By Dimithri Wijesinghe
On 5 October, Ask for Fern and The Chiller Room are set to host a Latin festival – “The Cuban Jam” – with dance duo Tarja and Alberto. Tarja and Alberto are a husband-and-wife duo, no strangers to the world of dance. While Tarja is almost a household name with her booming social media presence, Alberto is also an established fitness instructor at High Octane Fitness.
The two are a power couple if there ever was one, and with their inspiring tale of romance and dance, who better to have a chat with than the multi-talented designer, dancer, fitness instructor, and social media influencer Tarja De Silva and her husband Alberto Ruiz.
Before we get to anything, we have to ask…Tarja, does taking part in The Cuban Jam bring back memories from the time you played a supporting role in the British rom-com Cuban Fury?
Tarja: Firstly, I must say that appearing in Cuban Fury was one of the most exciting things I’ve done in my life. I had the privilege of dancing with some of London’s best salsa dancers and meeting the star, Nick Frost. The whole experience was simply amazing! (Watch out for me in the final dance competition scene in the blue sequined costume.)
The Cuban Jam will be a fun night where my husband Alberto and I will teach some basic salsa moves at Ask for Fern. Although it won’t be anything similar to the movie experience, I am equally excited to be a part of this event and spread the joy of dance.
The class you two will be conducting this Saturday (5) is free of charge. When you conduct classes like this, which function as an introduction to the world of dance and dance fitness for many, what is your primary goal? What do you hope to achieve?
Happiness! The main reason I got into dancing is because I loved how it made me feel – free, empowered, and happy. Apart from the technical element of dancing, which requires dedication and discipline, I hope to evoke joy in those that I am teaching.
Dance has played an important role in both your lives. In fact, if I’m correct, your romance began in a dance class. With your increasingly successful solo and joint ventures, how do you keep up with dance training? Tarja is a dance fitness instructor, but Alberto, how do you keep up?
Tarja: I have a very rigorous routine. By day, I work as a senior designer at MAS, and by night, I teach dance fitness at High Octane as well as dedicate my time to dance practices and performances. Alberto is a fulltime fitness instructor at High Octane.
With our busy lives, we hardly find the time to dance with each other. But whenever we get an opportunity to dance at a salsa night or teach, we take the maximum use out of it.
Alberto: I try to dance as much as I can, but with my classes and timings here, it is not easy.
We always try to go dancing as often as we can if we are not busy or tired.
As fitness instructors, what would you say is the ultimate goal in working out? Is it to get fit for health purposes or is it to look a certain way? In your experience, what kind of motivation has proven to be most successful in achieving a consistent fitness regimen?
Tarja: The best motivation comes from you. It all depends on how badly you want to achieve your body goals. A lot of people talk about wanting that perfect body but don’t want to put in the effort. Sadly, it doesn’t work that way and no crash diet or pills will get you there.
My goal through dance fit is to promote a fun fitness regime. The ultimate goal would be that you understand your body type and eat/workout according to what works for you. Good heath is the most important thing here.
Alberto: The ultimate goal in my opinion is just to feel good about yourself, whatever your goal is. Some people do it to lose weight, another might do it for health purposes, and another because they feel/look good after. There are many different goals, but at the end, being happy is what you should achieve and strive for.
You are both fitness enthusiasts. While this upcoming event is a collaborative effort, what are your individual thoughts on fitness via dance or sport as opposed to gym and exercise machines?
Tarja: I think any form of fitness, whether it be through outdoor or indoor sports, dance, or gym, is great. Just know what you like to do and do it.
Alberto: I like a mix of everything. I really enjoy sports, swimming, and running. I don’t believe one way is better than another.
Do you have a personal preference? And as experts, do you believe we are likely to benefit more from one than another?
Tarja: Of course, my individual preference is dance. However, I don’t feel like one activity will be more beneficial than another. It’s a personal choice and each person needs to find out what works for them.
Both of you are somewhat in the same industry. Since your business is reliant on fitness, has there ever been some healthy competition amongst the two of you?
Tarja: Never! We are two different individuals in the fitness arena and we each have different strengths. I think we have a healthy balance and we support one another.
Alberto: Never healthy competition (laughing).
Tarja, you have expressed your desire to begin your own dance studio in the near future. This upcoming event is also a dance class, so it’s evident that you enjoy teaching as much as performing. If that is indeed the case, could you ever choose one over the other?
Tarja: I could never choose! I do love performing and teaching equally. What I enjoy the most about both these things is the happiness it brings me and others.
Tarja, you have garnered an incredible social media presence. As an entrepreneur, it is certainly an invaluable asset. From what we see, you are not one to shy away from sharing your happy moments and thoughts with the world. We’re curious…what are your thoughts on social media and sharing one’s experiences with an audience?
Tarja: In today’s world of social media, almost everything we eat, wear, or do has to be “insta-worthy”. This makes it very easy for people to portray a false reality.
However, I enjoy social media and believe it is a great marketing tool. If you are going to be active on social media and displaying your emotions, I believe you must be ready for judgment and criticism – not everyone is going to see things the way you do.
Alberto, if you could add to the conversation, what are your thoughts on social media fame and how best to navigate it?
Alberto: Social media, in my case, is not a big part. Tarja is the one who is more involved in that, I am not as active as her. But it is true that in the current day and age, it is the way to be seen and be known. So I am currently trying my best to little by little improve my presence, on varying platforms as well.
Finally, the clichéd but necessary question of what’s next. We would love to hear about what to look out for from the both of you.
Tarja: We love travelling and experiencing new cultures. What’s next might be another exciting trip to some part of the world. As for dancing, we would love to teach anywhere we are given the opportunity.
Alberto: For me, I think the future is just to keep going strong, trying to establish ourselves, our name/brand in the fitness world.
