Slavik Kryklyvyy

Slavik Kryklyvyy (Vyacheslav Kryklyvyy, Ukrainian: Славік Крикливий, Вячеслав Крикливий) (born on 1 July, 1976 in Zaporizhzhia, Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union) was a professional ballroom dancer specializing in International Latin. Born and raised in Ukraine, he is currently residing in New York City, United States.

He and Joanna Leunis were amateur world champions in International Latin. In 2000 the couple took first place in the IDSF World Amateur Latin Championship, the British Open (Blackpool), the ARD Masters Gala (Germany), and the IDSF European Latin Championship. Kryklyvyy and Leunis were the first World Amateur Latin Champions in the new millennium.

After becoming a professional dancer, his longest and most successful partnership was with Karina Smirnoff with whom he became the second best couple in the world, behind the nine-time WDC world champions Bryan Watson and Carmen Vincelj. Kryklyvyy and Smirnoff split up in 2005. Kryklyvyy and then partner Smirnoff were featured in the film Shall We Dance?. Kryklyvyy was credited as the current Blackpool partner of Paulina (Jennifer Lopez) and as dance instructor.

Following the partnership with Smirnoff, he paired with Elena Khvorova. They won second place in the 2006 and 2007 World Championships, however, their results were not as good as Kryklyvyy's previous placements with Smirnoff; his former partner, Joanna Leunis started to beat them with her partner, Michael Malitowski. This probably led to the couple's split.

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