Dancing with the Stars Dance Partners Season 11, 2010

Jennifer Gray, Brandy, and Rick Fox are the celebrities to watch on Dancing with the Stars season 11. These three were my favorites when the celebrities were announced. Now that the celebrities and their partners have been revealed I'm definitely sticking with my early favorites.

Jennifer Grey and Derek Hough well dance partners season 11 DWTS.
Jennifer Grey's pairing with Derek Hough stands to benefit Grey for the long haul. Even with her most notable dancing experience twenty years ago, Jennifer Grey seems to be the odds on favorite to win the Mirror ball trophy. Being paired with a strong dancer and choreographer gives her an even greater lead before they even take to the ballroom dance floor. Hough has won twice. Partnering with Jennifer Grey, who is at the very least teachable, gives him a shot at his third win. Some diehard fans dislike the champion, but I think the popularity of Jennifer Grey, including her connection with Patrick Swayze in Dirty Dancing, will win her the popular vote. It's a sentimental thing. Plus, the pair will likely grab votes for style and finesse, putting season 11 is in the bag.

Brandy and Maksim Chmerkovskiy will Dance like Stars.
Brandy has the strongest background in choreography of any of this season's dancers. Brandy and Maksim will likely give Jennifer Grey and Drek Hough a run for their money over the long haul. They are well suited in size. I can't wait to see if they have the chemistry to make it work on the dance floor.

Rick Fox and Cheryl Burke are my long shot choice for DWTS season 11.
I think Rick Fox will do well with Cheryl Burke, but I admit that it is pure speculation. I want Rick Fox to be good, but as we have learned some athletes can dance others cannot. I'm looking for Rick Fox to be one of the athletes who is light on his feet. If he is already a dancer or can be molded then Cheryl Burke will take him where he needs to go, but she sure is short compared to him. Fox may give Cheryl Burke some kind of work out.

How well will Audrina Patridge and Tony Dovolani fare on Dancing with the Stars?
Tony Dovolani must have the patience of Job. Last season he was paired with reality show star Kate Gosselin, who lasted longer than she should have. Now, he is paired with The Hills reality TV celebrity Audrina Patridge, who, like Kate, is fishing for her own reality show. Does that make DWTS one big promo set? I don't know if Audrina Patridge can dance. She comes across pretty fake to me, so maybe she will get by long enough on season 11 of Dancing with the Stars on the fake-it-till-you-make-it principle, but poor Tony. He gets all the drama queens.

Will David Hasselhoff and Kym Johnson really dance together?
David Hasselhoff is paired with Kym Johnson, a fan favorite, for season 11. Here is the thing. It occurs to me that David Hasselhoff is a washed up old man clinging tenaciously to celebrity status. I keep getting this mental picture of him stumbling out onto the dance floor. It's not nice, but he brought the image on himself. I look for Hasselhoff to be as graceful as a brick. Call me out if it works out for him, but I don't have very high expectations. He will last as long as he can milk the popularity vote of holdovers from the good old days of Baywatch. There is no way Hasselhoff can keep pace with Kym Johnson. He just wanted a good looking girl on his arm.

Louis van Amstel has his hands full with dancing partner Margaret Cho.
The combination of Louis van Amstel and Margaret Cho is just going to be a complete surprise when Dancing with the Stars premiers. Cho is not demure. I'm sorry, but it is a stretch to call her a lady. Can she dance? I don't know. If she can, Louis van Amstel will be able to pull her a good bit of the way, but I don't look for her to go very far in this competition. My sense is that the comedian is way out of her league, and that gun tattooed on her thigh and the artsy tattoo on her arm is going to take away from dramatic costuming. If she thinks costuming is a big joke, then she isn't going to get anywhere on season 11 of DWTS.

Florence Henderson and Corky Ballas paired to dance.
Corky Ballas will be gentle with Florence Henderson, not that I think she is fragile. I'm just saying. Florence may have a few surprises of her own in store, but I'll bet it is difficult to keep pace with a world champion Latin dancer.

Partners Bristol Palin and Mark Ballas shouldn't last long on season 11 DWTS.
Well, from taking a look at the Dancing with the Stars photo shoot Mark Ballas has his hands full with Bristol Palin. It's not that Bristol is a big girl, but compared to the diminutive Mark Ballas she looks big compared to him. Mark Ballas, however, reports via Twitter that so far dance practice is going well. Perhaps he will be able to tap a few surprises out of Bristol Palin. Mark is so cheerful and positive he must be a pleasure to work with. Bristol Palin is lucky to have landed him as a dancing partner. I just hope it doesn't mean an early elimination for him.

Michael Bolton and Chelsie Hightower should make a good dancing team.
Chelsie Hightower is a lot younger than Michael Bolton, but they make a good looking couple for the dance floor. I think Michael and Chelsie may have a chance to make it farther than a lot of the dancers in the field, maybe even into the finals. Michael Bolton knows rhythm. We just have to see if he can transfer it to his feet, but I'm expecting good things from the Bolton - Hightower team.

Lacey Schwimmer and Kyle Massey take a shot at the Mirror ball trophy.
If the photo shoot is any indication of what to expect from Lacey Schwimmer and Kyle Massey it will not matter much if the young man can dance, she is wearing practically nothing in the DWTS photo spread. Dressed, or undressed, like this Lacey will keep most of the attention on herself and off of Massey. Many older viewers are not familiar with Kyle Massey, but he is a Disney talent and those young people are usually very well rounded. It will be fun to see what Lacey and Kyle can do, if she will just put on some clothes.

Mike "The Situation" Sorrentino and Karina Smirnoff may surprise some DWTS viewers.
No one seems to be a fan of Mike "The Situation" Sorrentino even being on the dance floor. He is paired with Karina Smirnoff. The general expectation is that they will focus on costuming, showing off their fit bodies. I think Mike Sorrentino is slimy on Jersey Shore, but I'm betting that the young man knows how to behave himself on the dance floor. We know he goes dancing all the time, granted it is not ballroom dancing, but he should be able to learn the moves. I think Mike "The Situation" Sorrentino and Karina Smirnoff may make it farther than most expect.

Kurt Warner and Anna Trebunskaya give it a try on Dancing with the Stars, season 11.
I hope Kurt Warner and Anna Trebunskaya loosen up more on the dance floor than they did in their DWTS photo shoot. Kurt looks posed and stiff. I'm afraid that may translate to cold and stiff in the ballroom. As I said before, you never know what will happen when it comes to athletes. Kurt Warner was a phenomenal athlete in his day and is the consummate gentleman, but that may not be enough. He is well paired with Anna Trebunskaya, but I'm just not sure they will have what it takes to make it through the season.

Share your opinion. What do you think of the dancing pairs on season 11 Dancing with the Stars? Which team of dancers are you pulling for? Who is your favorite dancer? Who is your favorite celebrity?

Sources:
Dancing with the Stars
Dancing with the Stars: The Pro Dancers
Dancing with Stars Season 11 Cast Photos
Mark Ballas, Twitter