Pasha Kovalev | |
|---|---|
Па́ша Ковалёв | |
| Born | 19 January 1980 |
| Occupation(s) | Latin and Ballroom dancer |
| Years active | 2000–present |
| Television | |
| Height | 5 ft 11 in (180 cm) |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 2 |
Pavel "Pasha" Kovalev (Russian: Па́вел "Па́ша" Ковалёв; born 19 January 1980) is a Russian professional Latin and ballroom dancer.
Kovalev started dancing at the age of eight, and in 2000, moved to the United States with his professional dance partner Anya Garnis.[1] In 2007, the couple competed on the third season of the American version of So You Think You Can Dance,[2] and they have since participated in the eight subsequent seasons as either choreographers or All-Star partners to the contestants.
Between 2011 and 2012 Kovalev moved to the United Kingdom to take part in the BBC's Strictly Come Dancing as a professional dancer.[3] After finishing runner-up on both the ninth and tenth series with celebrity partners Chelsee Healey and Kimberley Walsh,[4][5] he went on to win series twelve with his partner Caroline Flack.[6] Despite facing backlash over her past dance experience and landing in the bottom two three times, he and his celebrity partner, Ashley Roberts, eventually finished as runners-up on the sixteenth series, even becoming the highest scorers in the show’s history – with an average of 36.9 – and holding the record until the twenty-second series, when they were topped by Tasha Ghouri and Aljaž Škorjanec, who achieved an average of 37.3; they also broke the record for the most perfect scores – with a total of five – which they still hold. Kovalev announced that it was his final series on the show as he had decided to "go to the west end" after " 7 series ".[7]
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
BBConewas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Pasha Kovalev on his journey from Siberia to Strictly Come Dancing Liverpool Echo 22 March 2013.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
Joined-BBCwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Cite error: The named reference
series9was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Cite error: The named reference
series10was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Cite error: The named reference
series12was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ "Pasha leaves Strictly Come Dancing". BBC News. 13 February 2019. Retrieved 12 December 2024.