Carrie Ann Inaba
A dancer who journeyed from a Fly Girl to America's most recognizable ballroom judge, shaping how we watch performance competition.
Born 1968 (age 58)·American television dancer, choreographer, actress, and singer·Birthday: January 5·Generation X
Biography
Carrie Ann Inaba brought a dancer's heart and a choreographer's eye to the judges' table, becoming a foundational voice on 'Dancing with the Stars' since its 2005 premiere. Her path to that chair was a global dance odyssey: studying in Japan as a teenager, performing as a singer there, then returning to the U.S. to land a spot as one of the original Fly Girls on 'In Living Color.' That high-profile gig led to choreography and backup dancing for megastars like Madonna and Ricky Martin, honing her understanding of stagecraft and precision. On DWTS, she carved out a specific niche as the 'technical' judge, often focusing on lifts and form, but her critiques were always delivered with palpable empathy. Beyond the ballroom, she has navigated television hosting and advocacy, openly discussing her health struggles, making her career a story of artistic versatility and personal resilience.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Carrie was born in 1968, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Carrie Was Born
The biggest hits of 1968
#1 Movie
2001: A Space Odyssey
Best Picture
Oliver!
#1 TV Show
The Andy Griffith Show
Carrie's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1968Born
Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy assassinated
Gas: $0.34/galHome: $14,950Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Hey Jude" — The BeatlesBest Picture: Oliver!
1973Started school
US withdraws from Vietnam; Roe v. Wade decided
Gas: $0.39/galHome: $22,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree" — Tony Orlando & DawnBest Picture: The Sting
1981Became a teenager
MTV launches; first Space Shuttle flight; AIDS identified
Gas: $1.31/galHome: $52,300Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Bette Davis Eyes" — Kim CarnesBest Picture: Chariots of Fire
1984Could drive
Apple Macintosh introduced
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $59,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"When Doves Cry" — PrinceBest Picture: Amadeus
1986Could vote
Challenger disaster; Chernobyl nuclear meltdown
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $66,600Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"That's What Friends Are For" — Dionne & FriendsBest Picture: Platoon
1989Turned 21
Berlin Wall falls; Tiananmen Square protests
Gas: $1.00/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Look Away" — ChicagoBest Picture: Driving Miss Daisy
1998Turned 30
Google founded; Clinton impeachment
Gas: $1.06/galHome: $107,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Too Close" — NextBest Picture: Shakespeare in Love
2008Turned 40
Barack Obama elected first Black US president; financial crisis
Gas: $3.27/galHome: $153,100Min wage: $6.55/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Low" — Flo RidaBest Picture: Slumdog Millionaire
2018Turned 50
Royal wedding of Harry and Meghan; Parkland shooting
Gas: $2.72/galHome: $211,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"God's Plan" — DrakeBest Picture: Green Book
2026Age 58 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Has served as a permanent judge on ABC's 'Dancing with the Stars' since its inception in 2005.
- Was one of the original Fly Girls on the groundbreaking Fox sketch comedy series 'In Living Color' (1990-1992).
- Worked as a choreographer and dancer for major artists, including Madonna, David Bowie, and Ricky Martin.
- Co-hosted and moderated the CBS daytime talk show 'The Talk' from 2019 to 2021.
Did You Know?
She is of Chinese, Japanese, and Irish descent.
She was a contestant on the show 'American Idol' in its first season (2002), though this is rarely mentioned.
She has several autoimmune diseases and is an advocate for chronic illness awareness.
She was once a host on the TV game show 'The 1% Club'.
“Dancing is about storytelling. It's about connecting to the music and communicating that feeling to the audience.”
