Katya Virshilas facts for kids

Katya Virshilas (born on September 10, 1983) is a talented dancer and actress. She was born in Lithuania and also has Canadian citizenship.

Early Life and Dance Beginnings

Katya Virshilas was born in Lithuania. Her family is Jewish. When she was 6 years old, she moved to Israel. Later, at age thirteen, she moved to Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. This is where she started her dancing journey.

Dancing and Acting Career

Katya quickly became a top dancer. She won the Vancouver British Columbia Dancesport Champion title four times between 1998 and 2002. In 2001, she and her dance partner won the Canadian Latin Dance Championship.

Katya has also appeared in several Hollywood movies. These include Shall We Dance? (2004), Take the Lead (2006), and John Tucker Must Die (2006). She has also been on TV shows like Smallville, Supernatural, and Psych.

Since 2009, Katya has lived in the United Kingdom. There, she became a professional dancer on the BBC show Strictly Come Dancing. She has also danced professionally with Danish dancer Klaus Kongsdal. In 2012, Katya toured the UK with Pasha Kovalev in their own dance show.

Strictly Come Dancing Appearances

Katya Virshilas was a professional dancer on Strictly Come Dancing, a popular TV show where celebrities learn to dance with professional partners.

Series 7 (2009)

In 2009, Katya was paired with cricket player Phil Tufnell. They danced well but were eliminated in week 9 of the competition.

Series 8 (2010)

Katya returned for the eighth series in 2010. Her partner was rugby player Gavin Henson. They performed many dances, including a tango to Britney Spears's "Toxic". They made it all the way to the semi-final before being knocked out.

Series 9 (2011)

For the ninth series, Katya was paired with Dan Lobb, a TV presenter. They were eliminated in week 3 of the competition.

On June 20, 2012, it was announced that Katya would not be returning for the tenth series of Strictly Come Dancing.

Highest and Lowest Scores Per Dance

Choreography on So You Think You Can Dance

Katya also showed her skills as a choreographer on the TV show So You Think You Can Dance. A choreographer creates the dance routines.

Series 1

For the first series, Katya helped create four dance routines for different couples. She worked with her professional partner Klaus Kongsdal on many of these. The dances included an American Smooth foxtrot, a Viennese Waltz, a Paso Doble, and a tango. Some of her routines were highly praised by the judges.

Series 2

Katya returned for the second series to choreograph more dances. She helped create a cha-cha-cha and an American Smooth style waltz for different couples. She also choreographed a group Paso Doble for the boys. Her work continued to receive praise from the judges.

Personal Life

Katya Virshilas began dating Klaus Kongsdal in 2009. They met at a BBC event. They announced their engagement in January 2011. The couple got married on July 7, 2012, at a beautiful chateau in France.

After their marriage, Katya and Klaus moved to Hong Kong. There, they started a dance class for young children called Ballroom Bees. This program teaches ballroom dancing to kids under 6 years old. The dance courses are available online and through YWCA.org and Kuddo. Katya and Klaus welcomed their first child, a boy, in May 2016.