We talked to Emanuel Valeri and Tania Kehlet, the winners of the Amateur Ballroom event at the Blackpool Dance Festival. This was their first victory in that category as last year they were second. Emanuel and Tania represent Denmark. See their profile page.
There is not a one way communication between a man and a woman in dancing. [...] the man is leading the steps and direction but he is also very aware of what the lady puts in.
Let's start with congratulations for winning one of the most important titles in the Amateur field and for the absolutely fantastic dancing during the whole competition.
Emanuel: Thank you!
Let me ask you how you started dancing, why and where.
Emanuel: I started when I was six or seven years old. My family, they were having social dancing classes and I went to watch. One day, just for fun, I started dancing with one girl. We did one or two competitions but it was nothing serious.
Did you start with ballroom?
Emanuel: In Italy we have this style called Liscio Unificato – it is traditional Italian style danced in Ballroom hold. It consists of three dances, and it is similar to Ballroom style. So, let's say, I started with mainly Ballroom.
Tania: Everybody starts with that. This is the start of Ballroom
Emanuel: You dance in exactly the same hold. So I started with few competitions. Step by step I developed and my dancing became more serious.
Did you have many partners?
Emanuel: Before Tania I had four or five girls.
Tania: (laughing) You don't know??
Emanuel: I don't remember. First I had a partner for few months and then I took another and so on. I am sure it was four or five. I danced in Italy first. I had all Italian partners so we represented Italy. I did all the classes first and won the Italian Championships in all the classes. It was like E, D, C... there were many classes those days. Of course, I did 10 Dance as well but mainly Ballroom. My focus was always on the Ballroom.
And you, Tania?
Tania: I started when I was three and a half. I was very young and I started because, well, my family never danced, but I was doing child modelling. They wanted us to do catwalks and walk to the music. Of course, when you are three yours old you cannot do it. So the owner of the modelling agency said to my Mum that it would be really nice if she could send me to some school so I could learn how to stand and walk. She tried at home, with candy, to make me do it but it was impossible (laughing) so she sent me to the dance school.
Where was it?
Tania: In Denmark. I actually started there with a boy I was also walking catwalks with. We started together in the dance school. And we stayed together and danced for the next 10 years! We grew up together. In the beginning we were really bad! So it was not like with Emanuel, who straight away was winning competitions. Only when I was around eight or nine years old I started to dance more seriously. Then we started competing. We were not competing before. We were in a proper old fashioned school dance school. It meant we went to dance two times a week. Every year you repeated the same stuff and you started over. I really liked dancing and when my parents realised I was learning the same for the fourth year in a row they decided to send me to a better school. From that moment it went fast. We started in Juvenile age group and we went to Blackpool for the first time when I was ten to dance Junior Blackpool. We were good in both Ballroom and Latin but, in the junior years we were better in Latin and became 2nd in Blackpool in Latin! In Ballroom we were in the semi-final. When I moved to Youth I started enjoying Ballroom style more than Latin. We were still good in both but at that time I made up my mind. I knew that my heart was in Ballroom. With my Danish partner we were very successful and in the last year of Youth we decided to skip Youth and go straight to Amateur. We won everything there was to win in Youth age group in Denmark. And then, we actually ended up winning the Amateur 10 Dance Championships that year! And then my partner decided to stop dancing.
Why?
Tania: I did not know that but, before we started in Amateur, he had already decided to give up as he did not want to be an Amateur dancer. He did not want to be a grown-up dancer. He loved to dance but he never saw himself being a dancer as a career. He wanted to have a normal life and I was totally opposite! This is what he told me, that he saw in me that commitment and that I wanted it so much and he didn't. So he decided to stop and became an actor.
Is he an actor now?
Tania: Oh, yes, he is and amateur actor. He is still trying to get into some important schools but yes, he is into it. Anyway, we were having lessons with William Pino who came to Denmark to give lessons to the Team Denmark. When we split up, William said he had a partner for me if I moved to Italy. I danced six months with an Italian boy and then came Emanuel. So he was my third partner! (laughing)
So how did you two meet?
Emanuel: In Italy. Of course, we met before, during competitions or in the studio because Tania was in Italy already.
Tania: Actually, first time was when you came to Denmark with your Italian partner to dance a competition there. I saw him dancing because at that competition I actually did Latin and he did Ballroom. I was watching his Ballroom and thought to myself I really liked him.
His dancing or him?
Tania: Just his dancing (laughing)! And his partner's dancing!
Emanuel: Come on, not the dancing, the muscles! OK, later we had a try-out in Italy. Before starting with Tania I was six months without the partner.
Tania: These six months I danced with the other Italian boy
Emanuel: I had no partner. My teacher asked me if I was ready for the try-out and, of course, I was. It was to be a foreign partner so I had to check with my family. From the first day it was very good. So I was convinced to dance with her. I went to Denmark to have another try-out with Tania and we decided that was it. We were eighteen and seventeen at the time.
Tania: At the try-out we got three routines and after two, three weeks we danced the Danish championships. It went very fast!
Emanuel: From the first day dancing together was great but it was funny because, language wise, we could not communicate. Tania spoke English and Danish of course. I spoke Italian, and that's it. I did not know English at all.
Typical Italian then! (laughing)
Emanuel: Exactly! When you go to Italy nobody speaks English (laughing).
Tania: We just smiled at each other
Emanuel: We were just dancing around the studio. And we did not communicate at all for the first three months or so.
What is the best part of your partner's character which helps you to be successful?
Emanuel: Tania is very determined. It is good because she knows what she wants. She is very focused during the practice and competition. Everything is a study for her. She has a good attention to detail which is important. But the main thing is that determination and focus. These two things I consider very helpful.
Tania: He is also focused and all that. But, for me, the most important is this... lightness of mood. Emanuel is always happy. He is nice, well, not always and good for laughing in every situation! Whenever there was trouble he was a very good partner to have.
Now the difficult question: what is the worst in your partner?
Tania: How long is this interview going for (laughing)??!! Emanuel, you start with that one
Emanuel: I don't know... let me think. The worst in her, hmmm... it is typical Danish, it is impossible to make her change her mind once she made it up. It is like, if she says something is blue, but it is black, she will not admit she is wrong! It will be blue to her. Or maybe this is because she is a woman (laughing)! Apart from that, I cannot find anything else.
Tania: It is a difficult question. There is no this one thing which is annoying. In the beginning, before we really got to know each other, his changes of mood were annoying. It is probably cultural, he is Italian and impulsive and I am Danish. We Danish are more calm and stable! Emanuel has these quick changes of mood. At one moment he gets very angry and one minute after he is normal and all is forgotten. I am not like that at all.
So when you argue he is the loud one and you are calm and quiet?
Tania: We are very different. He gets het up very quickly and then it is all over next minute. I am very calm, but when I get angry I get really angry!
Emanuel: When she gets angry you better stay away!
Tania: It takes a lot to upset me, but when I do it is serious (laughing). We are lucky we don't fight much really.
Emanuel: Of course, we argue sometimes in dancing when we want to develop something. Tania has an idea and I have an idea. And then we must find a way to resolve it.
Does your idea always win, or hers?
Emanuel: No, no, we are trying to find balance. If one time she wins, next time is my turn (laughing). We develop things together. We manage to find a solution.
Are you a couple in private life?
Emanuel: Yes, we are
How does the dancing influence your private life? Are you able to separate dancing from your private life outside dancing?
Emanuel: It is difficult. You dance together and you start doing everything together: you travel together, you practice together, you are together 24hr really. It is difficult to separate these things. When we are on the floor, have a practice or a lesson we just dance. We don't think of anything else. We just focus on that and don't think of anything extra. Outside the floor we have fun together, but on the floor we are very focused on dancing.
Tania: I totally agree. Maybe it is a good thing or a bad thing... For us, our private life and dancing are not really divided or they are, in a natural way. We never had a problem with separating these: now we are on the dance floor, and now we are boyfriend and girlfriend. We always had this natural balance. Fortunately, we get along with each other in all aspects. The problem starts when you don't get along during practise and you bring it home. When there is a problem, we always talk it through and never leave it there. And then we get on with it. I, for sure, would not be able to have a fight during practise and then go home and be normal. Emanuel could! He would have forgotten it all after 30 seconds. So that's why we always try to resolve our problems.
Changing the subject completely now. What food do you like? It is interesting as you both come from two such different cultures. Italy is famous for its cuisine, Denmark maybe not so.
Emanuel: Exactly! The answer is very simple. I like pasta. I know, as I am Italian, it is predictable but I really like all kinds of pasta. My favourite is pasta with seafood. After that, I like desserts, cakes and ice-creams. I have this bad habit that after dinner I have to have this small cake. I feel empty if I don't have it! It can be very small, but always something sweet.
Tania: Tiramisu...
Emanuel: Yes, tiramisu but also, in Denmark, there are very good cakes. They have this strawberry cake with cream. It is very good.
Tania: He is famous for that he likes this cake. Sometimes, our students come to the studio and bring him cakes.
Emanuel: In Denmark everybody knows I like this kind of cake so they bring it for me sometimes (laughing)! I also can say that in Denmark they have very good meat. I enjoy Danish specialities like this rice with curry sauce and meatballs.
And you, Tania?
Emanuel: Danish candies!
Tania: I really like Danish candies. They are so good. I like many things. We are really lucky that we travel the world and we try many things from different parts of the world. For sure, I love Italian food and pasta. So it is easy for us to cook.
Emanuel: Tania is a very good cook. She is good doing pasta. I trained her, so...
Tania: (laughing) That's why we started together! It was a deal.
Emanuel: Yes, she had to learn first how to make good pasta. She learned it so we could be together (both laughing)!
They say that to make a good coffee or good pasta you must be born Italian!
Tania: It is true! I was very lucky when I moved to Italy. I was very young and I lived with Emanuel's grandmother. I did not live in his parent's house. She was a brilliant cook. Italian grandmothers spend their day cooking. They get up in the morning, they go shopping and the whole day is about cooking. I asked her to teach me few things and she did. I was very lucky.
Emanuel: We both like to drink coffee. Tania likes cappuccino and I like espresso.
Did you ever try anything unusual, any exotic food?
Tania: We tried a lot. It must have been in China...
Emanuel: You know, I am a little bit particular about the food. In a sense that I don't eat everything they bring me. I like simple stuff. In Denmark, they have a lot of sauce. They put sauce all over everything. When I go to restaurant I sometimes ask: meat, no sauce, only olive oil. And they look at me very strange. But I don't like all this mixing stuff. When we travel it is sometimes difficult to find something simple. You have to adapt of course.
Tania: We don't like to eat out in places we don't know. We eat out in places we know and trust. For instance here in Blackpool, there is one restaurant we go to have pasta. We know they have good pasta there. In Denmark, there is also a place we like to go to.
Emanuel: The thing with pasta is that when you cook it too much it becomes too soft and I really don't like it. You have to have correct timing with cooking it. But, of course, often you have to adapt and eat even if it is not what you like.
How do you manage to be so slim with such a diet?
Emanuel: I have to say, we are careful, especially before competitions. We are aware of what we eat.
Tania: And we are very, very active.
Emanuel: Yes of course. And it is about moderation. When you want a cake, you take a small one. I know I must control myself so I take a little piece. I know I could eat a lot of pasta and cakes, I could eat constantly! In the summer we take few days of holiday or at Christmas I can easily pile up 3 kilos! I know how long it takes to lose it so I am careful (laughing).
Tania: We are very aware of all this. But at the same time, we also want to live normal life. In the end of the day we also want to enjoy our life.
So in twenty years...
Tania: We will be very fat!! (laughing)
I somehow cannot imagine you fat!
Tania: It is funny, but we both enjoy food and, in twenty years time, we can easily be experts in eating and cooking as we won't be able to dance anymore!
Coming back to dancing, is there anything, any title, you would like to win?
Emanuel: Yes, European Championships. We lost it. We won two major titles: the World Championships and yesterday the Blackpool Amateur Ballroom. This is what we dreamt of and we are very satisfied with it. But I would like the European title to complete our collection.
What is most important in dancing for you?
Tania: Music is very important for us. We both grew up with a strong musical influence from William Pino, Hans Laxholm and Oliver Wessel-Therhorn who's passed away. They both had a strong influence on us. So music is extremely important. The other element which is important is man-woman interaction. At the end of the day there is always a man and a woman dancing together to music.
Emanuel: There is no dancing, no competition without music. You are always waiting for that first bit of music. I really enjoy it when there is live orchestra. For me it is different sound. Sometimes, maybe, you don't like the music or the tempo – of course, the orchestra is not easy. You have more control with CD. But for me, the sound you get direct from orchestra is the best. You cannot fell the same with the CD. Like yesterday... the music was very good.
So I guess you like so called Blackpool music?
Emanuel: Yes, I like it, I enjoy it.
Tania: The orchestra is beautiful. They are very good.
Emanuel: I find this that wherever we go where there is orchestra it gives us something extra, some extra "gear". For example, at the World Championships in Moscow, it was quite funny. The round of the 24 was with the orchestra and it just lifted us. We felt like we got another "gear". But in the semi-final and the final they removed the orchestra and put back the CD. It was a big shame because the music, the singers, they were so fantastic. And when they removed them, we really felt it. Maybe it is just us.
Tania: Other people prefer CD...
You've mentioned that the relationship between man and woman in dancing is very important for you. What would you say about emotions in dancing?
Emanuel: First of all, again, it is about music. Each dance tells a different story. Take Waltz for example. You can find a sad Waltz music and you can find a romantic Waltz music. And for us it is a different dance. In our opinion, the music matters so much that you will be dancing natural turn in different ways. It cannot be the same in the attitude, in how you approach this step, how you take position.
Tania: It will also differ in how you approach each other. A man and a woman will be showing different emotions when it is a very sad Waltz. Emanuel: It sounds difficult, but because we are so aware of this, for us it became so natural. For me, I hear one bar of the music and I already know the feeling, the tempo, the atmosphere. My brain switches to it very fast. What affect my dancing is also the people around us, the audience, it all affects the dancing. There is fun in it. Because wherever you go, every round you do and every dance you do is different. And everything can affect your dancing. We are very much aware of all these external things.
It is interesting what you are saying. What are your views on new regulations regarding Viennese Waltz?
Tania: It is difficult to answer.
Emanuel: As people can see from videos from our dancing we are always trying to maintain the original character of the Viennese Waltz. We are not against the figures like pivot or if you want to dance the extended fleckerl or contra-check, but it must stay in character with the dance.
Tania: But it has to be in tradition with the original dance. The problem is, we think, that nowadays people think they are innovative. But they are not. They just take Waltz or Foxtrot steps or routines and putting it, only faster, into Viennese Waltz. So it actually it is off time, first of all, because it is faster and second of all they are the same steps! Foxtrot already has become very similar to the Waltz an now it is Viennese Waltz... So we will end up three different dances, three musics and the same steps. And this is a shame. If somebody would invent a new step which is in character with the Viennese Waltz then I am not against it.
Emanuel: It has to be connected with tradition of the dance. It is not good to do something just to make it different. It needs to be a part of it. So we must be careful to maintain its own story in each dance. Each dance needs to be in its own "bubble" not to mix with others.
Tania: We are quite famous for being innovative. People know us for new steps, new ideas and we are all for that. But innovation has to make things better. It must make things look more beautiful and fit with the dance. But, in in some cases there could be a risk that there is innovation for the sake of innovation.
Emanuel:What we try to do with our choreography is to have a balance. Take Quickstep as an example. You must have a nice balance between fast parts and nice, slow parts. Some people are just going for it, running too much, some other, just because they don't want to run, they walk. This is also not good. You must have both to make an interesting choreography. You should not go to extremes. When people go all fast, or all slow, they are not interesting. To be a complete dancer you have to do both.
How would you characterise Tango for example?
Emanuel: It is my favourite dance! It may sound shocking but it is not part of Ballroom style for me. For me, there are four Ballroom dances and Tango is a totally different style. It is not Ballroom, it is not Latin, it is Tango. The hold is different to all the other four dances. So this already separates it from the other dances. Music is different. It is exciting to dance to it. I tried to experiment with choreography a bit. I tried some Argentine Tango steps. It still had to be in a proper hold of course. It gives me a special feeling, more passion, it is a sexy dance. It is very exciting for me. Tango is another World for me. This is my point of view of course.
Tania: We have very strong opinion about Tango. It is also one of the dances which changes to become more like the other dances. There are lots of shifts and movements like that now, and this is not Tango.
If, for some strange reasons, you were to start dancing Latin...
Emanuel: You never know! Take Markus and Karen. They changed styles and went to win everything!
Which Latin dance do you like the most?
Emanuel: To watch: Samba and Jive. But to dance? This is a good question. I like Samba but when I imagine myself (both laughing) dancing Latin it is Paso Doble. Because it is more like Tango.
Tania: I like all of the actually. Samba, Cha Cha, Rumba most. Paso and Jive less probably.
Emanuel, it is interesting that when we ask people about their favourite dances when they say Tango they also say Rumba. But you did not mention Rumba at all.
Tania: It is typical Emanuel. It shows extremes of his personality: the Tango side and then the Samba side.
Emanuel: Because it is fun! Samba and Jive, in a different way, they are about fun. Actually, Samba music can be as rich in many aspects as Tango can be. Many details of the music can be similar. I listen a lot to the music.
You have a lot of experience learning and teaching dancing. What would your advice be to the younger dancers how to organise and plan their training?
Tania: It is important to have somebody you trust. You have to have a coach who you trust so make sure you choose the right person. Make sure you choose somebody who knows a lot and has been there himself. In our case, we are very lucky. From the beginning we had the same teachers. We also were trusting 100% and we still are.
Emanuel: We never had doubts. We are loyal.
Tania: We were in a bubble in a way, we trusted and did not question these people. It is like a small group.
Emanuel: It is important that this group is small. When you have 10 teachers it is impossible to follow 10 opinions which are not the same. When you have 4 – it is easier.
Tania: And then practise, practise, practise. Many people think they practise but they don't. They spend their time in the studio but they don't actually practise. This is what we see when we are travelling around a lot.
Emanuel: Many people think of results first and then they think about the dance. It is a big mistake. If you are too focused on: I need to win, how to win, what to do to win, you forget what is important. If you concentrate on how to improve my dancing it may take a bit longer but in the end, it will pay back. You may not come first but people will appreciate what you do on the floor. This is what we experienced ourselves. Some people get stressed out about results and they get lost in all of it and they look lost on the floor.
Tania: You need to decide of how you want to look on the floor, what you believe in, and then choose the right people around you. And then just go for it. Our Danish teacher, Hans Laxholm, always says to us: P, P, P. It means: keep practising, keep pushing and keep praying! And I think this is very true.
In that small group of teachers, are they specialised in some aspects or overall?
Tania: They are specialised. Of course, our main coaches William and Alessandra are overall. And then we have other people who take care of different aspects like technique, emotions, musicality, dynamics... We are very lucky because in the Team Denmark system you also have an opportunity to work with dietetic, physiotherapist, physical trainer.
Emanuel: It is important as well to work with specialists. They can help you for example with what to eat during the competition. These are all small things but together they help.
Tania: But it is you who makes this work. It is you, together with your main coach, who choose what balance to have between each of those aspects.
So you have a good support in Denmark?
Emanuel: Yes, very good. When I came to Denmark from Italy I was very happy with the level of support they gave us and still give us. They have a great system there.
Tania: We wouldn't get where we are without it. Even from young age you get some financial support so we were lucky never having to have a regular job. We were never rich but we managed to spend most of our life practising.
But you are teaching as well?
Tania: Yes, but it is still to do with dancing. When we were younger we did not do that much teaching as now. So if we did not have that support from Team Denmark we would have to take a regular job from 8 till 4. And then you are tired and you get into that negative circle. So we were very fortunate, from the young age, to only work with dancing. We have a lot to thank Danish Federation for, that's for sure.
Do you see the dancing as a sport or as an art? I know it is both but what are your feelings about it?
Tania: I don't think, first of all, that you cannot divide it like this. When people are fighting about it, it really doesn't make sense to me. The world is not black and white like that. It is definitely both. Sometimes people say that in England dance is definitely art and on the other side it is only sport, right? And the hardest competition, most physically demanding is in England! You don't get it tougher! And on the other side, we have WDSF Gland Slam system where we have solo dances, so where is sport? You dance one minute and then you rest for 10 minutes. So, I think, it often is this kind of popular discussion but it is a lot of nonsense really.
Emanuel: It is both! When we are doing physical preparation, work on stamina then at that moment I feel this is sport. And then I put the music on and when I dance the natural turn I forget about the sport and I think about the art. That's why it is a constant mix. When you are not fit you will not be able to do the Quickstep. You will collapse before the last bar of music.
Tania: So without the sport element you cannot express the art!
Emanuel: It is so connected. It is predictable to say it is both, but it really is both! It is competitive; you want to win, so it is sport. In ballet you dance on stage but you are not judged. Here you are judged. Somebody comes first, somebody comes sixth.
Tania: Event the ballet dancer has to be fit. We work with ballet as well. You don't want to be out of breath after two pirouettes. So to be able to produce the art you have to be fit and keep fit. These two go hand in hand. The art we produce... we use our whole bodies to do it. You have to be physically fit to do it.
Emanuel: I asked some of the big, former champions about it. And they also had to physically prepare before they danced Blackpool. They were preparing. They did not just arrive at Blackpool relaxed, they spent two, three month before working on their stamina. It has always been like this. It is not just now. Call it sport or call it physical preparation but you must be fit.
Tania: The dancing for us is art, but to be able to produce the art you need to be athletic. And we are judged, we compete, this is also a sport element.
Would you like dancing to become part of Olympic Games?
Tania: Don't know. I don't really know what I would change really... Perhaps it terms of funding it would be good. We don't really worry so much about it. If it happens we will see.
Emanuel: In terms of sponsoring it is probably good... But it is difficult to say. How many years they talked about Olymipics and nothing came out of this. We don't know if in the future it can become part of it or not.
But would you like it to become part of the Olympics?
Tania: Maybe it would be good in terms of recognition. It would be fun to try.
Emanuel: But we would not be able to dance together because of we have different passports. But maybe for dancing it would be a good publicity. So maybe, why not... We are not like: cannot be in the Olymipics because it would become too much of a sport. Why not try something which may help the danceworld? Just like the Strictly Come Dancing or Dancing with the Stars.
I am afraid it may kill the art part of dancing... Judging would have to concentrate more on technical aspects. Couples will have to dance the limited syllabus for it to become more comparable for judging. I am thinking about figure skating here.
Emanuel: I can see your point. When it becomes too much of a study it is not good. You have to be able to express yourself on the floor. We like to be free when we are on the floor. For example yesterday in my Foxtrot I danced five rounds but no routines. I did not have routine, only floor craft all the way. But this is us. We like to have fun like this (laughing). It is a bit risky sometimes but it is a beauty of it. Sometimes during practise I test it and then at competition I do it!
Tania: This is how we grew up. For us it is normal.
Emanuel: Our teachers always pushed us.
Tania: Especially our Danish teacher, since we started dancing together, pushed us to do what he calls freestyle. It means you dance with no routine and no proper dance music. He puts on a song from the radio and we just have to dance to it. So we have to communicate physically together and make something up with our bodies to that music. This is something we've done for 10 years so it is normal for us.
You just answered the question I wanted to ask! It was: do you improvise or follow routines. (all laughing)
Emanuel: I will go back to that Olympics question and solo dance. It is nice but what is missing, and I said that to everybody, is that when there are six couples on the floor you have to improvise with floor craft to move around, you must be able to lead and to follow, which is important to us. And all that goes away when you are alone on the floor. It becomes a little bit mechanical. And that part I don't like. When there are six couples on the floor it is more fun for everybody, it is more challenging and this is bit I miss when I am alone on the floor.
You mentioned that leading and following, relationship between man and woman, is very important for you
Tania: We use the word "following" but it is more about the communication between our bodies. I don't think that I am just copying and following whatever he does. I don't feel I am mirroring. I feel that I am putting my input into the dance as well. I think it is very important to see it in that sense. There is not a one way communication between a man and a woman in dancing. It is about talking and listening. Of course, the man is leading the steps and direction but he is also very aware of what the lady puts in. Emanuel responds to the movement I do as well. It is a characteristic of a good leader as well!
Emanuel: You sometimes see these couples where the girl is very restricted and cannot do anything. I think it is a shame because the girl can be very talented but cannot express it. I see that a lot on the floor. It also looks boring. You should see both dancers express themselves.
Tania: it is exciting also for a girl to do it. When Emanuel dances freestyle with me it is exciting for me as well. I follow of course, but my answer may be different from one time to another so, I hope, for him this also brings more excitement. So rather that the same line, the same accent, the same response every time he gets something unexpected as well.
Emanuel: Every dance, every round I do something different. I never dance the same. I sometimes surprise Tania, she never knows what I am going to do. We have a plan of course but when I am on the floor, sometimes I change it, just for fun for myself and for her. When you do the same opening in Waltz five times in five rounds people who watch you are also bored. You are also bored to dance it.
Tania: It is just us. Some people like to repeat the same thing. They see it as perfecting it. Everybody is different.
You are making it hard for the photographers to take pictures as you are changing your routines! (laughing) Yesterday you have done half round the floor in your Tango so we did not have a chance to take any pictures of your Tango in the finals!
Emanuel: I told you we don't move so much in Tango! It is not like the other dances. It is so funny. One couple said to me: your Tango is fantastic but I know this one thing I have to go twice around the floor to get marks and you only do one "L" in your Tango!
Tania: Yes, but we do a lot in that one "L"!
Have mercy on people on the other end of the floor who also want to see you! (all laughing)
Tania: We compensate for that in the Quickstep!
And it is certainly a pleasure to watch you! Thank you for your time today and good luck!
All photos taken in Blackpool by Peter Suba
