Height : 5' 5" (1.65 m)
Born: 2 January 1978
Birthplace: Kharkov, Ukraine
Best Known As: The attractive Ukrainian dance partner from Dancing With the Stars
For the past six years, Karina Sminoff has made her mark on primetime television, as one of the professional dancers on ABC's top rated program, Dancing with the Stars. She came to the series during season three with a plethora of accomplishments including five U.S. National Championships, the U.S. Open, the Asian Open and the U.K. Open. Smirnoff was even ranked number two in the world. In June 2009 she made her Broadway Debut in the show Burn the Floor which opened to rave reviews and sold out performances.
Born and raised in Ukraine, the multi-talented dancer started to study dance when she was a mere five-year-old. Her parents exposed her to a multitude of activities including ice skating, gymnastics, ballet and piano lessons. Ultimately, it was dance that prevailed. karina smirnoff mario karina smirnoff dancing with the stars karina smirnoff nose karina smirnoff and aaron carter karina smirnoff oops.
She started to compete in ballroom dancing by age 11. Her family's move to the U.S. when she was a teenager provided her with new opportunities; however,
it was her strict training and the discipline gleaned from growing up in Ukraine that provided her with the foundation that she needed to be a successful competitor.
Smirnoff's skills are not merely physical. She studied diligently at Fordham University in New York and earned two degrees - a B.A. in Economics and in Information Systems Programming.
In December 2010, she released her first fitness DVD, Shape up with Karina Smirnoff. The dance inspired DVD focuses on toning, strengthening & muscle confusion; all with the goal of achieving a dancer's body. In January 2011,
Smirnoff is launching the Karina Collection of boots with Bearpaw Shoes that are warm and functional. She has also joined forces with Girlactik Beauty to partner on a Karina brand of cosmetics including, Karina's Hurry Up & Get Ready look - a quick solution to look party perfect in minutes.
In 2011 Karina plans to open her first dance studio in Los Angeles, which will incorporate competitive and social classes, as well as a scholarship program directly related to her charity Dance Intervention - A division of Alternative Intervention Models.
Karina Smirnoff is a champion ballroom dancer who has appeared often on the TV series Dancing With the Stars. She was born in the Ukraine (while it was still part of the Soviet Union) and took up ballroom dance at age 11.
She emigrated to the United States in 1992 and then graduated from Fordham University with degree in economics and information system programming.
Her ballroom career took off after college. Paired with a succession of partners, most notably Slavik Kryklyvyy, she won the U.S. National Professional Latin Championship and various other amateur and pro titles.
In 2006 she appeared on the third season of Dancing With the Stars, coming in second with actor Mario Lopez.
She became a regular on the show after that, pairing with celebs including singer Billy Ray Cyrus, boxer Floyd Mayweather, Jr., and computer guru Steve Wozniak. Smirnoff began dating Lopez in 2006, after they met on the show.
They split in 2008, and later that year Smirnoff became engaged to a fellow dancer from Dancing With the Stars, Maksim Chmerkovskiy; they split in 2009.