Ukrainian choreographer Alena Shoptenko in an interview, which was published on the YouTube channel of the program on August 22 ZhVLtold how participation in the show “Dancing with the Stars” on “1 + 1” paired with the former head of the Kvartal 95 studio, and now the President of Ukraine Vladimir Zelensky, influenced her career.
“Our collaboration with Vladimir Zelensky gave a powerful impetus to my career, because I still use some of his instructions during my work,” Shoptenko admitted.
She noted that at that time she was 17 years old, and Zelensky mainly gave her advice on dramaturgy.
Shoptenko stressed that she was not ready to talk about Zelensky as a dancer during the war, but she could talk about him as a person. The choreographer described the Ukrainian president as a man who stands up for his own.
According to Shoptenko, the last time she talked to him was when he won the presidential election.
Context:
Zelensky and Shoptenko won the first season of Dancing with the Stars by 1+1.
Zelensky became president of Ukraine in 2019.
In May 2022, after Russia’s open invasion of Ukraine, Zelensky topped the list of the most influential people in the world according to the authoritative American daily Time. The magazine linked Zelensky’s top spot to Russia’s war against Ukraine, pointing out that the Ukrainian president is a symbol of “how a head of state should act.”
