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danceRELATIONSHIPS Loveat Andrea Ghigiarelli and Sara Andracchio began dancing together as children. Top left and above, Amateur ballroom first champions Andrea and Sara compete Photograph courtesy of Andrea and Sara at Blackpool. Photographs by Ron Self ancing reveals someone’s true Elsbury, who combine personality,” competing with married life, step explains Kristina Rihanoff, who agree that there are pros “D Andrea Ghigiarelli and Sara Andracchio has been dating her “Strictly on their wedding day. Photograph and cons. “It was definitely Come Dancing” celebrity courtesy of Andrea and Sara tricky when we first started partner, Joe Calzaghe, for over dating, about six months a year. “It’s all about exploring into our partnership – when emotion through movement, so Mark’s determination in she finally gave in to my you can’t hide your true nature, tackling difficult figures, although pestering! – because we’d argue particularly when you’re in a sometimes he then forgets how to in practice and drag that tension competition and under pressure. do simple things, which drives me home, but as our relationship got It allowed me to get to know the nuts! I do have high expectations, more serious, we’ve learned to real Joe right away – I thought, as more than with any other student, separate the two,” explains Mark. a top boxer, he’d be big-headed, because I know what he’s capable Richard Miller, who runs Miller but he’s actually very shy and of and I’m emotionally invested, Dance Centre (www.millerdance. sweet, and he melted my heart. so that can be hard. And we’re org.uk) with wife Lynn, with whom Dancing may be the key to romance, but what It’s beautiful when strong men both quite bossy, so I have to be he used to compete, agrees can also be vulnerable, and I careful not to enjoy my teacher separation is key: “We’ve made an makes a partnership endure both on and off got to see, through dancing, role too much, or it’s tense when agreement to never take dancing the floor?Marianka Swain talks to new and what it could have taken me we get home! Communication home. We try not to give out home established couples who met their partners through a lifetime to discover.” is key – we try not to let things contact details to students, so we Melina Hamilton, who runs fester after a stressful lesson.” can have quality time together ballroom, from top pros to teachers and students Stardust Ballroom (www. British Amateur ballroom away from the dance world.” stardustball.co.uk) with fiancé champions Mark and Olga However, a shared Mark Kendal, understanding of originally her “We try not to give out home contact that world can be student, adds: “You positive, notes Kristina: can tell so much details to students, so we can have “Joe has so much about a person from respect for what I do how they approach quality time together away from the after going through dancing. I admire dance world” it himself. Previous ➤ 38 / WWW.DANCE-TODAY.CO.UK FEBRUARY 2011 \ DANCETODAY \ 39 danceRELATIONSHIPS danceRELATIONSHIPS boyfriends have often dismissed it as ‘that stupid dancing’ and don’t get why it takes Lessons in love from dancing couples up so much time, but to do the show earlier, before Joe knows it’s my life, • Communication is key I was on it, but he had work not a hobby. He’s seen • Leave any dance-related tension on the commitments, so the timing was how hard it is, physically dancefloor – don’t take it home perfect – it was meant to be. and emotionally, and Now, for the first time in my life, he’s very supportive. • Spend time together outside the dance world my boyfriend is also my greatest “We both grew up • Mutual respect and acceptance are crucial friend – I trust him with my life.” pushing ourselves Mark and Olga feel their to the limit, • Make the most of every moment relationship gives them security: spending hours “We know that, even if we have a becoming the bad result, neither of us is about best we can be, Mark and Olga Elsbury on to jump ship. We’re partners for and we admire their wedding day. Photograph the look and style of things. We leave us with much free time, life, and whatever happens, we’ll that about each courtesy of Mark and Olga do disagree sometimes, but we so we probably wouldn’t have work through it.” Rachael thinks other. Now, if I try to find a compromise. If it’s met otherwise,” explains Katie. you have to be careful about watch a dance about teaching, I have the final “Also, I assumed she was committing to a partnership: “It’s programme, he’s say; if it’s on the business side, straight, so I never would have a long-term investment. If you’re interested and partner who supports you. We ultimately I’ll trust his judgment. approached her in that way, but travelling and competing and wants to learn go through every experience, We enjoy seeing different sides of we got to be close friends through stuck with a person you don’t get more.” Mark agrees good or bad, together, each other through dancing and dancing, and she then admitted on with it, it doesn’t work. Forming it helps to have a strengthening us as a couple.” working together – it keeps our to me that she had a crush on that bond, whether it’s romantic or not, is key. Gregor and I have had supportive partner: British Amateur ballroom champions Mark relationship fresh and exciting.” someone in the team – eventually, “It’s hard dating a and Olga Elsbury combine competing (top) hile Andrea and Sara Richard and Lynn began I got it out of her that it was me.” arguments you can count on one Natalie adds: “Everyone hand. I trust him completely.” ➤ non-dancer, who with married life (above). Top photograph by W have “a very similar their partnership with different doesn’t understand Ron Self. Above, courtesy of Mark and Olga approach to practising and the ambitions: “She was always on the team has why you’re getting same goal”, other couples find more focused on competing been very accepting steamy with someone sister, who are now also it’s their differences that make than I was; I knew, very early on, of us, and now else in rumba or going off to partners and also married. them a good team. British Latin that I wanted to teach,” explains that we’re dancing China for a competition together, “Our families are all dancers, all Professional champions Gregor Richard. “Now, our different together as well, it even in the most trusting lovers! It’s very unusual, staying Rebula and Rachael Heron, who styles make us a strong package just feels natural.” relationships. I don’t have that together as a partnership our began dating two months after as teachers – I like spending Kristina thinks her problem with Olga, because whole lives,” notes Sara, “but they started dancing together, longer on the basics and building pairing with Joe was we do everything as a team.” I couldn’t imagine being with are polar opposites, according to up technique, and Lynn’s great extremely lucky: “It’s a That shared experience is one anyone else. It’s a wonderful Rachael: “He’s very chilled and at the flashy stuff for eye- beautiful way to meet the best parts for Italian Amateur feeling to win a title with the patient, while I’m more fiery. He’s catching competitive routines.” someone. It’s one of ballroom champions Andrea most important person in your the backbone of our partnership, Dancing can also be common the few hobbies men Ghigiarelli and Sara Andracchio, life, and it helps you reach and I know I can let loose.” ground for very different people. and women can do whose parents partnered your full potential having a Melina believes she and Mark Natalie Crowe and Katie Lord, together, and if it them when they bring very different who met through the University wasn’t for ‘Strictly’, were nine and eight, things to their business: of East Anglia dancesport club, where else would along with Andrea’s “It was touch and go whether she “He’s very practical are now dating and competing I have met him? Kristina Rihanoff and Joe Calzaghe brother and Sara’s and has a great together for the university team. We’re from different met on the seventh series of “Strictly”. could dance again, but I never imagination, while I’m “We do very different degrees, worlds. He was Photograph courtesy of Kristina considered finding someone else” good at developing with big workloads that don’t actually approached 40 / WWW.DANCE-TODAY.CO.UK FEBRUARY 2011 \ DANCETODAY \ 41 danceRELATIONSHIPS Richard and Lynn’s trust was born out of calamity when Lynn developed Guillain–Barré syndrome aged 16. “She was on a ventilator, and it was touch and go whether she could dance again, but I never considered finding someone else,” recalls Richard. “When she recovered, we threw ourselves into competing, and we haven’t looked back – it brought us together and Richard and Lynn Miller. we realised we had to make Photograph courtesy of the most of every moment.” Richard and Lynn imilarly, Katie and Natalie haven’t had an easy ride as aS girl/girl couple on the university Richard adds: “It’s Richard and Lynn Miller with their circuit, but they keep pushing quite surreal seeing him son, current Junior champion, Luke.

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