The cast of 2012 - Seven West Media

PACKED TO THE RAFTERS ACTOR, AGE 27
ZOE CRAMOND
PARTNER: ARIC YEGUDKIN
DANCING FOR: THE SPINAL CORD INJURY NETWORK
“For me it’s going to be about enjoying the sexuality of the dances and the
sensual movements. Because I did ballet everything was so rigid so the
sexy style I find quite intimidating and it’s going to be a challenge for me.”
On screen Zoe plays Emma Mackey, one the newest faces to
the Packed to the Rafters family. Off screen this New Zealand
native, who moved to Sydney last year, says she is hoping to
cha cha her way into the finals.
“I’d rather not focus on my competition and just focus on what I
can do to my best ability and just not care about anything else.
Otherwise you get too inside your head and too stressed out.”
Citing discipline as her main strength and bad dance habits
as her weakness, Zoe says she’s prepared to cop the criticism
that comes with former dance experience. “I did a tiny bit
of contemporary but I did ballet when I was younger until
about 16. I think it really helps with getting choreography, like
understanding steps and performance.”
The youngest of three children, Zoe says it was her Packed
to the Rafters co-star and former DANCING WITH THE STARS
contestant George Houvardas who convinced her to sign
on. “He was an ambassador for the show, I totally wracked
his brain and he’s part of the reason I chose to do it as well
because he said, ‘it’s so much fun and you’re going to have
the time of your life’.”
And she says the first training sessions with Aric didn’t disappoint.
“It’s been amazing, as soon we met we got along so I was so
lucky. We click. It was so full on, by the afternoons I was losing it. It
was mental exhaustion that was the hardest part.”
Through it all she has the unwavering support of her Dad who
convinced her to dance, and it was his severe injury that led
Zoe to her chosen charity. “I chose that one because my Dad
broke his neck in two places when he was 28. He’s disabled
but was told he was never going to walk or have kids because
of his injury.” Her father’s insistence to one day complete both
has been her biggest inspiration. “That’s why my name’s Zoe
because it means life, and when I started to walk when I was
a kid, he was learning to walk again, so we’re very close. I’m
doing it for him.”
ARIC YEGUDKIN
In 2011 Aric was runner-up in DANCING WITH THE STARS
alongside Haley Bracken and in season three, he took home
the coveted trophy with Home and Away’s Ada Nicodemou.
After ongoing impersonations of Michael Jackson’s Billie
Jean routine at the birthdays of friends and relatives, Aric
Yegudkin’s mother finally took him to a teenage dance class.
At age eight, Aric had to choose between his two great
passions – dancing and tennis. He chose Dancesport and
after just two years became the national juvenile champion.
Aric teamed with two partners in the junior section, before
being paired in the youth section with Masha Belash in
July 2001. Since then, they have won many titles together,
including the National Youth Latin American Championship
three years running, the Australian - and the South Pacific -
Youth Under 19 Latin American Championships, and the World
Super Stars Adult Latin American championship. They were
also Australia’s representative to the World Ballroom and Latin
Championships in 2001, 2003, 2004 and 2009.
Aric has toured with theatrical production ‘Burn The Floor’ and
is one of the principal dancers and choreographers for stage
show Dance Dance Dance, performing across Australia for a
number of years. Aric holds a Bachelor of Commerce from the
University of New South Wales and is an accredited instructor
with Dancesport Australia, holding a Level 1 teaching license.