Dancing with the Stars 4 – A Preview

My sequined dress is back from the cleaners and I’ve whipped up a fresh batch of goobers. That can only mean one thing – It’s time once again for Dancing with the Stars! Yes, the show that revealed the softer side of Jerry Springer and brought out the best in Stacy Keibler’s legs is back. Season four kicks off with a two-hour premiere on Monday, March 19, at 8:00 p.m. ET. Which celebrities are participating this season and who are they paired with? I’m glad you asked…

Laila Ali followed in the footsteps of her father Muhammad Ali to become a famous boxer. Now it’s time for her to take her athletic prowess to a new level and try to knockout the competition on the dance floor. She is pairing with the yummy Maksim Chmerkovskiy who is back for a third season.

What comes to mind when you hear the name Billy Ray Cyrus? If you are under the age of 20, the answer is Hannah Montana; if you are over the age of 35, it is “Achy Breaky Heart.” Billy Ray (or should I just call him Billy) is now going to be known for Dancing with the Stars. The singer/actor is joining forces with professional dancer Karina Smirnoff, who is returning for the second time.

When I was a young girl, I had a crush on our next star. Clyde "The Glide" Drexler covered my bedroom walls and filled my dreams! The NBA champion and Olympic gold medal winner is set to take on ballroom dancing with partner Elena Grinenko, back for her second season.

Joey Fatone, former member of *NSYNC, is bringing his talents to the show. He is teaming up with Kym Johnson, fresh off of her appearance on season three. Only time will tell if his boy band moves translates to ballroom dancing.

Miss USA® 2004 Shandi Finnessey is one busy woman. In addition to doing whatever it is that former Miss USA® titleholders do, she also hosts two games shows (Lingo and Playmania) and is now kicking up her heels. She is dancing with professional Brian Fortuna, new to the show, as she tries to add the coveted disco ball trophy to her collection of tiaras and sashes. Cue the waving!

Leeza Gibbons, TV and radio personality extraordinaire, is joining Tony Dovolani this season. I have to be perfectly honest; I have no doubt that this will be my least favorite couple in the competition. Leeza enunciates her words a little too perfectly; it grates on my nerves! Tony, who appears on the show for the third time, has too much of an attitude for what should be a fun, enjoyable program. I promise though that my comments will focus solely on their performance and attitudes as they pertain to this season only.

What can I say about Heather Mills that hasn’t already been said? The activist and United Nations Goodwill Ambassador isn’t the first person on a reality TV program with an artificial limb, but she is the first on Dancing with the Stars. She is taking on this challenge with Jonathan Roberts, who is back for a third shot at the title.

Oh, no! It’s Apolo Anton Ohno, five-time Olympic medal winner. (Don’t act like you didn’t see that introduction coming.) Apolo is set to dance with Julianne Hough, appearing on the show for the first time, as he takes his fast moves and fancy footwork from the ice to the dance floor.

Wadda ya lookin at? Yeah, that’s Vincent Pastore. The tough guy is showing the world that dancing is for everyone. He’s moving and shaking with the equally tough Edyta Sliwinska, the only professional who has competed in each of the four seasons of the program

Prrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr! The beautiful Paulina Porizkova is in the house. (What? The cool kids don’t say that any more? I wish someone had told me sooner.) The former model is joining forces with Alec Mazo; this is Alec’s first appearance since he and Kelly Monaco won the competition during season one.

Ian Ziering is one lucky man! The former Beverly Hills 90210 star (I refuse to call him a heartthrob) is dancing with two-time defending champion and all-around cool chick Cheryl Burke. This is Cheryl’s third season on the show. Will she make it three for three with Ian?

Tom Bergeron and Samantha Harris are back to bore us entertain us as hosts. And of course, Len Goodman, Bruno Tonioli, and Carrie Ann Inaba are once again judging all of the action.

Anyone who has read my recaps of Dancing with the Stars will note that MY Louis van Amstel isn’t participating this season. Sigh. Don’t worry; he has a new web site that all of his fans can visit to get their Louis fix.

Another change taking place is that nobody will be eliminated right away; the first results show and subsequent elimination won’t occur until March 27 at 9:00 p.m. ET. So we have some time to get to know the dancers.

Whether you are new to the show or not, I hope you’ll tune in for Dancing with the Stars. As always, return to RealityNewsOnline for the recaps. And let’s all hope that the goobers are kept to a minimum this season!

Jill is an east coast mama who loves sharks, zombie movies, and reality television. She welcomes your comments about these and other subjects, and can be reached at jilljones@verizon.net.

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