Best Known As: Television Actor,  Dancer / Choreographer

Gist:  Karina Smirnoff (born March 13, 1978) () is a world champion professional dancer.

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, five time US National Professional Champion. She is ranked 2nd in the world , and took second at the British Open Blackpool Dance Festival .

She is "the first woman to ever make the British Professional Final with three different partners".

Life Facts:  She was the project manager/director of dancing event entitled "Day & Night" . This event was held on November 18, 2006 at the Hollywood & Highlands Grand Ballroom.

Smirnoff had dated Mario Lopez after having been partnered with him during the Fall 2006 third season of Dancing with the Stars. The relationship lasted from 2006-2008..

She began dating a fellow Ukrainian and fellow Dancing With the Stars dancer, Maksim Chmerkovskiy, in summer 2008. Just six months later they announced their engagement on December 31, 2008. Smirnoff and Chmervoskiy have performed professionally, at the 2007 ALMA Awards.

Career Facts:  Smirnoff has made numerous candid appearances on reality shows such as Dancing with the Stars, and Chelsea Lately, featuring Chelsea Handler .

Early in Smirnoff's dancing career, Roman Nabatov and she competed as an amateur couple for USA. They ended their dance partnership in January 1997 . Smirnoff soon after started dancing with Paul Killick in October 1998 as a professional couple for England; this partnership ended in July 1999. Immediately, Louis van Amstel and Karina Smirnoff, in July 1999, entered a professional dance partnership, representing the U.S.A; the partnership ended in December 2000 .

From January 2001 to September 2005, Karina Smirnoff was in a dance partnership with Slavik Kryklyvyy and they represented the U.S.A; this partnership thus far is her most successful one. Kryklyvyy and Smirnoff earned many top titles and high ratings together .

Smirnoff last professional partner recorded in competitons was Dmitri Timokhin representing Russia from October 2005. They won first place at the 2006 Grand-Prix Dynamo in Moscow, Russia . They finished dancing together in June 2006