Meet The Newest ‘DWTS’ Pro, Koko Iwasaki!
Koko Iwasaki is the newest pro dancer to join the Dancing With The Stars family. She’s another So You Think You Can Dance alum and even shared the stage with the DWTS pros on their 2022 tour. In other words, she’s going to fit in just fine with the rest of the current cast.
This year, she’s teaming up with Jersey Shore star Vinny Guadagnino in hopes of bringing home the Mirrorball Trophy. But who exactly is Koko and what can fans expect from her? Keep reading to get the inside scoop.
Koko Iwasaki has been dancing for most of her life
Koine “Koko” Iwasaki is definitely no stranger to dance competitions. She’s the runner-up from So You Think You Can Dance Season 14, where she narrowly lost to winner Lex Ishimoto. She was 20 years old at the time, which puts her at about 25 in 2022. Her boyfriend Chris “Kiki” Nyemchek finished in fourth place that year.
MEAWW reports that Koko originally hails from Kanagawa, Japan. She and her family moved to the United States when she was just two years old. From then on, she grew up in south Florida and started dancing at three.
At just 18 years old, Koko became one of Maluma’s backup dancers on his world tour. That’s pretty impressive! She may be the newest professional dancer to join DWTS, but she definitely comes with a lot of experience.
Fans that want to keep up with Koko on her journey as a new pro can follow her on her Instagram page. She’s definitely going to post more often when the DWTS Season 31 premier kicks off.
Vinny hopes his time at Chippendales will help him win this year
It’s the pro dancer’s job to take a celebrity and teach them how to properly dance. But Vinny Guadagnino is no stranger to the performing arts. In fact, he’s really hoping his time in Chippendales will work in his favor.
“I don’t know if I’m going to rip the t-shirt open right off the bat. But just being on stage, being in front of a crowd, dancing, learning some choreography definitely helps,” the 34-year-old said during a DWTS press conference. “But this is completely different. This is ballroom style. Something I’ve never done before.”
“We’ll try to incorporate a little peekaboo here and there at some point,” Koko joked.
“We got to let it build a little bit. And then, we’ll rip it off,” Vinny concluded. “We’re going to bring the shower in from Chippendales, and that’s it.”
Don’t forget to tune into the Season 31 premiere of Dancing With The Stars! All the fun and excitement kicks off on September 19, so tune in and see what happens next. TV Shows Ace will be here to cover it all.
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