Miami Shoot

Dancing with the Stars

Culture, Entertainment, MSM Online

SWAY: A Dance Trilogy

By Alyse Mier Photography by Stefania Orru Latin ballroom dancing champion Maksim Chmerkovskiy, known by millions for his performances on Dancing With the Stars, brought some ballroom dancing heat to Miami this week with the opening of SWAY: A Dance Trilogy. Maksim and Valentin Chmerkovskiy, and Tony Dovolani were joined by DWTS professional Peta Murgatroyd, Olympian Meryl Davis and actress Rumer Willis for a five-show run at the historic Olympia Theater in downtown Miami. SWAY gave the audience a glimpse into the lives of Maks, Val and Dovolani and their varied talents in dance genres such as conventional ballroom, hip-hop, rumba, salsa and cha cha. “SWAY was born because we had the opportunity to do it. It was choreographed in-house by two of our Dance With Me choreographers and the cast was made up of over 70 employees from our six locations. It quickly became a show that was bigger than us and we decided to do it two more times. Now we’re in Miami performing only five shows during Art Basel,” said Maks. Maks and Dance With Me Studios have partnered with Alfalit in efforts to eradicate human suffering caused by illiteracy. Dance With Me Studios has used its platform with SWAY to help create awareness for this cause. A percentage of ticket sales from SWAY, associated golf tournament and dance camp benefitted Alfalit International. “Without education we wouldn’t be able to do what we do, so I wanted to be able to give back to people who don’t have that opportunity themselves,” said Maks. For more information, visit swayshow.com

Cover Stories, Entertainment, Music, News & Entertainment, The Issue

Julio Iglesias, Jr.: World Tour with His Father, Family Life, & What’s Next

September-October Issue 2015 MIAMI NATIVE & SPANISH SINGER REVEALS WHAT IT’S LIKE BEING ON TOUR WITH HIS FATHER, GROWING UP AS AN ‘IGLESIAS,’ & WHAT THE FUTURE HOLDS FOR HIM By Gisel Habibnejad Photographed by Ernesto Poblacion With musical talent running through his veins, it’s safe to say Julio Iglesias, Jr. was born to grace the world with his gift. Throughout his lifetime and various works, music has always remained a constant. There’s no denying the greatness that awaits Julio in the near future with a new album in the works and joining his father on his world tour, among the many. Julio was born to Spanish music icon Julio Iglesias, and Filipina socialite and journalist Isabel Preysler. Growing up, his parents instilled morals and values that molded him into the person he is today. “My dad taught me the importance of working hard in anything you do in life and to always surround yourself with great people.” Having a popular singer as a father also had its perks. “When I was younger, I saw my father like any young boy sees his father. As I got older, I began to realize that my father was famous. It was always nice to hear my friends and their parents express how they love my father’s music,” says the singer. “It’s a great feeling when people appreciate what your parents do.” Although he doesn’t plan on having children in the near future, he can’t wait to instill his family values into his future offspring. “I value good people with big hearts, family, friends, and music.” As Julio grew older, his passion for music blossomed and he soon realized his purpose in life. “Growing up in a musically-inclined family, you learn to really appreciate it.” While it would be easy to assume Julio broke into show business through music, it was actually through his modeling career. With several campaigns under his belt, his most notable include: Versace and Gap. Soon after, he ventured off into other aspects of the industry. He displayed his dance moves on the Spanish version of Dancing with the Stars known as ¡Mira Quien Baila! He then went on to win the first season of Gone Country, featuring various celebrities from different genre backgrounds competing to become a country singer. However, the most memorable of his TV stints has to be his frequent appearances on Oprah Winfrey’s talk show. Somewhere between his modeling career and television shows, Julio toured and became the opening act of Cher’s Do You Believe? 1999 North American tour. Most recently, Julio recorded the album Latin Lovers, featuring various artists coming together to create a compilation covering popular Spanish music hits. Along with Nuno Resende and Damien Sargue, Julio performed several of these covers at numerous concerts throughout Europe. Among the popular singles are “Vous Les Femmes,” an original by his father, “La Camisa Negra,” and “Livin’ La Vida Loca.” When he’s not touring or traveling all over the world, he’s in Miami–the place he has called home for most of his life. Julio was born in Spain, but moved to our beloved city when he was a child. Ever since, it has held a special place in his heart. “My family and friends live here. There’s nothing better than that.” An ideal day for Julio is relaxing by the beach and playing tennis. “The great thing about Miami is that you never get bored here; the city is always expanding. There’s always something to do.” However, ‘home is where the heart is’ and his heart belongs to his beautiful wife, Charisse Verhaert. Charisse and Julio began dating 12 years ago and finally tied the knot in 2011. “I love my wife, she’s an amazing woman. I’m very blessed to have her by my side,” says Julio about the Belgian model. While he’s usually touring overseas, some of his favorite destinations are within our very boarders. He takes delight in making occasional trips to the Florida Keys and spending time in his vacation home. Besides boating and kite boarding, the drive itself brings him bliss. “The spectacular view of the ocean on both sides when crossing the Seven Mile Bridge really makes the long drive worth it.” Having attended Menlo College near San Francisco, Julio grew affection towards Northern California, which he visits at least four times a year. One of his favorite places on the west coast is Lake Tahoe. During the winter, he can’t get enough of snowboarding; while in the summer, he enjoys the quiet beaches. Earlier this year, it was announced Julio would be joining his father on his world tour. Their first official performance together took place on May 22nd in Romania. Bulgaria, Spain, and Portugal were among the other countries that followed. In September, he will perform alongside his father in Guadalajara, Santiago de Querétaro, Mérida, Yucatán, Hermosillo, Puebla, and Monterrey in Mexico. In November and December, he looks forward to touring in Asia. “It’s a great experience because I get to spend a lot of quality time with my father. To share a stage with him in front of 20,000 people has been a dream come true.” As for a concert in Miami, locals should be on the look out for an upcoming performance down the road. With this in mind, we had to ask: are there any future plans for a performance with Julio, his father, and Enrique? We were pleasantly surprised to find the answer to be yes. Whenever this occurs, it is sure to make history! We were especially excited to learn that Julio has begun writing and recording songs for his next Spanish solo album, which will be released next spring. Everyone will be able to get to know Julio on a personal level like never before, and he can’t wait to share it with the world. To keep up with all the latest news on Julio Iglesias, Jr., follow his social media accounts: Instagram: @juliojrofficial Facebook: www.facebook.com/JulioJrOfficial Twitter: @JulioJrOfficial Click here to view this

Cover Stories, Entertainment, Fashion, Interviews, Swimwear, The Issue

JOANNA KRUPA

SUPERMODEL JOANNA KRUPA PROVES BEAUTY IS MORE THAN SKIN DEEP Interviewed By Katie Jackson Photographed by Alessandra Fiorini Hair & Makeup by Tony Yates Styled by Katie Jackson Set Assistant: Nycole Sariol Location: 1100 Millecento Brickell Most know Joanna Krupa as the mega successful supermodel who has graced the covers of major publications including Maxim, Cosmopolitan, and Glamour, or as the star of the hit reality television shows Dancing with the Stars and The Real Housewives of Miami. But the Polish-American beauty’s success goes far beyond her glamorous glossy magazine covers and stints on TV. Krupa is leading a powerful movement against animal cruelty, actively protesting the injustice that happens to innocent animals every day. In providing care for abandoned animals through her organization Angels for Animal Rescue, participating in campaigns for PETA, and blasting animal cruelty on her social media accounts, Krupa has helped save thousands of animals’ lives. To this day, Krupa lives and breathes her beliefs, making her not only an icon in the fashion industry, but also an example of how to relentlessly stand up for a cause in which you truly believe. Born in Warsaw, Poland, Krupa moved to the United States at a young age and worked her way up to becoming one of the most successful supermodels. After landing high-profi le spreads in magazines and roles in multiple movies and television shows, Krupa was approached to become a part of the cast of The Real Housewives of Miami, a reality television show surrounding the lives of several glamorous women living in the Magic City. The show highlighted Krupa’s relationship with now husband and Mynt Lounge owner Romain Zago, airing their nuptials on the Season 3 finale. Through the series, Krupa has remained friends with a few of the RHOM cast members, including Miami’s go-to celebrity dentist Karent Sierra. “One of the best things that came out of the show was my friendship with Karent,” said Krupa. “She is one of my closest friends.” Since the show’s last season, Krupa has been enjoying being a newlywed while also maintaining a busy career schedule and traveling back and forth between her homes in Miami and Los Angeles. Most of Krupa’s projects are based in L.A., while Zago’s are in Miami. Though she admits that living a bi-coastal lifestyle provides its diffi culties, Krupa says it is crucial to maintaining both her career and a healthy marriage with Zago. “We make it work because we have no other choice,” said Krupa. “Neither one of us want to give up our careers. But when we are ready to start a family we will have to be based in one city when our kids start school.” In addition to her marriage and career, Krupa has made animal activism an immensely important priority in her life. Always an animal lover, Krupa realized the horrific cruelty millions of animals experience after watching a PETA—People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals—video. “I saw the way animals are skinned alive for their fur, and I had to do something,” said Krupa. “I had to help spread awareness and be a voice for the voiceless and defenseless. I decided to dedicate my life to do whatever I possibly could to spread the message on all types of animal cruelty until the day that I die.” Krupa began participating in PETA campaigns, bringing worldwide attention to animal cruelty and the anti-fur movement. After becoming one of PETA’s most successful models, Krupa led animal cruelty protests before deciding to create her own non-profit organization Angels for Animal Rescue. “There are so many big organizations out there where you don’t know exactly where the money is going,” said Krupa. “So I wanted to open my own organization where I know that one hundred percent of the money is going to the animals.” While Krupa’s organization is small—it is run solely by Krupa, her rescue partner Gabi Gutierrez, and sister Marta—Angels for Animal Rescue has been responsible for saving thousands of animals’ lives. “We rescue all kinds of animals including cats, dogs, rabbits, pigs, chickens, etc.,” said Krupa. “But since we don’t have our own facility we rely on donations and fosters to grow our rescue efforts so we can keep saving lives.” But Krupa’s animal activism does not end there. Krupa has also spoken out against animal testing, and even decided to create her own cruelty-free skincare line, Cellogica. “I wanted products that really work and that aren’t tested on animals,” said Krupa. “There is no reason at all to test on poor, innocent animals for products.” Cellogica uses natural ingredients to reverse the signs of ageing at the cellular level. “There is a day cream and a night cream, and they both do their individual magic which makes them a great team.” As far as her successful modeling and TV career, Krupa will soon be jetting off to her homeland for Season 5 of Poland’s Next Top Model, and then head back to L.A. to shoot a movie where she—very fittingly—will play an animal activist. But no matter what prominent project Krupa takes on, it is evident that she models so much more than the latest chic fashions and sultry swimwear. To get involved with Angels for Animal Rescue, please visit www.angelsforanimalrescue.org Click here to view our online issue. Click here to view this post in our July/August digital issue.

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