HIGH WYCOMBE will be alive with passionate and powerful dancing next month as Strictly Come Dancing stars Pasha and Katya, quick-step their way into the spotlight.

Twice a runner-up on the hit BBC show, Pasha Kovalev, is much loved among dancing fans, and he and his partner will soon entertain a Wycombe Swan audience with their dazzling steps.

Pasha recently spoke to Freetime about the ongoing tour, his time on Strictly Come Dancing and his love for dance.

He said: "This is a tour of Katya and I, of what we have accomplished. It is a cosmic version of Strictly for the fans.

"It is the styles they like from Strictly, lots of costumes, we try to make it more comfortable for people, we invite people to be a part of our show and we try to do what they want."

Pasha said the show is all about the fans and as part of the show they even have their own audience dancing competition.

He said: "We bring the audience on stage to get involved in the fear of Strictly by completing a little dance, they are then judged - the audience are involved a lot.

"At each show we also have a local dance group join us. The show is a lot of work but it is friendly and it gives us an opportunity to meet the fans of Strictly, it is amazing.

"Our audience can see us on the screen but we are always locked in the studios, this brings us closer to our audience."

Born in Siberia and brought up in Russia, Pasha started dancing from the age of eight, despite no one else in his family being dancers.

He said: "No one in my family danced, and still no-one dances in my family. My mum took me to dance camp when I was about eight.

"Dancing is very popular in Russia and I think that is why she took me along, I did like it, plus there were all these girls in skimpy outfits.

"I grew up learning dance. I am a ballroom dancer and Strictly is the one show which actually uses my skill. I really enjoy being creative and the tour has really allowed me to do that.

"I am also a big Latin dancer, I am sure I have some Latin blood in me somewhere. I was born is Siberia."

Pasha first shined on our television screens in 2011 when he was partnered with Waterloo Road actress Chelsee Healey.

His first series was a success as he finished as runner-up. More of the same was to come in his second series as he again finished in second place partnered with Girls Aloud star Kimberly Walsh.

He was one of the favourites going into last year’s competition as he was partnered with countdown star Rachel Riley. However, they were unable to live up to expectations as they made an early exit.

With the tour carrying on until the end of June, Pasha is hoping his next challenge will be a fourth series with the dancing show.

He said: "The thing is we go from year to year and the BBC production team select the celebrities for the upcoming series and once they have that they sit down to work out which dancers to have back.

"Hopefully I will be asked to come back again."

However, Pasha and his dancing partner have got their sight firmly set on their tour which started in Camberley.

Pasha said: "Dancing is like an education because no one has an idea how powerful it can be. The phenomenon of Strictly is that people like watching dancing.

"I constantly have people coming up to me and say they are taking up dancing lessons, it inspired us to do the tour again. It is nice to hear people of all ages re-discovering or discovering dance because of Strictly and the tour."

Despite being a show full of energy- a mix up in tempos and intensity gives the dancers a bit of respite, while the atmosphere is always enough to carry them through every evening.

He said: "It is hard work, but after every show, because of the energy from the audience, we get recharged and we aim to give all that energy back to the audience during the performances.

"Almost all of our shows are to be sold out with only a few tickets are left and if people want to join the carnival they better rush."

As well as the two stars of Strictly Come Dancing showcasing their talents, the pair also has four other professional dancers who help wow the crowds.

The show has grown since it was first started almost three years ago and the amount of dates on the tour has almost doubled since the first year.

The glitz and glamour of the show will light up the Wycombe Swan stage on Wednesday, April 9 at 7.30pm from 01494 512000 or go to www.wycombeswan.co.uk. Tickets are £24 to £26 with a £1.50 booking fee.

For more information on the dancing pair and their tour, visit: ww.katyaandpasha.com