The Olympic gymnast from Old Bridge stayed close to home when she needed to train for 'Dancing With the Stars' Watch video
This fall, Olympic gymnast Laurie Hernandez is juggling both "Dancing With the Stars" and Kellogg's Tour of Gymnastics Champions. But when she isn't on the road or in Los Angeles, where "DWTS" is taped, you'll find her at Ballroom Dream Dance Studio in South River, her new home not-so-far-away-from-home.
That's where her pro partner Val Chmerkovskiy (who is based in Fort Lee) has been indoctrinating her into the ways of the waltz, fox trot and cha cha, the latter of which impressed the judges on "DWTS" so much that Bruno Tonioli declared that the 16-year-old Old Bridge resident could be among the best the show has ever produced.
The South River spot was chosen by Hernandez and the show's producers because of its proximity to Hernandez's home.
"She's a natural," says Dasha Sushko, a former competitive dancer and a national and international ballroom judge who opened Ballroom Dream Dance Studio in South River five years ago. "Even in the first practice, she was able to pick it up." And the guileless charm she exudes on the screen is genuine, Sushko adds: "Oh my God, she's so cute. Everything they say about how nice her personality is is true."
Sushko credits the ABC hit for revitalizing interest in ballroom dance, and for showing that anyone can do it. "I keep saying this to anybody who steps into my studio and doesn't want to do dance, 'I'm too old' or 'I have two left feet.' ['DWTS'], they have different ages, different abilities ... Ballroom dancing is for everybody."
(Well, maybe not Geraldo Rivera.)
When she's not on tour or appearing weekly on national television, Hernandez trains at Monmouth Gymnastics Academy in Morganville and at Hamilton's Gymland, which has the top-of-the-line equipment used into international competitions and whose owner, Valdi Kolasa, sees the dancer inside the gymnast.
"In recent years, gymnastics has moved toward being very athletic," he told TheRinger.com before the Olympics. "They are throwing a lot of hard-level skills, but the artistry starts to be missing -- those dance leaps and everything. I was really happy to see somebody like her on the national team, because I think she's one of the only ones who can perform."
Though Hernandez's rehearsals aren't open to the public, you can catch her every Monday and Tuesday on "Dancing With the Stars." You might see her when the Kellogg's Tour of Gymnastics comes to Newark's Prudential Center on Nov. 11, but the lineup varies by stop.
Vicki Hyman may be reached at vhyman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @vickihy or like her on Facebook. Find NJ.com/Entertainment on Facebook, and check out TV Hangover, the podcast from Vicki Hyman and co-host Erin Medley on iTunes, Stitcher or listen here.
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