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Elena Grinenko
Professional dancer |
ACHIEVEMENTS:
2006 Emerald Ball Open American Rhythm Champion
2006 American Ballroom Challenge - Rhythm Champion
2005 Yankee Classic Champion
2005 World Cup finalist
2005 Masters Gala finalist
2003 All England Champion
2003 Ohio Star Ball Champion (Closed North American Championship)
- 2003 Philadelphia Dance Festival winner
CELEBRITY PARTNER: Tucker Carlson
STATS:
Style: Latin
Nationality: Russian
Based in: New York
Status: Competing with Tony Dovolani in the American Rhythm section. |
BACKGROUND:
Elena was a Junior Soviet Union Finalist in all divisions of ballroom dancing. In 1994, whilst competing in the youth category, Elena won the Moscow and National Championship titles in the Latin Division. That same year, she became a world semifinalist in Latin, a national finalist in standard and national champion in the 10-Dance category.
After graduating from high school in 1995, Elena was accepted into the very prestigious Russian Art Academy where she furthered her study of dance.
At the age of 21 Elena left her family and motherland behind her to pursue her dream of dancing in the United States. She now lives in New York. |
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Louis Van Amstel
Professional dancer |
ACHIEVEMENTS:
United States Professional Latin American Champion (2000)
7-time Dutch National Amateur Champion
European Amateur Latin Champion ('95)
World Amateur Latin Champion ('94, '95)
Grand Slam Latin Champion ('95)
World Professional Showdance Champion ('96)
Professional World Latin Finalist ('96)
CELEBRITY PARTNER: Monique Coleman
STATS:
Style: Latin
Nationality: Dutch
Based in: Los Angeles
Status: Retired from competing, but regularly appears in exhibition performances. Has produced dance shows on Broadway and in Salt Lake City. |
BACKGROUND:
Louis partnered Trista Sutter, reality star of The Bachelor and The Bachelorette in Season 1 when they came in sixth place. In Season 2 Louis danced with actress Lisa Rinna and came in fourth. Louis began his dance career at an early age, training in a theatre school gaining a solid background in ballet, tap, and jazz.
Upon immigrating to the United States, Louis quickly became the U.S. National Latin Champion in 2000 and founded the company VanDance, LLC. |
Tony Dovolani
Professional dancer |
ACHIEVEMENTS:
2005 World Rhythm Champion
2006 PBS American Ballroom Challenge Rhythm Champion
2006 Emerald Ball Open Professional American Rhythm Champion
2005 Ohio Star Ball American Rhythm Champion
Current world and undefeated United States Open champion.
CELEBRITY PARTNER:Sara Evans
STATS:
Style: Latin
Nationality: Albanian
Based in: New York
Status: Competing with Elena Grinenko |
BACKGROUND:
Tony partnered the WWE wrestler Stacey Keibler in Season 2. The couple came in third place. Born in Kosovo, Tony began folk dancing at age three. When he was 15, his entire family moved to the United States and Tony got the opportunity to attend a Fred Astaire Dance Academy. From that moment on, he knew he had found his passion. Since that time, Tony has traveled the world and won many championships. Tony also had a featured role in the hit film Shall We Dance and spent time coaching Jennifer Lopez. |
Maksim Chmerkovskiy
Professional dancer |
ACHIEVEMENTS:
2005 Yankee Classic Professional Latin Champion
2004 Manhattan Dancesport Professional Latin Champion
2004 World Cup Latin Grand Slam Classic Champion
2004 Moscow Kremlin Cup Finalist
2004 Nevada Star Ball Champion
2003 Ohio Star Ball Latin Champion
Ranked 2nd in the US
2003 World Masters Finalist
2003 International Dancing Champion
United States World Professional Finalist
CELEBRITY PARTNER: Willa Ford
STATS:
Style: Latin
Nationality: Russian
Based in: New Jersey
Status: Competing with Ekaterina Lapaeva |
BACKGROUND:
Maksim partnered actress Tia Carrere in Season 2. They finished the show in 6th place. Born in Ukraine, Maks has been dancing since he was 4 years old. Before immigration, he was one of the leading junior couples in his home country. Immigration was very hard for Maks' family due to financial difficulties and language barriers. Maks' passion and love for dance caused him to get past all these major obstacles. During his dance career, Maks became one of the top Latin American dancers in the world. He won numerous competitions worldwide and represented the United States at countless world class championships. Maks is currently ranked 7th in the world among professional dancers. Max is the proud owner of Rising Stars Dance Academy, one of the leading dance studios for kids and young adults in the United States and the world. Rising Stars Dance Academy is a home to national and international champions known throughout the world. Max is one of the creators and on the board of directors of Dance Team USA, which is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing opportunities to American Youth in mind, body, and spirit. He recently opened up "Dance with Me," an up-and-coming social dance studio for adults.
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Nick Kosovich
Professional dancer |
ACHIEVEMENTS:
Two-time U.S. American Ballroom Champ
2005 World American Ballroom Champ
Two-time U.S. Classic Showdance Champ
Two-time World Classic Showdance runner-up
Arthur Murray National American Ballroom Champ
International Travelling Consultant for ARTHUR MURRAY Dance Studios
CELEBRITY PARTNER: Vivica A. Fox
STATS:
Style: American Smooth / Ten Dance
Nationality: Australian
Based in: New York
Status: Recently retired from competing with his wife Lena Bacheva
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BACKGROUND:
Nick partnered actress Tatum O'Neal in Season 2. They were the second couple voted off, coming in 9th place. An internationally respected figure in the Ballroom world, Nick competed for 30 years before his recent retirement. He has competed in seven Professional World Championship events, and before retiring from competition earlier this year he won the United States American Smooth Championships and finished second in the 2004 World Classic Showdance Championships. Nick has appeared in several movies, most recently Shall We Dance and also in Every Body Says I love You, Blue In the Face and Only With You. He has also appeared on numerous TV network shows. Apart from Tatum O'Neal, Nick has previously taught actresses Jennifer Beals and Leslie Caron, and also coached Patrick Dempsey.
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Ashly DelGrosso
Professional dancer |
ACHIEVEMENTS:
Holiday Rising Star Champion
Rising Star World Professional Championship Semi-Finalist
United States Rising Star Professional Latin Champion Finalist
Two-time U.S. Youth Ten Dance Champion
Amateur Ten Dance Champion
U.S. Youth Standard Champion
CELEBRITY PARTNER: Harry Hamlin
STATS:
Style: Latin
Nationality: American
Based in: Utah
Status: Recently retired from competing. Performs regularly as part of a dance company. |
BACKGROUND:
In Season 1, Ashly partnered musician and ex-New Kid On The Block Joey McIntyre to come in third. In Season 2 she and Master P came in seventh.
Ashly grew up in Utah as one of a family of eight kids. Ashly's mother owns a local dance studio so it was only natural that Ashly started dancing as soon as she could walk. As a professional dancer, Ashly partnered Rick Robinson with whom she won the Holiday Rising Star Champion title, as well as reaching the Semi-Finalist round in the Rising Star section of the ballroom world's biggest competition in Blackpool, England.
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Edyta Sliwinska
Professional dancer |
ACHIEVEMENTS:
First Place - 2001 International Grand Ball (San Francisco)First Place - 2001 Holiday Ball (Las Vegas, Nevada)Emerald Ball Latin Amateur Champion
CELEBRITY PARTNER:Joey Lawrence
STATS:
Style: Latin
Nationality: Polish
Based in: San Francisco
Status: Recently stopped competing with fiancé Alec Mazo |
BACKGROUND:
Edyta partnered boxing champion Evander Holyfield in Season 1 when they came fifth. In Season 2 she and George Hamilton also came fifth. Despite only turning professional two years ago, Edyta sees herself as a future world champion and her sudden emergence on the professional scene has ruffled the feathers of many of her competitors. Until recently Edyta competed with her fiancé (and Season 1 winner) Alec Mazo.
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Karina Smirnoff
Professional dancer |
ACHIEVEMENTS:
Five-time U.S. National Champion
World Trophy Champion
Asian Open Champion
CELEBRITY PARTNER:Mario Lopez
STATS:
Style: Latin
Nationality: Russian
Based in: New Jersey
Status: Ranked second in the world |
BACKGROUND:
Born in the Ukraine, Karina came to the U.S. with her family at age 12. She began ballet lessons at the age of 5 before moving on to figure skating which she studied for an additional five years. At the age of nine, Karina was introduced to ballroom dancing and fell in love with it.
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Jesse DeSoto
Professional dancer |
ACHIEVEMENTS:
2006 California Open American Rhythm Champion
2006 Indiana Challenge Open American Rhythm Champion
2005 St. Louis Star Ball American Rhythm Champion
2005 Crystal Ball American Rhythm Champion
2005 Cleveland Dancesport Champion
2005 United States Dancesport Championships World Mambo Finalist
2004 Ohio Star Ball Rising Star American Rhythm Champion
2003 Nevada Star Ball Rising Star American Rhythm Champion
CELEBRITY PARTNER:Shanna Moakler
STATS:
Style: American Rhythm
Nationality: American
Based in: Chicago
Status: Competing and teaching |
BACKGROUND:
Jesse has been dancing with current partner Jackie Josephs for four years. Unlike most of his peers in the ballroom world Jesse started dancing very late in life and relies more on his raw talent and steely determination rather than decades of training and experience. It wasn't until he was 19 and looking for a job did he stumble across what was to become his true calling. His mother persuaded him to answer a newspaper ad looking to train inexperienced dancers for three months and the rest is history. Discovering he had a gift, he put his all into becoming a professional dancer and only seven years later he is an American Rhythm champion as well as being a top instructor.
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Cheryl Burke
Professional dancer |
ACHIEVEMENTS:
2005 World Cup Professional Rising Star Latin Champion
U.K. Championships
4th in U.S. in the Under 21s
CELEBRITY PARTNER: Emmitt Smith
STATS:
Style: Latin
Nationality: American
Based in: New York
Status: Competing |
BACKGROUND:
Cheryl and her partner singer Drew Lachey stole the show on Season 2 and sensationally won the competition. Growing up in San Francisco, California, Cheryl came from a family who loved to dance. At four years old, she began taking ballet lessons and performed throughout the Bay Area until she was ten. It was at that time that she discovered ballroom, and decided to change her focus. She hung up her ballet shoes and began training in both standard and Latin. By 13, Cheryl was competing and traveling all over the world.
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Kym Johnson
Professional dancer |
ACHIEVEMENTS:
Former Australian Amateur Ballroom and Latin champion
Finalist U.K. Ballroom Championships at Blackpool
Burn The Floor world tour
Dancing With The Starss Australia - Seasons 1, 2 and 3
CELEBRITY PARTNER: Jerry Springer
STATS:
Style: Latin and Ballroom
Nationality: Australian
Based in: Sydney
Status: Retired ballroom dancer, Dancing
With The Starss Australia Champion |
BACKGROUND:
Kym danced professionally with Latvian Tomas Atkocevicius until she retired from professional ballroom in 2001. Kym began ballroom dancing at the relatively late age of 15 when she was dragged along to lessons by her brother who decided it would be a good way to meet girls. She soon got the bug and it wasn't long before she was dancing competitively. following her retirement from professional ballroom, Kym then broke into stage with the world tour of Burn The Floor. Other highlights of her successful career include dancing at Elton John's 50th birthday party and appearing in the hit movie Strictly Ballroom. |
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