Nikita Kuzmin (

Ukrainian Ukrainian may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Ukraine * Something relating to Ukrainians, an East Slavic people from Eastern Europe * Something relating to demographics of Ukraine in terms of demography and population of Ukraine * So ...

: Нікіта Кузьмін; born 23 December 1997) is a Ukrainian dancer and choreographer. He is best known for being a professional dancer on the RTL and

BBC One BBC One is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's flagship network and is known for broadcasting mainstream programming, which includes BBC News television bulletins, ...

dance competitions '' Let's Dance'' and '' Strictly Come Dancing''. Kuzmin is also the holder of 6 Italian Championship titles.

Early and personal life

Kuzmin was born on 23 December 1997 in

Kyiv Kyiv, also spelled Kiev, is the capital and most populous city of Ukraine. It is in north-central Ukraine along the Dnieper River. As of 1 January 2021, its population was 2,962,180, making Kyiv the seventh-most populous city in Europe. Kyi ...

Ukraine Ukraine ( uk, Україна, Ukraïna, ) is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest European country after Russia, which it borders to the east and northeast. Ukraine covers approximately . Prior to the ongoing Russian inv ...

. His family moved to Italy when Kuzmin was nine. He has an older sister, Anastasia Kuzmina who has appeared as a professional dancer on ''

Ballando con le Stelle ''Ballando con le Stelle'' is the Italian version of the ''Strictly Come Dancing'' / ''Dancing with the Stars'' franchises. It was first broadcast on 8 January 2005 on TV station RAI 1. This show is aired in the prime time, usually of saturday ...

''. He has lived in Frankfurt, Germany since the age of 18. In March 2022, Kuzmin appeared on ''

Lorraine Lorraine , also , , ; Lorrain: ''Louréne''; Lorraine Franconian: ''Lottringe''; german: Lothringen ; lb, Loutrengen; nl, Lotharingen is a cultural and historical region in Northeastern France, now located in the administrative region of Gra ...

'' to discuss his fears for his grandmother living in Ukraine following the

Russian invasion of Ukraine On 24 February 2022, in a major escalation of the Russo-Ukrainian War, which began in 2014. The invasion has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths on both sides. It has caused Europe's largest refugee crisis since World War II. An ...

. They were later reunited.

Career

''Let's Dance''

In 2020, Kuzmin became a professional dancer on the RTL dance competition, '' Let's Dance'' for the thirteenth season where he was partnered with rapper

Sabrina Setlur Sabrina Setlur (born 10 January 1974), formerly known as Schwester S., is a German singer, rapper, songwriter and occasional actress. Her debut was in 1995 under the guidance of 3p Records executive and mentor Moses Pelham, producer of her breakt ...

. They were the second couple to be eliminated. Kuzmin did not return for the fourteenth season.

''Strictly Come Dancing''

On 26 July 2021, Kuzmin was announced as one of four new professional dancers joining the nineteenth series of '' Strictly Come Dancing''. Upon joining the show, Kuzmin said "I've always been amazed by the magic Strictly Come Dancing brings and that no matter what country I have found myself living in, I've never missed a chance to watch it. Joining it as a professional dancer is my big chance to make some magic on the most famous dance floor. I can't wait to give it my all." Kuzmin has also previously worked for judge Motsi Mabuse's dance company in Germany. In his first season, Kuzmin was paired with

Tilly Ramsay Matilda Elizabeth Ramsay (born 8 November 2001) is an English television presenter, chef and social media influencer best known for presenting the BBC cooking show ''Matilda and the Ramsay Bunch'' on CBBC alongside her family. Ramsay has made n ...

, they were eliminated from the competition in week 10. In his second season, Kuzmin was paired with Ellie Simmonds, they were eliminated from the competition in week 7.

Performances with Tilly Ramsay

* number indicates when Tilly and Nikita were at the top of the leaderboard. * number indicates when Tilly and Nikita were at the bottom of the leaderboard. *Score given by guest judge

Cynthia Erivo Cynthia Erivo (; born 8 January 1987) is an English actress, singer, and songwriter. She is the recipient of several accolades, including a Grammy Award and a Tony Award, in addition to nominations for two Academy Awards and a Primetime Emmy Awa ...

Performances with Ellie Simmonds

Dance tours

In November 2022, Kuzmin announced he was to appear with Jowita Przystał at "Dancing With The Stars Weekends" 2023.

References

Living people 1997 births Ukrainian choreographers Ukrainian male dancers Ukrainian expatriates in England Ukrainian expatriates in Germany {{Dance-bio-stub