Ivan Koumaev
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| Ivan Koumaev | |
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| Birth name | Ivan Koumaev |
| Born | October 16, 1987 (age 19) Khabarovsk, Russia |
| Spouse(s) | In a Relationship (Girlfriend) |
| Notable roles | So You Think You Can Dance Season Two |
Ivan Koumaev was born on the October 16th, 1987 in eastern Russia. At seven-years-old, Koumaev moved to Mill Creek, Washington, where he grew up and picked up dancing at age 11 after watching "Breakin'". Koumaev had heart surgery on his aorta when he was just eight-years-old, as it was small and had holes in it. He considers being able to dance a miracle. He has one younger sister and currently has a girlfriend--despite his hectic schedule. She is also a hiphop dancer.
[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, where he was a member of the selective dance-related club, "Dance Appreciation." In Los Angeles, Ivan is active in "Breed Team Boogiezone.[1]." 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, saying Holker was, "Leading him all over the stage." However as the show progressed, Koumaev(who was an apparent crowd-favorite) even dipped to the bottom three, but the crowd's pleas kept him alive.[2] 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.[2]
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.[2]
