Dog Dance Mania with Anastasia Beaumont and Salsa

Relationship of pets is said to be one with unconditional love and affection. Pet parents treat pets not just as pets but as their babies and many a times take more care of them even more than their own self. It is the love that makes this bond strong and everlasting. But what happens when our pet and me share the same interest and hobby. Today I want you meet one such duo Anastasia Beaumont and her pet dog Salsa who share the same love for the art of dance.

Anastasia and Salsa recently appeared on television dance reality show Romania has got talent and since then their dance videos have gone viral. More so in India and Hindi speaking countries because they danced to the Oscar winning hit movie Slumdog Millionaire song Jai Ho composed by Oscar winner AR Rehman. I spoke with the new sensational duo about their love for dance, excerpts from the interview:

How did you think of the idea of dancing with your pet dog salsa?
I am a Dog Dancing trainer, to me it all started as a hobby 12 years ago with my first dog border collie Yuki. I loved teaching him some different tricks and then a friend of mine told me about a sport with dogs which is called Dog Dancing. I decided to try and just fell in love with it. Since then I am dancing with my dogs and teaching other people how to do it in my online school.

How difficult was it to train her? Does she love music and dance like you?
Salsa loves dancing and waiting impatiently for our training. All my training is based on positive reinforcement, so for Salsa it’s like a game – I explain her what to do and when she does it right she gets tasty treats or I play with a ball with her. She really enjoys it and when she performs on the stage you can see her happy tail wagging all the time. She was grown up hearing music so it was not at all difficult to train her but, yes regular practice is needed just as we humans need daily practise to master out dance. The practice sessions are same for Salsa and me.

How long did you do the rehearsals for?
It took me more than a year to create this dance on ‘Jai Ho’ and teach Salsa some new moves. The most challenging was to make every move right on time with the music. For this I had also to practice alone without Salsa, to remember all the movements and all the commands, and to give them at the right time, so they are well synchronised with the music. We both put in daily at lease and hour of practise and rehearsals and a month before the show even more time was given to our practises.

How was the experience to take part on the iconic ‘Romania has got Talent’ show?
I am humbled that the organisers invited Salsa and me to participate in this renowned show. The main aim was to promote love for pets and to showcase that such an unusual bond is alos possible with our pets. I am overwhelmed with the response, after the show when I shared the video it became viral -more than 100 million views and I have got a lot of followers from various parts of the world and especially from India. People were very impressed by our dance and have sent lots of nice messages and comment about our work. Apart from ‘Romania has got Talent’ we have even performed for the Open European Championship and World Dog Dancing championship.

Tell me about the Dog Dancing Championship, it craze and benefits?
Well, it be honest it is not a craze, it is a sport, not many are aware but proper competitions and championships are held for Dog Dancing all over the world.
Owners/handlers can choose the music, moves, costume and props for their routines. In respect for both the sport and dogs, the dogs must be safe and treated with respect. Attention must be paid to the moves chosen to not cause injury or harm to the dogs and they are not to be dressed up. The dogs may only wear a decorative collar. The two separate divisions in dancing with dogs are freestyle and heelwork to music.
Heelwork to music does require that at least 70 per cent of the routine performed with the dog close to the handler’s leg. Freestyle, as the name suggests, is less structured and includes any safe move that owners that reflect the theme of the music.
As dogs love to play and interact with their owners, training for Dances with Dogs builds strong connections and creates enjoyment and satisfaction for owners and dogs. Dances with Dogs is a great training opportunity and provides both mental stimulation and physical activity, improving the connection between owners and their dog. They are able to channel their energy into something that is mutually enjoyable and beneficial. Dances with Dogs offers flexibility allowing a particular level of freedom and creativity unique to this sport.

Tell me a bit about your dance background?
I grew up in a small village with no dancing schools around, so I did not have any dancing background. But I always wanted to learn how to dance and I think that is why when I began to do it with my dogs I enjoyed it so much. 6 years ago I started to take dancing lessons to improve my movements and learn about different styles of dancing. For this choreography of ‘Jai Ho’ I took online lessons with Ms. Pinky Yadav, a dance teacher from Bareilly, India.

Why did you choose a Bollywood song for your dance, what attracts you to Bollywood?
I have always been fascinated by Indian culture. The values ​​that it carries are close to me and I really like the energy that the music brings. Some time ago, I witnessed Indian dances that captivated me deeply. It was then that the idea struck me to choreograph the next dance with my dog Salsa to Indian music. And what better than the iconic song Jai Ho so I chose this award winning track.

Sandip Soparrkar holds a doctorate in world mythology folklore from Pacific University USA, an honorary doctorate in performing arts from the National American University, He is a World Book Record holder,
a well-known Ballroom dancer and a Bollywood choreographer who has been honored with three
National Excellence awards, one National Achievement Award and Dada Saheb Phalke award
by the Government of India. He can be contacted on [email protected]