Born in the Ukraine, Karina came to the U.S. with her family at age 12. She began ballet lessons at the age of 5 before moving on to figure skating which she studied for an additional five years. At the age of nine, Karina was introduced to ballroom dancing and fell in love with it.

Karina is one of the world's best Latin dancers and brings to the show a wild and adventurous spirit. Technical yet smooth, Karina demands attention during her performances and is a superstar in the Latin dance world.