DWTS All Stars – Who’s Dancing with Whom? Pairs Announcement Live Blog!!
How live will it be? Well, that remains to be seen. Are they going to do a massive pairs dump or are they going to string it out over the second hour of GMA?? Stick around and find out. If you want to go back to my guesses on the pairings from a few weeks ago and amuse yourself until it’s time, then check it out —> Who’s gonna dance with whom?
ETA: Well, so far so good. They’re teasing it pretty good on GMA. Lara says there’s “a lot of overlap” – no idea what that means. George claims he got a sneak peek.
ETA2: Just teased it again, Lara said it was “surprising” – which I think means everyone’s getting a new partner, but we’ll see….
ETA3: Lara just talked about Cheryl having “3 of them” on the show previously and asked the question “Which one will she dance with this time, or will she dance with any of them? Does she have any say?” Heidi says, yes, let’s make it about Cheryl, her head ain’t big enough yet. ::eyeroll::
ETA4: Pairings coming up at 8:12!!!
ETA5: Here we go!!
ETA6: Tony on the show now. Boring, boring, boring. Can’t believe they are going this way. Melissa has no shot.
ETA7: Well, that’s it. How crappy. Gotta go dig!
ETA8: Whoo Derek/Shawn and Gilles/Peta!!
ETA9: Hmmm….well, the obvious favorite would be Joey/Kym. Not only did he get his former partner but he’s been dancing for a couple months now. But Derek and Shawn?? She’s so dang short…time will tell if they actually have a shot or not. Tristan/Pam will be hilarious, I think. Maks/Kirstie?? Boring.
All Stars – The Pairs!!
Celebrity | Height | Pro Height | Pro |
Pam Anderson | 5ft. 7in. | 5ft. 11in. | Tristan |
Kelly Monaco | 5ft. 3in. | 5ft. 9in. | Val |
Melissa Rycroft | 5ft. 4in. | 6ft. 1in. | Tony |
Shawn Johnson | 4ft. 9in. | 5ft. 10in. | Derek |
Kirstie Alley | 5ft. 7in. | 6ft. 2in. | Maks |
Bristol Palin | 5ft. 5in. | 5ft. 8in. | Mark |
Joey Fatone | 5ft. 11in. | 5ft. 7in. | Kym |
Helio Castroneves | 5ft. 8in. | 5ft. 2.5in. | Chelsie |
Drew Lacey | 5ft. 6in. | 5ft. 4in. | Anna |
Emmitt Smith | 5ft. 9in. | 5ft. 4in. | Cheryl |
Apolo Ono | 5ft. 8in. | 5ft. 5in. | Karina |
Gilles Marini | 6ft. 1in. | 5ft. 7in. | Peta |
ETA10: Vogue here and you can see a video of the GMA coverage of the LIVE announcement at this LINK.
I really hope Shawn is with Derek soo bad!
I am curious for the pairings especially after Val’s tweet last night saying she is fine then saying nevermind and was mad about something. Did they end up doing a last minute partner switch? Can’t wait to find out in probably 30 more mins
Alright, I’ve been watching, but I have to leave for work 🙁 It’ll take me an hour once I get the kiddos to daycare and get to my office. The first place I’m going when I turn on my computer? Company e-mail? Nope, this website to find out partners! they better have been announced by the time I get there! 🙂
“She’s fine” could apply to any of them in Val lingo. Who the hell knows?
Overlap? Impressed? … Does overlap mean original pairing? That was my first thought.
#Sandy – That would be unfair to many of the contestants if they had the former partners! They need to switch it up! Only fair in my opinion.
Overlap… Original AND new pairing?
I’ll be pissed if some get their original partners. How boring. Some already have the show stacked in their favor due to recent dancing (Joey, et al), why give some original pairings.
And really, I don’t think Kirstie is all that – she probably wanted back on more than they wanted her.
I wonder if they’ll announce Kyle, Carson, and Sabrina partners too. Just a heads up on who might be the 13th contestant.
Me either Heidi. One season of Silly Kirstie was enough for me.
The beauty of this show for me is the JOURNEY. Sorry but an original pairing would have already traveled that one. Yawn!
omgggg I’m so excited!
I hope they won’t get their original partners too. It just wouldn’t be fair!!
I don’t get the overlap thing either.
I originally wanted EVERYONE to be paired with their original partners but since they have so many celebs on this season that overlap and had the same pros, I’m hoping everyone gets a new partner now.
Maybe “overlap” just means some of pros had more than one person returning, but my guess is it means original pairs for some and not others.
I wonder if they mean overlap because some of the pros have more than one former partner in the cast. Doesn’t Cheryl have three?
Any original pairings at all would be unfair, in my opinion.
Well there is certainly enough wiggle room for everyone to have a NEW partner. That keeps it fresh and new.
And thank you for live blogging for those of us in later time zones!!!
I think “overlap” just refers to some of the celebs having the same former pro. Gilles, Emmitt and Drew – Apolo and Helio – Shawn and Bristol (and maybe Sabrina)
I hope they all get new partners – anything else would be unfair
yes! thank you so much! I’m Central time so it’s an hour behind for me, so this is very helpful!!
Apolo and Karina ??? What ?? Disappointing..
Oh Wow They are keeping a lot of the old couples together, I’m not liking this… at all !
Karina and Apolo WOOHOO!!!
So far the rest are boring and unoriginal. BOO DWTS.
pretty sure Derek will get Shawn and Kelly will get Val
Wow, I can’t believe they’ve given some of them the same partners. Though happy Mark is getting Bristol again. 😀
I guess Gilles will have Peta and Anna will have Helio… Hey as long as Cheryl didn’t get Apolo, whom I think may have the best chance of winning. Karina is amazing.
DWTS had a great opportunity here, I think they took the easy way out.
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! Why did they have to do original pairings again????
lets give it about 2 minutes and then the “Derek always gets the best partner” discussion will start again 😉
Well I thought they would mix up the partners more, but I will be very excited anyway to see the season! I guess I am just a very happy DWTS camper who watches for the sparkling spectacle of the show. I am not hard to please at all when it comes to this show.
I will never vote for any of the reunited pairings, that is not fair they already have the chemistry and technique down. It sucks that Kelly is screwed and will probably be first eliminated. 🙁
Man, I’m disappointed. I agree with you Sandy, they did take the easy way out! I was hoping for so much more than what we got.
LOL – I fully expect the shit to hit the fan in 5, 4, 3….
at least they didn’t give Gilles to Cheryl
Chelsie and Helio…guess they gave him the “Julianne replacement”, I’m not sure about this one ! I think he would have been better with Anna or Karina.
Also poor Melissa, she’s not gonna go far with all those great dancers now that she has Tony, same goes for Val and Kelly I think !
But I’m really excited to see Pam and Tristan and also Shawn and Derek ! (Glad Mark got Bristol too ! )
Okay I was wrong…. About Helio. *sadface*, I can’t see that pairing whatsoever.
Actually Gitte – That already started preseason, I read somewhere that Derek will get Shawn because this is his last season, and they want him to go out big… Just saying! 🙂
so so happy derek got shawn johnson!
Original pairs is BS. Loathe Chelsie and Helio. Like Pam and Tristan and Shawn & Derek.
So I think this pairing setup is kinda interesting. Definately made em change who I think will be in the final 3. :
Kelly Monaco and Valentin Chmerkovskiy : Not bad. I think she will have to really do great to stick around though since she has a newer pro.
Emmitt Smith and Cheryl Burke : Interesting. Not sure what I feel about this one.
Joey Fatone and Kym Johnson: Great the first time around. I think they should be great again. I think we are seeing him in the finals.
Kirstie Alley and Maksim Chmerkovskiy: 🙂 That is all I have to say.
Bristol Palin and Mark Ballas: Yikes.
Pamela Anderson and Tristan McManus: Interesting. gives him a chance to show what he can do with a younger partner.
Apolo Anton Ohno and Karina Smirnoff: still my pick to win it all but now we have Karina in the mix and that pairing could really wow us.
Gilles Marini and Peta Murgatroyd: I saw this one coming. Peta could do great with him.
Drew Lachey and Anna Trebunskaya: She has a great shot!
Helio Castroneves and Chelsie Hightower : kinda predictable. chelsie is julianne-esque.
Melissa Rycroft and Tony Dovolani: definately a surprise.
Shawn Johnson and Derek Hough: This is extremely interesting. I can hear the Derek gets all the good partners complaints already.
This sucks 🙁
Half the fans already freaking out about “infair original pairings” and I think 90% of Mark’s fans’ heads exploded…..which isn’t really a bad thing. Although, now they are revved up to get Sabrina in more than ever thinking there will be a mid-season switch. When the a “mid-season switch” ver get mentioned? (Or is it just them lol).
Guess I’ll be for Shawn/Derek and Apolo/Karina.
Sooooooo happy for Derek and Shawn….will NEVERvote 4 anyone with original partner–What A Copout and soo unfair but we all know this group of producers by now. It’s Shawn and if she doesn’t make it, Giles, all the way for me, if they dance as well as in the past….LUCKY Shawn and LUCKY Peta. YUM !
And what’s with GMA, Can’t be BOTHERED to announce them all on air ??!!. Guess they have gotten too big for DWTS. Thumbs down for the diss to remaining couples.
I don’t like the same pairings for some, but, I have to say these pairings are going to make it one tight competition!!
So if Sabrina is the one voted in who will she be partnered with? Louis?
Their script is totally boring and totally predictable. Colour me unimpressed.
My favs going as of right now. 🙂
Gilles and Peta…. HOT!
Apolo and Karina… Amazing!
Joey and Kym… Fun! Fun!
Pamela and Tristan… Beautiful!
On the fence with, Shawn, Kelly, Drew, Helio, Emmitt
My choice of first to go: Kirstie!!!, then Melissa, Bristol.
#32….ROTFLMAO….yup, it did 🙂
My faves are going to be: Apolo and Karina, Peta and Gilles, Derek and Shawn, Maks and Kirstie, Kelly and Val, Pam and Tristan, Drew and Anna!
For the most part, I’m ok with the pairings, but I do agree, everyone should have had different partners. The thought of Bristol going far again does not make me happy. I have a question for everyone though. I did not see some of the earlier seasons, one of them being the season where Emmitt won. Do you think he has a good shot at it again? Or who do you think has the best chance? PH and Courtney, I would love to hear what you think!
As long as Cheryl didn’t get her mitts on Apolo…. Then all is good!
Derek is with Shawn, and Cheryl didn’t get Gilles, I’m happy. SO, so happy Derek is with Shawn. He FINALLY got an athlete, an Olympian, and someone younger than him. This is a first.
Wow. I’m so disappointed about some people having their original partners. There goes Melissa’s chances. 🙁 I also don’t think Kelly has much of a shot.
I said I wasn’t going to root for any original pairings, nor any winners. So I am officially team Gilles/Peta. Though I do hope for a good showing for many of them. I hope Bristol and Mark are the first to go. I don’t really care about Kirstie/Maks or Emmitt/Cheryl.
Damn you, DWTS. You could have made it so much more of an interesting season.
Sandy, I’m so glad Cheryl didn’t get Apolo too…or Gilles!
LOL – just checked the ABC boards for a laugh.
They never dissappoint: there is already a topic called “Golden boy and Shaun” 😀
Ya know…this is the All Stars. They should have announced the pairings at night. They could have hyped this all day. What a pour job of announcing them.
And thank you TPTB for giving Tristan a decent shot and not getting stuck with Bristol. I’m wondering if all those guys are glad Mark has her again.
Well, there goes my excitement for Gilles, out the window in a flash.
I’m ho hum about all of them. The realization that the whole thing was orchestrated around diva Kirsti is unappealing.
Yup Vogue, I forgot Gilles. I think Peta may have a shot at the finals again with Gilles.
Wow, I can’t say I’m happy that some got their original partners. Like many have said, it’s not really fair. But at the same time, some may not vote for them so passionately again because they might come off as a lot less exciting the second time around. I think that will likely be the case with Kirstie and Maks for sure.
Pam/Tristan- I REALLY like this pairing. I think it gives Pam a slightly better chance than I originally thought, but still not sure about her. But good match I think 🙂
Kelly/Val- I think Kelly will really have to bring her A-game if she wants to stick around. I like Val but I don’t think he sticks out a lot.
Melissa/Tony- Well I don’t think Melissa will last that long now. I really wanted to see what Melissa could do with somebody who would REALLY push her. I like Tony as a person and he’s a great dancer and teacher. But he goes a bit too easy on his stars for a competition IMO.
Shawn/Derek- If you paid any attention of what I’ve been saying on my twitter and about the pairs on here…you know how I feel here. Hint: YAY!! 😀
Kirstie/Maks- I think they’re an awesome pairing, but I don’t think they’ll be as magical as the first time around.
Bristol/Mark-Poor Mark…LOL. That’s all I have to say.
Joey/Kym- Again, really liked this pairing the first time. Not sure if they’ll be as fun on the second.
Helio/Chelsie- I think they’ll be a very fun, bright couple. Hope they last a while, because I worry about them.
Drew/Anna- Can’t say I’m surprised here. Jury is out for me on whether I like them as a couple for now. I just hope my Russian redhead does well!
Emmitt/Cheryl- Grrr. Still don’t like that some get original partners. At least I don’t think it’s too likely she’ll win this time. I don’t see Emmitt matching the others in dance ability and I don’t think his fanbase will be as passionate the second go around.
Apolo/Karina- Kind of an odd pairing if you ask me. But, I think I may end up liking them once I see them work together.
Gilles/Peta- I would’ve liked him with Karina or Anna, but I think Peta is great too! Bet they’ll make some HOT dances 🙂
-Pam Anderson and Tristan *shocking* I easily saw that one coming.
-I saw Derek and Shawn coming too. I don’t think they’ll win.
-Does anyone think Drew and Helio should switch partners?
– I wish they would’ve switched up the partners more Melissa is still with Tony.
Bristol is still with Mark.
Emmet is still with Cheryl (think he’ll be disappointed by how much she has changed?)
Kirstie is still with Maks.
Joey is still with Kym.
Helio is still with Julianne (Haha. Okay, maybe he isn’t. Do you think he or anyone else will really notice?)
It’s just them, sheery. I’ve never heard any such thing except from Derek saying it would be kinda cool for one week.
I’m thinking of ways this can be interesting. Very interested to see if either Bristol or Kirstie make it past the half way point with so many dancers who are far superior to them.
Nah, that didn’t work. 🙂 Would have been MUCH more interesting to see everyone with a new partner.
Ugh…that’s “the board that shall not be named” Gitte. So many morons in such a small space. 🙂
Although I have to admit that they have become somewhat amusing in their trolldom.
so should we expect Lacey back if Carson or Kyle get back in (Carson/Lacey would be fun) … and Louis if Sabrina gets in or maybe Sasha from the troupe?
Eh, Tristan doesn’t actually have a better shot than previous seasons – not with this cast. These are some serious powerhouses on the male celeb side. I would bet that the first three or four eliminations are women.
I like emmitt with Cheryl. It is clear in her book how much she learned from him and I think he will calm her down! I think his maturity will bring back old Cheryl.
I disagree with Jen from her comments about twitter disappointment in pros. Mark maybe sad given the competition but he even said how much he liked working with her. Chelsie will be no Julianne, but Helio actually has lovely ballroom. Maybe a bit of our own projecting. He will not win and is no Drew, but good.
Shawn and Derek, he finally gets an athlete! Think he will push her but since she is younger, I think he might approach her differently. I think Joey is one to watch! He was terrific with Kym. Gilles and Peta not surprising and they should be contenders too. Apolo and Karina is interesting. His fan base like Shawn’s is big. I am calling in no order, Joey, Gilles, Apolo, Shawn and Drew as the top five. I may change my mind after they dance, lol.
Tristan with Pamela. Finally, he got the sexy partner so hopefully his fans will be happy. It will be nice to see him with someone he can push more.
Louis, it was rumored, was suppose to be Sabrina’s partner at first so will be great to see him with her if she wins. They both annoy so hoping Carson or Kyle win. Who gets Carson if he wins? Lacey for either?
I agree Mark fan heads are exploding! He gets Bristol and Derek gets Shawn. I expect comparisons to start on why she is better with Shawn from them all season long.
No wonder Mark told his father on twitter I’ll call you later…. Probably wanted to cry on the phone.
@Linn – I do. Those LV Odds will change now!! Helio doesn’t have a chance with Chelsie.
Final 3: Shawn/Derek, Apolo/Karina, Gilles/Peta Even though Shawn’s knee injury concerns me I think Derek can compensate for that. This is my first time predicting so be kind! 😉
Shawn & Derek are going to be impossible to beat. Especially with this taking place right after the Olympics and this being Derek’s final season. Imagine if it comes down to them vs. Gilles & Karina and Shawn wins again lol
I was really hoping Chelsie would get either Apolo or Drew so I’m kinda disappointed with her getting Helio.
I’m kinda shocked they gave Mark to Bristol. I thought they would save him for Sabrina for sure. I guess she’ll get Louis then?
I meant Gilles & Peta, whoops typo.
Ugh….yeah….disappointed to say the least. I think the speculative posts got me thinking exciting things. Have to do a mind-check next time and remember TPTB aren’t as original or creative as some of the fun folks on here.
I’m just not on the Peta train – was hoping more for Anna and Gilles. I am in agreeance, think the original partners are just silly. Kind of feel bad for Mark, kind of don’t.
They should have had no repeat pairings due to one simple factor: those couples will be at a huge competitive advantage than the others. And how do you determine who gets their old partner and who doesn’t? In the spirit of fairness, everyone should’ve been in the same boat.
Not only did Derek get his first athlete, he got his first partner under the age of 30. Of course she’s injured – but he’s used to working with lots of injuries. 🙂 Understatement of the year….
I’m not so sure that Shawn is a shoe in for the finale. Not only is she injured but she is up against some serious talent on the men’s side. Same reason that Tristan is NOT better off than previous seasons. I predict Pam to be gone by week 3. I think Kelly and Melissa are also both in trouble – Melissa’s situation has changed dramatically and she won’t have pissed off Bachelor fans voting en masse.
Vogue, just admit it – you love them all. 🙂
PS — if DWTS was going to have some repeat pairings, how did they not put Drew Lachey back with Cheryl ? The show grew exponentially in Season 2, and they had a lot to do with it. The “Ride a Cowboy” freestyle remains the best dance in DWTS history.
I think you’ll notice, though, couch potato, that those with original partners are mostly underdogs. With the exception of Joey/Kym – that one just sucks big time.
Ugh, that is so NOT the best dance in DWTS history – not even close. Save a Horse isn’t even in the top 5 anymore.
I think Apolo is the One to beat!
Jimmbboe, that is exactly what I would predict right now 🙂
I don’t like the old pairings–but I would hesitate to say Melissa/Tony, Emmitt/Cheryl or Bristol/Mark would have an edge due to it. I actually think they’ll all be gone rather early which is fine by me for two of those couples. I may be underestimating the NFL powerblock, but this is All-Stars. It might play out differently. Now, Kirstie/Maks, yes, I think they may have an advantage. Joey/Kym I’m not sure about either. I think of origianl pairings that could have happened, the ones we got are the more boring ones. The ones that would have had a really huge advantage, IMO, would have been Gilles/Cheryl and Shawn/Mark, and I’m really happy neither of those happened.
I’m not happy Tristan got stuck with Pam. She’s not like Nancy or Gladys, but she is the only celeb who did not make the final. Pam is just not my cup of tea. I don’t think they’ll match up well at all.
As I said, I plan on voting for Gilles/Peta. But I’m also really excited to watch Shawn/Derek, Apolo/Karina, Drew/Anna and b/c I’ve never seen her dance before, Kelly/Val.
The Drew/Cheryl freestyle wouldn’t hold up against those from later seasons.
IMO the best freestyles have been Apolo, Brooke, Shawn and Nicole
Sorry lost it if you know how to delete for me NO 76 please do.. I know Valentin …he’s his 5’11” Please ask the man himself. Thank You Ladies
My favorite freestyle was JR/Karina. I really liked Shawn/Mark and Donald/Peta, too. 🙂
I’m kinda happy with some of the original pairings since most of them are the “Stars” I don’t like so I didn’t want them with any of the pros I like. Though I would have switched Karina and Peta.
I think Val wishes he was 5’11”. If he’s that tall, then Derek is 6ft and I know that’s not true. 🙂
The men are power houses this season!
I am curious about Shawn’s injury. I doubt she would agree if it was too serious. As for her injury, there were some of those in gymnastics world who felt the injury talk was built up so I do hope it is not too serious. I do love her coach so would love if him or Gabby made a stop to visit. Shawn’s height is more my concern but hope it works.
Think Melissa can get by on scores for a bit but Tony’s choreo is so boring and he did not push her enough before. I am actually happy Drew got Anna. Besides Cheryl, Anna is the only pro from season 2. Also she was runner up,with Jerry Rice. Both of them have the dry wit down so their interviews should be fun.
I am sooooo upset that Apolo is with Karina! Why would they put him with her and not Chelsie?! Could we get a little age appropriate pairing here as well as by height!!!!
Love Apolo, not so much his partner:(
@Eric – so disappointed by Chelsie partnered with Helio. The last two times she had older partners, it was painful to watch and they did not respect her at all. Just hoping Helio treats Chelsie better than he did Julianne since he’s married and a father.
Annette, have you met Val in person or is this based on his saying so? I ask because there are fake heights in entertainment. Mark says 5’8 too but those who met him said that is a stretch. Might be the same with Val. Height wise, him and Kelly work.
@Melissa–my hope for Tony and Melissa is that he will bring his A game with this being the All Star season. I’m sure Tony knows he doesn’t have the fanbase of some of the other pros. And that Melissa is not a fanbase powerhouse herself like so many of the other celebs. I would like to see them prove me and a lot of others wrong!
Derek all the way I hope 🙂
Wishful thinking Violet, but I don’t think Tony and Melissa have a chance.
I hope Silly Kirstie doesn’t overstay her welcome once again…. Ugh!
I’m going to predict now, that it’ll be Gilles & Peta, Derek & Shawn and probably Kym and Joey in the final 3.
I tend to agree with you, Sandy. But I can hope 🙂
The “Ride A Cowboy” freestyle is too overrated. PH and Court have said it: There have been many better than that freestyle since then.
Anyway, I agree with the general consensus above: I hate the old pairings. Give everyone new partners. It just doesn’t seem fair to those that have new ones. But whatever.
Kirstie & Maks: They’re only doing this to see if they can get more quotes out of Maks, I bet. Though they bickered a lot, I think Kirstie kind of helped Maks mellow out a bit? I dunno, that may be just me. But the magic from last time won’t be there…
Pam & Tristan: I actually kind of like this pairing too. But with three trips to the bottom two (I’m including her elimination as well) Pam doesn’t stand a good chance this season. She’s not a horrible dancer, but I don’t see her lasting long.
Hélio & Chelsie: Should have been Karina. Part of me feels like both Karina and Hélio wanted each other as partners. Like they really wanted each other. lol I don’t know that Hélio will be able to make the finals again, but who knows. Chelsie could bring her A-Game this season.
Joey & Kym: Maybe they want Kym to go for a 3-peat now? Or maybe they just want Joey to make the finals again? I don’t know, but I did like them originally in Season 4. I agree with some of the people above when they said that their worried if the same magic will be there again.
Shawn & Derek: I dont’ know how I feel about this pairing. Shawn is not Derek’s typical partner, in that she’s an athlete and only 20 years old. Plus Derek is a couple inches taller than Mark and there was already that obvious height difference with Mark. The injury does concern me a little, but…at the same time I see Shawn & Derek being the most entertaining. We’ll see.
Drew & Anna: Everyone saw this one coming. To me (and I know this is strange) but Drew just has a face that pairs well with Anna’s. lol This is the only pairing that I was not surprised by.
Gilles & Peta: Well well, I did not see this one coming at all! I think I like it. And Peta’s a couple inches taller than Cheryl, so it might be a little easier for Gilles? He was already so amazing the first time with that 28.whatever average. Peta’s got some pressure from winning last season too.
Kelly & Val: I was a little surprised, but not at the same time. I remember that article about how she knew she had Derek that you guys posted, so I guess part of me was expecting Derek? I like the pairing of Kelly & Val, but I don’t see her going far. Poor Val’s got another early out.
Apolo & Karina: I don’t like this pairing. Like I said earlier, I think Karina really wanted Hélio. Apolo and Karina…I don’t know. I’m sure they’ll be fine, but they just seem like a mismatch to me.
Bristol & Mark: Peh heh. Mark has been getting on my nerves these past couple of seasons, I really don’t know why. This is one original pairing I didn’t care for the first time, and won’t care about again.
Melissa & Tony: Yeah, I’m happy. =) But at the same time, it’s going to be an early exit for this couple. Everyone above is right: She doesn’t have the scored women putting her through to the next week. She might make it to Week 3 or 4, but any thing past that I’ll be surprised. She can dance, we know that. But this show isn’t just a dance talent show, it’s also popularity contest.
Emmitt & Cheryl: Well Cheryl got what she wanted. I’ll admit, I haven’t seen many of Emmitt’s dances, but I did enjoy that Mambo of his. Hopefully he brings the old Cheryl back. I’m tired of Little Miss Thang thinking she can just easily waltz (haha) into the finals again. And she might have that mentality again, but hopefully she’ll focus more on dancing instead of trying to get her partner in bed with her.
How tall was Marissa? Tony is tall and he made it work with Marissa so I know Derek and Shawn will be Fine though sure height will be a factor. Funny I did not think the height difference with Mark was that much with Shawn. I thought it only confirmed his short stature but generally the other way bugs me more. Shannon was a bit too tall, for me, for Derek and Chelsea was too tall for Mark.
@Melissa (No. 83): You clearly forgot about Maks and Tony being in Season 2 as well…
Lisa, I don’t know how the Apolo-Karina pairing is not age appropriate. She’s only four years older than he is. I’m not sure they’re the best pairing, personality- or appearance-wise — perhaps you were referring to how mature they appear rather than actual age, in which case, I agree the difference seems like more than four years, but hardly inappropriate. I bet she’s thrilled to have undoubtedly the fittest of the male celebs, and a tireless worker at that. I also happen to think she’s the best female pro, so I’m excited to see what they can bring.
@tony, I meant from the female pro side. I remember Maks hair from season 2, lol
You know, thinking about it, I think Apolo and Karina might surprise a few people. I’m thinking back to Karina with JR and the athletic choreography she gave him. We could see some good stuff from them.
If they can have winners back with non-winners, I have no problem with some popular repairings (though it is odd that Emmitt & Cheryl is the only past winning team reunited. While the old couples may have some perceived advantages, they each have their individual disadvantages as well the shared potential pitfall of the sequel paling to the original and challenge of keeping their dance ‘marriages’ as exciting as the newly ‘courting’ pairs (some of which have me scratching my head a bit).
Anyway, all this early announcement, pairing lag and 13th contestant makes me think their is still dust to settle and possible switch up opportunities within the season. ITM, some got some of their mix-it-up wishes, the general viewing audience gets to see some of its old (ratings grabbing) pair favs back and the more select dancing audience gets riled one way or another. I’m sure the TPTB are very pleased with themselves.
Age appropriate? In what universe is Apolo/Karina not age appropriate??
You might be right, Evaine, but I’m think that either Helio or Apolo could edge Shawn out – although she has the bigger fanbase, I would guess. We will soon find out if Helio and Apolo were there thanks to their partnership with Julianne over their actual dancing.
I think the “Save a Horse” dance is the best freestyle of all time. I don’t understand the hate for it and the comments that it wouldn’t match up against the dances of today. I think it would. Hell, Donald and Peta’s freestyle was a straight rip off of that dance.
Anyway. I started watching this show because of Drew Lachey. I knew he wasn’t going to get Cheryl, but Anna? I don’t know about that. I’m all kinds of iffy on that one.
Woo-hoo! The little dance gods were pleased with my offerings because I got the three things I wished for most…Shawn with Derek, Tristan with anyone other than Bristol, and Gilles without Cheryl. Life is good!
The original pairings are a lame cop-out, but as PH pointed out they’re mostly underdogs, and (barring disaster) 3 of the 5 should be eliminated early.
Pamela and Tristan – Guessed it! Kinda looking forward to this pairing. But I don’t think Pamela will last that long. As much as I like Tristan!
Kelly and Val – Val well he hasn’t been the best professional hasn’t made it passed week 3 yet. Kelly won season one but it’s season 15. Do you think she’ll have it in her?
Melissa and Tony – Tony hasn’t been doing so good for the past few season. And Melissa is kinda not that well known as the rest of the cast. I hate to say it but probably the first or second out.
Shawn and Derek – HANDS DOWN probably the ones to beat at the moment. With the Olympics just ending and Derek’s last season of DWTS the fans are going to go NUTS! Shawn and Derek both has a HUGE fan-base! Crazy! I predict…. Final Three.
Kirstie and Maksim – I like Kirstie and Maksim for a few laughs but the finals… meh not so much.
Bristol and Mark – Why???????????
Joey and Kym – Force to be recken with. High hopes for this pair.
Helio and Chelsie – I don’t think he’ll last longer without Julianne in his hands.
Drew and Anna – Excited about this partnership. Finally Anna get a good partner after 5 seasons (HOPEFULLY)
Emmitt and Cheryl – Just happy Cheryl didn’t get Gilles haha
Apolo and Karina – Again probably one to beat as of right now! Olympians rule! 🙂
Gilles and Peta – Happy that Peta got Gilles and Cheryl didn’t !!! HOTTT!!!
PS I think it’s kinda unfair about origional pairing (with the exception of Bristol and Mark)
But Final Three right now for me:
Gilles and Peta
Apolo and Karina
Shawn and Derek
Hate? Spare me the hyperbole. I don’t hate it at all – it’s a very good dance. But doesn’t stack up in terms of technical merit or entertainment value of even some non-freestyles, let alone freestyles, since then. While Donald and Peta went with that “theme” it was a far better dance.
My favorites are kirstie and max, shawn and derek and tristan and pam :).
I’m so disappointed, SIGH! TPTB had an opportunity to craft a great exciting season with plenty of great performances, and they took the lame easy way out. Poopertunity, is what I say!
Geez, Every Pro that could have had an old partner back got their old partner back. Every celeb that had an old partner in the mix, too, if you don’t count those few who all danced with the same Pro but only one of them could this season. Did they even try to mix it up?
Mel & Tony – BORING
Kirstie & Maks – OLD NEWS
Bristol & Mark – NOT AGAIN
Joey & Kym – PASSE
Emmitt & Cheryl – OUT DATED
I think the biggest problem these pairs will have will be trying to recreate that old time magic. Not a chance, I agree with everyone here. They may suffer in the vote getting department because of that.
As far as the other pairings go, maybe not my first choice (would have preferred Apolo with Chelsie, Emmitt with Karina, Helio with Anna, Pam with Maks) but I’m ready to roll the dice and am excited to see what they can bring to the dance floor. Not so much the redux pairings – we already know that story.
Entertainment Weekly just posted a recap of the pairings with commentary from Conrad Green. 🙂
http://www.ew.com/ew/gallery/0,,20356896_20620513,00.html#21198458
I don’t think any of the male pros would want Bristol, but Mark knows her and so they put them back together because no one else would and once they did that then that just started the ball rolling on putting some of the original pairs back together
It was a good dance. That dance would score 8’s and 9’s if judged right now.
The only thing copied was the Country Western style thats it.
Intereating pairing. Some seem very strong at first glance. “VERY” surprised Derek has Shawn-they are a great math up though. Very interested to see how their partnership will develop. Shawn is a little bit older than she was in S8 which is good. My only concern is the height difference. Derek made it work with Lil Kim so I suppose he can make it work with Shawn too.
Melissa, #83 I love Shawn’s coach too and just adore Gabby. Would love to see her come and support Shawn this season in the ballroom.
I also think Apolo and Karina are going to be a strong pairing. Joey/Kym do seem a bit unfair, especially since he has been dancing for the past few months and has had the opportunity to really improve his technique.
I would have liked it better if “all” the stars got different pros.
I think Apolo has QUITE an advantage with Karina…and I feel sorry for Helio, who is such a love.
The “Vegas dancers” and so many getting original partners…just not right.
Feeling pretty bored with almost all of the pairings – still trying to figure out what kind of odd logic TPTB were applying when putting them together. Although I do find it funny that the two pros who were the most vocal about getting specific partners back (Cheryl with Gilles, and Mark with Sabrina), did not get those partners back 🙂
Guess I’m rooting for Pam & Tristan, Apolo & Karina, and Joey & Kym, primarily. Can’t really get behind Shawn & Derek, because I just find Shawn to be bland and a bit of a pushover; also having a hard time getting behind Gilles & Peta, surprisingly…I guess it’s because I feel like it’s almost going to be a bit of a free pass to the finale for Peta, and I’m just not convinced yet that she’s this fantastic, dynamic, second-coming-of-Julianne-esque pro that others seem to think she is. She was good with Donald, but nothing jumps out at me as wildly creative or innovative. I may be swayed once I see something really out-of-the-box from her, or she has to contend with an injured partner, or a partner that gets really burnt out and unmotivated…but for now, I’m just not quite on the Peta train yet. All of the other pairs? Zzzzzzz. Really wish they would have switched Anna & Chelsie. Hope Bristol gets completely overwhelmed when she sees the talent she’s up against this time around. I think Kirstie may be in for a bit of a rude awakening, as well – the antics and big personality may have carried her through season 12, but there’s too many other good dancers this time around for that alone to work. She’s going to have to step up the dancing. I see Melissa & Kelly getting lost in the shuffle & booted early, I’m afraid.
Thanks Andrea just went over there:
He makes sense, I guess it is a tough job, however, I thnk they missed the mark on these original pairings. I don’t think that they will be as popular as before. The spark may be gone.
About Karina and Apollo:
Green says: ”It’s very tricky when you’re pairing up people who’ve been with someone like Julianne, who was so beloved. There was something about putting Karina’s picture next to Apolo’s. You can just picture it, can’t you? These two being amazing.”
It think this may be my favorite couple of the season, or maybe Gilles and Peta… or maybe…. LOL
Shawn SURVIVED Bela Karolyi…so I think she can handle Derek. His biggest challenge is going to be to make her look womanly and like she has long, elegant lines with so many beauties on the show. She’s cute but the visuals of someone like Melissa, Kelly, Giles and Peta together will stick in people’s heads, make their dances memorable. But I think Derek is up to the challenge.
Is SJ shorter than Lil Kim?
Before they announced the pairings I decided I’d be okay if the stars got their old partner if they hadn’t won before. I haven’t watched every season of DWTS but it seems to me that most of the old pairings were from several seasons ago. The only one that kind of bugs me is Kirstie and Maks since they were paired together just last year and I think have been dancing together some since then. I really think that Anna or Karina should have been with Helio and Chelsie with Apolo.
Green about the shawn/Derek pairing: ”Ironically, none of Derek’s ex-partners are here, so it seemed like a good balance. It’s interesting with Shawn — she was a kid when she was on this show, the youngest-ever contestant at 17. She’ll be a lot more confident in herself this time. And never underestimate Derek with his partners.”
Forgot to add: didn’t Derek replace Mark as Shawns partner on the tour? I seem to remember seeing a video of them doing the freestyle – So they’ve danced together before.
Shawn wasn’t on tour…I think you’re thinking of Sabrina?
You’re probably right 😉
I feel like what was going to be an exciting season will just be a good season with these pairs announced Joey and Kym will hopefully be good a second time around, I wonder how Helio will do with chelsie and if she can bring her A game to make them stick for a while or will not be memorable choreography wise Drew and Anna may have a chance for the finals but hard to tell since we haven’t seen all the pairs dance together yet. Can’t wait for the preseason power rankings and who Jimmy Kimmel will vote for this time around.
by vote i mean bet on
I just have the feeling that TPTB were originally NOT going to give anyone original partners but then Kirstie insisted on Maks (and possibly Emmitt wanted Cheryl because he said multiple times he wasn’t doing it again). So then they had to give as many original partners as wanted them.
I’m just hoping Shawn’s knee is not as bad as it sounded. I would’ve loved seeing Pam w/Maks…who will they put the public choice winner with???TPTB must be thinking it’ll be Kyle so he can be with Lacey?? Yuck. Sabrina w/Louis..Yuck.. and Carson with who ??
A couple good pairings, but I have to admit that these pairings are mostly a disappointment. The biggest disappointment being some with the same partner.
Also, I predict that Helio and Chelsie will be a bad pairing that Chelsie will be happy to get out of early. She’ll put on a brave face, but it will be a face.
First off I doubt Shawn is seriously injured if at all and I’m leaning toward the second option. She tore her ACL & if it was really an issue I doubt she’d be doing this. I mean she competed less than a year ago do I think she’s fine. Also the height you have listed for her, is that accurate?
This is certainly going to be an interesting season. I doubt Bristol will make it far this season. I could see the final three being Joey, Giles, & Shawn or Apolo (in no particular order).
While Donald and Peta went with that “theme” it was a far better dance.
Disagree. When everyone was losing their minds over their freestyle, I was like, I don’t get it. I watched it a couple of times and I still don’t get it. I kept waiting for something to happen and it never did. I actually said out loud that Drew and Cheryl did it better.
And about Drew and Cheryl’s freestyle getting 8’s and 9’s now? Disagree with that, too.
All-in-all, I think the producers have done a good job with the pairings. There’s something for every demographic in there – some old pairings to please those fan bases and some new pairings to elicit discussion and excitement (and, hopefully, pull the ratings). Some pairings were pretty predictable tho – eg. Kirstie/Maks – only Tony and Maks are tall enough to partner Kirstie (unless they wanted to bring back Dmitry Chaplin). I’m really interested in the Apolo/Karina partnership – that could be really good. But it all comes down to fan base again, as always – it ain’t just the dancing. And I know Kirstie’s still 60 something and will be the oldest contestant, but I’ll be interested to see how her weight loss affects her dance ability.
@mimi, Shawn never worked with Bela. She went to national camps and worked under Marta, his wife who is infamous for overworking them. Shawn was coached by Chow who is known to not overwork his students and the anti Karolyi ideology. I think Derek will be fine with Shawn. I doubt he will push her the same way he pushed his other partners. Shawn is younger so I feel it will bring out another side. More big brother vibe which will be nice to see.
Interesting comments from Conrad. I know some feel like Derek is this golden boy but he showed how much he likes all the pros there. I agree on the Drew and Anna pairing. Sounds like they were considering Anna and Emmitt too. She is the go to nfl partner I guess, lol. Their personalities and dance potential, they will be good IMO. I do not see PETA as amazing either. She lucked out so much with Donald. Feel if the Hough haters saw Julianne do the same routines PETA, they would be yelling at her being attention seeking. I am liking the karina and Apolo pairing too.
Derek made Lil Kim look tall so think he can do the same with Shawn. He costumes his partners well.
To be clear, Derek will push Shawn as he does bring out the best in his partners but not the same approach. I know he said when he is meaner, his partners do better but I do not think that will work with Shawn and think he knows it too.
I remember Shawn loving Derek’s choreo so I am sure she is happy to dance it.
I’m not happy about the original pairings for 5 of the couples. Of course, the only one that won before is C U next Tuesday. So, TPTBWTHUCA continues.
And, now we know that the face Mark made in the picture of him dog sitting Derek’s pup was after finding out it’s Bristol again! Gotta feel for him.
Also, too much of an advantage for Joey. He has been dancing in Vegas and will dance with Kym again.
I love Shawn/Derek and Gilles/Peta. The others – ehh!
I agree with Fancy. Donald’s freestyle looked forced to me. Every move was done with a “10” in mind.
I;m about to cry…Idon’t understand why they would put Apolo with Karina!I was hoping he would get Anna!Anyways…glad Shawn is with Derek,if this is his last season I want him to win!And Drew and Anna will only have my vote because I’m sick of anna getting the meh partners,its like Edyta all over again!
Like a lot of others, disappointed. I do really like Pam/Tristan and Derek/Shawn. Everyone else is very blah. I did laugh out loud for Bristol/Mark pairing, after the last couple of seasons and him mouthing off over the summer about Sabrina he deserves Bristol.
Also I know I am in the minority but I don’t like the Giles/Peta pairing. Not from a dance standpoint but a personality stand point. Plus I am not a fan of her choreography and have never seen anything from her that I truly remember as wow.
I am beyond THRILLED that Derek got Shawn! I really started to watch DWTS the season she won! Never voted in a reality show before then either.
I’m also beyond thrilled Cheryl did NOT get Gilles…that would’ve been a lock for the mirrorball, imho. We’ll see how Chelsie choreos for Helio. She’s never been to the Finals.
I LOVED Donald and Peta’s Freestyle. It was WAY better than Cheryl and Drews. My all time fave freestyle is Derek and Nicoles. Except for that slip on the lift at the end, it was otherwise PERFECT! And I was rooting for Evan and Anna that season.
I think TPTB gave Shawn to Derek because she is his best bet to win a 4th and final mirrorball!
My top 6 will be Emmitt, Joey, Melissa, Apolo, Shawn, and Gilles!
Don’t underestimate the smile of Emmitt Smith. All the charismatic and smiley nfl players are magnetic and fun to watch! And he is the most beloved nfl guy ever graced dwts.He is the reason so many people have started watching the show,,,, and if Cheryl can bring back her old touch of mvp season,,,,,,him and Cheryl with the biggest fan base are hard to beat. Although Emmitt is a lot older now and may not have the same flexibility.
Joey is a ringer and wiser! And Kym and Joey has the most perfect style matched. He is very energetic and engaging, and he is all warmed up from summer’s gig in Vegas.
They need a woman to join the top 3, and my best bet is Melissa. She brought the best in Tony, and she was very flexible.
I would put Apolo on the top 3, if not for Karina. Apolo is a mediocre dancer with charming personality. But i don’t think him and Karina are good match personality speaking. Jr is more natural than Apolo, but Julianne’s bubliness and charm, and her chemistry with Apolo was the best thing about Apolo’s win. Karina- great dancer and choreographer, but weak teacher and not too popular to long time viewers.
Derek and Shawn is very strong. But Derek didn’t do well with someone a lot shorter than him as Lil Kim. It just feels awkward and icky. It will be hard to see them passionately and seriously together.Rick and Cheryl as sexy and good they were, just looked all wrong and painful to watch.
Gilles and Peta, would be hot. But 2 foreign dancers together with no solid fan bases and they are in the bubble. And too much expectations for them to meet. I just don’t see Peta style to go well with Gilles.
Helio with Chelsie’s choreography?? Sorry.
Drew and Anna, and they may be the first guy to get eliminated.Anna just don’t have that “it” factor.
Kirstie is fun, but a lot older too. Maks’s choreography won’t match the rest. They will last long enough for entertainment value.
Pamela is with a nice guy. She needs a feisty one to make it interesting.
Bristol just don’t have the same hype from her mother. Mark must be bummed out. 0 chance of winning.
I’m actually with you on the Gilles/Peta pairing, Kelsie – I’m just not 100% sold on Peta yet. And I think that if she & Gilles do well (and they most likely will, given Gilles’ skill & popularity), it’s only going to further inflate this reputation she seems to be building as the greatest thing since sliced bread on the show…and I don’t thinks she’s truly proven herself yet. I think I’m going to remain skeptical until I see how she deals with a partner that isn’t very athletic, or is injured, or doesn’t have a very good personality, or isn’t as self-motivated as Gilles or Donald. It’s when the going gets tough that I think we really see what the pros are made of.
@Mel–I respectfully disagree with some of what you are saying.
I don’t think Emmitt and Cheryl will have the biggest fanbase. This season will have a lot of big fanbases, but the ones that stand out as the most prominent (to me) are Kirstie, Shawn and Apolo
I love Melissa, and I WISH she and Tony would make top 3 this season, but I don’t see it happening. Hoping I’m wrong and you’re right on that one 🙂
I do not think Karina is a weak teacher at all. I actually think she’s one of the best.
I thought Derek did well with Lil Kim. And I think Shawn trying to be romantic and passionate with anyone would be sort of awkward. Not icky, and certainly not because it’s Derek that she is with. And I did not find Cheryl and Rick painful to watch. I enjoyed them.
I think Gilles might have a pretty solid fanbase.
Anna definitely has the IT factor to me.
Kirstie is not a lot older now. They only danced together what, last year?
This is an election year and Bristol’s alleged fan base is already geared up for voting. Her fan base surprised a lot of people last time, so interesting to see if they’ll go to the mat for her again. Although she and her mother are not as “hot” items as they were back in her original season, and she’ll be up against a lot of other fan favorite celebs and pros. Sorry for Mark, though – maybe they’re paying him extra “combat” pay!
Somebody should maybe tell all the Trollsters on “that other site ” that maybe it’s Peta who is the “golden child”–just LOOK WHO she’s getting !!!
I don’t think anyone is a “sure thing” yet this season because whoever gets farthest is going to have to have the whole package with their partner and how they get along and come across to the audience is big. And then there is the voting..with so many favorites, votes are going to be sooo split, unless someone really POPS early, anyone could go home any week.
Well, I don’t think Gilles is happy with Peta. Just read his comment on his FB. He’s annoying me.
Honestly, I think Derek is smart enough with his presentations and choreography to steer away from something trying to be hot, romantic and steamy. That’s not going to be Shawn’s strong point. I think we can look for bouncy, athletic, sweet and charming performances from this duo and they’ll go very, very far.
Violet, trust me – when you’re already in your 60’s, each additional year or 2 takes its toll on an already aged/aging body. Kirstie’s weight loss (if she’s maintained it – does anyone know?) should help her, but I just don’t see how she’s going to keep up with the PYTs (female and male) on the show. It’ll also be interesting to see how motivated she will be this season, given that on her original appearance a lot of her motivation seemed to be weight loss/exercise. This show is hard work on a young body, let alone an old body, and she’ll be dancing against some of the best and other seasoned celebs, so it’ll be harder to keep up this season than in past ‘normal’ seasons.
Team gilles/Peta(I’m a huge PETA fan)
I also like apolo and karina
Shawn and Derek
Helios and chelsie
Pam and Tristan
Kelly and Val
And I’m hoping that kyle wins so that he and lacy can come back they are one if my fav coulees ever!!!
@Mel #134 I found Hines and Donald to be just as or more likeable.
I kind of agree about Peta, she had an excellent partner in Donald, and they shined. But she hasn’t really been tested just yet, her first season she had a bad partner, and it showed in her costume choice, choreography, and overall vibe. So this season some of our answers about Peta will be answered.
I don’t all the Karina negativity. The past few seasons she has worked hard and became one of my favorite pros on the show. I think she is probably the best female choreographer on DWTS. I feel that this couple will be the one to beat. Ah-mazing.
I feel bad for Helio, geez, could he have gotten a worse matchup.
Curious to see how the past MBT winners hold up with new partners, do they have what it takes to make it to the end again. Will Cheryl and Emmitt still have it?
Kirstie and Maks? Again! The judges waay overscored her, she stuck around too long. Anxious to see how this season plays out.
So very happy that Derek finally got a partner younger than him. i also love the Karina-Apolo pairing. I remember Helio having a little bit of a temper/stubborn streak at rehearsals, I wonder how Chelsie is going to handle that considering he will be the least talented winner coming back. She was wonderful with someone like Ty and seemed overwhelmed/stressed with the likes of Jake and Michael.
How shocked will we be if Helio and Chelsie end up winning? Chelsie is generally a very easy-going person, so it may work out perfectly between them.
I just hope the judges score Bristol accurately this time around..she never deserved an 8 the entire season and did’nt she get one the first week?
Also, I am so curious to see some of these pairings and so many of the past stars I wish they would format the show so that they could all dance several weeks b4 there was an elimination. There are only about 2 who I couldn’t care less about, the rest would be fun to watch for awhile.
I really wanted to see Kym with Gilles and I am kinda bummed that there are 6 original pairs 🙁 However Maks and Kirstie together were a riot and she brought out the best in him! And Joey and Kym had a fantastic relationship!! He was such a goof and I loved how it frustrated Kym to make him act serious in rehearsals but they always looked polished on the show and their performances stood out soooo much from all the others!! Plus she has a knack for original lifts and tailoring choreography to her partners and with Joey the routines and lifts were amazing!
I don’t think Karina is a strong teacher. She had a darling with Gavin last season and with his music background, he wasn’t that bad at all. Maria just had the same level of skills Gavin had, but she couldn’t make him look good. Rob was much worsed than he did initially, but i just don’t think Karina knows how to handle poor dancers all that well.SHe was very frustrated with Billy and all other poor dancers
she’s had. You give her a pairing with great potential, and she’s beautiful to watch, but not in a charismatic way.
Apolo maybe popular right now, but a lot of work needed for him to get that technique where it was. Just look at his videos, and his technique was somewhat terrible and jerky.He is vibrant and very cute, but without Julianne’s genuine charisma and likeability, i don’t see the same sparks and fireworks.Julianne and Apolo will be very hard act to follow . Karina is a lot more matured now and sweeter, but her earlier diva attitude still resonates to earlier hardcore viewers of the show. Specially to older fans.
First thoughts- don’t like original partners back together. But trying to look on the bright side. Apolo & Karina I think might be a good pairing although I would have preferred her with Gilles. Pam & Tristan, well should be fun. Can’t wait to see Tristan’s reactions. Derek & Shawn I think I will enjoy.
I do not think Drew will be first out. He is incredibly charming, hard working and him and Anna will be fun to watch. I also agree with the producer that Emmitt is charismatic. He sold me with his cha cha in week one. He also has the Cowboy fans behind him. That fanbasd is hard core. But also agree with Conrad that time has passed. He is older now. I doubt he sees himself as a favorite but love his attitude and will hopefully bring out normal Cheryl.
I think they said they are going to do double eliminations again. Boo hiss on that, lol.
I have to say GMA only announcing some pairings this morning was ridiculous.
Random musings…
1) Like many others, I wish everyone had a new partner. To me, that would be more fair and interesting. Nostalgia for original pairs? Meh.
2) If so many here don’t like original pairs, what were TPTB thinking? Maybe the overall demographic is different than folks on this board. Or as Mimi said, if Kirstie did indeed insist on Maks, they may have had to play that across the board.
3) Normally, I’d think Pam had a better shot with Tristan (more seasoned and well-known pro in his own right), but that may be outweighed by competing against all-stars.
4) Wonder if the judges will be more gentle with Shawn and Bristol, given their age.
5) Anna and Drew may have gotten paired b/c they know each other fairly well from season 2 (someone mentioned both were in the finals). Likewise, Karina stuck around fairly long with Billy Ray during Apolo’s season. All the current female pros were out early in Helio’s season.
6) Wonder if they’ll have a “learn a new style” week. Specifically, I’m sure A. tango will be back, but only the more recent celebs already learned it. That’s got to be an advantage.
7) Does Joey being in the Vegas show give a huge advantage? He’s in shape certainly, but he only does a couple of the same dances over and over (one may be freestyle?).
8) Bright side…no Kate Gosselin. 😉
9) Another bright side…I don’t think Emmitt will agree to play the sexy card every single week. Can anyone envision him agreeing to rip his shirt off? 🙂
Courtney: I totally agree with you on the “not sold on Peta” thing. I find her dancing and choreography formulaic and uninspiring. I love her personality but I think she’s one of the weakest female pros.
Heidi: I think Shawn’s injury shouldn’t be a factor. It was enough to keep her out of the Olympics but that’s a different level than DWTS stuff. Too, she thought she had a real shot at the Olympics, went to some qualifying events etc. I think this is a gift to Derek by the producers for his last season. I think Shawn has the potential to be the best technical dancer in the show’s history, even better than Scherzinger.
I imagine the final will be Shawn, Gillies, and Apollo.
Sandy#144
Totally agree. I think Peta shows a lot of talent I just don’t see any chemistry with her and Gilles. Peta and Kym are the sunny, smiley, sexy types whereas Gilles and Karina are the sultry, dark, brooding sexy personalities that would have been much more appealing IMO. I like Peta and Gilles (just not together) but hope they’ll do well.
Poor, poor Helio. Talk about a weir pairing. Chelsie comes off as a sweet, 12 year-old girl and IMHO this duo will be a mess. Picking a Julianne look-alike does not make her Julianne. Not even close.
I have no interest in the repairing of the originals.
I hope and think Karina will go far with Apolo. I used to not like her at all but she’s grown on me the past few seasons.
Just to be fair… GMA DID announce the remaining 5 couples in a later segment, really quickly, probably because they got tons of angry tweets etc… going WTF??.
@mmc – Some responses for a few of your general musings 🙂
4.) I doubt they’re going to be treated with kid gloves again this time around – they aren’t teenagers anymore, and the level of competition this season *should* be so high that they can’t really get away with sugar-coating scores and critiques as much as they would in a normal season.
7.) I would say Joey could be Gilles’ biggest competition in terms of technique. Joey looked pretty damn good in the Vegas show – and he’s become a REALLY good lifter. His overall technique seems to have improved as well – especially in jive.
9.) If that’s Cheryl’s big strategy in keeping Emmitt around – he’s gonna look pretty feeble next to the shirtless likes of Gilles 😛
@Evaine – In defense of GMA (sort of…not really…who knows), the same thing happened during the annoucement of the season 13 couples – they only announced half of them on the air (and it was the more buzzworthy couples, like Chaz & Lacey, Ricki & Derek, Hope & Maks, and Carson & Anna, who met for the first time that day), and then told the viewers to go ABC.com for the rest of the couples. I know this because I was driving to work and simultaneously trying to pull up the remaining couples on my phone, so that I could tweet them out for those not in the eastern time zone 😛 Kind of a d*ck move on GMA’s part, only reserving time to annouce the more “buzzworthy” couples, but just wanted to point out that this isn’t the first time it’s happened.
My thoughts on the pairings: (I apologize about the length) haha!
Men:
Apolo/Karina: It could work. She’s a good choreographer when given someone with talent. However, in both his and Helio’s case, a lot of their magic came from Julianne and her choreography. Apolo will fare better than Helio but I suspect he’ll still get far. I just wonder about the chemistry with Karina.
Gilles/Peta: He’s probably the male front runner but I’m still not 100% sold on Peta. She may be the reigning champ but no dance really stands out with Donald. I’m honestly still convinced he only won because of the NFL fan base. I wonder how the chemistry will be. Even though Gilles had natural ability, part of his charm was also Cheryl’s choreographer that was tailored made for him. Plus, Cheryl is the female pro judge pet so I wonder how much they will fawn over him with Peta next to him.
Helio/Chelsie: Poor Chelsie! She’s never made the finals and won’t make them again with Helio. Like I stated above, both of Julianne’s winners were good dancers but not great dancers in my opinion, but Helio was the one that benefitted most from Julianne’s choreography and their chemistry. Helio is someone who was lucky to make the final and win in his seasons, but I don’t think he has a chance at all for making the finals. Could be the first male winner out this season.
Drew/Anna: This is another pairing that I’m not sure about yet. Drew is another winner (like most male winners in my view) that was a good dancer, but not a great won. I doubt he’ll win again. He’ll benefit from staying active in the DWTS world (touring, co hosting, audience, etc) but when it comes to stronger dancers, he’ll probably be a mid-point elimination. Anna is a good choreographer, but pales in comparison to Cheryl.
Emmitt/Cheryl: A bit odd that this is the only former winning couple reunited on this season. Like i’ve stated before and probably will again, he was a good dancer that relied mostly on his charisma and charm. Although, I am glad Cheryl got him because lately she’s been lacking on her creativity and going just for the “as many sexy moves as possible” route. I wrote Emmitt off before I saw this pairing, but he could advance further based on Cheryl and the NFL fan base, but I’m not sure he’ll win again, but he’s lucky to have gotten Cheryl again, because without her, he wouldn’t have had a big chance.
Joey/Kym: This is interesting because Joey was a great entertainer and is fresh off the Vegas show so he’s not really gonna be rusty, plus the fact that Kym is probably one of the best female pros and they got to 2nd place, but I think he hit B2 once or twice in his season. However, I suspect they will go for more of what they did in season 4. Which leaves me to ponder: will lightening strike twice, or will they fall short of their previous magic?
Women:
Pamela/Tristan: Let’s take a moment to thank the DWTS gods for 2 things: Tristan is back! and he doesn’t have Bristol! Now this pairing could work. This is his youngest and probably most able partner he’s had over 3 seasons. I think it’ll work because he’s taller than Damian is and I always thought he looked too small for her. Tristan has such a subtle humor and so does Pam so they could be fun to watch. She may have avoided being the first elimination getting Tristan.
Bristol/Mark: When I saw that Mark got Bristol, I got very sad. I mean when you’ve had partners like Katherine Jenkins, Sabrina Bryan, Kristi Yamaguchi, Chelsea Kane, and Shawn Johnson and he gets on All Stars paired with Bristol, that’s gotta suck. He didn’t seem excited on Twitter and now we know why. I love Mark as a pro and choreographer but it won’t get past how much I hate Bristol.
Kirstie/Maks: This works because I really didn’t see her with anyone besides Maks. Maybe Tony, but his subdued personality will have gotten overpowered by Kirstie’s giant personality. This could work only if Maks makes it work. She’s vastly smaller than she was when she stated season 12, and has probably built her stamina up, so she could be better, however, will Maks make this all about the fun and humor or will he actually push her more now?
Melissa/Tony: I love Melissa. She’s an excellent dancer, but Tony let her down in the finals with that freestyle and how he had to include about 20 high kicks in all their routines just because she could do them. Maybe he’s learned his lesson and push her. I mean he did, here and there, back in season 8. Their Argentine Tango, Salsa, Samba, and Lindy Hop was some of Tony’s best work, They just need to do that every week to survive.
Kelly/Val: This is a tricky one, because it could go 1 of 2 ways. They will either be forgettable and go home early, or really click and become a dark horse. Kelly was 14 seasons ago so she’s probably rusty, but I do remember her having some technical ability so if Val can really harness that, it could work, but i’ll have to see how they dance together.
Shawn/Derek: Probably the couple to beat at the moment, i’d say. I always thought Shawn would make the finals at the beginning but now that she has Derek, it’s a solid certainty. I mean of all the females, she has the biggest fan base and next to Melissa, the best technical dancer. Match that with one of the biggest pro fan bases who happens to be the best choreographer, male or female, and you have a powerful combo. If Derek can make her shine, and come up with some entertaining and challenging routines, they will be a force.
Based on the pairings, i’m making my early finals prediction:
Apolo/Karina, Gilles/Peta, and Shawn/Derek, with Melissa/Tony, Emmitt/Cheryl finishing right in the quarter and semi-finals.
Also, if Kym was already paired with Joey (her only returning partner), the only other men tall enough for Peta are Emmitt and Gilles. And Emmitt may have been out since Peta just won with an NFLer last season. That only leaves Gilles.
So the pairings are out. Surprise? Not! With exceptions to one or two of the teams, this season is going to be boring. Lol, more excited to hear the music that the band will play this season. They are my pick for the MBT!
Wow, just got back in town with my little one, can’t believe how much overlap.
I think they did Joey a big disservice even tho I love he and Kym together, I think there will be a huge backlash.
The Derek haters will do a lot of complaining but they would complain NO MATTER who he got so time to tune them out.
I’m happy about Karina with Apolo and looking forward to what they’ll do.
Sad about Anna as I think Drew will naturally stand out less this season with the competition.
I liked Peta last season but still I wanted her with Joey, Karina with Giles, and Anna with Apolo. And I wanted no same partners.
Ho hum Maks/Kirstie’ Tony/Melissa.
I’m gonna be 100% honest, but the DWTS producers have failed me twice with this All-Star version that I have been dreaming about before Season 10.
#1 – The casting. So many previous winners. No representative from each season (minus Season 14). Mel B? Evan Lysacek? Jennie Garth? Brandy? Monique Coleman? Kelly Osbourne? Stacy Keibler?
#2 – I like that we get to vote on the 13th spot.. But I really want to see both Kyly AND Sabrina. Now I see that this vote is because all three stars were part of the Vegas show, which gives them an advantage. But they should’ve put Joey in the vote instead of Carson then. Or maybe made it a “memorable contestant” vote – so take out Kristie, Pamela, and Bristol and have them be voted on while ading Kyle and Sabrina to the actual cast.
#3 – And now some have their original partner and some do not. WHY?! It’s not fair. I had an idea that if they HAD to pair the same couples, they might do rotating partners so it’s a mix of both old and new. But now I’m just really disappointed. And I think it should’ve been Helio/Karina and Apolo/Chelsie.
I’m really worried now that this might not be what I hoped for. Be careful for what you wish, I guess..
But i do think it’s HILARIOUS that they paired Mark with Bristol again HAHAHA!!
Thanks for the GMA info. I am reminded what they view as buzz worthy is not IMO. Pam? Bristol, I guess has buzz. But not even showing Gilles?
Matt, I disagree Drew was just good. I mean, tbh, I thought Shawn just good herself on her season. I do not see how men winning who are just good is not fine but not females like Kelly or Shawn who were just good. I think Drew is being underestimated. I can be wrong and it is tough to compete against, Emrmitt, Shawn and Apolo’s fan bases but I think he is know how to entertain and charm the dwts audience. He is less grating personality wise, IMO, than Joey. Though dance wise, Joey should be good and the man to beat.
I like to think Mark with Bristol is payback for his antics in season 12.
I do not think Shawn was Olympic bound, even if healthy having followed gymnastics. But she really wanted to be on that team so as she said, this will be a way to finish her unfinished business on the dance floor.
I would prefered to see Tony dance with Stacy Keibler than Melissa. Melissa was great on her season but I don’t think she’ll get votes. I can’t imagine seeing Bristol and Kirstie paired with other partners than Mark and Maks. But I’m not too excited to see them dance together again
My favorite pairings are Apolo/Karina, Peta/Gilles Tristan/Pam. I think they have potential to go to the finals.
What unfinished business could Shawn possibly have? She won her season.
Allie, I’m actually not sure about Shawn’s height – I have a feeling it’s her 17 year old height and she could be a bit taller. I was also going to mention – an injury that prevents you from doing serious gymnastics might not be serious enough to prevent you from being a good ballroom dancer. I’m having tendinitis issues in my Achilles which means I can’t walk my 3 miles, but I can still do strength training and limited step machines. So, you never know.
@violet, Shawn said she had unfinished business in that her Olympic comeback was cut short. So she said dwts will also help her finish a goal thus finish business for her. She is driven and felt her injury left that goal incomplete. She was not talking about dwts.
I don’t think people are going to skate by on personality this time as much as they have in the past and I also don’t think that just because you won before or made it to the end before, you will again. Not this season. There are SIX previous winners. Some who made it to the finals before will likely be out before the halfway mark. Mathematically, that is almost guaranteed.
@Rocky, I would guess that they did invite all past finalists back. More likely, not everyone was both available and willing. Mel B is in Australia I think, Jennie is going through a divorce, Evan may be in training, etc. Guess we’ll never know for sure though.
I agree that neither Tristan nor Peta has proven themselves yet on the show. Jury is still out. I just like Gilles and Peta cuz Cheryl didn’t get him AND they are so pretty together. 🙂
NO, for the 500th time, Bristols fanbase didn’t surprise anyone last time. Not anyone here in any case. This is an election year but the Palin’s are not nearly as much on the radar this time. Also, do you think the judges will be as reckless as they were last time?? They better not be, because this is ALL STARS. And Bristol is not of the same calibur as almost everyone else on the show. If she’s not out by week 4, then we’ll talk about her “fanbase”.
In post #139, Maddy said:
“Well, I don’t think Gilles is happy with Peta. Just read his comment on his FB. He’s annoying me.”
What did Gilles say? I can’t find it.
@Melissa, sorry, I misread you. I thought you meant on DWTS. 🙂
Good news….we can start our drinking game for each time Melissa kicks her leg over her head. 🙂
@ Heidi, haha! I always did think Melissa’s leg kick was funny because not only did Tony put it in almost every day, but sometimes multiple times. In the finale Paso face off, I think she did it like 3 times.
I’m just really hoping that Tony has realized that Melissa is capable of intricate, exciting routines. Their Argentine Tango and Lindy Hop were examples of this, but they have to do it every week to compete with the bigger fan bases.
From what I’ve seen of Shawn talking about coming back it seems more like she is using it to move on from gymnastics.
I really didn’t want to see a repeat of the same matchups, but it could prove interesting. A repeat doesn’t necessarily mean that things will be identical. Each celeb and pro could be in a different “place” mentally or physically than they were in a previous season. Also, the competitive field will be completely different. In any sort of sport, you will frequently see competitors only be as good as they have to be. With stronger competition this season, each pair will have to step it up considerably. Hopefully, we can look forward to some surprising performances.
[…] The Stars official pairings have been announced (See our Miss Heidi’s Live Blog Announcement here if you haven’t done so. The comments in it are fun to read and take part in too), let’s […]
I am bummed. I loved Kirstie & Maks the first time around but I agree that round two will be boring. What’s she going to do, lose weight again, fight w/Maks, lose her shoe or get dropped by Maks again? It all worked great once but,IMO, not twice. I think this season is all about the men celebs anyway. Please, dear God,at least let Kirstie hang around longer than Bristol.
Hmm..Mark has been awfully quiet on Twitter today about his pairing for S15….then I read a tweet from him to someone else asking why she’s so sad for him…’sad about what” he asked her? Hmm…so that got me thinking…
Maybe TBTB have already decided that they’ll bring back Sabrina Bryan and switch Bristol to be paired with Louis Van Amstel, giving Mark and Sabrina a second run for the MBT!
Practice for the season doesn’t begin until Aug 30th…voting for the 13th star ends before that…so conceivably, they could make this switch.
Erin Andrews made a tweet a week or so ago about how she would never have been able to recapture what she had during her first appearance on the show if she’d appeared again. I think the fans who are excited about the repairings ought to heed those words. I expect all of those pairings will end up being huge letdowns.
The only pairings that excite me even a little are Apolo/Karina and Shawn/Derek. What a disappointment this season has turned into.
A – switching parters after a GMA announcement would be super crappy to Bristol and they would never do it.
B- Sabrina ain’t going to win no matter who she’s paired with. Too many talented, much more popular men are in her way, not to mention Shawn.
C – I think Mark’s fans are projecting their feelings on to Mark. I don’t think he minds dancing with Bristol. Lord knows she comes with a lot of media attention.
ETA for forgot D
D – Louis made it pretty freakin’ clear that he was going to be dancing with Sabrina if she was voted in. Someone said, “hey, I bet ur dancing with Sabrina if she wins” and his response was the equivalent of “Duh”. 🙂
That’s true Heidi. Louis made a comment on Twitter today that just because he wasn’t part of today’s GMA Announcement that he’ll still be a part of this coming season. So hmm….. I just think it’s odd that Mark hasn’t acknowledged his new partner….but then neither has Derek.
Are all comments being moderated now?
The pairing announcement was a little bit of let down, so I hope the actual dancing will be the opposite. Not sure about Helio and Chelsie, but I think I will just need to wait until they actually dance. I hope they click dancing and personality wise. Wonder if TPTB are letting CHelsie be an all star on SYTYCD this season too.
I agree with PH, I doubt Mark is sad. With Bristol comes tons of attention and doesn’t he have an album coming out? Sure that would help him there.
Derek and Shawn both have not posted dwts stuff. Shawn might be on her way back from London, who knows. Derek? He is pretty random. Him even saying he will be back seemed so random to me compared to his past seasons. I usually expect tweets about food, lol.
I know many feel Chelsie got a ” dud” with Helio but I feel it goes both ways. I have not been that impressed with her as a pro. I also think Tristan still has not shown what he can do. I know many think he is amazing but I did not think the choreo for his samba with Chelsie for DaD was that impressive. I will see what PETA does with Gilles. I felt at times she could have had Donald do more.
I also like Karina and Apolo. I feel she has grown a lot as a pro and would not be surprised if they won.
Nope Chelsie has not ever been to the finals with any partner. I did not care for the DaD she did with Tristan this past season…now her dance with Derek, that was GREAT!!
It’s gonna be a tight season for sure
Won’t their team photos be done this week?
No, Kelly, do you want them to be??
Melissa is right – Derek is about as random as they come. And he only tweets, I think, when he has absolutely nothing better to do. 🙂
@Mel, a lot of your comments just don’t really make any sense and I know you’re extremely bias, but your comments come across as narrow minded.
I don’t think Karina is a crap teacher, she’s probably one of the best ones and has great choreography. (Ralph Macchio) Cheryl has gotten predictable and I pretty much saw the same choreography she gave Rob Kardashian, she gave to William Levy. So I don’t think she’s the best teacher and her choreography has gotten predictable. I also think Anna has the IT factor, that you seem to not see and honestly, she can do a lot more with the duds than Cheryl ever can. (EX: Carson and Chuck come to mind). She choreographs entertaining routines with pretty below average dancers so I think she has got them to last longer than they would have. Cheryl’s duds (not as much as Anna) haven’t really stood out and I don’t think she made them look good at all. (Wayne, Tom Delay)
Enough of that, just had to get that out of my system lol. NOw to the pairings
Melissa and Tony: I don’t see her lasting long, Tony has pretty safe choreography and Melissa was too much of a cheerleader to make her dances really exciting.
Kirstie and Maks: eh, They have good chemistry, but in such a strong field, won’t last as long as she did the 1st time around
Kelly and Val: I saw this pairing since Val is the closest person that is like Alec (good-looking russian, with a quiet/bland personality) Probably won’t last as long.
Pam and Tristan: I saw this mainly because Tristan and Damian are good friends and if they wanted to pair her up with someone like Damian, Tristan would probably be the best choice. Hopefully he’ll bring out more from her, since I thought Damian was good, but a bit boring.
Bristol and Mark: I thought this was an awkward pairing the 1st time around due to height, and I still find it a bit odd, but at least they’ve worked together before so we won’t see as much diva behavior from the other male pros, had they actually gotten Bristol. At least Mark knows how to handle her and the controversy surrounding her.
Shawn and Derek: I think this is a strong couple, considering she won and she’s young and fit. I also think Derek will bring out a different side of her, because while she was talented, I did find her a bit boring at times personality wise.
Helio and Chelsie: EEEEK! It seems like the only celebrity partners of Chelsie that really got along with her were Ty and Louie. She’s had some problems with her other partners at some point during their runs. I just hope Helio can still keep his goofy sense of humor under Chelsie’s teaching.
Emmitt and Cheryl: Nice to see her not get someone that is considered automatic finals and one that was with her during her humble years. He does have a following with the Cowboys and they have tons of fans (despite recent lackluster performances). I was not expecting this, but considering they were going to pair her up with one of her old partners, this one made the most sense.
Drew and Anna: I can see this working, since when he co-hosted in season 5, it was Anna’s first return to the ballroom since season 2 and they said they missed each other. She even hugged him and everything. I think he wasn’t paired up with Cheryl due to the alleged “affair” that was talked about during the tour and it would’ve made it awkward to bring back any inkling of that.
Apolo and Karina: This was probably the only one I was really WTF. However, I know Karina will be able to do great things with him and he has the work ethic and personality to help him win it again. Height might be a little funky though.
Joey and Kym: Kym would’ve been paired up with either Joey or Gilles due to height, and I’m kind of glad she is back with Joey. Maybe an unfair advantage, but they were a pretty fun, goofy couple, until he landed in the bottom 2 and his personality changed a little. Good thing he said he wasn’t going to be as serious this time around.
Gilles and Peta: I think Peta got lucky again snagging Gilles. I’m not on the Peta train yet, I will acknowledge she is a phenomenal dancer, but her routines haven’t been as amazing as everyone says they have been. She just got a good partner in Donald. I do find her choreography a bit too much, in the sense that she doesn’t put as much content and I think she over performs it instead of allowing Donald perform it. Gilles was one of my favorites to win, but he has been getting annoying to me in interviews and twitter/facebook. Not the same Gilles I came to love and he seemed like he would be disappointed if he didn’t get Cheryl and wouldn’t be as happy to get a new pro.
my opinion
pam & tristan – like it glad he got a younger partner to really showcase his choreo, but not gonna last long (his fanbase should keep him safe for a few weeks though)
kelly & val – ? gone the first week
melissa & tony – 🙁 did neither a favor here…gone the second week
shawn & derek- like derek (never been my fav though) but i LOVE shawn johnson..so guess they will be one of my favs..barring injury finals on lock
kirstie & maks – will be funny for a few weeks, but will not have the same magic. coupled with her dancing, hope she doesnt out stay her welcome (week or two past halfway mark)
bristol & mark – argh…its election season again…it will be painful at first, but if she makes it to the finals it will be downright hilarious (and i love t o laugh)
joey & kym: should be cute…and he’s prepared, but i just dont see them in the finals again…close to it though maybe
helio & chelsie- i love chelsie and im scratching my head at this pairing…would have loved to see her with drew/apolo and him with anna/karina. theyre gone by week 3 or 4
drew & anna – i actually like this pairing a lot, but i wonder how their fanbase is going to be, and i dont see them making it to/past the halfway mark (hope im wrong)
emmitt & cheryl- should be cool..emmitt will keep cheryl from resorting to her uninspired overtly sexual choreo, and hopefully will see something fun and creative from her. his foot ball fanbase will take him easily past the halfway point, and if he & cheryl bring out the fun and keep up dance wise…who knows
apolo & karina – LOVE it! karina is going to bring out the best in him
Gilles & Peta- HOT…my eyes are going to love them all season long. and if peta steps it up choreo wise…she’s got a fair chance or a repeat
@ steve
chelsie got along with Romeo and Roshon just fine also
They are probably saving Lacey for the possibility that Carson/Kyle get voted on. But if Sabrina gets the vote, who’s she gonna be with?
@yo, I remember Roshon had a bit of an ego and had one or two run ins with Chelsie during rehearsals. With Romeo, I think they got along fine as the season went on.
Choosing Derek is the right move for Shawn. She went through a lot of stress with the stalking thing last time she was on DWTS.
She trusts Mark and Derek is his best friend. Derek can also go to Mark if he and Shawn have problems.
Louis has made it pretty clear, I think, that he’s with Sabrina if she wins the vote.
I’m not so sure about Lacey with either Kyle or Carson because she’s not said a word and hasn’t campaigned for either much. She’s on her way to London to choreography for SCD, so good for her.
@ steve chelsie & roshon never had any run-ins because of his ‘ego’…i think that was some posters on this forum inserting their opinion. they only ever dispute I ever remember airing or hearing about them is the one during their final duel practice when chelsie cut him off by ‘ssshhhing’ him, and he took offense to that (not even a blip on the dwts run-in radar)
Who’s left for Carson/Kyle? I guess a troupe member, but a new pro is not likely to be an advantage IMO, especially this season.
My two cents- Like most people, I’m not happy some people got their old partners. It’s very unfair, especially Kym and Joey.
Unlike most people, apparently, I find Peta very bland and HATE that Gilles, one of my all-time favorite celebs, is paired with her. I would literally prefer he were with any other pro than her.
I think Apollo and Karina could be a really interestig mix. Can’t wait to see what they do together.
I’m glad Tristand didn’t get stuck with Bristol, but having Pam in such a competitive season is not that much better. Yes, she’s a better dancer, but she’s not that popular and I doube they will make it to the second half of the competition. I’d like to see him get a real contender just once.
Like a lot of other people who have posted here, I’m somewhat…. underwhelmed. 🙂 I had hoped for more new pairs, and less of a stroll down memory lane. To some extent, you just can’t re-create the excitement of the initial pairings. That being said, I’ve just got some random observations…
– I wonder if Emmitt is going to be pretty rusty. It’s been a few years since he won, he is over 40, and I wonder if he’s been dancing any.
– I put Kelly in more or less the same boat as Emmitt – It’s been 6 years, has she kept up any dancing skills, or has she gotten rusty? Same thing for Drew. And same thing for Apollo, but he is, after all, an Olympic ahtelete.
-Helio: I think the partnership is going to screw him over here. I just don’t see goofy, funny Helio working with Chelsie. But I hope I’m wrong.
– From what I saw on twitter, Kirstie danced for quite a while after Season 12; I’d imagine she is in pretty good shape. I see her lasting a long time.
-Shawn: Didn’t she blow her knee out? If I recall, that was the reason she retired. I’m worried that Derek will have to choreograph around yet another injury.
-Melissa… she bored me the first time around, and with Tony again, I don’t see that changing. Looking for a fairly early exit for her.
– Joey….. (sad sigh). He got his original partner, and has been dancing two shows a day since around April. If he *doesn’t* blow the doors off the competition, at least in the early rounds, I’ll be really disappointed. 🙁
– I think the “race to the bottom” is going to be between Pam and Bristol… and it’s just a guess on my part, but I see Pam going out first, with Bristol out second.
If I had to pick a final 3 right now, I’d say Joey (with all of the current dance skills), Kirstie (fan base, fan base, fan base), and probably Apollo. Helio would be a dark-horse pick for me right now.
This is only Tristan’s third season and Derek isn’t going to be around much longer – Tristan is only on season three. Plenty of time.
Well that’s not good for Mark. Bristol fan base is the weakest out of this cast. No one cares for the Palin family anymore. They’ll be the first out. So I guess if Sabrina is selected she’ll be paired with Louis or a new pro?
Cant wait for Emmitt and Cheryl! Love that they are underdogs so far. Now I know why Lopez backed out!
Mark hasn’t tweeted much because he was flying to the Dominican Republic for Summer With The Stars! Joey Fatone is there too!
Lacey has tweeted support for Kyle a couple times and earlier she retweeted Carson when he said that Lacey would be paired with either him or Kyle!
Anna had tweeted a couple times to vote for Carson!
I am a Mark fan and not happy he is with Bristol! Actually I do not understand why she is back! Some of the pairings I like, I can’t wait to see Shawn with Derek, and can’t wait to see Joey back with Kym!
Chelsie with Helio is a surprise for me! Not sure how this pairing will be!
!!!!!!!
????????? 😉
Okay ladies…. Has the wine kicked in? LOL
Ooooh, Sandy… hadn’t thought about the wine yet! THANKS! 😀
I’m just beginning to think that I missed the memo that using a lot of exclamation points is the written equivalent of jazz hands. 😎
*Sigh* To me, the show just keeps messing things up…
I am disappointed with these match-ups mostly because the most fair thing should have been for everyone to get new partners. Well fine, the show chose to ignore that, but now there seems to be no consistent logic with who got old partners and who got new ones. For instance, if it was the case that all of the winners were going to get new partners, then why did Emmitt get paired with Cheryl again?
I think the reunited couples have an advantage and a disadvantage.
Yes, they have danced before and already know each other. They have fans from the previous season. But time has passed. It might be difficult to get out there and bring forth the same skill/chemistry level.
They also have a history to deal with. The new chacha will be compared to the earlier chacha etc. Their own ghosts will haunt them.
The other couples will have to struggle with getting to know each other, their chemistry etc but they will bring something fresh and new to the viewer.
This could be a big plus for a talented couple.
@Lizzbeth (212) With that, then Melissa should be just fine with the Jive this time around! Haha! 😉
Well I said I’d be the first to laugh at myself if I got my predicted pairings wrong, and I got them ALL wrong! But I can’t say I’m laughing. I’m just really bummed they didn’t give everyone new partners. I agree with lizzbeth, that there are both advantages and disadvantages for the ones that have danced together before. The new couples definitely have the potential to bring someone new and exciting, though if they lack chemistry that would be a problem.
Melissa couldn’t beat Shawn or Gilles before when she had Tony, and Joey couldn’t beat Apolo with Kym, so I don’t know why the show thought they could repair them with the same partners to go up against the same people they lost to, and have the result be any different. I’d hate to see Melissa as an early exit knowing she’s one of the best female dancers (I think she’s the best personally).
I’m curious to see what TPTB have in store after these pairings. Since its an All star season will their be some new twists? Would they have a night where the pairs pick their best/worst dance from the 1st time on DWTS? Will they change partners at one point? I’m going in with very low expectation for my own sake.
If I could have one wish for this season, it would be that Derek and Chelsie get to dance one more time together like the Paso. I love their Paso. How about a Tango or a contemporary dance from these two this time, pretty please TPTB?
Court (210)… Bwahahahahahahhahahahaha! 😀 I admit it, I chimed in before looking at the prior post… (blush)
Multiple exclamation points and nothing else = the new sarcasm.
😀
If you could only have seen my face as I was typing it 😛
Go Pamela & Tristan!!!! Let the jealous Pamela haters that are still bitter from ’97 come forth!!! I hope she comes out gorgeous as ever and makes all you fat women in middle america a little more insecure and your husbands wish they didn’t have to go to bed with you for another night!
Team Pamela For The Win!!!
!!!!!!!!!!!! ?
I can imagine your face as you typed…. but did you also do Jazz hands? 😉
@bluelamp69, since this is a name I do not recognize, I just want to warn you first… It is fine to be passionate in your support for your favorite contestant, but it IS NOT OKAY to post the way you did…. If you can be respectful, you will be more than welcome here. If you cannot be respectful toward other pairs, or the viewers of DWTS or the posters here, you will be banned quicker than you can blink.
And another warning, while I am give you warnings, you may find others here with the banned and delete authority a LOT quicker to use the ban feature than me…. And, I 100% completely agree. If you feel like talking like this, the “official” show site board may be more to what you’re looking for.
2DWTSfan, who said TPTB are fair? I was HOPING that they’d decide to have either all new partners or all the original pairings, but was prepared that they probably wouldn’t.
Not quite sure how I feel about the way they paired them up.
Well, bluelamp, aren’t you a charming little troll child?? Strike one….and you know what happens when we get to 3, right??
Wow, nice to see that Pam’s fans are such classy individuals. 😛
Is there an age minimum on here or is it all right for nine year olds (and apparently a Pam fan) to participate?!?
Extremely disappointed w/ how the producers came up w/ partner pairings. I didn’t want any of the celebs to paired w/ their old pro; everyone starts from scratch with a new pro. I really do think a lot of us on here could have done a lot better w/ putting together pairings than the idiotic TPTB. So here’s my take on all the pairings:
Celebs that got their original pro partner-
Bristol Palin and Mark Ballas – I supported this pairing back in season 11 b/c I liked watching Bristol improve; however, this season is ALL STARS, she’s got up the quality of her dancing if she wants to stick around, more challenging choreography, not in hold in all the ballroom dances, and has to let loose in her latin dances. And the kicks, flicks in her jive were atrocious that has to improve. I’ve rewatched her dances & the judges criticism is valid when it comes to showing her emotion while dancing, she’s got to start wearing her heart on her sleeve & not hold back. I won’t pass judgement until I see her first dance, but if there’s no improvement then she’s not getting any of my votes.
Emmitt Smith and Cheryl Burke – Out of all of Cheryl’s partners, I’m glad they put her back w/ Emmitt, he’s a great guy & hopefully Emmitt will help keep Cheryl humble this season and get rid of that chip on her shoulder.
Joey Fatone and Kym Johnson – It literally came down to the fan votes in season 4, Joey definitely has an advantage over Apolo by being w/ his original pro partner.
Kirstie Alley and Maksim Chmerkovskiy – Honestly, I can’t see Kirstie w/anyone else but Maks, I think out of the other female celebs, she’s the only one that put up w/ his diva antics and can dish it right back to him (Remember Maks’ “sex on a stick” tangent, lol)
Melissa Rycroft and Tony Dovolani – I’m really happy for Tony, he’s had a really rough road the past few seasons when it comes to partners. He had a really great partnership w/ Melissa and I’m glad he’s back dancing w/ her. Their samba to Jaleo is one of my all time fave dances on the show. They were the pair that I rooted for in season 8, not sure how Melissa’s fanbase will hold up, she’s not gonna have pissed off Bachelor fans voting & paying attention to her this time around. However if Tony gives her fantastic choreography & she delivers, then I’ll definitely be throwing votes in her direction once again.
Celebs that have a new pro-
Kelly Monaco and Valentin Chmerkovskiy – It will be interesting to see Val whip Kelly into shape, she hasn’t danced in over 7 years since she won the MBT, when she was on the show it was 6 weeks at most, we’ll see how she handles the pressure since the nature of the beast has changed since she competed
Pamela Anderson and Tristan McManus – This is another pairing that I called, I figured Tristan would be a good fit for her, and just based on personality he would be the pro I’d put her with.
Apolo Anton Ohno and Karina Smirnoff – I’m really suprised by this pairing but at the same time Apolo is an Olympic athlete and I can see Karina pushing him the way he needs to be pushed
Gilles Marini and Peta Murgatroyd – Another pairing I thought would be good, Peta is fresh off her win w/ Donald Driver and Gilles is gonna be fantastic w/ her, sooooo incredibly happy he wasn’t paired w/ Cheryl.
Drew Lachey and Anna Trebunskaya – I called this pairing from the get-go, Anna’s closer in age to Drew and it will be interesting to see what Anna can do with him and how they gel together
Helio Castroneves and Chelsie Hightower – Only thing I can say is that I guess the producers wanted Helio to have another Julianne-type partner, and Chelsie is the closest that fits that bill. I was hoping that they could’ve put him w/ Karina, you know they’d have a lot of fun together.
Shawn Johnson and Derek Hough – Lol, of course they gave Derek, one of the strongest female dancers, he always gets the best dancers and looks like the producers want him to go out w/ a bang, however I don’t think they’re gonna be a lock for the final, Shawn’s already won the MBT & Derek has 3 MBTs.
I swear we need a drinking game for everytime someone whines stupidly about Derek getting the best female partner in a season filled with freakin winners and runners up. Seriously, use your heads people – this is just making you look bad at this point.
bluelamp#219: Wow, that was a bit of a nasty mean thing to say. Seriously?
LOL, @Sally (#221). Maybe spirit fingers too. 😀
Regarding the knee injury’s of Shawns. If it was soo serious then she would have said no. She had two surguries on her left knee. The only reason why she retired from Gymnastics is because 1. She didn’t want to hurt it again and the most important part She didn’t feel ready to compete again – taken two years off of gymnastics. But if it was that serious she would have said no.
Peta has her first injured partner Gilles injured his foot this summer its in this article
sorry forgot to post the linkhttp://www.examiner.com/article/gilles-marini-paired-with-peta-murgatroyd-dancing-with-the-stars-all-stars
Jeff, that wasn’t a serious injury. I highly doubt it’ll bother him during the season.
@PH #228 — If we start a drinking game based on the “Derek always gets the best partners” whine, we’ll all be so plastered we won’t be able to type a coherent sentence or read the monitor. There are so many people inhabiting that particular island, smokin’ who knows what, that they ought to draft a constitution and declare themselves a sovereign nation.
IMO, a lot of the partnerships, especially the returning partnerships, are a cop-out by TPTB. They could have been more creative, but this is the DWTS TPTB we’re talking about.
@John #123 – I’m hoping you’re wrong about the bad Chelsie/Helio partnership. I have mixed feelings about Chelsie, but cringed when I saw this pairing come up. I was hoping for her and Drew, Apolo or Emmitt and him with Karina or Anna.
@Susan #145 – I was a big Julianne fan during season 5 so I paid attention to this partnership. IMO, Helio was trying to push around just turned 19 year old Julianne with the macho Latin behavior and he seemed to relish the alleged romance rumors even though he was engaged. IMO, I am hoping that five years, Helio’s professional success and personal happiness with his girlfriend and daughter will have matured him and he’ll be more respectful of his second DWTS pro partner. But I also believe the now 23 year old Chelsie, a veteran of the Pavelka/Bolton wars and in her 7th season – won’t allow Helio to push her around if he does try to pull the same macho stuff on her that he did on Julianne.
Shawn on twitter:
“Up and ready for another butt whooping session with @JeanetteJenkins before my #DWTS shoot!!”
Cidra, that’s one country I don’t ever want to visit. 🙂
heh-heh, PH, my guess is they wouldn’t grant you a visa.
[…] to yesterday’s live blog post by Heidi of the announcements of the partnerships on Dancing with the Stars Season 15, I can now provide the predicted eliminations with the […]
You are probably right – wouldn’t want reality and logic to get in the way of their ideology. 🙂
PH and Cidra, my question about that island, is WHO are they going to level all of their HATE, when Derek is no longer on the show?
Or a way to think, is that one logically should realize that D is going his job well, when so many hate him simply for being successful at his job!
That’s a good question, Lori. I mean, Derek’s played the role of favorite whipping boy for a long time now. That will be a big void. Who they gonna blame when their favorite still can’t pull it out??
Can’t understand all the “they want Derek to win”, “they want Derek to go out on top”, and “of course he got the best female…he needs his 4th trophy”….on that other board. I mean if they REALLY wanted to make sure Derek winning was a sure thing wouldn’t they have paired him with Gilles or Apolo? hehehe
I`m just wondering how Mark is going to make Bristol stand out this season… can he top the gorilla suit debacle? How about a bananas in pajamas theme? Mark dressed as a banana chasing Bristol down the stairs who`s dressed as a teddy bear, then he rips off her costume to reveal… er, maybe not. Actually i think i`d just prefer to see the old “crawling on along the floor” Mark.
Tv guide grades the 7 new pairings: http://www.tvguide.com/News/Dancing-with-the-Stars-All-Stars-Grading-New-Pairs-1051934.aspx
Interesting ratings by TV Guide. I saw xfinity (whatever that is) site giving ratings to all the pairs too. They called it the Chemistry test. I don’t know how these predictions will play out. Hoping there are some good surprises from the new pairs.
http://xfinity.comcast.net/blogs/tv/2012/08/14/dwts-all-stars-duos-we-put-them-to-the-chemistry-test
@sherry do not forget the other popular excuse how the judges are just so in love wihiwThaow routines ( praise it deserving) or if the show wants Derek to win so the judges will help, etc. never based on the fact Nicole was the best dancer and also popular? Same thing with Jennifer? Oh, I forgot! The show bussed poor Evan with he was mean edit before their messy freestyle. Forget all the ” fantastic” edits Nicole got each week. It is like they said nothing when Nicole came off not her best other weeks but ome bad rehearsal footage for Evan is bussing? At this point, it is hilarious to see how up in arms and stressed out and bitter they are with Derek.
@lisa if Mark pulls banana in pajamas, he will earn whatever little bit of respect he has left after the antics he pulled on twitter. He has yet to tweet aout Bristol but was good about reminding folks he ad Shawn first and won! Of course after making it pretty public he wanted to ance with Sabrina. Stay pressed, Mark.
Pictures from the photo shoot are starting to appear on twitter…
Gilles and Peta:
http://twitter.com/#!/PetaMurgatroyd/media/slideshow?url=http%3A%2F%2Flockerz.com%2Fs%2F234400873
and
http://twitter.com/#!/GillesMarini/media/slideshow?url=pic.twitter.com%2Fnto2Eerv
Emmitt and Cheryl:
http://twitter.com/EmmittSmith22/status/235475422492635137/photo/1
Joey and Kym:
http://twitter.com/realjoeyfatone/status/235428754279788544/photo/1
Melissa:
http://twitter.com/MelissaRycroft/status/235437158066954240/photo/1
Helio and Chelsie:
http://twitter.com/h3lio/status/235515657523982336/photo/1
Shawn:
http://instagram.com/p/OUmtWeA3j5/
and
http://instagram.com/p/OUmy6Ng3kB/
Shawn and Derek:
http://instagram.com/p/OU8Oc3NorW/
Shawn, Joey, Derek and Chelsie:
http://instagram.com/p/OUzwmHRBdv/
and
http://instagram.com/p/OU0qLGA3uu/
and
http://instagram.com/p/OUytwaA3tX/
Interesting info in that article, Harriett. So Gilles was last minute and some had a say? Does that explain Bristol who I bet asked for Mark again and some if the original pairings? Either way, good read!
@Maddy#139-I just looked at Gilles’ official Facebook page and he had nothing but lovely words for Peta. Where is the comment that mentions Peta?
Heidi #197- Oh right Louis. I almost forgot about the little elf 🙂
I am a fat middle-american who is glad to see Pam dance again. I will just imagine I’m her when she is dancing with Tristan and looking so good. She will definitely be something new for Tristan and it should be good experience for him. That said, I also like Karina and look for her and Apolo to give Derek and Shawn a real run, maybe even beat them. Also hoping Bristol has matured a little so will not be so painful to watch. Anna did great with Evan so should do just as good with Drew. Kym is my fave tho so hope she can do some fresh and new with Joey
Well-said nansan! Here’s another middle-aged woman for Pamela (especially since she’s with Tristan 🙂 )
I think you have a good point about Kym and Joey needing to find something fresh for this season. It seems to me that’s the challenge all the “old” pairs will face — making themselves interesting again to viewers. That said, since Joey has been dancing recently in LV, he might have a lot more for Kym to showcase this time around.
It will be very interesting to see if voters go for nostalgia with the “old” pairs or prefer the freshness of the new pairings.