Karina Smirnoff (born Karina Smyrnova, January 2, 1978) is a professional ballroom dancer. She is known as a professional dancer on Dancing with the Stars, where she won the thirteenth season with army veteran and soap opera star J. R. Martinez. She has also won two runner-up titles, a semifinal title, and several quarterfinal titles.
She is a five-time U.S. National Champion, World Trophy Champion, and Asian Open Champion. She 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 the first woman to reach the British Professional Final with three different partners, and surpassed her own distinction by being the only woman to have made the final with four different partners between 1999–2006.
Early life Karina Smirnoff was born in Kharkiv, Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union, and is of half-Greek and half-Russian Jewish descent. At 11, she began competing in ballroom dancing. She chose to pursue ballroom dancing. In 1993, Smirnoff immigrated to the United States.
Education Smirnoff attended multiple schools, including Nerinx Hall High School in St. Louis and Christopher Columbus High School in The Bronx. She finally graduated from the Bronx High School of Science. Smirnoff graduated from New York City's Fordham University with a double major in economics and information system programming.
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.
Smirnoff appeared in the 2004 film Shall We Dance? as a dance instructor and was Stanley Tucci's dance partner. She also released a fitness DVD, Shape Up With Karina Smirnoff.
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 guest starred as Madame Escajeda in an episode of Hannah Montana. She is featured in a nude pictorial in the May 2011 American issue of Playboy magazine.
In November 2016, it was announced that Smirnoff would be joining the cast of E! reality series Famously Single for its second season.
Dancing with the Stars
Smirnoff was a performer on the third season of the ABC series Dancing with the Stars with celebrity partner Mario Lopez. 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 Michael "The Situation" Sorrento from MTV's reality television 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 Rob Kardashian and his partner Cheryl Burke and Ricki Lake and her partner Derek Hough. 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 was partnered with season four winner, Apolo Anton Ohno and ended up placing 5th. For the sixteenth season, she is partnered with NFL star Jacoby Jones. Smirnoff became injured when she was performing a flip with partner Jones during rehearsals for their week 9 Lindy hop. The couple was able to reach finals but came in third place losing to Zendaya and Kellie Pickler who took second and first place respectively. For season 17 she was partnered with former High School Musical actor Corbin Bleu and landed in second place behind Amber Riley and Derek Hough. For season 18, she was partnered with former NHL player Sean Avery. They were the second couple eliminated in a double elimination on Week 2. This marked Smirnoff's earliest exit of the competition. For season 19 she was paired with UFC fighter and actor Randy Couture. They were eliminated in week 3, finishing in 11th place. After taking a one-season break, Smirnoff returned for season 21 and was paired with professional jockey, Victor Espinoza. The couple was eliminated on Week 2 and finished in 12th place. For season 22, she was partnered with former NFL quarterback Doug Flutie. They were eliminated on week 6 of competition and finished in 9th place.
On October 24, 2023, Smirnoff returned to the Season 32 ballroom, along with many of her original DWTS peers, performing a group choreographed Waltz, to "Moon River", as a special tribute in memory of DWTS judge, Len Goodman. Goodman had retired one year earlier in 2022, after the previous season, and died on April 22, 2023, after a long battle with cancer.
Performances Season Partner Place32nd45th565th79th810th9119th124th13 J. R. Martinez1st14Gavin DeGraw9th15Apolo Anton Ohno5th16Jacoby Jones3rd17Corbin Bleu2nd18Sean Avery11th19Randy Couture21Victor Espinoza12th22Doug Flutie9th
With Mario Lopez (Season 3) 27.6 WeekDance(s)/SongCarrie Ann'sScoreLen'sScoreBruno'sScoreResult1Cha-Cha-Cha/"Walkin' on the Sun"989Safe2Quickstep/"Do Your Thing"768Safe3Tango/"What You Waiting For?"868Safe4Paso Doble/"Cancion Del Mariachi"10910Safe5Rumba/"The Way You Look Tonight"999Safe6Mambo/"Ran Kan Kan"9910No elimination7Foxtrot/"I Wanna Be Loved by You"10910SafeJive/"Shake a Tail Feather"9998Quarter FinalsWaltz/"Dark Waltz"9910Bottom twoSamba/"Superstition"109109Semi-FinalsTango/"Whatever Lola Wants"101010SafeCha-Cha-Cha/"Bad"1091010FinalsSamba/"Sir Duke"10910Runner-upPaso Doble/"Cancion Del Mariachi"101010Freestyle/"It Take Two"101010
With Billy Ray Cyrus (Season 4) 19.0 WeekDance(s)/Song(s)Carrie Ann InabaLen GoodmanBruno TonioliResult1Cha-Cha-Cha/"I Want My Mullet Back"544No elimination2Quickstep/"Ring of Fire"777Safe3Tango/"Rock the Casbah"777Safe4Paso Doble/"Black Betty"777Safe5Rumba/"What's Love Got to Do with It?"665Safe6Jive/"I Love to Boogie"777Safe7Waltz/"Play Me"566Bottom twoSamba/Living in America"7778Quarter FinalsFoxtrot/"Stand by Your Man"765EliminatedMambo/"My Way"677
With Floyd Mayweather Jr. (Season 5) 20.8 WeekDance/SongCarrie Ann InabaLen GoodmanBruno TonioliResult1Cha-Cha-Cha/"The Way You Move"666Safe2Quickstep/"Signed, Sealed, Delivered I'm Yours"777Safe3Jive/"Mess Around"777Bottom two4Paso Doble/"Captain from Castille"788Eliminated
With Mario (Season 6) 25.4 WeekDance(s)/Song(s)Carrie AnnLenBrunoResult1Cha-Cha-Cha/"Request Line"888No elimination2Quickstep/"Valerie"989Safe3Tango/"El Tango de Roxanne"768Last to be called safe4Paso Doble/"Higher Ground"879Safe5Samba/"A-Tisket, A-Tasket"999Safe6Rumba/"Let's Get It On"9910Bottom two7Foxtrot/"I'm Your Man"Mambo/"Mambo a la Sandoval"898989Safe8Quarter FinalsViennese Waltz/"If I Ain't Got You"Jive/"Little Bitty Pretty One"999899Eliminated
With Rocco DiSpirito (Season 7) 17.8 WeekDance(s)/Song(s)Carrie Ann Inaba'sScoreLen Goodman'sScoreBruno Tonioli'sScoreResult1Foxtrot/"Stray Cat Strut"Mambo/"La Comay"574757Safe2Rumba/"You'll Never Find Another Love Like Mine"565Safe3Viennese Waltz/"What's New Pussycat?"776Safe*4Samba/"I Go to Rio"666Eliminated
Would have been eliminated, but was not after Misty May-Treanor suffered an injury and was forced to withdraw from competition.
With Steve Wozniak (Season 8) 13.0 WeekDance/SongCarrie Ann InabaLen GoodmanBruno TonioliResult1Cha-Cha-Cha/"You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet"544No elimination2Quickstep/"Oh, Boy!"656Dance off3Samba/"Jump in the Line (Shake, Senora)"433Safe4Argentine Tango/"Cite Tango"444Eliminated
With Aaron Carter (Season 9) 24.0 WeekDance(s)/Song(s)Carrie AnnLen/BazBrunoResult1Cha-Cha-Cha/"Beggin'"787SafeViennese Waltz/"I Am Your Man"Awarded10Points2Quickstep/"The Muppet Show Theme Song"99*9Safe3Rumba/"Spotlight"867Safe4Lambada/"Dr. Beat"666Bottom two5Argentine Tango/"Epoca"888Bottom two6Waltz/"Three Times a Lady"898SafeMambo Marathon/"Ran Kan Kan"Awarded8Points7Jive/"We're Not Gonna Take It"91010Bottom twoPaso Doble/"I Hate Myself for Loving You"8888Quarter FinalsFoxtrot/"Lucky"788Eliminated90's Samba/"Two Princes"999
Score was awarded by stand-in judge Baz Luhrmann.
With Mike "The Situation" Sorrentino (Season 11) Season average: 16.2; placed 9th Week #Dance/SongJudges' scoreResultInabaGoodmanTonioli1Cha-cha-cha / "Break Your Heart"555Safe2Quickstep / "Americano"666Last to be called safe3Foxtrot / "Boom Boom Pow"767Safe4*Argentine Tango / "Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)"444Eliminated655 As part of acoustic music/double-scoring week, the judges had to give scores for both technical and performance.
With Ralph Macchio (Season 12) Season average: 23.4; placed 4th Week #Dance/SongJudges' scoreResultInabaGoodmanTonioli1Foxtrot / "Ain't That a Kick in the Head?"888Safe2Jive / "Nobody But Me"777Safe3Rumba / "Stay Gold"777Safe4Waltz / "Romeo and Juliet"889Safe5Samba / "Sweet Home Alabama"877Safe6Paso Doble / "Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now)"888Last to be called safe7Quickstep / "Pencil Full of Lead"*9 / 1089SafeTeam Cha-cha-cha / "Born This Way"*8 / 8778Viennese Waltz / "Maybe I, Maybe You"889Last to be called safeInstant Cha-cha-cha / "Stuck in the Middle with You"7779Argentine Tango / "Violentango"898EliminatedSalsa / "I Know You Want Me (Calle Ocho)"878
Additional scores for Week 7 were awarded by guest judge Donnie Burns.
With J.R. Martinez (Season 13) Season average: 26.4; placed 1st