Tjaša Novak. Vedno so mi govorili, da sem za v Ameriko, pa nisem čisto razumela, kaj to pomeni. Zdaj razumem, saj živim v okolju, kjer se moja avtentičnost in originalnost cenita!

Plesalka Tjaša Novak je našla svoj dom v Phoenixu v Ameriki in nam predstavlja, kakšno je življenje profesionalne plesalke v deželi prek Atlantika!

Draga Tjaša, pozdrav čez lužo, pozdrav v Phoenix, ki gotovo postaja tvoj dom. V Ameriki si že od leta 2017 in nazadnje sva se takole po e-mailu pogovarjali pred tremi leti. Seveda te spremljam na družbenih omrežjih, kjer si zelo aktivna in uspešna. Kaj vse se je od leta 2000 spremenilo, saj nam je vsem korona zelo obrnila življenjski tok?
Draga Barbra, hvala za tvoje prijazne besede in hvala za povabilo na tvoj portal, posvečen plesu! Spomnim se najinega zadnjega intervjuja, ko sva že govorili o pandemiji, čeprav nam takrat še ni bilo povsem jasno, kako velik vpliv bo imela na ves svet. Leto 2020 je bilo zame polno izzivov in hkrati zelo zanimivo, verjetno kar eno najbolj odločilnih let v mojem življenju. Začuda je bilo zame to leto celo eno najboljših, odkar sem tukaj, saj so se mi ponudile nove priložnosti, zaradi katerih sem lahko ostala v Združenih državah Amerike (ZDA) kljub velikim ekonomskim težavam. Bil je eden tistih ‘go big or go home’ trenutkov, dobesedno. Od takrat naprej sem uspela najti profesionalnega plesnega partnerja za ameriško različico latinskoameriških plesov, American Rhythm, Janija Bogre iz Bostona, kamor zdaj redno potujem, uspela sem si kupiti svojo prvo hišo tukaj v Phoenixu v Arizoni, razširila sem svoj tekmovalni delokrog, tako da zdaj redno potujem po vseh združenih državah tako s svojim profesionalnim partnerjem kot s svojimi ProAm plesalci.

Če prav vem, deluješ kot plesalka kategorije ProAm, ki je pri vas izjemno popularna, poučuješ bachato pa latino sensual, torej kar na več področjih ali je to zate pač ena skupna aktivnost?
Da, res je. S plesom se ukvarjam profesionalno tako v tekmovalnem športnem plesu (kot to mi imenujemo), v originalu ballroom dancing, kot tudi v avtentičnem latino okolju. Poleg tega, kot si že sama omenila, plešem tudi s svojimi učenci na ProAm tekmovanjih z enimi in drugimi. Ker je razlika med tema dvema svetovoma tako velika, se sliši skoraj nemogoče, da bi ju bilo možno povezati, ampak v bistvu je to vse ples, in vidim, da se vse lepo dopolnjuje. Menim, da so bile mnoge korenine latino plesov v rokah Evropejcev veliko let dokaj zanemarjene in ignorirane in jaz zdaj prav uživam v odkrivanju bolj avtentičnih načinov gibanja in čutenje svojega telesa na nove načine. Hkrati ko plešem in učim npr. bachato, salso, mambo, kizomb, lahko s pridom uporabljam tehnično znanje o telesni mehaniki in poznavanje formalnih plesnih tehnik, ki sem jih pridobila s treningi od klasičnega baleta, standardnih in latinskoameriških plesov in celo s hip-hopom. Vse te povezave mi zdaj pomagajo oblikovati svoj osebni stil plesanja, ki izpolnjuje mojo potrebo po tem, da se kot plesalka še naprej razvijam.

Zibelka kategorije ProAm je Amerika, počasi ta stil prodira tudi na slovenski prostor, v Evropi je že dobro prepoznaven. Zakaj je ta stil tako popularen (a vsi si ga ne morejo privoščiti, saj je finančni zalogaj precejšen)? Kako je s tem pri vas?
Mogoče na hitro razložim, kaj ProAm sploh je. Kratica ProAm pomeni plesni par, sestavljen iz profesionalnega plesalca in amaterske (ljubiteljske!) plesalke ali iz profesionalne plesalke in amaterskega plesalca, kot je to v mojem primeru. Kot vsi vemo, ni preprosto najti plesnega partnerja za kakršnokoli zvrst plesa v paru. ProAm rešuje to. Če nekdo želi plesati, trenirati ali celo tekmovati, mu ni več treba pripeljati s seboj partnerja. V Evropi je tekmovalnost tako izrazita, da ko enkrat vstopiš v sistem plesnih tekmovanj, poskušaš postati svetovni prvak ali pa se ti vse skupaj ne zdi vredno truda. Ples se obravnava kot elitni šport ali kot visoka umetnost, ne pa kot industrija, kot je to v ZDA. Američani so iznašli sistem, ki omogoča, da profesionalni plesalec lahko ponudi svoje storitve in od tega dobro živi. Preden je ProAm prodrl v Evropo, so profesionalni plesalci, sami pogosto revni umetniki, lahko le trenirali druge plesalce, da bodo še ti postali revni umetniki. Prihodki od gledalcev na tekmah pač ne morejo nuditi preživetja plesalcem, niti nizke nagrade ne. ProAm zdaj nudi povprečnemu človeku, da vstopi v sistem in se spremeni iz zunanjega gledalca v akterja. Mnogo je ljudi, ki radi plešejo, in zdaj res lahko. Ni treba, da si poročen z nekom, ki tudi rad pleše, ni ti treba imeti nekih visokih tekmovalnih ambicij, ni ti treba biti niti fizično ‘fit’. Ples lahko uporabiš kot način, da postaneš bolj ‘fit’, izboljšaš svoje fizične sposobnosti in na splošno okrepiš svoje zdravje, tako fizično kot psihično. Kaj je lepšega od tega, kot da ples v paru postane dostopen vsakomur! Je pa tudi res, tako kot si omenila, da ProAm ni ravno eden cenejših hobijev, ki si jih lahko omisliš. Cene mojih storitev so kar visoke, so pa na tržišču profesionalni plesalci, ki računajo mnogo več, nekateri pa tudi precej manj. Na nedavnem tekmovanju je neka gospa plačala za nastop s slavnim Michaelom Malitowskim šestmestni znesek za en sam ‘showcase ‘. Kot povsod drugje so tudi tukaj različne možnosti in vsak si lahko najde tisto, ki mu najbolj ustreza.

Misliš, da ProAm kaj ogroža ‘normalen’ športni ples? In zanima me, kako je s solo tekmovanji v latinu in standardu, ki so preplavila Evropo? Tu se mi zdi, da nastaja problem ‘plesa v paru’, ki to ni? Kakšno je tvoje mnenje in kako diha Amerika v tej smeri?
ProAm gotovo ne ogroža športnega plesa. Prej nasprotno. Mislim, da ga celo dodatno podpira. Ponuja dodatne priložnosti za vključevanje novih in finančno podporo obstoječim tekmovalcem. Ne vidim nobenega negativnega učinka, razen mogoče tega, da nekateri trenerji stare šole še niso dojeli, da se bodo morali prilagoditi in postati malo manj kritični, ko delajo s temi plesalci. Oni plešejo iz popolnoma drugačnih razlogov. No, plesna tekmovanja solo plesalcev, ki se pretvarjajo, da plešejo s partnerjem, so pa čisto druga zgodba. K sreči v ZDA niso preveč priljubljena in organizatorji niso preveč navdušeni, da bi jih vključevali v svoje dogodke. Ballroom dancing je ples, kjer v paru plešeta moški in ženska. Nič me ne moti, da so se zgodile spremembe, tako da lahko tekmujejo tudi istospolni pari, ker to je še vedno plesni par, kjer nekdo vodi in drugi sledi. Pri tekmovanjih solo plesalcev pa tega ni. Razumem, da je težko najti partnerja, in za nek določen čas je mogoče v redu, da imajo otroci priložnost, da začnejo trenirati in celo tekmovati, še preden najdejo plesnega partnerja. Ampak kam pa to vodi dolgoročno? Se iz tega lahko razvije nov stil plesa, pri katerem uporabe partnerjeve teže pri vodstvu in dihanje skupaj v harmoničnem gibanju dveh teles ne bo več? Iskreno upam, da ne. Gotovo ta tekmovanja pomagajo otrokom najti plesne partnerje za tekmovanja, ampak bi morala obstajati neka časovna omejitev, kako dolgo lahko nekdo tekmuje solo. Vse skupaj mi deluje kot neka vaja za opravi stvar, in upam, da bo tako tudi ostalo. V ZDA s ProAm kot kraljico plesne industrije bi bilo popolnoma nesmiselno podpirati solo plesna tekmovanja, zato obstajajo le kot dodatna ponudba na manjših, lokalnih tekmovanjih, da bi se lažje vključili v sistem tisti, zlasti mlajši tekmovalci, za katere še nimajo primernih partnerjev.

Je za plesalko in pedagoginjo tvojega kova Amerika še vedno sanjska dežela? Kako obremenjena si s faktorjem preživetja?
Amerika je definitivno dežela priložnosti. Ekonomija je močna in ponujati neko elitno storitev, kot je moja, je nedvomno lažje v taki deželi. Prepričana sem, da je tako tudi kje drugje na svetu, ampak jaz trenutno doživljam Ameriko kot svoj novi dom in ne vidim razloga, da bi se to v bližnji prihodnosti spremenilo. Iskreno, nisem zapustila svojih prijateljev, družine in dežele, ki jo imam, rada zgolj zato, da bi tu životarila. Prišla sem z visoko zastavljenimi cilji, ki jih nedvomno želim uresničiti. Res pa se ti cilji z leti in z mojo zrelostjo počasi tudi spreminjajo oziroma rastejo.

Se Amerika tudi pri plesu razlikuje, tako da nekje plešejo nekaj, na drugem koncu pa je popularno nekaj drugega? Se trendi mešajo, je nekaj na vzhodu in nekaj drugega na zahodu?
To je zelo zanimivo vprašanje in pravzaprav postavljeno v idealnem času, saj je moj plesalec iz Bostona na vzhodu in zdaj sem kar pogosto tam, pa tudi redno potujem v New York in na Florido. Opažam, da so določene razlike v stilih predvsem med večjimi središči, kot so ravno Los Angeles, New York in pa Florida kot celota. Tam so določeni vodilni učitelji, okrog katerih se razvijajo določeni stili, ki so jih oni prinesli in razvijali. Tako je na Floridi in v Los Angelesu močan vpliv Latinske Amerike, obstajajo pa razlike v stilih in celo v osnovnem ritmu. Los Angeles ima na primer več salse na ena, Florida pa zaradi vpliva bližnje Kube na dva, vpliv jazza se vidi npr. v newyorškem stilu salse, tako kot tudi v plesu boogaloo, ki je neke vrste mlajši brat vsem dobro znanega čačačaja. Ko pa govorimo o športnem plesu, pa vsi toliko potujemo, da je težko sploh ugotoviti, od kod je kdo. Vsi se videvamo na bolj ali manj enakih tekmovanjih in tam, kjer so vsi najboljši trenerji, to pa je spet zlasti v Los Angelesu, New Yorku, na Floridi in New Jerseyju.

Videti si pa odlično. Do potankosti si izklesala svoje telo, imaš dolge blond lase, dolge nohte, seksi obleke … Se mi zdi, da si se dobro zlila z okoljem oz. ‘amerikanizirala’. Američani so pač vizualisti, kajne?
Zdaj si me pa nasmejala! Veš, jaz tega ne vidim kot spremembo. Vedno sem bila taka (smeh). Vedno so mi govorili, da sem za v Ameriko, pa nisem čisto razumela, kaj to pomeni. Mislim, da zdaj razumem. Jaz sem taka od nekdaj, ampak zdaj živim v okolju, kjer se moja avtentičnost in originalnost cenita, zato sem se verjetno še bolj odprla. Da odgovorim na isto vprašanje še z vidika plesa, je v Evropi tekmovalni športni (dvoranski) ples v enih federacijah bolj umetniški, v drugih pa bolj atletski, medtem ko je v Ameriki definitivno šov biznis, zato je vizualna komponenta ena bolj pomembnih.
Kaj vse počneš, da ostajaš v formi?
Ne vem niti, kje naj začnem odgovarjati na to vprašanje, saj je vse, kar počnem, povezano s tem, da pridem do boljše in boljše forme. Ples sam je glavna komponenta, in zdaj ko imam končno spet profesionalnega partnerja, je ta del fizičnega treninga postal veliko prijetnejši. Moram pa še dodatno skrbeti za svoje telo, če želim ohraniti ta poklic. Redno vadim, se veliko raztezam in jem dobro. To zadnje je tukaj še najtežje. Na začetku sem imela kar precej težav s prehrano in ohranjanjem zdrave telesne teže. V prvih dveh mesecih po prihodu iz Slovenije sem se zredila za kar 15 kilogramov, ker je njihova hrana tako drugačna, porcije pa povsod ogromne. Američani nimajo tako strogih zakonov v prehrambeni industriji, kot jih imamo v Evropi. Hrana je polna rastnih hormonov, pesticidov in drugih strupov. Poleg vsega ostalega sem razvila še intoleranco na gluten, ki se stopnjuje. Še pred kratkim nisem prenašala glutena le v Ameriki, v Sloveniji pa nisem imela težav, zdaj že slovenskega kruha ne morem več jesti. Ostalo mi je pa vse v veselje. Rada grem v fitnes, pohode v naravo in šport. Pred kratkim sem tudi spoznala nekoga, ki mi veliko pomeni. Slučajno je naneslo, da se ukvarja z osebnim trenerstvom in mi že pomaga pri razvijanju moje moči, agilnosti, hitrosti in hitrejši regeneraciji. Je moje skrivno orožje, vendar česa več še nisem pripravljena razkriti.

In v čem udari tista slovenska Tjaša na ameriških tleh? Kdaj se zavedaš, da si Slovenka, kdaj se odzoveš v popolnem nasprotju dežele, v kateri živiš?
No, me veseli, da si mi dala priložnost povedati kaj o patriotskem, slovenskem delu mene, potem ko si me označila za ‘amerikanizirano’ (smeh). Kot opažam, počnem nekaj, s čimer tipični Američani ne bi izgubljali časa in energije. Jaz se vedno uredim, preden grem iz hiše. Nikoli ne bi šla niti do Wallmarta v cunjah, ki jih imam za po hiši. Druga stvar pa je, da vedno dam prednost dobrim odnosom pred denarjem, kar tu ni tako pogosto. Ko gre za vožnjo z avtom, zelo rada hitro vozim, avto pa sem izbrala takšen, ki ima ročne prestave. Deluje kot varnostni sistem, saj ga tukaj skoraj nihče ne zna voziti, ker imajo vsi avtomatske menjalnike. Kar se tiče pa plesa, je znanje, ki sem ga prinesla od doma, neprecenljivo in me v kombinaciji s toplino naše kulture in mojo ljubeznijo do soljudi dela unikatno, in upam, da tudi dobro predstavnico Slovenije čez lužo.

Kupila si si tudi hišo, kajne? In potem že lahko napiševa, da je Amerika postala tvoj dom. Kako je videti tvoja dnevna rutina?
Amerika je zdaj nedvomno moj dom. Da bo tako, sem čutila od prvega dne, ko sem prišla. Moja dnevna rutina je dokaj nora, vendar meni popolnoma normalna. Ponedeljke in torke ponavadi preživim doma oziroma v plesnem studiu v Phoenixu. Rada dolgo spim, spijem kavo in potem sem pripravljena na deset do 12 ur plesa, s katerim začnem okoli poldneva. Če imam kakšen odmor, ga izkoristim, da skočim do fitnesa, prosti čas imam pa od okoli polnoči naprej, do dveh ali treh, ko grem spat. Preostale dneve sem večinoma na poti na tekmovanja na različne destinacije v ZDA, na treninge z Janijem v Boston ali na ure s trenerji v New Yorku/New Jerseyju. Najini trenerji so Diana in Gary McDonald ter Agita in Aigars Stolcers. Poskušala sem delati v dvorani tudi ob dnevih, ko potujem, pa zdaj zaradi dolgih ur potovanj raje izkoristim čas za odgovarjanje na e-maile, oglašanje na družbenih omrežjih in rezervacijo prihodnjih letov in hotelov. Na tekmovanjih sem povprečno tri vikende na mesec. Ko pridem v hotel, grem ponavadi najprej v fitnes, se stuširam in nato nanesem ten za tekmovanje. Če sem na tekmovanju s svojimi ProAm varovanci, vstanem okrog petih zjutraj, da si naredim frizuro in make up, tako da sem v dvorani okoli osmih zjutraj. Po tekmovanjih z učenci si grem osvežit make up in se preobleč v tekmovalno obleko za profesionalno tekmovanje z Janijem, ki se ponavadi začne zvečer, ko so PraAm tekmovanja končana. Če je možno, si privoščim kratek spanec med obema deloma, ker se zvečer tekmovanja končajo dokaj pozno in se lahko, ko pridem v sobo, začnem kar pripravljati za tekmovanja, ki sledijo prihodnji dan. Večina tekmovanj traja tri dni in pol, kakšna večja tudi ves teden, ker je toliko prijav. Ker obstajajo štirje osnovni stili (standard, latin, smooth in rhythm), vsak s po petimi tekmovalnimi plesi, poleg teh pa še kabaret, kjer so dovoljeni dvigi, formacije, pa še t .i. Night club session, kjer so tekmovalni plesi salsa, bachata, hustle, argentinski tango, merengue, kizomba, west coast swing, country pkesi itd. Ob vikendih, ko nimam tekmovanj, poskušava z Janijem čim več trenirati, da nadomestiva število ur, ki jih izgubiva, ker živiva tako daleč narazen. Jani včasih pride v Phoenix, kjer si poskusiva vsaj kakšno popoldne privoščiti malo arizonskega sonca, ki je vedno na voljo. Poskušam vedno biti doma v nedeljo, da lahko začnem nov teden po podobnem razporedu. Preden se komu zasmilim, naj povem, da uživam v vsakem trenutku in da ne bi ničesar spremenila.

Imaš priložnost se družiti tudi s kakšnim slovenskim plesalcem, ki je v Ameriki? Kdo je tvoja družba?
Ker živim v Phoenixu, ki je na zahodni strani ZDA, sem zelo daleč od Slovenije, sem pa blizu mehiške meje, zato je mnogo mojih prijateljev od tam. Mnogo znancev in prijateljev iz tekmovalnega plesnega sveta pa je iz Rusije ali Ukrajine in njihova kultura ni zelo drugačna od naše. Najbolj domač občutek mi tukaj dajejo moji prijatelji srbskega ali bosanskega rodu. Srbijo pogrešam skoraj tako kot Slovenijo, saj sem tam preživela precej časa, ko sem kot tekmovalka zastopala Srbijo na uradnih evropskih in svetovnih prvenstvih. Mnogi niti ne vedo, da imam kar četrtino srbske krvi, in očitno kri ni voda.

Redko prideš v Slovenijo, pa ne zaradi financ, ampak zaradi časa. Kljub temu si povezana s svojima staršema Danielo in Fredijem? So teme vaših pogovorov v glavnem ples ali starša tudi ‘pametujeta’ kot pač vsi starši, kaj bi bilo dobro zate, da storiš?
Saj vemo, čas je denar. Ne gre toliko za ceno potovanj v Evropo kot za izgubljene prihodke, če ne delam. Ne vem, če sploh lahko opišem, koliko se dela tukaj, še posebej, če si priseljenec. Jaz pišem tele odgovore, medtem ko se vkrcavam na letalo na poti domov z USDC, ameriškega državnega prvenstva na Floridi. Pozneje bi težko našla čas, saj bom šla z letališča naravnost v plesni studio delat, ker imamo čez nekaj dni že naslednje tekmovanje. Slovenijo zelo pogrešam. Do zdaj sem bila doma le trikrat v šestih letih, torej povprečno enkrat na dve leti. Moj cilj je, da bi prišla na obisk vsako leto. S starši se slišim redno, skoraj vsak dan. Pogosto se pogovarjamo o plesu, še zlasti odkar spet tekmujem profesionalno. Ampak veš, kaj se mi zdi smešno? Nehala sta mi dajati nasvete skoraj natanko takrat, ko sem se sama začela zavedati, koliko se še vedno lahko naučim od njiju, in zdaj jaz njiju gnjavim za nasvete (smeh). Predvsem debatiram z njima o zamislih, ki jih imam za prihodnost, vendar se že pozna, da jaz razmišljam bolj ameriško, bolj kapitalistično in da onadva včasih ne razumeta stresa, ki ga takšen način življenja prinaša. Na koncu koncev pa mi starša kljub temu predstavljata neko zaščitno mrežo, jaz pa upam, da bom v prihodnje lahko njuna.

Najbrž o vrnitvi trenutno ne razmišljaš, saj takšna majhna dežela, kot je Slovenija, ti res ne more nuditi ne dela ne razvoja?
Nikoli nisem razmišljala o možnosti, da bi se vrnila, razen izjemoma v nekih trenutkih, ko sem bila v dvomih, če si bom tu našla primernega življenjskega sopotnika. Verjamem, da mi, če bi prišlo do tega, da bi se morala vrniti, ne bi bilo težko živeti dobro, saj sem se tu že ogromno naučila. Ne vidim pa razloga, zakaj bi se morala zadovoljiti z manj. Na nek način je to naredila mami, ko je imela priložnost ostati v ZDA, pa se je vrnila v Slovenijo. S seboj je prinesla ogromno znanja s področja jazz baleta in modernih plesnih tehnik. Vrnila se je zaradi mojega očeta, ki ni želel zapustiti Slovenije. Kdo ve, kako drugačna bi bila slovenska plesna scena brez njiju. Prenekateri super uspešni plesalec izpod njunega okrilja mogoče nikoli ne bi prišel tako daleč.

In mi smo na polju športnega plesa obstali v prostoru in času. Ali kaj spremljaš dogajanje pri nas vsaj prek mojega portala ali te ne zanimamo več?
Če sem čisto iskrena, ne spremljam niti svoje konkurence tu v ZDA. Preprosto mi kronično primanjkuje časa, zlasti zaradi tako pogostih potovanj in tekmovanj v štirih različnih stilih. Večina mojih plesnih prijateljev je raztresena po vsem svetu, in pravzaprav me mami sproti obvešča o pomembnejših dosežkih naših plesalcev, jaz pa potem na hitro skočim vsaj na družbena omrežja, da jim čestitam. Težko mi je priznati, ampak zelo redko in s težavo gledam ples. Ne vem, zakaj je tako. Mogoče imajo moje odraščanje v plesnem studiu in mnoga potovanja na plesna tekmovanja in trening kampe kaj pri tem. Kot da sem postala alergična (smeh). Nikoli ne gledam plesa za zabavo. To počnem le v raziskovalne namene ali če v živo gledam svoje prijatelje in učence ter jih glasno spodbujam.

Kaj bi svetovala tistim, ki premišljujejo o selitvi čez lužo? Biti pogumen in odločen ali kaj drugega?
To pa je super vprašanje! Če kdorkoli razmišlja o tem koraku, upam, da lahko pomagam osvetliti to odločitev. Prisežem, da nisem pristranska. Mislim, da je Amerika posebno mesto daleč od doma, ki pa ponuja priložnosti za tiste, ki so pravega kova. Prva stvar je, da moraš biti sposoben zaslužiti za dobro življenje, kajti razlike v standardu življenja med revnimi in bogatimi so tu za evropske in še posebej za slovenske pojme nedoumljive. Življenjski stroški so zelo visoki, ampak proporcionalni s tem, koliko nekdo, ki je priden in pripravljen veliko delati, lahko zasluži. Torej je nujno, da delaš nekaj, v čemer uživaš, saj boš moral delati veliko. Drugo, v Ameriki se zelo malo počiva. Delovni teden traja šest dni in pol. Dela prosti prazniki, ko večina ljudi ne dela, so trije. Na ostale praznike plesalci delamo še več, ker imajo ljudje več prostega časa. Počitnice so ponavadi le tu pa tam kakšen podaljšan vikend, torej štiri dni, pa še takrat moraš biti dosegljiv za službene zadeve. Če si kdo privošči 14-dnevne počitnice, je to, kot da je umrl. Jaz sem pred leti skoraj zapustila studio, ker mi po dveh letih nepretrganega dela niso pustili iti domov v Slovenijo za deset dni. Tretjič, zavedaj se svoje vrednosti. Kdorkoli te bo povabil v Ameriko na podlagi delovne vize, bo imel od tega korist, zato bodi izjemno previden, komu zaupaš. Poskusi pridobiti več ponudb, kontaktiraj več ljudi, saj je v Ameriki dela za plesalce ogromno. Če ti ponudijo sponzoriranje vize, zahtevaj vse podrobnosti formalno črno na belem, kajti ko si enkrat tu, si popolnoma odvisen od delodajalca, ki ti je plačal vizo in ki ima tudi moč, da ti jo odvzamejo in te pošljejo domov. Ni usmiljenja, se pa zato hitro naučiš razmišljati ‘out of the box’, spoznaš ljudi, ki so pripravljeni pomagati, in počasi sprejmeš, da se težave pojavijo, da se jih naučiš reševati. Ameriške sanje so še žive, za bolj poglobljeno analizo pa priporočam knjigo Rich Dad, Poor Dad Roberta T. Kiyosakija tudi tistim, ki nimajo želje, da bi se selili v ZDA.

Bi se še enkrat odločila za ples, bi se še enkrat odločila za Ameriko?
Da, vsekakor! Zelo malo je stvari, ki bi jih v svojem življenju spremenila. Če bi lahko, bi več časa preživela s svojo družino, ko sem še imela priložnost, in naučila bi se več standarda, ko sem imela enega najboljših učiteljev za standardne plese na voljo doma. Razen tega sem zelo zadovoljna s svojim življenjem
Pred tremi leti sva končali intervju s tvojim tatujem na rebrih “Per aspera ad astra” oz. po slovensko “Preko trnja do zvezd”. Zdaj si že pri zvezdah, kajne?
Nisem čisto ‘All Star’, kot sem sprva načrtovala, lahko pa rečem, da se počutim, kot da sem se dotaknila neba in dosegla marsikaj, za kar nisem verjela, da je možno.
Vse dobro ti želim in upam, da se prihodnjič ujameva v živo.
Hvala še enkrat za povabilo in tudi jaz upam, da se prihodnjič vidiva! Do takrat pa ti želim vse najboljše in pošiljam en velik objem z leta 1662 v Phoenix, letalske družbe Southwest Airlines (smeh)!

Angleška različica intervjuja/In English.

Dear Tjaša, greetings from across the Atlantic, all the way to Phoenix, which is slowly becoming your home. You have been in America since 2017 and the last time we chatted like this over email was three years ago already. We have been following you on social media where you have been very active and successful. But ever since 2020 many things have changed, how did the pandemic affect your life?
Dear Barbra, firstly thank you for those kind words and of course for having me on your lovely platform dedicated to dancing! I remember our last interview, we were already talking about the pandemic even though at the time we still had no idea what a big effect it would have on the world! 2020 was a very interesting and a very challenging year for me. Probably one of the biggest pivot points of my life. I must say it was probably one of the best years, since I have been given opportunities and was able to stay in the United States despite the fact that the economy took a big hit for obvious reasons. It was one of those “go big or go home” moments, quite literally. Since then, I was able to find an amazing professional ballroom dance partner Jani Bogre in Boston, MA where I travel to now on regular basis, I managed to buy my first house here in Phoenix Arizona, and I have expanded my competition circuit and am now traveling with my professional partner and my Pro-Am group all over the states.

If I understand correctly, you operate as a professional dancer in the Pro-Am division in ballroom dancing, which is very popular in America and you also dance the authentic Latin styles such as Sensual Bachata. Does that mean you are active in various spaces, or does it seem like the same activity to you?
Correct. I dance professionally in both Ballroom Industry and authentic Latin Community. And then as you mentioned I also dance Pro-Am as a professional who dances with amateurs in both of those worlds. It sounds like nearly impossible to merge the two together, because they are so very different, but on the end of the day it is all just dancing and I already live out of a suitcase anyway. Haha! I think the two work together beautifully because in a competitive ballroom world things have been in the hands of Europeans for so long that I feel like the roots of ballroom dancing have been sort of neglected and I love to research and find reasons and authentic ways to move your body. But at the same time dancing authentic Latin styles like Bachata, Salsa, Mambo, Kizomba gave me the opportunity to use my knowledge of the body, body mechanics, formal dance techniques and other knowledge I have from dancing ballet and ballroom and even hip-hop in a way that it has perhaps never been used before. Therefore it allows me to create my own personal style which most definitely fulfills my need to be an artist of my craft.

The birthplace of ProAm is most definitely America, but slowly it is becoming popular in Slovenia, as well as the rest of Europe. What do you think is the reason behind its popularity, not everybody can afford it, it is known to be a luxurious hobby. How does that work in America?
I should perhaps explain for those who don’t understand what Pro-Am is. Pro-Am stands for a couple that is formed by either a male professional dancer and a female amateur dancer or in my case a female professional dancer paired up with a male amateur dancer. As we know it is very hard to find a partner for any kind of couple dancing, which is what both ballroom and authentic Latin dancing is all about. A man and a woman dancing together. Pro-Am solves that problem. You are no longer required to bring somebody with you to be able to dance, train or even compete! Growing up in Europe dancing is so very competitive that the dancers quickly come to realize that they are either going to try to become world champions or it is not worth it. Mostly because it is not an industry, in Europe dancing is treated as an elite sport and I’m not denying that it is art as well, as I believe any sport on a very high-level is pure art. But none of the less, neither pay bills. Americans cracked that code a long time ago and came up with a system that allows the professional to offer a service. The money generated from people coming to watch dance events is just not enough to support the dancers. In Europe, before pro-Am came across the pond, dancer’s only option for generating income was to train other dancers to also become starving artist. Now finally, the better option is Pro-Am and it allows the average person to enter into our beautiful World not just as a spectator but as a participant. There are many people out there that love dancing and now they finally have a chance. They don’t need to be married to somebody who also wants to dance, they don’t need to have aspirations of becoming the next world champion, they don’t even need to be fit. They can use dancing to become fit and to increase their physical abilities and improve their health – mental and physical. I think dancing is a very natural and rather crucial activity that should be accessible to the average person.
However, as you mentioned it is not the cheapest hobby one can have. In my case numbers are pretty high, if somebody would like to dance with me, but I am not the only one out there. There are other professionals that are both below and above my level. Recently at one of the events, there was a lady who danced one single showcase dance with the famous Michael Malitowski and the word came out that she spent six figures on that single dance. To each their own.

Do you think that grow and would ever become a threat to our normal Dancesport? And what do you think about the new solo division in Latin and Standard dancing, then recently flooded Europe, I must say this is where I see a problem in the rise when it comes to couple dancing, isn’t it?
Actually quite the opposite, I believe Pro-Am supports dance sport all together. It is a new funnel for people to get involved and for dancers to financially support their careers. I see absolutely no negative aspects, except perhaps some of the old school teachers might need to learn how to hold their breath and be less critical to amateur dancers. They are dancing for completely different reasons.
Now, the whole solo competitions are a completely different animal. Thank God in America they’re not very popular and organizers are not keen on pushing those events. Like I said earlier, ballroom dancing is about a man and a woman dancing together in a couple. Now I have no problem with the changes made where two ladies can dance together and two man dance together, but still forming a couple, where one is the lead and the other is the follow. But the solo competitions in my mind completely miss the point. I do understand that is hard to find a partner and for the time being it’s probably good for the kids to be able to dance, train and compete by themselves until they’re able to find a partner, but at the same time where is this taking us in the future? Will a new style arise from this, where dancing with a partner using your partners body weight and breathing together as one will no longer be important? I hope not. It is probably also a good opportunity for kids to find partners but there should probably be a time limitation of how long one can compete solo. It just sounds like a good exercise for the real deal and I really hope it stays nothing but that.

What is your opinion, where does America stand with all of this?
With pro-am being the king of our industry, solo competitions would be the silliest move somebody could make so they are mostly an alternative for smaller local events to include newer and younger students who have not been paired up yet.

For a dancer on your caliber, is America still the dream land? Did it ever happen that you were stressed about survival out there?
America is definitely the land of opportunity. The economy is strong and offering an elite service like mine is most definitely easier in a country like this. I’m sure there are others but right now America definitely feels like home and I don’t see any reason why would that change in the near future. To be honest, I didn’t leave behind my friends and family and the country I love so much, to come out here just to survive. I came here with big goals and dreams, not making it big was never an option. But as I learn, grow, and mature, my definition of it keeps changing and growing as well.

How diversified is dancing in America? Are there different styles popular in different regions and state? Is there something you notice more popular on the East Coast versus the West?
That is a very interesting question and quite frankly a very good timing for you to ask me that! Since my partner is from Boston I do get to travel a lot and I would say they are different styles popular in different states but the big hubs, where you can find large communities for any style you can think of, are still in New York and LA, the whole state of Florida and I think the trend is that people tend to learn the styles that their teachers most known for. LA and Florida are so close to Latin America so there’s definitely a lot of salsa, bachata, merenge, etc. But within those dances, there are different styles based on the location, so we know of LA salsa which is salsa danced on 1 then there is Cuban salsa more often danced in Florida, and then we can notice the jazz influence in the New York style salsa, as well as boogaloo, which like a yunger brother to the very well known cha-cha-cha. And while talking strictly about Ballroom, we all travel across the states so it’s even hard to tell where someone is from, because you see them every single weekend in a different state. We all find partners wherever we can and we travel to our coaches wherever they are. A lot of good teachers are again in LA, New York and New Jersey so that’s where you will find most of the ballroom dancers while we’re not competing.

Now, I have to say you look phenomenal. You have trained and perfected your body, your long, blonde hair, always done nails, sexy dresses… it seems to me that you have acclimated very well or shall I say got Americanized. Americans are very visual aren’t they?
Well I can’t help but giggle at that statement, which is possibly quite true, ha ha! You know, I don’t see it as a change in me at all, I have always been that way. Haha! I have been told all my life that I was made for America, but I didn’t quite understand what that meant. I guess I do now. I think I was that way always, but living in a country where being authentic and unique is so highly valued, definitely allowed me to unleash it all, ha ha! Also to answer that same question from a dance aspect. European ballroom is more artistic in some federations and then definitely more athletic in others and I don’t think it’s necessary for me to mention which ones. In America however, ballroom is definitely show business, so the visual component is the most important one.

What do you do to stay in shape?
I honestly don’t know where to begin to answer that question because everything I do is an attempt to get in better shape. Dancing itself is the most important component and now that I finally get to dance professionally, with a professional partner, that definitely became a much more pleasant physical activity. But beside that, I need to take care of my body, if I would like to keep this profession. I do the necessary work outs, stretches and eat well. The eating well part is probably the hardest one to do in this country. I had quite my fair share of weight loss struggles, and eating disorders. I gained a lot of weight when I moved to America probably like 30 pounds in the first two months because their food is so very differen and, the portion sizes are enormous. The laws we have in Europe, regarding our food industry are very strict in comparison to America, and we need fight to keep it that way as long as possible! The amount of toxic stuff we can intake here is ridiculous. I could not believe when I started reading about it all: growth hormones and antibiotics fed to livestock, genetically modified produce, drowned in pesticides, toxins, and even bleach used to process and package food. And the list goes on. So on top of everything else, I also managed to develop gluten allergy,which used to only affect me in America. I could eat everything when I got back home to Europe, but since I came home last time, which was a month ago, I wasn’t able to stomach a slice of bread anymore.
The rest is all fun to me. I love to work out, hike and play other sports. Recently I met someone very special to me and he happens to be an elite personal trainer that is helping me increase my agility, strength, speed and recovery time. He is my secret weapon. I’m not sure if I’m ready to reveal more at this time for good luck’s sake.

When can you tell you had a completely Slovenian reaction? When do feel your slovenian genes surging, and you act completely indifferent from the land you now live in?
Well I’m glad you gave me a chance to talk about the patriotic Slovenian in me after getting called out for being Americanized, ha ha! The way I see it, there are certain things that I do, that Americans typically wouldn’t waste time on. I actually dress up every single time I leave my house, even if it’s just to take out the trash. You will never see me in my comfortable home clothes at Walmart for instance. I will also always prioritize relationships over money. I must confess though, when it comes to driving I am a bit of a speed demon, haha! I enjoy driving my manual car, while most Americans don’t know how to drive one. It nearly works as a security system since no one would dare to drive it, haha! When it comes to dancing, the knowledge I brought from home is beyond valuable, combined with the warmth of our culture and in general the love I have for people makes me one of a kind, hopefully a good representation of a Slovenian overseas.

You have a bought your house recently, so there I say you call America you’re home now? What is your daily routine like?
America is definitely my home by now. I knew that from the day I landed. My daily routine it’s kind of crazy but it’s totally normal to me. I usually spend Monday and Tuesday at home or I should say at the studio. I like to sleep in, have my coffee and then I’m ready to have 10 to 12 hours of dancing starting around noon. I will escape to the gym on my breaks if I have any and then enjoy my free time past midnight and I will go to bed around 2 or 3 AM. The rest of the week is usually spent traveling across the US to either competitions, to practice with my partner János Bögre who lives in Boston (it”s a six hour flight from Phoenix), or to New York / New Jersey to our coaches Diana and Gary McDonald, Agita and Aigars Stolcers. I tried to work also on travel days, but usually because of long flights and changing time zones, it proved to be difficult. Now I use those days to answer my emails, work on my social media, book flights and hotels. When traveling to competitions, which is usually 3 weekends per month, I will settle in my room, go to the gym, shower and do my tan. When with students I will get up around 5am to do my hair and make-up and be ready to dance at 8am. After competing with students I will go change into my pro-pro outfit, fix my make-up and dance with my pro partner in the evening. I try to take a nap during the day because by the time I am done in the evening it is time to wake up and do it all over again.So my night is often during lunch time! Most competitions are 3 and a half days long, some last a whole week, due to amount of people and their entries. One person can be dancing quite a lot since we have 4 styles with 5 dances in each, cabaret where lifts are permitted, formations and an additional nightclub style that includes social dances like Salsa, Bachata, Hustle, Argentine Tango, Merengue, Kizomba, West Coast Swing, Country dances, etc. On practice weekends, we just buckle down and train like crazy since we don’t live in the same city. However sometimes Jani comes to Phoenix and we try to enjoy the never ending sun in Arizona at least for an afternoon or so. I try to make it back home on Sundays so I can do it all over again, haha! But before you feel sorry for me I must tell you that I love every moment of it and I wouldn’t change a thing.

Do you have a chance to spend time with any of the Slovenian dancers abroad? Who do you hang out with?
Living in Phoenix I am very far West from our beloved country and quite close to the Mexican border. So most of my friends are Hispanic, a lot of them from the ballroom world are Russian and Ukrainian, which are quite similar cultures to ours. But what hits home the most are my Serbian and Bosnian friends. I actually miss Serbia as much as Slovenia since I spent there quite a lot of time, representing their flag on European and World Championships. Some might not know this but I am a quarter Serbian and the typical Serbian patriotism is surging, haha!

You rarely come home to Slovenia, and not for financial reasons, how come? Despite being so far, you are still very close with your parents Fredi and Daniela? What do you guys usually talk about, is it about dancing or do your parents still like to preach on what is good for you?
Well you know how it goes, time is money. It isn’t so much about the cost of traveling back home, but the time spent not working. I don’t think I would be able to explain how hard people work in America, especially us, immigrants. I am literally boarding a plane right now typing these answers on my laptop, on my way back home from USDC, the US Nationals in Florida, because the moment I land, I will go from the airport straight to the studio and get ready for our next competition, which is in 4 days! I miss Slovenia so much though. So far I went home 3 times in 6 years, so once every 2 years, but the goal is to go every year! I speak with my parents nearly every day and we talk about everything. We often talk about dancing especially since I am back in the competitive circuit. But you know what is really funny, They stopped telling me what to do the moment I realized how much I can still learn from them. So now it’s me who starts asking them for advice, haha! I run my ideas by them and tell them what I’m up to or planing to do. But my ideology is changing and becoming more and more American or I should say capitalistic, so they have a hard time with the stress level that it comes with it. But in the end, they are my safety net as much as I am trying to become theirs.

You’re probably not thinking about moving back home to Slovenia. I imagine a country, so small has very little to offer to someone like you?
I have never thought about moving back except when I had my doubts about being able to find a life partner here. I think if I would have to, I would be able to earn a good living back home, since I learned so much, but I don’t see the point. Why settle for less. That is kind of what my mom did when she moved to Chicago and then decided to move back to Slovenia. But she had my dad to come back to, He had no intention to move to the US, especially in the late 80’s. If it wasn’t for that,who knows how dancing in Slovenia would look like without them and how many famous dancers that came from them would never have made it so far.

Not much has changed in Slovenia as far as Dancesport goes in the meantime. Do you follow what is happening over here over our dance portal?
If I am completely honest, I don’t even follow what my competition in America is doing. Among the 2 continents, 4 competitive styles, most of my friends are spread out all over the world…That is one thing I use my mom for. She keeps me informed of all the titles we bring home and I hop on social media to congratulate our amazing dancers. I have a hard time confessing this, but I have a really hard time watching dance. I can only tell you why I think that is, but I don’t really get it myself. I think growing up in a dance studio, traveling with my parents to competitions, dance camps, etc, watching dance hours on end, maxed me out. It feels like I developed an allergy, haha! I never watch dancing for fun. It is either for research and training purposes or I am watching my friends or students, screaming off of the top of my lungs, cheering for them!

What would you suggest to those who are thinking about moving across the pond? To be courageous or quite the opposite?
That is probably the best question you could ask me. If there is any one out there thinking about taking that step, I hope to help them with making that decision. I promise I am not biased. I think America is a special place, far from home that offers a lot of opportunities, but one has to be cut out for it. Number one, to make the move worth it, you need to earn a good living, because the differences between the rich and poor are unimaginable to us Europeans, especially Slovenians. The cost of living is very high, but it is proportional to what you cam earn, if you are willing to work hard. Do it only, if you absolutely love what you do, because you will be doing a lot of it. Number two, in America there is very little time to rest. A work week is 6 and a half days, there are about 3 holidays that most people have off, all the others you work harder because people have more time to spend. A vacation is maximum a prolonged weekend, so a 4 day trip, on which you have to answer work calls. A two week vacation is unheard off. People will think you died. I nearly quit my job when I wasn’t allowed to visit Slovenia for 10 days after I had worked for 2 years straight with no vacation whatsoever. Third, know your worth. Whoever will bring you to the US on a work visa will have a benefit from you, so be careful who you trust. Try to get multiple offers, contact people, work is very rarely turned down in America. Try to sign the least amount of contracts and have people give you their offers formally, black on white and signed, if they are offering to sponsor your visa. Once over here, you are at the mercy of your sponsor and they have the power to revoke your visa and send you home. There is no mercy. But you live and you learn, you start to think out of the box, you meet great people and inevitably you figure out that problems were meant to be solved. The American dream is real and for any further exploration I strongly suggest the book Rich Dad, Poor Dad by Robert T. Kiyosaki. Even for people that don’t plan to move, it is very eye opening. It was definitely my revelation.

Would you choose dancing and America all over again if you had the chance?
Yes and Yes. There are very few things I would change about my life. If I could I would only spend more time with my family while they were so close to me and I would want to learn standard while I had one of the best teachers at home! Beside that, I am more than happy with my life.

Three years ago when we spoke last, we talked about your tattoo that says Through rough times to the Stars in Latin. It seems like you have already reached the stars haven’t you?
I might not be the All Star that I set myself to be, but I would say that I have touched the sky and accomplished things that I never thought were possible.

I wish you all the best, and I hope to see you in person next time.
Thank you again for having me an hopefully we do see each other in person! Until then I wish you all the best, big hugs from Southwest Airlines, flight 1662 to Phoenix, haha!