Anya Garnis is a top 20 finalist on the third season of the American reality television show So You Think You Can Dance. Born on 1982 in Russia, she began dancing at the age of nine, and received formal training at a Russian dance school for eight years. After working at a law firm in her home country, she moved to the United States in 2001 and currently resides in New York City. Anya classifies her dance style as ballroom and Latin dancing, and claims that she has no time for any other hobbies apart from dancing. She has been dancing for the past nine years with her longtime partner
Pasha Kovalev , who is also a finalist in the series.
Her favorite professional dancer is fellow Russian Mikhal Baryshnikov, and says that no one else in her family dances professionally, despite others’ perception of her longtime dancing career. She also says that she performs in musical theater and public functions as a dancer all the time, and plans to learn and absorb as much as she can from being on the show, applying it all to become a better dancer. Anya believes that she can achieve success as a performing artist within the next ten years.
Exclusive Interview with Anya Garnis (Photo courtesy of FOX)