Elena Grinenko
Encyclopedia
Elena Grinenko is a professional ballroom dance
champion, choreographer, and instructor. She is best known as one of the professional dancers on the American television series Dancing With The Stars
.
, Russia
, USSR, and has been dancing since she was seven years old. She has been trained in ballroom dancing, ballet and Russian folk dancing. She worked with the Ballroom Formation Team of Russia, and when she reached her third year as a competitive professional dancer, she became a Soviet Union Finalist.
In 1994, she emerged as the Latin Division winner at both the Moscow and National Championships. She graduated from high school in 1995, and from there went on to study various kinds of dances at the Art Academy of Russia. In 1998, she moved to the United States, where she became one of the fastest rising stars in the dancing industry.
. Eventually, she was the undefeated U.S. and World Rhythm Champion
with her last partner, Tony Dovolani
.
.
She was paired with journalist Tucker Carlson
; they were eliminated the first week.
Grinenko returned to the ballroom for the fourth season
, and was partnered with NBA star Clyde Drexler
. They were the fourth couple to be eliminated. This ranked them in eighth place.
Ballroom dance
Ballroom dance refers to a set of partner dances, which are enjoyed both socially and competitively around the world. Because of its performance and entertainment aspects, ballroom dance is also widely enjoyed on stage, film, and television....
champion, choreographer, and instructor. She is best known as one of the professional dancers on the American television series Dancing With The Stars
Dancing with the Stars (US TV series)
Dancing with the Stars is a reality show airing on ABC in the United States, and CTV in Canada in 2011. The show is the American version of the British BBC television series Strictly Come Dancing...
.
Biography
Grinenko was born in MoscowMoscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
, Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
, USSR, and has been dancing since she was seven years old. She has been trained in ballroom dancing, ballet and Russian folk dancing. She worked with the Ballroom Formation Team of Russia, and when she reached her third year as a competitive professional dancer, she became a Soviet Union Finalist.
In 1994, she emerged as the Latin Division winner at both the Moscow and National Championships. She graduated from high school in 1995, and from there went on to study various kinds of dances at the Art Academy of Russia. In 1998, she moved to the United States, where she became one of the fastest rising stars in the dancing industry.
Partnerships
After four years of dancing with Michael Nadtochy, she decided to form a partnership with Maksim ChmerkovskiyMaksim Chmerkovskiy
Maksim Aleksandrovich Chmerkovskiy is a Ukrainian-American Latin Ballroom dance champion, choreographer, and instructor. He is best known as one of the professional dancers on the American television series Dancing with the Stars, on which he first appeared in season two...
. Eventually, she was the undefeated U.S. and World Rhythm Champion
Dancesport World Champions (rhythm)
World Championships have been held in the Rhythm section of ballroom dancing since they were organised by the National Dance Council of America in 2005.American Rhythm dancing covers the dances cha cha, rumba, bolero, swing, and mambo.- World Champions :...
with her last partner, Tony Dovolani
Tony Dovolani
Driton "Tony" Dovolani is an Albanian-American professional ballroom dancer, instructor and judge based in New York City. He is known for his involvement in the American version of Dancing with the Stars on ABC. Dovolani also portrayed a Latin bad boy in the hit film Shall We Dance? and spent time...
.
Dancing with the Stars
In 2006, Grinenko found herself competing against former Latin partner Chmerkovskiy, and American rhythm partner Dovolani when she was selected to join the cast of the third season of Dancing with the StarsDancing with the Stars (U.S. season 3)
The third season of Dancing With the Stars premiered on September 12, 2006 and ended November 15, 2006. The number of couples expanded from ten the previous season to 11....
.
She was paired with journalist Tucker Carlson
Tucker Carlson
Tucker Swanson McNear Carlson is an American political news correspondent and conservative commentator for the Fox News Channel...
; they were eliminated the first week.
Grinenko returned to the ballroom for the fourth season
Dancing with the Stars (U.S. season 4)
The fourth season of the American edition of Dancing with the Stars premiered on March 19, 2007 and aired until May 22, 2007.To avoid direct competition with Fox Broadcasting Company's American Idol, Dancing with the Stars changed time slots from the previous season. In the fourth season, the...
, and was partnered with NBA star Clyde Drexler
Clyde Drexler
Clyde Austin "Clyde The Glide" Drexler is a former National Basketball Association shooting guard and small forward. A ten-time All-Star and member of the Basketball Hall of Fame, the NBA named him one of basketball's fifty greatest players as of 1996. Drexler won an Olympic gold medal in 1992 and...
. They were the fourth couple to be eliminated. This ranked them in eighth place.
Second World Dance Championship
In 2010, Grinenko was representing U.S.A. in the Second Dance World Championship (celebrated in Mexico). She was paired with Paul Barris. Elena came out from the competition after learning that she was pregnant. Her replacement was Snejana PetrovaSnejana Petrova
Snejana Petrova is a russian ballroom dancer, most known for be the champion of the Second Dance World Championship celebrated in Mexico. Snejana won the national Junior & Youth 10 dance championships in Russia and also in United States....
See also
- U.S. National Dancesport Champions (Professional Rhythm)U.S. National Dancesport Champions (Professional Rhythm)The United States national professional ballroom dance champions are crowned at the United States Dance Championships , as recognized by the National Dance Council of America and the World Dance & DanceSport Council ....
- Dancing with the Stars (U.S. season 3)Dancing with the Stars (U.S. season 3)The third season of Dancing With the Stars premiered on September 12, 2006 and ended November 15, 2006. The number of couples expanded from ten the previous season to 11....
- Dancing with the Stars (U.S. season 4)Dancing with the Stars (U.S. season 4)The fourth season of the American edition of Dancing with the Stars premiered on March 19, 2007 and aired until May 22, 2007.To avoid direct competition with Fox Broadcasting Company's American Idol, Dancing with the Stars changed time slots from the previous season. In the fourth season, the...