Lacey Schwimmer

Born into a family of championship dancers, "Dancing with the Stars" celebrity dance instructor Lacey Schwimmer grew up in Moreno Valley, CA to parents Laurie Kauffman and noted West Coast Swing dancer, Buddy Schwimmer. She is the younger sister of Benji Schwimmer, winner of the second season of "So You Think You Can Dance?" (Fox, 2005- ). Although she began training at age six, it was not until she hit her teens that she realized that dancing was what she wanted to do for the rest of her life. At age seven, Schwimmer and partner Brian Cordoba danced in the 1995 U.S. Open Swing Dance Championships. At age 10, she and partner Blace Thompson placed 1st in the Young America Division at the 1998 U.S. Open Swing Dance Championships. In January 2003, Schwimmer was paired with Jared Murillo, and the two began competing at a junior level. They were upgraded to the youth level in August 2003 and competed in dozens of competitions, including the U.S. title in the Young Adult Division of the 2004 U.S. Open Swing Dance Championships. They were also awarded the U.S. National Youth Latin Championship in 2006.