We may have found out the names of the celebrities competing in season 13 of Dancing with the Stars on Monday, but we had to wait until Wednesday morning to learn the partners. Now, however, the names of each professional dancer — and the celebrity with whom he or she is pairing — are known. And there are a few new faces in there!
The participating professionals and the celebrities with whom they would partner were announced during the August 31 Good Morning America broadcast.
Granted, none of the names are complete unknowns to fans of Dancing with the Stars. Two of the new professionals, Peta Murgatroyd and Tristan McManus, appeared sporadically last season as members of the DWTS Troupe. This season, they have moved up to partnering with celebrities. The third new name, Val Chmerkovskiy, is the brother of DWTS mainstay Maksim and has performed on the show himself in the past.
The other nine professionals are veterans of Dancing with the Stars. With the exception of Derek Hough, who took a break this past spring, the returning professionals all appeared on season 12 of the show.
The official Dancing with the Stars season 13 pairings are:
- Ron Artest dancing with Peta Murgatroyd
- David Arquette dancing with Kym Johnson
- Chaz Bono dancing with Lacey Schwimmer
- Elisabetta Canalis dancing with Val Chmerkovskiy
- Kristen Cavallari dancing with Mark Ballas
- Nancy Grace dancing with Tristan McManus
- Rob Kardashian dancing with Cheryl Burke
- Carson Kressley dancing with Anna Trebunskaya
- Ricki Lake dancing with Derek Hough
- J.R. Martinez dancing with Karina Smirnoff
- Chynna Phillips dancing with Tony Dovolani
- Hope Solo dancing with Maksim Chmerkovskiy
At first glance, there definitely seem to be some power couples going on here:
- Reigning champion Kym Johnson has pulled David Arquette — arguably the most famous of the celebrities — as a partner.
- Maksim Chmerkovskiy, widely believed to be due for a win, has a good chance with Hope Solo, provided that the girl has charisma to go with athleticism.
- Derek Hough might actually have a chance at a fourth win, dancing with Ricki Lake. The lady has more charisma and performance ability that you can shake a stick at.
Of course, this is nothing more than idle speculation until we see some performances from the stars and their partners. Until then, however, let the speculation begin!
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Are there any professionals missing that you wanted to see in season 13? Which couple seems the best to you? Share your thoughts and opinions below!
(Image courtesy of ABC)
Senior Writer, BuddyTV
Laurel grew up in Mamaroneck, NY, Grosse Pointe, MI and Bellevue WA. She then went on to live in places like Boston, Tucson, Houston, Wales, Tanzania, Prince Edward Island and New York City before heading back to Seattle. Ever since early childhood, when she became addicted to The Muppet Show, Laurel has watched far too much TV. Current favorites include Chuck, Modern Family, Supernatural, Mad Men and Community. Laurel received a BA in Astrophysics (yes, that is possible) from Colgate University and a PhD in Middle Eastern Studies and History of Science from Columbia University before she realized that television is much better than studying.
