Slavik & Hanna Split????
filed in Professional Latin on Jan.11, 2009
|
|
[Edited Jan. 28, 2009] It turned out that this was really a rumor. Slavik and Hanna competed in the UK Open.
Photo by photo by Roman Stetsyk posted at Dancesportinfo.
[Another Update]
2 videos of Slavik & Hanna have been posted here and here.
This is just a quick note. I just heard a rumor that Slavik Kryklyvyy and Hanna Karttunen had split. I searched the web but couldn’t find anything to confirm this. Slavik and Hanna are to compete in the U.K. Open later this month, and I was looking forward to see the results. I hope this rumor is just a rumor and we will be able to see more of Slavik this year. I will keep you posted on this.
Yet Another Update
Well, it turns out they decided to split. See this post.
RSS feed
January 29th, 2009 on 3:53 pm
About Slavik and Hanna. That paring will never work. Slavik dances ‘classical latin’ albeit avant-garde in the extreme (i.e. at the highest possible level). Hanna is really not a latin dancer… what she does is adapt ‘extreme ballet’ to latin, and that’s a total disconnect. For example, it is sort of like 2 people, both speaking English and Chinese… one speaks English, the other understands, responds in Chinese, that person then speaks in Chinese… and the other responds in English, and so on and so forth. That’s what is going on with Slavik and Hanna… he is dancing authentic Latin… and she is responding with “extreme ballet”… it’s a totally disconnect, a dancing version of schizophrenia.
As far as Hanna is concerned, my opinion is that she really isn’t formally trained in latin… what she is doing is applying ballet in a latin context… and that simply doesn’t work, never will. Ballet is too transcendental, too ethereal.. latin is juicy, spicy, about the red hot pepper.
By way of example, Karina Smirnoff has superb latin styling… but her ballet talents are a little lacking, footwork could be much faster, more precise, faster syncopations, etc…. and she needs to work on her flexibility… for better ballet like extensions. Don’t get me wrong, she is superb…. but when she dances with Slavik (because is is a God) he shows her up (in comparison).
So, what’s the dream couple that the dancing world needs to see? Slavik and Julia… they would dance on clowds, head and shoulders above anyone on the world scene.
Slavik is unquestionably the “Nureyev” of Latin… best technique, styling, delivery… and artistic expression that is simply untouchable… head and shoulders above anyone on the world scene. Julia is the rightful partnership heir to his dance genius.
Could some dance match maker out there… pass on this message to Slavik and Julia. The world needs these 2 to pair up. They’re Gods… that belong together on the Mount Olympus of Latin Dancing… Together, they would simply blow everyone away, by a long shot. No woman on the latin dance scene can rise up to Slavik’s artistry, technique… except Julia… it’s a pairing (that needs to happen) that would be made in heaven.
With Slavik and Julia there is no telling where they could take Latin… to the next level, one that the dance world has as yet not seen.
George Kecala
Dance Critic
January 31st, 2009 on 9:29 pm
Thank you for your excellent and thoughtful comment! Your analogy of speaking in different languages makes a lot of sense to me. I truly hope that Slavik can find his true match soon. I agree with you that Yulia is the best match for him at the moment. It would be nice if we can see Slavik/Yulia partnership in the future.
February 22nd, 2009 on 7:03 am
Yes it would very nice to see Slavik/Yulia partnership, nevertheless I dont think yulia will split with Ricardo, even if slavik is wayyyy better