Shimmy Exclusive Interview

Ivan Koumaev

Shimmy: How has life changed for you after doing SYTYCD?

Ivan Koumaev After SYTYCD, my life flipped upside down. Immediately after tour was over I moved to LA with Travis Wall and started teaching all over the country. Thanks to the publicity of the show there was a great deal of interest in what I do and plenty of people wanted me to come to their studio. I enjoy teaching very much so I have been doing that ever since. Travis helped me start working at a convention called New York City Dance Alliance and that taught me lessons in working with children that prepared me for the past year that I worked with another convention called NUVO. As you can imagine fame can have crazy effects on people and I was no excuse, to be recognized anywhere is such a sensation and was very unexpected for me. I now live in New York and I am still teaching every where I get a chance to, I plan to take my work internationally soon.



Shimmy: What have you been doing these past few months?

Ivan Koumaev I am in New York City, the greatest city of all, and I am auditioning and working on branching out as far as my dance ability is concerned. I hope to get into acting, directing and choreographing sometime this year.


Shimmy: What is your dream role?
Ivan Koumaev At this point in my life I still would love to do backup work for artists on tours but on a greater scale I want to create my own work, have my own show, my own choreography the whole 9 yards.


Shimmy: Is there any different dance genre that you'd love to try?

Ivan Koumaev So far I have tapped into contemporary work and I hope that one day I can say that I can do it all, what I don't want to become is a jack of all trades and a master of none, so I still have focus on Hip-Hop because it remains my favorite

Shimmy: What inspires you to dance?

Ivan Koumaev Everything and anything around, inspiration for artists is all around them and that is what I like to consider myself, an artist. I spend everyday analyzing and admiring the world around me and draw inspiration from the craziest things, we are all crazy in some way, or at least that's what I think.


Shimmy: What dancers give you chills?

Ivan Koumaev As far as people that would be more familiar: Travis Wall, Danny Tidwell, Jaimie Goodwin, Allison Holker, and pretty much everyone I have had the pleasure of being around, they have all found a way to shock and amaze me. But those are all people that the general public is aware of. Within the dance world, there is so much talent that if I were to name dancers that have blown my mind the list would be longer than you could ever imagine.


Shimmy: Do you have any rituals before performing?

Ivan Koumaev I usually say a little prayer before going on stage and I have to pump myself up somehow, jumping jacks, push-ups etc. For the most part I just can't wait to get out and perform so I guess the ritual is the anticipation.


Shimmy: If you had to trade places with one person for 24 hours who would it be?

Ivan Koumaev This is a tough question because I'm not sure if your referring to dead or alive. Dead - Jesus (by human standards he is dead), I would love to know what all that history is, just to walk this planet knowing what he knew at the time. Alive - Michael Jackson, I would take those 24 hours and change myself into what I/he used to look like and try to get his fame back because he is my favorite.


Shimmy: 3 things you cannot live without.

Ivan Koumaev MUSIC!!!! Vision, and and as cheesy as it sounds, love.


Shimmy: What is on your ipod?

Ivan Koumaev Hours and hours and hours of every possible and random thing I could find and afford on itunes, I keep my options open and try to listen to everything. More recently, I have been studying house music and old rock legends.


Shimmy: If in 10 years you are not dancing, what might you be doing instead?

Ivan Koumaev Figuring out why I'm not dancing and fixing it. Dance is such a passion for me, if I had a choice I would die doing a step-ball- change.


Shimmy: Where will we see you next?

Ivan Koumaev Look behind you! Seriously, I'm not sure hopefully soon, I'm working on it.


Shimmy: What would you like to tell your fans?

Ivan Koumaev To all my fans, you guys changed my life, the simple fact of knowing that there are people who looked up to me, wanted to meet me, or anything near that is mind-blowing and if I could I personally thank each one of you.