Valentin has been interested in jazz music and 1920’s-1930’s for a long time. After finding out that you can learn swing dancing in Moscow, in September 2009 he went to his first lindy hop class, and in 2012 he started to dance balboa.
The same year he started to dance with Marina and in 2012 they won in Russian Balboa Championship. They were winners and prizewinners for several times afterward (1st place in Tantsklass Cup 2014, 2nd place in Russian Championship 2014, 3d place in Amateurs Strictly competition at All Balboa Weekend 2014 (USA), 2nd place in Open Strictly competition at Moscow Balboa Weekend).
Valentin and Marina always seek for improvement and take classes with the best teachers in Europe and the USA. Also, they visit international events and master-classes. They are interested in the history of swing dancing and take their inspiration from great dancers of 1930s and 1940s. In balboa they appreciate a unique feeling of swing and communication through dance.