The ABC show “Dancing With the Stars” has proved that ice skaters make great ballroom dancers (Season 4 and6winners Apolo Anton Ohno and Kristi Yamaguchi) and octogenarians can still have a lot of cleavage (Season 7’s Cloris Leachman). Tonight some of the pro and celebrity dancers from the competition come to Scottrade Center to show their moves. Let's take a look at some of the pros who will be here. By Gail Pennington, Post-Dispatch TV critic
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Pros, celebs come to Scottrade for 'Dancing with the Stars'
Lance Bass and Lacey Schwimmer on
Former N 'Sync member Lance Bass and professional dancer Lacey Schwimmer compete on season 7 of "Dancing with the Stars." The two are also traveling with the "DWTS" tour. (Kelsey McNeal/ABC)
By Gail Pennington and Kevin C. Johnson
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
01/16/2009
Meet the professionals
The ABC show “Dancing With the Stars” has proved that ice skaters make great ballroom dancers (Season 4 and6winners Apolo Anton Ohno and Kristi Yamaguchi) and octogenarians can still have a lot of cleavage (Season 7’s Cloris Leachman). Tonight some of the pro and celebrity dancers from the competition come to Scottrade Center to show their moves. Let's take a look at some of the pros who will be here. By Gail Pennington, Post-Dispatch TV critic
MARK BALLAS
• Age 22, born in Houston, lives in London
• Dance cred: He's been a Latin-dance champion since childhood.
• "Dancing" history: After joining the show in Season 5, Ballas and Kristi Yamaguchi won Season 6. His most recent partner was Kim Kardashian.
• You might not know: Derek and Julianne Hough as kids lived with the Ballas family in London and were trained by Ballas' parents, Shirley and Corky (who danced with Cloris Leachman last season).
• Oops: Ballas suffered a groin pull Dec. 29 but might be back in time to dance here.
MAKSIM CHMERKOVSKIY
• Age 29, born in Ukraine, emigrated at 14
related links
bullet TV listings
bullet Find tickets to the show
bullet The official "DWTS" tour site
• Dance cred: He's a Latin-dance champion, choreographer and teacher.
• "Dancing" history: Chmerkovskiy joined the show in Season 2 but skipped Season 6. His previous partner was Misty May-Treanor, who was sidelined by an injury.
• You might not know: As a teen, Chmerkovskiy was injured so badly in a skiing accident that doctors thought he'd be handicapped. They were wrong. He got engaged on New Year's Eve to fellow "DWTS" pro Karina Smirnoff.
DEREK HOUGH
• Age 23, born in Utah, grew up in London
• Dance cred: Hough has competed all over the world in Latin dance, beginning in childhood.
• "Dancing" history: After joining in Season 5, he won the most recent season with partner Brooke Burke.
• You might not know: Hough and BFF Mark Ballas are in a rock band called Almost Amy. Hough plays guitar and sings lead.
KYM JOHNSON
• Age 32, Australian
• Dance cred: Johnson, who retired from competitive ballroom dance in 2001, performed in the touring show "Burn the Floor" and in the movie "Strictly Ballroom."
• "Dancing" history: After appearing in Seasons 1-3 of Australia's "Dancing With the Stars," she joined the U.S. version in 2003, partnered with Jerry Springer.
• You might not know: In 2006, Johnson appeared on "Celebrity Survivor" in Australia.
ALEC MAZO
• Age 29, born in Russia, emigrated at 12
• Dance cred: A dancer since age 5, Mazo competed on the amateur and professional Latin circuit with partner Edyta Sliwinska.
• "Dancing" history: Mazo won Season 1 with partner Kelly Monaco. His most recent partner was Toni Braxton.
• You might not know: Mazo and Sliwinska have been married since 2007. His incidental credits include "Heroes" and "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button."
FABIAN SANCHEZ
• Age 36, born in Colombia, grew up in Birmingham, Ala.
• Dance cred: Sanchez is a Latin-dance champion billed as the Mambo King.
• "Dancing" history: After joining the show in Season 6, he danced with Marlee Matlin.
• You might not know: Sanchez and his wife own a Fred Astaire Dance Studios franchise in Birmingham.
LACEY SCHWIMMER
• Age 20, from Los Angeles
• Dance cred: Schwimmer made the Top 4 in the first season of "So You Think You Can Dance." (Her brother Benji won Season 2.)
• "Dancing" history: A newcomer last season, Schwimmer danced with Lance Bass.
• You might not know: Her father, Buddy Schwimmer, a famous West Coast swing dancer, performed on "Dance Fever."
EDYTA SLIWINSKA
• Age 27, born in Warsaw, Poland, now lives in San Francisco
• Dance cred: Sliwinska had won several competitions, but "DWTS" was her big break.
• "Dancing" history: Sliwinska is the only pro to appear on all seven seasons. Her best finish (third place) was with Joey Lawrence in Season 3. Her most recent partner was comic Jeffrey Ross, who was eliminated first.
• You might not know: Sliwinska and Alec Mazo got married in 2007. They run dance schools in San Francisco and Los Angeles.
KARINA SMIRNOFF
• Age 30, born in Ukraine
• Dance cred: Smirnoff is a five-time U.S. national champion.
• "Dancing" history: She joined the show in Season 3 and was partnered with Mario Lopez, finishing second. Her most recent partner was Rocco DiSpirito.
• You might not know: Smirnoff dated Lopez before getting engaged to fellow pro Maksim Chmerkovskiy.
Critique the celeb dancers
Toni Braxton, Lance Bass, Marlee Matlin and Maurice Green are the celebrity dancers featured "Dancing with the Stars: The Tour." We asked two local professionals — Lee Nolting, artistic director of COCAdance and director of student recruitment and the preprofessional program, and Mimi MacDonald, COCAdance program specialist-instructor — to watch videos of these stars’ performances on the ABC program to see who has the most promise. By Kevin C. Johnson, Post-Dispatch pop music critic. dancingstarfan.com
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