Ex-AMC Star the Latest on DWTS

All of you All My Children fans who are going through Aidan Devane withdrawals can get your fix in three weeks when Aiden Turner follows Cameron Matheson's footsteps as a competitor on this coming season of Dancing With the Stars. Season 10 begins Monday, March 22 on ABC.

Soap fans can also look forward to seeing 90210 bad girl Shannen Doherty strut her stuff as well. This news almost makes up for the fact that Kate Gosselin will be on it too.

Interview: Susan Lucci and Tony Donolavi

Soap fans were disappointed earlier this month when everyone’s favorite diva, Susan Lucci, was voted off “Dancing With the Stars.” I had the chance to catch up with Susan, and her dance partner, Tony Dovolani, during their stop in Orlando, Fla., for Super Soap Weekend at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.

Cindy Elavsky: How did the opportunity come about for you to be on “Dancing With the Stars”? It must have been such an honor to be asked, since everyone wants to be on the show.

Susan Lucci: I was thrilled to be asked to be on the show. To be perfectly candid, they had asked me before to be on the show — actually, twice before — and I didn’t think that I could handle working on “All My Children” and flying across country for “DWTS.” I didn’t think I could do it all. And then I saw Cameron (Mathison) handle it so beautifully, and it made me feel like I was a wimp. Plus, I felt like I had missed the opportunity of a lifetime. So, when they came to me this summer and asked me if I would be interested in doing it, I knew I had to do it.

CE: Who else on “AMC” do you think would be a good candidate to participate on “DWTS”?

SL: I think a number of people honestly would. The cast is fantastic. Whoever does, I would just tell him to know that your time to learn the dances is that much shorter (since “AMC” tapes in New York and “DWTS” is based in LA). You don’t get four days. You can’t dance all day and all night. For me, I felt like I would have liked to have had the option to dance more hours a day. Also, this year was the first year they decided to do a team dance, and score us on it. I was not on the same coast as everyone. And we did the cha-cha, which is a syncopated dance, and you need to be together to practice, and I was not on the same coast. Tony and I were in third place after the pasodoble, after our individual dance, but the scores from the team dance brought us down and that’s why we were voted off.

CE: Are you going to keep dancing after all of this?

SL: Oh, I definitely intend to keep on dancing.

Tony Dovolani: Even after the show is done, Susan and I will continue dancing, because I intend to continue teaching her. She deserves to learn ballroom dancing the right way. Where there is no pressure, and she can just learn the art form the way it is supposed to be. She’s the kind of person who ballroom dancing was made for. She embraces it with her entire body and her entire soul, and she should definitely learn every dance there is.

CE: What was your favorite dance to perform together?

TD: I’ve watched them all and by far it’s between the two of them: the pasodoble and the rumba. (To Susan) I thought your rumba was spectacular.

SL: Thank you. Looking back, I love the rumba too.

TD: You looked incredible — you danced, you moved your hips, you were very relaxed. You were completely embracing the dance. Everybody says that the mark of a good dancer is whether they can do a decent rumba. And you didn’t do a decent, you did a great rumba. Rumba exposes people’s flaws. You can always camouflage things, but if you are not as good a dancer, the rumba will expose that. Remember, it’s the kiss of death.

SL: Thank heavens I didn’t know that before we did the dance!

CE: What is something you would like to see Erica Kane do in the future, something she has never done or tried before?

SL: I think Erica Kane needs to learn how to ballroom dance. We’ve seen Tony as an injured handsome man on the show. We need to see him survive, get well after the tornado, and everyone is like, “Who was that man?” It could be like that wonderful movie, “Shall We Dance,” but in reverse. Erica has a very stressful life, we all know this, and it would be fun for her to learn to dance, with Tony teaching her. And Adam and Jack could get all jealous, and it could be a lot of story line there.

La Lucci to Put on Her Dancing Shoes

The new line-up of Dancing With the Stars contestants has been announced, and All My Children diva Susan Lucci is leading the pack of the latest hoofers.

Here is a complete list of DWTS contestants:
* AMC's Susan Lucci; pro partner Tony Dovolani
* Team USA's two-time Olympic gold medalist beach volleyball player, Misty May-Treanor; pro partner Maksim Chmerkovskiy
* Former 'N Syncer Lance Bass; pro partner Lacey Schwimmer
* Keeping Up With the Kardashians star and socialite/boutique owner Kim Kardashian; pro partner Mark Ballas
* Grammy winner Toni Braxton; pro partner Alec Mazo
* Retired NFL defensive lineman Warren Sapp; pro partner Kym Johnson
* Celebrity chef Rocco DiSpirito; pro partner Karina Smirnoff
* Rock Star host and actress Brooke Burke; pro partner Derek Hough
* Gold medalist sprinter for Team USA in the Athens and Sydney Olympics Maurice Greene; pro partner Cheryl Burke
* Hannah Montana co-star Cody Linley; pro partner Julianne Hough
* Ted McGinley (Hope & Faith, Sports Night, Married…With Children); pro partner Inna Brayer
* Oscar-winning actress Cloris Leachman; pro partner Corky Ballas
* Comedian Jeffrey Ross; pro partner Edyta Sliwinska

While I am super-excited to see how well Ms. Lucci moves, I am equally excited to hear that my favorite dancer, Maksim Chmerkovskiy is back. Woo hoo!

The new season begins with a three-night premiere, Sept. 22-24 on ABC. Check your local listings!

ABC to Announce Latest Dancing With the Stars Lineup

On Monday, Aug. 25, the latest batch of celebs to grace the Dancing With the Stars stage will be announced during Good Morning America. Since many soap stars, past and present, have been a part of the show, I felt it only appropos that I make the announcement here.

Who do you think should put on his/her dancing shoes, a la Cameron Mathison, Jennie Garth, Ian Ziering, John O'Hurley, Lissa Rinna, and the original dancing diva and Season One winner, Kelly Monaco?

Post your suggestions in the comments section of who you'd like to see on the DWTS stage come Monday, Sept. 22, when the show enters its 7th season.

VIDEO: Cameron and Edyta at Super Soap Weekend

I haven't had time to sort through and touch-up all my pictures from Super Soap Weekend yet, but, in honor of Cameron and Edyta's (premature, in my opinion) departure from Dancing With the Stars, I wanted to post this video of their performance this past Saturday night.

Enjoy!!

Cameron Mathison Dances Into the Sunset

Cameron Mathison has made the soap world proud. He made it to the top 5 dancers on Dancing With the Stars, before being voted off last night. When you consider all he's been doing since he started the show, it's amazing he's still awake, let alone dancing up a storm.

As many of you know, Cameron has been filming everyday for All My Children, rehearsing for DWTS whenever he gets a break, and he is also doing all kinds of promotional events -- the most recent being Super Soap Weekend. I saw him upclose at SSW and can't believe how great he looks for being run so ragged. It just goes to show what eating right and exercise will do for you, that's for sure!

While I am bummed I'll no longer get to watch him dance, in a way, I am happy that now he'll finally be able to catch up on some Z's. But as he said last night, he wanted more than anything to be able to stay on and keep competing.

Most of us agree that Marie Osmond is the weakest dancer out of them all, and she should not have lasted past the third week. But those Osmonds have a HUGE fan base, and they keep saving her, since the judges have made it clear that she is not up to par with the rest of the dancers. Also, with the news of her father's passing, it would have been cruel to vote her off this week.

Now, I am wholeheartedly pulling for 90210 alum Jennie Garth. Please help me and vote for Jennie next week. We need to keep the great dancers on the show -- especially soap-opera alumni! -- and leave the mediocre ones behind.

(Photo courtesy of ABC Television)

90210 Alum and AMC Star to Dance the Night Away!

The newest round of Dancing With the Stars competitors has been announced. They are as follows:

* Jennie Garth of Beverly Hills, 90210 will be paired with Derek Hough, a newcomer who is brother of Julianne Hough.

* All My Children star Cameron Mathison (pictured) with Edyta Sliwinska, who has appeared in all five seasons.

* Two-time champ Cheryl Burke with Wayne Newton.

* Melanie Brown of the Spice Girls with Maksim Chmerkovskiy.

* Sabrina Bryan of The Cheetah Girls with newcomer Mark Ballas.

* Indy 500 champion Helio Castroneves with Julianne Hough. She danced with Apolo Anton Ohno, last season's victor.

* Billionaire Mark Cuban with Kym Johnson.

* Model-actress Josie Maran with Alec Mazo, who was the season one winner with Kelly Monaco (of GH).

* Boxer Floyd Mayweather with Karina Smirnoff.

* Marie Osmond with Jonathan Roberts.

* Model Albert Reed -- of Abercrombie & Fitch fame -- with Anna Trebunskaya.

* Actress Jane Seymour with Tony Dovolani.

The women dance the foxtrot or cha cha cha on Monday, Sept. 24. The men do the same routines on Tuesday, Sept. 25. The first results show and elimination will be Wednesday, Sept. 26. On the Sept. 26 show, Dolly Parton will sing 9 to 5 and Better Get to Livin'.

Former "GL" and "90210" Star in Next "Dancing With the Stars"

Woo hoo! The new cast for ABC's hit show Dancing With the Stars has been announced, and I am especially excited to hear about one competitor in particular: Ian Ziering.

Most people remember him as Steve Sanders from Beverly Hills, 90210, but you might also remember him (and love him, as I do) as Cameron Stewart from Guiding Light. I've been watching Season 1 of 90210 on DVD as of late, so to see Ian on a new show just makes my day. I had been feeling bad for him lately, because he basically fell off the face of the planet after 90210 ended.

I'm glad to see he's back and has on his dancing shoes.

VOTE FOR IAN!