Watch Eldar and Anna dance HERE
Tell us about yourself - what is your history? Where did you grow up? How long have you been partners for?
Anna was born in Siberia, from the city of Irkutsk, located on the shores of legendary Lake Baikal. Eldar from the city of Yekaterinburg , the capital of the Urals.
Now we live and work as freelancers in Italy, but dancing is our life and our passion for it grows more and more.
Eldar: I started to dance when I was 12 under the guide of Russian dance coaches. At the same time I was going to a music school and was becoming very successful in this field also. So, at the age of 15 it was time to make a decision which way to go, and dancing was the path I chose. I graduated from school and was accepted into the International University of Economics and Law in Tymen (Siberia).
Within this time I won the Ural and Siberia Dance Championships 5 times as junior and youth and made the final twice in the Russian National Dance Championships. This made me come to the decision that dancing is what I would like to do professionally with my life, so I moved to Siberia to study in the University of Dance - one of the biggest dance schools in Siberia with Andrey and Irina Kakuriny.
The more I danced the higher my results but I wanted more and to really better my myself, so I began to study with the best foreign teachers in Europe such as England, Italy and Germany where teachers were flying to Moscow to teach their master classes. Through this I met Caterina Arzenton –a world professional champion several times over, who offered for me to study under her guide. She trained only a small group of talented young dancers so I felt so privileged to be one of the few. I finished the second and third course of my University degree in one year, so I started to travel to Italy and it was here I found my partner Anna Sazhina. Within 6 months I completely based myself in Verona, Italy. But I never gave up on University and continued to travel to Russia to finish my exams and, in September 2015, I graduated with a laureate in Economics.
Anna began dancing ballet at the age of 5, but after 2 years decided to change to a Ballroom dancing school under the guide of a teacher who was the ‘Godfather’ to the dance sport in Russia. Here she continued to dance at this school up until the age of 18 when she got the opportunity to dance with a Slovenian dance partner and to represent Slovenia. For a dancer who is really talented and passionate about dancing and of course understands that the best place for their future career is in Europe or near it, she agreed to move to Ljubljana. This was the easiest way to leave the North-Eastern part of Russia and begin her dancing career in the heart of Europe. There she started to work very hard on dancing by giving all free time that she had to dance practices, private and group lessons, competitions and teaching. Almost each day she was doing choreography, stretching, several hours of gymnastics and aerobics, physiological and mental lessons, finishing the day with Ballroom and Latin practices in the evening. When she had days off she was teaching dance and working in a restaurant in order to make some money.
From December 2003 we really started to improve our quality of dancing in the highly prestigious dance school of Caterina Arzenton and Jerry Abrate. After 6 months of dancing together as a partnership through hard practice and our teacher’s help, we made the final in the most renowned dancing event in the world - Blackpool, England. We made such an impression and surprised many in the dance world as we were the first couple ever from Azerbaijan to make the final in such an esteemed dance competition. No one expected such a big result from us and we surprised everyone. That day we felt all our dreams came true.
From March 2004 we represented the country Azerbaijan - a country that at the time was very new to the Ballroom dance world. Now we are the first couple to represent Azerbaijan in all three areas: Standard, Latin-American and 10-dance.
Currently we are the founders of Professional Dance in Azerbaijan ( AzDC ).
We have represented Azerbaijan for the last 13 years.
What are your highest achievements in dance?
World champions in the Ballroom devision,
World champions in the program of 10 dance and World champions in the "Classic Show Dance " in the amateur league devision. We won a gold medal at WDC European and World Championships as professionals in 2012. We participated in the Eurovision 2008 in Glasgow. Also we were winners of many international competitions in England, France, Holland, Austria , Italy , America, Canada , Japan, China , Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia.
What is your favourite dance?
Eldar: Foxtrot
Anna:Tango
What is your favourite competition?
All of the events have special magical moments, but the main event that stays in our mind to win is Blackpool Dance Festival.
What is your proudest dancing moment?
Making the final as an amateur Rising Star in the Blackpool Dance Festival for the first time in 2004. Winning World Ballroom championship in Paris in Amateur League division in 2008 and winning European & World 10 Dance Championships as professionals in 2012.
Why you are proud to be Chrisanne Clover sponsors?
Simply because Chirsanne Clover is the best of the best!
What is your favourite Chrisanne Clover dress you have worn?
My Red dress from UK 2016, Silver dress for the International 2016 and my hematite dress for 2017...Just in love with the embellishment designs using CRYSTALS FROM SWAROVSKI!
What is your favourite coloured dress you have worn?
My Quickstep-Show Rainbow dress, this was so magical!
What do you look for in a Chrisanne Clover dress?
Chrisanne Clover is the top in dancing fashion - they are always so innovative and creative in ideas. The designers work hard to bring each dancers individual personality into the dresses making the dresses so unique in style to the dancer ...Please, just continue to be top in fashion and fabrics as you are!
What is your favourite Chrisanne Clover colour? Fabric? Accessory?
Fluorescent Red and Sassy Yellow! These colours are just so unique and stunning on the dance floor. I adore the shaded georgette, these colour shades are so special and elegant. I love satin chiffon it flies and moves like pure silk to your movement creating a feather light feel. I love the new Chrisanne Clover Ballroom tights, they are such a beautiful tan colour and feels so secure in my dance shoes. Regarding the Swarovski Crystals, recently I have used the CRYSTAL SHIMMER, which were absolutely stunning and added unique shades and colour tones to my dress.
What colours are you attract to? Feel suits your skin tone? Looks best on the floor?
Personally I love the pureness of White, fire of Red and elegance of Black.
The colours that suit my skin type are "cold " type of the colours, such as: aqua, lilac dream, peppermint, silver...
But I always try to choose the colour of each dress suitable to the event/venue. Knowing that particular features of the room and the floor lighting can either enhance or loose your chosen colour.
