Wednesday, September 4, 2013

Dance, Dance, Dance!

I have been blogging about books for a few weeks now and it's time for a break! So buckle up folks, because the new cast of Dancing with the Stars has been released and I could not be more excited!




Snooki 
- I love Nicole (yes, I said it). She is very sweet in interviews, a total quote machine, and just real. I know, I know, she became famous by getting drunk on a reality TV show, but I think motherhood has helped her mature tremendously. I think Nicole could surprise us all and become a really great dancer. The only thing working against her could be the fact that her partner is a newbie. Hopefully Sasha Farber (team Saki?) will be a good instructor so Nicole has some good moves for her upcoming wedding.


Valerie Harper
- I love RHODA! How great is this? Valerie has a background in Broadway dancing, she has an awesome, natural personality, and is a talented actress. Many celebrities go on this show with no acting experience and struggle with the performance aspect - this will certainly not be a problem for Valerie. She'll also benefit greatly from being parred with Tristan, aka. the leprechaun. Tristan has often been parred with older contestants (oh how I wish, wish, wish the producers would give him a younger girl so we could see more physical moves from him), so he will have a lot of experience choreographing for someone with Valerie's skill set. 

Bill Nye THE SCIENCE GUY!
- Oh, how I love nerdy guys on this show! Bill Nye hasn't been in the spotlight for some time, so I think he will bring some welcome humility and grace to the show. Apparently he already loves dancing, so if he can bring the same enthusiasm he has for science to the ballroom, he could go pretty far. Bill is partnered with a new pro, Tyne Stecklein, so hopefully he will have enough audience support to get them votes! DWTS has been on for so long now, I definitely think some of the professionals have their own fans who will support them with votes despite their partners.


Elizabeth Berkley
- Seriously, this cast just keeps getting better! I think Elizabeth will put on a great show. I'm sure the producers will use her background as a "showgirl" to their advantage, especially if she makes it far, but I think her previous work on Saved By the Bell will be far more compelling! Elizabeth is also parred with Val (yes, that Val), there is nothing standing in her way - unless she totally sucks. Val has a great personality and has developed really well as an instructor over the years. He made it to the finals with Zendaya and lost, so I think Val will be truly motivated to win it all this season.


Jack Osbourne
- Can't say I am very excited about this one. I don't know much about Jack Osbourne other than his family and his recent diagnosis of multiple sclerosis. If his sister Kelly shows up to root him on . . . she might just be the new Coco of the ballroom. Although, Jack is parred with Cheryl Burke, and she's won this thing a million times (okay, just twice, but she's been in the finals a million times). Jack looks a little stiff in his first promo shot, so hopefully Cheryl can loosen him up.

Corbin Bleu
- I gotta say, I love the fact that DWTS always puts a Disney Star, or former in this case, on the show. They are always energetic and enthusiastic about performing. If Corbin's performance in the High School Musical movies wasn't enough proof that he has moves, check out the lesser-known Jump In! Corbin is also parred with Karina Smirnoff and she has always been one of my favorite pro dancers. Karina's choreography is excellent and she always brings the right amount of sexiness. 

Christina Milian
- Hmmmm. I am not sure what I think about Christina. Other than her appearance as the Brooke Burke equivalent over on The Voice, I'm not sure what she's been up to since her pop-career fizzled out. I bet she'll have great dance moves - she is partnered with Mark Ballas afterall - but I don't know how her personality will translate into ballroom dancing. 

Leah Remini
- Oh boy, the tabloids were right! Leah was recently seen in the tabloids for leaving the church of scientology behind, so I am sure she'll bring some new viewers to the show. That aside, I've always liked her on King of Queens and I think she'll bring great spunk to the dance floor. Leah is parred with Tony Dovolani, so they should have great chemistry and probably some pretty funny banter in the studio. 

AMBER RILEY
- Think I'm excited about this one????? I didn't watch Glee last season, but Amber's character Mercedes was not a big part of the plot. However, in the first three seasons she was amazing. I am also very curious about her dance skills. On Glee, Amber's character was singled out as a poor dancer, so I wonder if Amber herself has any moves? Amber is parred with Derek (aka. the Walking Ken Doll), so she will certainly be in winning hands. 

Keyshawn Johnson
- You didn't really think there'd be an entire season without a professional athlete did you? Keyshawn is a former NFL wide receiver, and if history is any indicator, he should do just fine. And if he doesn't, well Emmitt, Hines, and Donald might have some words for him. Not only is the lone football player a personal favorite of mine on ESPN, he is parred with Sharna Burgess. Sharna was Andy Dick's partner previously - she was so sweet and quirky! I am excited to see what Sharna puts together for her and Keyshawn. 

Brant Daugherty
- Who? This is the only cast member I didn't immediately recognize! Apparently he is on Pretty Little Liars, a very popular teen show on ABC Family (so almost a Disney star?). Brant is parred with Peta Murgatroyd and I have liked her every season, so perhaps this couple will go pretty far. Realistically, the core audience of DWTS didn't have any idea who Zendaya was before she hit the ballroom and she came in second place! That's what I love about this show. It's only really partially about your celebrity and fan base - because if you're a good dancer, the DWTS fan base will vote for you.

Bill Engvall
- Obviously there had to be a total wild card, right? Bill should be really fun to watch. As a comedian he has been super successful, but stand-up doesn't exactly require finesse. Though I guess it does require good timing. Bill will be a great contestant because he's fun and has no qualms about embarrassing himself, so there shouldn't be any hesitation to look goofy. As with Nicole, Bill is parred with a new pro dancer, Emma Slater, so hopefully that doesn't hurt his chances of becoming a good dancer.  


Overall I have to say, this will be a great season! I think there is a good mix of potential talent just waiting to be unlocked. The show is also changing its format slightly and dropping from two nights a week to just one. I think this is a great idea, I never watch the results show anyways (I'm guessing no one else does either, since ABC is dropping it from the schedule).

Now all I have to do is bribe my husband so I can watch the show in real-time every Monday and post a re-cap . . . hmm.

No comments:

Post a Comment