Pasha - Pasha Kovalev

From Moscow to New York to L.A. to London—the professional dancer's extraordinaryjourney to the glitzy world of ballroom

With his slick moves, calm demeanor, and brooding good looks, Pasha Kovalev has becomea senation as a popular dancer. His talent and determination have taken him around the world, but as he shares here, it was the stark, grey landscape of his Siberian hometown, still reeling from the Communist regime, which provided the unlikely inspiration for his early love of ballroom dancing. With a strongdesire to succeed, he moved to theU.S. in 2001with his professional dance partner Anya Garnis and settled in Fort Lee, New Jersey.He auditioned for seasonthree ofSo You Think You Can Dancein 2007,moved to L.A. in 2008,and hehas since participated in all following seasons as either a choreographer or an All Star. From2009-2011he joined the cast of Jason Gilkison's productionBurn the Floor, one of the leading ballroom based shows in the world, during its stint on Broadway. In September 2011, Pasha joined the BBC'sStrictly Come Dancingas the new professional dancer of the ninth season,being partnered in the 10th season with Girls Aloud star Kimberley Walsh. He speaks candidly in this heartwarming autobiography, on topics from romance to body image to the illness that nearly killed him. Most of all, he gives readers a glimpse behind the scenes of the flashy world of ballroom, and what really goes on beneath the veneer of sparkles and glamour.