Janette Manrara

Janette Manrara
Born on November 16, 1983, Janette is a salsa dancer from   Miami, Florida. She has never studied salsa formally; rather, she picked it up from her family, who are Cuban.

Manrara began performing in musical theater at age 12, and started her formal dance training at 19, studying ballroom, ballet, pointe, jazz and hip-hop. Janette currently attends Florida International University.

For the Top 20 portion of the show, Janette was originally paired with contemporary dancer Brandon Bryant. Like Janette, Brandon had made it through Las Vegas week during Season 4, only to be cut during the Top 20 selection. During her time in the Top 20, Janette received much praise from the judges; both Mia Michaels andNigel Lythgoe said that Janette was their favorite female dancer that season, and Lythgoe went on to say he hoped she would win the entire competition. A tango she performed with Brandon was the first dance on Season 5 to receive a standing ovation from the judges.

Manrara was eliminated during week 7, along with contemporary dancer Jason Glover. Glover and Manrara reportedly went to Disney World together shortly after their elimination and subsequently became involved in a romantic relationship.

Post-SYTYCD, Janette was part of the "Bohemian Rhapsody" number performed by rival glee club Vocal Adrenaline during the "Journey" episode of Glee. She also made her "Burn the Floor - West End" debut at the Shaftesbury Theatre in London, England on July 21, 2010. Additionally, she is part of the current Burn the Floor cast, which is touring the United States from late 2010 through May 2011.

In 2013, Janette joined the cast of the BBC One's Strictly Come Dancing, as one of the professional dancers, being paired with fashion designer Julien Macdonald as her celebrity partner.