He won our hearts when he first took to the dance floor on Strictly Come Dancing and now Pasha Kovalev is taking to the stage in Ireland alongside his professional partner Katya Virshilas and their dancers in a sensational new show.
Ahead of the tour we sat down to talk to the Siberian-born dancer about what sparked his interest in dancing, how much work goes into a stage show and whether he’s annoyed about missing out on the Glitterball Trophy.
So Pasha, let’s go back to the beginning, what made you want to become a dancer?
Well the story is very simple. My mum took me to a dance competition. I saw all those girls running around wearing all those dresses so I said to my mum I have to go there and dance. You know dance, wink wink (he says laughing and smiling like a Cheshire cat).
Touring is a huge part of your life, do you enjoy being on the road?
It’s very exciting to go to different places. I really like visiting different countries or even driving around the UK and Ireland. It’s really nice because you can see something new and I love to experience the food, see the nature and of course see the people.
And how do you like Ireland?
I love it a lot. It has been raining this time around but it doesn’t spoil anything and when we perform in front of an Irish audience you guys don’t hold back and I love it.
(Why thank you!)
The show includes incredible dance routines, a question and answer session as well as a local dance group. Tell us, how much work goes into all that?
It’s always a lot of work when it comes to dancing because you’re perfecting your body, the moves, the dance and the story which goes with the music. It’s all day long so it’s more than your nine to five office hours. We start at nine in the morning and finish at 11 at night.
Pasha and Katya are bringing their show to Ireland this month.
But surely all that hard work is worth it in the end?
Absolutely. For me personally I get hooked on that excitement when you go in front of the audience and you dance with them and get their reaction. That’s priceless to me.
How important is your relationship with Katya in terms of the success of the show?
In order to create a successful partnership and make people believe in your dance and what you’re doing is true, you have to have this connection and develop trust. You have to make sure that your partner can completely be there for you and you do that by being there for them. You cannot move on without that. It takes two people to tango and that’s about two people creating together and telling the story. You need to create this relationship where you’re completely comfortable with each other.
How does being on stage like that compare to Strictly Come Dancing which has also become a huge part of your life?
I think both things, being in front of the camera and in front of the live audience, they have their benefits. As a dancer you want instant gratification in the way people react to what you do on stage. You’re either telling some sad story or a love story or there’s a fight going on and if there is no audience, I don’t think dance would be that exciting. I got hooked on the excitement of being watched. It sounds a bit creepy actually!
(Hey, who are we to judge?)
