Ivan Koumaev
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| Ivan Koumaev | |
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| Born | Ivan Koumaev October 16, 1987 Khabarovsk, Russia |
Ivan Koumaev (born October 16, 1987 in Khabarovsk, Siberia, Russia) moved to Mill Creek, Washington when he was seven-years-old. He started dancing at age 11, after watching the film Breakin'.
[edit] Early career
In his younger years, Ivan was a part of "Cruz Control" in Seattle, Washington. He then moved to the Los Angeles area and graduated from Aliso Niguel High School,[1] where he was a member of the selective dance-related club, "Dance Appreciation." In his last year of high school, Ivan taught at local dance studio- South Coast Freestyle. In Los Angeles, Ivan is active in "Breed Team Boogiezone."[2] He has also appeared with Hannah Montana in two Disney Channel music videos.
[edit] Competition
Koumaev joined the second season of the reality TV series So You Think You Can Dance in 2006, and made it to the top 20 dancers. In the first few weeks of the competition, he was partnered with Allison Holker. Initially, the judges praised Holker but criticized Koumaev. However, he remained a crowd favorite, and stayed with the competition.[3] Koumaev and Holker would go on to perform a powerful Argentine Tango and a contemporary routine to "Why" by Annie Lennox, one of their most memorable routines in which Ivan's growth as a dancer became evident.
When the competition was down to the top 10, Koumaev and Holker were paired up with different partners and Koumaev's new partner was Martha Nichols, whom he performed hip-hop and smooth waltz with. The difference in physique of Nichols and Koumaev led judge Jean-Marc Genereaux to say, "It's tough for a woman to follow a man when his frame is not strong enough." Nichols was eliminated.[3]
In the following episode Koumaev was again paired with Holker. They performed another Argentine tango and hip-hop, the voters showed disappointment in the performance, and Holker was kicked off. Koumaev went into the Top 6 of the competition and was paired with Natalie Fotopoulos. They performed the jive and contemporary. This time both the judges and voters were disappointed, as both contestants were kicked off the show.[3]
[edit] References
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