Pavel "Pasha" Kovalev, born 19 January 1980 is a Russian professional Latin and ballroom dancer.
He started dancing at the age of eight and in 2001 moved to the United States with his professional dance partner Anya Garnis. In 2007, the couple competed on the third season of the American version of So You Think You Can Dance 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. After finishing runner-up on both the ninth and tenth series with celebrity partners Chelsee Healey and Kimberley Walsh, he went on to win series twelve with his partner Caroline Flack. 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".
Kovalev started dating his former Strictly partner Rachel Riley in 2013, and the couple now live together in London. In May 2019, Riley and Kovalev announced via social media that they were expecting their first child in December. The couple subsequently married in Las Vegas on 28 June 2019. Their daughter, Maven Aria Riley Kovalev, was born on 15 December 2019. The couple are now expecting their second child.
Pavel "Pasha" Kovalev, born 19 January 1980 is a Russian professional Latin and ballroom dancer.
He started dancing at the age of eight and in 2001 moved to the United States with his professional dance partner Anya Garnis. In 2007, the couple competed on the third season of the American version of So You Think You Can Dance 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. After finishing runner-up on both the ninth and tenth series with celebrity partners Chelsee Healey and Kimberley Walsh, he went on to win series twelve with his partner Caroline Flack. 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".
Kovalev started dating his former Strictly partner Rachel Riley in 2013, and the couple now live together in London. In May 2019, Riley and Kovalev announced via social media that they were expecting their first child in December. The couple subsequently married in Las Vegas on 28 June 2019. Their daughter, Maven Aria Riley Kovalev, was born on 15 December 2019. The couple are now expecting their second child.