Fyodor Isaev and Anna Zudilina: We want to show our new developments in the Kremlin

Multiple champions of Russia, finalists of the British Open 2023, finalists of the Blackpool Festival and the World Professional European Dance Championship 2022 Fedor Isaev and Anna Zudilina spoke about preparations for the tournament, positive changes in the dance life of the country and much more.

“The Kremlin Cup is one of our favorite tournaments”

Fyodor:

We danced in the UK at the UK Open in January and finished fourth. Then in mid-March they competed at the Russian championship. There we became champions for the third time. And now we are training seriously for the Kremlin Cup. This is one of our favorite tournaments. And it will be good preparation for the Blackpool Festival for us. Before that, we will still go to classes, train, try to train very well, and then we want to show our new developments, new ideas in the Kremlin, try them on the floor. Let’s see what happens.

Anne:

Sometimes it can be difficult to piece together, understand all the information the teachers have given you, and just get right out to talk. Therefore, we are looking forward to the Kremlin Cup as a dress rehearsal before Blackpool. Let’s hope everything works out.

“If you like to dance every weekend, then there is such an opportunity”

Fyodor:

We haven’t noticed many changes in our racing calendar since pre-Covid times, we seem to have the same number of races in the new category as before. Although the guys who have been dancing professionally for a long time say that now, of course, there are fewer tournaments. I think this is mainly due to covid. And now the dance industry has started to slowly recover. Every month there is a new announcement that the next tournament is back. This is the moment now, the number of events is gradually growing.

Anna:

Most of the tournaments and shows in Asia have been stopped. And since there were many more of them, many had time to “train” directly during the tournaments. Now we are doing all this in a more classic format – in the hall in rehearsal dresses.

Fyodor:

Of course, we wish the tournaments were held more often and that the choice was more varied where to dance. But this is a normal recovery period after a pandemic, it is still ongoing. Overall, I think the industry is doing great. So here it is appropriate to wait a little, and the life of the dance will again be filled with events and, most likely, there will be even more of them than before.

Anne:

We hear from the guys some such stories that in previous years it happened that for two weeks in a row they danced 2-3 performances a day. We have not had that experience. Therefore, it is difficult to say whether I would like, for example, such a pace. But it would be interesting to have such an experience. And we hope to understand it.

Fyodor:

Within Russia, the network is very busy. And if you like to dance every weekend, then there is such an opportunity. In any case, twice a month you can definitely go to the parquet. So a big bow to the organizers, they are doing a great job.

“We do our best to participate in all tournaments”

Fyodor:

It’s harder for us to travel now. It has become more expensive because of the flights, it is more difficult to arrange visas. For more than three months, this time, documents from the British embassy were waiting, the same with Schengen visas, with American ones, all this took much longer to process. But we understand that all this is fixable. You just have to apply in advance. If you manage your time well, you can do anything.

Anne:

This season, from what we planned, we only missed two tournaments: last year’s Blackpool, because we didn’t have time to get a visa, and the world championship, which took place in November, and also in visa reason. We have two international passports for cases where the documents are in one embassy for several months, and at that time we travel to others, or the second ones are sometimes simultaneously in another consulate. It’s gotten more difficult, of course, but we’re doing our best to play all the tournaments. And, in principle, we succeed. It turns out to participate in the main and largest events.

“Enjoy every moment of this magnificent celebration of dance!”

Fyodor:

To all who will gather on April 22 at the Kremlin Palace, we want to say: “Enjoy the atmosphere, every moment of this magnificent dance festival! Recharge yourself with positive until the next meeting in the Kremlin!”