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 2001, 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.

In 2011, 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, later became runners-up on the sixteenth series of the show. They currently hold the record of the highest average for any celebrity on the show – with an average of 36.9 – and another record for scoring the most perfect scores – with a total of five. Kovalev announced that 2018 was his final series on the show as he had decided to "find a new challenge" after "eight incredible years".^[7]

Early life and competitive career

Kovalev began dancing at the age of eight. Until 2000, he competed with partner Anya Garnis in the Amateur Latin category in Russia.^[1]

After moving to the US, Kovalev and Garnis turned professional, and from 2002 started competing in the United States, the United Kingdom and Canada. Their competitive achievements include being finalists in the US Open from 2002 to 2006.^[2][8]

So You Think You Can Dance

In 2007, Kovalev and Garnis auditioned for season 3 of the US reality show So You Think You Can Dance.^[9] Garnis made it to the Top 12 stage, whereas Kovalev made it all the way to the Semi-Finals. The pair have since participated in all following seasons as either choreographers or as All-Stars.

Season 3: Contestant

Although originally he only attended the audition to support Anya Garnis, he was asked to audition as well and together with Garnis became one of the 20 dancers chosen to compete in the show's third season from June to August 2007.^[2]

After making it all the way to the Top 6, Kovalev was eliminated on 13 August, in the last round before the final, losing out to the two remaining males, contemporary dancers Danny Tidwell and Neil Haskell. Sabra Johnson, the remaining female contemporary dancer, went on to win the competition. Kovalev and Garnis both later took part in the So You Think You Can Dance Tour.

Seasons 4–11: Choreographer

On Season 4, Kovalev assisted Mia Michaels on a Contemporary routine, and he and his partner Anya Garnis choreographed a Cha-Cha routine performed by Courtney Galiano and Gev Manoukian.

On Season 5, Kovalev and Garnis choreographed a Samba for Evan Kasprzak and Randi Evans.

On Season 6, he and Garnis returned to So You Think You Can Dance to lead the choreography rounds during the auditions, and later that season choreographed a Jive for Russell Ferguson and Mollee Gray.

Kovalev was announced as an "All-Star" for both Season 7 and Season 8 of the show, performing all the Latin and Ballroom dances with the female finalists, including winners Lauren Froderman and Melanie Moore.

For Season 9, the following year, he returned to choreograph a Cha-cha routine for contestants Janelle Issis and Dareian Kujawa on the third week of live shows.

Finally, on 16 July 2014, Kovalev returned with Garnis to choreograph a new Jive routine for contestants Bridget Whitman and Emilio Dosal during Season 11.

Strictly Come Dancing

In September 2011, Kovalev joined BBC's Strictly Come Dancing as the new professional dancer of its ninth series,^[3] replacing Jared Murillo who had left after only one series with the BBC programme. He has since reached the finals three out of five series, finishing runner-up on his first and second series, and winning on his fourth.

Statistics and Strictly records

As a Strictly professional dancer, Kovalev holds the record for most perfect scores, with a total of 13. He was also the second dancer to reach the finals three times (after Brendan Cole) as the runner up of Series 9 and 10, and the winner of Series 12.

Along with his Series 12 partner the late Caroline Flack and Series 16 partner Ashley Roberts, Kovalev holds the record for the longest consecutive run of perfect scores, after scoring a 40 for each of their last four dances. Flack and Kovalev were also the first to receive a perfect score for all three of their dances in the final. With Roberts, Kovalev holds the record for most maximum scores of 40, by any couple, with five.

Key

  Winner of the series

  Runner-up of the series

  Non finalist

  First elimination of the series

  Participating

Kovalev has received the highest score in the history of Strictly Come Dancing for ten of the show's eighteen dance styles and is the first Strictly professional dancer to receive a perfect score for the Paso Doble and also for the Tango. Furthermore, he has received a ten from at least one of the judges for all of the show's dance styles, except the Waltz.

He holds the record for the highest score ever awarded to the Paso Doble and the Rumba, with Series 9 partner Chelsee Healey; to the Charleston and the Tango, with Series 10 partner Kimberley Walsh; to the Salsa, the Cha Cha Cha, the Charleston and the Showdance, with Series 12 partner Caroline Flack; and to the Jive, the American Smooth, the Salsa, the Showdance and the Charleston with Series 16 partner Ashley Roberts. Kovalev and Walsh also received the only perfect score for the Series 10 Fusion dance, dancing to a mashup of the Cha Cha Cha and the Tango.

Highest and lowest scoring performances per dance

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