REVIA Magazine Issue #11

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By: Monica Dolecka 20 revia reviamagazine.com #11, #10, 2015
WHEN YOU FIRST SET EYES ON EDYTA ŚLIWIŃSKA, YOU CAN’T HELP BUT BE AWESTRUCK BY HER NATURAL AND SOPHISTICATED BEAUTY, AND HER DANCING, WHICH FLOWS CALMLY AND EFFORTLESSLY. EDYTA’S POSITIVE ENERGY CAN LIGHT UP A ROOM AND HER POSITIVITY IS SIMPLY INFECTIOUS. YOU MAY RECOGNIZE EDYTA FROM HER 10 MEMORABLE SEASONS ON DANCING WITH THE STARS, WHERE SHE UNVEILED TO THE WORLD HER SWEET AND FIERCE PERSONALITY, FLAWLESS DANCING, AND SUPERB COACHING SKILLS. I FIRST MET EDYTA IN 2011 WHEN SHE WAS INVITED TO COACH AT A STUDIO WHERE I REGULARLY DANCED, HERE IN CHICAGO. TO ME, SHE IS AN INSPIRATIONAL BALLROOM DANCER – AND WOMAN – AND I WAS TRULY HONORED TO LEARN HER STORY ABOUT WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A MOM, BALLROOM DANCE ICON, AND ENCOURAGING ROLE MODEL TO WOMEN EVERYWHERE. REVIA: Where are you originally from in Poland, and how did you eventually come to the States? EDYTA ŚLIWIŃSKA: I was born in Warsaw, and spent the first 20 years of my life there. Before coming to the US, I was dancing and traveling to big competitions like Blackpool in England – the biggest ballroom dance competition in the world. I was looking for a partner at the time because I had just split up with my long-term partner and eventually… I met Alec! We had a little try-out, and Alec and I clicked from the start. So I decided to give it a try and moved to San Francisco for a couple months and thought, Let’s just see how it goes. It’s a common practice in the ballroom world to try out with someone from a different region because when you’re at a certain level, there aren’t many people in your own country to choose from. It was summer time then, and I could easily take time off from school, so it was perfect timing. And it actually went really well. We went to our first competition, got great results and, well, I just never moved back [Softly Laughs]. But, it’s not like I desperately wanted to move to America. I was very happy at home, very close to my family, but I knew dancing with Alec was a once in a lifetime opportunity, especially because it’s very difficult to find a partner compatible with your style, ability and personality. It was a difficult decision, but I knew I loved dancing. So when I met Alec, I thought, THIS is the opportunity to do what I love… and I want to continue doing it. At the time, I obviously didn’t foresee the career I would have. I just went with my intuition. REVIA: How did you first meet Alec? EDYTA ŚLIWIŃSKA: Well we both had mutual friends. The ballroom I always loved dancing and performing, and as a girl I would perform in front of my family and friends. world is huge, but at the same time, very tight-knit, so you know people from all over the world, and everyone meets every once in a while at these international competitions. I had a friend, British ballroom dancer, James Jordan, who asked me to dance with him at the time. But I wasn’t keen on moving to England because the conditions weren’t so great. James was on Strictly Come Dancing, the British version of Dancing with the Stars. Eventually James introduced me to Alec. One of the main reasons I moved to the US, besides that I loved dancing with Alec, was that I could still continue my studies. Alec and his brother ran a dance school in San Francisco, where I was able to work. I knew that if I moved to England I would have to ditch my studies and work as a waitress or maid to support myself while dancing. And I just didn’t want to do that. REVIA: You said you’re close to your family. Do they live in the States too? EDYTA ŚLIWIŃSKA: No, my whole family is in Poland; my parents, brother, Adrian, and two sisters, Renata and Magda. Both sisters have their own families now. No one moved here, except me, and I don’t think they plan to. It would be difficult for them to leave behind everything they built in Poland. But my husband’s family is here. Alec was born in Gomel, Belarus and moved to the US with his family when he was 12, so he went to high school, college, and got his Master’s Degree in the U.S. It was very difficult for my parents to let me go across the ocean alone to America, but they understood my decision because they knew I love dancing. From the beginning they were extremely supportive, and from both an emotional and material point-of-view, they were always there for me. Dancing is expensive and my parents are not wealthy people, but they did everything to make sure I can continue my passion, from driving me to competitions across the country, to paying for lessons and costumes. I’m sure it wasn’t easy for them. REVIA: I know you recently had a baby. Has being a mom changed your life in any surprising way? EDYTA ŚLIWIŃSKA: Yes! I had my son in 2014, so he’s a year and half now. There are so many new surprises as a mom! Everyone tells you how incredible it having children, but you don’t get it until you have a child yourself. I mean I knew the logistics of having kids, like never having time for yourself, how you can’t plan anything, and how everything is dependent on your child’s schedule. When you have kids, it gets tricky. You definitely have to shift your priorities. When you’re responsible for yourself, that’s one thing, but when you have a child, suddenly everything is out of your control. 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. People wonder what the meaning of life is, and I think it’s to pass down your legacy, accomplishments, and of course your love, to your children. I don’t want to get too philosophical [Laughs], but I think that’s our #11, #10, 2015 reviamagazine.com revia 21
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Page 10 and 11: e v e n t s Dar serca Boat cruise 2
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