Tony Dovolani

Driton "Tony" Dovolani (born July 17, 1973) is an Albanian professional ballroom dancer, instructor and judge based in New York City. He is known for his involvement in the American version of Dancing with the Stars on ABC. Dovolani also portrayed a Latin bad boy in the hit film Shall We Dance? and spent time coaching actress Jennifer Lopez.
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==Dancing with the Stars==
Dovolani was partnered with professional wrestler Stacy Keibler in Season 2, where they made it to the finals and finished in third place. In Season 3, he was partnered with country music star Sara Evans. Midway through the season, Evans withdrew from the competition for personal reasons. He returned to the show on March 19 for Season 4, this time partnered with talk show host Leeza Gibbons.[3] They were the third couple eliminated from the competition and finished in 9th place.
He competed in Season 5, partnered with actress Jane Seymour.[4] They were the seventh couple eliminated from the competition and finished in sixth place. In Season 6, his partner was Broadway actress Marissa Jaret Winokur. They were eliminated in the semi-finals and finished in fourth place. Dovolani competed in Season 7 of Dancing with the Stars with actress Susan Lucci of All My Children as his partner. They were eliminated in Week 7 and came in sixth.
In the eighth season, he was originally paired with Nancy O'Dell, the then-host of Access Hollywood. However, on March 5 she withdrew from the competition because of a torn meniscus sustained during pre-season practice. With only two days to practice, Melissa Rycroft, fresh off her The Bachelor appearance, stepped in and became his new celebrity partner. They made it to the finals and took third place in the competition.
In the ninth season, he was partnered with former model and entrepreneur Kathy Ireland. They were the third couple to be eliminated, finishing in 14th place. For Season Ten, Dovolani was partnered with former reality star Kate Gosselin from Jon and Kate Plus 8/Kate Plus 8. They were the fourth couple eliminated, finishing in 8th place. For the eleventh season, he was partnered with The Hills star Audrina Patridge. They were the sixth couple eliminated, finishing in 7th place. For Season 12, his partner was talk show host Wendy Williams. They were the second couple eliminated, finishing in tenth place. For Season 13, his partner was singer Chynna Phillips. Phillips was eliminated in week four. For Season 14, his partner was tennis champion Martina Navratilova. They were the first couple to be eliminated. Dovalani was once again partnered with Melissa Rycroft forseason 15 and they became champions of the season. For season 16, he partnered with country singer Wynonna Judd and were eliminated in the third week of competition. For season 17, he was partnered with actress Leah Remini and finished in 5th place. For season 18, he is partnered with reality star NeNe Leakes.
Season	Partner 	Place
2 	Stacy Kiebler 	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
15 	Melissa Rycroft 	1st
16 	Wynonna Judd 	11th
17 	Leah Remini 	5th
18 	NeNe Leakes 	7th
19 	TBA 	TBA
===Performances[edit]===
Season 2 - With celebrity partner: Stacy Kiebler
Week #	Dance/Song 	Judges' score	Judges' score	Judges' score	Result
Week #	Dance/Song 	Inaba 	Goodman 	Tonioli 	Result
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 2
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
Season 3 - With celebrity partner: Sara Evans
Week #	Dance/Song 	Judges' score	Judges' score	Judges' score	Result
Week #	Dance/Song 	Inaba 	Goodman 	Tonioli 	Result
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
Season 4 - With celebrity partner: Leeza Gibbons
Week #	Dance/Song 	Judges' score	Judges' score	Judges' score	Result
Week #	Dance/Song 	Inaba 	Goodman 	Tonioli 	Result
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 2
4 	Paso Doble/ "You Give Love a Bad Name"	6 	5 	5 	Eliminated
Season 5 - With celebrity partner: Jane Seymour
Week #	Dance/Song 	Judges' score	Judges' score	Judges' score	Result
Week #	Dance/Song 	Inaba 	Goodman 	Tonioli 	Result
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 	Vienesse 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
Season 6 - With celebrity partner: Marissa Jaret Winokur
Week #	Dance/Song 	Judges' score	Judges' score	Judges' score	Result
Week #	Dance/Song 	Inaba 	Goodman 	Tonioli 	Result
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 	Vienesse 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 2
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
Season 7 - With celebrity partner: Susan Lucci
Week #	Dance/Song 	Judges' score	Judges' score	Judges' score	Result
Week #	Dance/Song 	Inaba 	Goodman 	Tonioli 	Result
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 2
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
*Score was awarded by stand in judge Michael Flatley.
Season 8 - With celebrity partner: Melissa Rycroft
Week #	Dance/Song 	Judges' score	Judges' score	Judges' score	Result
Week #	Dance/Song 	Inaba 	Goodman 	Tonioli 	Result
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"
1960's 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
Season 9 - With celebrity partner: Kathy Ireland
Week #	Dance/Song 	Judges' score	Judges' score	Judges' score	Result
Week #	Dance/Song 	Inaba 	Goodman 	Tonioli 	Result
1 	Salsa/ "Mambo Gonzon"
Foxtrot relay/ "The Best is Yet to Come"	6
Awarded 	5
4 	5
Points 	Last to be Called Safe
2 	Quickstep/ "Shall We Dance?"	6 	6* 	6 	Eliminated
*Score was awarded by stand in judge Baz Luhrmann.
Season 10 - With celebrity partner: Kate Gosselin
Week #	Dance/Song 	Judges' score	Judges' score	Judges' score	Result
Week #	Dance/Song 	Inaba 	Goodman 	Tonioli 	Result
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
Season 11 - With celebrity partner: Audrina Patridge
Week #	Dance/Song 	Judges' score	Judges' score	Judges' score	Result
Week #	Dance/Song 	Inaba 	Goodman 	Tonioli 	Result
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
8 	8
Points 	Eliminated
Season 12 - With celebrity partner: Wendy Williams
Week #	Dance/Song 	Judges' score	Judges' score	Judges' score	Result
Week #	Dance/Song 	Inaba 	Goodman 	Tonioli 	Result
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
Season 13 - With Celebrity partner: Chynna Phillips
Week #	Dance/Song 	Judges' score	Judges' score	Judges' score	Result
Week #	Dance/Song 	Inaba 	Goodman 	Tonioli 	Result
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
Season 14 - With Celebrity partner: Martina Navratilova
Week #	Dance/Song 	Judges' score	Judges' score	Judges' score	Result
Week #	Dance/Song 	Inaba 	Goodman 	Tonioli 	Result
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
Season 15 - With celebrity partner: Melissa Rycroft; average: 28.0
Week #	Dance/Song 	Judges' score	Judges' score	Judges' score	Result
Week #	Dance/Song 	Inaba 	Goodman 	Tonioli 	Result
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
10 	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	Winners
^* The additional score of 9.5 was awarded by guest judge Paula Abdul.
Season 16 - With celebrity partner: Wynonna Judd; average: 17.0
Week #	Dance/Song 	Judges' score	Judges' score	Judges' score	Result
Week #	Dance/Song 	Inaba 	Goodman 	Tonioli 	Result
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
Season 17 - With celebrity partner: Leah Remini; average: 24.8
Week #	Dance/Song 	Judges' score	Judges' score	Judges' score	Result
Week #	Dance/Song 	Inaba 	Goodman 	Tonioli 	Result
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 	8* 	8 	Safe
5 	Contemporary / "Roar" 	7 	7 	8 	Last to be called safe
6 	Quickstep / "Man Wanted"
Switch-Up Challenge /Various	9
Awarded 	9
1 	9
Points 	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 	9*
3 	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 	8*/8
8*/9 	Eliminated
*Score was given by guest judge Julianne Hough.
*Week 8 score was given by Cher.
*The additional score of Week 10 was given by Maksim Chmerkovskiy.
Season 18 - With celebrity partner: NeNe Leakes; average: 23.5
Week #	Dance/Song 	Judges' score	Judges' score	Judges' score	Result
Week #	Dance/Song 	Inaba 	Goodman 	Tonioli 	Result
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.
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
Category:Professional
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