Dancing with the Stars

Like the previous seasons of Dancing with the Stars, season four offers the same excitement with a new batch of celebrity challengers. But one thing that sets this season apart is the absence of another professional dancer, Louis van Amstel. In late February, professional dancer Ashley DelGrosso announced that she would not be joining this season’s Dancing with the Stars due to her pregnancy.

As for Amstel, his absence this season is due to a height issue. He explained in his website, "As you may have already heard, the couples for season four of Dancing with the Stars have been announced and guess what... I'm not one of them. I got the first call early last week that I wasn't going to have a celebrity dance partner this season, due to the simple fact that by sheer chance, all the female celebrities are 5 feet 9 inches or taller. Since I am 5 feet 8 inches, I am unlucky this season."

Amstel, a 35-year old professional dancer and choreographer, has been with Dancing with the Stars since its initial season. In the first season, he was paired with Trista Sutter and was the first to be eliminated. In the second season, he was paired with Lisa Rinna and ranked 4th place. In the most recent third season, he was partnered with Monique Coleman and ranked fourth once again.

In another angle, Amstel’s absence was due to his “diva” attitude during his inclusion on the series as a choreographer. According to an informant of Access Hollywood, "[He was] angry that he had to share those responsibilities with judge Carrie Ann Inaba who is herself a choreographer…[van Amstel] and [Inaba] apparently butted heads the entire time and dancers on the tour are said to have been seen crying and threatening to quit under van Amstel's tutelage."

-Kris De Leon, BuddyTV Staff Columnist

Source: RealityTV World