Ulaanbaatar
Mongolian-Russian teenage dance couple wins US championships
PoliticsUlaanbaatar /MONTSAME/ A Mongolian teenager Bumchin Tegshjargal, 17, is now called along with his Russian partner Michelle Klets “the reigning young champions of US Latin ballroom dancing”. They have won countless nationwide dance championships together in the USA, where they live.
The couple has been dancing together since September 2014, and became champions of the U-21 category of the Youth National Championships in Latin American Ballroom Dancing in 2016. They have been travelling from competition to competition across the Europe and other countries ever since. Their next goal is to become world champions.
T.Bumchin was born and had been living in Mongolia until he moved to Oakland in 2011 when he was 11 years old. Bumchin started dancing from the age of nine, and now he is dedicating all his time to dancing, “I would do some samba steps when I go grocery shopping”, he says. “He never stops dancing”, said Michelle about her partner.
As for Michelle, her parents, who danced professionally back in Russia, immigrated to the US when Michelle was only a toddler. She has been dancing since she was three.
“We are like a family, like brother and sister”, said T.Bumchin on their relationship. They are not romantically involved, but love each other in a different way. Michelle said “We deeply love one another as friends. He is the one who is always there for me when I am down. I become very sensitive when he’s around”.
A multi-platform media company 'Fusion' described them in a video documentary that they have been breaking interracial barriers and stereotypes.
