Dancing with the Stars-Season 9

[Helene]

The announcement of this coming season's cast was made today on "Good Morning America" in Times Square, and, front page news on The Washington Post is that Tom DeLay is among them:

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/sleuth/20...ml?hpid=artslot

The celebs are:

Macy Gray (singer)

Melissa Joan Hart (actress)

Kathy Ireland (supermodel)

Mya (singer)

Mark Dacascos (TV Host/martial artist)

Ashley Hamilton (actor/songwriter/comedian)

Michael Irvin (football player/sports commentator)

Donny Osmond (is Donny)

Tom DeLay (former majority leader, US House of Representatives)

Natalie Coughlin (swimmer)

Joanna Krupa (model)

Debi Mazar (actress)

Kelly Osbourne (singer/actress/media personality)

Aaron Carter (singer/songwriter/actor/producer)

Chuck Liddell (martial artist)

Louie Vito (snowboarder)

http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/DancingStars/Sto...8302&page=1

[ltraiger]

Mya is also from the Washington, DC, area and is a well-trained dancer, in rhythm tap. She studied for many years as a youngster at Knock on Wood Studio in Silver Spring, Md., and performed with the highly acclaimed youth company Tappers With Attitude, which has produced a number of renowned tappers: Bakaari Wilder, Cartier Williams, the Noble women, and others (just can't remember at the moment).

[SanderO]

Does the success of DWTS draw non ballet people to take a closer look at ballet?

[perky]

Very irritating: Tom Delay (I don't enjoy seeing him talk, walk, existing, etc., why would I enjoy watching him dance? And please DO NOT let him get Latin Goddess Karina as a partner!!!!)

Mildly irritating: Donny Osmond, Macy Gray (lovely songwriter, unique voice but sadly she's a bit on the spacey side mentally), Ashley Hamilton.

Don't really care either way: Aaron Carter, Michael Irvin.

People I've never heard of: Natalie Coughlin, Joanna Krupa, Chuck Liddell, Louis Vito.

People I'm invested in watching: Melissa Joan Hart, Kathy Ireland, Mya, Mark Decasos, Debi Mazar, Kelly Osbourne.

I do think having this many contestants for the first time is a mistake. The ones most of us have never heard of get lost in the shuffle, and it almost makes for too much dancing in the first shows. Dance fatigue quickly sets in for the viewer and many of the routines start to blend into one another.

[carbro]

Actually, one I would have thought would have had little name recognition last season, Melissa, kept me watching.

I won't name a name, but I do have hopes that one particular contestant is humiliated on Week 1 and, thanks to a ready-made fan base, returns for more for a few weeks with no better results. Let me wallow in schadenfreude.

[bart]

I won't name a name, but I do have hopes that one particular contestant is humiliated on Week 1 and, thanks to a ready-made fan base, returns for more for a few weeks with no better results.

I'm having visions of a ballroom number, danced to "It's DE-L .... ightful; it's DE-L ..icious; it's DE-L ... ovely."

As Cole Porter actually said, it's also "DE-L ... imit."