Sometimes life presents us with challenges that require inspiration, determination, and fortitude. Max Leonov is a person who was able to meet these challenges using his talents and experience in the world of dance. In this interview, we will talk about Max’s childhood, first steps in the world of dance, participation in the popular show Dancing with the Stars, as well as the outbreak of war in Ukraine and how it affected his life. Max will also share his charity projects and plans.
Max, tell us about your childhood. What moments from it are particularly memorable and shaped you as a person?
I hail from Zaporizhzhia, and I find that my peers share a similar childhood narrative from the nineties. In that era, electronic gadgets were not as prevalent as they are now, so my entire pre-dance childhood was spent outdoors with friends. I sometimes miss those days dearly because no adult problems were looming over us.
We could roam the streets from dawn till dusk, engaging in various activities of our choosing. To the extent that, at the tender age of 8, I even attempted smoking with my friends. However, this escapade was short-lived, swiftly ending when my mother discovered it. The subsequent scolding was so severe that I ceased such endeavors, likely for life.
Following this incident, my mother attempted to channel my energy into Greco-Roman wrestling at the local athletics arena. However, my stint there was brief. Picture this: I attend the first training session, only to find myself sparring with individuals boasting several years of competitive experience. Naturally, lacking the physical prowess to take anyone to the ground, I quickly realized this wasn’t my calling. After a rubber soccer ball collided with my face twice at full force, I concluded that Greco-Roman wrestling was not my forte.
That marked both my inaugural and final session in Greco-Roman wrestling. Yet, when it comes to physical activity and sports, I am profoundly grateful to my friends, and especially to my father. Even at 54, stationed on the front line, he maintains excellent physical fitness. Thanks to my friends, I had the opportunity to attend a gym run by the father of one of my pals.
Your biography is connected with dancing. What are your memories of your first dances and ballroom partners?
I think that my story with ballroom dancing, which began at the age of 9, will never end. And she will always be 9 years younger than me. The story began in the late summer of 2000, I think. One day, my friend and I were walking on the street when a friend who went to the same school as us, 2 years older, approached us. She said she needed a partner for ballroom dancing classes. At that moment, my friend immediately went home, as if he had been called to dinner. And I was left alone. And, since I couldn’t say no, it turned out to be my future ballroom partner. When I came to the first lesson, of course, no rubber ball was flying in my face. At that moment, I realized that ballroom dancing is much more enjoyable than Greco-Roman wrestling classes. We danced with this partner for only 1 year. After that, she moved to another city. I was left alone, and at that moment the coaches at the Palace of Culture, where I used to come, changed. Then my mother told me that if I liked it, I could go and continue dancing. So I changed coaches and partners, but there was only one dance hall where I started dancing and even started teaching children and adults. Until I moved to the capital.
After the dance competition, you took part in the show Dancing with the Stars. How did it change your life and attitude to yourself?
My “Dancing with the Stars” started in Georgia in 2017. I was invited there by Dmitry Dikusar to join his team. I will always be eternally grateful to him for that. This was a very important experience for me before I took part in the project in Ukraine. But even here I didn’t make it to Season 1, I was hired as a choreographer. Over time, the producers, and directors of the project realized that I still belonged on the floor with the stars.
I am very grateful for this opportunity because not every ballroom dancer has the opportunity to take part in this grand show. Dancing with the Stars is a dance show primarily about personalities and their development. From each season, I have learned new qualities and character traits that help me in my life. This is a very serious school, after which you come out several levels better than you were before. And being recognized in the media space and society is a small bonus. If you compare me today with the person I was before I participated in the project, these are 2 completely different people. The qualities I had before have been supplemented by confidence, adequate self-esteem, and, above all, an understanding that I am going in the right direction.
Max, how did you meet the beginning of the war, how did it affect your life?
The onset of the full-scale invasion took everyone by surprise. As an individual who consistently avoids conflicts and seeks rational resolutions that accommodate both parties, I held the belief that taking up arms to attack another country in our modern era was an absurdity relegated to the annals of history.
In the initial days, I relocated to Uzhhorod in Zakarpattia, where I stayed for a little over six months. Emotionally drained, it proved challenging to continue my work during this period, particularly as ballroom dancing wasn’t as widely embraced there as it was in Kyiv. Around September of last year, I gradually made my way back to Kyiv, making my presence known by offering individual lessons and charity workshops. I am acutely aware that by engaging in my passion, the thing I excel at, I can contribute to bringing our victory closer, a cause that holds great significance for me. This is especially poignant as my father has been stationed on the frontline since the commencement of the full-scale invasion. Recently, we successfully raised funds for several drones for the brigade he serves in.
Not long ago, you successfully held the Invincibility Cup charity tournament. Tell us about this project. And what projects are you working on now?
For the first time in the history of ballroom dance in independent Ukraine, we successfully brought to life an extraordinary charity event—the Kyiv Invincibility Cup, not once but twice. Currently, we are in the process of editing the Kyiv Premier League. I assembled a dedicated team that played an instrumental role in realizing my dream of seamlessly blending competition with performances by Ukrainian stars.
Remarkably, both events featured competitions exclusively set to the tunes of Ukrainian artists. Musicians went above and beyond, altering the rhythm of certain songs to accommodate specific dance routines. Some of our performers even graced the floor between competitions, adding a unique dynamic to the showcase.
This innovation allowed us to extend ticket sales for the concert segment of the event to individuals not directly involved in ballroom dancing. Furthermore, the entire ticket cost was included in the overall fundraising efforts to aid our soldiers. Through the auction at the Invincibility Cup, we successfully raised over UAH 600 thousand and secured an SUV.
My longstanding aspiration has been to popularize ballroom dancing across the entire country, recognizing that many people don’t fully comprehend this art form. There is a common misconception that it’s a pursuit reserved for childhood and comes with a hefty price tag. In reality, it’s much simpler—everyone possesses the ability to dance; it’s just a matter of realizing it.
We have heard that you have ambitious plans. Could you please share your ideas for future projects?
By organizing such events, I realized that my main goal is to provide comprehensive assistance to the children who are now in our country. They are all children of war. And if we do not meet them halfway, we may lose several generations who will simply leave the country in search of a better life. Therefore, first, we find opportunities for physical and psychological rehabilitation of children and teenagers. It’s not only about ballroom dancing, but also about other sports and arts that inspire and develop our bodies and minds and restore our mental health and psychological state.
In addition, older people come to me to work out, who also need to keep their lives in a positive state. This way we can set an example for our children. Therefore, together with an extraordinary woman, Elvira Gavrilova, who suggested scaling up a great idea, we are already preparing a New Year’s Eve surprise that we will implement in several European countries. It will be a series of charity workshops for people who were forced to leave Ukraine for some time and help from a distance — to support them with information and raise funds through charity auctions, including for our soldiers at the front line.
Your charity events generate a lot of interest. How would you like to inspire others to participate and support your projects?
First, I want to assure everyone that each of us, by staying in our place and doing what we love, can help others and bring our victory closer. By dancing, we can maintain our physical and psychological condition at a high level, thereby doing even more for the benefit of our Ukraine. Join our initiative. Together we are strong, together we are strong. Together, we cannot be broken.
