Boyko Ivanov

Overview

Boyko was born in a small town in the country of Bulgaria. At the age of two his family moved to Russia, where he then lived for ten years.

He began Ballroom Dancing at the age of 12, participating in both Latin and Standard (10 Dance), traveling throughout Russia and most of Bulgaria for various competitions, all the while studying Chemistry in high school.

Before retiring from competitive DanceSport at the age of 21, Boyko competed with Diana Strashnikova in the Amateur 10 Dance division.

At the age of 21, Boyko decided to advance onto a new chapter in his life. He entered a University in which he would study to become a lawyer. At the time, his partner needed to get surgery and it seemed as if all loose ends were coming together to form a clear picture of his life's path. Balancing the sport of Ballroom Dance and schooling was difficult financially. He continued to teach Ballroom Dancing in Bulgaria until the age of 25 when he moved to the United States of America in 2005.

In The United States

American life grasped Boyko. He instantly fell in love with the charm of New York City. Now it is his permanent residence, other than when he is traveling.

For three years, Boyko continued to teach Ballroom Dancing until he was stabilized in this new country. Without knowing any English when he first emigrated from Europe, he found working difficult. However, that did not stop him as his adventure in hair styling began.

Boyko began by doing hair for dancers in the United States as well as for a former Champion of Bulgaria who had also moved to the US.

September 2005 brought Boyko his first official job in the United States, which was working at a costume design company for DanceSport. There he was stoning dresses and was able to speak his native language freely while we was adjusting to his new lifestyle. It was a great deal for Boyko to obtain such a job in which he could begin to get back on his feet, feeling like the richest person in the world to get such an opportunity. Because Boyko felt the connection to art through this job and he had the ability to create something with his own hands, he very much appreciated the chance to give something of his own soul to others, especially other dancers.

Boyko worked for a few months at this job until the company moved its offices from NYC to Los Angeles, California. They offered him to come with them, but he found that he was just beginning to adjust to his new life, new friends, and new location. His overall love for the city made him stay in the Big Apple.

The Hair Takes Over - Boyko & Co. Begins

In March of 2006, Boyko met Patricia West, the owner of one of the largest dance studios in California at the time. The grand Emerald Ball DanceSport Championships were coming up in May, and a few weeks before hand, Patricia called a friend of Boyko's and asked to inquire if Boyko would be able to do hair for her students. She said that she had a large studio and many of her students would be dancing that competition. She was interested if Boyko was up for doing hair and makeup for them.

Although Boyko was concerned about his English, he openly accepted without hesitation. He invited his friend's sister to do makeup while he did the hair. If anything, she could help and translate customers' requests for him. This became the first official event of Boyko & Co.

Patricia really helped start-up Boyko & Co. at this first event at Emerald by helping to create the name it first took on, NYC Hair and Makeup. Patricia helped create flyers, introduced Boyko to various people in the industry, and booked hotel rooms for him.

After the competition, Boyko realized that he really enjoyed the entire adventure that he had just experienced. This feeling made him want to do it again which made him think about this career option a bit more seriously.

A month after the Emerald Ball DanceSport Championships, Patricia West invited Boyko to help her for a showcase that she was hosting at her studio. He also partook in a competition in San Diego. However, this did not go as successfully as planned because at that time no one knew who Boyko was or what he could accomplish. This did not stop Boyko.

He did not give up but kept going, participating in competitions in Manhattan as well as the Embassy Ballroom Championships hosted in California. At this time, Boyko's English began progressing and he started teaching dance at a studio in Chinatown, Manhattan. This helped financially pay for plane tickets to fly to various DanceSport competitions.

Step by step, the company began coming out with flyers and a website, marketing that was helping him get on the map. Boyko was lucky enough to meet such dancers as Elena Grinenko and Tony Dovolani, a Professional Latin couple, with whom he began working.

He was then introduced to Sam Sodano and was able to go to Ohio Star Ball, not knowing what kind of competition it was at the time. Little by little, Boyko began traveling more often to various competitions and building his name even further.

Two years later, the name "Boyko" began booming with popularity. More and more people knew his name, his company, and his work.

At this point in time in 2008, Boyko completely stopped teaching in order to pursue his newly planned path in the hair industry, putting all of his time and energy into this new art. He began styling the top dancers and the popularity of Boyko & Co. prospered.

Boyko never thought that hair would become his world.

Inspiration

Boyko has always been attracted to the idea of hair style and design. At the time of his competitive DanceSport career, he would do the hair of his partner as well as for his students.

Without any formal training in the art, Boyko was completely self-taught throughout his career to this day, presenting unimaginable designs of extraordinary ability, skill, and pure talent.

The Future

Boyko & Co. serves the top dancers in the world with hair and makeup, both of Professional, Amateur, and Pro-Am divisions in competitions all throughout the globe. Boyko and his team are constantly booked with appointments with clients who adore his talent and flawless skill.

Boyko's current goals include spreading his knowledge to those willing and wanting to learn the art of hair styling, to share what he himself has discovered as a self-taught stylist. He is looking to teach this art to people that possibly may be a part of his traveling mobile salon in the future; a big team that stands by the name of Boyko & Co.

One day, Boyko says, if it will be possible for him to step out of the Ballroom and have his teams working for him, he would like to open up his own Salons created just for the art of styling. Something very different from the salons of everyday: "an event salon", he says. He would like two salons, one located in New York and the other in Los Angeles, two major centers of the country largely involved in the fashion business where people are constantly looking to attend large events.

A New Team

Aside from Silviya Pencheva, who has been Boyko's right hand for the past seven years as an outstanding makeup artist, Boyko would like to create teams that will be present in Europe and in Asia permanently while he, himself, is away. He is also ready to soon bring in hair stylists for men that will help in creating handsome styles for the gentlemen of DanceSport.

Working with Clients

Dance Partners

• Diana Strashnikova

Accomplishments

• Annual Hair Stylist at the Blackpool Dance Festival
• Annual Hair Stylist at the World Super Stars Dance Festival
• Styled hair for Doré Designs at New York Fashion Week
• Styled hair for Espen Salberg's collection "The Scent of A Woman" at New York Fashion Week

Entrepreneurship

• Boyko & Co., Founder, Owner, and Stylist