Interview with Arunas Bizokas, current WDC World Professional Ballroom Champions (with Katusha Demidova )

I have met Arunas many times since he first started dancing with Katusha. We did not talk much as we did not know each other much. The first time I talked to Arunas was when Mr Michael Chapman asked me to hand over a mobile to Katusha about four years ago. The last time was in Taipei where Arunas & Katusha performed & I adjudicated for Times Cup 2011. I met Arunas during the breakfast in the hotel and I took the opportunity to ask him if he was willing to answer to my interview, he said yes and here it is :

L) Like every interview, let's start with the question : How & When did you start dancing?
A) My mother took me to the dancing classes, when I was 7. I started secondary school then and dances classes where available at the same school.

L) Obviously, you stopped dancing with your ex-partner Edita Daniute because she was having a baby. You danced the last competition in Blackpool with Edita when she was pregnant. Did you know that? If so, were you not worried competing with a pregnant partner?
A) I knew Edita was pregnant. She consulted it with the doctor and made decision to dance. Obviously I was very worried about that.

L) How did you team up with Katusha?
A) I sent Katusha e-mail, asking her about her plans and she replied that she would have a try out with me. After the try out we decide we would dance together.

L) you are from Lithuania, Katusha are USA citizen, where exactly do you station most of the time? Don't tell me it's Hong Kong (Joking) !
A) We are traveling a lot. The base is USA, but we spend a lot time in England, Japan and other countries.

L) Did or do Katusha & you have the same stream of coaches, before and now?
A) Yes, we had the same stream of coaches.

L) Rarely any couples would compete and organize competitions at the same time but you organize the Vilnius Dance Festival! How could you manage to do that and why do you work so hard?
A) Yes, it is very hard to organize a competition. I didn't know it before I decided to organize the comp, but since I started, I didn't want to give up and continued to organize it. The reason was to bring the event that would offer different approach to the competitions in the country where I'm from.

L) You are already three times WDC World Professional Champions and two times British Open Professional Champions, do you still have any (short term or long term) goals to achieve in your up-coming dancing career?
A) Two times World champions, but hopefully going to win the third one this year We are still competing, so the goal is to be the best in any competition that we choose to compete in. And most importantly we have goals related to continuous improvement of our dancing and learning as much as possible about dancing.

L) Last but not least, during this turbulent political atmosphere around the World of Ballroom Dancing (DanceSport), what advice & inspiration would you offer, being the World Professional Champions, to the new generation of dancers to pursue for their dancing dreams?
A) I believe that political atmosphere in the dancing world will get better eventually. My advice for dancers – be strong, be honest to yourselves and remember that you have a choice!

L) Thanks so much for your precious time!

Lawrence Chan