Mit - Index

Mit - SINFO March 2008 No.5 - Index

P E o P L E ANdrEj©kUfCaANdkatarinaVENTUrINI
ANd yOU SUffER THE CONSEqUENCES?
Yes, but I am the kind of person who doesn’t leave problems unsolved.
This is hard, especially if the problem is of a personal nature, or if
it represents troublesome work in advance, but it doesn´t work any
other way. There were a lot of problems in our career which resulted
from this, and it was usually me who took the first step in solving
problems and wanting to clear up the misunderstandings.
yOU TWO KNOW ANd ACCEPT EACH OTHER;
HOW IS IT GOING fOR yOU TWO NOW THAT
yOU ARE NOT A COUPLE ANyMORE?
Its different, that is for sure. In the last few years that we haven’t
been intimately together anymore, a lot of things have changed for
the better. But honestly, our dancing even then was much stronger
than our personal relationship. But the two worlds − personal and
professional − were interwoven and had an impact on each other. I
tried very hard.
WHEN ON THE dANCE fLOOR, THE MAN
TAKES THE LEAd; WHEN TRAINING, IS THE
RELATIONSHIP EqUAL?
This often leads to conflict. People who don’t dance together cannot
really imagine the frustration of dancers who dance together. Physical
contact can be quite a problem if it is very strong, very physical;
everybody thinks that they are doing it right; and if no one yields,
there is a problem right away. When we come to that, my fieriness
is not an advantage. While training, the relationship should be equal,
but all men are a bit chauvinistic − especially when it comes to the role
where we are supposed to lead. But I don’t see myself in that sense.
I am trying to see myself as an excellent partner, who gives support,
who has demands and expectations, but applies the same standards
to himself. I am hard on myself, which can be difficult, because I am
as hard on others and I expect a lot − of myself, too.
ON STAGE yOU SHONE WITH EMOTION.
Every successful dancing couple has something special − I do not know
what we have - maybe our polarities, our differences. This can be
something special, if you are a team and support each other, but this
kind of polarity can also be divisive. We always had powerful strength
that held us together, although sometimes it was really hard!
sinfo february 08 26
IS THIS dESTINy?
My former training instructor and my good friend said to me once:
“Andrej, you can run away as you wish; if you are meant to get it, you
are going to get it one way or another.” I, too, believe that there are
no wrong choices; any gets you somewhere. I try to think as positively
as I can, and yes, take responsibility for my actions. When I know I’ve
made a mistake, I accept it and thus it is easier to go on.
dO yOU BASE yOUR dECISION ON
INTUITION?
Of course, I concern myself with reason, but I am not a mathematical
type. I believe in intuition, which can guide us, encourage us and
create us. Intuition exists, but we are still not capable of listening to it,
because of our way of life. I am the kind of person who needs a lot of
time to come to a decision; I doubt, wait for the right moment, which
always comes. But when I decide, I decide for good. As a matter of
fact, I just go with the feeling. When dancing, I have to train myself
as a human, not only as a dancer, because I want to be an artist, not
only become brilliant at dance steps, but leave my mark on dancing -
the mark of Andrej, who dances in a particular and unique way. And
if you want to be an artist, you have to be concerned with yourself,
because you have to be able to express your personality.
dO yOU fOLLOW THIS PHILOSOPHy ALSO IN
PERSONAL LIfE? IS THERE EvEN A WISH TO
dO SO?
It is; I do have it. But in my case, dance is the top priority, and my partner
understands that. I always seek a balance and try to understand
things. In that way it is easier to cope with them − I also bear that in
mind when I train. I want people to understand me.
HOW dO yOU COPE WITH PAIN? dO yOU LET
IT OvERWHELM yOU?
Sometimes I do. But most of the time I take action and solve the
problem. The pain exists mostly because of emotions, and emotions
can be efficiently managed through a conversation with someone
involved in the conflict. I speak of people, who are close to me, of
course. I do not believe people can change; it is more an acceptance of
our faults, which can be thus better understood and controlled. Only
when you are reconciled with yourself, can you live with ease. This is
my experience and, thanks to God, I am dancing, which demands the
whole person, mentally and physically. Dance is love.
IS yOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH KATARINA,
THIS ALL-ROUNd BONd yOU SHARE,
SOMETHING INdESTRUCTIBLE − ALTHOUGH
WE KNOW NOTHING LASTS?
I think it is. I think the hardest trial is already behind us. People were
shaking their heads, asking how we could manage. When we were
separated and still dancing together, we went through rough times, it
was really difficult...But when I look back, I can understand people; I
know that we had to be really strong and determined to live through
that period, which was quite rough for us. And if we survived that...