On a typical week, Bernice Mau and Zachary Lee head to Vancouver three or four times to train with Canadian champions Roland and Ekaterina Michtchenko.
The cousins make the one-hour journey — each way — to spend up to five hours at Broadway Ballroom to master the samba, cha-cha, rumba, paso doble and jive.
Latin ballroom dancing is what they've been doing since 2008 after Lee's mother, a Pro-am division dancer, inspired them with her graceful moves.
But since the two qualified in April for the world championships — at the Canadian Close Championships in Calgary, where they clinched silver — their scheduled has souped up.
Now, the 13- and 15-year-olds are in the studio five to six times a week, practising their techniques with their coaches for up to 10 hours.
It's exhausting but the cousins feel when they hit the dance floor for the World DanceSport Federation contest next week, they'll be ready to face their 60 junior competitors from around the planet.
The event will be the first time the Tri-City residents have appeared on a stage outside of North America. Recently, they placed ninth out of 31 couples in the Junior Grand Slam at the Ohio Star Ball.
They'll also be at the Holiday Classic Las Vegas before they're off to the worlds in Riga, Latvia.
However, the cousins are as cool as cucumbers.
"I am a little nervous because I know how well the Europeans dancers can dance but I think I'm really just interested in going for the experience," said Mau, a Grade 9 student at Coquitlam's Gleneagle secondary.
Mau and Lee have been studying other ballroom dancers and are especially inspired by top-level performers. Often, they watch Dancing with the Stars on television to get tips and tricks, Mau said.
Still, it's not just the steps they're looking at. Mau, who plans a career in fashion, is checking out costumes and getting ideas about how to stitch her own. She and Lee design and hand-make their embellished outfits.
As for dancing with a relative, Mau said Lee makes it easy. "It's kind of like dancing with your brother. You get used to it along the way."
"We're a team," added Lee, a Grade 10 Riverside secondary student in Port Coquitlam.
Meanwhile, because dance isn't considered a sport — and therefore are not eligible for amateur athletic grants — Mau and Lee are raising funds for their trip to the worlds. To donate, visit https://www.gofundme.com/3gavvtj8.
