Leaders of Australian aborigines blame Russia's pair Oksana Domnina and Maxim Shabalin for "stealing and appropriating" Australian traditional dances.
Three weeks ago, the pair maintained an easily lead after the Original Dance (OD) at the 2010 Russian National Figure Skating Championships. Domnina and Shabalin gave a solid debut of an Australian Aboriginal Dance, which profusely stood out amongst the other teams who perform Russian Folk dances.
The couple was entertaining and expressive and stylized all their moves well to match the character of the dance.
Sol Beller, member of the Australian New South Wales Aboriginal Land Council, announced that the Russian skaters' step was offensive as the pair hadn't informed the authors of the dance, aborigines, about their decision.
"They have stolen both our dances and culture," they said.
Sol Beller is going to appeal to the Russian Embassy of Canberra against the Russian pair.
