Interviews

North America / USA /  New York

Anya Kasetvman. One Life with Latin Passion

Winner of two consecutive years, 2010 and 2009 of the Salsa World Championship in the division ON 2, kind, thoughtful, genuine, and I would add a touch of mystery in her look; so Anya Kasetvman is defined as: a dancer by profession and with a Latin passion for conviction.

Coming from Ukraine, this young artist tried to conquer the world of dance very early and, VAYA, that she did it: championships (many), congresses (a lot), fashion design (uf!) And education (at all levels), these are all the awns in which Anya has been very successful always with the unconditional support of her brother and her family, thus catapulting her American dream: to be the Queen of the Salsa dance floors in the world!

She was born on August 26th, 1984 in Ukraine; this nice Virgo brought to North American lands at the age of 8th was to embark on her way to conquer dance.

Grown up in Brooklyn since 1993, her childhood was relatively easy, she did not have her Ukrainian roots rooted in so she had an adaptation to her new environment much faster, although she experienced a certain degree of racism for her Russian origin, it was nothing that her parents and she couldn’t overcome. I started dancing pretty soon after we immigrated so it was easy to shut out normal life and focus on my special dance life that I had and many others didn’t.

Finding dance for young people was a hardship however. There was no ballroom dancing for children in America at the time so I am grateful that my brother Eugene katsevman helped develop and grow that industry for me to partake in, said Anya.

Her brother Eugene, an outstanding dancer, has been her main ally and model to follow in terms of her learning to confront the different vicissitudes of life and in the professional field of dance: He is my teacher above all else. I learned everything I know from him some things directly some things by example and just being in his life and knowing him. He is in many ways my true role model and the one person I can always count on being a step ahead so I always have something to learn, told me Anya.

She spent great part of her adolescence between happy moments and a lot of dance preparation. Being a model student for her excellent qualifications, Anya had to make the most important and transcendental decision in her life so far, which by that time could have changed her future: to decide to make a living through her passion for dancing or to follow a university career.

I would say the hardest part of my life would be the pivotal point between deciding my future whether I was good enough to make a living as a dancer or could find passion in academics which I never did although… It was very difficult to leave college and have an unknown future until I found salsa and a new path for my dance career. Commented Anya.

This young dreamer entered the world of salsa fortuitously thanks to her great friend and dance partner then Luis Aguilar, a talented dancer who worked with her teaching international Latin ballroom dance at a popular dance school in Manhattan. I encouraged him to compete and make a career out of dance in return he taught me salsa so we could partner together. The dance industry seemed very open minded at the time and accepting of all race cultures and dance abilities I also saw teaching opportunities and a place for myself because of my ballroom knowledge and what I had to offer as a teacher to this new environment, said Anya.

In 2007 was their first participation in a prestigious Congress of Salsa that took place in the city of New York, where they went up to the podium and occupied the surprising position of second place among a total of 10 competitors with recognized trajectories. During that same year Anya continued to participate in different state, local and world competitions, finishing that year in the fourth place among the best dancers in the world. It was a great experience for me to be an unknown dancer who could achieve success with my abilities alone without an established reputation something unheard of in the ballroom circuit. That made me fall in love with salsa. Anya Kasetvman.

However, it wasn’t enough for Anya and her partner who continued obtaining titles at the different Salsa World Congresses, which they attended by taking first place in December 2009, in Florida, thanks to the precision of their steps, the cadence of their movements of shoulders and hips, multiple turns, perfect execution and technique, besides an almost perfect coordination and deep connection with his dance partner Luis Aguilar.

I feel like I trained my whole life for that moment so it was truly a very special unexpected accomplishment… The second time we won was 2010. We ranked 3rd into the final so winning in 2010 felt like an even bigger surprise and accomplishment. It was truly magical coming in from 3rd place and beating the couple that dominated our division for many years before us. At that moment, I knew it was time to retire from competition because nothing could ever live up to achieving my dreams two years In a row, despite all of these obstacles. So I retired competing in 2010 and began judging shortly thereafter, said Anya.

With 23 years of training and artistic career, Kasetvman is also dedicated to teaching and it’s because she possesses a unique gift that unselfishly shares with future generations of salseros of different levels that make her proud of her work and with great enthusiasm describes it in the following way: I’m blessed to share my gift of dance on many platforms and I feel very humbled to be considered amongst the top dancers in the world and performing truly makes me happy; being able to create art and share it with others, is truly a blessing.

However, I feel in that field I am amongst very many and that gift is subject to many opinions and tastes. When I am teaching, coaching or directing I feel I have more reach and value on a higher level in the lives of others, even if it’s on a smaller scale. Teaching is such an important job and I truly see it as an incredible responsibility.

Living my own dreams is of course an exceptional gift, but being able to help people achieve theirs and reach heights they never thought possible, truly makes me feel honored. I feel fortunate that I have learned so many different elements of dance and styles and had so many different experiences sharing those with others and helping them in their journeys no matter what they are, give me a higher sense of purpose and accomplishment. Of course I wouldn’t have been able to be the teacher I am without the stage experiences and competition results, but teaching is where I truly feel I excel and have a lot to offer a vast variety of individuals.

Kasetvman, who currently resides in Queens, NY, teaches and directs big teams of professionals, beginners, amateurs, and competitors from all areas of dance in New York city during the week and on weekends she teaches salsa lessons in other cities in the United States. The main purpose of these classes has always been to teach their students to achieve their own dreams, regardless of the obstacles they have to overcome along the way.

Likewise, and in addition to this kind of personalized instruction, Anya also offers an option of instruction to student to their comfort through educational – explicative DVDs that show the mechanic of the body and how it works, technical information, mechanical association, performance and presence stage dance that allows you to understand dance skills, good habits and discipline that help give dancers a sense of style and musical performance that they can see, practice and implement instantly. A niche neglected in dance and that Anya provides with all the passion that characterizes her.

This passionate and talented girl also acted for the ex-president of the United States, Barack Obama, starring in the documentary “La Época” and taught at the United Nations, great achievements that she obtained thanks to her determination, perseverance and whose work ethic was fundamental because it led her to achieve great opportunities that did not come alone, but the hand of kind people who saw in Anya the necessary professionalism of dance to carry them out and that she also took advantage of and value their years of preparation in search of excellence.

With a height of 5.3, Kasetvman has achieved everything that set out to do; her foray into fashion has been a success. Her creations have been made with great imagination, elegance, mesh and luxury that accentuate the waist, provide sensuality, mobility, comfort and flexibility that increase fantasy and eroticism in the dance. When I was growing up as a ballroom dancer, it was impossible not to fall in love with the fashion and the necessity to develop a style on the dance floor.

I began designing my own dresses and enjoying the creative process along with a sense of development and identity that it provided me in the process. Ultimately, a few years later after achieving some success with my ever changing looks and many encouraging words from great dress makers and role models, I began designing for others. I have to give most credit to my brother and his dance partner. And to Vesa Hietala the premier ballroom dress maker in the world. One day he encouraged me and told me I have what it takes and I never looked back, commented Anya.

Romantic, simple and addicted to all forms of beauty, talents, dreams and aspirations, Anya has made it clear that the key to success is to believe in you; surround yourself with people who support your visions and achievements, but mainly work hard for it, and never give up on your objectives and goals.

I think believing in yourself is the hardest, yet most important step to any success story. Do what you must to build confidence and earn what you want so you can feel good about it once you have it. No dream is too small or too big, if you couldn’t achieve it you would have never dreamed it. So, do what it takes get the help you need and don’t be afraid to succeed.

Each personal circumstance may teach us the lessons we need to prepare us for the future. Aim to be a better version of you, every day and stay focused on you. Everyone has their own path and their own track. Also think it is very important to remain open minded; often, our dreams come true, just not always as specifically as we had planned, so being able to recognize that you are getting what you wanted. I think helps us achieve success in the long run.

I never imagined I would be dancing Salsa when I was training to be a ballroom dancer, yet here I am living the dancers dream and working with my biggest passion in life; I wish that for everyone. ANYA KASETVMAN If you want to contact Anya or buy her DVDs visit her website www.anyakasetvman.com or follow her on Facebook www.facebook.com/anyakasetvman/