Athletes step up in dance contest
The quicksteps will be quicker than usual on “Dancing With the Stars: Athletes.”
For its 26th season, the ABC dance contest starts Monday and ends May 21. That means just four telecasts for a series featuring 10 athletes jockeying for victory and that hideous mirrorball trophy.
Athletes usually are better prepared for the contest’s demands. Comedian Bill Engvall, who competed at 57, recalled training six hours a day for 13 weeks and worrying about being voted off. He said he had fun in making it to the finals, but later had to have a knee replaced, which was followed by kidney stones and shingles.
The new edition features retired athletes: basketball legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Major League Baseball player Johnny Damon and pro softball star Jennie Finch Daigle. Former figure skater Tonya Harding, who received a burst of attention for the 2017 film “I, Tonya,” could intrigue or appall viewers.
The show has enlisted Notre Dame basketball player Arike Ogunbowale and NFL star Josh Norman of Washington.
The casting team was paying attention to the 2018 Winter Olympics in South Korea. It signed up figure skaters Mirai Nagasu and Adam Rippon, luger Chris Mazdzer and snowboarder Jamie Anderson.
The athletes who have won “DWTS” are Emmitt Smith, Hines Ward, Donald Driver and Rashad Jennings (football), Apolo Anton Ohno (speed skating), Helio Castroneves (race driving), Kristi Yamaguchi (figure skating), Shawn Johnson and Laurie Hernandez (gymnastics) and Meryl Davis (ice dancing).
Joining their ranks probably will be one from the Olympics group. Anderson is lucky to be paired with pro dancer Artem Chigvintsev. Nagasu should thrive with Alan Bersten.
Hosts Tom Bergeron and Erin Andrews will be back, and they are always good company. “DWTS” fans just wish the abbreviated season were longer.
In the “Athletes” premiere, the couples will perform a chacha, salsa, foxtrot or Viennese waltz, and eliminations will be based on judges’ scores and live viewer votes. After the premiere, fan voting will figure in week two ejections.
The eliminations have to come quicker, too, with just four shows.
hboedeker@orlandosentinel.com and 407-420-5756