Driton Dovolani (born July 17, 1973), commonly known as Tony Dovolani, is an Albanian-American professional ballroom dancer, instructor and judge. He is known for his involvement in the American version of Dancing with the Stars on ABC. Dovolani also portrayed Slick Willy in the hit film Shall We Dance? and spent time coaching actress Jennifer Lopez.
Early life Dovolani was born in Pristina, Kosovo, to Albanian parents from Debar, North Macedonia. He began folk dancing at the age of three. When he was fifteen, his family moved to Stamford, Connecticut. He got the opportunity to attend classes at a Fred Astaire Dance Academy.
Dancing with the Stars Season Partner Place2Stacy Keibler3rd3Sara Evans6th4Leeza Gibbons5Jane Seymour 6th6Marissa Jaret Winokur4th7Susan Lucci 6th8Melissa Rycroft3rd9Kathy Ireland10Kate Gosselin8th11Audrina Patridge7th12Wendy Williams10th13Chynna Phillips14Martina Navratilova15Melissa Rycroft1st16Wynonna Judd11th17Leah Remini5th18NeNe Leakes7th19Betsey Johnson10th20Suzanne Somers9th21Kim Zolciak-Biermann11th22Marla Maples10th Dovolani joined the show in its second season and was partnered with professional wrestler Stacy Keibler; they made it to the finals and finished in third place. In Season 3, he was partnered with country music star Sara Evans. Midway through the season, Evans withdrew from the competition for personal reasons. He returned to the show on March 19 for Season 4, this time partnered with talk show host Leeza Gibbons. They were the third couple eliminated from the competition and finished in 9th place.
He competed in Season 5, partnered with actress Jane Seymour. They were the seventh couple eliminated from the competition and finished in sixth place. In Season 6, his partner was Broadway actress Marissa Jaret Winokur. They were eliminated in the semi-finals and finished in fourth place. Dovolani competed in Season 7 of Dancing with the Stars with actress Susan Lucci of All My Children as his partner. They were eliminated in Week 7 and came in sixth.
In the eighth season, he was originally paired with Nancy O'Dell, the then-host of Access Hollywood. However, on March 5 she withdrew from the competition because of a torn meniscus sustained during pre-season practice. With only two days to practice, Melissa Rycroft, fresh off her The Bachelor appearance, stepped in and became his new celebrity partner. They made it to the finals and took third place in the competition.
In the ninth season, he was partnered with former model and entrepreneur Kathy Ireland. They were the third couple to be eliminated, finishing in 14th place. For Season Ten, Dovolani was partnered with former reality star Kate Gosselin from Jon and Kate Plus 8/Kate Plus 8. They were the fourth couple eliminated, finishing in 8th place.
For the eleventh season, he was partnered with The Hills star Audrina Patridge. They were the sixth couple eliminated, finishing in 7th place. For Season 12, his partner was talk show host Wendy Williams. They were the second couple eliminated, finishing in tenth place. For Season 13, his partner was singer Chynna Phillips. Phillips was eliminated in week four.
For Season 14, his partner was the tennis champion Martina Navratilova. They were the first couple to be eliminated. Dovalani was once again partnered with Melissa Rycroft for All-Stars season 15 and they became champions of the season, making him the oldest pro winner at age 39. For season 16, he partnered with country singer Wynonna Judd and was eliminated in the third week of the competition. For season 17, he was partnered with actress Leah Remini and finished in 5th place.
For Season 18, he was partnered with Real Housewives of Atlanta star NeNe Leakes and was eliminated on the seventh week of competition, finishing in seventh place. For season 19, he paired with fashion designer Betsey Johnson. They were eliminated in the fourth week of competition, finishing in tenth place. For season 20, he paired with actress & author Suzanne Somers. They were eliminated on Week 5 and finished in 9th place.
For season 21, he was paired with reality star Kim Zolciak-Biermann. After suffering from a mini-stroke, Biermann had to withdraw from the competition during Week 3 because she was not clear to travel.
For season 22, he was partnered with actress Marla Maples. They were eliminated on April 11, 2016, and came in 10th place.
On February 8, 2018, Dovolani revealed that he had officially left Dancing with the Stars.
Performances by season With Stacy Keibler Average: 27.7 Week #Dance/SongJudges' scoreResultInabaGoodmanTonioli1Waltz/ "I Wonder Why"868Safe2Rumba/ "I'm like a Bird"91010Safe3Tango/ "Cell Block Tango"999Safe4Foxtrot/"Cold, Cold Heart"899Safe5Samba/"Bootylicious"10 1010Safe6Jive/"Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go"101010Safe7Quickstep/"You Can't Hurry Love"Cha-Cha-Cha/"Since U Been Gone"9999910Safe8Jive/"Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go"Freestyle/"Stayin' Alive"Samba/"Livin' La Vida Loca"108101091010910Third place
With Sara Evans Average: 21.0 Week #Dance/SongJudges' scoreResultInabaGoodmanTonioli1Foxtrot/ "Mandy"555Safe2Mambo/ "Papa Loves Mambo"777Safe3Jive/ "These Boots Are Made for Walkin'"898Safe4Paso Doble/ "The Phantom of the Opera"677Safe5Samba/ "I Wish"888Withdrew
With Leeza Gibbons Average: 19.0 Week #Dance/SongJudges' scoreResultInabaGoodmanTonioli1Foxtrot/ "Strangers in the Night"555No Elimination2Mambo/ "Independent Woman Part I"777Safe3Tango/ "Jealousy"888Bottom 24Paso Doble/ "You Give Love a Bad Name"655Eliminated
With Jane Seymour Average: 24.5 Week #Dance/SongJudges' scoreResultInabaGoodmanTonioli1Foxtrot/ "Let's Do It, Let's Fall in Love"888Safe2Mambo/ "Cuban Pete"777Safe3Tango/ "Perfida"999Safe4Vienesse Waltz/ "Piano Man"899Safe5Rumba/ "Breathe Again"899Bottom Two6Jive/ "Modern Love"877Safe7Quickstep/ "I Walk the Line"Cha-Cha-Cha/ "Venus"888989Eliminated
With Marissa Jaret Winokur Average: 23.8 Week #Dance/SongJudges' scoreResultInabaGoodmanTonioli1Cha-Cha-Cha/ "Low"666No Elimination2Quickstep/ "Flip, Flop and Fly"777Last to be called safe3Jive/ "Girlfriend"676Safe4Paso Doble/ "My Family is My Life"888Safe5Samba/ "Tambourine"888Safe6Vienesse Waltz/ "Delilah"989Safe7Tango/ "Champagne Tango"Rumba/ "Quando, Quando, Quando"999898Bottom 28Foxtrot/ "New York City"Mambo/ "Ritmo de Chunga"988889Safe9Quickstep/ "Around the World"Rumba/ "Just the Two of Us"989989Eliminated
With Susan Lucci Average: 21.3 Week #Dance/SongJudges' scoreResultInabaGoodmanTonioli1Cha-Cha-Cha/ "I Heard It Through the Grapevine"Quickstep/ "Bei Mir Bist Du Schoen"575758Safe2Rumba/ "Waiting on the World to Change"777Safe3Jive/ "Why Do Fools Fall in Love"777Safe4Tango/ "La Bohemia"888Safe5Hustle/ "Upside Down"778Bottom 26Mambo/ "Si Señor!..."8 8*7Last to be called safe7Paso Doble/ "The Ride"Team Cha-Cha-Cha/ "Mercy"868787Eliminated Score was awarded by stand in judge Michael Flatley.
With Melissa Rycroft Average: 26.8 Week #Dance/SongJudges' scoreResultInabaGoodmanTonioli1Waltz/ "Moon River"878No Elimination2Salsa/ "The Cup of Life"989Safe3Foxtrot/ "Recipe for Love"999Safe4Lindy Hop/ "Brown Derby Jump"10910Safe5Paso Doble/ "Poker Face"889Safe6Rumba/ "If I Were a Boy"999Safe7Argentine Tango/ "Mi Confesión"10 910Safe8Jive/ "We Got the Beat"Team Mambo/ "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)"787879Bottom Two9Viennese Waltz/ "Angel"Samba/ "Jaleo"910910910Safe10Quickstep/ "I Got Rhythm"Cha-Cha-Cha/ "Save the Last Dance for Me"9910999Bottom Two11Paso Doble/ "So What"Freestyle/ "Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now)"Samba/ "Jaleo"10910991010910Third place
With Kathy Ireland Average: 17.0 Week #Dance/SongJudges' scoreResultInabaGoodmanTonioli1Salsa/ "Mambo Gonzon"Foxtrot relay/ "The Best is Yet to Come"6Awarded545PointsLast to be Called Safe2Quickstep/ "Shall We Dance?"66*6Eliminated Score was awarded by stand in judge Baz Luhrmann.
With Kate Gosselin Average: 15.5 Week #Dance/SongJudges' scoreResultInabaGoodmanTonioli1Viennese Waltz/ "She's Always a Woman"655No Elimination2Jive/ "I'm Still Standing"555Safe3Paso Doble/ "Paparazzi"555Safe4Tango/ "For Your Entertainment"465656Safe5Foxtrot/ "Don't You (Forget About Me)"555Eliminated
With Audrina Patridge Average: 23.0 Week #Dance/SongJudges' scoreResultInabaGoodmanTonioli1Cha-Cha-Cha/ "California Gurls"676Safe2Quickstep/ "Love Machine"887Safe3Waltz/ "Let It Be Me"899Safe4Argentine Tango/ "Somebody to Love"878788Safe5Rumba/"Unwritten"788Safe6Paso Doble/"Another One Bites the Dust"Rock 'n Roll/"La Grange"8Awarded888PointsEliminated
With Wendy Williams Average: 15.3 Week #Dance/SongJudges' scoreResultInabaGoodmanTonioli1Cha-Cha-Cha/ "I'm Every Woman"545No Elimination2Quickstep/ "Do Your Thing"656Safe3Foxtrot/ "Last Night a D.J. Saved My Life"555Eliminated
With Chynna Phillips Average: 22.5 Week #Dance/SongJudges' scoreResultInabaGoodmanTonioli1Viennese Waltz / "If I Ain't Got You"877Safe2Jive / "The Boy Does Nothing"777Safe3Rumba / "Hold On"899Safe4Tango / "Theme from Mission: Impossible777Eliminated
With Martina Navratilova Average: 18.5 Week #Dance/SongJudges' scoreResultInabaGoodmanTonioli1Foxtrot / "Is You Is or Is You Ain't My Baby"767No Elimination2Jive / "Tell Her About It"656Eliminated
With Melissa Rycroft Average: 28.0 Week #Dance/SongJudges' scoreResultInabaGoodmanTonioli1Foxtrot/ "Big Spender"777Safe2Jive / "Shout"887.5Safe3Samba / "Conga"999Safe4Jitterbug / "This Cat's on a Hot Tin Roof"999.5* / 9.5Safe5Tango / "Toxic"Team Freestyle (Shawn) / "Call Me Maybe"99.5910910No Elimination6Viennese Waltz / "Why Ya Wanna"9.51010Safe7Tango & Cha-Cha-Cha / "Die Young"Swing Marathon / "Do Your Thing"10Awarded9.5109.5PointsNo Elimination8Quickstep / "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy"Paso Doble (Trio Challenge) / "Rumour Has It"101010101010Safe9Hustle / "Walk the Dinosaur"Argentine Tango / "Dirty Diana"9109.510910Safe10Samba / "Conga"Freestyle / "I Was Here"Instant Samba / "Life Is A Highway"10109.510109.510109.5Winners
The additional score of 9.5 was awarded by guest judge Paula Abdul.
With Wynonna Judd Average: 17.0 Week #Dance/SongJudges' scoreResultInabaGoodmanTonioli1Cha-cha-cha / "I've Got The Music in Me"666No Elimination2Quickstep / "Neutron Dance"666Safe3Samba / "Pour Some Sugar on Me"555Eliminated
With Leah Remini Average: 24.8 Week #Dance/SongJudges' scoreResultInabaGoodmanTonioli1Foxtrot / "Tears Dry On Their Own"777No Elimination2Samba / "María"888Safe3Rumba / "Skyfall"888Safe4Cha-cha-cha / "Papi"88*8Safe5 Contemporary / "Roar"778Last to be called safe6Quickstep / "Man Wanted"Switch-Up Challenge /Various9Awarded919PointsNo Elimination7Salsa / "I Know You Want Me (Calle Ocho)"Team Freestyle / "Bom Bom"998999Safe8 Viennese Waltz / "I Got You Babe"Rumba Dance Off / "I Found Someone"8Awarded9*38PointsSafe9Tango / "Love Me Again"Jive (Trio Challenge) / "We're Not Gonna Take It"999999Safe10Paso Doble / "Bad Romance"Argentine Tango / "Bad Romance" (acoustic version)88888*/88*/9Eliminated
Score was given by guest judge Julianne Hough. Week 8 score was given by Cher. The additional score of Week 10 was given by Maksim Chmerkovskiy.
With NeNe Leakes Average: 23.5 Week #Dance/SongJudges' scoreResultInabaGoodmanTonioli1Cha-cha-cha / "Give It 2 U"777No Elimination2Jive / "Do My Thing"777Safe3Rumba / "I Believe in You and Me"87/818Safe42 Jazz / "Grown Woman"88/838No Elimination5 Foxtrot / "Cruella de Vil"99/949Safe6Salsa / "Hot in Herre"895/88Safe7Argentine Tango / "Can't Remember to Forget You"Team Freestyle / "The Cup of Life"8886 / 710 /889Eliminated
1The additional score of Week 3 was given by Robin Roberts
2For this week only, as part of the "Partner Switch-Up" week, NeNe Leakes did not perform with Dovolani and instead performed with Derek Hough.
3Additional score of Week 4 was given by Julianne Hough
4Additional score of Week 5 was given by Donny Osmond
5Additional score of Week 6 was given by Redfoo
6Additional score of Week 7 was given by Ricky Martin
With Betsey Johnson Average: 26.5