Tuesday, August 21, 2012

Elegant Woman - Julianne Hough, American Actress


Julianne Hough (born July 20, 1988) is an American professional ballroom dancer, country music singer and actress. She is most widely known for being a two-time winner of ABC's Dancing with the Stars. She earned a Creative Arts Primetime Emmy nomination in 2007 for choreography. ABC's 20/20 called her one of the "very best dancers on the planet." Hough's brother, Derek, is also on Dancing with the Stars and is a three-time winner himself. Hough was signed to Mercury Nashville Records in December 2007. Her self-titled debut album was released May 20, 2008, debuting at #1 on the Billboard Country Album chart and #3 on the Billboard 200. It sold 67,000 copies its first week, and has sold over 320,000 total copies. On October 12, 2008, she released a holiday album, Sounds of the Season: The Julianne Hough Holiday Collection, which as of January 5, 2009, had sold 157,000 copies. She is starring in her first major motion picture film remake of Footloose that is scheduled for release on October 14, 2011 in theaters.

Hough was born in Sandy, Utah. She grew up the last of five children in a Latter-day Saint (Mormon) family in Sandy, Utah, a suburb of Salt Lake City. Her parents are Mari Anne (née Heaton) and Bruce Robert Hough, who was twice chairman of the Utah Republican Party. Her brother, Derek Hough, is also a professional dancer. She also has three older sisters, Sharee, Marabeth, and Katherine. All four of Hough's grandparents were dancers, and her parents met while on a ballroom dancing team in college, in Idaho.










Elegant Woman - Natalie Glebova, Miss Universe 2005


Natalie Glebova (born November 11, 1981) is a Russian Canadian beauty queen, the 2005 Miss Universe title holder.

Glebova was born in Tuapse, Russia, Soviet Union. She studied classical piano and graduated from a professional musical school at age of 12. She also has won various regional rhythmic gymnastics championships. She emigrated to Toronto, Canada together with her parents at the age of 13.

Prior to competing at Miss Universe, Glebova worked as a model and received her Bachelor of Commerce in Information Technology Management and Marketing at Ryerson University in Toronto. She has also worked as a motivational speaker for grade school and high school students.

Glebova was married to Thai tennis player Paradorn Srichaphan. The couple, who met during the 2006 Thailand Open, became engaged in April 2007 and were married on November 29, 2007 in Bangkok, Thailand. They separated in early 2011.

In 2008, Glebova joined The Amazing Race Asia 3 and she partnered with Pailin Rungratanasunthorn. They represented Thailand and came in 8th place.

In 2004, Glebova attempted to win the Miss Universe Canada pageant where she placed as 3rd runner-up. The eventual winner, Venessa Fisher, failed to place in the Miss Universe 2004 finals. Glebova competed again in January 2005, and won the title.

Glebova competed in the Miss Universe 2005 pageant held in Bangkok, Thailand in June 2005, where she became the fourth Canadian in ten years to make the initial cut of semi-finalists. She competed in the evening gown and swimsuit competitions, advancing to the top five where she competed in the final interview round. The final interview round was a tough selection; the strongest delegates who managed the Top 5 were Cynthia Olavarria of Puerto Rico, Laura Elizondo of Mexico, Renata Sone of Dominican Republic, and Monica Spear of Venezuela, who were all considered to be pageant powerhouses. Throughout the contest, Natalie gave a nice traditional Thai greeting known as a "Wai" on every appearance which helped her win over Thai audiences and judges. At the conclusion of the pageant, Glebova was crowned Miss Universe 2005 by outgoing titleholder Jennifer Hawkins of Australia. Glebova's win was Canada's second: Karen Dianne Baldwin of London, Ontario had won in 1982. Glebova and Baldwin graduated from the same high school, London Central Secondary School.







Elegant Woman - Scherri-Lee Biggs, Australian model


Scherri-Lee Biggs (born in 1990) is a South African-born Australian model, beauty queen and pageant titleholder from Watermans Bay, Perth, Australia. She won the title of Miss Universe Australia, on 7 July 2011.

Biggs was born in 1990 in South Africa, but emigrated with her family to Australia when she was 12. From a young age, she was schooled in dance and ballet, but started to pursue a career in modelling at age 16, after being scouted by Vivien's modelling agency.

Biggs, a popular delegate and favourite to win the competition, became Miss Universe Australia on 7 July 2011 in a ceremony held at Melbourne's Sofitel hotel, outdoing 21 other delegates from across the country. This certified her with a place in the Miss Universe pageant, held in São Paulo, Brazil on 12 September 2011, where she placed in the Top 10 before losing.







Sunday, August 12, 2012

Elegant Woman - Antonia Petrova, Miss Bulgaria 2009


Antonia Petrova the winner of Miss Bulgaria 2009, from the city of Pernik. She represented the country at Miss World 2009 which took place in December 2009. She crowned her successor Miss Bulgaria, Romina Andonova, in April 2010.

Almost immediately after winning her crown, Antonia became a contestant in the third season of VIP Brother (the celebrity edition of the reality show Big Brother) in Bulgaria. She spent 14 days in the house, and then voluntarily walked.







Elegant Woman - Débora Lyra, Miss Brazil 2010


Débora Lyra (born September 26, 1989), is a Brazilian beauty queen who won the Miss Brazil 2010.

Lyra was born in Vitória, but spent two years living in the mining town of Divinópolis. She was a model since age 8, and wanted to be Miss Brazil since age 12. With the encouragement of her father, she soon began to participate in and win some beauty contests. She also landed a few modeling jobs, but at 15, she took a break from acting to work in an export company café, where she remained for four years, to help her family pay for their house.

At 18, she met the state coordinator of Minas Gerais, who invited her to live in Divinópolis and prepared to participate in international beauty contests. She visited various countries such as Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Belarus, Czech Republic, United States (where she stayed for three months) and Bahamas.

Lyra won the Miss Minas Gerais in 2010 and the Miss Brazil in 2010 representing Minas Gerais.

She competed in the Miss Universe 2010 pageant held on August 23, 2010, in Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S., but failed to place.








Elegant Woman - Jesinta Campbell, Miss Universe Australia 2010


Jesinta Campbell (born on 12 August 1991) is a pageant titleholder from Australia. She won her national title, Miss Universe Australia, on 17 June 2010.

Campbell was crowned Miss Universe Australia 2010 on 17 June 2010 then became a contestant at the Miss Universe 2010 pageant. She finished as the second runner-up behind Yendi Phillipps (Jamaica) and winner Ximena Navarrete (Mexico). She was also designated Miss Congeniality at this pageant.

In September 2010, she became a guest reporter for entertainment and fashion subjects on Seven Network's The Morning Show.