over the world at highly discounted prices.

About our guests

Pasha Pashkov & Daniella Karagach are one of the most popular dance couples at the moment, both for dancers and dance fans and they participated at the American show  “World of Dance”. They are the winners of Blackpool (British Open) Rising Star Professional championship. They are smart, talented and charismatic, willing to share some of their secrets.

You can follow them on

• Pasha Facebook/Instagram
• Daniella Facebook/Instagram

Topics discussed in this episode

• The beginning of their story;
• The role of the man in the couple;
• Being in tune with your body;
• Balance in a dance couple;
• Personality on the dancefloor;
• Dancing together and being in a relationship;
• Going from Junior 2 straight to Adult;
• Their schedule;
• The difference between US competitions and European ones;
• World of Dance;
• Pasha’s dance bible - “Thinking Body, Dancing Mind”

Would you love to learn choreographies, technical details and different methods for improving your posture, style, and overall performance from the comfort of your home studio? Our online platform – Dancesportlife Academy – offers you a vast library of courses and high-quality recordings of dance camps from all over the world at highly discounted prices.

About our guest:

Espen Salberg is a former ballroom and latin champion. As one of the best teachers in the world of dancesport he produced no less than 17 world champions.

For Espen, the true value of a dance couple stands in the dialog and the togetherness between them. For the ladies it is important to have beautiful leg-action and for the men to be in control.
The secrets gathered from dancesport competitions helped him create stretch couture and become one of the most talented designers.

You can see the interview on YouTube.

Follow him on Instagram
You can find his collections here

Topics discussed in this episode:

• First contact with dancing;
• What he appreciates in a dance couple;
• The Latin Fantasy Show;
• The switch to Fashion world;
• How current fashion influences fashion in competitive dancewear;
• How the dancesport world will change in the future;
• The secret behind his trademark - the scarf.

Would you love to learn choreographies, technical details and different methods for improving your posture, style, and overall performance from the comfort of your home studio? Our online platform – Dancesportlife Academy – offers you a vast library of courses and high-quality recordings of dance camps from all over the world at highly discounted prices.

About the guest:

William Pino found himself in a studio at a very young age. That was the start of a relatively short but intense and strong career. His dance partner, Alessandra Bucciarelli, was the one he'd marry. By 20 they were the only couple in the world that won all major competitions under 21: International, Blackpool, German Open etc. At 21 they were top 6 in the world, at 26 world champions, at 27 already professionals. And that's how you do it Italian style!

Topics discussed in this episode

• The beginning of his dance career;
• His motivation to dance;
• The role of music in ballroom dancing;
• The most important strength as a couple: realness;
• Looking like a ballroom dancer vs. Being a ballroom dancer
• 5 things that make a successful couple.

Would you love to learn choreographies, technical details and different methods for improving your posture, style, and overall performance from the comfort of your home studio? Our online platform – Dancesportlife Academy – offers you a vast library of courses and high-quality recordings of dance camps from all over the world at highly discounted prices.

Andreea Matei is an 8-time Romanian Ballroom Champion and recent Silver Medalist at the World Championship in Leipzig (Germany), alongside her partner Rares Cojoc. As they're fighting their way up to become #1 in the world, you'll hear what it takes to perform at this level, what Ada's life is like, her passion and love for dance and what makes her stand out from all other women in ballroom dance today.

If you enjoyed this episode, come to Mondans.com, where we have educational content, podcasts, tv shows and a beautiful dance community.

Follow us:

Andreea Matei on Instagram

Mondans on Instagram, Youtube and Tiktok

About our guests:

Hugely talented and hard-working Paul Moldovan and Cristina Tatar were the first Romanians to ever win a world champion title (Beijing, 2012). Since then they always aimed for the top of WDSF Latin ranking. For both of them, dancing is a way of life and they wouldn’t see themselves doing something else. In this podcast, they walked us through the best moments and the biggest challenges of their dance career.

You can follow them on:

• Paul Moldovan & Cristina Tatar / Facebook
• Paul Moldovan/ Facebook/ Instagram
• Cristina Tatar / Facebook/ Instagram

Topics discussed in this episode:

• First contact with dancesport;
• Emotions of their first tryout;
• Knowing your partner 100%;
• Winning under 21 world titles;
• Consistency of training;
• Mindset during the competition;
• Best and worst moments;
• The pressure of the competitive system;
• The importance of external support;
• Coaching seen as parenting;
• Excitement of learning something new.

Would you love to learn choreographies, technical details and different methods for improving your posture, style, and overall performance from the comfort of your home studio? Our online platform – Dancesportlife Academy – offers you a vast library of courses and high-quality recordings of dance camps from all over the world at highly discounted prices.

About the guest:

In 1998  after giving some lectures convinced by his close friend Ruth Vermeij, Maximilian let go of his commercial years in advertising.  Soon from a communication specialist in advertising, he turns to be a communication specialist in dance, a performance coach who loves finding the strengths that lie in the couples he works with. He decided to take his experience and put his knowledge in books to help dancers communicate better and find ways of relieving the stress and coping with it during tense times.

You can find more on his workshops by following Team Amsterdam: http://www.dutchdancelab.com/workshops-2018 .

Website: http://www.yourmaximum.com/team/maximilliaan/

Topics discussed in this episode

• The three lectures in Holland
• Dance to your Maximum & Dance Without Stress
• The safety of the studio and the danger of the competition
• The difference between a teacher and a performance coach
• Working for stamina vs. Working for a performance
• Dealing with stress
• The importance of repetition for the mind & body
• The connection between breathing and musicality
• The personal contribution and the charisma
• The main 3 things Maximilian advises couples to do

Would you love to learn choreographies, technical details and different methods for improving your posture, style, and overall performance from the comfort of your home studio? Our online platform – Dancesportlife Academy – offers you a vast library of courses and high-quality recordings of dance camps from all over the world at highly discounted prices.

About our guest:

Dr. Peter Lovatt is a Dance Psychologist. He set up the Dance Psychology Lab at the University of Hertfordshire and is currently a lecturer on Performance (Dance) Psychology at the Royal Ballet School. With his passion for dancing and psychology, he is making an impact in this industry by touching taboo subjects such as self-esteem on dancers and stereotypes of male dancers.

Follow him on:

• Website
• Facebook
• Instagram
• Twitter
• LinkedIn

Topics discussed in this episode:

• Dr. Peter Lovatt & his dancing career;
• Dancing as a language;
• Communication & emotion in ballroom dancing;
• Dancers’ self-esteem;
• Male stigma in the dancing world;
• Dancing & Parkinson’s disease;
• Dr. Peter Lovatt’s Ted Talks routines.

Would you love to learn choreographies, technical details and different methods for improving your posture, style, and overall performance from the comfort of your home studio? Our online platform – Dancesportlife Academy – offers you a vast library of courses and high-quality recordings of dance camps from all over the world at highly discounted prices.

About our guest

Dr. Jerry Lynch is a coach, mentor, and teacher who guides and coaches athletes and parents to explore the meaning and purpose of sport. He has been recognized as one of the top five in his profession nationwide. He is the author of 13 books and amongst them is “Thinking Body, Dancing Mind”.

You can follow him on

• Website
• LinkedIn
• Facebook
• Twitter

Topics discussed in this episode

• What is Tao-Sport
• How to read “Thinking Body, Dancing Mind”
• Dealing with perfectionism
• Building confidence
• Recovering from injuries
• Our surprise guest
• “Win the day”

Would you love to learn choreographies, technical details and different methods for improving your posture, style, and overall performance from the comfort of your home studio? Our online platform – Dancesportlife Academy – offers you a vast library of courses and high-quality recordings of dance camps from all over the world at highly discounted prices.

About our guests

Andrea Silvestri & Martina Varadi are one of the top WDSF Amateur Latin couples. They are finalists in all the major events such as Grand Slams and World Championships. Andrea & Martina are very passionate and they tell us all you need to know about what inspires them.

You can follow them on

• Facebook
• Martina’s Instagram / Andrea’s Instagram

Topics discussed in this episode

• Their dance journey
• What they love about dancing
• Planning a busy schedule
• Maintaining a healthy relationship
• Finding inspiration
• Where they see themselves in 5 years
• A challenge for our audience

Would you love to learn choreographies, technical details and different methods for improving your posture, style, and overall performance from the comfort of your home studio? Our online platform – Dancesportlife Academy – offers you a vast library of courses and high-quality recordings of dance camps from all over the world at highly discounted prices.

About our guest

How is it to have such an interesting life that you had a movie made after it? Pierre Dulaine surely knows. Along with his partner Yvonne Marceau, he won the Blackpool exhibition section four times. But even though he was a force in the professional dancer's community, he had a bigger call for teaching.  

He received the Americans for the Arts Award, the prestigious Ellis Island Medal of Honor, the Carl Alan Award or the United Nations nomination as a Goodwill Ambassador for promoting peace. The Dulaine teaching method combines the love for humankind with the love for dance to give birth to a wonderful synergy between the two in projects such as Dancing Classrooms. He does more than teaching steps, he teaches touching a human being with grace and respect in face of segregation and prejudice. One small step in a dance class, one giant step for humanity.

You can find more about Dancing Classrooms here. His official website is http://www.pierredulaine.org.


Topics discussed in this podcast

• His life story: from professional dancer to dance teacher;
• The creation of the program Dancing Classrooms;
• Explaining the Dulaine Teaching Method and the need for it;
• What are the things that ballroom dancing builds in people;
• His mission for the years to come.

Would you love to learn choreographies, technical details and different methods for improving your posture, style, and overall performance from the comfort of your home studio? Our online platform – Dancesportlife Academy – offers you a vast library of courses and high-quality recordings of dance camps from all over the world at highly discounted prices.

Reagan's schedule is jam packed. I coordinated with Julianna, her mom our podcast session months before out trip to Columbus, OH (USA) for Ohio Star Ball and even on the day of the shoot, she was booked back to back. This is what it takes to be a fast growing actress, model and dancer. Any one of those are impossibly hard to achieve, but somehow Reagan was full of energy and smiles when we sat down even though she had a dress fitting before, partnership meetings, training with her partner Daniil Babenko and content shoots after. She goes to school, acting lessons, auditions, dance lessons, competition, photoshoots... it's impressive. You may have seen Reagan on Squid Games (Season 1&2), Disney Pixar's Elementals (Ember), Jane the Virgin, Young Sheldon, in Target ads or at one of the buggest dance competitions in the world.

It was an absolute pleasure connecting with Reagan and I can't wait to see what the world brings to her and the changes she's already creating for young ballroom and latin dancers in the US.

1. Mondans Socials:

⁠Instagram⁠

⁠Facebook⁠

⁠TikTok⁠

⁠Youtube⁠

Get better at ballroom and latin with our masterclasses, courses and camp lectures: ⁠Link⁠

Watch Beyond (A Dance TV Show): ⁠Link⁠

2. Guest Links:

Reagan's Instagram

Reagan's Tiktok

Reagan's imdb

Reagan's Website

I sat down with Winson in Rome after 10 hours of him training at Top Dance Real Camp (Organizers: Vanone & Soale) after recognising his and Anastasia’s unique dance style, but being able to place a name with the style. At that moment I realised a lot of times we see dancers on stage, performing and it’s hard to relate to them. They’re in make-up and costumes, fully focused and we’re cheering from the sidelines. I was a bit nervous approaching them for this reason, but Winson was super relaxed and agreed to sit down with me later that same day. We set up 2 cameras on a couch in the teacher’s lounge, in a poorly lit space because we just wanted to hang out and chat like 2 regular humans. 

Winson shared his life story, what made him fall in love with dance, his struggles early on with his body image and how we conquered it all, moved across the globe to pursue his dream. In the process he learned how to enjoy life, vacation and the pleasures life offers (food is life after all). Watch the full episode to hear his story from the first dinner dance to world champions to starting LOAD (Life of a Dancer) - their super cool street and dancer wear brand. 

Show Links:

1. Mondans Socials:

Instagram

Facebook

TikTok

Youtube

Get better at ballroom and latin with our masterclasses, courses and camp lectures: Link

Watch Beyond (A Dance TV Show): Link

2. Guest Links:

Winson's Instagram

Load 2020

Valentin became a dear friend since we met. I haven’t met anyone in the dance world that’s as open to collaboration, trusts in the vision of a better dance world as him. I spent a few days with him and Anna in Columbus at Ohio Star Ball, where he was competing in ProAM with a student of his to bring joy to her performance. There was a balance between the love and respect everyone had for them and how silly they could get (we filmed an APT Reel with Reagan To and Daniil). 

In this episode you’ll hear an unfiltered, raw Valentin talking about growing up dancing in Russia in the 90s, moving to Canada into his 30s and building a life with Anna and John Snow (their puppy). 

I hope you enjoy this episode!

The episode was made possible by our sponsor, Gymdesk. If you are like Valentin and Anna and run a studio, you understand the stress that comes with all the admin, while trying to add new customers. Our friends at Gymdesk are giving you a 30 day free trial (no credit card needed) plus they’ll help you migrate from your old system [or no system yikes]. Streamline your billing, automate your marketing, manage memberships and bookings -  all in one system.

Our Sponsor: 

Gymdesk (Gymdesk.com for a 30 day free trial)

Show Links:

Valentin’s Instagram

Valentin’s TikTok

Valentin’s YouTube
Infinity Dance Shoes Collection Collab

Dance Sport & Life + Mondans Socials:

⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠ & Podcast instagram

⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠

⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠

⁠⁠Youtube⁠⁠

Get better at ballroom and latin with our masterclasses, courses and camp lectures: ⁠⁠Link⁠⁠

Watch Beyond (A Dance TV Show): ⁠⁠Link⁠⁠

About our guest

Marco Cavacini is the personal trainer of Team Diablo - one of the most well-known names in the WDSF world. He prepares personalized training sessions for champions like Gabriele Goffredo & Anna Matus and many others. 

You can follow him on

Facebook

Instagram

Twitter

Website

Topics discussed in this episode

• Marco’s background in sport
• Learning to work with dancers
• The relation between a personal trainer and the dancers
• Names that went through Marco’s training program
• Sacrifices dancers make
• Dealing with injuries
• Team spirit & motivation
• The new generation of dancers
• Team Diablo camps

Would you love to learn choreographies, technical details and different methods for improving your posture, style, and overall performance from the comfort of your home studio? Our online platform – Dancesportlife Academy – offers you a vast library of courses and high-quality recordings of dance camps from all over the world at highly discounted prices.

About our guest:

Costin Glavan is a Romanian physical trainer and nutritionist, certified by the C.H.E.K. Institute. He started karate when he was 17 years old, now reaching the high level of black belt - 3 dan. Costin is specialized in training people and athletes in how to have a good posture and perform better. His knowledge can be easily applied to the world of dancesport if you want to improve your performance and outlast any competition.

Find out more about Costin Glavan and his course on his website.

You can contact him here.

Topics discussed in this episode:

• Injuries and compensation patterns;
• Paul Chek;
• Base conditioning;
• Primal pattern movements;
• Macronutrients and hormones;
• Muscle slings;
• Specificity training.

Would you love to learn choreographies, technical details and different methods for improving your posture, style, and overall performance from the comfort of your home studio? Our online platform – Dancesportlife Academy – offers you a vast library of courses and high-quality recordings of dance camps from all over the world at highly discounted prices.

About our guests

Malthe & Sandra are semifinalists in all the big competitions from the WDSF Latin world and Danish Champions.

You can follow them on

Instagram Malthe

Instagram Sandra

Topics discussed in this episode

• Their beginning
• Relationship & dancing
• Musicality
• Communication
• Inspiration
• Schedule
• Importance of dance camps
• Trusting yourself

Would you love to learn choreographies, technical details, and different methods for improving your posture, style, and overall performance from the comfort of your home studio? Our online platform – Dancesportlife Academy – offers you a vast library of courses and high-quality recordings of dance camps from all over the world at highly discounted prices.

About our guests:

Young and highly determined to leave a mark in the dancesport world. Madis Abel and Aleksandra Galkina partnered up in 2012 and ever since they’ve been working hard and aiming for the stars in WDSF Standard division. Madis is a mountain of calmness and sharpness, while Aleksandra’s exuberant energy completes it perfectly and makes it a perfect pair. They get their inspiration from their trainer, Aleksander Makarov and together they brought Estonia on the #6 place in the world ranking.

You can follow them on:

• Madis Abel & Aleksandra Galkina / Facebook/ Instagram
• Madis Abel / Instagram
• Aleksandra/ Instagram

Topics discussed in this episode

• A typical week schedule
• Psychological preparation before a competition
• Partnership approach
• Changing yourself vs. changing your partner
• The impact of the teacher (Aleksander Makarov)
• Setting goals

Would you love to learn choreographies, technical details and different methods for improving your posture, style, and overall performance from the comfort of your home studio? Our online platform – Dancesportlife Academy – offers you a vast library of courses and high-quality recordings of dance camps from all over the world at highly discounted prices.

About our guest: 

Dekatra Lapaeva was a professional Latin-American dancer who has been a finalist in most major competitions and championships all around the World. Dekatra writes, creates, and innovates all the time. She is a multi-dimensional artist with 25 years of experience who weaves an imaginary bridge among movement and dance, visual arts and writing poetry. With a background in psychology and philosophy, Dekatra teaches her students not only to be amazing dancers but to be great people, who dance from a truly genuine and authentic place. Her teaching style allows dancers to strengthen their technique and dance ability while feeling completely supported and encouraged along the way. Our time spent talking with her was a blast. Dekatra has an ongoing art exhibition at Corza cafe:111 High Street, West Wickham BR4 0LT. Find more about her art on her Facebook Page and her Instagram.

Topics discussed in this episode: 

• The condition and meaning of an artist; 
• What it takes to have a great partnership; 
• Discussing the balance between performance and technique; 
• How to get ready for a competition;
• What are the elements that can help you improve your dancing; 
• The books that belong on every dancer's bookshelf.

Would you love to learn choreographies, technical details and different methods for improving your posture, style, and overall performance from the comfort of your home studio? Our online platform – Dancesportlife Academy – offers you a vast library of courses and high-quality recordings of dance camps from all over the world at highly discounted prices.

I sat down with Anna in Columbus, OH, USA the weekend of Ohio Star Ball,  after long hours of driving from Toronto. Anna was there to support Valentin who was competing in Pro-AM and their students. We spent the weekend together and I got to hear about the intensity of being a young female dancer in Ukraine, talking about her teachers and how at 27 she started working with Vibeke and Donnie Burns and understood the important of learning the basics. 

Anna and Valentin have won the Pro Canadian Latin Couple 5 times before moving into teaching and competing in television shows like Revolution in Canada. Anna cares most about listening to your body, taking care of your mental health and happiness. They have a new dance studio in Toronto called “Casita” to build a home to dancers to flourish and reach their potential. 

I hope you enjoy our episode!

Show Links:

1. Mondans Socials:

⁠Instagram⁠

⁠Facebook⁠

⁠TikTok⁠

⁠Youtube⁠

Get better at ballroom and latin with our masterclasses, courses and camp lectures: ⁠Link⁠

Watch Beyond (A Dance TV Show): ⁠Link⁠

2. Guest Links:

Anna’s Instagram

Anna and Valentin’s Instagram

Infinite Dance Shoes Collection

About our guest:

Pietro Braga is a master of the art of dance. Starting from the early age of 16 years old, he teaches social dance and finishes working for the WDSF. He believes that although precise technique is an essential element of the aesthetics of the dancesport performance, the musicality of the movement must be met with the same diligence.

Topics discussed in this episode

• Working on musicality;
• Knowing biomechanics;
• What do you look for in a couple as a judge;
• The mindset of a champion.

Would you love to learn choreographies, technical details and different methods for improving your posture, style, and overall performance from the comfort of your home studio? Our online platform – Dancesportlife Academy – offers you a vast library of courses and high-quality recordings of dance camps from all over the world at highly discounted prices.

Colin James is one of the world's most distinguished ‪coaches holding the prestigious award "Teacher of the year". His name stands behind many champions and finalists around the globe. You might also know him from his long-lasting collaboration with Dancing with the Stars in Poland.

Colin James is a Blackpool and UK Open Amateur Champion, and a second-time Grand Slam winner. He has been a finalist in every major international Professional Latin competition, including the World Professional Latin and European Professional Latin Championships from 1985 through 1990.

We were honored to have Colin James on our podcast and discuss the hottest topics in dancesport: from having a healthy relationship with your dance partner to the preparation before the competition.

Topics discussed in this episode

• Having a relationship with your dance partner;
• The motivation behind the effort;
• What it takes to be a world champion;
• How much practice is enough practice?;
• Performing great at competitions;
• The routine before the competition;
• The physical, mental and the spiritual side of an extraordinary dancer.

About our guest:

Born in Slovenia, Barbara already started to teach at the age of 18. Now, with more than 30 years of experience as an adjudicator and trainer, she has an open eye for every student and believes that dance is an opportunity to express life's values. Her educational project Cuban Experience in Havana, in cooperation with leading Cuban experts from Instituto Superior del Arte, was translated in the form of a short documentary called Back to the roots and in a book with the same name.

Find more about the Cuban experience here.
You can buy her book here.

Topics discussed in this episode

• Discovering her mission in life
• No method is universal for each student
• Barbara's way of teaching
• Translating information into sensing
• Pulling out potential out of people
• Proving vs. improving
• The meaning of dancing
• The documentary & the book "BACK TO THE ROOTS"
• Teachers as a bridge between past and future
• Looking for vs. looking at

Would you love to learn choreographies, technical details and different methods for improving your posture, style, and overall performance from the comfort of your home studio? Our online platform – Dancesportlife Academy – offers you a vast library of courses and high-quality recordings of dance camps from all over the world at highly discounted prices.

About our guests

Pavel & Oxana are currently finalists in the WDC World Professional Latin and in the WDC European Professional Latin Championships. They grace us with their style of dance and in this interview, they share their story with us.

You can follow them on

Instagram Pavel

Instagram Oxana

Topics discussed in this episode

• Dance Amore Camp lectures
• Their dancing story
• The main characteristics of a great dance couple
• Showdance
• Support of the family
• Believing in your dreams

You can watch our interview on YouTube.

Would you love to learn choreographies, technical details, and different methods for improving your posture, style, and overall performance from the comfort of your home studio? Our online platform – Dancesportlife Academy – offers you a vast library of courses and high-quality recordings of dance camps from all over the world at highly discounted prices.

About our guests:

Charismatic, fresh and ready to deliver high-standard performances every time. No description does justice to the greatness achieved by Marius Balan and Khrystyna Moshenska in the dancesport world. Constantly conquering the top of WDSF Adult Latin ranking, Marius and Khrystyna seek to continue working hard and to set high-quality standards for Latin routines.

Through lots of traveling, training, trying to keep up with healthy behaviors, what keeps them going is the aspiration to put on a first-class act. Dancing as both body & soul experience.

You can follow them on:

• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KristinaMarius/
• Instagram Marius: https://www.instagram.com/marius_balan/
• Instagram Khrystyna:https://www.instagram.com/kristinamoshenskaya/

Topics discussed in this episode:

• How they began dancing together;
• Starting at an early age;
• Other sports practiced in school;
• Keeping motivated;
• Marius’s inspirational icon;
• The pressure of giving 100% every time;
• A typical week schedule;
• Health-related risks associated with dancing;
• The Cuban Experience;
• Best piece of advice received;
• The perfect approach for dancers’ parent.

Would you love to learn choreographies, technical details and different methods for improving your posture, style, and overall performance from the comfort of your home studio? Our online platform – Dancesportlife Academy – offers you a vast library of courses and high-quality recordings of dance camps from all over the world at highly discounted prices.