So what's the secret of her success?
“Enjoy it and persevere. Everything has a process and many dancers only focus on the results, but it’s good organisation and perseverance leads to success.”
In 2009, Yana was living in Valencia with her parents and already had many titles to her name; she was champion of the Valencian Community and a finalist in the Spanish Championships and she was looking for a dance partner.
“My current dance partner, Adrián Olmo, contacted me to do a test and it worked, so I moved to Mallorca.”
What memories do you have of that time on the Island?
“Francisca Barceló and Gabriel Riera helped and supported us a lot, both in the creation of the club and in our career,” recalls Yana. “They were pioneers in organising the Mallorca Dance Sport Challenge, which brought the World Championship to the Island. Today, Adrián Olmo and I have a great club, called Club de Ball Esportiu in Felanitx.”
Yana also met the love of her life, singer David Bustamante through dance on the TV programme, ‘Dancing with the Stars’.
“It was a wonderful experience and it’s a pity is that the programme won’t continue,” says Yana. “I was attracted to David because he was very natural and funny and because of how he made me feel when I was with him, he is a wonderful man.”
Do you and David dance together when you are at home?
“Dance is never lacking in our life and I would even like to do TV again,” she admits.
Did you ever consider giving up dance?
“I have loved dancing since I was little, but I also wanted to be a teacher and those two dreams go together today,” she says. “I have had difficult moments, but my relationship with dance is too strong to give it up. Dancing is a way of life.”
Do you dance in your spare time?
“Yes of course, but I also like reading, listening to music, travelling, fashion and sewing. I’ve made a lot of training clothes, I like creating them.”
What advice would you give young people who want to dance professionally?
"Let it be your way of life. You have to sacrifice many things, including your free time and going out with friends; be constant and never stop learning.”
Should there be more dance shows and contests on television?
"I would love to see more dance shows and I would like to return as a dancer, a teacher or a member of the jury,” she says. “Some people wrote to me after they saw the TVE programme to say that I inspired them to dance with their partners and that’s one of the most beautiful things that could happen to me.”
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