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Tony Dovolani
Tony Dovolani 22
Dancer Profile
Birth Date 17 July 1973 (1973-07-17) (age 50)
Hometown Pristina, Kovoso

Partner(s) 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)
All-Stars: 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)

Driton "Tony" Dovolani was a professional dancer in Dancing with the Stars.

Biography[]

Originally retrieved from abc.com
Tony Dovolani balanced fitness, dance, and family while capturing the hearts of millions each season in Dancing with the Stars. Born in Prishtina, Kosovo, Tony was proficient in Albanian folk dancing by age three and was inspired by watching Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly films. After immigrating to the United States as a political refugee from his native Kosovo, Tony trained at a Connecticut Fred Astaire dance studio and eventually became one of the most dominant competitive dancers in the country.

A two-time dance champion and certified world judge, Tony brought his expertise to Hollywood when he coached Jennifer Lopez and Richard Gere for the 2004 film Shall We Dance, in which he also had a small role. He then joined Dancing with the Stars for its second season and captured our attention with partner Stacy Keibler, when the two placed third in the finals. During the Dancing with the Stars All-Star Season, Season 15, Tony and dance partner Melissa Rycroft won the show and took home the Mirrorball Trophy. Tony and fellow dancers Maksim and Valentin Chmerkovskiy are partners in the Dance With Me USA Dance Studios in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut.

Dancing with the Stars 2[]

In Season 2, Tony was partnered with Stacy Keibler. They placed 3rd.

Scores[]

Week # Dance/Song Judges' Scores 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 two
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

Dancing with the Stars 3[]

In Season 3, Tony was partnered with Sara Evans. They placed 6th.

Scores[]

Week # Dance/Song Judges' Scores 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

Dancing with the Stars 4[]

In Season 4, Tony was partnered with Leeza Gibbons. They placed 9th.

Scores[]

Week # Dance/Song Judges' Scores 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 two
4 Paso Doble/ "You Give Love a Bad Name" 6 5 5 Eliminated

Dancing with the Stars 5[]

In Season 5, Tony was partnered with Jane Seymour. They placed 6th.

Scores[]

Week # Dance/Song Judges' Scores 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 Viennese 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

Dancing with the Stars 6[]

In Season 6, Tony was partnered with Marissa Jaret Winokur. They placed 4th.

Scores[]

Week # Dance/Song Judges' Scores 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 Viennese 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 two
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

Dancing with the Stars 7[]

In Season 7, Tony was partnered with Susan Lucci. They placed 6th.

Scores[]

Week # Dance/Song Judges' Scores 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 two
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

Dancing with the Stars 8[]

In Season 8, Tony was partnered with Melissa Rycroft. They placed 3rd.

Scores[]

Week # Dance/Song Judges' Scores 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"
1960s 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

Dancing with the Stars 9[]

In Season 9, Tony was partnered with Kathy Ireland. They placed 14th.

Scores[]

Week # Dance/Song Judges' Scores Result
Inaba Goodman Tonioli
1 Salsa/ "Mambo Gonzon"
Foxtrot relay/ "The Best Is Yet to Come"
6
Awarded
5
four
5
points
Last to be called safe
2 Quickstep/ "Shall We Dance?" 6 6* 6 Eliminated

Dancing with the Stars 10[]

In Season 10, Tony was partnered with Kate Gosselin. They placed 8th.

Scores[]

Week # Dance/Song Judges' Scores 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

Dancing with the Stars 11[]

In Season 11, Tony was partnered with Audrina Patridge. They placed 7th.

Scores[]

Week # Dance/Song Judges' Scores 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
eight
8
points
Eliminated

Dancing with the Stars 12[]

In Season 12, Tony was partnered with Wendy Williams. They placed 10th.

Scores[]

Week # Dance/Song Judges' Scores 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

Dancing with the Stars 13[]

In Season 13, Tony was partnered with Chynna Phillips. They placed 9th.

Scores[]

Week # Dance/Song Judges' Scores 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

Dancing with the Stars 14[]

In Season 14, Tony was partnered with Martina Navratilova. They placed 12th.

Scores[]

Week # Dance/Song Judges' Scores 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

Dancing with the Stars 15[]

In Season 15, Tony was partnered with Melissa Rycroft. They placed 1st.

Scores[]

Week # Dance/Song Judges' Scores 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
ten
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
Winner
  • The additional score of 9.5 was awarded by guest judge Paula Abdul.

Dancing with the Stars 16[]

In Season 16, Tony was partnered with Wynonna Judd. They placed 11th.

Scores[]

Week # Dance/Song Judges' Scores 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

Performances[]

Dancing with the Stars 17[]

In Season 17, Tony was partnered with Leah Remini. They placed 5th.

Scores[]

Week # Dance/Song Judges' Scores 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 81 8 Safe
5 Contemporary / "Roar" 7 7 8 Last to be called safe
6 Quickstep / "Man Wanted"
Switch-Up Challenge / Various
9
Awarded
9
one
9
point
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
92
three
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
83/8
83/9
Eliminated

1 Score was given by guest judge Julianne Hough.
2 Week 8 score was given by Cher.
3 The additional score of Week 10 was given by Maksim Chmerkovskiy.

Dancing with the Stars 18[]

In Season 18, Tony was partnered with NeNe Leakes. They placed 7th.

Scores[]

Week # Dance/Song Judges' Scores 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. Dovolani performed with Candace Cameron-Bure instead of Leakes.
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.

Performances[]

Dancing with the Stars 19[]

In Season 19, Tony was partnered with Betsey Johnson. They placed 10th.

Scores[]

Week # Dance/Song Judges' Scores 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.

Dancing with the Stars 20[]

In Season 20, Tony was partnered with Suzanne Somers. They placed 9th.

Scores[]

Week # Dance/Song Judges' Scores 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

Dancing with the Stars 21[]

In Season 21, Tony was partnered with Kim Zolciak-Biermann. They placed 11th.

Scores[]

Week # Dance/Song Judges' Scores 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

Dancing with the Stars 22[]

In Season 22, Tony was partnered with Marla Maples. They placed 10th.

Scores[]

Week # Dance/Song Judges' Scores 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.

Trivia[]

  • Tony met his wife Lina on a blind date in 1998 and proposed to her four hours later. They have been married since 1999.
  • They have three children, daughter Luana and twins Adrian and Ariana.
  • 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.
  • Tony is good friends with fellow professional dancer Maksim Chmerkovskiy.
  • Tony is the third professional to win after finishing last the prior season after Kym Johnson and Peta Murgatroyd.
  • He was the oldest pro to ever win the Mirrorball Trophy at age 39.
  • Tony received at least one 9 in at least one season from 2006 to 2014.

Other Pics[]

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