Trust, commitment and chemistry

01/27/2006
The News Journal
By PETER BOTHUM

Wilmington ballroom dance partners soar up the world rankings

Donna Hamza's [...] was the one who first noticed Armenia-born ballroom dancer Irina Sarukhanyan in 2003, how she moved with grace while still throwing off flames when she danced.

[...] suggested that she consider pairing with her husband, Mazen.

"She had something magical on the floor. She had the fire," said Donna, 44, who is also a ballroom dancer. "I called my mother and said, 'Have I lost my mind?' "
[...]
They {Mazen and Irina} currently rank fourth in the world in the American Smooth Division of United States Ballroom Dancing.

Their most recent success can be seen by their fellow Delawareans on Wednesday and Feb. 8, when their performance on "America's Ballroom Challenge" airs on PBS. In the prestigious national competition, which took place in Ohio in November, Irina and Mazen placed fourth overall and won first place in the show dance.
[...]
Irina began dancing in Armenia at the age of 7 at a community center in her hometown. Before long, her teacher left and she took over as head instructor. She came to the United States to represent Armenia in the 2000 world championships in Miami, and then she and her dance partner stayed here. Irina lived in California, then Milwaukee and eventually New Jersey to dance with different partners.
[...]

Note: Above are excerpts from the article. The full article appears here. Clarifications and comments by me are contained in {}. Deletions are marked by [...]. The bold emphasis is mine.