Slavik Kryklyvyy (born Kiev

Kiev

Kiev or Kyiv is the capital and the largest city of Ukraine, located in the north central part of the country on the Dnieper River. The population as of the 2001 census was 2,611,300. However, higher numbers have been cited in the press....

, Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union

Soviet Union

The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....

) is a professional ballroom dancer specializing in International Latin. Born and raised in Ukraine

Ukraine

Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...

, he is currently residing in New York

New York

New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...

, USA.

He and Joanna Leunis

Joanna Leunis

Joanna Leunis, born 22 May 1981 in Rocourt Liege, Belgium, is a professional ballroom dancer. With Michael Malitowski, she is a former professional World Latin Dance Champion and International Latin American Dance Champion; the couple represented Poland until 2011, representing England from then on...

 were amateur world champions in International Latin. In 2000 the couple took first place in the IDSF World Amateur Championship, the British Open

Blackpool Dance Festival

The 8-day Blackpool Dance Festival is the world's first and most famous annual ballroom dance competition of international significance, held in the Empress Ballroom at the Winter Gardens, Blackpool, England since 1920. It is also the largest ballroom competition: in 2003, 1539 couples from 54...

 (Blackpool

Blackpool

Blackpool is a borough, seaside town, and unitary authority area of Lancashire, in North West England. It is situated along England's west coast by the Irish Sea, between the Ribble and Wyre estuaries, northwest of Preston, north of Liverpool, and northwest of Manchester...

), the ARD Masters Gala (Germany

Germany

Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...

), and the IDSF European Latin Championship.

After becoming a professional dancer, he won a number of competitions with various partners.

He was credited in the 2004 film Shall We Dance?

Shall We Dance? (2004 film)

Shall We Dance? is a 2004 American film. It is a remake of the award-winning Masayuki Suo 1996 Japanese film, Shall We Dance?. The film made its US premier at the Hawaii International Film Festival.-Plot:...

as the current Blackpool partner of Paulina (Jennifer Lopez

Jennifer Lopez

Jennifer Lynn Lopez is an American actress, singer, record producer, dancer, television personality, and fashion designer. Lopez began her career as a dancer on the television comedy program In Living Color. Subsequently venturing into acting, she gained recognition in the 1995 action-thriller...

) and as dance instructor.

He won second place in the 2006 and 2007 World Championships with Elena Khvorova.

In 2009, Slavik Kryklyvyy partnered with Anna Melnikova, representing Russia in the international arena. Slavik and Anna were guest competitors as Show Performers The pair split up in October 2010.