Katya Virshilas facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Katya Virshilas
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|---|---|
| Born | 10 September 1983 |
| Occupation | Actress, dancer |
| Height | 1.67 m (5 ft 6 in) |
| Spouse(s) | Dmitry Ilyushenov (divorced) Klaus Kongsdal (7 July 2012–present) |
| Children | 2 |
Katya Virshilas (born September 10, 1983) is a talented dancer and actress. She was born in Lithuania and also holds Canadian citizenship.
Contents
Early Life and Dance Beginnings
Katya Virshilas was born in Lithuania into a Jewish family. When she was six years old, her family moved to Israel. Later, at the age of thirteen, they moved again to Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. It was in Canada that Katya began her dancing journey at 13.
Dancing and Acting Career
Katya quickly became a top dancer in Vancouver, British Columbia. She won the Dancesport Champion title four times between 1998 and 2002. In 2001, she and her dance partner won the Canadian Latin Dance Championship.
Beyond dancing, Katya has also appeared in several Hollywood movies. You might have seen her in Shall We Dance? (2004), Take the Lead, and John Tucker Must Die (both from 2006). She has also been in popular TV shows like Smallville, Supernatural, and Psych.
Since 2009, Katya has been based in the United Kingdom. There, she has partnered professionally with the Danish dancer Klaus Kongsdal. In 2012, Katya toured the UK with fellow dancer Pasha Kovalev, performing their own dance show.
Strictly Come Dancing Journey
Katya Virshilas became a professional dancer on the famous BBC show Strictly Come Dancing. This show pairs professional dancers with celebrities who learn to dance.
Series 7 (2009) with Phil Tufnell
In 2009, Katya joined the seventh series of Strictly Come Dancing. Her celebrity partner was the former cricketer Phil Tufnell. They danced well but were eliminated in week 9 of the competition.
Series 8 (2010) with Gavin Henson
Katya returned for the eighth series in 2010. This time, she was partnered with rugby player Gavin Henson. They showed great improvement throughout the series. In week 4, they performed a tango to Britney Spears's "Toxic". They made it all the way to the semi-final before being knocked out.
Series 9 (2011) with Dan Lobb
For the ninth series, Katya was paired with Dan Lobb. He was a TV presenter for Daybreak at the time. Unfortunately, they were eliminated early in the competition, in week 3.
On June 20, 2012, it was announced that Katya would not be returning for the tenth series of Strictly Come Dancing.
| Series | Partner | Place |
|---|---|---|
| 7 | Phil Tufnell | 8th |
| 8 | Gavin Henson | 5th |
| 9 | Dan Lobb | 13th |
Highest and Lowest Scoring Per Dance
| Dance | Partner | Highest | Partner | Lowest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| American Smooth | Phil Tufnell | 28 | Gavin Henson | 27 |
| Argentine Tango | ||||
| Cha-cha-cha | Gavin Henson | 29 | Phil Tufnell | 22 |
| Charleston | ||||
| Couple's Choice | ||||
| Foxtrot | Gavin Henson | 33 | ||
| Jive | Gavin Henson | 22 | ||
| Paso Doble | Gavin Henson | 26 | ||
| Quickstep | Gavin Henson | 33 | Phil Tufnell | 24 |
| Rumba | Phil Tufnell | 28 | Gavin Henson | 22 |
| Salsa | Phil Tufnell | 24 | Gavin Henson | 19 |
| Samba | Gavin Henson | 27 | Phil Tufnell | 25 |
| Showdance | ||||
| Tango | Phil Tufnell | 30 | Gavin Henson | 23 |
| Viennese Waltz | Gavin Henson | 31 | Dan Lobb | 24 |
| Waltz | Phil Tufnell | 29 | Dan Lobb | 24 |
Choreography on So You Think You Can Dance
Katya Virshilas also showed her skills as a choreographer on the reality dancing competition So You Think You Can Dance. A choreographer creates the dance routines.
Series 1 Choreography
In the first series, Katya helped create four dance routines for different couples:
- Week 1: She helped James Jordan choreograph an American Smooth foxtrot for Robbie White and Yanet Fuentes.
- Week 2: Katya and her professional partner Klaus choreographed a Viennese Waltz for Mark Calape and Lizzie Gough. The judges loved this performance!
- Week 5: She and Klaus choreographed a Paso Doble for Mandy Montanez and Alastair Postlethwaite. This dance received some criticism from the judges.
- Week 6 (final): Katya and Klaus choreographed a tango for Lizzie Gough and Tommy Franzén. The judges praised this routine highly.
Series 2 Choreography
Katya returned for the second series to choreograph even more routines:
- Week 2: She and Klaus choreographed a cha-cha-cha for Stephanie Powell and Gian Luca Loddo. The judges liked it, even though the couple was eliminated.
- Week 2: Katya and Klaus also choreographed an American Smooth waltz for Alice Woodhouse and Charlie Wheeller, which was highly praised.
- Week 7: They choreographed a group Paso Doble performance for the boys (Lee Bridgman, Luke Jackson, and Matt Flint).
- Week 8 (final): Katya and Klaus choreographed an American Smooth waltz/foxtrot for Matt Flint and Kirsty Swain.
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. These dance courses are available online and also through YWCA.org and Kuddo. Katya and Klaus welcomed their first child, a boy, in May 2016.
