Pasha Kovalev facts for kids

Pavel "Pasha" Kovalev (Russian: Па́вел "Па́ша" Ковалёв; born 19 January 1980) is a famous Russian professional Latin and ballroom dancer. He is best known for his time on the popular TV show Strictly Come Dancing.

Pasha started dancing when he was eight years old. In 2000, he moved to the United States with his dance partner, Anya Garnis. They competed on the American dance show So You Think You Can Dance in 2007. Later, they worked on the show as choreographers or special "All-Star" partners.

From 2011 to 2018, Pasha was a professional dancer on the BBC's Strictly Come Dancing in the United Kingdom. He finished second twice with celebrity partners Chelsee Healey and Kimberley Walsh. He then won the show in 2014 with his partner Caroline Flack. In his last series in 2018, he and Ashley Roberts were runners-up. They hold the record for the highest average score for any couple on Strictly. Pasha decided to leave the show after seven series to try new things.

Early Life and Dance Competitions

Pasha Kovalev began dancing at age eight. Before 2000, he competed in Russia with his partner Anya Garnis in the Amateur Latin dance category.

After moving to the United States, Pasha and Anya became professional dancers. From 2002, they competed in the US, UK, and Canada. They were finalists in the US Open dance competition several times.

Dancing on So You Think You Can Dance

In 2007, Pasha and Anya auditioned for So You Think You Can Dance in the US. Anya made it to the Top 12, and Pasha reached the Semi-Finals. After that, they often returned to the show. They either created dances (choreographed) or danced as "All-Stars" with the contestants.

Becoming a Contestant in Season 3

Pasha originally went to the audition just to support Anya Garnis. But he was asked to audition too! He and Anya were chosen as two of the 20 dancers for the show's third season in 2007.

Pasha made it to the Top 6 dancers. He was eliminated on August 13, just before the final round. The two remaining male dancers were Danny Tidwell and Neil Haskell. Sabra Johnson won the competition that year. Both Pasha and Anya later joined the So You Think You Can Dance Tour.

Working as a Choreographer and All-Star

Pasha continued to be involved with So You Think You Can Dance for many seasons.

• In Season 4, he helped create a contemporary dance. He and Anya also choreographed a Cha-Cha routine.
• For Season 5, they choreographed a Samba dance.
• In Season 6, they helped with the choreography during auditions. They also created a Jive for two contestants.
• Pasha became an "All-Star" for Season 7 and Season 8. This meant he danced all the Latin and Ballroom routines with the female finalists, including the winners.
• In Season 9, he choreographed another Cha-cha routine.
• Finally, in Season 11 (2014), Pasha and Anya returned to choreograph a new Jive dance.

Dancing on Strictly Come Dancing

In September 2011, Pasha Kovalev joined the BBC show Strictly Come Dancing. He became a professional dancer for its ninth series. He quickly became very successful, reaching the finals in three out of his first five series. He finished second twice and won once.

Pasha's Strictly Achievements

Pasha holds some impressive records on Strictly Come Dancing:

• He has received the most perfect scores (40 points) from the judges, with a total of 13.
• He was the second professional dancer to reach the finals four times.
• With his partners Caroline Flack (Series 12) and Ashley Roberts (Series 16), Pasha holds the record for the longest streak of perfect scores. They scored 40 for their last four dances in a row.
• Caroline Flack and Pasha were also the first to get a perfect score for all three of their dances in the final.
• With Ashley Roberts, Pasha achieved the most perfect scores (five) by any couple in a single series.

Pasha has earned the highest score in Strictly history for ten different dance styles. He was the first professional to get a perfect score for the Paso Doble and the Tango. He has also received a score of 10 from at least one judge for every dance style on the show, except the Waltz.

Key

     Winner of the series

     Runner-up of the series

     Non finalist

     First elimination of the series

Series 9: Dancing with Chelsee Healey

In his first Strictly series, Pasha danced with actress Chelsee Healey. They received the first-ever perfect score for a Paso Doble on the show. They made it all the way to the finals, finishing as runners-up.

Series 10: Dancing with Kimberley Walsh

For the tenth series, Pasha partnered with Girls Aloud singer Kimberley Walsh. They earned the first perfect score ever given for a Tango. They reached the finals and finished as runners-up. By doing this, Pasha became the first male professional dancer to reach two Strictly finals in a row.

Series 11: Dancing with Rachel Riley

In the eleventh series, Pasha was partnered with TV presenter Rachel Riley. Rachel later became his wife! They were eliminated in Week 6, even though they received their highest score of the series.

Series 12: Winning with Caroline Flack

For the twelfth series in 2014, Pasha partnered with TV presenter Caroline Flack. They earned the first perfect score of the series for their Salsa in the semi-finals. In the finals, they received three more perfect scores, making a total of 120 points. This was a record at the time! On December 20, 2014, Pasha and Caroline were crowned the champions of Strictly Come Dancing.

Series 13: Dancing with Carol Kirkwood

In the thirteenth series (2015), Pasha, as the reigning champion, was paired with weather presenter Carol Kirkwood. They often had lower scores but managed to stay in the competition for seven weeks. Carol also set a record for the joint lowest-scoring Rumba on the show. They were eliminated in Week 7.

Series 14: Dancing with Naga Munchetty

For series fourteen, Pasha danced with BBC news presenter Naga Munchetty. They were eliminated in Week 4 after a dance-off.

Series 15: Dancing with Chizzy Akudolu

In series fifteen, Pasha was paired with actress Chizzy Akudolu. They were the first couple to be eliminated from the series in Week 2.

Series 16: Dancing with Ashley Roberts

For Series 16, Pasha partnered with former The Pussycat Dolls singer, Ashley Roberts. They became one of the highest-scoring couples ever on the show. They matched Pasha's previous record with Caroline Flack by scoring perfect 40s for all three dances in the final. They also set records for achieving the most 40s (five) in a single series and the highest average score (36.94). They finished as joint runners-up.

Other TV Appearances

Pasha has appeared on other TV shows too.

• In 2008, he and Anya Garnis performed on Dancing with the Stars in the US.
• In 2009, they represented Russia on the international dance show Superstars of Dance.
• In 2010, they helped choreograph for So You Think You Can Dance Australia.
• On January 4, 2013, Pasha was in the music video for "One Day I'll Fly Away" by his Strictly partner Kimberley Walsh. They performed a ballet dance in the video.
• In March 2013, Pasha helped comedian Miranda Hart with a ballroom dance challenge for Comic Relief's Red Nose Day 2013.

Strictly Come Dancing Children in Need Specials

Pasha has taken part in Strictly specials to raise money for Children in Need.

• In 2011, he danced with newsreader Emily Maitlis in a group dance.
• In 2016, he partnered with Olympic rower Helen Glover for the Children in Need Strictly Special.

Key

     Non winner

Sport Relief Strictly Come Dancing Specials

Pasha also participated in Strictly specials for Sport Relief, which raises money for charity.

• In 2012, he and Chelsee Healey won the Strictly Come Dancing Underwater special.
• In 2014, Pasha partnered with Paralympic gold medalist Hannah Cockroft for a Paralympian special. They won after a group dance.

Key

     Winner of the special

Strictly Come Dancing Christmas Specials

Pasha has also been part of several Strictly Come Dancing Christmas specials.

• In 2012, he and Chelsee Healey performed a group dance.
• In 2013, he partnered with West End star Elaine Paige. They got the highest score of the night but didn't win.
• In 2015, Pasha danced with TV presenter Lisa Snowdon. They scored well but lost to another former winner.
• In 2016, he partnered with actress Pamela Stephenson. They also got a high score but didn't win.
• In 2017, Pasha reunited with his Series 10 partner Kimberley Walsh. They performed a Jive and got the highest score of the night, but still didn't win the special.

Key

     Non winner

Stage Work

Pasha has also performed in live dance shows.

Dancing in Burn the Floor

In 2009, Pasha and Anya Garnis joined the cast of Burn the Floor on Broadway. This is a very famous ballroom dance show. They also toured with the show in 2010. Pasha left Burn the Floor in 2011 to join Strictly Come Dancing.

Personal Life

Pasha Kovalev and his professional dance partner Anya Garnis started dating when they were teenagers in Siberia. They moved to the United States together in 2000.

Pasha began dating his former Strictly partner Rachel Riley in 2013. They now live together. In May 2019, they announced they were expecting their first child. They got married in Las Vegas on June 28, 2019. Their first daughter was born in December 2019, and their second daughter was born in November 2021.

Live Tours

Pasha has been part of many live dance tours.

2007: So You Think You Can Dance Live Tour

In 2007, Pasha was a main dancer on the So You Think You Can Dance Season 3 Live Tour. He visited 50 cities across the United States with the other top dancers.

2012–2013: Strictly Come Dancing Live!

Pasha participated in the Strictly Come Dancing Live! 2012 Tour with Chelsee Healey. In 2013, he danced with Dani Harmer on the 2013 Tour. He did not join the Strictly tours in 2014 or 2015, choosing to focus on his own tours instead.

2012–2014: An Evening with Katya and Pasha

Pasha created a new dance show with fellow Strictly professional Katya Virshilas. Their show, An Evening with Katya and Pasha, toured the UK from 2012 to 2014.

2015: Life Through Dance

In March 2015, Pasha started his own tour called Life Through Dance. His original partner Anya Garnis was a special guest on this tour.

2016: It's All About You

Pasha announced his 2016 tour, It's All About You. It included 74 shows, and Anya Garnis joined him again as a guest star.

2020: Dancing With The Stars Weekend

Pasha was scheduled to appear at the Dancing With The Stars Weekend event in April 2020.

See also

In Spanish: Pasha Kovalev para niños