Kick Ball Change

Five-time world ballroom champion Maxim Kozhevnikov pulls out all the stops in competition, dancing in perfect sync with his partner. His fertile—some might say wacky—imagination finds inspiration in everything: superheroes, Charlie Chaplin, Russian folktales, pop art, movies, and, above all, music. But Kozhevnikov’s dazzling showmanship belies a severe physical disability, which may explain why his three-minute routines transcend the usual ballroom pyrotechnics. To him it’s not about the contest: It’s about “finding the art in what we do and in life.”