Dancing. Engineering. It’s all about creativity.

Arina, why is dancing disco fox dancing so special to you?

I always wanted to dance. I learned about Disco fox from my cousin. He was so enthused, so I wanted to know what it is all about. I went to a big dance school in St. Petersburg, first for fun, but then I also started to take part in competitions with several partners. The moment when you are competing and when you finally win the first prize after all the training and work, this is an overwhelming feeling. In December 2017 I won the Gold medal in my category in the Disco Fox Championship. When you want to compete in dancing, you learn how to pursue your goals.

How does your hobby energize you in your job as test engineer? 

It energizes me because when you move, you feel better. Dancing is creative, and it inspires you to be creative in your job as well.  After dancing, you might be physically tired, but emotionally you feel fantastic. For me dancing is reloading, like a computer. Sometimes it also can be difficult because you have to work hard to compete in dancing. I still attend dance competitions but less demanding ones. Now it is a good mix of fun and sport. And I inspired one of my colleagues to start dancing, too.

Which skills are most beneficial in dancing and in your work?

First of all, teamwork and secondly, perseverance. In dancing as well as in work, it’s essential that you are able to communicate your needs to your partners, so that you can achieve a common goal. I like the cooperative atmosphere in our company. It is a very stable and good environment. Dancing can be cross border communication as well. Some years ago, I met a German colleague at a conference in Berlin. After the meeting there was a party for the participants, and we danced together. Although we didn’t know each other the dancing connected us and today we are still in contact. It’s great that people share the same values in our company. I feel very comfortable and free to develop in various directions.