Alec Mazo American dancer, project participant Date of Birth: 05.04.1978 Country: USA

1. Alec Mazo - American Dancer and 'Dancing with the Stars' Winner
2. Early Life and Education
3. Career
4. Personal Life

Alec Mazo - American Dancer and 'Dancing with the Stars' Winner

Alec Mazo is an American dancer of Russian descent, best known for his participation in the popular reality show 'Dancing with the Stars'. Together with Kelly Monaco, Alec became the winner of the show's first season.

Early Life and Education

Alec Mazo was born in 1978 in the former Soviet Union to a family of Jewish heritage. At the age of 5, he started dancing, and when Alec was 12 years old, his family emigrated to the United States. They initially settled in San Antonio, Texas and later moved to San Francisco.

In San Francisco, Alec's mother, who used to work as an engineer, opened a dance school, and 16-year-old Alec started taking lessons. He later admitted that he was not particularly passionate about dancing as an art form, but rather attended classes to feel more confident with girls.

Alec went on to study at the University of California at Berkeley, with the hope of becoming a dance instructor one day. After completing his education, he worked in an administrative role at the 'Genesis Dance Sport studio' in San Francisco, with the goal of eventually opening his own studio in Los Angeles.

Career

In 1998, Mazo appeared in the film 'Dance with Me', which was followed by his selection for the new television project 'Dancing with the Stars'. He achieved immediate success, winning the first season of the show alongside actress and model Kelly Monaco.

Mazo returned for the fourth season of 'Dancing with the Stars', this time partnered with supermodel Paulina Porizkova. However, they were eliminated from the competition early on. He then participated in the fifth season with supermodel Josie Maran, but once again, they were the first to be eliminated.

In the seventh season, Mazo partnered with singer Toni Braxton and finished fifth. He gained popularity in the ninth season when he danced with Olympic swimmer Natalie Coughlin. Despite receiving high scores and standing ovations from both the audience and the judges, they finished in fifth place.

Personal Life

Alec Mazo is married to professional dancer Edyta Sliwinska, who is of Polish descent and has also participated in multiple seasons of 'Dancing with the Stars'. Together, they have authored several DVDs, including 'Dancing like the Pros' and 'Fitness with the Pros'.

It is worth noting that Alec's brother, Genya Mazo, is also a professional dancer and has also participated in 'Dancing with the Stars'.