Let's Go To The Movies: Dancing With the Stars

This post is gong to be another one of those occasions where instead of writing about a movie I write about a television show. One of my guilty pleasures is watching Dancing With the Stars on ABC and this is the show's 20th season, kind of a big milestone. For those of you who don't know, the purpose of the show is to pair a celebrity, whether they are a musician, actor, professional athlete, internet star and many other famous people, with a professional dancer who teaches them a variety of ballroom dance styles.

This season the stars who started out were Redfoo (from the band LMFAO), Noah Galloway (a combat soldier who lost his arm and leg in Afghanistan), Robert Herjavec (Shark from Shartank), Patti LaBelle (singer), Nastia Luikin (Olympic gymnast), Riker Lynch (singer from the bank R5), Charlotte McKinney (model known for Super Bowl commercial), Michael Sam (American football player), Willow Shields (plays Primrose Everdeen in Hunger Games series), Suzanne Somers (actress from Three's Company), Chris Soules (previous Bachelor), and Rumer Willis (actress and daughter of Bruce Willis and Demi Moore).

One of the main reasons I enjoy watching this show is because of how inspiring it is. While yes these people are all famous for some reason, the majority of them have never had experience in ballroom dancing. They are placing themselves in a vulnerable position where they are judged by a panel of professional dancers as well as all of the American public, who are usually not so kind. The contestants come from different backgrounds, different skill sets and different ages yet they all show tremendous progress throughout the season.

Viewers get the opportunity to vote for their favorite contestant and their votes actually contribute to which contestants stay, and which get eliminated each week. On several occasions I have actually participated in voting, and sometimes I just vote for them in spirit. I however usually don't vote or root for people who are naturally gifted (like the gymnasts, other style dancers, or even musicians because they already have the musicality that is required). I usually vote for the underdogs, the contestants who come from nontraditional backgrounds, and people who are genuinely trying and thoroughly enjoy being a part of the process.

Season 17 - Bill Engvall (comedian)
Season 18 -Drew Carey (host and comedian) and Charlie White (Olympic ice dancer)
Season 19 - Sadie Robertson (TV star), Janel Parish (TV star), and Alfonso Ribiero (TV star)

This season my favorites at this point in the competition include the following pairs