Wednesday, September 11, 2013

Meet the Men of Dancing With Stars: Season 17

THE PROS
 Derek Hough
Derek Hough (/ˈhʌf/; born May 17, 1985) is an American dancer and choreographer. Holding a world champion title in Under 21 Latin American Dance, Hough has appeared since September 2007 (seasons 5–11 and seasons 13–16) on the hit U.S. television series Dancing with the Stars, where he is the only four-time champion in the show's history (with Brooke Burke, Nicole Scherzinger, Jennifer Grey and Kellie Pickler), two time finalist (with Ricki Lake and Shawn Johnson), three-time semi-finalist (with Jennie Garth, Joanna Krupa, and Maria Menounos), and a quarter-finalist (with Lil' Kim).
Hough has earned five Creative Arts Primetime Emmy nominations for Outstanding Choreography for his work on the show. The first one was in 2009 when he shared a nomination with his younger sister Julianne Hough for their Jive routine to "Great Balls on Fire". The second and third ones were in 2010; one as choreographer for his Futuristic Paso Doble routine to "Living on Video" (danced with Joanna Krupa on season nine) and his Quickstep routine to "Anything Goes" (danced with Nicole Scherzinger on season ten) and one shared with Chelsie Hightower for their Paso Doble routine to "Malaquena". The last two ones for 2013 are still pending; one as choreographer for his Quickstep routine to "Hey Pachuco", his Mambo routine to "Para Los Rumberos" (both danced with Shawn Johnson on All-stars season 15) and his routine to "Walking On Air" (danced with Jaimie Goodwin on season 16) and one shared with Alison Holker for their two contemporary routines to "Heart Cry" (danced with Alison Holker, Melanie Moore, Jessica Lee Keller and Katherine McCormick on season 16) and to "Stars" (danced with Brilynn Rakes on season 16).
Prior to joining Dancing with the Stars, Hough starred as Ren in the 2006 original cast production of Footloose: The Musical at the Novelo Theatre in London's West End, as well as on the 2006 UK national tour. Hough's West End performance earned him a nomination as The Stuart Phillips London Newcomer of the Year in the Whatsonstage.com Theatregoers' Choice Awards. Hough made his Broadway debut on January 8, 2010, starring with Kym Johnson and Mary Murphy in Burn the Floor for the final four performances of the show's Broadway run. A founding member of the Ballas Hough Band (formerly Almost Amy), Hough shares lead vocals, plays guitar and has several songwriting credits on the band's self-titled debut CD, released by Hollywood Records in March 2009.
Hough's new partner for season 17 is Glee star Amber Riley



Mark Ballas
Mark Alexander Ballas Jr. (born May 24, 1986) is an American dancer.
Ballas is a professional ballroom dancer on the ABC program Dancing with the Stars. He began competing on the show in the fall of 2007. He was nominated for an Emmy for Outstanding Choreography in 2011. He is also a singer/songwriter/musician and released his first solo CD HurtLoveBox in March 2011.
For season 17 he is paired with singer Christina Milian

Sasha Farber
Sasha Farber (Dancer). Born in Russia, Sasha started dancing at 13 in his new homeland, Australia. 

By 17, Sasha had won the Australian Youth Latin Championships twice and represented Australia at the World Latin Championships. 

He was featured in the closing ceremony at the 2000 Sydney Olympics and in Season 2 of Dancing with the Stars (Australia).

Currently, Sasha is a dancer with the DWTS Troupe on Dancing With The Stars Season 13.

Previously, Sasha was an original cast member and a lead dancer in the world-wide production of Burn The Floor, including critically acclaimed Broadway and West End runs .

Sasha has also appeared in many television shows as  guest appearance and/or choreographer for shows such as So You Think You Can Dance, Dancing With The Stars, and MTV Music Awards.

Most Recently, Sasha was a troupe dancer on DWTS Season 13 and appeared with Olivia Newton John at the Australian Film and Television Awards. 

For season 17 he is paired with singer Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi

Tony Dovolani
Driton "Tony" Dovolani (born July 17, 1973) is an Albanian professional ballroom dancer, instructor and judge based in New York City. He is known for his involvement in the American version of Dancing with the Stars on ABC. Dovolani also portrayed a Latin bad boy in the hit film Shall We Dance? and spent time coaching actress Jennifer Lopez.
 For season 17, he is partnered with actress Leah Remini.
 Tristan MacManus
Tristan MacManus, born July 23, 1982 (age 31), is an Irish dancer, best known for his appearances on Dancing with the Stars.
For season 17, he is paired with actress Valerie Harper.
Valentin Chmerkovskiy
Valentin "Val" Aleksandrovich Chmerkovskiy (born March 24, 1986) is a professional dancer, best known for his appearances in the American version of Dancing with the Stars (DWTS). He is the brother of former DWTS dancer Maksim Chmerkovskiy.
For season 17, he is paired with former Saved by the Bell actress Elizabeth Berkley.










THE STARS
 Bill Engvall
William Ray "Bill" Engvall, Jr. (born July 27, 1957) is an American comedian and actor best known for his work as a stand-up comic, his signature "Here's Your Sign" bit, and as a member of the Blue Collar Comedy group. As a contestant on the 17th season of Dancing with the Stars Bill is  paired with professional dancer Emma Slater
 Bill Nye
William Sanford "Bill" Nye (born November 27, 1955), popularly known as Bill Nye the Science Guy, is an American science educator, comedian, television host, actor, writer, and scientist who began his career as a mechanical engineer at Boeing. He is best known as the host of the Disney/PBS children's science show Bill Nye the Science Guy (1993–98) and for his many subsequent appearances in popular media as a science educator.
Nye will be participating in the 17th season of Dancing with the Stars, where he will be partnered with newcomer Tyne Stecklein
 Brant Daugherty
Brant Daugherty (born August 20, 1985) is an American actor, best known for his recurring role as Noel Kahn on the ABC Family series Pretty Little Liars. He also has a recurring role as Brian in the long-running NBC daytime drama Days of Our Lives.
In 2013 he was named a regular of the cast of Lifetime Network's Army Wives for season 7, which began airing in April 2013, in the role of Patrick Clarke.
He has a credited role in Jason Friedberg and Aaron Seltzer's motion picture comedy The Starving Games set for release in fall 2013.
He has also acted in some minor roles in television series.
He is currently a contestant on the 17th season of Dancing with the Stars. He is partnered with professional dancer Peta Murgatroyd.
 Corbin Bleu
Corbin Bleu Reivers (born February 21, 1989), known professionally as Corbin Bleu, is an American actor, model, dancer, producer, and singer-songwriter. He performed in the High School Musical film series, the Discovery Kids drama series Flight 29 Down, and the Disney Channel Original Movie Jump In!. His first lead role was in the film Catch That Kid (2004).
Guest-starring roles include appearances on Hannah Montana, The Amanda Show, Cover Me: Based on the True Life of an FBI Family, Malcolm & Eddie, and The Good Wife. He appeared on the show Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide, and the movie Free Style (2008). In 2009 he was cast as up-and-coming model Isaac Taylor in The CW Television Network drama The Beautiful Life: TBL.
He has also pursued a music career, and released his debut album Another Side on May 1, 2007, which included the single "Push It to the Limit". The album debuted at number thirty-six on the U.S. Billboard 200, selling 18,000 copies in its first week. Bleu released his second album, Speed of Light, on March 10, 2009, in the U.S.
Bleu played Usnavi in the Broadway company of In the Heights. Bleu was considered as host for The X Factor USA.
On September 4, 2013, he was revealed to be a contestant on the 17th season of Dancing with the Stars. He is partnered with professional dancer Karina Smirnoff.

Jack Osbourne
Jack Joseph Osbourne (born 8 November 1985) is an English media personality. He is best known as a star of MTV's reality series The Osbournes (2003–05), along with his father Ozzy, mother Sharon, and sister Kelly. Osbourne has since pursued a career as a fitness and travel reporter, presenting shows such as Jack Osbourne: Adrenaline Junkie (2005–09) and BBC's Saving Planet Earth (2007). He was diagnosed with relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis in 2012.
Jack was announced as one of the contestants on the 17th season of Dancing with the Stars. He is partnered with professional dancer Cheryl Burke.

Keyshawn Johnson
Joseph Keyshawn Johnson (born on July 22, 1972) is a former American college and professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL) for eleven seasons. He played college football for the University of Southern California, and earned All-American honors. The first pick in the 1996 NFL Draft, he played professionally for the New York Jets, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Dallas Cowboys and Carolina Panthers. He retired from football following the 2006 season, and in 2009 became a television broadcaster for the sports channel ESPN.
Johnson was announced to be a contestant on the 17th season of Dancing with the Stars. He is paired with professional dancer Sharna Burgess


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