Part 2: From Champions to Professionals – The Story of Glukhov and Glazunova

After revisiting their beginnings and discovering the story behind their partnership, we now shift to a pivotal moment in the journey of Alexey Glukhov and Anastasia Glazunova: their decision to move into the WDSF Professional DanceSport.

In this second part of the interview, we explore the motivations that led them to take this bold step, their reflections on everything they’ve built so far, and the growing sense of responsibility that comes with being role models in today’s DanceSport world. With their trademark mix of humour, honesty, and quiet determination, Alexey and Anastasia offer insights not only into their own path, but into what it takes to pursue greatness while staying true to yourself.

The Big Decision

After years of dominating the GrandSlam circuit, with back-to-back wins, top rankings, and a deep sense of stability, the decision to move into the WDSF Professional DanceSport wasn’t one they took lightly. It was a step they had been contemplating for a while, but one that required clarity, courage, and impeccable timing.

“For us,” Alexey explains, “the decision had a lot to do with the moment. We had achieved great results, and we felt it was time for something new, a new challenge, a new environment.” It wasn’t a rushed decision, nor one taken lightly. “We had been thinking about it for a long time,” Alexey shares. “Not because something was wrong, but because we felt it was the right direction. We had achieved everything we dreamed of in the Amateur division, and we wanted to keep evolving. For us, it was a natural step, one that matched how we already felt inside.”

The announcement came just days after their emphatic victory at the 2025 WDSF DanceSport Festival in Blackpool, and their debut as professionals would quickly follow at the World Championship in Tokyo, a debut that ended with them claiming the title.

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There’s also an undeniable sense of balance and maturity in the way they reflect on that transition. “DanceSport is not only about results,” Alexey continues. “But when you dedicate your whole life to it, you do want to feel that the effort, the sacrifices, are bringing something meaningful.” For him, the process, the training, the travel, the anticipation, holds enormous value.

“But I’ve always known that, for me, it’s about both. Maybe I’m 70% athlete, 30% artist. If there were no results, I’m not sure I would still be doing this.” – Alexey Glukhov

Anastasia, as always, is more direct: “I hate practice,” she laughs. “I love competing. I love the adrenaline, the music, the floor, the audience. But going to the studio every day? I do it because I have to, not because I like it.” That honesty is refreshing, and it reveals something essential about their chemistry as a couple: he is driven by structure and consistency; she is fuelled by energy and expression. Together, they balance each other out.

“If I want to paint, I want to see the result. If I do yoga, I want to feel the result. And in dancing, it’s the same. I need to see it, feel it, live it.” — Anastasia Glazunova

There’s no denying that the pressures of Amateur competition have grown significantly. When jokingly asked whether moving to Professional was also a clever way to avoid dancing six rounds per event under the new rules, Alexey smiles: “Well… let’s say it wasn’t the main reason. But we don’t mind dancing less rounds from time to time,” he laughs.

Anastasia jumps in, noting that it’s actually a topic she’s discussed with a WDSF Representative. “It’s something many athletes feel,” she says. “We talked about the number of rounds, and I understand it’s still being reviewed.” Then, with her usual wit, she adds: “At some point, it’s just too much. We’re not 18 anymore!”

“That’s why it’s important for the organization to keep listening to the athletes,” she continues. “We love competing, but when it gets to six rounds in one day, even physically, it becomes a different kind of challenge.”

Ultimately, their choice was about evolution. “We wanted to keep growing,” Alexey adds. “To stay professional not only in name, but in attitude. You can only improve if you stay hungry, and if you take the next step when your heart tells you it’s time.”

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Moments that stay with you

Looking back at a long and decorated Amateur career, Alexey and Anastasia are quick to point out that results alone don’t define their memories, it’s the journey around those results that truly left a mark.

“For me,” says Alexey, “results are important because they confirm that everything you’re putting into your dancing, your time, energy, emotions, is working. But the most valuable part is the experience itself. It’s the process. The way you prepare, the way you enter the venue, the emotions you carry through a competition. That’s what stays with you.”

He offers a vivid analogy: “It’s like parachute jumping. Sure, you get a certificate at the end, but the most powerful part is the flight itself, the experience of the jump. In DanceSport, the final result is just one part. The real magic happens in between.”

“The flight is the most valuable part, not the certificate at the end.”
— Alexey Glukhov

Anastasia adds her own perspective, highlighting how dancing brought them life experiences they could have never imagined. “Thanks to dancing, we went to Australia to take lessons with Anthony Hurley, something we would never have done otherwise,” she says.

“It’s not just the competitions. It’s the people you meet, the places you go, the way it changes your life.” – Anastasia Glazunova

Overcoming the Toughest Moments

Behind the trophies and performances, there were also plenty of challenges, moments that required resilience and perspective.

Alexey is honest: “It’s easy to say that you love the journey… but only when you’re getting results. If you’re eliminated in the first round after spending thousands on travel, it’s hard to enjoy that process.” He reflects on the importance of balance, of knowing that results and joy in dancing can coexist, but that motivation often depends on some tangible progress.

“I had to ask myself: if I didn’t get the results, would I still be happy dancing? And I realized I’m probably 70% sportsman, 30% artist. I need to feel that what I’m doing is going somewhere. Otherwise, I would have quit long ago.”

Anastasia, ever direct, puts it differently. For her, joy comes not from repetition, but from performance. “I’ve never been a fan of practice,” she admits. “But I love the competition, that’s where everything comes alive.” In her eyes, dancing, like painting or any other creative outlet, needs to lead to something tangible. “If there’s no visible result, I struggle to feel motivated.”

Together, they’ve built a career that thrives on effort, but never forgets to celebrate the victories, big and small, that made the journey worth it.

Becoming Role Models

Success comes with visibility, and visibility comes with responsibility. As reigning champions and now Professional World Champions, Alexey and Anastasia are well aware of their influence on the DanceSport community.

Anastasia, re-elected earlier this year as European Representative and Chair of the WDSF Athletes’ Commission until 2029, takes that role seriously. “My biggest goal is to help athletes feel heard,” she explains. “Of course, we need rules, but we also need to listen. Competitors know the floor, they know what really works,” she emphasizes her desire to build a stronger connection between athletes and the organization, not just through formality, but through meaningful dialogue.

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Alexey reflects on leadership from a different angle, the silent kind. “Being number one isn’t just your success,” he says. “It becomes part of the system, how you behave, how you speak, how you dance… others will follow.” He recalls how he once looked up to champions and subconsciously adopted their movements, their choices, even their presence. “Now, someone is probably doing the same with us. That’s a big responsibility.”

“To be first every time is more difficult than chasing someone who’s ahead of you.”
— Anastasia Glazunova

Advice to the Next Generation

Asked what guidance they would offer to young dancers dreaming of the top, both agree that talent alone is never enough.

“Consistency,” Alexey says, without hesitation. “In your work. In your relationships. With your teacher. With your partner. Everyone wants fast results, but real progress comes from staying, from solving problems instead of switching the moment things get hard.”

He believes that many dancers today are too quick to change direction. “People think it’s easier to find something new than to fix what they have. But when you overcome difficulties together, with your coach, with your partner, you create something stronger. You build habits of resilience. That’s what takes you further.”

Anastasia adds a more emotional layer: “Never give up. Even when it feels like there’s no way forward, there is. You just have to force yourself to find it.”

Behind every decision lies a vision, and in the case of Alexey and Anastasia, it’s one rooted in conviction, humility, and the desire to uplift others.

In this second part, we’ve explored the reasons behind their move to the Professional DanceSport, the values that shaped their journey, and the responsibility they now embrace as leaders in the DanceSport world. From competitions to commissions, from technique to influence, their impact reaches far beyond the floor.

In Part Three, coming next Friday 13 February, we turn our eyes to the future: their goals as professionals, their excitement for The World Games 2025, and a final, heartfelt reflection on what it means to grow, to remember, and to leave something behind.

In the meantime, readers can continue following Alexey and Anastasia’s journey on Instagram, witnessing firsthand the dedication, artistry, and passion that define their remarkable career.