Dancing with the Stars

Read the Latest News, Recaps and More on Dancing with the Stars Season 6


ABC is gearing up for season 6 of Dancing with the Stars in a big way. The identities of the 12 celebrity contestants were revealed last night during the season finale of Dance War, and this morning, ABC announced which professional dancer each will be paired with. Among the pros slated for this season are Cheryl Burke and Julianne Hough, both two-time winners of the coveted mirror ball trophy, as well as newcomer Fabian Sanchez who marks his first season on Dancing with the Stars.

In alphabetical order, the 12 teams are as follows:

Adam Carolla & Julianne Hough

Adam Carolla is the host of the nationally syndicated morning radio program, The Adam Carolla Show. He was also one of the creators and hosts of The Man Show and Loveline, with Dr. Drew Pinsky. He is paired with Julianne Hough who hopes to make this her third season in a row as Dancing with the Stars champ. She and her partner Helio Castroneves took home the mirror ball trophy just last fall.

Cristian de la Fuente & Cheryl Burke

Cristian de la Fuente is a telenovel heartthrob in his native Chile. He has also appeared on several American programs, including Family Law, CSI: Miami, Ugly Betty and Psych. He is teaming up with Cheryl Burke who is a two-time winner of Dancing with the Stars.

Shannon Elizabeth & Derek Hough

Shannon Elizabeth gained notoriety as the hot exchange student in the teen flick American Pie. She is also an accomplished poker player and placed third out of 64 professionals at the 2007 National Heads-Up Poker Championship. She will be dancing with Derek Hough, Julianne's older brother, who returns for his second season. Last season, he danced with actress Jennie Garth all the way to fourth place.

Steve Guttenberg & Anna Trebunskaya

Steve Guttenberg has starred in blockbusters such as Police Academy, Three Men and a Baby, Short Circuit and Cocoon. Recently, he has guest starred as Mayor Woody Goodman in the cult show Veronica Mars. He will be dancing with Anna Trebunskaya, who is married to fellow Dancing pro Jonathan Roberts. Last season, she was ousted after only the second round, along with her partner Albert Reed.

Mario & Karina Smirnoff

Mario is a 21-year-old R&B singer and actor known for the hit singles, "Just a Friend (2002)" and "Let Me Love You." He has also appeared in the films Step Up and Freedom Writers. His partner is Karina Smirnoff, who marks her fourth time appearing on the show. Karina was a runner-up with Mario Lopez on the third season of the show.

Marlee Matlin & Fabian Sanchez

Marlee Matlin received the Academy Award for Best Actress for her role in Children of a Lesser God. She has also appeared in the small screen on such programs as The West Wing, The L Word, Nip/Tuck and Desperate Housewives. She is teamed up with Fabian Sanchez who is a newcomer to Dancing with the Stars, but certainly not to the dancing world at large. He is the 2006 World Mambo Champion, a four-time Fred Astaire National Champion and the United States Rising Star, and the 1999 American Rhythm Champion.

Penn Jillette & Kym Johnson

Penn Jillette is one-half of the famous illusionist team Penn & Teller. In 2005 Penn produced and co-created the critically acclaimed documentary The Aristocrats. He will be dancing with Kym Johnson, who returns for her fourth season on the show. In season 4, she was a runner-up, alongside her partner Joey Fatone.

Priscilla Presley & Louis Van Amstel

Actress, producer and entrepreneur Priscilla Presley starred on the big screen in the Naked Gun films and on the small screen in Dallas. She was married to music icon Elvis Presley, and is now going dancing with Louis Van Amstel, who returns for his fourth season on the show. Most recently, he was paired with Monique Coleman in season 3.

Monica Seles & Jonathan Roberts

Monica Seles holds nine grand slam tennis singles titles. She is recognized by Tennis Magazine as the 13th greatest player of all time. This year, she trades in her tennis whites for sparkly ballroom dresses when she hits the dance floor with Jonathan Roberts. Husband to Anna Trebunskaya, Jonathan was paired with Marie Osmond last season, and made it all the way to third place. Jonathan returns for his fifth season.

Jason Taylor & Edyta Sliwinska

Jason Taylor, who as been a defensive end for the Miami Dolphins for over a decade, is this year's NFL Man of the Year Award winner and last year's NFL Defensive Player of the Year. He is teaming up with Edyta Sliwinska, the only professional dancer to have been on Dancing with the Stars for all six seasons. Last season, she was paired with soap star Cameron Mathison.

Marissa Jaret Winokur & Tony Dovolani

Marissa Jaret Winokur is best known for creating the role of Tracy Turnblad in the hit Broadway musical Hairspray. She has won many accolades for this performance, including a Tony Award, Drama Desk Award and an Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Actress. As for her Dancing partner, Tony Dovolani tore up the dance floor last season with Jane Seymour and returns for his fifth season on the show.

Kristi Yamaguchi & Mark Ballas

Kristi Yamaguchi struck gold at the 1992 Winter Olympics, and has since retired from competitive skating. She is a member of the U.S. Figure Skating Hall of Fame, World Figure Skating Hall of Fame and the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame. Her partner, Mark Ballas, returns for his second season on the show. Last season, he and his partner Sabrina Bryan caused much fan uproar when they became the sixth couple to be eliminated.

Notably absent in the professional lineup are Alec Mazo and Maksim Chmerkovskiy. Alec Mazo and his partner Kelly Monaco won the inaugural season of Dancing with the Stars. He was the first to be eliminated in season 4 with Paulina Porizkova and again in season 5 with Josie Maran. As for Maks, after becoming a runner-up with his partner Melanie Brown last season, he reportedly "just needs a break."

Read related Dancing with the Stars news:
ABC Reveals Cast of 'Dancing with the Stars' Season 6



-Debbie Chang, BuddyTV Staff Writer
Source: ABC, RealityTVWorld
(Image courtesy of ABC)