Quick Facts
Biography
Driton "Tony" Dovolani (born July 17, 1973) is an Albanian-American professional ballroom dancer, instructor and judge. 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 coaching actress Jennifer Lopez.
Early life
Dovolani was born in Pristina, Kosovo. He began folk dancing at the age of three. At the age of fifteen, his family moved to Stamford, Connecticut. He got the opportunity to attend classes at a Fred Astaire Dance Academy.
Dancing with the Stars
Dovolani joined the show in its second season and was partnered with professional wrestler Stacy Keibler; they made it to the finals and finished in third place. In Season 3, he was partnered with country music star Sara Evans. Midway through the season, Evans withdrew from the competition for personal reasons. He returned to the show on March 19 for Season 4, this time partnered with talk show host Leeza Gibbons. They were the third couple eliminated from the competition and finished in 9th place.
He competed in Season 5, partnered with actress Jane Seymour. They were the seventh couple eliminated from the competition and finished in sixth place. In Season 6, his partner was Broadway actress Marissa Jaret Winokur. They were eliminated in the semi-finals and finished in fourth place. Dovolani competed in Season 7 of Dancing with the Stars with actress Susan Lucci of All My Children as his partner. They were eliminated in Week 7 and came in sixth.
In the eighth season, he was originally paired with Nancy O'Dell, the then-host of Access Hollywood. However, on March 5 she withdrew from the competition because of a torn meniscus sustained during pre-season practice. With only two days to practice, Melissa Rycroft, fresh off her The Bachelor appearance, stepped in and became his new celebrity partner. They made it to the finals and took third place in the competition.
In the ninth season, he was partnered with former model and entrepreneur Kathy Ireland. They were the third couple to be eliminated, finishing in 14th place. For Season Ten, Dovolani was partnered with former reality star Kate Gosselin from Jon and Kate Plus 8/Kate Plus 8. They were the fourth couple eliminated, finishing in 8th place.
For the eleventh season, he was partnered with The Hills star Audrina Patridge. They were the sixth couple eliminated, finishing in 7th place. For Season 12, his partner was talk show host Wendy Williams. They were the second couple eliminated, finishing in tenth place. For Season 13, his partner was singer Chynna Phillips. Phillips was eliminated in week four.
For Season 14, his partner was tennis champion Martina Navratilova. They were the first couple to be eliminated. Dovalani was once again partnered with Melissa Rycroft for season 15 and they became champions of the season. For season 16, he partnered with country singer Wynonna Judd and were eliminated in the third week of competition. For season 17, he was partnered with actress Leah Remini and finished in 5th place.
For Season 18, he was partnered with Real Housewives of Atlanta star NeNe Leakes, and were eliminated on the seventh week of competition, finishing in seventh place. For season 19, he paired with fashion designer Betsey Johnson. They were eliminated in the fourth week of competition, finishing in tenth place. For season 20, he paired with actress & author Suzanne Somers. They were eliminated on Week 5 and finished in 9th place.
For season 21, he was paired with reality star Kim Zolciak. After suffering from a mini stroke, Biermann had to withdraw from the competition during Week 3 because she was not clear to travel.
For season 22, he was partnered with actress Marla Maples. They were eliminated on April 11, 2016 and came in 10th place.
Dovolani is not part of the cast for season 23.
| Season | Partner | Place |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | Stacy Keibler | 3rd |
| 3 | Sara Evans | 6th |
| 4 | Leeza Gibbons | 9th |
| 5 | Jane Seymour | 6th |
| 6 | Marissa Jaret Winokur | 4th |
| 7 | Susan Lucci | 6th |
| 8 | Melissa Rycroft | 3rd |
| 9 | Kathy Ireland | 14th |
| 10 | Kate Gosselin | 8th |
| 11 | Audrina Patridge | 7th |
| 12 | Wendy Williams | 10th |
| 13 | Chynna Phillips | 9th |
| 14 | Martina Navratilova | 12th |
| 15 | Melissa Rycroft | 1st |
| 16 | Wynonna Judd | 11th |
| 17 | Leah Remini | 5th |
| 18 | NeNe Leakes | 7th |
| 19 | Betsey Johnson | 10th |
| 20 | Suzanne Somers | 9th |
| 21 | Kim Zolciak-Biermann | 11th |
| 22 | Marla Maples | 10th |
Performances by the Season
Season 2 - With celebrity partner: Stacy Keibler; average: 27.7
| Week # | Dance/Song | Judges' score | Result | ||
| Inaba | Goodman | Tonioli | |||
| 1 | Waltz/ "I Wonder Why" | 8 | 6 | 8 | Safe |
| 2 | Rumba/ "I'm like a Bird" | 9 | 10 | 10 | Safe |
| 3 | Tango/ "Cell Block Tango" | 9 | 9 | 9 | Safe |
| 4 | Foxtrot/"Cold, Cold Heart" | 8 | 9 | 9 | Safe |
| 5 | Samba/"Bootylicious" Group Salsa/"Rhythm Is Gonna Get You" | 10 No | 10 Scores | 10 Given | Safe |
| 6 | Jive/"Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go" Group Viennese Waltz/"Fallin'" | 10 No | 10 Scores | 10 Given | Safe |
| 7 | Quickstep/"You Can't Hurry Love" Cha-Cha-Cha/"Since U Been Gone" | 9 9 | 9 9 | 9 10 | Bottom 2 |
| 8 | Jive/"Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go" Freestyle/"Stayin' Alive" Samba/"Livin' La Vida Loca" | 10 8 10 | 10 9 10 | 10 9 10 | Third Place |
Season 3 - With celebrity partner: Sara Evans; average: 21.0
| Week # | Dance/Song | Judges' score | Result | ||
| Inaba | Goodman | Tonioli | |||
| 1 | Foxtrot/ "Mandy" | 5 | 5 | 5 | Safe |
| 2 | Mambo/ "Papa Loves Mambo" | 7 | 7 | 7 | Safe |
| 3 | Jive/ "These Boots Are Made for Walkin'" | 8 | 9 | 8 | Safe |
| 4 | Paso Doble/ "The Phantom of the Opera" | 6 | 7 | 7 | Safe |
| 5 | Samba/ "I Wish" | 8 | 8 | 8 | Withdrawn |
Season 4 - With celebrity partner: Leeza Gibbons; average: 19.0
| Week # | Dance/Song | Judges' score | Result | ||
| Inaba | Goodman | Tonioli | |||
| 1 | Foxtrot/ "Strangers in the Night" | 5 | 5 | 5 | No Elimination |
| 2 | Mambo/ "Independent Woman Part I" | 7 | 7 | 7 | Safe |
| 3 | Tango/ "Jealousy" | 8 | 8 | 8 | Bottom 2 |
| 4 | Paso Doble/ "You Give Love a Bad Name" | 6 | 5 | 5 | Eliminated |
Season 5 - With celebrity partner: Jane Seymour; average: 24.5
| Week # | Dance/Song | Judges' score | Result | ||
| Inaba | Goodman | Tonioli | |||
| 1 | Foxtrot/ "Let's Do It, Let's Fall in Love" | 8 | 8 | 8 | Safe |
| 2 | Mambo/ "Cuban Pete" | 7 | 7 | 7 | Safe |
| 3 | Tango/ "Perfida" | 9 | 9 | 9 | Safe |
| 4 | Vienesse Waltz/ "Piano Man" | 8 | 9 | 9 | Safe |
| 5 | Rumba/ "Breathe Again" | 8 | 9 | 9 | Bottom Two |
| 6 | Jive/ "Modern Love" Group Rock 'n Roll/ "Rockin Robin" | 8 No | 7 Scores | 7 Given | Safe |
| 7 | Quickstep/ "I Walk the Line" Cha-Cha-Cha/ "Venus" | 8 8 | 8 9 | 8 9 | Eliminated |
Season 6 - With celebrity partner: Marissa Jaret Winokur; average: 23.8
| Week # | Dance/Song | Judges' score | Result | ||
| Inaba | Goodman | Tonioli | |||
| 1 | Cha-Cha-Cha/ "Low" | 6 | 6 | 6 | No Elimination |
| 2 | Quickstep/ "Flip, Flop and Fly" | 7 | 7 | 7 | Last to be called safe |
| 3 | Jive/ "Girlfriend" | 6 | 7 | 6 | Safe |
| 4 | Paso Doble/ "My Family is My Life" | 8 | 8 | 8 | Safe |
| 5 | Samba/ "Tambourine" | 8 | 8 | 8 | Safe |
| 6 | Vienesse Waltz/ "Delilah" Country Western/ "Cotton-Eyed Joe" | 9 No | 8 Scores | 9 Given | Safe |
| 7 | Tango/ "Champagne Tango" Rumba/ "Quando, Quando, Quando" | 9 9 | 9 8 | 9 8 | Bottom 2 |
| 8 | Foxtrot/ "New York, New York" Mambo/ "Ritmo de Chunga" | 9 8 | 8 8 | 8 9 | Safe |
| 9 | Quickstep/ "Around the World" Rumba/ "Just the Two of Us" | 9 8 | 9 9 | 8 9 | Eliminated |
Season 7 - With celebrity partner: Susan Lucci; average: 21.3
| Week # | Dance/Song | Judges' score | Result | ||
| Inaba | Goodman | Tonioli | |||
| 1 | Cha-Cha-Cha/ "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" Quickstep/ "Bei Mir Bist Du Schoen" | 5 7 | 5 7 | 5 8 | Safe |
| 2 | Rumba/ "Waiting on the World to Change" | 7 | 7 | 7 | Safe |
| 3 | Jive/ "Why Do Fools Fall in Love" | 7 | 7 | 7 | Safe |
| 4 | Tango/ "La Bohemia" | 8 | 8 | 8 | Safe |
| 5 | Hustle/ "Upside Down" | 7 | 7 | 8 | Bottom 2 |
| 6 | Mambo/ "Si Señor!..." Old School Hip Hop/ "It Takes Two" | 8 No | 8* Scores | 7 Given | Last to be called safe |
| 7 | Paso Doble/ "The Ride" Team Cha-Cha-Cha/ "Mercy" | 8 6 | 8 7 | 8 7 | Eliminated |
- Score was awarded by stand in judge Michael Flatley.
Season 8 - With celebrity partner: Melissa Rycroft; average: 26.8
| Week # | Dance/Song | Judges' score | Result | ||
| Inaba | Goodman | Tonioli | |||
| 1 | Waltz/ "Moon River" | 8 | 7 | 8 | No Elimination |
| 2 | Salsa/ "The Cup of Life" | 9 | 8 | 9 | Safe |
| 3 | Foxtrot/ "Recipe for Love" | 9 | 9 | 9 | Safe |
| 4 | Lindy Hop/ "Brown Derby Jump" | 10 | 9 | 10 | Safe |
| 5 | Paso Doble/ "Poker Face" | 8 | 8 | 9 | Safe |
| 6 | Rumba/ "If I Were a Boy" | 9 | 9 | 9 | Safe |
| 7 | Argentine Tango/ "Mi Confesión" 1960's Group Dance/ "The Clapping Song" | 10 No | 9 Scores | 10 Given | Safe |
| 8 | Jive/ "We Got the Beat" Team Mambo/ "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)" | 7 8 | 7 8 | 7 9 | Bottom Two |
| 9 | Viennese Waltz/ "Angel" Samba/ "Jaleo" | 9 10 | 9 10 | 9 10 | Safe |
| 10 | Quickstep/ "I Got Rhythm" Cha-Cha-Cha/ "Save the Last Dance for Me" | 9 9 | 10 9 | 9 9 | Bottom Two |
| 11 | Paso Doble/ "So What" Freestyle/ "Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now)" Samba/ "Jaleo" | 10 9 10 | 9 9 10 | 10 9 10 | Third Place |
Season 9 - With celebrity partner: Kathy Ireland; average: 17.0
| Week # | Dance/Song | Judges' score | Result | ||
| Inaba | Goodman | Tonioli | |||
| 1 | Salsa/ "Mambo Gonzon" Foxtrot relay/ "The Best is Yet to Come" | 6 Awarded | 5 4 | 5 Points | Last to be Called Safe |
| 2 | Quickstep/ "Shall We Dance?" | 6 | 6* | 6 | Eliminated |
- Score was awarded by stand in judge Baz Luhrmann.
Season 10 - With celebrity partner: Kate Gosselin; average: 15.5
| Week # | Dance/Song | Judges' score | Result | ||
| Inaba | Goodman | Tonioli | |||
| 1 | Viennese Waltz/ "She's Always a Woman" | 6 | 5 | 5 | No Elimination |
| 2 | Jive/ "I'm Still Standing" | 5 | 5 | 5 | Safe |
| 3 | Paso Doble/ "Paparazzi" | 5 | 5 | 5 | Safe |
| 4 | Tango/ "For Your Entertainment" | 4 6 | 5 6 | 5 6 | Safe |
| 5 | Foxtrot/ "Don't You (Forget About Me)" | 5 | 5 | 5 | Eliminated |
Season 11 - With celebrity partner: Audrina Patridge; average: 23.0
| Week # | Dance/Song | Judges' score | Result | ||
| Inaba | Goodman | Tonioli | |||
| 1 | Cha-Cha-Cha/ "California Gurls" | 6 | 7 | 6 | Safe |
| 2 | Quickstep/ "Love Machine" | 8 | 8 | 7 | Safe |
| 3 | Waltz/ "Let It Be Me" | 8 | 9 | 9 | Safe |
| 4 | Argentine Tango/ "Somebody to Love" | 8 7 | 8 7 | 8 8 | Safe |
| 5 | Rumba/"Unwritten" | 7 | 8 | 8 | Safe |
| 6 | Paso Doble/"Another One Bites the Dust" Rock 'n Roll/"La Grange" | 8 Awarded | 8 8 | 8 Points | Eliminated |
Season 12 - With celebrity partner: Wendy Williams; average: 15.3
| Week # | Dance/Song | Judges' score | Result | ||
| Inaba | Goodman | Tonioli | |||
| 1 | Cha-Cha-Cha/ "I'm Every Woman" | 5 | 4 | 5 | No Elimination |
| 2 | Quickstep/ "Do Your Thing" | 6 | 5 | 6 | Safe |
| 3 | Foxtrot/ "Last Night a D.J. Saved My Life" | 5 | 5 | 5 | Eliminated |
Season 13 - With celebrity partner: Chynna Phillips; average: 22.5
| Week # | Dance/Song | Judges' score | Result | ||
| Inaba | Goodman | Tonioli | |||
| 1 | Viennese Waltz / "If I Ain't Got You" | 8 | 7 | 7 | Safe |
| 2 | Jive / "The Boy Does Nothing" | 7 | 7 | 7 | Safe |
| 3 | Rumba / "Hold On" | 8 | 9 | 9 | Safe |
| 4 | Tango / "Theme from Mission: Impossible" | 7 | 7 | 7 | Eliminated |
Season 14 - With celebrity partner: Martina Navratilova; average: 18.5
| Week # | Dance/Song | Judges' score | Result | ||
| Inaba | Goodman | Tonioli | |||
| 1 | Foxtrot / "Is You Is or Is You Ain't My Baby" | 7 | 6 | 7 | No Elimination |
| 2 | Jive / "Tell Her About It" | 6 | 5 | 6 | Eliminated |
Season 15 - With celebrity partner: Melissa Rycroft; average: 28.0
| Week # | Dance/Song | Judges' score | Result | ||
| Inaba | Goodman | Tonioli | |||
| 1 | Foxtrot/ "Big Spender" | 7.0 | 7.0 | 7.0 | Safe |
| 2 | Jive / "Shout" | 8.0 | 8.0 | 7.5 | Safe |
| 3 | Samba / "Conga" | 9.0 | 9.0 | 9.0 | Safe |
| 4 | Jitterbug / "This Cat's On A Hot Tin Roof" | 9.0 | 9.0 | 9.5* / 9.5 | Safe |
| 5 | Tango / "Toxic" Team Freestyle (Shawn) / "Call Me Maybe" | 9.0 9.5 | 9.0 10.0 | 9.0 10.0 | No Elimination |
| 6 | Viennese Waltz / "Why Ya Wanna" Group Country Western / "Save a Horse (Ride a Cowboy)" & "I Play Chicken with a Train" | 9.5 No | 10.0 Scores | 10.0 Given | Safe |
| 7 | Tango & Cha-Cha-Cha / "Die Young" Swing Marathon / "Do Your Thing" | 10.0 Awarded | 9.5 10 | 9.5 Points | No Elimination |
| 8 | Quickstep / "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy" Paso Doble (Trio Challenge) / "Rumour Has It" | 10.0 10.0 | 10.0 10.0 | 10.0 10.0 | Safe |
| 9 | Hustle / "Walk the Dinosaur" Argentine Tango / Dirty Diana | 9.0 10.0 | 9.5 10.0 | 9.0 10.0 | Safe |
| 10 | Samba / "Conga" Freestyle / I Was Here Instant Samba / "Life Is A Highway" | 10.0 10.0 9.5 | 10.0 10.0 9.5 | 10.0 10.0 9.5 | Winners |
^* The additional score of 9.5 was awarded by guest judge Paula Abdul.
Season 16 - With celebrity partner: Wynonna Judd; average: 17.0
| Week # | Dance/Song | Judges' score | Result | ||
| Inaba | Goodman | Tonioli | |||
| 1 | Cha-cha-cha / "I've Got The Music In Me" | 6 | 6 | 6 | No Elimination |
| 2 | Quickstep / "Neutron Dance" | 6 | 6 | 6 | Safe |
| 3 | Prom Group Dance / "The Rockafeller Skank" Samba / "Pour Some Sugar on Me" | No 5 | Scores 5 | Given 5 | Eliminated |
Season 17 - With celebrity partner: Leah Remini; average: 24.8
| Week # | Dance/Song | Judges' score | Result | ||
| Inaba | Goodman | Tonioli | |||
| 1 | Foxtrot / "Tears Dry On Their Own" | 7 | 7 | 7 | No Elimination |
| 2 | Samba / "María" | 8 | 8 | 8 | Safe |
| 3 | Rumba / "Skyfall" | 8 | 8 | 8 | Safe |
| 4 | Cha-cha-cha / "Papi" | 8 | 8* | 8 | Safe |
| 5 | Contemporary / "Roar" | 7 | 7 | 8 | Last to be called safe |
| 6 | Quickstep / "Man Wanted" Switch-Up Challenge /Various | 9 Awarded | 9 1 | 9 Points | No Elimination |
| 7 | Salsa / "I Know You Want Me (Calle Ocho)" Team Freestyle / "Bom Bom" | 9 9 | 8 9 | 9 9 | Safe |
| 8 | Viennese Waltz / "I Got You Babe" Rumba Dance Off / "I Found Someone" | 8 Awarded | 9* 3 | 8 Points | Safe |
| 9 | Tango / "Love Me Again" Jive (Trio Challenge) / "We're Not Gonna Take It" | 9 9 | 9 9 | 9 9 | Safe |
| 10 | Paso Doble / "Bad Romance" Argentine Tango / "Bad Romance" (acoustic version) | 8 8 | 8 8 | 8*/8 8*/9 | Eliminated |
- Score was given by guest judge Julianne Hough.
- Week 8 score was given by Cher.
- The additional score of Week 10 was given by Maksim Chmerkovskiy.
Season 18 - With celebrity partner: NeNe Leakes; average: 23.5
| Week # | Dance/Song | Judges' score | Result | ||
| Inaba | Goodman | Tonioli | |||
| 1 | Cha-cha-cha / "Give It 2 U" | 7 | 7 | 7 | No Elimination |
| 2 | Jive / "Do My Thing" | 7 | 7 | 7 | Safe |
| 3 | Rumba / "I Believe in You and Me" | 8 | 7/81 | 8 | Safe |
| 42 | Jazz / "Grown Woman" | 8 | 8/83 | 8 | No Elimination |
| 5 | Foxtrot / "Cruella de Vil" | 9 | 9/94 | 9 | Safe |
| 6 | Salsa / "Hot in Herre" | 8 | 95/8 | 8 | Safe |
| 7 | Argentine Tango / "Can't Remember to Forget You" Team Freestyle / "The Cup of Life" | 8 8 | 86 / 7 10 /8 | 8 9 | Eliminated |
1The additional score of Week 3 was given by Robin Roberts
2For this week only, as part of the "Partner Switch-Up" week, NeNe Leakes did not perform with Dovolani and instead performed with Derek Hough.
3Additional score of Week 4 was given by Julianne Hough
4Additional score of Week 5 was given by Donny Osmond
5Additional score of Week 6 was given by Redfoo
6Additional score of Week 7 was given by Ricky Martin
Season 19 - With celebrity partner: Betsey Johnson; average: 26.5
| Week # | Dance/Song | Judges' score | Result | |||
| Hough | Goodman | Tonioli | Inaba | |||
| 1 | Cha-cha-cha / "Material Girl" | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | Bottom two |
| 2 | Foxtrot / "Girls Just Want to Have Fun" | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | Safe |
| 3 | Contemporary / "Unchained Melody" | 7 | 91 | 6 | 7 | Safe |
| 4 | Jive / "Love Will Keep Us Together" | 8 | 72 | 7 | 7 | Eliminated |
1 Score given by guest judge Kevin Hart, in place of Goodman.
2The American public scored the dance in place of Goodman with the averaged score being counted alongside the three other judges.
Season 20 - With celebrity partner: Suzanne Somers; average: 26.8
| Week # | Dance/Song | Judges' score | Result | |||
| Hough | Goodman | Tonioli | Inaba | |||
| 1 | Cha-cha-cha / "Physical" | 6 | 6 | 6 | 7 | No Elimination |
| 2 | Jive / "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On" | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | Last to be called safe |
| 3 | Samba / "Copacabana" | 6 | 6 | 6 | 7 | Safe |
| 4 | Foxtrot / "Three's Company, Too" | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | Safe |
| 5 | Jazz / "He's a Tramp" | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | Eliminated |
Season 21 - With celebrity partner: Kim Zolciak-Biermann; average: 16.3
| Week # | Dance/Song | Judges' score | Result | ||
| Inaba | Hough | Tonioli | |||
| 1 | Salsa / "Hey Mama" | 4 | 4 | 4 | No Elimination |
| 2 | Quickstep / "Queen Bee" Foxtrot / "Come Home" | 7 6 | 6 6 | 6 6 | Safe |
| 3 | Samba / "Jeannie" | Was | Not | Performed | Withdrew |
Season 22 - With celebrity partner: Marla Maples; average: TBD
| Week # | Dance/Song | Judges' score | Result | ||
| Inaba | Goodman | Tonioli | |||
| 1 | Quickstep / "Sparkling Diamonds" | 7 | 7 | 7 | No Elimination |
| 2 | Argentine Tango / "Don't" | 7 | 6 | 7 | Safe |
| 3 | Jive / "Happy" | 7 | 7 | 7 | Safe |
| 4 | Waltz / "Part of Your World" | 7 | 7/71 | 7 | Eliminated |
1 Score given by guest judge Zendaya.
Dancing
Ballroom dancing is all about the woman, according to Dovolani. He believes the man is meant to be the frame for the picture of beauty as presented by the woman.
Dovolani and his partner Elena Grinenko have recently retired from competing in the American rhythm division. Prior to his partnership with Elena, he danced with Inna Ivanenko and Lisa Regal.
Achievements
- 2006 nominated for an Emmy for outstanding choreography for Dancing with the Stars for episode #208 (Dance: Jive).
- 2006 PBS America's Ballroom Challenge Rhythm Champion
- 2006 Emerald Ball Open Professional American Rhythm Champion
- 2006 United States Open Rhythm Champion with Elena Grinenko
- 2006 World Rhythm Champion with Elena Grinenko
- 2005 Ohio Star Ball American Rhythm Champion
- 2005 United States Open Rhythm Champion with Inna Ivanenko
- 2005 World Rhythm Champion with Inna Ivanenko
- "DanceSport Portal » Blog Archive » 2006 Emerald Ball". Dancesportal.com. Retrieved 2010-10-26.
- "DanceSport Portal » Blog Archive » 2005 Ohio Star Ball". Dancesportal.com. Retrieved 2010-10-26.
Outside of dancing
Tony and Len Goodman appear along with Mary Murphy in an infomercial for the Core Rhythms workout system.
Dovolani and fellow dancers Maksim Chmerkovskiy and Elena Grinenko have created a website called the Ballroom Dance Channel. It is to help bring awareness to dancing. Dovolani and best friend Chmerkovskiy can often be found interviewing each other. The website is called ballroomdancechannel.com
Dovolani is the driving force behind the Superstars of Ballroom Dance Camp, an opportunity for people to learn from celebrity Pros from hit television shows. www.superstarsofballroom.com
Dovolani along with Maksim Chmerkovskiy and Valentin Chmerkovskiy opened Dance with Me Studio in Stamford, CT on April 16, 2012. The Stamford location is the fourth in the chain and the first in Connecticut started by Dovolani, Maksim Chmerkovskiy, Valentin Chmerkovskiy and their partners. The other studios are in Ridgefield, N.J., Long Island, N.Y., and Soho, N.Y.
Personal life
Tony is married to wife Lina, and the couple have 3 children, a daughter named Luana and twins born when Luana was 3 years old. The twins, son Adrian and daughter Ariana, were born on September 8, 2008. Tony met Lina on a blind date in 1998 and proposed to her four hours later. Tony was in the middle of rehearsals for the seventh season of Dancing with the Stars with partner Susan Lucci when he got the call that Lina had gone into labor.
