Raising the Bar on Dancing with the Stars

I'm usually a pretty lukewarm fan of Dancing with the Stars, but this season is shaping up to be hot, hot, hot! (Now I sound like Bruno, which is at once frightening and deeply disturbing...) Seriously, though, they've got some amazing talent this year, and I predict that the judges and fans will not have an easy time coming up with a winner.

So here's the lineup:

First out of the gate was Chad Ochocinco, who is partnered with Cheryl Burke. My husband sort of groaned when I told him this guy was competing. (The humble hubster does not enjoy the brand of football player who struts his dancing stuff in the end zone.) My own take on Chad is that he has some real potential going on, but the competition is gonna be tough and tight. He'll have to progress quickly to be in the running.

Next up, Shannen Doherty and Mark Ballas. I can't imagine that Shannen's got a chance here, but I don't think she'll be the first to go, either, unless former fans hold 90210 grudges and cast her aside for reasons of their own. She's not the worst dancer, but she's certainly not among the best.

As for Erin Andrews (ESPN newscaster) and Maksim Chmerkovskly, this woman's another one with potential. But she was out-danced by at least three of her competitors, possibly because her choreography was so difficult. (What are you trying to do to the poor girl, Maks?) Sheesh.

For those of you who watch The Bachelor (I am not a fan), Jake Pavelka is partnered with Chelsie Hightower this season. I really like her, but he was just okay. This guy belongs somewhere in the middle, talent-wise, but he might get knocked out early if the disenchanted viewer backlash raises its retribution-seeking head.

A comedienne named Niecy Nash is tripping the light fantastic with Louis Van Amstel, one of the most likable coaches. She shows lots of personality on the floor, but her ability doesn't quite live up to it. Not a real contender, but she shouldn't be the first to go home, either.

Olympic skater Evan Lysacek and Anna Trebunskaya were looking good. Evan is as graceful as they come. Their waltz was elegant, and he is arguably one of the ones to beat. (I will note here, with a certain amount of shock, that there are several of these this time.)

Buzz Aldrin danced with Ashly Costa. Moon walker or not, if there were no sympathy/patriotism vote, he would be the first to go home. He still may be.

Nicole Scherzinger of the Pussycat Dolls looked muy bueno gliding across the stage in Derek Hough's arms for a waltz to end all waltzes. She even got two 9's, which is pretty crazy this early. I liked her, and she could take it all for sure. For some reason, Len was really harsh and ripped her up one side and down the other. (Maybe he was cranky?)

Aiden Turner is a soap star I've never seen before, but wow. His English accent and devil-may-care attitude are uniquely appealing. And his dance with partner, Edyta Silwinkska, wasn't nearly as bad as the judges made it out to be. They gave him the same score as Buzz, which was ridiculous! (I had the impression that Edyta is not immune to this guy's good looks; even she seemed a bit bowled over.)

Kate Gosselin and Tony Dovolani were, as Simon Cowell is fond of saying on AI, forgettable. But I guess you have to give her credit for trying, though she seemed to be a bit of an emotional wreck during the rehearsals. Go figure.

Finally, Pamela Anderson and Damian Whitewood (the new pro). All I want to know is how a woman her age manages to look so good? Her sexuality is a bit over the top (even the judges sort of cautioned her to tone it down), but her dancing wasn't bad at all. Pretty promising, in fact, especially if she can tone down the rather distracting Baywatch babe vibe. And maybe cover up a little.

My personal favorites are Nicole Scherzinger and Evan Lysacek, but I enjoyed Erin and Chad, too. (By the way, my husband is filled with additional scorn for Chad because he changed his last name to Ochocinco, or 85, which is his football jersey number. Yes, according to my own dance partner, this insult to the family name constitutes a very uncool act.) And I must admit that it was kind of fascinating watching both Aiden and Pamela, for different but parallel reasons.

Anyway, that's the wrap-up. Sorry it came way after the fact, but I hadn't had time to check out the recording earlier. All I can say is that this season promises to be a pretty entertaining and avidly contested one. Even if you haven't watched before, you might want to take a look. (Of course, it will never rise to the level of my own fave, So You Think You Can Dance. Not even close.)

=)