Dancing With The Stars : Season 6

The sixth season of ABC’s Dancing With The Stars held its two-day premier on Monday and Tuesday, March 17 and 18. Starting with twelve couples – six men and six women – the show pairs each celebrity with a professional dance partner, who teaches them a new ballroom or Latin dance each week. A combination of the judge’s score and votes from fans at home determine overall scores, with the lowest-scoring couple being eliminated each week.

Here are the stars and their dance partners competing this season:
* Adam Carolla (comedian & radio host) - Julianne Hough - VOTED OFF in Week 4
* Cristian de la Fuente (Chilean film star) - Cheryl Burke
* Shannon Elizabeth (film & TV star) - Derek Hough - VOTED OFF in Week 7
* Steve Gutenberg (movie star) - Anna Trebunskaya - VOTED OFF in Week 3
* Mario (R&B singer) - Karina Smirnoff - VOTED OFF in Week 8
* Marlee Matlin (actress) - Fabian Sanchez - VOTED off in Week 6
* Penn Jillette (magician) - Kym Johnson - VOTED OFF in Week 2 (double elimination)
* Priscilla Presley (actress) - Louis van Amstel - VOTED OFF in Week 5
* Monica Seles (tennis champion) - Jonathan Roberts - VOTED OFF in Week 2 (double elimination)
* Jason Taylor (football player) - Edyta Sliwinska
* Marissa Jaret Winokur (Broadway star) - Tony Dovolani
* Kristi Yamaguchi (figure skating champion) - Mark Ballas

The competitors will be dancing the following ballroom and Latin dances: cha cha, jive, paso doble, foxtrot, tango, mambo, rumba, quickstep, samba, Viennese waltz and waltz.

The last four seasons (out of five) have been won by men - Drew Lachey, Emmitt Smith, Apollo Anton Ohno, and Helio Castroneves. The last three winners were athletes and won in the finals against entertainers (singers and actors).

This season includes some well-known female athletes - Monica Seles and Kristi Yamaguchi - as well as football player Jason Taylor. Will an athlete will win again? Can a female star pull it out this time? Can Julianne Hough or Cheryl Burke earn a third title with their respective partners?

Visit the Latin Music Forum on BellaOnline for weekly updates from Latin Music Editor Karin Norgard. You can also post your feedback each week and vote for your favorites. This article will provide an update of which couples are eliminated each week; all other updates can be found on the forum. Be sure to also check out the Latin Dance category on this site for articles on Latin dance. More articles are soon to come. Be sure to contact the editor via the forum or the bio page with any topics you would like to see covered on the Latin Music Site.

Enjoy the show!