Performer and choreographer Dante Puleio is 31 years old and hails from New York City while Dolores Puleio, his stepmother, is 51 years old and comes from East Brunswick, New Jersey. Dante was born deaf but he did not allow his handicap to stand in the way of his passion for dancing.
He was 19 when he discovered his love for the dance floor. He took several dance classes to hone his talent. He trained in contemporary, modern, ballet, Broadway, jazz, lyrical jazz, salsa, meringue, hip-hop, popping and locking to better equip himself for a career in dance.
One of the highlights of his career was when he became a soloist for a major dance company in New York. Dante said he enjoyed the experience because he was able to meet great people and travel to different places. Another highlight was when he went to Europe and Japan as part of a huge musical tour. Dante has performed The Who's Tommy and was also a member of London's Royal Ballet. His background in performing also includes dancing with various U.S. companies.
As of the moment, the song that makes him want to get up and dance is “Shut up and Drive.”
Dolores came into Dante's life when he was just four years old. Although they have a good relationship, he doesn't deny the fact that he still blames Dolores for his parents' divorce.
Dante and Dolores Puleio are one of the ten competing pairs on the Lifetime TV reality series
Your Mama Don't Dance . Dubbed as the dance competition with a twist, contestants on the show auditioned without knowing that their dancing partners would be their very own parents. Five male contestants and five female contestants would foxtrot and mambo with their mothers and fathers as they compete to win the title and the $100,000 cash prize. Dante believes that sharing his dancing world to his stepmother may help in providing closures for unresolved issues between them. He's glad that they're having a great time and is proud that both of them are dedicated and working hard to win the contest.
(Photo courtesy of Lifetime)