Tell us a little bit about yourself :)
I have been in the UK for 5 years, the past two years spent in London, but I am originally from Cyprus. I have been involved with the dancing industry since I was 3 years old. I have participated in dancing competitions and have been also been teaching Latin Dance.
How did you get introduced to your dancing and when did dancing get serious?
Since I also fell in love with the fitness industry, I decided to do my Zumba qualification in 2013, which is dance fitness with Latin Dance and music influence. I started working part-time as a Zumba instructor in Kent, while also studying for my degree.
Can you share your biggest challenges ?
Fear of failing in an industry that people do not think you can succeed in. Believing that I had reached my limits and cannot become any better. However, once you believe you can though, that is when good things start happening to you. That is when you do things you have never even thought that you could actually do. It is a mind game.
How do you handle pressure and where do you find your motivation?
Being a perfectionist also means that you are bound to be very familiar with pressure. I try to remind myself that comparing my own progress and journey , with another individual’s journey, is the worst thing you can do. I remind myself that I am only competing with myself and then this pressure, becomes good pressure! Healthy competitiveness with your own self means that you never stop trying to better yourself, but you can also listen to your body and needs. You learn when you need to take it easy, and you know when you need to push harder, at your own pace! Then you achieve your optimal performance!
What was your most embarrassing moment (in regards to dancing, of course) ?
When you are so tired you forget your own choreography and your student reminds you! #awkward!
How did dancing influence your life in other ways?
My passion for dance means that I also learned to take care of my body a lot better, but I have always found healthy living very interesting. I love learning about nutrition and about how each herb, nut or vegetable could contribute in helping with body’s function, or cure a headache, or even lower the risks of a disease! It is fascinating to me and healthy living has never been difficult for me to accomplish.
At the same time, I am not afraid to treat myself with dark chocolate when I crave it, or go for pizza now and then. I do not starve myself, as I know that consistency is what contributes to your most wanted result.
My passion for Latin dance also helped me find my partner in life. I met my boyfriend at the salsa society of my university. The first night we went out, we went for salsa. We are still together, dancing together and soon to have our 4 year anniversary.
What does your typical day look like?
I work from 9am-6pm on weekdays and either teach or train (or both) after 7pm. I teach on Saturdays and I take Sundays off.
And what about your flexibility training ? Where does that fit in ?
Flexibility training happens every day. I always have a stretching session after my workouts that can last from 15minutes to 30 minutes.
What are your future plans/goals/dreams?
Know that there is never a perfect or the right time to start doing something. You just have to take the plunge, no matter how scared you are. I want to be an influencer in people’s lives and share my passion about healthy living and dance. I want to get more people to experience wellness, as I believe that this also nourishes your consciousness and then you can start finding solutions for other problems that you might have in your life and also act as a better person, doing great stuff!
Any tips for passionate people who are starting to practice dancing now?
The most common mistake of the people that quit is not that they aim too high. The problem is that people want results here and now, or just speed up the process as much as possible. You need to be able to accept that this a lifetime journey. You need to be able to accept that, for example, you might need a year to reach your goal and that is fine. You cannot squeeze all the work needed into 6 months.
The outcome of doing such a thing would be overworking yourself, and then getting tired, too quickly. You need to have a schedule that you can work with and that you would not mind settling with for the rest of your life. Your schedule needs to be healthy, for you to be healthy!
Anything you’d like to share?
- IG: @lorenasavvidou
- For the pictures used, credited to my professional photographer; IG: @_mistershutterbug