Page 29 - Demo

www.MOSTmag.com || MOST FITNESS || 29MFM: How does being from Kiev influence your daily lifestyle while living in the U.S. now in Los Angeles?NB: Since I was a little girl, my mom would tell me to never forget where I come from, and how I grew up. I didn%u2019t live in Kiev for too long, but I remember it as a time full of beautiful memories, clean streets, and friendly people in the city. As a kid it usually seems life is simpler no matter where you are living. It%u2019s hard to imagine what life is like in Ukraine now after all that has happened there. I%u2019m not a very political person, and I don%u2019t take sides, but I%u2019m sure that Ukraine has suffered a great deal. I feel that it%u2019s not fair to anyone to let that kind of fight destroy and harm innocent people, as they are the ones that suffer the most compared to the wealthy and powerful who are creating the conflicts over their disagreements. I learned to appreciate the life that I have today on a deeper level. I%u2019m very lucky and honoured to be where I am, knowing I could have just as easily been one of the people that still lives there today.%u00a0%u00a0MFM: In what ways do dance and ballet play a part in your everyday life, or how do the skills translate to the rest of your life?NB: Ballet is my first love and first life, which I can never forget. Dance is a huge part of my daily routine, and everything I do and how I am today is due to the hours I dedicated to training in ballet. %u201cOnce a dancer, always a dancer.%u201d The concentration and determination I acquired from ballet, I took with me into acting and producing. It%u2019s not an easy business, and it takes all you have to make a name for yourself, so I feel that I%u2019m able to still continue trying to find success considering how difficult it is. It%u2019s all due to the attitude I got from my first life in dance. With the physical stuff in acting, dancing has helped me to be able to perform moves with grace that others without my training can%u2019t do. Ballet helps many athletes all over the world to get a stronger core, balance, grace, and movement that they need to take their skills to the next level.%u00a0%u00a0MFM: You are a fitness star, having trained in kickboxing, Jiu Jitsu, wire work, knife, gun and sword fighting! Which of those was the hardest for you to learn, and why?NB: The hardest for me was working with objects - knives, swords, and guns. I%u2019m used to working with my body, and I can quickly pick up any routine. Getting used to the movements with objects is entirely different! Guns are heavy, and I was not used to shooting them, and learning how to handle a knife properly is a skill in itself. After my training for %u201cLeft to Die,%u201d it%u2019s safe to say I%u2019m pretty good with any weapon!MFM: How do you manage to be graceful (as a dancer) and tough (as a fighter) at the same time?NB: Well that%u2019s where the acting comes in. I%u2019m not tough at all in real life; it%u2019s all in the way you carry your character and the choices you make that turn the gracefulness into the toughness of a fighter.%u00a0%u00a0MFM: You recently starred in and produced %u201cLeft to die,%u201d what was the most fun scene you had filming?NB: My favourite two moments were: one was a fight scene in a Mexican village, with three gangsters, and the final fight scene with the second unit director and myself. I got to work very closely with my stunt coordinator and incorporate a lot of my ideas of how I wanted it to look. It brought me back to my choreography days, only instead of dance, it was fighting. It%u2019s always fun to be able to kick a man%u2019s butt, and not get arrested and then even end up being the hero. It is definitely worth it, and it is a lot of fun to play a tough chick.