REVIA Magazine Issue #11

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destiny – to prolong our bloodline and give our kids everything we have. Not only in a material sense, but in an emotional, spiritual and cultural way. And the love…it’s unconditional, deep and very overwhelming. The amount of love you feel – it’s an incredible feeling, and you never imagine you could love someone like that. This is a completely different kind of love. So that was a surprise too! REVIA: How did you get started in dancing – and are you and Alec currently dancing? EDYTA ŚLIWIŃSKA: It’s funny – no one else in my family dances professionally, but I heard my Babcia was really good at dancing; best dancer in the village! [Laughs]. Actually, in my family, I’m the only one who pursued dancing professionally. I always loved dancing and performing, and as a girl I would perform in front of my family and friends. When I was 10, I signed up for a dance class at school, and just got deeper and deeper into dancing until I fell in love with it! My first partner wasn’t really into it. He danced because I think he liked me [Laughs]. Well, he realized quickly that I was serious about dancing – and didn’t want to just hang out. Eventually, I found a partner equally involved in dancing and we started competing at regional competitions, then later traveling to compete in different countries. I started out taking class 2 days a week, which turned into almost every day, for very many hours. But because I loved it, it seemed very natural. Alec and I still love doing show dances. We’ve even produced Broadway-style performances and corporate events. I produced the show, Dancing Pros Live, a competition held on stage where the best pro dancers battle it out and the audience chooses the winner – right from their seat! So we are on the other side of the entertainment industry now, but still perform occasionally. We’ll be in Chicago performing at the Harvest Moon Ball Dance Championships in October. But in general, we are rather at the end of our careers as competitive dancers. REVIA: How did you initially land a spot on Dancing with the Stars? EDYTA ŚLIWIŃSKA: Some of the professional dancers on Strictly Come Dancing were personal friends of ours, so it was easy to find out where to send our resumes and audition videos. We knew a lot about the show and so when we heard it’s going to be produced in America, we thought it would be a good idea to try. I was 25 at the time, and Alec and I were at the point in our careers where we were unsure if we wanted to stick with competitive dancing. We both loved performing and thought DWTS would be something different since it’s still a competition, but the main focus is on celebrity performances. The opportunity really came at the perfect moment; we were both invited to audition and got on the first season of DWTS. That’s how it all started. I did 10 seasons of the show, and got along with everyone very well. I had the opportunity to dance with some great people like Miami Dolphins football player, Jason Taylor, and Cameron Mathison from the fifth season, who was a lot of fun – very energetic and positive. One of the blessings of the show is you get to meet so many different and unique people. But, dancing is a profession that 22 revia reviamagazine.com #11, #10, 2015
usually ends at a younger age, much like any other sport. It’s an art, but it also takes a big toll on your body. At the top of our careers, physically, Alec and I were training very hard every day, but now, we rather give up the spotlight to the younger generations. So I won’t be coming back to DWTS. The show gave me a completely different direction in my career, opened a lot of doors, but essentially, right now, I want more independence and stability in my life. REVIA: Having grown up in Poland, do you feel you’ve conserved any specific Polish traditions or values still important to you today? EDYTA ŚLIWIŃSKA: Of course. I think traditions are really important. They manifest your cultural identity. I speak to my son in Polish now, and would like him to speak Polish, or at least understand it, in the future. Traditions bring families together because they’re an opportunity to share important customs, like [Wigilia] on Christmas, and [Wielkanoc] for Easter. Traditions celebrate family, and I would like to maintain them as much as possible. Now that I’m a mom, I want to make sure my son learns the same Polish traditions I grew up with, and… who knows, maybe we can even create our own little traditions and customs. Another important value I gained from my family is definitely their work ethic; to work hard in life for anything you really, really want. Also, my parents taught me that every time I’m nervous, I need to remember there will always be things out of my control. They taught me that in order to see what can happen, sometimes you just have to… let go. Basically, I learned to be a lot more positive and believe in myself, and not compare myself to others. I know as long as I pull in my end of work – that will be good enough. Also, I’m thankful for the educational system in Poland, which many people complain about. I went to some great schools (Liceum Tadeusza Czackiego and Warsaw University) with great teachers and professors and I think I received a very broad and universal education that I’m proud of. But I have to admit, opportunities for younger generations were not as open as they are here, and I still believe there are lot more opportunities in America than in Poland. But I’m definitely very proud of my Polish upbringing, and especially grateful for what my family has given me. But the most surprising thing is that a child gives you a new sense of purpose in life. It’s like suddenly you understand what it’s all about. REVIA: Are there any final thoughts you would like to share with us? EDYTA ŚLIWIŃSKA: One thing I’ve noticed is that Polish people can be very self-critical, and pessimistic. So my advice is just to believe in yourself, and give yourself credit, instead of only looking at your deficiencies. Look at what you can do, not at what you can’t and maximize that. Perhaps that will give you a leg up and then…you can do anything! For example, when I look at videos of myself dancing, I’m extremely self– critical. All I see are mistakes and things I want to change. At a certain point I learned to tell myself, ‘you just have to let go’. I know I’m doing my best; it is what it is. Don’t get me wrong, obviously you need to work very hard, but don’t judge yourself excessively or worry about what other people think of you, because that’s out of your control. If you let everything get to you, it will weigh you down and your selfconfidence will suffer. #11, #10, 2015 reviamagazine.com revia 23
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