Dancing with the Stars Season 11 Celebrities and their Pro Dancers

I love watching Dancing with the Stars (DWTS), it's my guilty pleasure. I admit it, I'm one of their viewers who love seeing the costumes, the ballroom dancing, the celebrities who are unexpectedly good as well as the unbelievably lousy. For a reality show it has all the angst, anxiety, and conflicts as well as grace under pressure, touching moments, and triumphant achievements all wrapped in a gauzy, flowing gown paired with a top hat. Season 10 of DWTS was a duel between a top Olympian, Evan Lysacek and a top performing Pussycat Doll, Nicole Scherzinger. Nicole Scherzinger along with pro dancer Derek Hough took home the Mirrorball Trophy with an amazing jive to Proud Mary.

The celebrity cast of Season 11 has been announced along with their pro dance partners.

The Ladies

Jennifer Grey. She is best known for her part as Baby in Dirty Dancing and we really haven't heard from her since. I hope everyone remembers that she's an actor who danced, there shouldn't be any accusations that she shouldn't be in the show because she's a dancer. Grey is paired with Derek Hough; she'll be in good hands with Hough who is a top notch choreographer, thoughtful teacher, and considerate dance partner. I have high hopes that they'll perform very well.

Bristol Palin. Best knows as the former Governor of Alaska's daughter and pushed into the spotlight because of her out of wedlock pregnancy, I look forward to getting to know Bristol. She's had some bad experiences and I want her to enjoy herself and even win. Her pro dance partner is Mark Ballas, a creative choreographer and a tough taskmaster, I think he can pull some great performances out of her because of her athleticism.

Brandy. Where has she been? I look forward to seeing her do well with her dance partner, Maksim Chmerkovskiy, a demanding partner who can handle a strong personality like hers. I expect some great performances out ot this pair.

Margaret Cho. The comedian will be dancing with Louis Van Amstel who coached another comedian, Niecy Nash, in Season 10. Van Amstel was able to bring out some great dance moves from Nash, however, her weight was a challenge in their dance programs. That will not be the case with Cho so I am interested in what performances will occur out of this pairing.

Audrina Partridge. Known for her recently terminated reality show, The Hills, she is fit and younger than Kate Gosselin (Oh my god, she was so bad!), so she should do well with pro dancer, Tony Dovolani, who really suffered teaching Gosselin (Oh my god, she was unbelievably bad!). Dovolani deserves a good partner, I hope Partridge responds well under his guidance.

Florence Henderson. Yay, I get to see Mrs. Brady in action! I don't expect her to do well, I'll just enjoy whatever performance she has with pro dancer Corky Ballas (his son is pro dancer Mark Ballas).

The Gentlemen

Mike Sorrentino. Well known for his reality show, Jersey Shore, he is buff and considered hot. His pro dance partner, Karina Smirnoff, is leggy and sexy. If this pair has chemistry, they'll burn the screen!

Kurt Warner. A former quarterback for the Rams, Giants, and Cardinals, he should do well, assuming he's kept himself fit. Athletes do well in the show because they're disciplined and are used to using their body. His pro dance partner is Anna Trebunskaya who came in second last season with Evan Lysacek. I'm looking to see if Kurt and Anna will win the Mirrorball Trophy this year.

Rick Fox. A former basketball player, he should also go far because of his athleticism. He is paired with Cheryl Burke, who has previous won the Mirrorbal Trophy twice, each time with an athlete. Burke is also a tough taskmaster but athletes are used to that and respond well to her coaching. Chad Ochocinco reached the semi-finals because of her.

David Hasselhoff. Baywatch co-star Pamela Anderson must have persuaded Hasselhoff by telling him how fun it was to dance on the show, because he's on board! I have no idea how he'll do. His pro dance partner is Kym Johnson, and won Season 9 with Donny Osmond, so he is in good hands with her assuming that he'll work hard.

Kyle Massey. I don't know much about Massey but his pro dance partner is Lacey Schwimmer, a good dancer. This pair is young and funky and should be fun to watch. Their challenge is to get their fans to watch this show and vote for him because, he's not that well known as a household name.

Michael Bolton. He must have been where Brandy has been because I've lost sight of him as well. I like his songs so I want him to go far. Chelsie Hightower is his pro dance partner, she's a good dancer but I'm not convinced that she's an effective dance teacher. I have no idea how this pair will do.

Dancing With the Stars Season 11 starts on Monday, September 20 at 8PM, ET.

Originally published 9/1/2010

Dancing with the Stars, Season 11 is off to a Fast Start and a Shocking First Elimination

It's on! This field of celebrity hopefuls with their professional partners have some depth as some had some really good starts and there are several pairs that look very promising. And then there are several pairs who are painful to watch. There are a total of 12 couples in all. Each couple was assigned a particular dance: Cha Cha or Viennese Waltz. One couple will be eliminated on Tuesday - it's different from last season where the elimination was after two dances. Scores are determined according to a combination; 50% comes from the judges' scores (topmost total score being 30) and 50% coming from audience votes. The lowest-scoring couple will have to leave the competition. Who will be eliminated?

Cha Cha Pairs

Audrina Patridge and Tony Dovolani. This pair started off the competition and they gave it a great start. Audrina can move and has some talent but was a little hesitant but gave it a very good try. Tony has a celebrity partner with dancing ability (Thank goodness!). For those of you who don't know, Tony's partner last season was awkward and self-pitying reality star Kate Gosselin who really gave him a hard time. I hope they stay around because they could grow into a great dance team. Score: 19

Bristol Palin and Mark Ballas. Bristol is known for being the daughter of rising political kingmaker, Sarah Palin. In the spotlight for the first time under her own merits, Bristol did very well. It's obvious that she's never had a dance lesson, but it's also obvious that the girl can move. I would like her to stay around and get a chance to develop her talent. Score: 18

Kyle Massey and Lacey Schwimmer. This pair is so cute. Kyle has some great dance moves, charming personality, and so much fun to watch. Lacey took a break last season but she's back...as a blonde! This pair can do very well and I'd like to see Lacey push him to do more challenging dances. Score: 23

Forence Henderson and Corky Ballas. I can't believe Mrs. Brady is 76 years old and she also has some great dance moves. I also had no idea that she can swear so much and still be so classy. This is another couple that would be fun to watch. Score: 18

David Hasselhoff and Kym Johnson. It amazes me that he is a huge star in Germany...why? The Hoff gave it the old college try however, although the spirit is willing the body seems more resistant. Still, I hope he doesn't get eliminated because he is very engaging. Score: 15

Mike Sorrentino (aka The Situation) and Karina Smirnoff. Not good and the reason for that is because he only had five days of practice because his reality show stopped taping only recently. I can't believe he couldn't make arrangements, I know DWTS would always try to accommodate him but I don't think he's taking this show too seriously. I would eliminate him if it were up to me. Score: 15

Viennese Waltz Pairs

Kurt Warner and Anna Trebunskaya. As one of the most popular and a winning quarterback in NFL history, you want to root for him, however, he will need a couple more weeks before he can build a technique and I hope he won't be eliminated before then because he wants to work at it. His bad posture and awkwardness could be minimized with a few more weeks of practice. Score: 19

Rick Fox and Cheryl Burke. Another winning athlete, this time in the NBA, Rick did very well, he has great posture, and showed some flair and elegance. Would love to see more of his dancing ability and technique honed over the next few weeks. Score: 22

Margaret Cho and Louis Van Amstel. They made a calculated risk and it didn't pan out. They tried to dance the Viennese Waltz comically. It started out okay but her angry face and intentional stumbles was too much comedy and not enough dance. It's a shame because it looked like there could be something there so I want her around to see if it's worth watching a transformation. Score: 15

Brandy and Maxim Schmerkovskiy. Brandy has great dance ability but can sometimes be too forceful. She also has a great personality and is fun to watch so I want to see Max train her for more challenging choreography. Score: 23

Michael Bolton and Chelsie Hightower. He was hunched over and tight and it's reflected in his dance performance. It's understandable that he's nervous however he is a performer so I was surprised he didn't do better. I'd like to see more of his abilities develop so I hope he's allowed to stick around. Score: 16

Jennifer Grey and Derek Hough. It was a very fluid performance and also very touching. In the rehearsals she cried because the practice reminded her of her times with Patrick Swayze when they filmed on Dirty Dancing, and you could see she was still grieving. A very poignant dance for her. Score: 24

Come back Tuesday to see which pair is the first to be eliminated.

Shocking First Elimination!

The first celerity to be eliminated was ... David Hasselhoff!!!

I know he wasn't that good but he has a charming personality. I thought he would be around for at least a couple more weeks!

Originally published 9/20/2010