Karina Smirnoff


Karina Smirnoff Biography(Courtesy Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)


Karina Smirnoff (; ; born Karina Smirnova; January 2, 1978) is a Ukrainian professional ballroom dancer. She is best known to the general public as a professional dancer on Dancing with the Stars, winning the thirteenth season with army veteran and soap opera star J. R. Martinez. She's also won runner-up title, a semi-final title, and several quarter final titles.

She is a five-time U.S. National Champion, World Trophy Champion, and Asian Open Champion. Smirnoff has won the title at the UK Open, is a three-time champion at the US Open, two-time champion at the Asian Open, five-time champion at the Dutch Open, and five-time US National Professional Champion. She has taken second at the British Open Blackpool Dance Festival and she is the first woman to also ever make the "British Professional Final" with three different partners.

Biography

Smirnoff was born Karina Smirnova in Kharkiv, Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union on January 2, 1978. When she was five years old, she began taking ballet lessons, followed by gymnastics, aerobics, figure skating, ballroom dancing and piano. She chose to pursue ballroom dancing. In 1992, Smirnoff immigrated to the United States.

Education

Smirnoff attended Nerinx Hall High School in St. Louis, Missouri and Christopher Columbus High School in The Bronx, New York City and the Bronx High School of Science before going to Fordham University, during which time she picked up her interest in dancing again. Smirnoff graduated from Fordham University with a double major in economics and information system programming. During her academic studies, Smirnoff's goal was to go to law school and become an attorney. However she later came across a dance school in Brooklyn, New York, and after some time there dancing became her profession.

Career

Early in Smirnoff's dancing career, she and Roman Nabatov competed as an amateur couple for USA. They ended their dance partnership in January 1997. Smirnoff soon after started dancing with Paul Killick in October 1998 as a professional couple for England; this partnership ended in July 1999. Immediately, Louis Van Amstel and Karina Smirnoff, in July 1999, entered a professional dance partnership, representing the U.S.A; the partnership ended in December 2000. From January 2001 to September 2005, Smirnoff was in a dance partnership with Slavik Kryklyvyy and they represented the U.S.A; this partnership thus far is her most successful one. Kryklyvyy and Smirnoff earned numerous top titles and high ratings together.

Her last professional partner recorded in competitions was Dmitri Timokhin representing Russia in October 2005. They won first place at the 2006 Grand-Prix Dynamo in Moscow. They finished dancing together in June 2006. Smirnoff was the project manager/director of a dancing event entitled "Day & Night", held on November 18, 2006 at the Hollywood & Highlands Grand Ballroom. She is featured in a nude pictorial in the May 2011 American issue of Playboy magazine.

Dancing with the Stars

Smirnoff was a performer on the third season of the ABC series Dancing with the Stars with celebrity partner Mario López. They finished in second place, losing to the team of Emmitt Smith and Cheryl Burke. Smirnoff returned to the show on March 19, 2007 for Season 4, this time partnered with Billy Ray Cyrus, country singer and Hannah Montana star. The pair was the seventh to be eliminated from the competition on May 8, 2007. Her partner for Season 5 of the show was current five-division world champion boxer, Floyd Mayweather, Jr. On October 16, 2007, Karina and Floyd were the fourth couple eliminated from competition and came in 9th place. She returned for Season 6, partnered with singer Mario and finished in 5th place. In Season 7, she was partnered with chef Rocco DiSpirito and they were the fourth pair to be eliminated with a finish of 9th place for the second time.

For the eighth season, Smirnoff's partner was Apple Inc. co-founder Steve Wozniak. They were eliminated in the fourth round on March 31, 2009, along with Holly Madison and her partner Dmitry Chaplin. For the ninth season, she was partnered with singer Aaron Carter. They were eliminated on November 10, 2009, placing fifth. In the eleventh season, she was partnered with The Situation from MTV's reality TV show Jersey Shore. They were eliminated in the fourth week. In the twelfth season of Dancing with the Stars, she was partnered with movie star Ralph Macchio. They were eliminated in the semi-finals.

Smirnoff appeared on the thirteenth season of Dancing with the Stars, where she was partnered with All My Children actor J. R. Martinez. Smirnoff and Martinez ended up winning the competition against Cheryl Burke and Rob Kardashian, who was known for his family's television show, Keeping Up with the Kardashians. This was the first time Smirnoff had advanced to the finals since her inaugural season in season 3 with Mario López. For the fourteenth season of Dancing With The Stars, Karina was partnered with singer Gavin DeGraw. They were eliminated in week 5. For the fifteenth season, she will be partnered with season four winner, Apolo Anton Ohno.

Performances

Season Partner Place
3 2nd
4 5th
5
6 5th
7 9th
8 10th
9
11 9th
12 4th
13 J. R. Martinez 1st
14 Gavin DeGraw 9th
15 Apolo Anton Ohno 5th

With Mario Lopez (Season 3) 27.6

Week Dance(s)/Song Carrie Ann's
Score
Len's
Score
Bruno's
Score
Result
1 Cha-Cha-Cha/"Walkin' on the Sun" 9 8 9 Safe
2 Quickstep/"Do Your Thing" 7 6 8 Safe
3 Tango/"What You Waiting For?" 8 6 8 Safe
4 Paso Doble/"Cancion Del Mariachi" 10 9 10 Safe
5 Rumba/"The Way You Look Tonight" 9 9 9 Safe
6 Mambo/"Ran Kan Kan"
Disco/"Don't Stop 'til You Get Enough"
9
No
9
Scores
10
Given
No Elimination
7 Foxtrot/"I Wanna Be Loved by You"
Jive/"Shake a Tail Feather"
10
9
9
9
10
9
Safe
8
Quarter Finals
Waltz/"Dark Waltz"
Samba/"Superstition"
9
10
9
9
10
10
Bottom Two
9
Semi-Finals
Tango/"Whatever Lola Wants"
Cha-Cha-Cha/"Bad"
10
10
10
9
10
10
Safe
10
Finals
Samba/"Sir Duke"
Paso Doble/"Cancion Del Mariachi"
Freestyle/"It Take Two"
10
10
10
9
10
10
10
10
10
Runner-Up

With Billy Ray Cyrus (Season 4) 19.0

Week Dance(s)/Song(s) Carrie Ann Inaba Len Goodman Bruno Tonioli Result
1 Cha-Cha-Cha/"I Want My Mullet Back" 5 4 4 No elimination
2 Quickstep/"Ring of Fire" 7 7 7 Safe
3 Tango/"Rock the Casbah" 7 7 7 Safe
4 Paso Doble/"Black Betty" 7 7 7 Safe
5 Rumba/"What's Love Got to Do with It?" 6 6 5 Safe
6 Jive/"I Love to Boogie"
Swing/"Rock This Town"
7
No
7
Scores
7
Given
Safe
7 Waltz/"Play Me"
Samba/"Living in America"
5
7
6
7
6
7
Bottom Two
8
Quarter Finals
Foxtrot/"Stand by Your Man"
Mambo/"My Way"
7
6
6
7
5
7
Eliminated

With Floyd Mayweather, Jr. (Season 5) 20.8

Week Dance/Song Carrie Ann Inaba Len Goodman Bruno Tonioli Result
1 Cha-Cha-Cha/"The Way You Move" 6 6 6 Safe
2 Quickstep/"Signed, Sealed, Delivered I'm Yours" 7 7 7 Safe
3 Jive/"Mess Around" 7 7 7 Bottom Two
4 Paso Doble/"Captain from Castille" 7 8 8 Eliminated

With Mario (Season 6) 25.4

Week Dance(s)/Song(s) Carrie Ann Len Bruno Result
1 Cha-Cha-Cha/"Request Line" 8 8 8 No elimination
2 Quickstep/"Valerie" 9 8 9 Safe
3 Tango/"El Tango de Roxanne" 7 6 8 Last to be called safe
4 Paso Doble/"Higher Ground" 8 7 9 Safe
5 Samba/"A-Tisket, A-Tasket" 9 9 9 Safe
6 Rumba/"Let's Get It On"
Country Western/"Cotton-Eyed Joe"
9
No
9
Scores
10
Given
Bottom Two
7 Foxtrot/"I'm Your Man"
Mambo/"Mambo a la Sandoval"
8
9
8
9
8
9
Safe
8
Quarter Finals
Viennese Waltz/"If I Ain't Got You"
Jive/"Little Bitty Pretty One"
9
9
9
8
9
9
Eliminated

With Rocco DiSpirito (Season 7) 17.8

Week Dance(s)/Song(s) Carrie Ann Inaba's
Score
Len Goodman's
Score
Bruno Tonioli's
Score
Result
1 Foxtrot/"Stray Cat Strut"
Mambo/"La Comay"
5
7
4
7
5
7
Safe
2 Rumba/"You'll Never Find Another Love Like Mine" 5 6 5 Safe
3 Viennese Waltz/"What's New Pussycat?" 7 7 6 Safe*
4 Samba/"I Go to Rio" 6 6 6 Eliminated
  • Would have been eliminated but wasn't due to Misty May-Treanor's injury and forcing her to withdraw from the competition.

With Steve Wozniak (Season 8) 13.0

Week Dance/Song Carrie Ann Inaba Len Goodman Bruno Tonioli Result
1 Cha-Cha-Cha/"You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet" 5 4 4 No elimination
2 Quickstep/"Oh, Boy!" 6 5 6 Dance off
3 Samba/"Jump in the Line (Shake, Senora)" 4 3 3 Safe
4 Argentine Tango/"Cite Tango" 4 4 4 Eliminated

With Aaron Carter (Season 9) 24.0

Week Dance(s)/Song(s) Carrie Ann Len/Baz Bruno Result
1 Cha-Cha-Cha/"Beggin'"
Viennese Waltz/"I Am Your Man"
7
Awarded
8
10
7
Points
Safe
2 Quickstep/"The Muppet Show Theme Song" 9 9* 9 Safe
3 Rumba/"Spotlight" 8 6 7 Safe
4 Lambada/"Dr. Beat" 6 6 6 Bottom Two
5 Argentine Tango/"Epoca" 8 8 8 Bottom Two
6 Waltz/"Three Times a Lady"
Mambo Marathon/"Ran Kan Kan"
8
Awarded
9
8
8
Points
Safe
7 Jive/"We're Not Gonna Take It"
Paso Doble/"I Hate Myself for Loving You"
9
8
10
8
10
8
Bottom Two
8
Quarter Finals
Foxtrot/"Lucky"
90's Samba/"Two Princes"
7
9
8
9
8
9
Eliminated

With Mike Sorrentino (Season 11) 16.2

Week Dance(s)/Song(s) Inaba Goodman Tonioli Result
1 Cha-Cha-Cha/"Break Your Heart" 5 5 5 Safe
2 Quickstep/"Americano" 6 6 6 Last to be called safe
3 Foxtrot/"Boom Boom Pow" 7 6 7 Safe
4 Argentine Tango"/Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)" 4/6 4/5 4/5 Eliminated

With Ralph Macchio (Season 12) 23.4

Week Dance(s)/Song(s) Inaba
Goodman
Tonioli
Result
1 Foxtrot/"Ain't That a Kick in the Head?" 8 8 8 No Elimination
2 Jive/"Nobody But Me" 7 7 7 Safe
3 Rumba/"Stay Gold" 7 7 7 Safe
4 Waltz/"Romeo and Juliet" 8 8 9 Safe
5 Samba/"Sweet Home Alabama" 8 7 7 Safe
6 Paso Doble/"Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now)" 8 8 8 Last to be called safe
7 Cha-Cha-Cha/"Born This Way"
Quickstep/"Pencil Full Of Lead"
8*/8
10*/9
7
8
7
9
Safe
8
Quarter Finals
Viennese Waltz/"Maybe I Maybe You"
Cha-Cha-Cha/"Stuck in the Middle" -Instant Dance
8
7
8
7
9
7
Last to be called safe
9
Semi-Finals
Argentine Tango/"Violentango"
Salsa/"I Know You Want Me"
Winner Take All Cha-Cha-Cha/ "Boogie Shoes" & "Mustang Sally"
8
8
Lost
9
7
This
8
8
Event
Eliminated
  • Donnie Burns was a guest judge

With J. R. Martinez (Season 13) 26.4

Week # Dance/Song Judges' score Result
Inaba Goodman Tonioli
1 Viennese Waltz/ "Breakaway" 8 7 7 Safe
2 Jive/"Jump, Jive An' Wail!" 7 7 8 Safe
3 Rumba/"If You're Reading This" 9 8 9 Safe
4 Foxtrot/Theme from "The Pink Panther" 8 9 9 Safe
5 Samba/"Conga" 9 9 10 Safe
6 Quickstep/"Hot Honey Rag" from Chicago
Group Broadway Dance/"Big Spender" & "Money Money"
10
No
9
Scores
10
Given
Safe
7 Tango/Theme from "Ghostbusters" 9 8 8 Safe
Team Tango/"Disturbia" 8 7 8
8 Waltz/"What the World Needs Now" 10 10 10 Safe
Jive/"Tutti Frutti" 10 10 10
9 Paso Doble/"Theme from The Legend of Zorro" 8 7 8 Last to be called safe
Argentine Tango/"Bust Your Windows" 9 9 9
Cha-Cha-Cha Relay/ "I Like How It Feels" Awarded 6 Points
10 Cha-Cha-Cha/"Let's Get Loud" 8 7 9 WINNERS
Freestyle/"Whine Up" 10 10 10
Jive/"Jump, Jive An' Wail!" Awarded 28 Points
Samba/"Shake Your Bon-Bon" 10 10 10

With Gavin DeGraw (Season 14) 21.4

Week # Dance/Song Judges' score Result
Inaba Goodman Tonioli
1 Foxtrot/ "I Run to You" 7 6 7 No Elimination
2 Jive/ "Real Wild Child" 7 7 7 Bottom Two
3 Rumba/ "New York State of Mind" 8 8 8 Bottom Two
4 Tango/ "Paint It, Black" 8 8 7 Safe
5 Samba/ "Sweetheart from Venezuela"
Dance Duel Cha-Cha-Cha/ "The Edge of Glory"
6
Lost
6
This
7
Event
Eliminated

With Apolo Anton Ohno (Season 15): 27.3

Week # Dance/Song Judges' score Result
Inaba Goodman Tonioli
1 Cha-Cha-Cha / "Party Rock Anthem" 7.5 7 7.5 Safe
2 Quickstep/ "Five Months, Two Weeks, Two Days" 8.5 8.0 8.0 Safe
3 Foxtrot/ "Fever" 9.0 8.0 8.5 Safe
4 Hip-Hop/ "Poison" 8.5 9.0 8.5* / 8.5 Safe
5 Samba / Give It to Me Baby
Team Freestyle (Shawn) / Call Me Maybe
8.5
9.5
9.5
10.0
9.0
10.0
No Elimination
6 Viennese Waltz / "Skin (Sarabeth)"
Group Country Western / "Save a Horse (Ride a Cowboy)"
& "I Play Chicken with a Train"
10.0
No
10.0
Scores
10.0
Given
Last to be called Safe
7 Cha-Cha-Cha & Paso Doble / "Scream"
Swing Marathon / "Do Your Thing"
9.0
Awarded
9.0
6
9.0
Points
No Elimination
8 Tango / "Holding Out for a Hero"
Jive (Trio Challenge) / "Greased Lightnin'"
10.0
9.5
9.5
9.5
10.0
10.0
Last to be called Safe
9 Jazz / What You Waiting For?
Rumba / Man in the Mirror
8.5
10.0
9.0
10.0
9.5
10.0
Eliminated
^The additional score of 8.5 was awarded by guest judge Paula Abdul.

Smirnoff has appeared nude in a PETA advertising campaign -with the tagline "I'd rather dance naked than wear fur".

Smirnoff has appeared nude in the May 2011 issue of Playboy.

Personal life

Smirnoff dated her DWTS partner Mario Lopez from 2006 to June 2008. After Lopez, she began dating fellow Ukrainian Dancing With the Stars dancer Maksim Chmerkovskiy in the summer of 2008. They announced their engagement on December 31, 2008, but broke up in September 2009 before they got married.

In October 2009, Smirnoff began dating MLB pitcher Brad Penny. The couple became engaged on October 4, 2010. The couple broke their engagement in December 2011.



This biography article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License.It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Karina Smirnoff". Reality TV World is not responsible for any errors or omissions this article may contain.



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