New Season, New Faces: Dancing With the Stars Season 17

BY JENNY BRONT
SC Staff Writer    

The cast for “Dancing with the Stars” seventeenth season has been announced and it features a smorgasbord of young names and famous stars all battling it out for the prestige of the Mirror Ball Trophy.

Elizabeth Berkley Lauren, formerly known as Jessie from “Save by the Bell,” has been paired with the strict but lovable Valentin Chmerkovskiy.

Karina Smirnoff, the resident daredevil, has been paired up with the sexy High School Musical star Corbin Bleu.

Brant Daugherty, the dastardly and self-centered Noel on “Pretty Little Liars,” will join the exotic and beautiful Peta Murgatroyd.

The southern gentleman and “Blue Collar” funny man Bill Engvall will be partnered with newcomer Emma Slater to vie for the trophy.

Emmy and Golden Globe winner Valerie Harper, from “The Mary Tyler Moore Show,” will fight on and off the dance floor for the trophy and against her brain cancer – an inspiration for other cancer warriors to live life to the fullest – with her partner Tristan Macmanus.

Renaissance man Keyshawn Johnson will bring his touchdown dance to the ballroom with the talented and fluid Sharna Burgess.

Famous R&B beauty and actress Christiana Milian will perform with Mark Ballas.

Everybody’s favorite educational science teacher Bill Nye will prove to the world that he is more than just “The Science Guy” with the fresh-faced Tyne Stecklein.

Haunted Highway host and “Fuse News” anchor Jack Osbourne will “shake his groove thang” with the enchanting Cheryl Burke.

“Jersey Shore” alumna, self-proclaimed meatball, and new mom Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi will shimmy and shake her way to the top with the adorable Sasha Farber.

The Queen of “King of Queens,” the dazzling Leah Remini will join Albanian hunk Tony Dovolani to bring her Brooklyn flair to Dancing with the Stars.

Glee legend and rising music star Amber Riley will lend her musical pizzazz to the show with last season’s victor, Derek Hough.

The season will debut on Monday, September 16, 2013 for the two-hour premiere, where the stars will dance for the first time.

The show will now have one two-hour episode per week instead of the two-day pattern they have previously used.

As usual, the second episode on September 23, 2013 will be the first elimination, using the votes from the viewers and the judges’ scores to cut contestants. Votes will be cast via phone on Monday nights during and an hour after the episode has aired.

Viewers can also vote on the website and Facebook page up to 24 hours after the airing of the episode.  Voters can use a custom app as well.

With so many great names and legends, who will you vote for this season?

Email Jenny at:
jbront@live.esu.edu