When you attend a competition of ballroom dancing competition, you can see hundreds of duets, but you will remember only one Andrei Cutasevschi and Anna Vasina.
Today they are champions of the International Dance Festival, UK open, vice-champions of the Blackpool Dance Festival, finalists of the WDC World Open, champions of the USA Ultimate Team Match, vice-champions of the USA, IDSA world champions, IDSA European champions, vice-world champions of WDC Al, and world vice-champions WDO. But they started out like most ordinary guys.
Challenges and Success
Andrei Cutasevschi was born in Transnistria, Moldova, and moved to Ukraine on his own at the age of 16 years old to follow his dream of ballroom dancing. He became a multiple champion in ballroom dancing, including the status of vice-world champion, champion of Europe and Ukraine, and champion of Moldova.
Anna Vasina experienced several moves in her life. She had to move from Donetsk to Kyiv, then to Poland, and finally to the USA. Her talent blossomed in dance and visual arts, which became a real outlet for her and an answer to any difficulties in life. Her dedication in training, together with her natural abilities and talent, gave results and Anna received the title of Master of Sports of Ukraine and vice-champion of Europe.
Also, thanks to these achievements, charisma and openness, Andrei and Anna were invited to become ambassadors of several famous DanceSport brands, including Tania International Design, International Dance Shoes, and NY Fashion.
Despite their daily training sessions, Andrei and Anna did not forget about the importance of education. After finishing school, Anna entered the Institute of Physical Education, where she is now in her third year studying ballroom dancing.
For Andrei, choosing an educational institution was associated with some difficulties, since his parents, who are doctors, insisted he enroll in a medical college. After studying there for several years, Andrei did not change his intention to connect his life with dancing and transferred to the University of Physical Culture and Sports in Kyiv.
Under the guidance of world-renowned coaches Maxim Bulaniy and Kateryna Spasitel, Andrei and Anna formed their own unique style, combining wide movements with emotional expression. They strive for excellence by participating in master classes with the world’s best dancers.
In addition, they train a lot on their own and have developed new exercises that help improve their technique and which have helped other DanceSport athletes. For example, in ballroom dancing the concept of so-called “frame” is extremely important.
This is how the dancers hold their arms, shoulders, neck, head, and upper torso. The frame helps to move correctly and in balance, and also creates a good appearance for the dancing couple. For example, all techniques they have developed and that other dancers now use to train is to place a cup between their two elbows and make sure that it does not fall to the floor during the entire dance.
Source: sarasotamagazine.com
They also improved various dance elements, which makes their choreography recognizable and more complex. For example, on the dance floor this couple stands out thanks to the elements that have already become their calling cards. This is both an exciting “Pop-up” and a complex “leg hook”, which other dancers have repeatedly borrowed. Every element they incorporate into their choreography demonstrates outstanding creativity.
Their creative and unique choreography and training have raised the bar for the sport. Many other dancers have adopted some of their signature techniques and try to make them their own, thus elevating the sport in general as it is by adding new steps and techniques that DanceSport continues to grow in artistry and technical excellence.
In short, their approach to dancing combines high technicality with deep artistry. They achieve the highest prizes in competitions in Europe and the USA, gaining recognition in the dance industry.
The Beginning of Fruitful Cooperation
As a dance duo Anna and Andrei formed relatively recently, as their first competition together was in Assen, the Netherlands, in 2019. Before this, each of the dancers achieved some success and formed with their own vision. While many people need some time to adapt to their partner and find common ground, Andrei and Anna miraculously immediately established contact and felt each other on the floor as if they had been dancing together all their lives.
Despite their young age, they have a lot of experience behind them, therefore, in terms of understanding the material and the ability to convey the depth of feelings, as well as in terms of skill level, they can be perceived as more mature performers.
The fact is obvious that this is a successful partnership that will bring many more victories, since the couple regularly takes prizes and their joint development is only accelerating. They have already won several victories together, the last of which took place at the United States Dance Championships in September 2023.
In the Amateur Ballroom category they are ranked 8th in the world and 1st in the US. Their performances are characterized by precise technique and charisma, creating harmony in every movement. They won 1st place in the Amateur Ballroom Champ at the United States Dance Championships.
Polishing Technique and Ambitious Goals
Today they are actively working towards one of their main goals, which is representation of the USA in competitions. Thanks to the wise and sensitive mentoring of their coaches, as well as their own hard work, dedication, and grueling training, they are quickly moving towards achieving this goal.
Besides, they also have a longer-term goal, namely, opening their own dance studio. Andrei and Anna, like no one else, know how important it is for beginning dancers to get into the right environment, where they will have the opportunity to practice under the guidance of experienced and professional trainers and where all conditions will be created for students. Therefore, they continue to work hard, devoting every free minute to training, approaching their dream step by step.
This duo not only has technical prowess, but also talent, a hard work ethic, a natural charisma that makes their performances memorable, and a genuine love and respect for the art they make. Everyone who has seen the duet of Andrei and Anna on the floor at least once is sure that new achievements and conquest of new heights await them ahead.
