Karina Smirnoff is a Ukrainian professional ballroom dancer. She is best known to the general public as a professional dancer on Dancing with the Stars, winning the thirteenth season with army veteran and soap opera star J. R. Martinez. She’s also won 2 runner-up titles, a semi-final title, and several quarter final titles.
She is a five-time U.S. National Champion, World Trophy Champion, and Asian Open Champion. Smirnoff 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 she is the first woman to also ever make the “British Professional Final” with three different partners.
Season 13 Mirror Ball Champion Karina Smirnoff has made her mark for the past eight years as one of the featured dancers on ABC’s hit reality series Dancing with the Stars. Her success on Dancing with the Stars, the #1 rated show in its category averaging 36+ million viewers per week, has made Karina a household name and a sought after beauty, health, fitness, and fashion icon. She has been the most Googled professional dancer on the show.
What most people don’t know about the Ukrainian beauty is that her 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. Karina is also a talented fashion designer and choreographer. She choreographs all of her own partnered routines on Dancing with the Stars and has been designing all of the costumes for both herself and her partners since day one.
Karina started competing in ballroom dancing competitions at the age of 11. 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 she is the first woman to ever make the “British Professional Final” with three different partners. Karina has been ranked #2 in the world for Latin Dance.
She is considered “one of the most stylish and fit stars in Hollywood” and has been featured in numerous publications: FitnessRx for Women, FHM, Fitness Magazine, LA Confidential, Muscle & Fitness, TV Guide, and Woman’s World. She is a regular on the pages of People Magazine, Life & Style, US Weekly, OK! Magazine, and In Touch.
In 2011, Karina released two designs from her Bearpaw Boots KS Collection – the Alyeska and the Capulet. She was a partner in a successful cosmetics venture and is currently working on plans to turn that experience into her own line of beauty and health products. This year, she introduced a raspberry ketone stimulant-free weight-loss and energy supplement called Karina’s Ketone.
She released her first successful dance fitness DVD called Shape Up with Karina and will be releasing a series of workout DVD’s called Dance FITNESS. She also opened a successful dance studio in Woodland Hills, CA called Karina Smirnoff Dance. The studio incorporates competitive, social dance classes, and fitness dance classes, as well as a scholarship program for at-risk youth directly related to her charity Dance Intervention – a division of Alternative Intervention Models.
Karina has a passion for environmental causes and her dance studio is the first eco-friendly LEED certified studio of its kind. In addition, Karina has led a celebrity consortium to activate the Wildlife Champions initiative with Procter & Gamble. She is also a PETA spokeswoman for the “I’d rather dance naked than wear fur” billboard and print campaign.
Karina recently launched her successful DanceFIT – KS program.
DanceFIT – KS is a customized, unique fitness experience for hotel, resort, and cruise ship guests with a celebrity dance instructor that they will not get elsewhere. It is also gaining momentum at large, medium and small corporations as a way to keep workers motivated in the workplace, build company morale, and help workers achieve their health and wellness goals. Karina is touring internationally with the program.
Her accomplishments include starring roles in Broadway hit sold-out shows Forever Tango and Burn the Floor and a performance at the 61st annual Primetime Emmy Awards.
Karina has hosted segments for E! News, TV Guide, EXTRA, and has appeared in specials on Bravo, ABC, and Lifetime. She has appeared on Good Morning America, The View, Jimmy Kimmel Live, and Hannah Montana, among others. She has also appeared in the films Across Grace Alley and Shall We Dance.
Karina is a versatile and dynamic talent and a force to be reckoned with. She continues to captivate fans and audiences worldwide with her charismatic personality, unparalleled performance capabilities, beauty, and grace.
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Karina Smirnoff is U.S. National Champion, World Trophy Champion, and Asian Open Champion in professional dancing. She is in conversation with Namita Nayyar President Women Fitness.
Karina Smirnoff on Women Fitness:
I want to thank everyone who is behind this wonderful site. I love the content and the message you have for women in fitness and in life and I am grateful to be a part of it.
Ms. Namita Nayyar:
You started at a very young age of five years by taking ballet lessons and reached the pinnacle of success by winning five-time U.S. National Champion, World Trophy Champion, and Asian Open Champion as a professional dancer. What factors do you consider were responsible that made you achieve that?
Karina Smirnoff:
I actually started with figure skating when I was only 2 years old. I was always a very active child with lots of energy and my parents wanted me to do an active extracurricular activity, I think in hopes of tiring me out by the end of the day. I loved competitive sports ever since I first tried them. My parents always encouraged a healthy competition, even with myself. So I always strive to do my best. I guess that’s why now I don’t necessarily believe in luck, but rather in preparation for when the opportunity presents itself.
Ms. Namita Nayyar:
What exercises comprise your fitness regime or workout?
Karina Smirnoff:
I love to mix things up all the time and always am looking for a new fun workout. I try not to let my muscles get used to the same routine. I love yoga, jogging/running, martial arts, cycling and of course-dancing-the best workout of them all!
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Ms. Namita Nayyar:
Do you take some special diet or have a strict menu that you follow to remain healthy and physically fit?
Karina Smirnoff:
I try my best to always eat healthy. I love spinach and kale and try to incorporate them with every meal. I allow myself a cheat day once a week which allows me to stay focused. If I need to be ready for a shoot, then a strict diet comes into play.
Ms. Namita Nayyar:
You have glowing skin and gorgeous hairs. Do you use a specific skin treatment to keep it young and glowing and secondly what you do to your hair to make them look so stunning?
Karina Smirnoff:
One of the most important things I learned about my skin is never to sleep in my make up. Skin needs to breath and rest throughout the night. I wash my face with Apothederm cleanser and always follow up with brightening serum to fight sun damage. Sunblock is a must if you live in LA. And I always have my Apothederm eye cream handy. As for hair, I try to do a hair mask at least once a week to keep the moisture in. And try to use hot rollers over a curling iron to minimize heat damage whenever I can.
Ms. Namita Nayyar:
Advice and motivational words to the inspiring and budding professional dance girls who all are your fans and shall like to know from you for their climb to ladder of success in the field professional dancing?
Karina Smirnoff:
My coach used to say to me that going for it wholeheartedly is the first step to success. Give your 100%, be prepared, know your opponents, capitalize on your strengths and work on your weaknesses. I always strive to be the best version of myself possible and try not to compare myself to others and leave the rest up to God.
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Ms. Namita Nayyar:
How did you feel before and after your memorable win at Dancing with the Stars (U.S. season 13)?
Karina Smirnoff:
Winning DWTS was one of the most memorable moments in my life. I was paired up with an amazing and inspiring man and to be able to share that moment with him was absolutely priceless.
Ms. Namita Nayyar:
What kind of preparation went behind the winning of Dancing with the Stars (U.S. season 13) on November 22, 2011?
Karina Smirnoff:
The training on DWTS is something that is not comparable to anything else. It’s a testament not only to one’s physical endurance, it is a testament to one’s strength of mind and will. Rehearsals are 7 days a week and between 10-12 hours a day. The show gives you an opportunity and a platform to not only grow as a dancer but most importantly grow as a person.
Ms. Namita Nayyar:
What you wish to say about the website Womenfitness.net and what is a message for our readers?
Karina Smirnoff:
I want to thank everyone who is behind this wonderful site. I love the content and the message you have for women in fitness and in life and I am grateful to be a part of it. I want to also thank and inspire our readers to stay strong and healthy; love each other and cherish our bodies and minds by eating right, exercising regularly and always aspiring to be better today then yesterday. Be grateful for the blessings and keep faith in God.
To know more about Karina Smirnoff, Check out at: http://www.karinasmirnoff.com
Women Fitness Team thanks Karina Smirnoff for giving her valuable time for this interview and quenching the thirst of her fans to know more about her and also wish to thank Lindsay Rielly, President Continuum Entertainment Group who made this interview happen.
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All content on this site is copyright of Women Fitness and no part of any article found on this site may be reproduced without an express permission and highlighted, do follow link crediting http://www.womenfitness.net/ or preferably the original page as the source. This interview is exclusive and taken by Namita Nayyar President womenfitness.net and should not be reproduced, copied or hosted in part or full anywhere without an express permission.
All Written Content Copyright © 2017 Women Fitness