ABC announces ‘Dancing’ pairs; Cheryl Burke with Tom DeLay
Mark Dacascos and "Dancing" partner Lacey Schwimmer.
Here are the pairs for the new season of “Dancing with the Stars,” announced this morning on “Good Morning America.” The list, from ABC, is in alphabetical order.
AARON CARTER, pop star, teams with KARINA SMIRNOFF, who returns for her seventh season.
NATALIE COUGHLIN, Olympic champion swimmer, teams with Season 1 champion ALEC MAZO, who returns for his fifth season.
MARK DACASCOS, “Iron Chef” “chairman,” joins LACEY SCHWIMMER, who returns for her third season.
TOM DELAY, former House Majority Leader, teams up with two-time champion CHERYL BURKE, who returns for her eighth season.
MACY GRAY, Grammy Award winner, teams with JONATHAN ROBERTS, who returns for his seventh season.
ASHLEY HAMILTON, actor and comedian, teams with EDYTA SLIWINSKA, who is the only pro to compete in all nine seasons of “Dancing with the Stars.”
MELISSA JOAN HART, actress, teams up with reigning two-time “Dancing with the Stars” champ MARK BALLAS, who returns for his fifth season.
KATHY IRELAND, entrepreneur and model, teams with TONY DOVOLANI, who returns for his eighth season.
MICHAEL IRVIN, NFL Hall of Famer, teams with Season 8’s Professional Dancer Competition winner ANNA DEMIDOVA, who makes her debut.
JOANNA KRUPA, model, teams with Season 7 champ DEREK HOUGH, who returns for his fifth season.
CHUCK LIDDELL, Ultimate Fighting Champion, teams with ANNA TREBUNSKAYA, who returns for her fourth season.
Kathy Ireland in short skirts? Kathy Ireland in frilly skirts? Kathy Ireland in tight skirts? I guess I’m going to have to learn how to program a DVR.
Poor Cheryl Burke!
A professional model with Derek Hough? She’s going to have to dance barefoot to not tower over him. Cheryl got an interesting partner, to say the least. I wonder if the dancers have any say in who they wind up with? Gail, how does that work?
Gail?
I don’t know how the partnerships are dreamed up. But I do know the professionals say they don’t have a vote and don’t even know who their partner will be until a couple of days before. PS: This would have been a great Q. for my live chat!