Evgeni Smagin and Rachel Heron
from England
We met Evgeni and Rachel, the English Amateur Latin champions, in the
foyer of the seaside, historic Bournemouth hotel, the Royal Bath
Hotel, very close to the Bournemouth International Centre, the place where
the UK Open competition is organised every year in January.
Who are they?
Rachel Heron (from England) started dancing when she was ten
years old in a local dance school. Now she is nineteen and is working as a
beauty therapist.
Evgeni Smagin (from Russia) took ballet lessons when he
was seven and at the age of nine started dancing ballroom and latin. He
left Russia at the age of sixteen. He is a student of the State University in
St Petersburg in Russia and studies Public Relations.
Amateur Latin dancers. Represent England - see their
results page
How did they get together?
Evgeni and Rachel met the first time in Germany in 1999, for the
second time they met at Junior Blackpool in 2000. They liked
each other as a girl and boy. In September 2000 Evgeni was looking for a
partner and asked Rachel, but she was in a partnership and had to refuse. In
November 2000 she asked him, but he was in a partnership with a girl in
Canada. The Canadian partnership did not work for Evgeni and in
December 2000 they finally started dancing together. Five days later
they also become boyfriend and girlfriend. Evgeni had to have an English visa
to start dancing with Rachel. On the day when he was called to have interview
in the British embassy he did not have the keys to his door and he had to jump
through the window to exit his flat. When he got to the embassy he did not
have any documents proving that he was a dancer and that he will dance
with an English girl. What he had was a picture of Rachel and he said to the
clerk in the embassy that this was a girl he wanted to dance with. Funnily
enough it was sufficient for them!
Opinions, views....
What do you think about the popularity of dancing?
Both : "I think the main problem is that we are not getting many new
young dancers. We think that to pull more young children, it would be very
good if Amateurs could teach classes, not necessarily competitive but just
social dancing or basics. That would bring more people to dance and also
Amateurs would earn some money to spend dancing. Professionals will not
lose their business because they will still teach the top Amateurs.
Otherwise it is just too expensive for the young people, they are not able to
pay for the private lessons."
How does your personal relationship relate to dancing?
Rachel: "I think that because we have a really strong bond together, I
feel that whatever life throws at us we can go through it together. We can get
a beating, but we will always come back, as we have done in the past."
Evgeni : "Can we separate our prive life from our dancing? Sometimes it
is difficult, especially if something is going wrong in our
relationship. But you have to learn to separate it so that it doesn't affect
your dancing." [Rachel agrees - Ed.]
Rachel : "We have not let our split as a couple influence our
dancing. Maybe because it wasn't one of us who arrived at this decision but
both of us. Maybe because we remain very close and we are now like brother
and sister or as best friends. We have been really lucky because it
could have affected our dancing."
Evgeni : "Our life was not very smooth � we had a lot of financial
problems, but we went through with it and didn't let it affect us"
Rachel: "We are very proud of being the best English Latin couple at
this young age. But it always was like this, we were sixteen when we won the
British Open [Youth Latin in 2001 - Ed.] and we always achieved as
much as we could. I personally feel very proud of it!"
Evgeni: "But achieving so much at the very young age, we danced
Blackpool for the first time and won, we danced International for the first
time and also won, it put a lot of pressure on you. People now expect a lot
from us, and it is hard, sometimes you think that others had to wait years to
achieve as much and we are only nineteen and have done it!"
What is in your opinion the best country to dance in?
Both : "If you mean 'dancing for' it would be Germany, because they
provide substantial financial support and we are short of money all the
time. At least that is what we hear. If you mean 'dancing in' � it is difficult
to say. Every country is different and in every country there are interesting
competitions."
What would you like to do if you were not dancing?
Evgeni: "I think that if I couldn't dance I would be quite interested in
fashion, hairdressing and modeling, but I know I wouldn't have
singing career [They both laugh and Evgeni tells us here about his
biggest flaw, that he cannot sing. When people hear him singing they tell him
'don't give up your day job' which is of course dancing! - Ed .]"
Rachel : "I'd like to be a model but I am too short!"
Personality....
What is your favourite dance?
Rachel : "Rumba"
Evgeni : "It is different every day, it very much depends on what
mood I am"
So what is your favourite ballroom dance?
Rachel : "Foxtrot"
What is your biggest dream?
Rachel : "I know it will sounds silly, but my biggest dream is to find
someone I would love and who would love me"
Evgeni: "To be back with my family. I left Russia when I was 16, I miss
my family and my family misses me. My mom has seen us dancing only once, the
World Latin in Septemebr last year"
What is your biggest nightmare?
Rachel: "Not being able to dance with Evgeni"
Evgeni: "To break a leg and not being able to dance anymore"
What are you afraid of?
Rachel: "People's judgement and pigeons [Rachel explains that she is
always afraid that they will poo on her!! - Ed. ]"
Evgeni : "Sharks in the sea"
Your favourite food?
Rachel: "I like a Russian soup called Schee [we had help from Evgeni to
spell it. It is a sauerkraut soup, made with beef bones, potatoes and
onions - Ed.]"
Evgeni: "I love Stolichniy Salad [potato salad with shredded chicken,
carrots and peas in a mayonnaise base - Ed .]"
Any food you hate?
Both : "Seafood!"
What is your favourite pet?
Rachel: "Dogs, particularily poodles"
Evgeni : "Also dogs"
What is your favourite hobby?
Both : "Dancing"
Your nicest memory?
Rachel: "It's when we won the British Open [Youth Latin in 2001 - Ed
.]"
Evgeni: "It's difficult to say"
Partnership....
What is your partner's biggest virtue and biggest flaw?
Rachel: "His best part is his feel for dance. He is very picky in
life and dancing. But at least I know what he really thinks. He really is a
perfectionist, but it is good in a way!"
Evgeni : "I can feel that she believes in me. But she gets put off by
things. She lets other people influence her"
What is your biggest virtue and biggest flaw?
Rachel: "I don't know really about my best part. I have started to judge
other people by how they look at me. I worry a lot about what they think about
me, it stresses me too much"
Evgeni: "I never get tired of dancing. The worst in me? I can't
sing!!"
Rachel: "He really can't!! [laughs]"
Passion....
What was your biggest argument about?
Rachel: "We never really had a big argument. We can disagree over a
step or something equally unimportant!!"
Do you often fight?
Rachel: "Disagreements happen quite often. Not every time we practise [laughs],
I'd say one every third practise!"
Evgeni: "I call her a drama queen"
Rachel: "Yes, he calls me that, because sometimes I blow things out of
proportion [both laugh ]"
Friendship....
What is most important for you in friendship?
Rachel: "Trust and being able to depend on that person. Always being
there for each other"
Evgeni : "Yes, trust. And being able to share personal thoughts and
opinions"
Are your best friends dancers as well?
Rachel : "I cannot really say that I've got best friends in dancing.
Most dancers are my friends, but no one is very close. I don't think I can
trust them completely, there is too much envy sometimes. Apart from
Evgeni. Evgeni is definitely my best friend!"
Evgeni: "I think I am really open person and can speak to anyone [Rachel
agrees]. There are some people I consider friends, mostly Russians,
who live in Russia. I have very strong bonds with Russia and my friends there."
Have you got time for friends and activities other than dancing?
Rachel: "I think you should always be able to find time for friends,
especially when you know they need you. We try to find time for gym or going to
the pictures with friends, but it is on rare occasions [laughs ]"
Evgeni: "Well, we are always together and we do things together. Rachel
is my best friend!"
Fun, holidays, relaxation....
What do you like to do for fun?
Evgeni: "Doing stupid things. Last thing I did was that I bought a
stupid hat. But no clubbing!! We like going to nice caf�s. Funnily enough my
favourite caf� in St. Petersburg is 'Liverpool Caf�' [Rachel and Evgeni live in
Liverpool in England - Ed. ]. They have a live music there, play The
Beatles songs."
Rachel: "We like going to restaurants. Our favourite restaurant in
Liverpool is Russian restaurant called St.Petersburg [They assured us
that they were not joking!! There is really a restaurant called like
this in Liverpool - Ed. ]"
What is your favourite book or film?
Rachel: "My favourite film one of any of the 'American Pie'
films - disgusting but funny!! [laughs]. Or 'Just married'. I
also like reading books, thriller stories"
Evgeni: "I like watching 'Friends'"
Rachel: "Yes, 'Friends' is our favourite TV program".
Could you describe your dream holidays?
Rachel: "Barbados or St.Lucia, with my bst friend, Evgeni, on the beach
[although they are no longer girlfriend and boyfriend (split four months ago)
they remain the best of friends - Ed.]). I would like to be pampered
by a beauty therapists (massages etc.) That�s what I do for living, so I would
like if once somebody could do it for me!"
Evgeni: "I wish I could go to the little island, very quiet island. Just
for a short time I would like to be on my own. Just like Robinson Cruzoe, that
would be great!"
Have you got time for holidays?
Rachel : "Never! "
Evgeni: "We only have time for holidays when we go to the competitions.
If I go to Russia it's never a holiday, it is a hard work! I am a student
so it is always a lot of catching up on the University"
You compete abroad a lot � do you also try to make a holiday out of
it?
Both : "Yes, we try to. Especially when we go to Cervia or Miami in
June."
Are you happy to try foreign, exotic food?
Both : "Yes, as long as it's not seafood or raw."
Future...
What about computers in dancing, Internet and dance webpages?
Evgeni: "I would like to be able to watch live transmission from the big
events on a computer, be able to go on a website and just see it, like you
go now to see competition dates and results. I think the main usa for computers
is to provide information, like through the Internet"
Rachel : "I don't really go on any websites anymore. I read too much
nasty stuff about myself in the past, so now I am not interested!"
Plans for the future?
Evgeni: "To become a special one. Special in my own beliefs. To be the
person who encourages others."
Rachel : "I hope you will forget that question!!!! I would like to learn
how not to be afraid of how people judge me. Because it really affects me
mentally. I am rather close person and some people see it and think of me not
being a nice person. But it is a problem in me and I would like to change it!
My plans in dancing for the near future are to get to the final of one of
the biggest events, knock one of the big finalists out of the final so we are
in!! [laughs]. We will eventually became professionals, but not just
yet - although it would be easier financially, we could teach etc - we feel
that there is still a lot to achieve in Amateur ranks. There is a lot of very
good couples not reaching finals yet, lots of challenge for us, while in
Professionals there is a very strong final, semifinal but other rounds are not
so strong. We would like to became Amateur World Champions first!"
Thank you very much and good luck for the future!