Part 1: From First Steps to Stardom – The Story of Glukhov and Glazunova

For more than a decade, Alexey Glukhov and Anastasia Glazunova have captivated the DanceSport world with their unmatched elegance, musicality, and consistency in Standard dances. They have been a constant presence in GrandSlam finals and have claimed first place in over a dozen major events in recent years – including all four GrandSlams in 2023 and five more in 2024, with standout victories in Calvià, Wuxi, Stuttgart, Belgrade, and Shanghai. Their most recent triumph as amateurs came at the 2025 WDSF DanceSport Festival in Blackpool, where they once again took the top spot in the GrandSlam Standard — a particularly special victory, as it took place on the iconic floor of the Empress Ballroom, one of the most historic and prestigious stages in the world of DanceSport.

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Shortly after their win in Blackpool, the couple officially announced their decision to move into the WDSF Professional DanceSport — a natural yet significant milestone following an exceptional amateur career that had already placed them among the absolute elite of the sport.

Days before their stellar Professional debut in Tokyo — where they went on to claim the World Championship title — we sat down with Alexey and Anastasia for the first of several in-depth conversations. The most recent took place just after their participation in The World Games. Over these past months, we have spoken with them on multiple occasions, followed their latest results up close, and, in the process, discovered a more personal and intimate side to the people behind the titles — not just defined by medals or milestones, but shaped by their beginnings, their bond, their daily life, and what keeps them grounded through it all.

What follows is the first part of an open and honest conversation — one that continues soon, as we explore the next chapter of their story.

Where It All Began

Not every path to excellence begins with a dream. In the case of Anastasia Glazunova and Alexey Glukhov, their first steps into DanceSport couldn’t have been more different — yet both would go on to build a life around it.

“I was three years old when I saw a couple dancing on TV,” Anastasia recalls with a smile. “I told my mother immediately that I wanted to do the same. But not alone — I wanted to dance with a partner.” That moment of clarity sparked what would become a lifelong dedication.

“From the very beginning, it was my decision.” says Anastasia..

Alexey’s journey, on the other hand, began with resistance. “Dance was probably the last thing on my list,” he laughs. “I wanted to play football, or do something else with my friends. I didn’t even know such a sport existed.” It was his sister who was meant to enrol in dance school — she just needed a partner, and Alexey was the available choice. “So, I ended up there by accident. After one month, she quit… and I stayed. Mostly because my mother really liked it.”

It wasn’t love at first sight. In fact, Alexey admits to skipping lessons: “I used to take my football clothes and go straight to the stadium instead of the dance school. My teacher didn’t see me for a long time.” It took some time — and a lot of persuasion — for him to truly commit.

But once the spark was lit, there was no turning back.

Commitment Against the Odds

Both dancers faced significant challenges from an early age. For Anastasia, that meant moving away from her hometown to Moscow at just eight years old to pursue training. “My first international competition was in 1999 in Mannheim,” she remembers. “I was only eight.”

Alexey’s path required relentless discipline. He grew up in a small town outside Moscow, and at age 14, began commuting daily to the city for training. “It took me two hours one way. I did that for almost ten years,” he says. “Sometimes I would finish training at 10:30 p.m., and my father had to come pick me up.”

He made those long hours count. “On the road, I would do my homework, read books, study for university,” he says. “I didn’t have internet, so I had no distractions. Maybe that helped.”

Anastasia adds with pride, “He was the best in his school and university.”

Looking back, Alexey credits their parents’ sacrifices as a key part of their journey. “Without their help, we wouldn’t have made it. They supported us at a time when we couldn’t earn anything, and they made sure we had what we needed to continue.”

Lessons in Resilience

From the beginning, both dancers developed a mindset that would carry them through their careers. “If you really want something, you’ll do it,” Anastasia says. “That’s how it’s always been for me.”

Alexey echoes the sentiment with a metaphor: “Life is like a dancefloor. Sometimes there are obstacles, and you have to adapt your routine — keep going no matter what. You just need to use floorcraft… or in life, maybe roadcraft,” he jokes, referencing the popular video game Minecraft, where navigating a path through ever-changing terrain is part of the challenge.

He also reflects on how the hardships they faced helped shape their success — and they weren’t alone. “There was another couple training in the same club. Uliana Fomenko was also commuting hours every day from the same area. Later, she became a World Champion in Youth 10 Dance.” For Alexey, that’s no coincidence.

“The more difficulties you face, the more prepared you become to receive something great later on.” — Alexey Glukhov

Patience and determination, he believes, are key: “You won’t always see results immediately. But if you keep going, if you keep following your track — even if it takes you right, left, right again — you’ll get there.”

Crossing Paths

Before they ever danced together, Alexey and Anastasia were already familiar faces in each other’s lives. “We had known each other for a long time,” Alexey explains. “We’re close in age — just one year apart — so we would always meet at competitions growing up. We moved through the age categories in parallel.”

One moment from those early years remains especially memorable: “We even have a picture together from 20 years ago,” he adds. “I was standing with my partner, Nastyia with hers, and we were posing side by side at a prize presentation during a team competition representing Moscow. It’s funny to look at it now.”

Anastasia laughs at the memory: “So it was destiny!”

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It wasn’t until years later, after both had split with their previous partners, that the possibility of dancing together became real. Or almost real.

“I was the one who offered,” Anastasia confesses with a grin. “But he didn’t accept!”

At the time, she had already won a Youth World Championship title — a distinction Alexey hadn’t yet achieved. “I thought maybe it wouldn’t be the right balance,” he explains. “Also, I didn’t know how it would work out. I told her I was okay with my partner.”

A few months later, things changed. Alexey’s partnership ended, and he began exploring university exchange programs abroad, which could have taken him to the USA or Europe. But instead, the timing aligned.

“Somehow we reconnected again,” he says. “We did a try-out, and three months later we danced our first competition together: the Rising Stars at the German Open. We won it. That competition has been very special for us ever since.”

They’ve been dancing together ever since. As Anastasia puts it with a smile: “It was only my decision. I didn’t ask anyone for advice. I said, I want a new partner, and I want Alexey. And in the end… It was the right decision.”

“If you want to make your mistakes, it’s okay — they will be your mistakes.”
— Anastasia Glazunova, quoting her mother’s lifelong advice

A Day in the Life

Their days start early and end late. “We usually begin with our own practice around eight or nine in the morning,” says Anastasia. “Right after that, we teach — often adults who come before or after their own work — and then we continue teaching in different studios until late in the evening. Sometimes around 11:30 p.m., we finally return home.”

That rhythm is nearly constant, and it comes with sacrifices. “Just going from one studio to another takes us at least an hour or more,” she explains. “So, it’s nonstop.”

For Alexey, this demanding schedule is the price of keeping their career alive. “This is how we support our dancing,” he says. “DanceSport is not like football or other big sports where you have contracts, sponsors, and salaries. Even average players can make a living. But for us, teaching is how we afford lessons, travel, competitions — it’s all connected. If we don’t work, we can’t dance.”

Despite the physical and mental toll, both remain grateful. “Of course, there are days when we come home and just sit for an hour doing nothing — staring at the wall,” Alexey admits. “But we remind ourselves why we’re doing this. We understand what we’re working for, and we try to focus on the good side of it.”

“We understand what we’re working for, and we try to focus on the good side of it.”
— Alexey Glukhov

Finding Balance

Living in DanceSport from morning until night naturally raises a question: what happens when the day is over? Do they still talk about dance… Or try to disconnect?

Alexey smiles. “We try to switch off. We have friends outside the dance world, and that helps a lot. Otherwise, every conversation ends up being about competitions, steps, results... We need other topics too.”

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Whether it’s reading, visiting museums, playing videogames, or simply meeting up with friends, both agree that finding mental space is essential. “For us, traveling is one of the best ways to disconnect,” he adds. “It takes you out of the routine, changes the energy. When we go to Tokyo now, for the PD World Championship, we’ll stay two more days just to enjoy the city with friends — one of them is a dancer, the other isn’t — so it won’t be all about dancing.”

At one point in the conversation, when asked what they do to unwind, both burst into laughter. Their first answers were filled with laughter and off-the-record jokes, a reminder of the easy-going energy they carry even after a long day. But their joy in telling them made it clear: even in exhaustion, they don’t take themselves too seriously.

Painting is also one of Anastasia’s longtime passions. “I’ve always loved it,” she says — and during the COVID lockdowns, she had more time to dedicate to it, completing nine full artworks. One of them is a rendition of Starry Night, proudly displayed at home. Alexey, with a playful grin, adds: “It’s not Van Gogh’s — it’s hers. He just claimed it.” Anastasia bursts into laughter.

They even share their home, when they can, with a cat — though constant travel has turned the pet into more of a guest than a resident. “She lives now with my parents,” Anastasia says. “It’s hard to take care of her when we’re always away.”

Alexey nods with a soft smile. “I really love animals. But it’s not easy for us to keep one at home.”

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The second part of this four-part interview will be published next Friday. 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.