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Professional ballroom dancer Karina Smirnoff has already taken one dance partner named Mario to the final two of "Dancing with the Stars."
This season, R&B singer Mario hopes his partnership with the Ukranian-born dancer will be even more successful than her pairing with season 3 favorite Mario Lopez, who is now her boyfriend.
"She has a lot of energy, a lot of personality," Mario says of Smirnoff. "And I have to keep up with her all day, twenty-four-seven. And when she's dragging just a little bit, I'm like, 'Oh, thank you God!'"
As is customary with any Smirnoff partner, things have not gone smoothly so far during rehearsals for the Monday premiere. Mario says getting the dance moves memorized has been one of the biggest challenges.
"I'll have it that day, and the next day I'll come back and I'll remember it, but I won't do it with the same intensity. She'll get upset, and then I'll get upset," he tells People. "So, we kind of butt heads, but overall, I think we got a good shot at taking it all the way."
Mario says he was able to teach Smirnoff a thing or two for their second dance on Monday night - the hip-hugging quickstep. "It's almost like dancing on the ocean because you are constantly going up and down like waves, and we're riding the waves, so I've been teaching her about the 'motion in the ocean.'"
Not that the other Mario has anything to fear, as this Mario seems to know his boundaries. "I respect Mario, for him being on the show and doing a great job," the singer tells People, "but as far as me and Karina goes, we're working really hard to get that trophy."
