Elena Grinenko is a Russian-born American professional ballroom dancer, choreographer, instructor, and adjudicator. A Russian national Latin and 10-Dance champion and undefeated American Rhythm champion with Tony Dovolani, she later appeared as a professional dancer on Dancing with the Stars and continued working in dance education, coaching, judging, and choreography.
Background
Elena Grinenko was born in Moscow, Russia, on December 14, 1976, and began dancing at the age of seven. She trained in ballroom dancing, ballet, Russian folk dancing, and music, and participated in the Ballroom Formation Team of Russia. During her youth career she competed in Standard, Latin, and 10-Dance, becoming a Moscow, Russian, and Soviet Union finalist and winning numerous competitions. In 1994, she won the Moscow and Russian National Latin titles. She moved to the United States in 1998 to pursue professional opportunities in dance and became a United States citizen in 2008.
Education
After graduating from high school in 1995, Grinenko chose dance as her professional field and entered the Art Academy of Russia in Moscow. She studied dance, acting, and stage production and completed the program in 2000. Her earlier academic interests included mathematics and geometry, but her competitive success led her to make dance the central focus of her professional development.
Career
Grinenko began competing in Russia as a youth dancer and later became a professional ballroom performer. She worked with the Ballroom Formation Team of Russia and won Moscow and Russian national titles in Latin and 10-Dance. In the United States, she first competed with Michael Nadtochi, becoming a United States National Rising Star finalist and United States Dance Council Top Rising Star Couple of the Year in 1999. In 2002, she formed a professional Latin partnership with Maksim Chmerkovskiy; together they won the National Rising Star title at the Emerald Ball and the Rising Star Championship at the International Championships in London, and by early 2003 ranked among the world's leading professional Latin couples. They performed as lead dancers in Latin Fusion and later Latin Revolution, productions that developed into Ballroom with a Twist. In 2005, Grinenko partnered with Tony Dovolani in American Rhythm. With only five weeks of preparation, they won the Ohio Star Ball and subsequently captured national and world American Rhythm titles while remaining undefeated over the following two years. The pair appeared on PBS's America's Ballroom Challenge. Grinenko joined Dancing with the Stars as a professional dancer in 2006, partnering with Tucker Carlson in season three and Clyde Drexler in season four. She later continued as a choreographer, instructor, coach, and licensed adjudicator, teaching and judging ballroom competitions from 2007 onward. She coached and choreographed for elite ice dancers, including Olympic champions Meryl Davis and Charlie White, from 2010 to 2014, and later worked with other internationally successful ice-dance couples. She also performed in television, stage, and live productions and appeared on the 2010 Segundo Campeonato Mundial de Baile representing the United States with Paul Barris.
Achievements
Became a Russian National Latin and 10-Dance Champion.
Won the Moscow and Russian National Latin Division titles in 1994.
Reached Moscow, Russian, and Soviet Union finals in Standard, Latin, and 10-Dance competition.
Won the National Rising Star Latin title at the 2002 Emerald Ball with Maksim Chmerkovskiy.
Won the Rising Star Championship at the International Championships in London with Maksim Chmerkovskiy.
Won the Ohio Star Ball Professional American Rhythm title with Tony Dovolani in 2005.
Became an undefeated United States and World American Rhythm champion with Tony Dovolani.
Competed as a professional dancer on Dancing with the Stars during its third and fourth seasons.
Choreographed for Olympic ice-dance champions Meryl Davis and Charlie White.
Membership
Grinenko served for more than eight years on the Fred Astaire Dance Studios Board and judged the organization's national and world events. She has also worked as a certified NDCA Championship Licensed Adjudicator, National and World Class Adjudicator, and WDC adjudicator.
Served on the board for more than eight years and judged the organization's national and world events.
Grinenko married American model and actor Rib Hillis on August 17, 2012.
husband:
Rib Hillis
American model and actor; married Elena Grinenko on August 17, 2012.
References
Elena Grinenko Official Biography
Official biographical account covering Grinenko's early training, Russian and American competitive career, stage productions, television appearances, coaching, and choreography.
Elena Grinenko - ABC News
Profiles Grinenko as a world champion ballroom dancer associated with Dancing with the Stars and describes her early start in dance.
