Trav's Thoughts

It's the pairings!



Yes I know...everything was leaked on twitter by the celebrities and the pros last week. But I'm a traditionalist and I don't go for rumor, even if it's pretty reliable rumor right from the sources as they are meeting each other for the first time and starting to rehearse.

OK?

So here are the 16 couples that will dance for our votes on Season 9 of Dancing with the Stars. I've included a little bit of information about each of the pros. If you want to learn more, you can click the individual links, or read the quick bios at the Dancing with the Stars Bio page.

Kathy Ireland is paired with Tony Dovolani. This is Tony's 8th season. He has previously been paired with Stacy Keibler (Season 2), Sara Evans (Season 3), Leeza Gibbons (Season 4), Jane Seymour (Season 5), Marissa Jaret Winokur (Season 6), Susan Lucci (Season 7), and Melissa Rycroft (with whom he finished 3rd in Season 8). Tony has been 2005 and 2006 World Rhythm Champion, 2005 Ohio Star Ball American Rhythm Champion, 2006 Emerald Ball Open Professional American Rhythm Champion, 2006 PBS American Ballroom Challenge Rhythm Champion, and is the current world and undefeated US Open champion.


Natalie Coughlin is paired with Alec Mazo. This is Alec's 5th season. He has previously been paired with Kelly Monaco (with whom he won Season 1), Paulina Porizkova (Season 4), Josie Maran (Season 5), and Toni Braxton (Season 7). Alec has been Emerald Ball Latin Amateur Champion, 2001 International Grand Ball Champion, 2001 Holiday Ball Champion, and a 6-time US National Finalist. Alec is married to Edyta Sliwinska.

Michael Irvin is paired with Anna Demidova. This is Anna's first season after winning the new pro competition in Season 8, during which she was paired for one part of the competition with Maurice Greene. She has been an International Grand Ball 10 Dance Champion, USA Dance National Standard Champion, and 2-time US Youth International Standard Champion.

Chuck Liddell is paired with Anna Trebunskaya. This is Anna's 4th season. She has previously been paired with Jerry Rice (with whom she finished second in Season 2), Albert Reed (Season 5), and Steve Guttenberg (Season 6). Anna has been an International Grand Ball Champion, a UK Champion, 2004 USA Rising Star Latin Champion, 2003 Blackpool Rising Star Latin Finalist, and 1998 USA Amateur Youth Standard Ballroom Champion. Anna is married to Jonathan Roberts, with whom she has danced professionally for six years.

Louie Vito is paired with Chelsie Hightower. This is Chelsie's 2nd season and she is one of my favorite pros. She has previously been paired with Ty Murray (Season 8). Chelsie finished in the Top 6 of Season 4 of So You Think You Can Dance, and was featured in two Emmy nominated routines from the show. She has been a US Representative to the 2005 World Championshps, a 2005 US National Standard Finalist, a 2006 International Latin Finalist, and 2005 20 Dance National Youth Champion.

Tom DeLay is paired with Cheryl Burke. This is Cheryl's 8th season. She is a 2-time DWTS champion and is the only pro to make the final three times. She has previously been paired with Drew Lachey (with whom she won Season 2), Emmitt Smith (with whom she won Season 3), Ian Ziering (Season 4), Wayne Newton (Season 5), Cristian de la Fuente (with whom she finished 3rd in season 6), Maurice Greene (Season 7), and Gilles Marini (with whom she finished 2nd in season 8). Cheryl has been 2005 World Cup Professional Rising Star Latin Champion, 2005 San Francisco Open Latin Champion, 2005 Ohio Star Ball Rising Star Champion, UK Champion, and 4th in US in Under 21s.

Joanne Krupa is paired with Derek Hough. This is Derek's 5th season. He has previously been paired with Jennie Garth (Season 5), Shannon Elizabeth (Season 6), Brooke Burke (with whom he won Season 7), and Lil Kim (Season 8). He has been World Under 21 Latin American Champion, 2-time Blackpool Open British Champion, 2-time International Open to the World Champion, 2-time US Open Champion.

Mya is paired with Dmitry Chaplin. This is Dmitry's 2nd season. He has previously been paired with Holly Madison (Season 8). Not only was it his first season on DWTS, but he lost his original partner to injury and had to adapt to a late replacement. Dmitry was a competitor on Season 2 of So You Think You Can Dance and has since become a choreographer for the show. He has been a 2005 Ohio Star Ball Latin Finalist and a 2006 US National Finalist.

Ashley Hamilton is paired with Edtya Sliwinska. This is Edyta's 9th season, making her the only pro who has appeared in every season. She has previously been paired with Evander Holyfield (Season 1), George Hamilton (Season 2), Joey Lawrence (with whom she finished 3rd in Season 3), John Ratzenberger (Season 4), Cameron Mathison (Season 5), Jason Taylor (with whom she finished 2nd in Season 6), Jeffrey Ross (Season 7), and Lawrence Taylor (Season 8). She also stepped in and danced with Cody Linley in season 7 when Julianne Hough had surgery and missed a couple of weeks. Edyta has been Emerald Ball Latin Amateur Champion, 2001 International Grand Ball Champion, 2001 Holiday Ball Champion. Edyta is married to Alec Mazo.

Macy Gray is paired with Jonathan Roberts. This is Jonathan's 7th season. He has previously been paired with Rachel Hunter (Season 1), Giselle Fernandez (Season 2), Heather Mills (Season 4), Marie Osmond (with whom he finished 3rd in Season 5), Monica Seles (Season 6), and Belinda Carlisle (Season 8). Jonathan has been 2-time USA pro-am American Ballroom Champion, 3-time undefeated USA pro-am Latin Champion, 2-time undefeated USA pro-am 10 dance champion, 1997 USA Rising Star American Ballroom, 203 Blackpool Rising Star Latin, 2004 USA Rising Star Latin Champion, 2008 US Smooth Champion, and 2008 World Smooth Champion. Jonathan is married to Anna Trebunskaya, with whom he has danced professionally for six years.

Aaron Carter is paired with Karina Smirnoff. This is Karina's 7th season. She has previously been paired with Mario Lopez (with whom she finished 2nd in Season 3), Billy Ray Cyrus (Season 4), Floyd Mayweather Jr (Season 5), Mario (Season 6), Rocco Dispirito (Season 7), and Steve Wozniak (Season 8). Karina starred in the summer run of Broadway's Burn the Floor, with fiance Maksim Chmerkovskiy. She has been Asian Open Champion, World Trophy Champion, and 5-time US National Champion.

Donny Osmond is paired with Kym Johnson. This is Kym's 7th season. She has previously been paired with Jerry Springer (Season 3), Joey Fatone (with whom she finished 2nd in Season 4), Mark Cuban (Season 5), Penn Jillette (Season 6) Warren Sapp (with whom she finished 2nd in Season 7), and David Alan Greer (Season 8). Kym is a former Australian Amateur Ballroom and Latin Champion, UK Blackpool Ballroom Championship Finalist, and has danced in the Burn the Floor world tour and DWTS Australia seasons 1, 2, and 3.

Mark Decascos is paired with Lacey Schwimmer. This is Lacey's 3rd season. She has previously been paired with Lance Bass (with whom she finished 3rd in Season 7) and Steve-O (Season 8). Lacey was a finalist in season 3 of So You Think You Can Dance. She has been 2006 Emerald Ball Youth Latin Champion, 2006 US National Youth Latin Champion, 7-time US Open Swing Dance Champion, and 2007 World Swing Dance Champion. Lacey is one of my favorite pros.

Kelly Osbourne is paired with Louis van Amstel. This is Louis' 5th season. He has previously been paired with Trista Rehn Sutter (Season 1), Lisa Rinna (Season 2), Monique Coleman (Season 3), and Priscilla Presley (Season 6). Louis comes off an extremely successful run as a choreographer on Season 5 of So You Think You Can Dance. Although he hasn't competed on DWTS since Season 6, he has made numerous appearances each season on the results show as a dancer and choreographer. He has been 1995 Grand Slam Latin Champion, 1994 and 1995 World Amateur Latin Champion, 1995 European Amateur Latin Champion, 1996 Professional World Latin Finalist, 1996 World Professional Showdance Champion, 7-time Dutch National Amateur Champion, 2000 US Professional latin American Champion.

Debi Mazar is paired with Maksim Chmerkovskiy. This is Maks' 7th season. He has previously been paired with Tia Carrere (Season 2), Willa Ford (Season 3), Laila Ali (with whom he finished 3rd in Season 4), Mel B (with whom he finished 2nd in Season 5), Misty May-Treanor (Season 7), and Denise Richards (Season 8). Maks starred in the summer run of Broadway's Burn the Floor, with fiance Karina Smirnof. He has been ranked 2nd in the US, 2003 Ohio Star Ball Latin Champion, 2004 Manhattan Dancesport Professional Latin Champion, and 2005 Yankee Classic Professional Latin Champion.

Melissa Joan Hart is paired with Mark Ballas. This is Mark's 5th Season, and he is a 2-time DWTS champion. He has previously been paired with Sabrina Bryan (Season 5), Kristi Yamaguchi (with whom he won Season 6), Kim Kardashian (Season 7), and Shawn Johnson (with whom he won Season 8). He has been Latin American Champion, British Open to the World, US Open to the World, International Open to the World twice, United Kingdom-Youth, Junior Olympics Gold Medal Winner, US Open to the World, British Open to the World and International Open to the World Junior Latin American Champ, British Juvenile Ballroom and Latin American dance champ.

I'm not making any predictions, but I do have my eye on a couple of these pairs. Remember, the show premiers on 21 September with the first of 2 performance shows. The second performance show will be 22 September. And the first results show is 23 September.



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