Karina Smirnoff (Russian: Карина Смирнова; January 2, 1978) is an American professional ballroom dancer of Ukrainian origins. She is known as a professional dancer on Dancing with the Stars, winning the thirteenth season with army veteran and soap opera star J. R. Martinez. She's also won two runner-up titles, a semifinal title, and several quarterfinal titles.
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, and five-time US National Professional Champion. She has taken second at the British Open Blackpool Dance Festival and she is the first woman to also ever make the "British Professional Final" with three different partners.
Karina Smirnoff was born in Kharkiv, Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union, and is of half-Greek and half-Russian descent. At 11, she began competing in ballroom dancing. She chose to pursue ballroom dancing. In 1993, Smirnoff immigrated to the United States.