Break the Routine

by Marius Iepure

Season 1

Break the Routine with Peter Maxwell | Why He Left at His Peak for New York

In this episode, Marius Iepure sits down with Peter Maxwell - former World Latin champion, theatre maker, coach, adjudicator, studio builder, and one of the few people to have seen DanceSport from every possible angle - for an honest conversation about a life fully lived inside dance. They talk about starting at a very young age, eighteen years partnering Lynn Harman, writing the foreword to the WDSF technique books, the real story behind the Blackpool cape, walking away at his peak to chase New York and the stage, building the Ballroom Dance Theatre, and why clarity matters more than confusion. If you care about the human side of DanceSport, not just the results but the people and values behind them ; this episode is worth your time.

S1 · E11

Oct 6, 2026

1:26:45

Break the Routine with Peter Nash | Fairness, Inclusion and a Life in Dance (PART 2)

In this episode, Marius Iepure sits down again with Peter Nash - competitor, coach, adjudicator, examiner, academy builder, and Operations Director of the British DanceSport Association - for the second part of an honest conversation about a life fully lived inside DanceSport. They talk about starting dance at seven, fifty years of learning, safeguarding and yellow cards, judge bans and the London Open, taking British dancing to new corners of the world, and what ultimate inclusion really means beyond a mission statement. If you care about the human side of DanceSport, not just the results but the people and values behind them ; this episode is worth your time. In this episode: - why Peter still teaches despite fifty years and bad knees - how safeguarding changed the culture around dancers - why more federations and clubs can be a good thing - what ultimate inclusion means for the future of ballroom

Sep 30, 2026

41:53

Break the Routine with Peter Nash | 50 Years Inside the DanceSport Machinery (PART 1)

In this episode, Marius Iepure sits down with Peter Nash - competitor, coach, adjudicator, examiner, academy builder, and Operations Director of the British DanceSport Association - for an honest conversation about what really happens inside the machinery of DanceSport. They talk about judging systems, fairness, federation politics, why the sport too often looks inward, and what it would take to unify a divided ballroom world after 50 years on both sides of the table. If you care about how DanceSport actually works, not just the results but the structures behind them ; this episode is worth your time. In this episode: - why Peter helped build the BDSA - how judging and marking could be made fairer - why hobby and competitive dancing need each other - what the BDC, DPA and BDSA circuits really mean for dancers

S1 · E10

Sep 24, 2026

1:12:03

Break the Routine with Oskar Odiakosa | From Representation to the Future of Ballroom (PART 2)

In Part 2 of this conversation, Marius Iepure sits down with Oskar Odiakosa - dancer, coach, adjudicator, and founder of Black in the Ballroom - to go beyond personal story and into a bigger question: what needs to change for ballroom to become more open, more united, and more accessible? They talk about judging culture, why technique should be a guide and not a gospel, why camps may be giving dancers something competitions no longer do, and what the industry must do if it wants to grow beyond its own bubble. If you care about the future of ballroom, not just the results, but the culture behind them ; this episode is worth your time. In this episode: what Black in the Ballroom was built to change why access is about more than money why technique should serve expression, not flatten it what dancers, teachers, and leaders need to do differently next

Sep 15, 2026

1:03:07

Break the Routine with Oskar Odiakosa | From Ballroom Outsider to Voice for Belonging (part 1)

In this episode of Break the Routine, Marius Iepure speaks with Oskar Odiakosa ; dancer, coach, adjudicator, and founder of Black in the Ballroom. Oskar shares how he entered ballroom as a child in South East London, saving lunch money for lessons and travelling across the city to train, before building a career as a competitor, teacher, judge, and advocate for greater belonging in the industry. Together, they explore representation, access, conformity, individuality, and the future of ballroom culture - including why dancers need to play a more active role in shaping the systems they are part of.

S1 · E9

Sep 8, 2026

1:00:02

Break the Routine with Ian Waite | From Strictly to Dance for Everyone

In this episode of Break the Routine, Marius Iepure talks with Ian Waite — former elite Latin dancer, original Strictly Come Dancing professional, teacher, choreographer, and co-creator of FitSteps. Ian looks back on how dance entered his life during a difficult family period, how the Netherlands chapter deepened his ambition, what television changed about the public’s relationship with ballroom, and why his work today is increasingly about accessibility, joy, and connection. It’s a conversation about visibility, pressure, reinvention, and what dance is really for once the pursuit of status begins to fade.

S1 · E8

Sep 1, 2026

1:14:13

Break the Routine with Phemelo Mabuse | From DanceSport to Endurance & Leadership

In this episode of Break the Routine, Marius Iepure sits down with Phemelo Mabuse ; former South African Latin and Ballroom champion, teacher, endurance athlete and renewable energy leader from Pretoria. Phemelo opens up about growing up inside a family-built ballroom pathway under apartheid's shadow, why she chose a quieter path than her sisters Motsi and Oti, and how dance gave her the discipline, structure and resilience to build a high-responsibility life far beyond competition. They talk about the township childhood, her mother's fight for black dancers in DanceSport, stepping away from the competitive floor, the transition into Ironman and ultra-endurance sport, leadership in the energy industry, and what the dance world must do better to prepare dancers for life. In this conversation: - growing up as a dancer in a South African township - how her mother built access for black ballroom dancers - why she chose privacy over public fame - moving from DanceSport into endurance sport and Ironman - how discipline transferred into renewable energy leadership - what DanceSport does and does not prepare dancers for If you enjoy honest conversations about DanceSport, performance, identity and life beyond competition, subscribe to Break the Routine and let us know in the comments what stood out most from Phemelo's story. What will you do to break your routine today?

S1 · E7

Aug 25, 2026

1:35:56

Break the Routine with Anthony Rutherford | From Ballroom to Broadcasting

In this episode of Break the Routine, Marius Iepure sits down with Anthony Rutherford ; dancer, performer, presenter and entrepreneur from Newcastle. Anthony opens up about growing up between football culture and ballroom, the resistance he faced as a young male dancer, and how dance gave him the confidence, discipline and communication skills to build a life far beyond one label. They talk about stage work, TV and radio, fatherhood, creativity versus perfection, the value of public connection in dance, and how personal hardship can completely reshape your view of success, purpose and legacy. In this conversation: - growing up as a boy dancing in a football-first environment - what dance and football can learn from each other - how dance builds confidence, discipline and presence - moving from performance into TV, radio and business - why creativity still matters more than polished sameness - fatherhood, identity and building a life beyond one lane If you enjoy honest conversations about DanceSport, performance, identity and life beyond competition, subscribe to Break the Routine and let us know in the comments what stood out most from Anthony’s story. What will you do to break your routine today?

S1 · E6

Aug 18, 2026

1:54:34

Break the Routine with James Wilson | From Reluctant Beginnings to a Life in Dance

In this episode of Break the Routine, Marius sits down with James Wilson, a British National Latin finalist turned choreographer, performer, and teacher whose career has spanned competition floors, West End stages, and the Strictly Come Dancing world. From being dragged to his first class by his cousin to dancing for Her Majesty the Queen and starring in Dancing with the Stars Turkey, James opens up about instinct, perseverance, and why longevity matters more than titles. They talk about the reluctant beginning that shaped his life, the reality behind the glamour of touring and TV, the difference between competition prestige and real career building, and why James insists on standards and earned legitimacy while still championing collaboration, access, and giving other dancers a break. In this conversation: - being dragged into ballroom by his cousin and ending up running the class - the truth behind Strictly tours, pantomime seasons, and touring life - two seasons on Dancing with the Stars Turkey and learning the language - competition foundation versus the wider entertainment world - craft versus imitation and why authenticity still matters - producing his own show with Leila and Flavia Follow Break the Routine for more conversations with the people shaping the world of DanceSport.

S1 · E5

Aug 11, 2026

1:48:46

Break the Routine with Nicole Cutler | From South Africa to DanceSport Voice

In this episode of Break the Routine, Marius sits down with Nicole Cutler to explore a life shaped by ambition, reinvention, and a deep love of ballroom - from growing up and competing in South Africa to building a remarkable career in the UK as a Latin champion, performer, coach, adjudicator, and one of DanceSport’s most thoughtful public voices. They talk about what it took to leave home at 18 to chase the dream of England and Blackpool, what success and pressure felt like behind the glamour, how partnerships and life transitions reshaped her identity, and why Nicole now speaks so openly about judging, coaching, musicality, female perspective, and the ways the industry can better develop dancers without losing humanity. In this conversation: - leaving South Africa for the UK in pursuit of the ballroom dream - the reality behind elite success, pressure, and partnership life - what performing, coaching, and judging revealed about the industry - why Nicole speaks out on musicality, female perspective, and dancer development - how ballroom can evolve without losing quality, humanity, and common sense Follow Break the Routine for more conversations with the people shaping the world of DanceSport.

S1 · E4

Aug 4, 2026

2:20:15

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