Donatas Vezelis and Lina Chatkeviciute
from Lithuania
What can be better than winning a prestigious competiton for the first time?
Donatas and Lina were truly surprised and delighted to be the first out of more
than a 100 competitors taking part in the UK Open 2004 Amateur Rising Star
Standard category. We talked (in a mixture of Russian, English and Polish
languages!!) to the Amateur Standard Lithuanian vice-champions in the
Bournemouth International Centre, the place where the famous UK Open
competition is organised every year in January.
Who are they?
Lina Chatkevichute (from Lithuania) started dancing when she was
seven years old. In some of the Lithuania's state schools, dancing is part
of the curriculum and Lina was lucky enough to go to such a school.
Now she is a student of the Vilnius University and her subject is Business
Administration.
Donatas Vezelis (from Lithuania) started dancing when he
was seven also in a school. He finished his studies and now teaches in
a dancing studio.
Amateur Ballroom dancers. Represent Lithuania - see their
results page
How did they get together?
Donatas and Lina got together eight years ago when they were Juniors. Their
coaches Jurate and Ceslovas Norvaisos from the well known Lithuanian dance
studio Sukurys in Kaunas arranged a try-out for them when they both were
without a partner.
Opinions, views....
What do you think about the popularity of dancing?
Lina: "In Lithuania dancing is very popular, I mean social dancing. And
it is growing. In the past, only competitive dancing was popular but now it is
definitely the social side of it. People like to dance, they like music. I
don't think dancing will die!"
How does your personal relationship relate to dancing?
Lina and Donatas : "We are very good friends and it helps. We know
some dancers, even champions who privately don't like each other and still
succeed in dancing, but in our case our friendship helps us to achieve our
goals. Our private and dancing life run closely."
What is in your opinion the best country to dance in?
Lina: "Lithuania of course!! [laughs]. We both like competing
in England, in Blackpool and at the International"
Donatas : "I like competing in Germany e.g. Masters Gala and German
Open"
What would you like to do if you were not dancing?
Donatas: "I think I would do some other sport, I would be a sportsman -
not a team sport but individual. I think that you can have only one life and
should use it fully, do something you are good in and try to be the best"
Lina: "I would probably do someting with art, or use my studies
and maybe open my own company, somehow related to dance or
art, and became a business woman."
Personality....
What is your favourite dance?
Donatas : "Tango"
Lina: "It depends on what I feel like, it depends on my mood. At
the moment it is the Tango as well."
So what is your favourite latin dance?
Lina: "Rumba for me."
Donatas: "Samba"
What is your biggest dream?
Donatas : "To win a World Championship! In Amateurs."
Lina: "To improve my dancing [she adds after some thought - Ed.],
to be able to make my body do what my brain already knows!"
What is your biggest nightmare?
Lina : "Not being able to dance anymore"
Donatas : "I don't have any!"
What are you afraid of?
Donatas: "I am mostly afraid of accidents"
Lina: "Nothing comes to mind. I really don't know"
Your favourite food?
Lina: "I like all traditional Lithuanian food, particularly golombieli [cabbage
parcels stuffed with minced, seasoned meat then baked and served with
tomato or mushroom sauce - Ed.]"
Donatas : "I like everything!"
Any food you hate?
Lina: "I don't like octopus"
What is your favourite pet?
Lina: "Dogs, particularily snautzers"
Donatas : "Dogs, scottish terriers"
What is your favourite hobby?
Lina : "I like drawing very much"
Donatas : "I like all sorts of sports: running, tennis, basketball,
football"
Your nicest memory?
Donatas: "Yesterday, when we won the UK Open 2004 Rising Stars. Really!!
I was so surprised, we both were."
Lina: "I think that winning the Youth World Championships in 1998 [in
Szeged, Hungary - Ed.] was the nicest [laugs ]"
Partnership....
What is your partner's biggest virtue and biggest flaw?
Lina: "He is a great guy [laugs ], an all round nice guy."
Donatas: "Lina has a really nice character, I like everything about her.
Maybe one flaw - her problem is that she never can find her way and gets lost
often!"
What is your biggest virtue and biggest flaw?
Donatas: "It's complicated!! Hmmmm [he laugs and won't say - Ed.].
I sometimes blame myself too much if the results are worse than expected."
Lina: "I think I fit him with my character. We both do fit each other,
but I know I can be moody sometimes. I have to be in a good mood to dance well,
especially before the competition."
Passion....
What was your biggest argument about?
Lina : "In dancing?"
Donatas : "We usually don't argue. Sometimes on practises..."
Lina: "I say one thing, he says another thing - but it's normal. We
don't fight"
Do you often fight?
Lina: "Not often. Really!! [laughs ]. We try to work
out our differences and not to fight over them."
Friendship....
What is most important for you in friendship?
Donatas and Lina : "A real friend is always there when you need them,
for better or for worse. And mutual respect is important"
Are your best friends dancers as well?
Lina: "Arunas Bizokas and Edita Daniute from Lithuania [Lithuanian
Amateur Standard national champions and top IDSF couple - Ed. ]"
Donatas : "Many Lithuanian dancers are our friends, both Latin and
Ballroom couples"
Have you got time for friends and activities other than dancing?
Lina: "Yes. For me it is very important to have friends also outside of
the dancing circle.
Donatas : "I like to do sports in my free time"
Fun, holidays, relaxation....
What do you like to do for fun?
Lina: "We like dancing, also for fun! We quite like clubbing sometimes
and play tennis"
Donatas : "I play on my computer when I have time e.g 'Max Payne 2'."
What is your favourite book or film?
Lina : "My favourite film is 'Dancer in the Dark' with Bjork [the singer
-Ed ]. I prefer European films to American ones."
Donatas: "I like watching mystical or psychological films"
Could you describe your dream holidays?
Lina : "For me it is a trip to somewhere far away from all the
problems, from civilisation. Somewhere with beautiful beach, good weather,
somewhere in Africa"
Donatas: "Oh, yes. Lina likes good weather! For me it will be something
different, I like to spend my time actively. I hate to lie on the beach doing
nothing"
Have you got time for holidays?
Lina: "I try to spend at least three weeks on holidays in the
summer. I have a break from University then and there is not so many
competitions."
Donatas: "I finished my studies and work as a dance teacher now so I
also can find some free time in summer."
You compete abroad a lot � do you also try to make a holiday out of
it?
Both : "Not often. Sometimes after competitions finish we try to see
some places but no time really. We go there for competitons and we
usually have to go back straight away."
Are you happy to try foreign, exotic food?
Both : "Yes. The strangest thing we have eaten was duran fruit in
Singapore [ infamous Asian fruit which smells like a sewer but tastes
delicious. Sometimes used in recipies for mooncakes, prepared for the
Chinese and Malaysian Harvest Moon Festival - Ed.]"
Future...
What about computers in dancing, Internet and dance webpages?
Both : "There are obviously many dance related pages on the
Internet; very often, we visit your site, Mr Spaeker's and IDSF. We use the
Internet all the time, to check results, competitions, etc. Obviously
scrutineers are using computers to do their work. In some competitions in
Germany the adjudicators carry computers and record their marks using them. But
we have never seen anything like this in England."
Plans for the future?
Lina : "Become a better dancer"
Donatas: "I would like Lina to finish her studies so it doesn't
interfere with our practicing [Lina laughs] and we can spend more time
improving our dancing"
Thank you very much and good luck for the future!