Image Credit: Craig Sjodin/ABCThe pairings for Season 11 of Dancing With the Stars were announced this morning on Good Morning America. It’s sad not seeing Edyta Sliwinska’s name. (She’s left the show to pursue other ambitions, including finishing college.) But we’ll wear imaginary leg warmers in her honor while we offer our quick take:
• Jennifer Grey — Derek Hough: Yep, she’s officially the early favorite. You know that part in Dirty Dancing when Baby giggles as Johnny raises her arm and runs his hand down the side of her body — that wasn’t scripted. Can’t wait to see her reaction to Derek’s sexy choreography.
• Bristol Palin — Mark Ballas: Ballas is known for bringing young women out of their shells while keeping his choreography age-appropriate. It had to be him.
• Brandy — Maksim Chmerkovskiy: Maks does well with fierce women. We look forward to the “Boy is Mine” paso doble.
• Margaret Cho — Louis Van Amstel: Exactly what we were hoping for: Funny ladies appreciate Louis’ unique view, and he enjoys challenging them and can take a joke.
• Audrina Patridge — Tony Dovolani: A step up from Kate Gosselin, which he deserves. But doesn’t she feel like someone more for Alec Mazo?
• Florence Henderson — Corky Ballas: You know Cloris Leachman has already stopped by rehearsal. Keep the cameras rolling!
• Mike “The Situation” Sorrentino — Karina Smirnoff: Sexy couple, if you’re into The Sitch. Their tans will look great together.
• Kurt Warner — Anna Trebunskaya: She’s comfortable with athletes. But while Evan Lysacek and Jerry Rice took her to the finals, she wasn’t so lucky with Chuck Liddell.
• Rick Fox — Cheryl Burke: He’s a fusion of the partners with whom she’s previously excelled: athletic (Emmitt Smith, Chad Ochocinco) and sexy (Cristián de la Fuente, Gilles Marini).
• David Hasselhoff — Kym Johnson: Kim is not afraid to embrace the cheese (Jerry Springer, Penn Jillette), and he might have moves that rival Donny Osmond’s.
• Kyle Massey — Lacey Schwimmer: She’s young and fun and not afraid to shake things up — a good match for a Disney star who raps.
• Michael Bolton — Chelsie Hightower: With Bolton still looking hot (admit it), the age difference is actually sort of sexy. With Ty Murray, Louie Vito, and Jake Pavelka on her dance card, she knows how to handle men who are willing but stiff.
Read more:
Dancing With the Stars: Sizing up the new cast
Bristol Palin on Dancing With the Stars: ‘I’ve been approached to do a lot of things’
I thought they would change up the types of partners the pros get…guess not.
The Situation and Karina are the ones to beat. I think he’ll get a lot more fans once they get to know him on DWTS. He seems like a nice guy comparatively on Jersey Shore. And he probably has some good dance moves. A good fist pump will take you places.
I agree with noting said above except the last sentence, which is totally true.
Tee hee.
Even though anyone who’s seen “Jersey Shore” knows that Ronnie is the dancer of the bunch, I totally agree that The Situation will end up winning people over before it’s all said and done…
…and he’ll need to, because it feels like there are a LOT of people out there who hate Karina.
Including me. What did Maks ever see in her?
The situation ain’t going nowhere but home early.
I can’t tolerate both of them…
You’re smoking crack, aren’t you?
Keep it “age appropriate”?? lol
She’s a mother!
As sad as I am to admit it. I think Jennifer and Derek are the ones to beat. But I just can’t stand that the show give Derek the female dance partner that seems to have the most background in dance. I wish Jennifer was put with Maks or Tony, it would have been easier for me to root for her! I just can never root for Derek. . .
So true, Mavis. I can’t stand Derek either. I wish they would have paired him with Margaret Cho or Florence Henderson – someone to take his self-inflated, enormous ego down a notch or two.
Has Derek every had a partner who was truly bad? I recall he was with Jennie Garth who was so/so at first, but she improved quite a bit.
Shannon Elizabeth was no dancer. And when he was paired with Brook she was not a great dancer but her brought her to the mirror ball trophy.
Brooke was excellent. And Shannon had her moments.
To me, Derek has only had one true dancer – Nicole. He taught Brooke to dance which made for a great champion, I can’t think of any other time he had the advantage with a dancer..fame or skill wise. GO DEREK
Dirty Dancing was ONE movie 20 years ago – and it featured one routine over and over. Are guys who learn one dance for their wedding also “dancers”?
Seriously, I don’t think Jennifer is a ringer. So we should cut her some slack. That being said, I want to root for her and hope she’ll do well, and yet I too am tired of Derek lasting the entire season.
And Derek has never had a partner who was either a bad dancer or unpopular (a la Shannen Doherty). Sure, some were better and more liked than others, but all in all, he’s never been given a dog and that’s not fair considering the other pros. We’ll see with Jennifer.
Regardless of whether you like Derek or not, his choreography is EXCELLENT. Of all the professionals (even Maks), he’s has the most innovative, complex choreography. Just think about that Paso Doble he had to create in a 50s music genre for a routine with Nicole. It was amazing!
Oh man, so true. I am beyond tired of Derek. And he could never hold a candle to Dimitri in the choreography department. I’d like to see Maks finally take a win.
wow!! I’m always amazed at the Derek comments. I love him.
Maks has had ringers before. He just couldn’t win with them. Mel B, Erin Andrews who had years of dance, and now Brandy who’s studied ballet, jazz, and ballroom.
Derek, meanwhile, has had plenty of non-dancers. He just knows how to train them.
how do they match up the dancers?
A few seasons ago they did a segment on how the couples were paired. Part of it is testing for compatibility, like they do for match.com, eharmony.com, etc.
It seems like they are in a rutt. Derek always gets the ones who are likely to pick up tricky choreography, or the really really pretty ones who have fake showmance potential. Maks gets the spitfires. Louis gets the comic relief. And Mark Ballas must have wizzed in someone’s cornflakes after Kristi, because boy has he been getting the duds.
Mark must be in the dog house.
pssst… you’re not allowed to say anything bad about HER on this board anymore.
“she knows how to handle men who are willing, but stiff”… really EW? lol
Bristol Palin has the disadvantage of having to move 2 huge mountains to make any quick steps on the dance floor. It is going to be very painful for the viewers to watch that couple.
I think the Rick Fox/Cheryl Burke combo will go very far…however, the couple I’m most looking forward to is definitely Margaret Cho/Louis Van Amstel Light. He won’t prevent her from joking around, but he’ll also be sure to get the best out of her.
Rick Fox, sexy??? Are you kidding? He is such a skeeze! Every ounce of him oozes perviness! Ew.
Even though you obviously don’t, I know there are people out there who do indeed find him sexy.
I’m just trying to figure out where I mentioned in my original comment that he was sexy (causing you to flip out).
I want to go on record as thinking that Rick Fox is VERY sexy. He and Vanessa Williams were a gorgeous couple.
Rick Fox…a skeeze. Um, Allie what are you on and how can we help you get you off of it? Ceballos said nothing about Rick being sexy. By the way, why did you call him that? Also, I think Rick Fox and Kurt Warner are fine.
here, here! rick fox is nothing compared to the classy Kurt.
Honestly Ceballos – why do you love Rick Fox so much? Take your crushing down a notch won’t you?
YES Derek got Jennifer Grey SO freaking excited to watch them, he will make her look amazing!
Jennifer Grey could not dance at the beginning of “Dirty Dancing” and she wasn’t mush better at the end of the movie. Even Patrick Swayze couldn’t teach her to dance.
Ick.
No Edyta this season? I’d much prefer her over Karina or Lacey.
Why? She seems generally to choreograph to flatter herself and hide her partner instead of challenging them.
EXACTLY! And although looking for even remotely appropriate costumes on DWTS is like looking for water in the desert, Edyta was always one of the worst offenders, showing so much skin she was practically naked. I’m not sad to see her gone this season…
Edyta was a bitch backstage and wanted more money than the other dancers. She’s also rumored to be suffering from an eating disorder.
Michael Bolton wasn’t hot in the past and he’s not hot now.
He kind of is and you know it.
Totally. Ever since he ditched the ridiculous mullet he’s been hot.
I personally think that Florence will go pretty far. She’s beloved by the demo that watches DWTS, and she has a background in musical theatre.
And what “demo” is that? Old people??? Idiot.
Forgot to add: The demo for DWTS is 10 to 100 so I guess “Mrs. Brady” may very well have lots of fans.
All I can say to Chloe is that it’s a shame they let anyone post on this site.
“Mrs. Brady” is in the audience every season, so I figured it was only a matter of time before she made it to the dance floor. I for one am very excited to see her compete. And I’m glad she’s with Corky Ballas, who will finally be able to put together a serious/dignified routine after suffering through Cloris Leachman’s hijinks.
were michael bolton and the situation too busy to show up for that photo above?
I thought Lacey wasn’t going to be in this season? Glad she’s back. And Edyta finally gets a break sad, but she’s been in every season.