NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: Cha-cha, as well as samba, rumba, paso doble, and jive, requires two people. Just ask the tough and furiously competitive ballroom dancers hopping, whirling, and kicking like their feet are on fire in Bravo's new docuseries 'Dancing Queens', which premieres Tuesday, May 9 at 9 pm ET and streams the next day on Peacock.
Sabrina Strasser, Colette Marotto, Pooja Mehta, Donie Burch, Leonie Biggs, and Galle Benchetrit are among the six exceptional amateurs. And everyone is relying on their professional companions to make all the appropriate moves in order to impress the judges. Pro-Am pairs amateur dancers with professional partners. But, during the course of the Bravo series, the women of 'Dancing Queens' work with passionately fleet-footed professionals who do more than dance. They train, counsel, and occasionally offer a cause of contention. Meet the professional and amateur dancing partners on 'Dancing Queens' who bring flare and flames.
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'Dancing Queens' full cast list
Gaelle Benchetrit and Nino Langella
Gaelle was establishing herself on the ballroom scene before her recent pregnancy caused her to take a break. She's excited to get back on the dance floor and prove that she's better than ever. Her partner, Nino Langella, is one of the world's finest professional dancers and the envy of other women.
Nino has been dancing since he was a child in Italy, winning his first competition at the age of nine. He is gifted — and generous. He allegedly donated his prize money after winning a Latin dancing competition in Sarajevo in 2000. As the other Dancing Queens candidates are aware, he is now one of the world's best dancers. "He's the best of the best," Sabrina says. “It’s a bit scary.”
Leonie Biggs and Kostiantyn 'Koysta' Samarskyi
Leonie is a perfectionist who refuses to take on any task unless she can excel at it. She juggles her life as a wife and mother with her high-powered work in finance. Leonie has a new pro partner this dancing season, Koysta Samarskyi, which adds stress, doubt, and more hours of practice before she feels ready to compete. She is fiercely competitive and feels the pressure to be a championship ballroom dancer and beat out the other ladies for first place.
Koysta is a seasoned pro, whose Instagram boasts that she is a European 10 Dance champion. That implies he is proficient in both the five Latin ballroom dances and the five international dances. Koysta is a new partner for Leonie, so they're creating a relationship and confidence one step at a time.
Donie Burch and Iliah Vinikovskiy
Donie has been dancing her entire life and attended college to study dance performance. This top performer and her partner, Iliah Vinikovskiy, are keen to persuade the judges that she is one of the country's greatest dancers. Donie is concerned that the judges are judging her beauty rather than her talent because she does not have a "typical" dancer's figure. Donie is currently single, and her preoccupation with dancing limits her options for finding a companion off the floor.
Iliah, who was born in Kiev, was just 12 years old when he won his first Latin national title in Ukraine. When he was 15, he set out to study with the best tutors in Europe — in England, Denmark, and Italy — to further his education. And it shows: he's a well-known Latin dancer. His eye sparkles as brightly as the sequins on the dancers' clothing.
Pooja Mehta and Kristijan Burazer
Pooja, a makeup artist with a flourishing beauty company, is a self-described renegade from a family of physicians. She and her husband raise their two children according to a blend of Jewish and Hindu customs. Pooja, her mother, and her sister all dance with Colette's old professional partner, Kristijan Burazer. Previously a rhythm champion, she just moved to Latin to compete with her family and show that she can triumph in their area as well.
Kristijan previously danced with Colette, who characterizes their dance-floor split as being "partner dumped." Kristijan began ballroom dancing when he was just 7 years old while growing up in Slovenia. He's developed his abilities over the course of several decades. "The main reason I started dancing was because I love music," he explained to voyagephoenix.com. "Music gives me freedom and ability to express who I am." He also allows himself the freedom to pick his companion.
Colette Marotto and Oleksiy “Alex” Pigotskyy
Colette has a lot of stress in her life as a company owner and single mother of a boy with special needs, and dancing helps her to focus on herself and forget about her duties. Her pro dance partner recently left her to compete with Pooja, causing her to find a new pro, Oleksiy "Alex" Pigotskyy, and start again. Her breakup in the ballroom caused friction between the women and fueled Colette's desire to become even more successful and show to her former pro that she can win without him.
Alex's Instagram post shows him winking and having a good time. But when it comes to competition, this professional ballroom dancer, choreographer, and instructor is all business. As a result, he can brag about being a three-time United States National Dancesport champion. Colette is thankful for Alex as she heals from her split with Kristijan. "He's a completely different dancer," she recalls, "a completely different teacher, a completely different personality." She goes on to say, "Alex is sexy."
Sabrina Strasser and Stanislav Kochergin
Stay-at-home mother Sabrina is torn between her dance and her family life. She has an on-again, off-again relationship with her professional dancer, Stanislav Kochergin, but the two are back together and Sabrina is determined to win the competition. Her desire to win consumes her time and energy, often at the expense of her children and husband, who are concerned that Sabrina's pastime would divert focus away from their family life.
Sabrina refers to this talented professional dancer from Canada as "Stas," and he has years of ballroom expertise under his belt. He understands how to work a dance floor and has the awards to prove it. Stas also has a knack for getting under Sabrina's skin. "From the minute we met, Stas promised me I will make you a champion," Sabrina adds. "But it just came to a point where we had to stop dancing before I stabbed him in the eye with the heel of my shoe."
To watch the pros and their partners in action, tune in to Bravo's 'Dancing Queens' on Tuesday, on May 9 at 9 pm.
