Season 13 of Dancing With The Stars is already full of surprises - and the couples haven't even hit the dance floor yet. In addition to the most diverse group of celebrities ever assembled on the show, three new pro dancers are being added to the fold. Though Val, Tristan, and Peta are no strangers to DWTS, there is much you probably don't know about them. Here are some highlights of their careers so far:
Valentin Chmerkovskiy
Val is much more than Maksim Chmerkovskiy's younger brother. He has already been a guest performer several times on DWTS, both as a dancer and as a musician. Val began dancing when he was seven years old, becoming the IDSF World Champion at 15. He is currently, along with his partner Daria "Dasha" Chesnokova, the United States Amateur Champion. Val and Dasha have won several titles including the prestigious Blackpool in England.
Val's partner this season is model Elisabetta Canalis, who is also well known for being the former girlfriend of actor George Clooney.
Tristan MacManus
Tristan was born in Dublin, Ireland and has won many European dance titles. He has also acted in several theatre productions in Ireland. His ballroom skills have taken him around the world, beginning with the UK tour of Simply Ballroom. After that Tristan traveled with the shows Burn The Floor and Floorplay. He taught dance for a year in the Boston area and was a member of last season's DWTS Troupe, which performed in dance demonstrations and on results show nights.
Tristan is paired with former prosecutor and current crime-fighter/victim rights advocate Nancy Grace, who hosts her own show on the Headline News (HLN) network.
Peta Murgatroyd
Also a member of the DWTS Troupe, Peta was born in New Zealand but raised in Perth, Australia. She began her dance career as a classically trained ballerina, taught by the Kirov Ballet's Lubov Nikonorenko for twelve years from the age of four. She switched to ballroom, and after only three months of training she became Australian State Ballroom Champion. Peta spent six years touring the world with Burn The Floor, becoming the lead female dancer when the show moved to Broadway in 2009. She credits Pilates with keeping her in dancing shape and improving her stamina, appearing as the Pilates Style magazine cover girl for the July/August 2011 issue.
Peta is dancing with basketball player Ron Artest, who plays for the Los Angeles Lakers.
These three dancers are ready for their turn in the spotlight with their famous partners. Be sure to check out Val, Tristan, and Peta on the new season of Dancing With The Stars which premieres on September 19th.
Resources:
Marie Cauley - Marie Cauley
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