On 5 August 2007, Maxim Staviski caused a car accident while driving drunk in Bulgaria that left 24-year-old Petar Petrov dead and Petrov's fiancee, 18-year-old Manuela Gorsova, in a coma. In October 2007, he announced his retirement from competitive skating and Denkova was thus forced to retire, as well. They continued to skate in shows around the world and have also done choreography, working with Brian Joubert a few times. Having said in 2004 that Bulgaria did not have many skating facilities and coaches, Denkova opened a skating school with Staviski in Sofia called SC Ice Dance Denkova/Staviski. They have also participated in the Russian television show "Ice Age".