Dancing with the Stars 3 – Contestants and Overview

Welcome to Dancing with the Stars, the show that makes even a klutz like me feel like she can dance! Each Tuesday night for the next 10 weeks, our celebrity dancers and their professional partners will dazzle, entertain, and amaze you with their skills… or lack thereof, depending on your perspective. And each Wednesday evening, a couple will be eliminated from the competition during the results show until a champion is named and the coveted disco ball trophy is handed out.

The celebrities competing this season run the gamut from a former childhood actor to a naughty singer. I’ll let you decide who’s who! Also, while there are some familiar faces returning, many of the professional dancers are new to the show. According to www.abc.com, here are the couples for the contest:

News anchor Tucker Carlson is partnering with Elena Grinenko; this is Elena’s debut on Dancing with the Stars.

Actress Monique Coleman is dancing with Louis Van Amstel. This is Louis’ third appearance on the program; maybe the third time will be the charm for him.

Country singer Sara Evans is teaming up with Tony Dovolani, who returns to the show from last season; he danced his way to third place with sultry Stacy Keibler.

Singer Willa Ford is dancing with Maksim Chmerkovskiy, the yummy professional dancer who is also making another appearance.

Vivica A. Fox, actress extraordinaire and all-around cool woman, is pairing with Nick Kosovich. Although he appeared on Dancing with the Stars last season, he was eliminated early. Perhaps we will get to know him better this time.

Actor Harry Hamlin is performing with Ashly DelGrosso. Ashly is always a fan favorite and as cute as pudding.

Joey Lawrence, actor and master of the “whoa,” is teaming up with Edyta Sliwinska, another professional dancer who is returning for her third season.

Actor Mario Lopez is joining Karina Smirnoff on the dance floor. This is Karina’s first appearance on the program.

Actress, beauty queen, and reality television star Shanna Moakler is partnering with Jesse DeSoto. Obviously, Jesse isn’t new to the world of dance, but he is new to the program.

Legendary football player Emmitt Smith is dancing with Cheryl Burke. Cheryl helped Drew Lachey dance his way to first place last season. Can she do the same for Emmitt?

Jerry! Jerry! Jerry! Talk show host Jerry Springer is performing with Kym Johnson. This is Kym’s first appearance on the American edition of Dancing with the Stars; however, she is the champion of the Australian version.

Former professional dancers and choreographers Len Goodman, Carrie Ann Inaba, and Bruno Tonioli are returning as judges. Also coming back are hosts Tom Bergeron and Samantha Harris. Tom is best known for his turns on Hollywood Squares and America’s Funniest Home Videos. Samantha is currently a correspondent on E! News and THS Investigates.

For anyone unfamiliar with the program or who needs a refresher, the judging and voting processes are fairly standard:

• Each couple performs a ballroom or Latin American dance number.
• In addition to the esteemed panel of judges, the television audience votes on the routines.
• Voting is done via the telephone or the Internet. Phone lines open at the start of the live performance show and close 30 minutes after the program ends. Internet voting is available until 12 p.m. EST each Wednesday.
• The couple with the lowest overall score each week is eliminated from the competition. Also, more information on the scoring process is available on the show’s web site. Have a strong pot of coffee on hand when you review this information.

And for those of you reading my recaps for the first time, there are several things you should know: perfect scores or 10s are referred to as goobers; my dog Yoko, who keeps me calm when too many undeserving goobers are given out, is referenced periodically in my articles; any and all comments are welcome!

Mark your calendars; the new season of Dancing with the Stars kicks off on September 12 at 8 p.m. EST with a two-hour premiere. I’ll be back each week to review all of the highs and lows, triumphs and eliminations. I hope you’ll join me.

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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