Anya Garnis

Anya Garnis, born Anna Garnis on May 26, 1982, is a Latvian ballroom dancer based in New York City. She relocated to the United States in 2000 alongside fellow dancer Pasha Kovalev to pursue a professional dance career.

Garnis gained wider recognition in 2007 as a top-20 contestant on the third season of the American reality competition So You Think You Can Dance. Following her elimination, she participated in the show's live tour and was later invited back to the program in the capacity of an all-star.

In 2009, Garnis made her Broadway debut as part of the cast of Burn the Floor, in which she and Kovalev served as lead dancers. The production brought competitive ballroom and Latin dance styles to the Broadway stage.

Beyond Broadway, Garnis held the position of lead dancer in Dancing With the Stars Live in Las Vegas. She also reunited with Kovalev on the British television series Strictly Come Dancing, joining the cast as a professional dancer for Series 11 in 2013. Her partner that series was Casualty actor Patrick Robinson, and the pair advanced to the semi-finals before being eliminated in a dance-off against Natalie Gumede and Artem Chigvintsev. Garnis returned to Strictly Come Dancing during Week 11 of Series 13, stepping in to replace Ola Jordan for professional dances, with Kovalev serving as her partner in those performances.