KIZ Dialogs
A true story from the creators of KIZ Dance Journal
Chapter 3
Sergei:
So… shall we continue our adventure timeline?
Yuriy:
Of course. The story’s just warming up!
Your next “brilliant” plan was to send me to regular beginner classes. You signed me up for one… then another… I felt like I was in a mafia movie: you behind me with an invisible gun — no way out! 😄
Sergei:
Solid plan! Gentle coercion — always works 😄
Yuriy:
There were two places with summer courses: one “open level,” the other with a real foundation.
The first group — total dance hell. People had been dancing for a year, and me… I didn’t even know how to walk like a human being, let alone dance!
One partner, super “motivated,” told me in every rotation:
“Everyone knows the moves, and you, Yuriy, don’t even know a basic exit! How can I grow as a professional dancer under these conditions?!”
I’d freeze up, and that made it even worse. Until one day I snapped and said:
“What do I have to do with it? I clearly told the teacher I don’t understand anything! Got complaints? Take them to him. Or should I have been born a ready-made dancer?”
Sergei:
What a drama — Oscar-worthy 😄
Yuriy:
Oh, shut up 👊
The worst part — the teachers didn’t care if you could dance. What mattered was that you paid the subscription.
And they were terrified of criticizing anyone — what if someone got offended and didn’t come back?
Their method: compliments.
“You’re the most beautiful! You’re the best!”
Yeah, sure… then why does nobody want to dance with you?
Once, a teacher cautiously corrected a guy for putting his foot wrong — and boom, full-blown scene:
“Aha! Yuriy screws everything up — no problem! Sergei’s stiff as a log — everyone’s happy! But I move my foot a millimeter off — it’s a tragedy!”
Sergei:
Wow, dragging me into it! 😂
Yuriy:
I was shocked. A guy who can’t even dance three steps properly, acting like a superstar! Ego the size of the moon. Preschool with drama.
What do you always say?
“Beginner level students… with 15 years of experience.” 😄
Sergei:
Pretty much 😄
Yuriy:
But despite all that, that month gave me something valuable — I met two amazing people I’m still friends with. One of them, Inma, saw how that “dance queen” was attacking me and invited me to her place to practice. She helped me unlock myself — I’m endlessly grateful. We’re still in touch.
And then… came your real punch — in the best sense.
A gift I’ll never forget: my 45th birthday.
What did you give me? The Karga 2022 festival. All-inclusive — hotel, food, transfer, and full pass.
Sergei:
Gift with a catch — so you had no escape 😄
Yuriy:
That festival set off fireworks in my head: emotions, thoughts, meanings — all mixed together. And then one girl in a workshop said:
“If you don’t lead me, I won’t even blink!”
And that was my third dance awakening.
I thought dance was just memorized choreography, like in shows or competitions.
But turns out, you have to listen to the music, interpret it with your body, keep rhythm, lead clearly… A whole new world!
And I was just a tourist without a visa.
The emotions were volcanic: good, bad, weird.
And cherry on top — I don’t speak English.
And you made me go to EVERY workshop and EVERY social! I barely slept.
Every social felt like an execution: like everyone was staring, analyzing me under a microscope, counting mistakes.
Sergei:
That was your rite of passage! 😄
Yuriy:
I remember everyone I met at that first festival.
At JoJo’s workshop, my partner spoke English. I tried to repeat a move, and she points her finger at my face yelling: “NO, MY FRIEND!!!”
I thought she’d poke my eye out! I just wanted to disappear under the dance floor.
Everyone looked at me like: “Who let this lost dancer in here?”
Then JoJo explained something else. I asked another partner:
“What did he say? What do we do?”
She said:
“Up to your creativity!”
I thought:
“Creativity?! What creativity?! I don’t even know where I am!”
But the show wasn’t over.
JoJo said something again. I thought he said:
“If you didn’t get it, come closer to the stage — I’ll repeat.”
So, like a good student, I grab my partner:
“Let’s go, it’ll be clearer!”
She says:
“No, I got it, it’s fine.”
I say:
“C’mon, don’t worry, we’ll figure it out!”
And I pull her… right onto the stage!
Turned out, he said:
“If you got it — come up and demonstrate!”
And there we are, like two oranges on display, eyes wide, heads blank.
Wanted to melt into the floor.
Sergei:
Oh, I remember that — epic moment! 😂
Yuriy:
Another girl at a Fred and Morgane workshop — she was frozen, standing apart from her friend. I said:
“Come on, don’t be scared, let’s try.”
She almost begged:
“No, please, not this…”
But we danced, and it actually went great. She was thrilled. Her friend was happy for her.
I saw her later at another festival — confident, beautiful posture, glowing. You could see she had grown. I was happy for her.
That was my first festival: emotional, intense, unforgettable, and truly transformational.
After all those workshops, bootcamps, classes, and festivals from January to September, I realized a simple truth about teachers:
Dancing well and TEACHING — are not the same at all.
Now I get it completely. Some people run classes. Others are real teachers.
And those are different professions — dancers vs. educators.
Sergei:
Couldn’t have said it better.
Yuriy:
I value my time now and won’t waste it on workshops where “stars” just show off fancy moves you’ll never use.
Instead, I choose teachers who truly want to share knowledge, who celebrate each student’s progress, who explain clearly, who respect your pace. Whose eyes shine not from vanity, but from the desire to help.
That’s what’s truly worth the effort.
That was my first festival.
That’s how I entered the world of deep kizomba.
Thank you, my friend. For this valuable and amazing gift!
Sergei:
I’m just glad that after all the battles — and nearly getting your eye poked out — you didn’t give up.
It was all worth it 😄
So… shall we continue our adventure timeline?
Yuriy:
Of course. The story’s just warming up!
Your next “brilliant” plan was to send me to regular beginner classes. You signed me up for one… then another… I felt like I was in a mafia movie: you behind me with an invisible gun — no way out! 😄
Sergei:
Solid plan! Gentle coercion — always works 😄
Yuriy:
There were two places with summer courses: one “open level,” the other with a real foundation.
The first group — total dance hell. People had been dancing for a year, and me… I didn’t even know how to walk like a human being, let alone dance!
One partner, super “motivated,” told me in every rotation:
“Everyone knows the moves, and you, Yuriy, don’t even know a basic exit! How can I grow as a professional dancer under these conditions?!”
I’d freeze up, and that made it even worse. Until one day I snapped and said:
“What do I have to do with it? I clearly told the teacher I don’t understand anything! Got complaints? Take them to him. Or should I have been born a ready-made dancer?”
Sergei:
What a drama — Oscar-worthy 😄
Yuriy:
Oh, shut up 👊
The worst part — the teachers didn’t care if you could dance. What mattered was that you paid the subscription.
And they were terrified of criticizing anyone — what if someone got offended and didn’t come back?
Their method: compliments.
“You’re the most beautiful! You’re the best!”
Yeah, sure… then why does nobody want to dance with you?
Once, a teacher cautiously corrected a guy for putting his foot wrong — and boom, full-blown scene:
“Aha! Yuriy screws everything up — no problem! Sergei’s stiff as a log — everyone’s happy! But I move my foot a millimeter off — it’s a tragedy!”
Sergei:
Wow, dragging me into it! 😂
Yuriy:
I was shocked. A guy who can’t even dance three steps properly, acting like a superstar! Ego the size of the moon. Preschool with drama.
What do you always say?
“Beginner level students… with 15 years of experience.” 😄
Sergei:
Pretty much 😄
Yuriy:
But despite all that, that month gave me something valuable — I met two amazing people I’m still friends with. One of them, Inma, saw how that “dance queen” was attacking me and invited me to her place to practice. She helped me unlock myself — I’m endlessly grateful. We’re still in touch.
And then… came your real punch — in the best sense.
A gift I’ll never forget: my 45th birthday.
What did you give me? The Karga 2022 festival. All-inclusive — hotel, food, transfer, and full pass.
Sergei:
Gift with a catch — so you had no escape 😄
Yuriy:
That festival set off fireworks in my head: emotions, thoughts, meanings — all mixed together. And then one girl in a workshop said:
“If you don’t lead me, I won’t even blink!”
And that was my third dance awakening.
I thought dance was just memorized choreography, like in shows or competitions.
But turns out, you have to listen to the music, interpret it with your body, keep rhythm, lead clearly… A whole new world!
And I was just a tourist without a visa.
The emotions were volcanic: good, bad, weird.
And cherry on top — I don’t speak English.
And you made me go to EVERY workshop and EVERY social! I barely slept.
Every social felt like an execution: like everyone was staring, analyzing me under a microscope, counting mistakes.
Sergei:
That was your rite of passage! 😄
Yuriy:
I remember everyone I met at that first festival.
At JoJo’s workshop, my partner spoke English. I tried to repeat a move, and she points her finger at my face yelling: “NO, MY FRIEND!!!”
I thought she’d poke my eye out! I just wanted to disappear under the dance floor.
Everyone looked at me like: “Who let this lost dancer in here?”
Then JoJo explained something else. I asked another partner:
“What did he say? What do we do?”
She said:
“Up to your creativity!”
I thought:
“Creativity?! What creativity?! I don’t even know where I am!”
But the show wasn’t over.
JoJo said something again. I thought he said:
“If you didn’t get it, come closer to the stage — I’ll repeat.”
So, like a good student, I grab my partner:
“Let’s go, it’ll be clearer!”
She says:
“No, I got it, it’s fine.”
I say:
“C’mon, don’t worry, we’ll figure it out!”
And I pull her… right onto the stage!
Turned out, he said:
“If you got it — come up and demonstrate!”
And there we are, like two oranges on display, eyes wide, heads blank.
Wanted to melt into the floor.
Sergei:
Oh, I remember that — epic moment! 😂
Yuriy:
Another girl at a Fred and Morgane workshop — she was frozen, standing apart from her friend. I said:
“Come on, don’t be scared, let’s try.”
She almost begged:
“No, please, not this…”
But we danced, and it actually went great. She was thrilled. Her friend was happy for her.
I saw her later at another festival — confident, beautiful posture, glowing. You could see she had grown. I was happy for her.
That was my first festival: emotional, intense, unforgettable, and truly transformational.
After all those workshops, bootcamps, classes, and festivals from January to September, I realized a simple truth about teachers:
Dancing well and TEACHING — are not the same at all.
Now I get it completely. Some people run classes. Others are real teachers.
And those are different professions — dancers vs. educators.
Sergei:
Couldn’t have said it better.
Yuriy:
I value my time now and won’t waste it on workshops where “stars” just show off fancy moves you’ll never use.
Instead, I choose teachers who truly want to share knowledge, who celebrate each student’s progress, who explain clearly, who respect your pace. Whose eyes shine not from vanity, but from the desire to help.
That’s what’s truly worth the effort.
That was my first festival.
That’s how I entered the world of deep kizomba.
Thank you, my friend. For this valuable and amazing gift!
Sergei:
I’m just glad that after all the battles — and nearly getting your eye poked out — you didn’t give up.
It was all worth it 😄
Want to know what happens next?
To be continued in the next issue of KIZ Dance Journal