DWTS star, Karina Smirnoff proud of Playboy shoot  

Those in charge at ‘Dancing with the Stars’ have tried many stunts to get ratings, but they’ve now got one they don’t seem thrilled about – Karina Smirnoff has posed nude in Playboy.

The 33-year old Ukranian-born star has been dancing since she was five and has won no less than ten national contests. Now the highly-toned form such success has created is draped across the pages of Playboy, and Karina has no problem with that;

‘As a dancer I’ve always embraced my body,’ she explains in the magazine’s write-up. ‘I’m thrilled to show off my physique and celebrate my sexiness. To me, sexy is the confident energy a person produces. Sexy is not just having beautiful lips, legs and arms; Sexy is soul.’

Such wisdom, however, may go unnoticed as fans peruse the ten images that appear in the mag. Most show her almost fully uncovered, but in one she’s captured in just ballet shoes with a red ribbon draped round her arms.

Karina became engaged to Detroit Tigers’ pitcher Brad Penny in October, but there are no plans for marriage so far. Meanwhile on the show she’s danced with ‘The Karate Kid’ star Ralph Macchio, Billy Ray Cyrus, and even Jersey Shore’s Mike Sorrentino.

As you might expect the suits in charge at DWTS have had quite a problem with one of their stars getting bare for a men’s magazine. But an insider says that’s just more infantile hype for the show;

“They did know ahead of time and they still gave her one of the best pairings,” we’re told.

Karina makes her cheesecake debut on Friday. Do you think she’s right to be proud or do you agree with the suits at the show? Let’s take a vote…  NSFW photo after the jump: