Are you all happy with this season 14 cast

[JunkieGirl]

Very true, dancing dad. Those two sports are very different from say, tennis or volleyball because of the performance aspect. Since we've only seen tennis and soccer represented on this show, I think it would be interesting to see female athletes in other sports. Such as basketball, skiing, swimming, or even a runner. I'd give up the footballers just to see more women in sports competing on this show.

[karalott]

The troupe is returning again this year (wasn't sure if ABC was going to retire the idea this time-but I'm thinking they really are grooming the troupe to be potential new pros). Teddy Volynets and Dasha are out; Sasha Farber, KiKi Nymechek, Sharna Burgess, and Oksana Dmytrenko are back as returning members, with two new members joining the ranks (Emma Slater-Sasha's girlfriend; and Henry Byliakov, whose last name I'm probably not even close to getting right, is a DWTS Aussie pro and former contestant on the Australian version of SYTYCD). Henry will be the second person behind Kym that came over from the Australian version of DWTS. In a bit of alumni news, former pro Damian Whitewood will be joining that country's version of DWTS for their upcoming season.

Strictly Come Dancing is rumored to be axing more pros in the fall in favor of younger, fresh faces. They did that a couple of seasons ago, and now a lot of vets are probably on their way out the door. While I think our pro line up needs a big shake up, I wonder if we'll be seeing that in the very near future, especially if ratings don't take off this season (if the Courtney rumor winds up being true in any extent, I don't think that'll help matters).

[Arielflies]

Not Teddy...I liked him.

[karalott]

Not Teddy...I liked him.

Me too I also liked his sister Nicole, who was a member during the first season of the troupe, and Dasha from last year (Val's former professional partner). It didn't sound like Teddy left on his own. I'd love to see him become an actual pro. I keep hearing something about a DWTS style project happening in Las Vegas, and that whatever it is, Teddy may be a part of it. I didn't really mind Oksana, but I could do without her and her hair whipping. She could use that as a weapon. No opinion on the returning guys, because they're forgettable (and Kiki's returning for his 3rd season). When they did the whole troupe intro last year, Sharna gave me flashbacks to Lacey's first couple of seasons of being a "rebel" and "bad girl" of the ballroom. All of the pros (with the exception of Val, Tristan, and Peta), have been on every season since seasons 2, 5, or 8 respectively (again, excusing Karina, Kym, Anna, Maks, Derek and Chelsie, who all had at least one season off in between-Anna's the only one who had multiple seasons off throughout seasons 2-9), and with some of the pros teetering towards getting older for the show, it makes me wonder how much longer they'll keep the current pros. They've learned that losing their most popular pros doesn't put a dent in the ratings. The producers may figure getting new pros would add to making the show fresh. I think Tony, Kym, Karina, and Anna should watch out. I'd be surprised for Louis to be brought back as a regular, what with 3 male troupe members, plus Tristan and Val in the cast. As I mentioned before, it's not like they really need Louis to partner the shorter females as they would a taller male pro for the taller female celebs. I just wish he could have won, or at least made the finals more than once.

Looks like for dances for the first week (and everyone gets to do two dances before the first elimination) is Roshon, Donald, William, Maria, Melissa, and Gladys with the cha cha, and Gavin, Jack, Jaleel, Sherri, Martina, and Katherine with the foxtrot. I think this might not be such a train wreck the first week and could make for some memorable dances. Now that's something that really lacked last season.

[Tilden]

I've watched some of the rehearsal footage on line, and it looks like this could be a reasonably good season, provided there aren't overwhelming judging/voting issues that end up advancing some dancers unfairly. No one appears to be a Macy Gray or Kate Gosselin, though they haven't shown enough on-line to indicate if there are any ringers either. So far, all the couples seem decently matched temperamentally as well.

I don't really care if I know the "stars" so much, because I've ended up liking people I'd not heard or or had heard little about in previous seasons. But then, I also think several of the cast members this season come as close to "stars" as anyone they've had in the past too. Gladys Knight, Melissa Gilbert, and Marina Navratilova, for instance, are all certainly well known in their respective fields as is Donald Driver.

[karalott]

I've watched some of the rehearsal footage on line, and it looks like this could be a reasonably good season, provided there aren't overwhelming judging/voting issues that end up advancing some dancers unfairly. No one appears to be a Macy Gray or Kate Gosselin, though they haven't shown enough on-line to indicate if there are any ringers either. So far, all the couples seem decently matched temperamentally as well.

I don't really care if I know the "stars" so much, because I've ended up liking people I'd not heard or or had heard little about in previous seasons. But then, I also think several of the cast members this season come as close to "stars" as anyone they've had in the past too. Gladys Knight, Melissa Gilbert, and Marina Navratilova, for instance, are all certainly well known in their respective fields as is Donald Driver.

I feel like this could very well be the best season yet. Based on footage I've seen, everyone looks very promising, no obvious ringers, no obvious Kates or Master Ps, no one is an overwhelming Osmond or Mike Catherwood with voting issues (everyone seems to have a core group that'll likely by all their's). And yet, the show will probably find a way to screw it up by inserting drama where there doesn't need to be, the judges being too picky/mean/bias, or the producers throwing some WTA wrench to advance a couple they want to stick around. Usually the first couple of weeks are great, but after that is when I feel like the bias and favoritism comes through. Hopefully the judges actually critique and the producers just let things happen as they may. But I know that's a lot to wish for for a cheesy dance show

As far as dance order, Maria/Derek are dancing first, Melissa/Maks 7th (going by the voting numbers they tweeted). Both have the cha cha, and next week will have the quickstep (and whoever has the foxtrot this week has the jive next week).

[Tilden]

I wish to heaven they'd stop putting the jive in week two. It's a dance a lot of people have trouble with, and then to give it to them when they've barely gotten into the competition is just a mess. I'd like to see some decent jives for a change, and that's more likely to happen later in the competition.

Either put the jive later or substitute something else like the Lindy Hop in for it.

[karalott]

Here's the (almost) complete order for tonight's line up, along with the voting numbers:

1st: Maria/Derek, cha cha (1-800-868-3401)
2nd: Jack/Anna, foxtrot (3402)
3rd: Donald/Peta, cha cha (3403)
4th:
5th:
6th: Sherri/Val, foxtrot (3406)
7th: Melissa/Maks, cha cha (3407)
8th: William/Cheryl, cha cha (3408)
9th: Martina/Tony, foxtrot (3409)
10th: Katherine/Mark, foxtrot (3410)
11th: Gladys/Tristan, cha cha (3411)
12th: Jaleel/Kym, foxtrot (3412)

I'm going to guess Gavin goes 4th, since he has the foxtrot, and Roshon 5th, since he's dancing the cha cha. I see they're making Maks and Val go right after each other again this time.

Sort of surprised they're saving Martina for so late in the broadcast, as I figured they'd have her be one of the first to go, and that Jack and Maria are going so early.. But not surprised Gladys and Jaleel get the pimp spots. I wonder how many couples in it'll be before CA, Len, or Bruno says someone set the bar and made it a competition, and how long before Brooke says 'back when I was on the show...' I was really hoping the rumor of her being replaced was going to happen.

[Fanny Mare]

I am really looking forward to tonight. I am sure they all feel very nervous.

[ibot2much]

Wasn't it Maks who was playing coy before the line up was announced....giving the impression that he would not be back, that he had not gotten an invite??


And Brooke is still there... **sigh**.