And they danced

Torus Tammer

In 1989, Russian ballroom dancers Igor and Irina Sururov came to San

Diego for a competition.

A year later, they returned to California with the hope of making

America their home.

And this weekend, the Huntington Beach residents will be one of two

couples officially representing the United States in a world championship

ballroom dancing tournament.

The Sururovs have been married for 13 years, and they live for

ballroom dancing, they said. Nothing backs that up more than their

emigration from Russia to the United States more than 10 years ago.

“We were in San Diego as part of a team of four Russian couples on

tour,” said Igor Sururov, 36. “When we came back again the following

year, we wanted to stay and pursue our career. So the event organizer

provided help for us, and we hired a lawyer and stayed in San Diego for

the next five years.”

Irina Sururov, 33, said this all happened about the same time

Communism’s grip loosened on Russia and Perestroika was just starting.

Recalling their new beginning, she spoke with gratitude of the assistance

that was available to them.

“It was very nice to come here and see that many people wanted to and

did help us to get established,” she said.

This husband-and-wife team began their individual journeys many years

ago when they were children. In Russia, dancing, or some form of it, is

usually part of the school curriculum. Igor Sururov began as an ice

skater; his wife, a ballerina.

Before long, they segued into ballroom dancing. It was fun, but also

it was also a lot of hard work. And it’s their full-time job. The couple

live off their winnings from various competitions.

“In America, the way it’s natural for a kid to play baseball, it’s

natural for a kid to dance in Russia,” he said. “But it is not considered

a hobby. They take it very serious.”

The two met through dancing and eventually fell in love. As a team,

they won competition after competition on their way to becoming one of

the best Russian teams of the late 1980s. Their strong wills and

perspectives have played a role in keeping them at the top of their

field, they said.

“I’m the competition guy,” Igor Sururov said. “I want to win always.”

His wife added that she also likes to win but loves the show more

because it’s entertaining.

In 1993, after gaining legal residency in this country, the Sururovs

began spending time in London, where ballroom dancing has its roots. With

a desire to become better, they were able to study and compete in the

most celebrated ballroom dancing competition -- The British Open.

This year, they made the semifinals, giving them their highest placing

since they began competing in The British Open.

And although it is their best result, they consider a different

achievement to be their favorite.

“We won the Rising Star Award two years ago out of a field of about

300 couples,” Irina Sururov said.

Her husband agreed.

“We are proudest of that,” he said.

The couple, who moved to Huntington Beach in 1995, feel they are in a

comfortable place now. They are focused, disciplined and surrounded by a

slew of teachers and other dancers who also live in the Orange County

area.

Andre Bonderman owns the Avant Gard dance studio in Newport Beach,

where the Sururovs have practiced for the past four years. He said there

are many factors that make this team good.

“They are very dedicated and have accumulated a lot of knowledge about

their art,” Bonderman said. “When they are preparing for a competition

like they are now, I see them in here probably five times a week.”

The couple is ranked second in the United States and in the top 10 in

the world. They will compete in The Embassy Ball in Irvine, to be held

Friday through Sunday.

The Embassy Ball is an international competition that will include 50

couples, hailing from Italy, Germany, China and Russia, among other

countries. The other U.S. couple live in New York City.

Brian McDonald has trained the Sururovs since they were amateurs and

said world-caliber events are both physically and mentally grueling.

“It’s not unusual for them to lose four or five pounds within a night

of competition like this,” McDonald said. “The couples need to have

strong physical endurance, as well as the coordination necessary for two

people moving together in complete harmony. That takes years of work.”

Although faced with competition many times before, there is something

about this one that makes the Sururovs nervous.

Irina Sururov said representing the United States in competition comes

with a lot of responsibility. Her husband elaborated.

“I’m kind of scared actually,” he said. “This is the first time we

will represent America, and it makes me nervous because I want us to do

good.”

McDonald adds that soon after the Irvine ball, the Sururovswill head

to Gurat, Austria, for the World Championships scheduled for Oct. 7.

The pressure of winning can be made even more intense by the emotional

pressure of spending so much time with one partner. It’s about total

unity, two people dancing together and moving as one, Igor Sururov said.

The dancers must know each other and communicate well, he added.

But the Sururovs have their sights set on winning the Irvine ball, and

the goal is not so much winning as it is striving to become the best they

can be.

“We want to keep improving a little each year,” Igor Sururov said. “If

we don’t continue to improve, then it’s time to retire.”