|
True Partners
Good Housekeeping, February 2006
These couples couldn’t do their jobs without each other. See how they manage to mix business with pleasure every day of the year.
1. The Dancers
Irina Dvorovenko and Maxim Beloserkovsky, 32 and 34
The job: Principal dancers with American Ballet Theatre
Married how long: 12 years (they’ve worked together for 16). Daughter Emma Galina, left, was born in March 2005.
How they met: As students at the Kiev Ballet School in Ukraine. Maxim was a year ahead, but they took the same train to school every morning. “Max is so funny. I would spend the breaks laughing at his jokes,” says Irina.
You’re hired: When Irina needed a partner, she thought of Maxim, who was one of the best dancers in the group. But he was already paired with someone. After graduation, Irina asked Maxim to be her partner on a tour with the Bolshoi Theatre. He accepter and the two fell in love. Married in 1993, they moved to New York City in 1994 to join the American Ballet Theater.
How he stepped up: At first, Maxim couldn’t lift Irina, who was used to more experienced partners. It took weeks for him to build up his strength, but Irina was patient—she knew he was worth waiting for.
Biggest challenge: Double the pressure. “I can’t watch Irina dance, because I get so nervous for her,” says Maxim. “My palms are sweating and I’m trying to channel all my positive emotion to her.” Aren’t they competitive? “We look at the bigger picture,” says Maxim. “Tonight, it’s her night; tomorrow it’ll be mine; the third night, it’ll be ours.”
Love lesson: Don’t take a bad day out on each other. “Sometimes you’re polite to strangers, and rude with people you love,” says Irina. “We don’t let this happen. If one of us is in a bad mood, we just stop rehearsal or apologize. It only takes a second to hurt, but it takes much longer to heal.”
It’s OK to bring work home when… you’re performing an epic love story. “Ninety-five percent of the ballet is ‘boy meets girl,’” says Maxim. Adds Irina: “Dancing in Romeo and Juliet really changed our own love, because we were feeling every day how painful it would be to lose each other.”
2. The Foodies
Allison Vines-Rushing and Slade Rushing, 30 and 31
The job: Co-owners and co-chefs of the Longbranch in Abita Springs, Louisiana
Married how long: Two years (they’ve worked together for three)
How they met: Over a hot stove. In 1999, Allsion landed a job at a New Orleans restaurant where Slade worked. “We became fast friends, like peas in a pod,” says Allison. Slade invited her for a ride on his fishing boat—and that was the night they fell in love.
You’re hired: They moved to New York City, but with jobs at separate restaurants, the two hardly saw each other. In fall 2003, Allsion—by this time married to Slade—was hired as chef of a hot new oyster bar; by Valentine’s Day, she’d lured her husband over. Last year, the couple fulfilled a longtime dream—a restaurant of their own down South. Just as they were to open, Hurricane Katrina hit, but they were lucky. The restaurant suffered minimal damage, and they served their first meal on September 16.
Best part of working together: “When I’m not pushing myself hard enough, she lets me know, and I do the same for her,” says Slade. “Together, we’re twice as determined to succeed.”
Love lesson: Don’t let criticism boil over. “At first, we’d say things to each other like ‘What on earth are you doing?’ or ‘That’s overcooked,’” says Allison. “But we realized that wasn’t helping either of us. Now we just try to offer support.”
3. The Lifesavers
Carolyn and George Weber, both 39
The job: Volunteer firefighters in Hawthorne, New Jersey
Married how long: 17 years (they’ve worked together for three)
How they met: At a barbecue in high school
Best part of working together: Being impressed by your spouse. When petite Carolyn climbed up a 35-foot ladder while hauling an 80-pound, water-filled hose, George thought, Holy cow, is that the woman I married?
Biggest challenge: The couple respond to more than 350 alarms a year, which takes time away from their kids, Keith, 16, Travis, 14, and Carley, 13. “They give up a lot for us to do this,” George says gratefully.
Love lesson: Let your spouse shine. George made himself scarce during his wwife’s first emergencies: “If I’d had anything to do with her success, the guys wouldn’t have given her the respect she deserved.”
4. The Daredevils
Tina and Brian Miser, 29 and 41, Peru, Indiana
The job: Human cannonballs with the Ringling Bros. Barnum & Bailey Circus
Married how long: Five years (they’ve worked together for six)
How they met: Both grew up in the tiny town of Peru, Indiana. Tina went home after college and ran in to Brian, who’d joined the circus after high school.
You’re hired: Brian’s pitch to his future wife, “You want to go on the road and shoot me out of a cannon?” After a year behind the trigger, Tina wanted to blast off, too.
A day on the Job: At showtime, they climb into the cannon and lie head to toe inside the barrel. Brian is shot out first, then Tina, seconds later. They fly 40 feet above the ground at 65 miles per hour, then hit an airbag.
Why a Spouse is a better coworker than a stranger: In a dangerous job, you need to have a partner who cares. “Tina needs to trust me a lot,” Brian says. “And I put all my faith in her, too.
BACK TO TOP | View
original layout (PDF)
|
