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Broken neck doesn't stop dancing pair from returning to worlds Oakville's Roberto Quaresma and Burlington's Daria Novoselova two-time champs at World Latin Dance Cup by Chris Clay Metroland Media Group 39 | Thursday, January 21, 2016 | OAKVILLE BEAVER | www.insideHALTON.com If the injury dancer Daria Novoselova had suffered while training with her partner Roberto Quaresma last year had been just a bit worse, she might never have walked again, let alone danced. Novoselova, 28, fractured her neck and tore ligaments between her vertebrae. She was forced to give up her passion for months while she wore a neck brace and had surgery to repair the damage. Her partner Quaresma, who lives in Oakville and works in Mississauga for Canada Post, described the freak accident that injured Burlington resident Novoselova as being similar to a "piledriver" from wrestling. The two were practicing an acrobatic aerial move they had done before but this time it went wrong and Novoselova was badly injured. "The doctor said I could have been paralyzed from the neck down," said Novoselova, who works in Toronto for TD Bank. The injury, and her recovery, make it all the more remarkable that the two returned home from Miami last month as champions after winning the World Latin Dance Cup's Salsa On One Amateur Couple division. The two beat out dancers from 17 different countries to win. Actually, it wasn't really a title win for the duo, who dance out of Latin Energy studio in Lakeview. It was a title defence, as they had won the division a year earlier in what was their first time attending the competition. The pair was unable to practice until early September as Novoselova recovered from the injury and surgery put the dancers behind the eight ball. They were forced to cram almost a full year's worth of practice into just a few months so they would be ready to nail their two-minute routine when they got up on stage. "For us, it wasn't really about winning because we had already won by making it there," said 38-year-old Quaresma. "The way she danced, the judges never would have known she had been in a neck brace." The injury was a major disappointment for both the dancers. Just after winning their first cup title, they found out Latin Energy had been asked to provide dancers for the opening ceremonies of the Pan Am Games, which were held over the summer in Toronto. Both were extremely excited, with Quaresma calling it a "once-in-a-lifetime opportunity." They were both crushed when the injury forced them to withdraw. Quaresma could have taken part in the ceremonies without Novoselova, but refused to participate without his partner. He said he was so crushed by the accident and her resulting injury, he thought he might never dance again. "Until I knew she was OK, I wasn't going to go back to dancing. I wouldn't even dance socially," he said. "All my friends and family know how much I love to dance, so they knew how serious this was. I just wanted her to see her get back to normal." The injury also forced the couple to pull out of dance events in Dubai and Los Angeles. When the training began again after Novoselova's injury, the dancers were initially hesitant and took things slowly. Burlington's Daria Novoselova and Oakville's Roberto Quaresma won their second consecutive World Latin Dance Cup Salsa On One Amateur Couple division title last month in Miami. The defending champs' win was even sweeter given the fact Novoselova had suffered a fractured neck and torn ligaments earlier in 2015. | photo by Ricardo Tellez, courtesy Tellezphoto "We were dancing on eggshells," said resma said most of the audience broke down in tears when they were told of Novoselova's Quaresma. Novoselova said there was no specific mo- injury after they had won. Meanwhile, the competition also brought ment when she knew she had put the injury behind her. However, with time, she found success for Latin Energy as their dancers she had more and more movement in her brought home seven first-place finishes, a neck and became comfortable again on the second place and two thirds at the World Latin Dance Cup. dance floor. Understandably, tears flowed when they won the dance competition last month in Miami. Novoselova admitted with a General $8.50 | Children & Seniors $6.50 | All seats Tues $5.00 laugh she was bawling, while Qua- BiggEr and BEttEr! 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