REVIEW: IT’S ALL ABOUT YOU

PASHA AND ANYA

REGENT THEATRE, CHRISTCHURCH

From BBC TV’s Strictly Come Dancing, Pasha Kovalev and his partner Anya Garnis presented a smooth show of creatively professional moves.

Playing two sold-out evenings at Christchurch’s Regent Centre, Pasha and Anya are performing a four-month, 74-date UK tour, and their popularity is increasing dramatically.

Unlike Strictly colleagues Anton du Beke and Brendan Cole, Pasha is a different dancer. Anton is humorously charismatic, uses a 25-piece live orchestra, and excels in ballroom. Brendan has a creative dynamism, utilises a scintillating live band, and pushes the boundaries of dance.

Pasha’s show in contrast has an endearingly low-key approach, with no live music, so vocalists singing to backing tracks sound rather karaoke-ish. But the dancing is superb, the energetic lifts astonishing, and the chemistry between Pasha and Anya is electric.

Whereas Anton and Brendan’s shows feature an audience question and answer section, Pasha invites audience dance participation, encouraging female volunteers to the stage. Linda and Margot were entertaining, followed by Jules (looking suspiciously like Julia Greenham from the popular touring rock ‘n’ roll show That’ll Be The Day) adding to the fun.

Adding effective symmetry at the start and end of the show on overhead projections, Carol Kirkwood (Pasha’s 2015 Strictly partner) nailed the eternal attraction of dancing.

This popular dance show plays Newport’s Medina Theatre, Isle of Wight on May 5, and Basingstoke’s Anvil Theatre on May 11.

Brendan McCusker