The Pasha Kovalev Appreciation Board

Lili27Lili27 Posts: 2,950
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This is an appreciation board for the new pro Pasha Kovalev - a place to post any info, videos, etc. for SCD's new pro.

Pasha is wonderful dancer and he has great partnering skills. He is soft spoken, boyish, sweet and with a touch of geeky. ;).

I am going to post a few of my favourite videos from SYTCD both when he was on the show and when he was an all star and some interviews. If you have any please share. I will try include the videos that have practice and judging but some do not. These are all different styles.

First the audition.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7rwbju65LFY

First cha cha on his season. Rehearsal and judging.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FDO9bp76Imk

The west coast swing choreographed by Benji Schwimmer. What is so cool about this is that Pasha and Sara are doing some of the same moves that Benji and Heidi did when they won the west coast swing championship in 2005. One of Pasha's best dances.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0hhe2_HGakk

The transformers hip hop routine. This dance received an emmy nomination and Pasha struggled with this routine as most ballroom dancers do. He delivered though.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RJWFlsctLaQ

Jazz dance. Pasha almost did not make the final cut because Mia Michaels the jazz judge did think he could handle jazz or hip hop. Take that Mia.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f_rQH9aVaS8

My personal favourite. The smooth waltz with Lacey.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PZ63byrReS0

And the argentine tango with Lauren from season 7.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-J0pK9kBV0w
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Comments

  • Lili27Lili27 Posts: 2,950
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    An interview about BTF. "you have to know how to handle your woman"

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rCDP6Y49Sjw&feature=related

    A lesson in jive. "We don't wanna shuffle"

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z0xkbHblIo0
  • silversandysilversandy Posts: 9,113
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    Well done Lili27. I was wondering when you were going to set up a thread for Pasha. Looking forward to viewing all the videos tomorrow.:):)
  • Lili27Lili27 Posts: 2,950
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    Thanks Silversandy. I thought it might be too early but realized those fans who are interested in Pasha can come and support him and plus have a place to put info or discuss.
  • Wrenny-24Wrenny-24 Posts: 9,373
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    Thanks for setting this up Lili, will enjoy watching the videos tomorrow. :)
  • Lili27Lili27 Posts: 2,950
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    If I could just figure out how to get Pasha on twitter...:rolleyes:
  • katharinea0203katharinea0203 Posts: 10,768
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    Thanks for this, its another place I can disappear off too! Saw Pasha in BTF last summer in London, he & his partner Anya did 'Burn for you' & the amazing one legged hold during the dance! This can be added to the list that is Brian, Ali & Brian, Ali, Kara & Artem & Robin's threads, keep me busy until Christmas!
  • fridgesoupfridgesoup Posts: 17,085
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    Thanks for the thread Lili - I'm excited about our new pro and hope he gets a partner with a bit of potential so he's in the comp for a while.
    Looking forward to seeing how he compares to the lovely Artem :)
    Will look at all the vids you've posted tomorrow - it's like having a little Strictly amuse bouche :D
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 1,418
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    I really adore Pasha after seeing him in SYTYCD and am so happy he will be on Strictly this year. Thanks for all these videos as I haven't seen them all. I really loved his Samba with Caitlynn on this years SYTYCD and the Argentine Tango he did with her they were highlights of the season for me. Hopefully he will get an amazing partner so we can see him dance all series :D
  • Lili27Lili27 Posts: 2,950
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    This is a cha cha that he choreographed for SYTCD. They can put lifts into routines on sytycd so I know he would not choreograph that. Gotta love Mary Murphy.

    "Give her the message"

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=STU0NQPRsr8
  • silversandysilversandy Posts: 9,113
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    On one of the videos Pasha said he hadn't seen his family for 10 years. I wonder if that is still the case.

    I do hope that the Producers of SCD acquaint Pasha with the rules for all the dances. Artem fell foul of them with the American Smooth. Len Goodman said they didn't spend enough of the dance in hold.

    We know Pasha and Artem worked together on Burn the Floor. Whether they are friends or just work colleagues we don't know.

    I am looking forward to seeing how Pasha fits in with the Strictly Family. I am sure he is going to make a big impact on the show as Artem and Robin did last year. Let the fun begin.
  • Lili27Lili27 Posts: 2,950
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    On one of the videos Pasha said he hadn't seen his family for 10 years. I wonder if that is still the case.

    Yes, he wrote on his myspace a while back that he went home for a long holiday to see his family and how excited he was. His note was quite touching.

    I do hope that the Producers of SCD acquaint Pasha with the rules for all the dances. Artem fell foul of them with the American Smooth. Len Goodman said they didn't spend enough of the dance in hold.

    I feel like slipping him a little note that says "keep your girl in hold, keep her feet on the floor and her shoes on." Haha. Pasha has not been tested on his own choreography and his style of teaching yet so that remains to be seen. We'll see.

    We know Pasha and Artem worked together on Burn the Floor. Whether they are friends or just work colleagues we don't know.

    Don't know, I guess we will find out if they spend any time together.

    I do wonder how he will be accepted by the other pros but again it all remains to be seen. Artem, Robin and Jared all came in as new boys and had one another to share that experience with but Pasha is on his own. It will be interesting to see how he fits in.
  • Lili27Lili27 Posts: 2,950
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    A couple of articles and interviews.

    http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/showtracker/2007/07/so-you-think--5.html#more
    "The difference in ballroom is that you're showing off your partner more than yourself," he said. "That's how you make dance look beautiful and special, as opposed to the other guys on the show who are used to dancing by themselves. The whole performance is about them and their tricks. We in ballroom don't really have those flips over our head or jumping splits. Maybe it's not that appealing to the judges and they would like to see more flashy stuff. I think ballroom dancers are strong in their performance and characterization of the dance and of the song, and it's really all about connecting to the audience and making them feel what you feel at the moment, with or without the tricks."
    they still had to prepare their solos for the results show. Pasha discussed what goes into a solo.

    "It's all about trying to find the right piece of music," he said. "We have a short time to dance when we perform, just 30 seconds, so it's hard to tell the full story during that period of time. You just try to create beautiful pictures that people will relate to. After I did my first dance in the bottom three contestants on the second week of the show, I decided what I'd do next and I've been preparing it since. So far I haven't had the chance to dance it, and I hope I don't."

    He did end up having to do the solo. The dress on the mannequin was worn by Anya and you can see the story he was trying to tell in 30 seconds he had.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fq19fTuVfS8
  • fridgesoupfridgesoup Posts: 17,085
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    I am looking forward to seeing how Pasha fits in with the Strictly Family
    Lili27 wrote: »
    I do wonder how he will be accepted by the other pros but again it all remains to be seen. Artem, Robin and Jared all came in as new boys and had one another to share that experience with but Pasha is on his own. It will be interesting to see how he fits in.

    It would be pretty daunting for anyone - I hope they're nice to him :eek:
    I'm sure they will be :) - I have a feeling the ladies may take him under their collective wing :D

    Lili - I've been looking around for discussion/fan sites related to the US dance shows. What's the equivalent of DS for DWTS and SYTYCD? I'm familiar with the ABC/DWTS forum (:eek: :eek:) and found TWOP for SYTYCD (much less :eek:!), but wondered if there was a (nice) general place to go to for info/opinion......
  • Lili27Lili27 Posts: 2,950
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    Lili - I've been looking around for discussion/fan sites related to the US dance shows. What's the equivalent of DS for DWTS and SYTYCD? I'm familiar with the ABC/DWTS forum ( ) and found TWOP for SYTYCD (much less !), but wondered if there was a (nice) general place to go to for info/opinion......

    Hi Fridgesoup.

    I think their might a message board on idolforums for sytycd. Other than it is just twop that I know of. Sytcd official site took theirs down the way the BBC did. Twop is a rough place but then the theme is television without pity -spare the snark, spoil the network. But the moderaters will step in.

    This year there was so much controversy because Melanie won it and she was never really given anything much out of contemporary which was her genre. Even the viennese walz she did with Pasha, while it was a study in lifts and timing of lifts it was NOT VW. I call it the lifty dance and I thought that is as close I am going to see Pasha do contemporary.
  • Lili27Lili27 Posts: 2,950
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    http://www.tvguide.com/news/think-dance-pasha-36184.aspx

    On partnering
    TVGuide.com: What was your chemistry like with your various partners?
    Pasha: The chemistry with Jessi Peralta and Sara VonGillern was great in the beginning. Later in the competition, when we had a different partner each week, it was harder to have good chemistry because you just don't grow into your partner. Like I said, in ballroom you try to show off your partner and make your partner [look] special and through that you show off yourself. So if you don't have enough time to get to know your partner and trust each other more... each week when it's a different partner, you maybe mentally don't invest as much in it. So you're trying to get through the dance, trying to make it as comfortable for your partner as you possibly can, but you don't have this feeling that, "OK, I need to make it work because next week I will still be with her and I need to keep investing in it." So I think that was a downside of it.
  • Lili27Lili27 Posts: 2,950
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    The links on this article do not work anymore but here a few quotes.

    EDGE: How important are TV shows like "So You Think You Can Dance" and "Dancing With the Stars" in bringing this resurgence of dance to the mass public?
    Pasha Kovalev: You know, TV is a big, big factor in popularity so dance has gained popularity in the big circle of people and those [shows] are definitely showing dancing on a new level. Even a few years back if somebody was asked what do you do and you said ’I’m a ballroom dancer’ then they’d say, ’Oh, ballet?’ Now, nobody questions it. Everyone knows the form of dance that it is and it’s because of those TV shows!
    Henry Soriano: Absolutely. Thank God for shows like that because they’re popular and have opened the public up to what ballroom dancing could be and, of course, our choreographer, Jason Gilkison, is very innovative in putting ballroom dancing in a modern setting and that helped to educate people on dance in general. I think that helps a lot when people say ’Ballroom dancing is boring!’ They’ll come see the show and open their eyes to it so I think it’s very cool that "Dancing With The Stars" and "So You Think You Can Dance" are so popular right now.

    EDGE: Pasha, you’ve been on "So You Think You Can Dance" before. Will you see you on either that show or "Dancing With The Stars" this year?

    Pasha Kovalev: Maybe. I was invited to do "Dancing With The Stars" this season but it didn’t work out because of my commitment to "Burn The Floor" [but] you never know what’s going to happen next.

    Evidently Pasha did get an offer from DWTS but went to SCD instead.

    On living in the US and learning English

    Hi Pasha, Thanks for taking the taking time out of your busy schedule. I enjoyed watching you compete on SYTYCD and all of the success it has brought you. What originally brought you to America?
    It was my career, I had been dancing for a long time and it was the logical next step. Just to look for work opportunities to further my dance career.

    What has been the toughest adjustment to make in Los Angeles after growing up in Russia?

    The weather . . . just kidding! Probably the language and the food. The language came in the first two years, it wasn’t too difficult. But once I learned to dream in English, it was a lot easier
    .

    Dreaming in English....

    On his partnership with Anya

    America loves Anya too; she is such an amazing dancer. How long have you two been dancing together?

    We started dancing together in Russia about 12 years ago. We have been through everything together; competing, shows, SYTYCD, Broadway and now touring. It is a successful partnership for us.

    How did you meet?

    We met back in the studio in Siberia, I remember originally not wanting to dance with her. Our coach put us together and said "You guys are going to dance together," and I said "Oh, no!" At the time I had a different partner, but it was always her intuition to put us together. I am thanking her every day.

    You two go together like warm cookies and cold milk. So many partnerships don’t go the distance, why do you think yours has survived?

    We believe in each other and she is the best partner out there for me and she has the same opinion of me. Once you have been through everything, the good and the bad, you learn about each other and which buttons not to push. Plus, I am very patient

    On being an all star.

    Congratulations on becoming an "All-Star" for the seventh season of SYTYCD. Other than changing partners each week, what will be your biggest challenge?
    By being an all-star rather than a contestant, you have the benefit of staying in your own dance style and comfort zone. The challenge is that ballroom is my comfort zone and in the last two seasons there were no ballroom dancers to give me an advantage. It’s not that tough because the girls adjust and try to do their best, but still it’s not good quality ballroom. I remember when I was on the show I had to fake a hip-hop, so you try your hardest to get through any limitations
    .

    What other plans do you have for the future?
    Some TV work, everything at this point is not set in stone and I am superstitious to put it out there without them being finalized. But a couple of TV projects are in the works!


    I am guessing that SCD was one of those projects.:)
  • fridgesoupfridgesoup Posts: 17,085
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    Thanks for all the info, Lili - much appreciated :)

    Do you know what Anya is doing now (or has planned)? It sounds like Pasha and Anya are close professional partners but not personal ones; is that the case? (Just trying to guess how the Beeb are going to play things with him :D;) :rolleyes:)
  • Lili27Lili27 Posts: 2,950
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    As far as I know Pasha and Anya are not a couple off the dance floor but they are very very close friends. I am not sure what she is doing as far as her career but I imagine she is doing something with dance.
  • WingiWingi Posts: 583
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    I'd be interested in knowing why Pasha picked SCD over DWTS (having been asked once, presumably he would have been asked again).

    I also hope that Anya is doing something that she wants to do for the next 5 months, as they seem to have always done things together before.

    Hopefully we'll get some tweets from the other pros that Pasha is there for rehearsals this week - I'm sure someone would have mentioned him if he'd been there last week!
  • silversandysilversandy Posts: 9,113
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    Wingi wrote: »
    I'd be interested in knowing why Pasha picked SCD over DWTS (having been asked once, presumably he would have been asked again).

    I also hope that Anya is doing something that she wants to do for the next 5 months, as they seem to have always done things together before.

    Hopefully we'll get some tweets from the other pros that Pasha is there for rehearsals this week - I'm sure someone would have mentioned him if he'd been there last week!

    I got shot down in flames when I said we hadn't heard anything about him last week. Perhaps he was given time to get over jetlag and settle into his new accommodation.

    Like you I am looking forward to hearing some news about Pasha this week. We are getting names leaked of the celebrities, it wouldn't hurt to send a bit of news our way about the new professional.;):)
  • WingiWingi Posts: 583
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    I got shot down in flames when I said we hadn't heard anything about him last week. Perhaps he was given time to get over jetlag and settle into his new accommodation.

    Like you I am looking forward to hearing some news about Pasha this week. We are getting names leaked of the celebrities, it wouldn't hurt to send a bit of news our way about the new professional.;):)

    I think we only got the pics of them in training as a follow up to the comments that Brendan's wife had made on twitter. If Pasha had been there, I think he would have been in the photo!!:D:D (But of course, I have a nasty suspicious mind;))
  • Philly1234Philly1234 Posts: 1,289
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    I am so happy to see this thread. I really can't wait to see Pasha on Strictly. He's such a great partner and seems like a real sweetheart.

    I bet this thread is going to be very popular once the series starts!
  • Lili27Lili27 Posts: 2,950
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    Here is a radio interview with the transcript. It was done the morning after he was eliminated from sytycd. His phone connection is not that good and he is a bit hard to understand.


    http://www.buddytv.com/articles/so-you-think-you-can-dance/exclusive-interview-pasha-kova-9404.aspx
  • silversandysilversandy Posts: 9,113
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    Lili27 wrote: »
    Here is a radio interview with the transcript. It was done the morning after he was eliminated from sytycd. His phone connection is not that good and he is a bit hard to understand.


    http://www.buddytv.com/articles/so-you-think-you-can-dance/exclusive-interview-pasha-kova-9404.aspx

    That you for posting the interview Lili27. He looks dishy in that photo;)
  • Lili27Lili27 Posts: 2,950
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    To me this is when he looked the most handsome - when he did the waltz with Jessi. No wonder she got caught up in it. :).

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZxSQ8DhF9q0
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