NEW ROUTINE ON THE WAY!!!!!!!!!

After months of searching, we've finally found the perfect song. We've had the music cut, and we're back in the studio with 45 seconds finished. We don't plan on rushing my recovery, and after waiting this long, we will respect the doctor's advice. Hopefully I'll have a full release soon, and we'll be back on the floor and debuting this new routine in May! We always try to be different....and this routine is no exception! We CAN'T WAIT to share it with all of you.

The Highs and Lows of the Past 3 Months...

The roller coaster ride has been bumpy to say the least. One week prior to the US Open we performed and taught at the Ritz Carlton in Singapore, and then on an Asian Salsa Cruise. We were hesitant in accepting this gig, being so close to our biggest competition of the year. All we can say is we made the right choice!!! The trip was one of our most memorable, being exposed to different dance styles we had never heard of, and exploring many new cultures. We made friendships that will last a lifetime, and we look forward to seeing all of them again some day. The cruise started in Singapore, next Malaysia, and finally Thailand, before heading back. It was wonderful exposing so many new dancers to West Coast Swing, which has become one of the most satisfying parts of our job. To see people experiencing the feeling... you know the one we've all had before... when you know you're hooked on West Coast Swing, and you can't get enough. It takes us back to when we were kids.

This cruise became a good way to not stress about the Open. We were literally too busy. Instead of sitting around at home, practicing day and night, we were performing throughout the trip. Practicing for the shows became such a habit, that flying in from Singapore on Friday afternoon felt like we were at the next port, and it was time to perform. We literally landed at 1 PM Friday, stopped by the house, switched suitcases, and walked on to the Open floor to dance Strictly Swing. It was the first time in 14 years of dancing at the Open that we didn't have that sick, nervous feeling in our stomachs.

Classic Prelims were Saturday afternoon where we danced "How to Save a Life" for the last time on the competition floor. The performance felt like a great way to end a routine that we truly loved. Later that night, we danced Viva la Vida in the finals. We felt honored to be a part of a Classic Finals that some said was the best yet at the Open. We drew an early number, which seems to always happen to us at this event. Dancing what we feel was our best performance of Viva, we thankfully took first place. We truly appreciate all the support of our friends and fans out there. You're the reason we still love what we do! It was also great having our friend and Champion Ballroom Dancer, Maxim Kozhevnikov, there to show his support.

After being on such a high from The Open, we knew we had some hurdles approaching. I have always had a knee condition, and had planned to get it checked out in December. I spoke with the doctor before the exploratory procedure and the plan was to do a minor scope, putting me out for 2 weeks, and then planning the surgery for the following year. That way we could schedule around it. I woke up hearing that the extensive procedure had to be performed, or my dance career could be over. That was one of the hardest things I've ever faced. The doctor was amazed how long I had been dancing on my knee in that condition, and said he had no other options but to go through with it. My doctor is the main surgeon for the San Diego Chargers, along with many other athletes, so I knew I was in good hands. The bad news - a 3 month recovery, when we were supposed to be in Paris in early January and Australia for 3 weeks in January/February. The stress of my career and passion being threatened, but also having to re-schedule or find replacements was horrible. My lifestyle went from traveling over 250,000 miles last year to spending 8 hours a day in a CPM machine bending my leg up and down. I was now using crutches, and spending most of my days on the couch. This is the longest break I've had from dance since I was 11 years old. You have no idea how much you take for granted just walking, let alone running or dancing. I went for my 6 week check-up at the doctor's this week and was told that everything so far looks great. Thank GOD!! I am now able to walk slowly without a brace, swim and use the stationary bicycle. I think that is why I'm able to start back on the blog. Life is getting better.

Thanks so much for the kind words from so many of you. We are sorry we cannot be out there for a while, but we promise to be back as soon as possible. A new routine is coming SOON! I want to thank Jessica and my Mom for the countless hours of care, and Tatiana, who this has affected so much, but has been 100% SUPPORTIVE.

West Coast Swing Debut at the KREMLIN!!

We were honored to be asked to dance at the Kremlin Palace (similar to the White House of Russia). We really didn't know what to expect, but we knew it had to be top notch. We had less than one month to prepare, as well maintain our usual work schedule. We arrived on Thursday night and stayed at the Marriott Aurora. From Friday morning on, every second was well planned. We went sightseeing to the Red Square with a private guide. We were treated to fabulous dinners at the Ritz Carlton, (even tried Russian caviar), and other amazing places. We were taken to the Bolshoi Ballet, where we watched Swan Lake. BEAUTIFUL!! On Saturday we were taken to a private showing of the famous Pushkin Art Museum in Moscow.

Saturday night was the Invitational Latin Competition with the top 32 couples in the world. It was a black-tie event with the men in tuxedos and the women in gowns. There were Russian politicians in attendance, and the entire event was being televised on Eurovision. The dancing was just INCREDIBLE!!! After 2 rounds, they had the top 7. This night made us anxious because we would be returning for the televised show the next day dancing along side the top 7 finalists.

The picture above is 1st and 2nd place at the event. They were very welcoming and showed a lot of respect for our dance. Michael & Joanna even asked which of our numbers that we would be dancing. We were flattered.

Ok...the big night is here. This picture shows Tatiana is with Boyco (Hair Stylist to the Ballroom Stars). You'd think after all our performances, we'd be used to this by now. Tatiana was never as nervous as she was prior to this show. Right before our 8:30 PM performance (around 8 PM) I went down to the ballroom with my friend, Maxim, to double check the order of dance. We hopped in the elevator which came to a screeching halt. The next 15 minutes became the longest 15 minutes of my life. Luckily I was with someone who spoke fluent Russian, because he got on the phone and let them know we were trapped. It still took forever, considering I wasn't completely dressed and knew I only had 30 minutes to begin with. When help arrived, the doors were pried open and the elevator had stopped between floors. We had to slide out on our stomachs and run to the dressing room. Our partners looked at us obviously wondering where we were. I was just happy to be rescued and now the performance seemed easy.


Our first number was "How to Save a Life" and the second was "Viva la Vida." They were so well received, and we are so grateful to experience all of this. At the end of the evening at the after party, the event organizer made a toast to recap the entire event. He mentioned how great it was to have us there, and how bringing West Coast Swing brought a new feel to the event. What a great feeling to hear that.



We want to personally thank Celia (middle) and Maxim (in back) for all they have done for us, and for helping to make all of this possible. They are not only great friends, but very supportive to West Coast Swing. You both make life very exciting for us.

One of the Reasons we LOVE what we do!

We continually hear how fortunate we are to do something we love, all around the world. That is so true, but sometimes it is the little things that mean even more. While in Medford Oregon, at another great workshop weekend, I had the pleasure to dance with 12 year old Isabeau Kennedy. This video was caught at the very end. Tatiana and I both started at the same age, and it means so much to see other young dancers finding West Coast Swing. It was great having her, along with all the other juniors, attending our workshops. Thanks to everyone who came this past weekend.

We are in a rush to prepare for dancing at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia this weekend. What an honor. We'll definitely fill you in when we return. LOTS TO DO!! Our flight leaves tomorrow!

The Ukraine and UK

Dancing in the UK

Scenic Canyons in Ukraine

The wild ride

I wish I could say that our trips were all smooth sailing, but this one certainly didn't start out that way. It was Tuesday, Sept. 1st, around 7 PM and I'm starting to pack for our early morning flight to the Ukraine... Our itinerary was LAX to Chicago, to UK, to Kiev, and finally to Simferopol. Tatiana had just boarded her flight from Seattle to leave with me in the morning out of LAX. As the flight was taking off, she realized she hadn't packed her passport. This was a first. Her mind was spinning out of control. She was able to get online during the flight and tried using SKYPE to call me and let me know. Let's just say with the bad connection, it sounded like Tatiana had been kidnapped and held for ransom. She was in full panic mode, but realized nothing could be done until she landed. She sent me an email filling me in on the situation, which began a night of a thousand phone calls. Around midnight, we realized she would need to same-day Fed-Ex her passport to my house, but it wouldn't arrive until mid-day, so we would not be able to make our original flights. Tatiana spent hours on the phone with American Airlines and our travel agent. The end result was that we both postponed our American Flights to the UK for one day at no charge. This is because we practically live on their airline. There were fees with the other two airlines, but all in all, it worked out. We arrived one day later, but it didn't affect the work schedule. There were still a few more kinks along the way. We arrived in Kiev thinking we had the LAST 3 hour layover. That flight was canceled and now it was a 6 hour layover. In Kiev, if a flight hasn't sold enough seats, they just bump you to the next flight. We were sitting in an outdoor terminal for what seemed like an eternity, but finally we were on our way.

The Russian camp was filled with such wonderful people. Many of them had traveled for two days by train to be there. What an honor. They were very attentive students who were there to learn. They actually held a full Jack & Jill with a prelim and final. I know you'll be seeing some of those dancers coming to the U.S. to dance with all of you.

We had one day off during the week. The pictures represent a part of the Ukraine I wasn't expecting. We saw beaches, mountains, canyons, a castle, and so much more. The beach water was filled with small, non-stinging jelly fish. It took a while for them to convince us to get in, but I actually held them in my hands. The trip to the canyon was in an open air "Indiana Jones" style Jeep. We were flying down that mountain without a road to follow. (See pics) Anyway, we made many new friends, and experienced a whole new world. Tatiana's ancestors were originally from Kiev, so this trip was extra special to her.

Okay, it is now Thursday and we are off to the UK. We were there for Jive Addiction. We've been going to the UK since 2004, and they have improved so much. They hold some of our biggest workshops overseas. This trip went fast and we were very busy. The performance hall looked like the set of American Idol. (See pic on top) It made for a great show, and we were glad to be a part of it. They were such an enthusiastic crowd. Our thanks to everyone for the awesome response. It was now time to return home. We were very excited.

Seeing a Performance From Our Perspective

This is a clip of our performance in La Grande Motte, France at Sea Sun & Swing. As we said in one of our earlier entries, the floor was so slick I wore socks and Tat was wearing her socks over her shoes. It was still a fun performance. Take a look!!

Japan..Hong Kong..Florida and HOME!!!

We're finally home after an amazing and exhausting trip. If this entry was ten pages long, it still couldn't capture all we've experienced. To say that this was a trip of a lifetime is putting it mildly. The Superstars of Dance Show was spectacular. Every year they bring in the top 6 couples from Standard and the top six couples from Latin to do a 5 number exhibition in Japan. To have our choreography danced at this event was an honor. Even more, with the popularity of this DVD, I'm so excited that Maxim & Beata chose to do two West Coast Swing numbers in their show. This will only help spread West Coast Swing in the Ballroom world, which has been a goal of ours for a very long time.

We're off to Hong Kong. With a little smooth talking from me, (Tatiana will have to agree), I managed to get us bumped up to First Class on Cathay Pacific, with no extra cost, on an airline we've never flown before. This was by far the best First Class we've ever flown in.

We were in Hong Kong to teach, but it never felt like we were working. We were taken care of so unbelievably, that we cannot thank our Hosts enough. Fantastic 8-course meals, a helicopter ride to Macau Island (the Las Vegas of Hong Kong), great shopping, sight-seeing, the list goes on and on...

On our way home, we stopped in Florida for a workshop weekend. Traveling for 24+ hours straight made it a little hard to get back to reality, but the wonderful group snapped us right out of our jet lag.

We're packing to leave for Summer Hummer this weekend, and next week starts our next big journey. We are heading to the Ukraine for a week long camp on the Black Sea. From there, we head to the UK for the Eclipse Weekender. At the end of that trip, we will have been gone 50 out of 55 days. That's a record for us. Our biggest goal is to spread this dance as far as we can. We're trying our best, but I guess it doesn't have to be accomplished in 50 days :-)