April 18 is getting closer. The closer that day comes, the more my life revolves around one specific point on the calendar. Right now, I have one or two training sessions every day. At the same time, over the past week I have been dealing with feeling a bit unwell and worrying about catching a cold, so I have had to be a little more careful with myself. I have skipped longer high-heart-rate runs because I was afraid of exhausting myself too much, which could also lead to getting sick. Getting sick is simply not something I can afford right now.

Improving my dance technique

This week I also have slightly fewer dance training sessions because Martin Parmas is at the famous Blackpool Dance Festival with his best students, and I myself am spending most of the week in Monaco at an aesthetic medicine conference. For this period, I am simply creating a different training rhythm. Once I return, the more intensive dance training will begin again, and I plan to add Reformer Pilates sessions at Golden Club to my routine. It is ideal for any dancer to develop flexibility and take care of muscle wellbeing. Martin has emphasized that pilates is the perfect additional training for a dancer because it keeps the body elastic and in great shape.

In terms of calorie burn, dance training is definitely the most demanding. Especially when we spend most of the session actually dancing instead of focusing so much on adjusting technique. In general, though, even if I feel tired after training, after a few hours I am completely fine again.

Right now, I have several points of focus at once. The most important one is probably improving my dance technique. In Martin’s training sessions, we keep returning again and again to the basic cha-cha-cha steps, where I still find myself doing something wrong. There are so many details in every movement. Sometimes I really do not understand how a cha-cha-cha lock step can feel so unbelievably complicated. How long can you keep practicing something, and it is still not perfect?

Everything starts with proper posture, where the weight is more on the balls of the feet, and the heels often do not even touch the floor. Then there is turnout, where the legs are turned outward, starting from the hips. In the beginning, I even felt that my legs did not turn out enough. Over time, that ability has improved nicely. Then there is the fact that when stepping, the toe touches the floor first, sometimes even the big toe, not the heel. And the legs make movements where the knees create an angle and then almost snap straight again.
And then of course there is the thing I have mentioned before, that the body moves like a Rubik’s Cube and instead of simply swinging the hips, I move forward by changing sides.

There are so many details, and often when I improve one detail, I forget another one again. For all of it to stay in muscle memory, it takes many hours of work, and I have to remind myself that I am still a beginner.What feels funny to me is how, when you watch dance, everything looks so easy and natural, as if it is all done effortlessly with a smile. The viewer has no idea how much technique there is in every step and how much effort it actually requires. Proof of that effort is, of course, the heart rate that shoots through the roof while dancing, and that happens even with top-level dancers.

How I sometimes lead myself off course

Dancing puts a huge mental strain on me. When I dance a routine, I have a sequence in my head, what comes next and what follows after that. The moment I stop actively thinking and my focus slips, I forget the steps. Dance Sport is also a partner discipline, and part of its beauty lies in the cooperation, communication, and trust between two dancers. The man is the one responsible for leading. I have noticed, though, that I often dance while concentrating so intensely on the pattern in my own head that I fail to notice my partner’s signals and guidance. Through the connection in our hands, the partner is actually giving cues about where to move and can also add speed to the woman’s movements, for example during turns.

I still have a lot of room to grow when it comes to understanding that kind of leading. In training, it often happens that when I think I already know the step combination, I take over the lead myself. And that is usually when I end up leading myself completely off course. Martin jokes that in ballroom dancing, the success of the performance is the responsibility of the male partner, because he is the one leading, so if something goes wrong, the leader is to blame. In other words, the man is always guilty. For me, though, it does not matter who is to blame. I want the best performance I am personally capable of.

One of my advantages in this sport is definitely that I have a trained and resilient heart that recovers quickly. I also have toned muscles, which help me maintain posture while dancing and execute certain movements. The core muscles are especially important, and anyone can work on them effectively, even at home, by doing different plank exercises. The planks I do with trainer Margus Silbaum are the kind that really push me to my limit. Legs up in the air with a resistance band, moving through different variations. I will show you that exercise soon.

Without stamina, dancing would be almost impossible. At the same time, dance stamina develops through dancing itself, because the body gradually adapts and learns to endure more. A competitive ballroom routine usually lasts about one minute and thirty seconds. To an outsider that may sound short, but it is more than enough time for your heart rate to hit its maximum.

The fight against stage nerves

Ever since meeting Marius Balan, I have been thinking all week about how to manage stage nerves. I have been thinking about how to train my mind better and how to handle fear. Dancing in front of him sent my heart rate so high from nerves that I felt it would be almost impossible to perform something that is already such a huge physical and mental challenge while also making it look fun and flirtatious. After reflecting on it, I have realized that nerves come mainly from the fact that this discipline is still new to me. To dance with confidence, I need a lot of practice, because confidence comes with repetition. I also keep reminding myself that my dancing does not have to match the level of professionals who may have spent ten years or more mastering it.

Of course, I was nervous before meeting Marius Balan. There was no real reason to be afraid, but I think my reaction was natural.
It came from the fact that I still see my dancing as very raw. I want more. I want to be better. At the same time, everything went well.
He knew exactly what this was meant to be — in the PRO AM concept, one partner is an amateur. I am still deeply grateful to both Martin and Marius for giving me this opportunity.

Now that Marius knows my level, the fear is less intense, but I still hope to improve a great deal more so that our pairing — with one of the absolute best in the world dancing with me — looks convincing and enjoyable on stage. For me, the PRO AM format is ideal because individual training allows for the fastest possible development, and a certain level can be reached more quickly. Since one partner is a professional, the amateur receives much more support, and the dance can look far more polished than it would if two beginners were dancing together. I would not want to dance with someone at my own level, at least not in competition or in a public performance.
In PRO AM, I get to feel like a real competitive dancer, and that is exactly what makes this world so exciting to me.

The hardest part for my body is probably this: one of the biggest differences between a beginner like me and a professional dancer is that a professional knows how to conserve energy and use the body efficiently. Because so many of these movements are still new to me,
I do not yet know how to execute them in the most economical way. I often feel that my whole body is too tense and that I am holding far more muscles than necessary in a state of effort, when in reality, half of that would be enough. I know that will come with time.

At the same time, my progress has already been significant. As I mentioned before, in the beginning, I would start sweating just from standing in the correct turned-out position. And because I dance in heels, Martin noticed at one point that my technique looks very correct and beautiful when I dance in socks, but the moment I put on my dance shoes, part of my foot stops working, and a big part of the technique falls apart. I am working a lot on getting my feet to overcome the shoes and on learning to really feel the floor, even while wearing them.


Recovery and listening to my body

You have to learn to listen to your body. There have been days when, even after a morning dance session, I have thought about going for a run or doing a gym workout in the evening, but I could feel that I was exhausted. In those moments, I realize I need rest. The body has to recover after training. I have noticed that after a lighter training day, my heart rate is much lower in the next session, and my energy is excellent. That tells me my body has recovered well and is ready for the next challenge. The same happens with dance steps. Sometimes I learn a new combination in training, and it feels completely confusing and illogical, but after a night of recovery, something seems to settle into place, and suddenly it feels entirely doable.

I also have a tendency to go to extremes when I am learning. If Martin says a movement should be a little sharper or bigger, I immediately do something very extreme and over the top. For me, it is either minimal or maximal, with nothing in between. What I really need to learn is tasteful moderation. At the same time, all of this is incredibly exciting, because I can feel how much growth is possible, and how even the most accomplished dancer can still become better and dance even more beautifully.

Because I do not believe my nutrition is perfect for this level of physical demand, I also support myself with vitamins and minerals. I want to be sure I am not creating deficiencies in my body. I do not see my age as a limitation, but I do want to care for my body as well as possible. So I take magnesium, vitamin D, and certain B vitamins. Sometimes I also take Q10 and antioxidants that support the immune system. During training, I occasionally drink water enriched with electrolytes to replace the minerals lost through sweating and to help hydration work more effectively. I also consider omega fatty acids important, because they are beneficial both for the brain and for the skin. And when you dance, your mind has to work extremely fast.

Nutrition and my ideal stage shape

I have said that my goal before the performance is to lose around three kilograms of fat. That number came to me intuitively. I looked at my body, looked at the number on the scale, and simply felt that it would be good to have a little less softness for a Latin dress. Whether that will actually happen, I do not know yet. Neither Martin nor Marius has told me that I need to lose weight. But I do have my own vision of how I want to look on stage.

My plan is to eat consciously and choose the right foods. It is not just about calories, but also about what those calories are made of. Muscles definitely need protein, but I also need carbohydrates before and after training, and the body needs fat as well. I am trying to make smarter choices, and it is also important that good quality food is available at the right time. I definitely cannot do a long training session on an empty stomach. Even half a banana beforehand can make a difference. After training, it is just as important to give energy back to the body.

I eat a lot of dairy-based protein sources such as curd products, and try to choose lower-fat options. Protein is the building material for muscle and supports recovery and development after training. Vegetables, on the other hand, are completely safe and can be eaten as much as I want.

Changes in my body matter more than the number on the scale

I am always very critical of myself, and I expect a lot from myself. I am never fully satisfied. There is always room to do better. At the same time, I do feel that I am on track, and not once have I had thoughts of giving up. More than anything, I hope to keep improving my dancing. I want my turns to be more precise and faster. I want to feel more stable in heels and, well, bent knees still make an appearance from time to time. I will absolutely give it my best, but no matter how well I perform, I know I can still grow so much more.

The number on the scale has unfortunately not gone down at all. Even so, I can see visual changes. My waist is looking leaner, and that is a good sign that the process is working. I also have to admit that I have not been extremely strict. I eat something sweet almost every day. But as the performance gets closer, I know I will be able to hold a stricter line. I have completely stopped drinking alcohol for now.
It is extra stress on the body, and I do not need that. It would immediately give me a headache.

It would definitely be wrong to focus only on the number on the scale. With this kind of training load, it can easily happen that the number stays the same while the body itself looks much better. That means training has changed the body’s composition. Fat has gone down, and muscle has increased. It is also important to remember that fat weighs less than muscle. On top of that, body weight is influenced by fluid retention, and after training muscles tend to hold on to water. And of course, these changes do not happen overnight. It is actually quite exciting to see what my result will look like by the time of the performance.

Starving yourself simply does not work with this kind of physical strain. First of all, you would lose muscle, and muscle already tends to decline with age. Muscle supports the whole body. Secondly, if I were hungry, I would not have the energy for training, and my brain would not function as sharply either. Food is fuel for a person in the same way fuel is essential for a car. Without it, nothing works.
Food should not be treated like an enemy or as something that automatically makes us gain weight. What matters is making better choices so the body can stay healthy and be in its best possible form.

With age, I have become a little gentler with myself. If I want candy or cake, I will have it. I do not believe in harsh restrictions.
But balance has to be there. And if one day is a little more relaxed in terms of food, then the next day you simply return to being more mindful again.

Right now, the key is preparation. If I want to manage my nutrition better, I need at least some planning. Time is very limited, and my days run from morning to night on a tight schedule. It is important that I have healthy food available both at home and with me for training, so I do not end up in a situation where sudden hunger hits, my blood sugar drops, I feel awful, and I eat whatever happens to be in front of me. So I try to keep fruit with me to eat before and after training when I need something right away. I also eat a lot of curd, skyr, cottage cheese, and mainly chicken. Eggs are another great source of protein. Vegetables and salads are unlimited in my menu. I also try to avoid processed convenience foods. As I said, I have not become extremely restrictive with food yet, but as the performance gets closer, I believe I will follow my nutrition even more carefully.

What I do differently today compared to preparing for bikini fitness

When I compare my current preparation to bikini fitness ten years ago, the biggest difference is definitely the dance training itself.
It was easier to make time for gym workouts because I only had to work around my own schedule. Dance training is much more emotional for me, and as I said before, it also puts a heavy demand on the mind. My nutrition is not nearly as extreme as it was back then. Another major difference is that I am now learning such an exciting new skill. Dancing well is such a great thing to be able to do.
At the same time, I see performing a dance routine on stage as a much bigger challenge than posing on stage ever was.

Ten years ago, when I was preparing for bikini fitness, my entire menu for the whole year was weighed out meal by meal and packed into containers. I tracked everything I ate with extreme precision. I had decided long ago that I no longer wanted to approach nutrition that way. I do not want to live in extremes, and I want to keep life as normal as possible. If I had to sum up in one sentence what bikini fitness taught me and what I still carry with me into my dance preparation today, it would be this: discipline and consistency. The result is having the right routine and sticking to it. Without effort, there is no success.

How I adapt my preparation while traveling

At times, I also have to travel and adjust to whatever my responsibilities require. Life cannot simply come to a stop. When I am attending an aesthetic medicine conference in Monaco, there is naturally a lot of movement built into the day. I plan to walk early in the morning and again later in the evening, so that gives me plenty of steps. In the hotel room, I can still do some bodyweight exercises, such as planks, and I can also slowly practice certain steps or dance movement techniques.I am not a professional athlete, and I have to fit both work and everything else into my daily schedule, but nothing is impossible.
You just have to have the will. When I am in an important preparation period, I simply try to adjust my needs to the situation, whatever that situation may be. You have to be resourceful.

The dress, the shoes, and the full stage presence

The dress makes everything feel even more real. At the beginning of the week, I had a meeting with Gerli Padar and Ele. Ele is creating the base of the dress, and Gerli will finish it with all the details and embellishments. Before that, I had sent Gerli examples of dresses
I like, and I was waiting for her feedback because I absolutely value an expert’s advice when it comes to both the cut and the materials. In general, I have always believed that everyone should stay in their own area of expertise, so many of the finer details of the dress are in Gerli’s hands.

The role of the dress should definitely not be underestimated. In DanceSport, the full picture matters — dance ability, physical shape, hairstyle, makeup, dress, and shoes. Every part is one piece of the whole, and the whole matters. If the dancing is strong, it certainly helps when everything visual also comes together in harmony. At the same time, even the most beautiful dress cannot save you if you do not know the steps. Now that we have the dress concept in place, I can already picture the performance much more vividly.

The visual side means a lot to me because it all has to work as one complete whole. I want everything external to feel aligned with who
I am. I have my own preferences when it comes to hair, and it sounds funny to say that I like simplicity, because ballroom dresses are definitely not simple. Even so, I do not want anything to feel too over the top. I have watched many different competitors and studied their style, and because of that, I know very clearly what I do not want.

When it comes to the dress, the cut, the color, and the embellishments all matter. As we know, the right cut can highlight the best parts of the body and soften the parts that are less strong. The right design can make the body look more elegant, the legs longer, the neck more elongated. What matters most to me is that the dress fits my essence. We are creating something elegant. Once the base is ready, it will go to Gerli Padar, who will begin decorating it with different details. Ballroom dresses use sparkling Swarovski stones, pearls, glass fringe, fringe, and much more. All of it is placed with extreme precision, in exactly the right places to create the strongest possible effect.

On average, it takes about a week to create a competition dress. My pasodoble dress received its final touches on the night before the performance. I will share photos of that process as well. I hope that next week I will already be able to try on the base of the new dress.
It absolutely has to feel comfortable on the body, so that it does not restrict movement but actually supports and enhances certain lines and motions. The night before the performance, the plan is to dance in it once as well.

When Gerli and I were discussing the dress, she told me that ballroom dresses can weigh up to eight kilos because of the amount of embellishment. If the dress is made properly for the dancer’s body, the dancer does not feel that weight. Of course, a dress can also be created without stones or heavy decoration. In younger age categories there are restrictions — children are not allowed to wear stones or glittering details, and even the length and cut of the dress are limited. But when designing for an adult, there is more creative freedom, and that is something Gerli especially enjoys in the process.

The dance shoes were a complete cultural shock to me at first. When I first looked at them, I will be honest, they seemed so unattractive and so expensive at the same time. If you compare a dance shoe to Jimmy Choo, the design is completely different. But dance shoes cannot be compared to stylish everyday footwear brands. They have a completely different function and nature. They are made for dancing.

The soles are so soft that they can roll across the floor. When I dance, I often have to use what is called a brushing technique, which means the big toe touches the floor first and often rolls the tip of the shoe under. In dancing, you also rise very high onto the ball of the foot or even the big toe. Trying to dance cha-cha-cha with proper competitive technique in regular shoes would be impossible. I think even trying it once could easily lead to injury.

At the moment, I am still in a battle with my dance shoes, trying to make them work with me and to keep my feet as active in them as they are when I dance in socks. A funny detail is that I go through a pair of thin socks in almost every dance lesson. Because my toes move partly outside the shoe and against the floor, by the end of training, my big toe is usually sticking out of the sock. I may need
to find myself a sock factory as a sponsor.

I want to bring my soul to the stage, not just the steps

In the coming weeks, I am not focusing only on refining the technique and shaping the visual side of my performance. I am also thinking about how I can bring more to the stage than just the dance steps. I want to bring my soul. I have noticed that when I watch dance, what moves me is often not only precise technical execution, but how much inner reflection and meaning the dancers bring into every movement. Dance is a beautiful art form, almost like a story whose message can be expressed through movement.
That is what makes it so captivating.

Depending on the dance and the music behind it, you can build a character, play a role, or even tell your own story. That is what makes this sport so emotionally powerful. To me, the true master dancers are the ones whose story feels believable. That can even soften technical imperfections. Perfect technique is not the only goal of DanceSport.

We are planning to do training photos so you can get a glimpse of my PRO AM performance before the big day. Right now, I am training with Martin, and I will only be dancing with Marius in the days immediately leading up to the performance. That is of course its own challenge, because Martin already knows how to lead me very well through experience, while for Marius, I am still a new partner whose dancing is only just beginning to take shape.If you would like to follow my journey more closely, you can find me on Instagram at @evelinainomae and of course here on my website as well. And a reminder that tickets are available through Piletilevi, and my performance will take place on Saturday at the beginning of the gala program at 5:00 PM.