This is the very first picture of Priscilla Presley and her new dance partner for the TV show "Dancing with the Stars". Priscilla is paired with a Dutch dancer, Louis Van Amstel.
Van Amstel attended the University of the Arts in Amsterdam and since 1989 has partnered most often with the British dancer Julie Fryer[3]. He is a 7-time Dutch and 3-time world champion ballroom dancer.
He is also known in American pop culture for partnering with actress Lisa Rinna in the second season of the American program Dancing with the Stars; he and Rinna came in 4th place. Louis was paired with Trista Sutter for the first season; they were the first couple to be eliminated from the competition.
He was most recently partnered with actress Monique Coleman for the show's third season and placed in fourth again. He stated that he did not compete on the fourth season since all of the female celebrities were taller than him, but still maintained a choreographer and performance role throughout the season.[4]
Louis is the coach of Dmitry Chaplin, a Latin dancer best known for being a Top 10 finalist on FOX's So You Think You Can Dance.[5] Van Amstel has coached standard ballroom to professional ballroom dance competitors such as Nick Kosovich with Katarina Marks and Clive Phillips and Karen McDonald.
After retiring from competition, he moved on to choreography and production. He founded the company VanDance, LLC, and directed, produced, choreographed and performed in the Broadway show Latin Fusion.[6]
Posted: 7th. March 2008