DWTS 20: What We Know So Far

Dancing With the Stars is quickly approaching on March 16! Some information has been released so far, and this is what we know.

• There are twelve couples this season, with six men contestants and six women contestants.
• Season 20 will premiere Monday, March 16, 2015.
• The troupe contains Sasha, Britney, Alan, Jenna, Henry, and Lindsay.
• The Switch-Up Challenge is back.
• Themed nights include Disney Night and Spring Break Night.
• Tom Bergeron and Erin Andrews are returning as hosts.
• Bruno Tonioli, Julianne Hough, Len Goodman, and Carrie Ann Inaba are returning as judges.
• This is Len Goodman's last season as a judge.
• Tony Dovilani has renewed his Contract for Dancing With the Stars.
• This season is claimed to be "bigger" and "better" than ever before.
• The winner will receive a golden mirror ball trophy.
• This is the tenth year anniversary of the show.
• Kym Johnson is back, after leaving the show to judge the Australian version.
• Len Goodman will not be taking breaks in the middle of the season.

More updates will come soon! What do you think about this season? I think this season will be one we will never forget!

Follow me on Twitter @DWTS20!

DWTS Throwback: My Favorite Performances of Season 18

Season 18 is probably my favorite season of Dancing With the Stars. I love so many dances from that season, including both perfect-scoring dances and dances that aren't so popular. Everyone has their own opinions, and I would like to hear yours as well!

The way that I decided my favorite dances were to count every factor that I could think of in these dances, such as technique, performance, song, costumes, scenery, facial expressions, etc.

Here are my top 16 favorite (I am using 16 because it is my favorite number) dances from season 18 of Dancing With the Stars!

**Note: I do not own any of these YouTube videos, and all credit belongs to the Dancing With the Stars TV show and the people who posted the videos online on their channels.**

16. Danica McKellar and Valentin Chmerkovskiy- Tango (Week 8)

I know that the start to this dance took forever to get to the point, but the song and performance as a whole were phenomenal. It was too bad that she had a rib injury, but she really showed her full potential.

15. Team Loca (Meryl & Maks, Amy & Derek, Candace & Mark, Danica & Val)- Freestyle (Week 7)

This dance was so awesome, but I wish that it was performed live. If you don't know, Amy had an injury before the team dances, so the rehearsal footage was shown for the team instead. Anyway, I feel as though they would have gotten a perfect score (they got a 39/40) if it was live on TV.

14. Billy Dee Williams and Emma Slater- Cha Cha (Week 1)

This was the lowest-scoring dance of the season, but the crew of DWTS made this dance seem like a movie! I have never seen Star Wars, but I still love the whole tone of this dance.

13. Meryl Davis and Valentin Chmerkovskiy- Argentine Tango (Week 4)

This was one of my favorite switch-up pairs of season 18. I love how fast each move is in this dance!

12. Meryl Davis and Maksim Chmerkovskiy- Tango (Week 6)

This is another tango from Meryl, and this was her first perfect score of the season. Meryl is really sharp with her ballroom dances, and the choreography was perfect for her.

11. James Maslow and Peta Murgatroyd- Freestyle (Week 10, Night 1)

Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed the freestyles in season 18. However, most of them were not show-stopping to me. This freestyle was an exeption in my eyes.

10. James & Peta, Amy & Derek- Jive (Week 8)

This dance battle to me was simple, yet smart. Sometimes, less is more, and this dance proved that. James and Peta worked so well together.

9. Charlie White and Sharna Burgess- Quickstep (Week 8)

The Quickstep is my favorite dance, and Charlie made me like it even more. The Argentine Tango, which is my second favorite dance, was also slightly thrown into this routine, which I liked a lot.

8. James Maslow and Peta Murgatroyd- Jive (Week 3)

Both jives that James did in season 18 were outstanding! I love how James and Peta really made the whole show feel alive when being the first dance of the night.

7. Candace Cameron Bure and Mark Ballas- Samba (Week 5)

Mark Ballas is a genius choreographer, and this dance shows no exception. Sure, the technique wasn't the best, but everything else makes up for it. The crowd always went crazy for this couple!

6. Danica McKellar and Valentin Chmerkovskiy- Quickstep (Week 5)

So, obviously, I put in another Disney routine. Honestly, at first, I was not sure if I would like that theme, but it actually ended up being one of my favorites. This dance, to me, seemed the most "magical" and "Disney-like" to me.

5. Amy Purdy and Derek Hough- Contemporary (Week 3)

Every week, Amy Purdy amazed me. With this dance, she blew me away. With those pointed toes, she proved to everyone worldwide that a person with two prosthetic legs can do a contemporary dance. Her video package was emotional, along with the dance and song itself. Also, I believe that she was way underscored. Why weren't there any tens?!

4. Candace Cameron Bure and Mark Ballas- Argentine Tango (Week 7)

This was by far Candace's strongest dance. I actually watch this video of her Argentine Tango a lot to this day because of how Mark set up the atmosphere for this Latin routine.

3.Charlie White and Sharna Burgess- Jazz (Week 5)

First of all, I just want to say that this should have gotten a perfect score. Sure, Charlie dropped the cane, but who cares? I love the fact that he also broke the umbrella when he did this routine again during the finale. It was like it was meant to be!

2. Amy Purdy and Derek Hough- Argentine Tango (Week 8)

There are a lot of Tangos on my list of favorite dances, but that is because there was an overwhelming amount of amazing Tangos in season 18. This was Amy's first perfect score, and I think that this is the perfect dance to hold that title for her. Once again, she was incredible with the pointed toes, and she made it look effortless.

1. Meryl Davis and Maksim Chmerkovskiy- Argentine Tango (Week 10, Night 1)

I know that all three of Meryl's Tangos are on this list, but she is just so good at them! I love how this Argentine Tango contrasted a lot compared to when she danced with Val. She was perfect with both of them, but this one seemed very special to me. It was hard to choose my favorite performance of season 18, but I chose this one because it captures how well Meryl and Maks work together,

Well, that is my list! What do you agree with? What do you disagree with? I will make another list of my favorite dances for season 19, and that will come out soon!

Remember to follow me on Twitter @DWTS20 for more news and updates!

Follow My DWTS Fan Site on Twitter!

Here is a quick update. My DWTS fan site is now on Twitter @DWTS20. You can follow me here for all new Dancing With the Stars updates!

I will also be live-tweeting on March 16 during the premiere of season 20 of DWTS!

Season 20 Cast: My Views

So, almost the entire cast has been announced for season 20 of Dancing With Stars, and the contestants are, as always, varied from different audiences. So, here are my views of the season 20 cast!

Redfoo and Emma Slater
Emma has had some partners in the past that weren't the best, but made them fun to watch. I am glad that Emma has finally been paired with a person that is not necessarily incapable of certain movements, but she has a partner that is a total wild card. As many know, Redfoo was a guest judge in season 18, and gave very high scores. Although many people did not like the scores very much, it can be said that he was very entertaining. I hope Redfoo makes me laugh (as he did as a judge), and bring out something that has never been on the show before, This couple seems like a great match!

Willow Shields and Mark Ballas
I am very surprised that a fourteen-year-old is on the show, but I love how DWTS is changing things up a bit. Willow is a great actress, and I think that this will help her a lot on the dance floor.  Her awesome acting and Mark's amazing choreography will sure make for a great a show on March 16. Mark Ballas works well with younger celebrities, and I think that this a smart pairing.

Noah Galloway and Sharna Burgess
I did not know who Noah was before the GMA announcement, and I am sure I am not alone on this one. However, this person is incredible. I am very interested to see how Sharna and Noah work together to make choreography of their own. Sharna has always put a lot of content in her dances, and I want to see how she changes some of the steps to make it work for Noah. I am very excited for this duo!

Suzanne Somers and Tony Dovolani
First of all, I loved Suzanne on Three's Company. I am very curious to see how she dances because I see her as actress, rather than a dancer. I know that Tony is creative when it comes to "older" contestants, but I think that Suzanne is capable of anything he throws at her. From the GMA announcement alone, I know that she is in this to win it, and I like that about her. Tony and Suzanne seem very happy working with each other.

Mystery Contestant and Witney Carson
As we can all tell by the not-so-subtle hints, Witney's partner is probably from the show The Bachelor. I have read speculations about Chris Soules being her partner, and I wouldn't be surprised if it was. Witney is a phenomenal dancer, and I love how she choreographs with her partners in mind. I also love the fact that Witney has been getting different "types " of people as her partner in the previous seasons. From a young singer, to a dance machine, to a guy who all the ladies love (probably), I think that Witney will prove herself once again.

Patti LaBelle and Artem Chigvintsev
Patti was another person that I haven't really heard of before. All I know is that she looks great for her age! She seems so sweet as well. It is obvious that Artem will bring out the best in her, and it seems like they have fun together from their facial expressions and reactions. Artem likes to create "safe" choreography, so I think that will help Patti's progress in the long run. I hope this couple has as much fun as I think they are having!

Michael Sam and Peta Murgatroyd
Of course, Michael appears to be a very open person. This can really help him in this competition because the audience likes to connect with the contestants. Also, Peta's major popularity, especially after last season, will help bring in some votes as well. I know that athletes on this show usually do either really good or really bad, but I predict that, with the help of Peta, Michael will be a great performer!

Nastia Liukin and Derek Hough
Well, well, well. Derek is back after all! As Nastia said, I don't think that she could have a better professional partner. For some reason, I just picture this duo as being a "true dance match". I wonder how Nastia will do because, although she is a medal-winning gymnast, she has never done ballroom dancing before. She is most likely going to be able to do whatever Derek throws at her, but you never know,

Robert Herjavec and Kym Johnson
I'm really glad that Kym is back, and I am content with the fact that Robert is her celebrity partner this season. Robert seems to be a wild card to me. Since Kym left the American show for a while, I don't know if her fan base decreased or not. Along with that, I have no clue how Robert will perform this season. This couple is a complete mystery to me. Hopefully Robert "invests" his time with dancing! Hahaha, get it?!

Charlotte McKinney and Keoikantse Motsepe
I am so glad that Keo is back this season. We didn't get to see a lot of him last season, but I can tell that his choreography is unique and fun. Charlotte is definitely going to have fun with him, and I am excited to see Keo's comeback. One thing I am worried about, though, is their votes. Keo does not have as large of a fan base as some of the other pros, and Charlotte has only recently become "big" in the celebrity world (as far as I know). I am a little worried about this couple's safety for the competition.

Riker Lynch and Allison Holker
The Hough family is taking over this season! Julianne Hough is a judge, Derek Hough is a pro, and Riker (their cousin) is a contestant. I love how a lot of the people this season are blonde! Anyway, Riker obviously has rhythm because he is in a band, and I think that will transfer well on the dance floor. As for Allison, I know she got a lot of criticism last season, but I think that this is her time to shine. I hope this couple this well, especially because of the high expectations of them from many of the viewers.

Rumer Willis and Valentin Chmerkovskiy
I can already tell that this couple will get a lot of votes. Rumer and Val are both very popular, and I am excited to see Val's outrageous choreography for her. I am especially excited for this season's Disney week (if they make it that far) because Val really captures the essences of themed weeks. This couple seems like they will have a lot to offer.


Well, those are my views. What do you think? Who do you want to win?

Remember, season 20 of Dancing With the Stars begins March 16 at 8 pm/7 pm central!

I will also be creating a Twitter soon, so there will be all sorts of updates there. Stay tuned!

Season 20 Cast Announced on "Good Morning America"

Well, it is almost here! The ten year anniversary season of Dancing With the Stars will premiere on ABC on March 16, 2015. This season has been told to be "bigger" and "better" than ever before!

As we all know, ten of the twelve pros on DWTS were announced on GMA a few weeks ago. However, what everybody waits for is the contestants announcement!

This morning, eleven of the twelve contestants were announced, along with who their professional partners are. Here they are:

Riker Lynch from the band R5 is paired with Allison Holker.
Champion gymnast Nastia Liukin is partnered with Derk Hough.
Shark Tank investor Robert Herjavec has Kym Johnson as his professsional partner.
Suzanne Somers from Three's Company is with Tony Dovolani.
Redfoo from LMFAO is paired with Emma Slater.
Singer Patti LaBelle has Artem Chigvintsev.
American veteran Noah Galloway is dancing with Sharna Burgess.
Actress Rumer Willis is paired with Valentin Chmerkovskiy.
Michael Sam from the NFL has Peta Murgatroyd as his partner.
Hunger Games star Willow Shields is paired with Mark Ballas.
Model Charlotte McKinney is partnered with Keoikantse Motsepe
A mystery contestant is dancing with season 19 winner Witney Carson.

The troupe has also been confirmed, with Sasha, Britney, Alan, Lindsay, Jenna, and Henry.

Remember to tune into ABC on March 16 for the premiere of season 20!