Madis Abel & Aleksandra Galkina – Empathy, Support & Focus
Madis Abel & Aleksandra Galkina are ranked 6th in WDSF Amateur Standard and they have a bright future ahead of them. They both started dancing when they were 6 years old, Aleksandra in Russia and Madis in Estonia.
Fate brought them together 6 years ago when they were looking for a partner. After their first try-out, they realized they are perfect for dancing together. As it usually happens in dancesport, one of the partners has to move country to be together and have access to teachers. In this case, Aleksandra moved to Tallinn and Aleksander Makarov became the couple’s teacher.
In this article, I am going to share with you the insights we got from our interview with them. You can see the full video here.
Be A True Listener
Being in dance partnership is not an easy thing, especially because dancers are known to have strong personalities. But Madis told us his secret: hear out what the other has to say!
Aleksandra confirmed that they are both willing to compromise when a difference of opinion arises and they focus on finding a solution to their problems. The idea is to realize that you are not always right and the other always wrong.
Furthermore they have received a great piece of advice from their teacher. Aleksander Makarov told them that you don’t have to struggle to change your partner, you can always change yourself. Also, to always keep in mind that the role of the gentleman in the couple is for him to lead the way.
Just have a look at this beautiful waltz and you’ll see that the way they are communicating with each other simply makes the dance much more effortless and naturally-looking:
Have A Supportive Teacher
Another important contributing factor that got Madis Abel & Aleksandra Galkina this far in their career is their teacher, Aleksander Makarov. He was always there for them. In one of their many conversations, Aleksander gave Madis a beautiful analogy on the artistry of dancesport and the teacher-student relation.
With this advice, his teacher gave him the vision for dancing and inspired him. Furthermore, besides the artistry, Aleksander Makarov also influenced Madis in his sports mentality. Following his teacher’s model, Madis is very goal oriented – if he has a dream, he will go towards it.
On top of the words of wisdom, Makarov is also present, at the competitions with them. He is there to offer moral support, tips and tricks and see their overall performance on the dancefloor.
If you want to learn more about Aleksander Makarov, you can check our podcast with him here.
Be Focused
Being in the top 6 standard couples, Madis Abel & Aleksandra Galkina are going to a lot of comps…And you are probably curious about how they prepare for them 
Well, first of all, they practice daily, on average 3-4 hours per day. Besides, they’re always researching for what body exercises they can do, and they take care of their nutrition. Then, for the competition, they just try to remain focused on their goals. They try to think about their own dancing and how they will perform at that certain competition.
Having in mind these principles that guide them in their career, Madis Abel & Aleksandra Galkina never cease to enchant us with graceful dancing and amazing results!
If you really want to improve your hairstyling skills, follow Madis Abel’s course on Dancesportlife Academy on “How To Make A Ballroom Dancing Hairstyle For Men”
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Catalin Matei
Dancing has been my passion since I was 13 and since then I've been doing things in that direction. Writing, creating and putting together the biggest community for dancers around the world!