'Dancing Queens' Sneak Peek: Leonie Biggs Gets Dancing Lesson From 'DWTS' Alum Karina Smirnoff (Exclusive)
Bravo's all-new docuseries Dancing Queens is bringing in the heavy hitters!
Ahead of its Tuesday, May 9 premiere, Bravo shared an exclusive sneak peek of the first episode with ET, giving viewers a closer look as Dancing Queens star Leonie Biggs gets a lesson from Dancing With the Stars alum Karina Smirnoff.
In the clip, Smirnoff is seen telling Biggs to loosen up and let go as she struggles to perfect a dance. "You're quite hard on yourself. I know that you know how to do that," she says. "I think once you give yourself the confidence and maybe freedom outside your comfort zone."
"I overthink everything," says Biggs.
Smirnoff was a professional dancer on 18 seasons of DWTS, where she won the thirteenth season with army veteran and soap opera star J. R. Martinez. She also earned two runner-up titles, a semifinal title, and several quarterfinal titles.
The new Bravo series will take audiences behind the scenes of the passionate world of ballroom dance as six talented women -- Biggs, Colette Marotto, Donie Burch, Gaëlle Benchetrit, Pooja Mehta, and Sabrina Strasser -- prepare to face off against one another in various competitions around the country.
Bravo also shared a sneak peek of the series, giving viewers a closer look as the women prepare to strut their stuff at Pro-Am dance events while also trying to keep their busy personal and professional lives together.
Of course, this being Bravo, Dancing Queens will also show what goes on when the heels come off and the sequins are put away as these women's obsession with winning takes center stage.
In addition to the teasers, check out all the details about the queens coming to your screen:
Colette Marotto (Scottsdale, AZ)
As a business owner and single mother to a son with special needs, Colette has a lot of stress in her life and dancing allows her to focus on herself and forget her responsibilities. Recently, her pro dance partner left her to compete with Pooja, forcing her to find a new pro, Oleksiy “Alex” Pigotskyy, and start from scratch. Her ballroom breakup created tension between the women and lit a fire within Colette to be even more successful to prove to her former partner that she can win without him.
Donie Burch (New York, NY)
Donie has been dancing her entire life and studied dance performance in college. This top performer and her partner, Iliah Vinikovskiy, are determined to show the judges that she’s one of the best dancers in the country. While she may not have a “typical” dancer’s physique, Donie fears the judges are rating her appearance more than her ability. Currently single, Donnie’s obsession with dance leaves her little room for finding a partner off the floor.
Gaëlle Benchetrit (New York, NY)
Gaëlle was making a name for herself in the ballroom circuit before her recent pregnancy forced her into a hiatus. Now back on the dance floor, she’s eager to prove that she’s better than ever. Sparing no expense, her partner, Nino Langella, is one of the top professional dancers in the world and the envy of the other women.
Leonie Biggs (Haworth, NJ)
Leonie is a perfectionist who doesn’t like to take on anything unless she can be the best at it. With a full plate, she balances life as a wife and mother with her high-powered career in finance. This dance season, Leonie has a new pro partner, Koysta Samarskyi, which adds stress, doubt, and additional hours of practicing before she feels ready to compete. Fiercely competitive in nature, she feels the pressure to be a championship ballroom dancer and beat out the other ladies to earn the coveted first place.
Pooja Mehta (Scottsdale, AZ)
A self-described rebel from a family of doctors, Pooja is a makeup artist with a successful beauty business. She and her husband are raising their two children with a mix of Jewish and Hindu traditions. Dancing is a family affair -- Pooja and her mother and sister all dance with Colette’s ex-pro partner, Kristijan Burazer. Previously a champion in the rhythm category, she recently switched to Latin to compete alongside her family and prove that she can succeed in their category, too.
Sabrina Strasser (Toronto, Canada)
Stay-at-home mom, Sabrina finds herself at odds between her dancing and family life. In a contentious on-again, off-again relationship with her pro dancer, Stanislav Kochergin, the two are back together and Sabrina is ready to claim the top prize. Her drive to win demands her time and energy -- sometimes at the expense of her children and husband, who fears that Sabrina’s hobby takes attention away from their life at home.
Dancing Queens premieres Tuesday, May 9 at 9 p.m. ET/PT on Bravo.
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