How many football players have won dancing with the stars
Dancing with the Stars: Ranking the NFL contestants
"Dancing with the Stars" is back. With the free agency frenzy simmering down, we're using our unlimited amount of cyber-ink to discuss the wildly popular dance show instead of pure football.
This year's crop of contestants contains a number of NFL stars of present and past, including Super Bowl MVP Von Miller, Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown and former quarterback Doug Flutie.
NFL players have thrice taken the DWTS crown, with former Green Bay Packer Donald Driver winning in season 14. So, here's our unofficial, yet highly scientific breakdown of the top NFL players on DWTS.
10) Michael Irvin
An all-time great wide receiver, Irvin faltered a bit on DWTS. He finished seventh when he appeared on season 9. Irvin did have the right attitude to win, as he was willing to do anything to improve. Seriously, anything.
9) Chad Johnson
A standout in terms of end zone celebrations, Ochocinco (as he was still called at the time) was only able to dance his way into a fourth place finish in season 10. Perhaps if he'd been able to use more pylons as props he could have made it farther in the competition.
8) Lawrence Taylor
The sack-master had his share of struggles on the dance floor, but turned in a solid enough performance for a seventh place finish. Secretly, I was hoping LT would pull a Terry Tate office linebacker and dive over the judges table after a poor review. I'm sad to say this never happened, but LT was entertaining nonetheless.
7) Kurt Warner
Warner became the first quarterback to appear on DWTS, and danced his way up to a fifth place finish. He seemed to be a crowd favorite from what I could assess, but his dancing evidently left some wanting more. It appears that charisma alone can only get you so far. You need to throw down on the dance floor to really win over the voters, and Warner lacked the chops (and flexibility) required.
6) Jerry Rice
The G.O.A.T. was the first NFL star to appear on DWTS, and did not disappoint by finishing second.
Rice turned his football skills into some fancy footwork, and put his tremendous work ethic to use in learning the many styles presented to him.
5) Jacoby Jones
Even though the former Baltimore Ravens wide receiver fell short of winning it all in season 16, finishing third, he did deliver a sizzling salsa with Karina Smirnoff that earned a perfect score from the judges in the final round.
4) Jason Taylor
The four-time all-pro turned his strength, agility, and length into a successful run on DWTS season 6. Taylor was able to lift his partner Edyta all around the stage, but unfortunately he failed to lift the mirror ball trophy in the finals. Taylor looked like a natural in the dances I saw, which is why I have him as the top NFL player that didn't win the competition.
3) Hines Ward
Ward helped distract Steelers fans from a rough offseason after their Super Bowl loss by blazing his way to a victory in season 12.
Ward proved adept at picking up the different styles, and flashed his big smile just enough times to win the hearts of housewives all around the country.
2) Emmitt Smith
Choosing the top two gave me more trouble than I figured possible in a post about DWTS. Smith won season 3 thanks to his fleet feet and ability to master almost any dance style. The all-time leading rusher in NFL history clearly had a great time in every dance, which helped win over the judges and America. Also, doing a freestyle dance to "U Can't Touch This" by MC Hammer doesn't hurt.
Driver was the third, and in my expert opinion, best DWTS contestant from the NFL. Driver improved as the season went along, and rocked the final round. It doesn't hurt that he's ultra-likable, in phenomenal shape, and has a smile that makes dentists' hearts flutter. With Driver going from seventh round pick to Super Bowl champion to DWTS champion, I had to give him the nod over Emmitt.
Follow Alex on Twitter @AlexGelhar
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A Complete List of Every 'Dancing With the Stars' Winner
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Fourteen years after its 2005 premiere, Dancing with the Stars remains a cultural phenomenon. As fans know, professional dancers pair with celebrities to take on various styles of dance and compete in hopes of winning the Mirrorball Trophy. Over 300 celebrities have competed for the title over the course of 27 seasons, and the (already controversial) upcoming season 28 will bring some changes to the show. So far, we know that 2019's cast includes Lamar Odom, Karamo Brown, James Van Der Beek, and President Trump's former White House press secretary, Sean Spicer. And just hours before season 28 kicked off, we learned that contestant Christie Brinkley actually dropped out of the race due to an arm injury. Her replacement? None other than her look-alike daughter Sailor Brinkley-Cook, who perfectly fit into mom's costume.
But before we tune in to the September 16 premiere, let's revisit every single winner of Dancing with the Stars—along with their finest Dancing moments.
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Season 1: Kelly Monaco & Alec Mazo
The former Playboy Playmate of the Month and General Hospital star became the first-ever winners of Dancing with the Stars, overcoming tough criticism from the judges, a wardrobe malfunction, and some low scores. Monaco later returned for DWTS: All-Stars, where she came in third place with partner Val Chmerkovskiy.
Most memorable dance: Their freestyle to "Let's Get Loud" by Jennifer Lopez.
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Season 2: Drew Lachey & Cheryl Burke
His former boy band past (remember 98 Degrees?) may have helped Lachey nab the title, but with the help of Burke, their ranks remained high from the get-go. They got three perfect scores of 30 throughout their time, and Lachey returned to Dancing with the Stars as one of the All-Stars contestants in season 15, where he was partnered with Anna Trebunskaya and became the third couple eliminated from the competition.
Most memorable dance: Their freestyle to Big & Rich's "Save a Horse (Ride a Cowboy)".
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Season 3: Emmitt Smith & Cheryl Burke
Smith was the first in a line of many successful football players crossing over into the world of dance. Burke took home her second Mirrorball Trophy in a row in this pairing, and they nearly lost to Mario Lopez and partner Karina Smirnoff, as both pairs had matching scores going into the finale. The fan vote won out, giving the title to Smith.
Most Memorable Dance: His samba to "Sir Duke" by Stevie Wonder.
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Season 4: Apolo Anton Ohno & Julianne Hough
The short-track speed skater may be the most decorated U.S. athlete of all time in the Olympic winter games, but he has another title in his pocket: Holder of the Mirrorball Trophy. He and Hough (who won her first title during this season) received five perfect scores throughout the season, setting a record.
He returned for the All-Stars season, where he was paired with Karina Smirnoff, and finished in fifth place.
Most Memorable Dance: The samba set to "I Like to Move It" by Reel 2 Real.
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Season 5: Hélio Castroneves & Julianne Hough
Marking a second win for Hough, the three-time Indianapolis 500 auto racing champion was shocked he made it past the first week, let alone won the entire series—he only packed enough clothes for two weeks. He told Time, “I accepted the challenge. I said, ‘You know what—what’s the worst that can be? I get eliminated the first week and go back home.’ It was an experience.” The experience was a good one, because Castroneves returned for the All-Stars season, where he was paired with Chelsie Hightower and finished in 10th place.
Most Memorable Dance: His quick-step set to "Hey Pachuco" from The Mask.
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Season 6: Kristi Yamaguchi & Mark Ballas
Yamaguchi and Ballas took DWTS to the next level: The pair gained four of the five perfect scores given out this season, and three of them were for their three Finals dances, giving them a perfect 90 out of 90 in the finals.
They received the highest score for every single performance that season.
Most Memorable Dance: Oh, duh, the jive to "Rip it Up" by Little Richard, of course.
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Season 7: Brooke Burke & Derek Hough
Burke was the recipient of every single perfect 30 score that seaso—first for her foxtrot in week seven, next for her freestyle in the finals, and again in the finals for her repeated Viennese waltz. Burke spent a record-breaking eight weeks at the top of the leaderboard during her season. Despite an injury, Burke and Hough (in his first of six wins, a feat no one else has accomplished) took it all the way to the end. Burke would go on to host the show for three years, replacing Samantha Harris.
Most Memorable Dance: The freestyle dance to "You're the One That I Want" by John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John.
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Season 8: Shawn Johnson & Mark Ballas
Johnson became one of the youngest DWTS winners of all time when she narrowly (we're talking less than 1 percent) took the title over French actor Gilles Marini.
Johnson would make the Dancing with the Stars finals a second time when she competed in the All Stars season, which turned out to be Season 8: The Redemption. She competed alongside Marini and eventual winner Melissa Rycroft (who came in third on season 8) and came in second place with her partner, Derek Hough.
Most Memorable Dance: The cha-cha-cha set to "P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)" by Michael Jackson.
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Season 9: Donny Osmond & Kym Johnson
At 51, Osmond was the oldest contestant to win Dancing with the Stars and only competed because he wanted to see if he was a better dancer than his sister, Marie, who came in third place on season 5. He achieved his goal, though it wasn't easy.
Most Memorable Dance: The '80s style paso doble set to "You Spin Me Round (Like a Record)" by Dead or Alive. It may not be necessarily good, but 'memorable' is perfect to describe this dance.
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Season 10: Nicole Scherzinger & Derek Hough
Derek Hough won his second Mirrorball Trophy with his paring with The Pussycat Dolls' Nicole Scherzinger, who appeared comfortable dancing in any style thrown at her. She was a clear winner from the start.
Most Memorable Dance: Their dizzying Argentine Tango set to "El Capitalismo Foraneo" by Gotan Project.
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Season 11: Jennifer Grey & Derek Hough
Baby was far from the corner when Jennifer Grey took home the grand prize, back when she was paired with now three-time winner Derek Hough. You might say they...had the time of their lives.
Most Memorable Dance: They took inspiration from Dirty Dancing for a moving Viennese Waltz set to to “These Arms of Mine” by Otis Redding.
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Season 12: Hines Ward & Kym Johnson
Former Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Ward marked his last dance on Dancing With The Stars with a kiss on his mother's cheek, and he was all smiles when he took home the trophy in 2011 alongside Kym Johnson.
Johnson may have suffered an injury during the season, but that didn't stop the two of them from coming out on top.
Most Memorable Dance: Their perfect-scoring Argentine tango set to "Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps" by Doris Day.
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Season 13: J.R. Martinez & Karina Smirnoff
Veteran-turned-actor Martinez brought Smirnoff her first win (after several close calls) in the show's 13th season. Martinez was heavily favored to win the season, and rallied in the semi-finals despite a twisted ankle and a rough week. He's a comeback artist, that's for sure.
Most Memorable Dance: Their waltz set to "What the World Needs Now" by Burt Bacharach.
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Season 14: Donald Driver & Peta Murgatroyd
Green Bay Packers wide receiver Donald Driver became the third NFL player to win the series, beating out British classical singer Katherine Jenkins and Cuban American Telenovela star William Levy.
This was the first of Murgatroyd's eventual two wins.
Most Memorable Dance: Their finale freestyle dance set to "I Play Chicken with the Train" by Cowboy Troy.
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Season 15: Melissa Rycroft & Tony Dovolani
Season 15 of Dancing With The Stars brought an All-Stars edition, and Melissa Rycroft took home the Mirrorball in the show's first all-female final three, beating out former winners Kelly Monaco and Shawn Johnson. This was partner Tony Dovolani's first and only win of his DWTS tenure, and the pair had some of the highest average scores in the series history—an average of 28.0 over the course of 15 dances.
Most Memorable Dance: Their epic super-sized freestyle from the finale, set to "I Was Here" by Beyoncé.
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Season 16: Kellie Pickler & Derek Hough
Season 16 marked Hough's continuing run as the professional dancer who has won the most Mirrorball trophies, which he brought home this time alongside country music superstar Pickler.
They received perfect 30-point scores on all three of their final dances: a quickstep set to Ludovic Bource's "Peppy and George," a freestyle dance to by Labrinth feat. Emeli Sandé's "Beneath Your Beautiful," and an instant jive to Little Richard's "Keep-a-Knockin'." Their relationship ran so deep that Pickler even featured Hough in her music video for her song "Someone Somewhere Tonight."
Most Memorable Dance: Her finale freestyle has been considered to be one of the best in Dancing history.
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Season 17: Amber Riley & Derek Hough
Riley and Hough beat out Corbin Bleu and Karina Smirnoff and Jack Osbourne and Cheryl Burke to make history: Riley became the first Black woman to win the series, while Hough received his fifth of six Mirrorball. “I did this competition because, I didn’t know if I [could] do it and anything that scares me I wanna do, so I [want to] let women of all sizes out there know you can do whatever you put your mind to,” Riley said after her win.
“It doesn’t matter what size you are, what color you are, you can do whatever, whatever, whatever, whatever you put your mind to!”
Most Memorable Dance: The Charleston that ended all Charlestons.
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Season 18: Meryl Davis & Maksim Chmerkovskiy
Davis holds the record for highest overall cumulative average at 28.4, breaking Kristi Yamaguchi's score of 28.33, and tying with Jennifer Grey's record of most perfect scores received in a single season, with 6. But Davis and Chmerkovskiy's chemistry is what really lead them to the title. No, they weren't really dating—that was all performance.
Most Memorable Dance: This freestyle, which will make you sweat.
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Season 19: Alfonso Ribeiro & Witney Carson
It wouldn't be true to say Ribeiro took home the Mirrorball Trophy because he did his famous "Carlton" dance from The Fresh Prince, but it sure did help: After fearing he may have had to drop out of the competition due to a back and groin injury, Ribeiro had a tremendous comeback for the grand prize.
Most Memorable Dance: Ladies and gentlemen, he did the The Carlton!
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Season 20: Rumer Willis & Val Chmerkovskiy
Willis and Chmerkovskiy became the season 20 champions when they won over singer and actor Riker Lynch and army veteran Noah Galloway. They tied with Jennifer Grey and Meryl Davis for the record of most perfect scores received in a single season, with 6. Willis even got a tattoo to commemorate their win.
Most Memorable Dance: That freestyle set to Britney Spears's "Toxic."
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Season 21: Bindi Irwin & Derek Hough
With his sixth win, the duo set a record with eight perfect scores, beating the record of six set by Jennifer Grey, Meryl Davis, and Rumer Willis.
Most Memorable Dance: Try not to cry watching their emotional contemporary dance in tribute to Irwin's late father, Steve Irwin.
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Season 22: Nyle DiMarco & Peta Murgatroyd
DiMarco was the second-ever deaf contestant of DWTS, the first being Marlee Matlin in the show's sixth season, and he was a frontrunner for the trophy from day one. This was Murgatroyd's second win, and the two of them forged a true relationship: “Obviously Peta’s not used to working with a deaf person … but we worked well together,” DiMarco told People. “We were able to learn from each other, and that’s what made it the best.”
Most Memorable Dance: This truly stunning paso doble, where the music goes silent for several beats—showing the audience what DiMarco experiences during his dancing.
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Season 23: Laurie Hernandez & Val Chmerkovskiy
Hernandez became the youngest contestant to ever win the series, and the second Olympic gymnast to win. In addition, she shares the record for eight perfect scores in a season with the show's third youngest-contestant to win, Bindi Irwin.
Most Memorable Dance: Oh, that finale freestyle to "Brand New" by Ben Rector.
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Season 24: Rashad Jennings & Emma Slater
With this controversial win (Normani Kordei was the frontrunner to win the season), Jennings became the fourth professional football player to win the Mirrorball Trophy. Previous NFL players to win include Donald Driver (Season 14), Hines Ward (Season 12), Emmitt Smith (Season 3).
Most Memorable Dance: You'll find it hard to forget Jennings and Slater's contemporary dance to "Unconditionally" by Katy Perry.
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Season 25: Jordan Fisher & Lindsay Arnold
Fisher holds many titles on this season: Not only did he win the Mirrorball Trophy at 23, becoming the show's youngest male winner, but he also currently holds the record for the most perfect scores in a season with nine. Fisher was so popular he eventually became co-host of Dancing With The Stars: Juniors alongside Season 25's runner-up, Frankie Muniz.
Most Memorable Dance: Their foxtrot, set to Jordan Fisher's "You're Welcome" from the Moana soundtrack (a cover of Dwayne Johnson's original song from the movie).
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Season 26: Adam Rippon & Jenna Johnson
Rippon became the first openly gay winner of the series when he participated in the all-athletes season, beating out fellow Olympians like Tonya Harding and Mirai Nagasu. Johnson and Rippon were so bonded after their win (a first for her) she even asked him to be in her wedding to fellow DWTS pro Val Chmerkovskiy.
Most Memorable Dance: The competition was clearly theirs to win after his opening Cha Cha to "Sissy That Walk“ by RuPaul.
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Season 27: Bobby Bones & Sharna Burgess
Burgess was the "always the bridesmaid, never the bride" of Dancing with the Stars, coming in second place three times before her (controversial) win alongside radio host Bones.
The win sparked a call for a change in the show from fans who saw the show becoming a popularity contest rather than a "best dancer" contest.
Most Memorable Dance: Their cha-cha-cha set to "U Can't Touch This" by MC Hammer.
Results of the fourth issue of "Dancing with the Stars": who took the lead
06 February 2022 22:09
Passion, tenderness and unbridled fun - all this can be seen in the unpredictable and sparkling show "Dancing with the Stars" on the channel "Russia 1". This time, celebrities again managed to surprise everyone. We tell you who was at the very top of the standings and who took second and third places in the fourth edition of the program.
The fourth edition of the show "Dancing with the Stars" on the channel "Russia 1" brought a lot of surprises to the audience.
The first place in the standings was taken by Anatoly Bely and Inna Svechnikova, who conquered the jury with their unsurpassed cha-cha-cha to the song "I'm looking for you." According to the actor, on the project he brings his unfulfilled dream to life.
By the way, Maria Mironova also spoke about this. She gives all of herself to the dance and trains tirelessly. The result is the second place in the table according to the results of the fourth edition of the show. Yevgeny Papunaishvili and Maria Mironova performed a mesmerizing bachata.
"Masha really wants to enjoy dancing. You can see how she just wants to go and dance, like at a disco, where we express ourselves through dance. But she phenomenally realized that in order to express herself in ballroom dancing, one must first it is very good to learn these movements. And then you can add your temperament and charisma there, "said Daria Zlatopolskaya.
The third place in the table was shared by two couples at once – Dmitry Kharatyan and Ulyana Maksimkina and Alexandra Revenko and Denis Tagintsev.
According to the star of "Midshipmen", he feels very comfortable in the company of a partner. Ulyana noticed that Dmitry introduced her to his wife. Kharatyan and Maksimkina presented the audience with an incredible tango.
Alexandra Revenko and Denis Tagintsev performed a magnificent rumba. The snow-white costumes of the artist and her partner could not go unnoticed. Nikolai Tsiskaridze compared Tagintsev and Revenko with Pygmalion and Galatea.
Valery Nikolaev and Aleksandra Akimova close the table. And yet, the results of the fourth issue will be finally summed up when the audience voting ends. You can support the participants you like. "The emergency phone is the same - 9395. Send the number of your favorite couple to it and increase their chances of winning," Andrey Malakhov said.
Which number was considered the most spectacular? How did Marina Zudina and Maxim Petrov prepare for a passionate salsa performance? You will learn about all this in the program "Dancing with the Stars".
The new issue is already available on the Watch media platform.
Even more interesting news - in our Instagram (banned in Russia) and Telegram channel @smotrim_ru.
culture TV Anatoly Bely Valery Nikolaev Dmitry Kharatyan Maria Mironova Dancing with the Stars Russia 1 society news
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Choreographer Vladimir Varnava: "Dance is my absolute religion"
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Dancing with the Stars winner Revenko faced hate because of her appearance
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"Not enough movement": Revenko about life after winning "Dancing with the Stars"
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How "Dancing with the Stars" is filmed: subtleties that no one knows about
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Maria Mironova about participation in "Dancing with the Stars": "How much strength and pain"
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Anatoly Bely could not hold back his tears in the final of "Dancing with the Stars"
Sergei and Olga Konovaltsev are dancing together again
One of the most successful Russian dance duets of the 21st century will perform on the stage of the Helikon-Opera theater in the capital.
Despite the forecasts of weather forecasters, it will be hot in Moscow on November 12-14. Famous Tver dancers Arsen Aghamalyan and Oksana Vasilyeva will gather ballroom dance stars on the stage of the Stravinsky Hall of the Helikon-Opera musical theater. It will be an enchanting performance of Helikon Kings of the dance
https://tverisport.ru/news/vozvrashhenie-legendy-sergej-i-olga-konovaltsevy-snova-tantsuyut-vmeste/
One of the most successful Russian dance duets of the 21st century will perform on the stage of the capital's Helikon-Opera Theatre.
Despite the weather forecasts, it will be hot in Moscow on November 12-14. Well-known Tver dancers Arsen Aghamalyan and Oksana Vasilyeva will gather ballroom dance stars on the stage of the Stravinsky Hall of the musical theater Helikon-Opera. It will be an enchanting performance of Helikon Kings of the dance with live sound, vocals, luxurious lighting, scenography and, of course, bright dance performances.
And one of its main events will be the performance of the legendary Tver duo Sergey and Olga Konovaltsev , who announced the end of their joint career eight years ago. In fact, at its peak.
Brother and sister began their way to the dance Olympus in 1992 in the legendary Tver club "Express" under the guidance of Petr Zazvonov and Lyudmila Matrosova . During the joint performances, the Konovaltsevs themselves turned into a legend. They have become champions of Russia in the European program four times, winners of the World and European Cups, vice-champions of the World Games, winners and prize-winners of many prestigious international tournaments. It is no coincidence that the Konovaltsevs acted as guest celebrities in one of the first seasons of the rating television show "Dancing with the Stars" on the channel "Russia". They really were the pride not only of their native Tver, but of the whole country.
At the 2014 Russian Championship in St. Petersburg, the Konovaltsevs entered the huge Sibur Arena as the main contenders for the next gold of national standard. But they danced only one farewell waltz. With the last chords of music, Olga took the microphone and announced the end of her sports career. The hall stood up and applauded for a long time to the magnificent duet, which for 22 years has delighted fans of dance art with its sunny emotions and the highest skill.
Shortly after this turning point, Olga came to her native Tver, held a master class in the dance studio of Arsen Agamalyan and Oksana Vasilyeva, and in an interview with your obedient servant spoke about the reasons for the end of her sports career, the secrets of success, about happy moments, about the divine quickstep, love for the 19th century and much more.
I remember well that evening at the Old Baku restaurants.
Evening, candles, quiet music, a girl is sitting on the couch at the table, who drove men crazy and was an idol for many women on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean ...
- Olga, tell us when you started dancing and how did it happen that you became a couple with your brother Sergei, who is one year older than you?
- Yes, Seryozha is our eldest, and he was the first to come to ballroom dancing. And everything turned out quite simply. The doctors told the parents that the boy had a weak back and advised him to take the child to some kind of sport. We lived next to the Metalist Palace of Culture, where there was a ballroom dancing club. So my mom took him there. But with the first partner, Serezha did not succeed. After the first tournament, the parents decided to pick up another girl for him. By that time, in our kindergarten, the leaders of the Express club at Metallist, Petr Semenovich Zazvonov and Lyudmila Sergeevna Matrosova, were just teaching dance classes.
Here mom and dad decided to try to put me with Sergei.
This is how Sergei and Olga Konovaltsev looked like in their early childhood
– Nobody asked you what you want?
– What desires can a six year old girl have? But I remember very well that I really liked dancing, going to training and performing at competitions. Due to this, my parents even began to motivate Serezha and me in other areas of life: if you don’t do your homework, you won’t go to class, if you get a bad mark, you won’t go to the tournament. It really worked. Since then we have been dancing together.
– Did you start winning competitions right away?
- From the very beginning we performed well. But it cannot be said that they constantly won, they could be second or third. True, at that time no one thought about sports, about any serious results. At that time there were still ballroom dances, not sports dances, even the rules of refereeing and the corresponding requirements for duets of different age groups will appear later.
My mother altered my first dance dress from her wedding dress. But already at school I had a dream to become a world champion in dancesport.
- Why do you think it was you and Sergey who were the first and still the only Tver dancers who managed to become champions of Russia among amateurs, where the competition is several times stronger than in professionals?
– Everything just came together here. Firstly, we danced with my brother, and we always had a fairly even and friendly relationship. We really were like one plus one equals one. Secondly, our parents were connected to our dances one hundred percent. Every weekend, dad and mom took us to Moscow for training and competitions. It used to be that they returned home to Tver only late at night, and in the morning - to school. But Serezha and I never had any problems with our studies. In general, I believe that after serious sports loads, constantly overcoming oneself, getting a good education is not a question.
– You studied at Tver gymnasium No. 8, then at secondary school No. 12, and then entered some prestigious university in Moscow…
– Russian State University of Oil and Gas. She entered the Faculty of Economics and graduated with honors. In fact, sports hardening helped in my studies. But for some reason I still dream about my Tver schools. Sometimes I even feel like walking along the corridors and looking into the classrooms of my native gymnasiums.
- When I watched your performances in the television show "Dancing with the Stars", I confess that I was impressed by the dance performance of the Latin American program. But you have achieved your serious sports success under the European program. Why did it happen that they gave their preference to the Standard?
- The most surprising thing is that Serezha, in terms of temperament and physical data, is just more suited to Latina. And as children and juniors, we performed better in tournaments in the Latin American program than in the European one.
But Latina is not mine. I prefer calm classical music, floor-length dresses. That's when it became too expensive to dance in two programs at once in Juniors-1 and Juniors-2, respectively, to buy a double set of outfits and take lessons in Latin and Standard, we decided to choose one thing, and I convinced everyone, that we should focus on the European program.
– Yes, Olga, it is very easy to fit you into the interior of the 19th century…
– … Balls, beauties, lackeys, junkers and Schubert waltzes… I had such a dream. I would like to live at that time or even act in films about that era.
- But if you go back to dancing, then you, as they say, have revolutionized the European program, it is not by chance that you are called "the gods of quickstep".
- Here our physical data and emotionality just played their role. Serezha and I are very fast and light. And therefore, probably, they could do what others could not do.
For example, we managed to run three laps in waltz or quickstep while everyone else finished the first half lap. As it turned out, the audience really likes the combination of speed and changes and in the end brings results. We began to win and rise higher and higher on the dance Olympus. Thanks to the speed, lightness and airiness, we began to be recognized and noticed. And later, after us, the rest of the leading couples danced faster. So ten years ago, Serezha and I probably really made a small revolution. We were the first to run, jump, lift our legs. Now everyone is doing it.
- On the way to the dance Olympus, you won an incredible number of awards. Which of them is the most valuable for you, perhaps the most expensive and memorable?
- This is, of course, the silver of the 2013 World Games in Colombia. Firstly, this is the only international ballroom dancing tournament that is held every four years. And having been at these Olympic Games for non-Olympic sports, we felt what real Olympians experience.
These were indescribable emotions, drive, inspiration, uplift. We represented the country - and in itself it was an honor. I also remember the competition itself. In a filled 18,000-seat open-air stadium. It also rained during the semi-finals. For dancers a unique case. But the most pleasant thing happened before the final. Almost the entire stadium began to chant: “Russia! Russia! Then we walked for another month under these impressions. In my head there was a solid “Oh-oh-oh!”.
Olga and Sergey Konovaltsev at the 2013 World Games in Cali (Colombia)
– Your separation from Sergey gave rise to a lot of rumors and conjectures. Can you now tell us what made you end your sports career?
– The reason is simple – injuries. For the past two years, I have danced through pain, almost without feeling my knees. She underwent two surgeries. When the question arose whether to do a third operation or end the romance with dancing, I decided to say to myself: “Stop!”.
I know how difficult it is for athletes to make such a choice. Of course, I could still compete and win. But I made my choice. And the duo of Sergey and Olga Konovaltsevs left the floor undefeated ...
- ... And became a legend.
– Yes, the legendary Olga Konovaltseva – sometimes I joke about myself like that in my classes with young dancers. But we really had a unique case: 22 years in one pair. I, except for Serezha, never danced with anyone else. And I will not.
- Olga, what did these 22 years of dancing give you?
- They shaped me as a person. I understood myself, I know what I can and what I want. I can do a lot, including achieving the goal. And I think that with such baggage I will be able to implement all the projects and ideas that I now dream of.
A few months after the end of her sports career, Olga Konovaltseva got married. The American multimillionaire Tav Morgan became the chosen one of the dance star.
Today Olga is a mother of three children, a blogger and a successful businesswoman. She is the founder, co-owner and leader of the PRIMABELLA brand, which occupies a leading position in the global market for the production and sale of training clothes for ballroom dancing, figure skating and rhythmic gymnastics. For example, suit for Adelina Sotnikova , in which she won the first Russian Olympic gold in men's single skating in 2014, was sewn in the PRIMABELLA studio.
Sergei Konovaltsev married back in 2013 the Slovenian champion in ballroom dancing Nadia Bychkova. After the end of performances with his sister, he continued his sports career, but not with his wife, but with Miss Lithuania and Miss Universe contestant Patricia Belousova. In 2015, this magnificent duet won the title of champion of the Union of Dance Sports of Russia in European sequey among professionals in Chelyabinsk.
For several years Sergey together with Nadezhda Solzhenitsyna (daughter-in-law of the writer Alexander Solzhenitsyn a) successfully performed at Pro-Am tournaments, where a professional and an amateur dance in one pair.
At the same time, he was actively involved in triathlon and traveled a lot.
In 2019, Konovaltsev paired up with Anna Demidova, a native of Moscow and now a US civilian, who has also been a ballroom dancer since childhood and won many prestigious titles. The star duet of Sergey and Anna has already conquered the judges and spectators of a number of international tournaments, including the UK Open-2020, where he first achieved success in 2007 with his sister. Now Sergey and Olga are together again!
- We're back! More precisely, we found a reason to return and we will return to dance on the stage of the theater. "Kings of Dance" in "Helikon-Opera". This is not a tournament parquet, this is not a sport of the highest achievements, but this does not make the task easier for me. And here is a path of several months at the finish line. That is so cool. Set a goal and move towards it. I've recently been twisting in my head that this shapes life. When you have a goal, you know how to achieve it and move on.
