Mario and Karina Smirnoff

Posted By: admin On: March 17, 2008 Comments: ( 0 )

Mario
Occupation: R&B star

Partnered With: Karina Smirnoff

BACKGROUND:
Twenty-one year-old, multi-platinum selling R&B/Pop singer and actor Mario is known for such hit singles as “Just a Friend (2002)” and “Let Me Love You.” He was the recipient of Billboard’s Top R&B/Hip-Hop Single of the Year in 2005 for “Let Me Love You,” and has been nominated for a Grammy, BET Award, Vibe Award, MOBO Award and Soul Train Music Award. His latest album, Go, is in stores now. Mario has also appeared in the feature films Step Up and Freedom Writers and his single Crying Out For Me is currently #5 on the Billboard R&B chart.

Karina Smirnoff

Partnered with: Mario

ACHIEVEMENTS:

• Five-time U.S. National Champion
• World Trophy Champion
• Asian Open Champion
• Ranked second in the world

STATS:
Style: Latin
Nationality: Russian
Based in: New Jersey
Status: Not Currently Competing

BACKGROUND:
During Season 3, Karina partnered actor Mario Lopez into second place. Season 4, she partnered singer and actor Billy Ray Cyrus into fifth place.

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.

After high school Karina graduated from Fordham University with a law degree but put her academic studies on hold to pursue her ballroom dancing career in the United Kingdom.

She recently appeared on Hannah Montana with Billy Ray Cyrus.

Karina and her former partner Slavik Kryklyvyy shared tremendous success winning the U.S. Championships and many other world titles and were ranked second in the world in the Latin division.