V: Please tell some words about yourself.
Z: My name is Zerjon Abebe. I’m from Ethiopia originally, but I’ve been living in Sweden a long time now. I came to Sweden, when I was 6-7 years old, so I call myself Swede. I grew up in Stockholm, but I moved to Gothenburg some years ago. I studied computer engineering and dancing. I’m in the dancing group, which called “Twisted Feet”. We are champions in street dance in Sweden. We dance all kinds of dance.

V: How happened that you became a dancer?
Z: I danced in the disco one time, when I was 18-19 years old. One guy came to me at the disco and asked if I wanted to become a dance teacher. I thought he was joking. But he told me that he saw something special in me and I agreed to try to become dance teacher. So that is how it happened.

V: How did you start to work with figure skating?
Z: I had a student, who was taking classes with me. She recommended me for Andrea Dohany.
She suggested me to try to work as a choreographer in figure skating. And I tried…

V: Do you remember your first meeting with Kristoffer and Andrea?
Z: Yes. Kristoffer was shy guy at the beginning. But I was not shocked, because during my life I meet every kind of person. I showed him how he should performance his programs, helped him to improve performance. What can I say about Andrea? She is strong woman. I like that she thinks about new things, she does not like to do old things all the time, she thinks about new ideas and that’s good. I respect her. I also work with World Champions in synchronized skating Team Surprise. But I can’t do much with them, because they have so many technical moments.

V: How the ideas for Kristoffer’s programs were created?
Z: I did not want to do something similar to some other skaters. I wanted to be original. You know, I’m hip-hop dancer, but I also do many other styles, and even classics. But anyway I think that performance should be original, even if we take classics. When I come up with ideas I usually say to Kristoffer that I have an idea and ask him, if someone among skaters has something like my idea. If he answers no, then I work with this idea. I don’t think in usual way, my ideas are sometimes a bit crazy, but it can be cool.

V: Have you ever tried figure skating? Who is your favorite skater?
Z: I can skate, but I did not do figure skating. I skate sometimes just for fun with friends.
Sometimes I even watch competitions on TV, if Kristoffer participates. If to answer about favorite skater, I like actually Lambiel, he is dancing on ice. I like Joubert’s energy and of course my favorite is Kristoffer.

V: What kind of sport do you like?
Z: I play football, table tennis and so on.  I like sport overall. I also like to compete, it gives me great feeling. I can watch athletics on TV, ice hockey , if it’s World Championships and Sweden is playing.

V: What kind of activities do you do except dancing?
Z: Everything is dancing now. As I said, I studied computer engineering before, but not anymore. The main my activity is dancing now.

V: What are your tastes in music?
Z: I can listen to everything from R’N’B to house. It can be classical music as well, it has to be good music anyway. I can’t name only one music style, I like every kind.

V: What are your main purposes in life?
Z: I just want to be better and better in everything I do. It’s important to do what you like. I want to be successful and let my mum and dad relax at some sunny and nice place , instead of working.

Feel free to visit Zerjon's homepage: http://www.twistedfeet.com