Burn the Floor's Pasha's Passion For Dance

BURN THE FLOOR is the international dance sensation that continues to sizzle, after its record-breaking run on Broadway-it opened at the Longacre Theater in August 2009 and ran for 185 performances. This Ballroom extravaganza is a potpourri of dance numbers and has a cast composed of 20 gorgeous, professional dance champions. It is a journey through Harlem's hot nights at The Savoy, when dances such as the Lindy, Foxtrot and Charleston were born, to the Latin Quarter whos Cha-Cha, Rumba and Salsa steamed up the stage. The elegance of the Viennese Waltz, the exuberance of the Jive, the intensity of the Paso Doble, as well as the Tango, Samba, Mambo, Quickstep and Swing will all be showcased. The ten modes of dance highlighted in Burn The Floor are titled "international style" and have been danced in competition since 1920.

Each cast member has spent a lifetime training and competing in professional couples dance challenges and Russian born Pasha Kovalev is no exception. He started dancing at the age of 8 and continued his formal training in ballet and jazz and now specializes in Latin and Ballroom dance. His longtime partner, Anya Garnis's skill and their determination, led them to a successful career in televised ballroom competitions. This gave them the chops necessary to land spots on So You Can Think You Can Dance (SYTYCD), Dancing with the Stars and Superstars of Dance.

The Orange County stop at Segerstrom Center for the Arts will feature Anya and Pasha, who joined the tour after performing in the London production that played at the Shaftesbury Theatre in 2010. The current cast includes SYTYCD alums Robbie Kmetoni (2010 winner of Australia's version), Ashleigh Di Lello, Janette Manrara and Karen Hauer (top 10 in U.S.) and American Idol's Vonzell Solomon as the show's female vocalist.

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.

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.

Did Burn The Floor find you or did you find it?

They found us, we did a SYTYCD when Jason Gilkison was a guest choreographer. He became the choreographer for Burn The Floor and the next year they were putting it together for Broadway, they were looking for headliners and here we are. Ayna and I have been with the show on and off for a year and a half now.

You were in the Broadway production and are now on the tail end of a 40-week tour that began in Portland, Oregon last September, correct?

Yes, and next the company is going to Europe/Amsterdam, then to South Africa then Australia. The company is always in the touring kind of mode. We won't be on that tour, we are taking a break to work on other projects, and it was quite a long run, but lots of fun.

What has been the most outstanding experience of the tour so far?

Probably the audience reaction. Everywhere you go, the audiences act differently; some audiences are open and scream and cheer and others are more reserved. But at the end of every show we get a standing ovation, it's incredible to see how people get touched by what we do on stage.

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!

BURN THE FLOOR runs through June 12 at the Segerstrom Center for the Arts, 600 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa. Tickets: 714.556.2787 or SCFTA.org.