(ABC) - This
season's dynamic lineup of stars including a country music legend, a figure
skating champion, a boxing dynamo, an Olympic Gold medalist and the youngest
contestant to ever compete on the show – will perform for the first time on
live national television with their professional partners during the two-hour
season premiere of "Dancing with the Stars," MONDAY, MARCH 18 at 7 p.m. on ABC.
As
announced this morning on ABC's "Good Morning America" by "Dancing with the
Stars" hosts Tom Bergeron and Brooke Burke-Charvet, the 11 celebrities, with
their professional partners, heading to the dance floor this season (in alphabetical
order) are:
ZENDAYA COLEMAN -- Multi-talented actress and
singer Zendaya Coleman stars as Raquel "Rocky" Blue, one half of the comedic
duo in the hit Disney Channel series "Shake It Up!," and is currently recording
her debut album on Hollywood Records. Born September 1, 1996, in Oakland,
California, Coleman grew up as part of the California Shakespeare Theater in
Orinda, where her mother works as the House Manager. In addition to training at
the theater's student conservatory program and later performing in numerous
stage productions, Coleman helped her mom seat patrons and sell raffle tickets
to benefit the theater. While attending the Oakland School for the Arts, she
starred as Little Ti Moune in "Once on This Island" at the Berkley Playhouse, and
in the breakout role of the male character Joe in "Caroline, or Change" at Palo
Alto's TheaterWorks. She also studied at the CalShakes Conservatory program and
at the American Conservatory Theater. Coleman has performed around the world,
including at the White House and in the 2011 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade,
and she tours select cities with her Z-Swagg Dancers and Singers. The name
Zendaya is derived from the word that means "to give thanks" in Shona (a Bantu
language native to the Shona people of Zimbabwe). Coleman has been a fashion
model for Macy's, Mervyns and Old Navy, and was also one of the back-up dancers
in a Sears commercial featuring Disney Channel star Selena Gomez. She now
resides in Los Angeles, California with her family and dog, a giant Schnauzer
named Midnight. ZENDAYA COLEMAN partners with VAL CHMERKOVSKIY.
ANDY DICK -- Andy Dick is an American comedian,
actor, writer, director, musician and producer. Dick grew up in the Chicago
area, where he was involved in numerous stage productions. During his senior
year of high school, his love of performing proved decisive, as he was elected
homecoming king. His first regular television role was on the short-lived but
influential "Ben Stiller Show." Dick was a mainstay on network television from
1995-2006 on NBC's "NewsRadio" and ABC's "Less Than Perfect." In 2001 he wrote,
directed, produced and starred in "The Andy Dick Show" for MTV. He has also
starred in a number of feature films, including "In the Army Now," "Employee of
the Month" and "The Hebrew Hammer." In addition he has made memorable
appearances in feature films such as "Zoolander," "The Cable Guy," "Inspector
Gadget," "Road Trip," "Dude, Where's My Car?," "Old School" and "Funny People."
Most recently Dick has had guest appearances on NBC's "Community,"
FX's
"Legit," the Netflix original series "Bad Samaritans" and CBS' "Two Broke
Girls." He can regularly be seen performing at theaters and comedy clubs across
the country. ANDY DICK joins first-time professional partner SHARNA
BURGESS.
DOROTHY
HAMILL -- Dorothy Hamill captured the Gold medal at the 1976 Winter
Games in Innsbruck, Austria at the age of 19. Overnight she became one of those
rare champions who transcends her sport and captures the country's imagination.
Still, she has said she is most proud of her World Championship title in
Gothenburg, Sweden, which followed her Olympic win; at the time, everyone
advised her to retire from amateur competition, saying that even a second-place
finish would tarnish the lustre of her Olympic Gold. Characteristically, once
she had set her mind to it, she would not be dissuaded, and she won. As a
professional Hamill has skated with many productions, including the Ice Capades
for eight years. Four ABC primetime television specials have been produced in
her honor, and she has produced and starred in her own touring productions of
"Cinderella — Frozen in Time," "Hansel, Gretel, the Witch and the Cat" and
"Nutcracker on Ice." She won an Emmy Award for her lead role in "Romeo and
Juliet." Hamill has been inducted into the Olympic Hall of Fame and the Figure
Skating Hall of Fame. She was very proud to run the torch at Olympic Stadium in
Salt Lake City in 2002 and to skate the closing ceremonies with vocalist Harry
Connick Jr. Recently she released her memoir, A Skating Life: My Story,
which made the New York Times bestseller list. DOROTHY HAMILL partners
with TRISTAN MacMANUS.
D.L. HUGHLEY -- D.L Hughley, one of the most
popular and highly recognized standup comedians on the road today, has also made
quite an impression in the television, film and radio arenas. First and
foremost a standup comedian, his fifth standup special, "Reset," premiered on
Showtime in 2012 and is currently available on DVD. Also in the fall of 2012,
Hughley penned his first book. He can be seen in the comedic documentary
special for Comedy Central entitled "D.L. Hughley: The Endangered List." Known
for being astute and politically savvy, Hughley served as host of the
late-night talk show "D.L. Hughley Breaks the News" on CNN. He was both
star and producer of his namesake television show that ran on ABC and UPN, "The
Hughleys." One of the standout comedians of the hit comedy docu-film "The
Original Kings of Comedy" and a veteran of numerous talk show appearances,
Hughley switched the tables in 2005, hosting his own talk show, "Weekends at
the DL," on Comedy Central. In addition he has headlined several comedy
specials, including "D.L. Hughley: Going Home," "D.L. Hughley Live," "Shocked
& Appalled" and the recent "Unapologetic." D.L. HUGHLEY partners with CHERYL BURKE.
JACOBY JONES -- Jacoby Jones is a professional
football player for the Baltimore Ravens, the 2013 Super Bowl Champions. He
began his professional career after being drafted by the Houston Texans in 2009
and was signed by the Baltimore Ravens in 2012. Career highlights include
matching an NFL record with a 108-yard kickoff return for a touchdown. Jones is
also the first Raven to post multiple kickoff returns for a touchdown in one
season, and is the current record holder for the longest touchdown at the Super
Bowl. Career honors include AFC Special Teams Player of the Week, AFC Special
Teams Player of the Month, the Associated Press first-team All-Pro and the
PFW/PFWA first team All-Pro. Jones was recently featured on the cover of Sports
Illustrated. JACOBY JONES partners with KARINA SMIRNOFF.
WYNONNA JUDD -- Five-time Grammy winner and New York Times
bestselling author Wynonna Judd has always revolved her career around telling
stories. Whether performing alongside her mother as one half of the legendary
duo The Judds or pushing the boundaries on her own mega-successful solo path,
Judd's ability to reach the heart of the human spirit through her bold and
unflinching honesty is the entertainer's true gift. Respected by the millions
of fans who are drawn to her music and to her undeniable talent, Judd's rich
and commanding voice has sold more than 30 million albums worldwide over her
epic 29-year career. Charting countless singles, including 20 No. 1 hits and
over 60 industry awards, the iconic performer was once dubbed by Rolling Stone
"the greatest female country singer
since Patsy Cline." Joined in the studio by her husband, bandleader and
producer Michael "Cactus" Moser, Judd's highly anticipated eighth studio album
is scheduled for release this year. This effort, a true labor of love, features
her upcoming single "Something You Can't Live Without," released by Curb
Records. Most recently she published a novel, Restless Heart, and was
part of "The Judds" docu-series on OWN. WYNONNA JUDD partners with TONY
DOVOLANI.
VICTOR ORTIZ -- Victor Ortiz is a living, breathing example of the
American dream. From a broken home in a small town in Kansas to the bright
lights of the boxing ring, Ortiz has used every obstacle he has encountered
along his journey to fuel his strength and attain his dreams. As former
Welterweight boxing champion, Ortiz finally found his life's calling as a world
class athlete. The nickname "Vicious" describes Ortiz when he's in the ring,
but his million-dollar smile is a preview to his heart of gold. His ability to
connect with people on a human level has kept the spotlight from blinding him.
Realizing the importance of hard work, dedication and family at an early age,
Ortiz always finds a way to give back. VICTOR ORTIZ partners with newcomer LINDSAY ARNOLD.
KELLIE PICKLER -- Kellie Pickler grew up immersed in country
music in the small town of Albemarle, North Carolina with the words of Tammy Wynette,
Patsy Cline, Loretta Lynn and Dolly Parton shaping her musical footing. At the
age of 19 she gained fame as a contestant on the fifth season of "American
Idol," and in 2006 signed to 19 Recordings/BNA Records to release her debut,
"Small Town Girl," which went on to sell over 800,000 copies and produce three
singles -- "Red High Heels," "I Wonder" and "Things That Never Cross a Man's
Mind." In 2008 Pickler released her self-titled sophomore record featuring hits
"Don't You Know You're Beautiful," "Best Days of Your Life" (co-written with
Taylor Swift and her first Top 10) and "Didn't You Know How Much I Loved You."
Having established herself as not only a powerful vocalist but also a
songwriter, Pickler released her third studio album, "100 Proof," last
year with famed producer Frank Liddell and Luke Wooten. The album earned
recognition as one of the "Best of 2012" by Rolling Stone and The Washington
Post. She has performed on six USO Tours, including one to Afghanistan
in December 2012. Newly signed to Black River Entertainment, Pickler is poised
to release a new single and album in 2013. KELLIE PICKLER partners with DEREK
HOUGH.
INGO
RADEMACHER -- Soap Opera star Ingo Rademacher is best known to
audiences as the charismatic Jasper "Jax" Jacks on ABC's "General Hospital."
Rademacher originated the role of "Jax," having first aired on "General
Hospital" in January of 1996. His other television credits include "Hawaii
Five-O," "Titans," "Veronica's Closet" and "According to Jim." As an athlete, Rademacher has
amassed an extraordinary list of accomplishments: As a youth, he was a ski
champion and a competitive equestrian. As an adult, he has competed at a high
level in beach volleyball and triathlons (winner of the Nautica Malibu
Triathlon, celebrity division, for three consecutive years). He took the pole
position in the 2005 Long Beach Grand Prix and he recently completed the
grueling 32 mile Molokai to Oahu "Channel of Bones" stand-up paddle board race
-- all this when he wasn't on the track racing dirt bikes or street bikes.
Rademacher moved to Hawaii in 2012 to pursue his passion for the sport of
stand-up paddle board racing. He and his wife, Ehiku, have two sons, Peanut and
Pohaku. INGO RADEMACHER partners with KYM JOHNSON.
ALEXANDRA RAISMAN --
Just 18 years old, Alexandra Raisman captained the U.S. Women's Gymnastics
Team to its first team Gold medal since the 1996 Olympic Games. She added the
United States' first ever Gold medal in the floor exercise and also won a
bronze on the balance beam, making her the most decorated American gymnast in
London. A respected leader, Raisman backboned the women's victory in the team
event at the 2011 World Championships, where they upset Russia to win Gold for
the first time since 2007. In her career Raisman has accumulated 19
international medals and eight U.S. Senior National Championship medals,
earning a reputation as one of Team USA's most consistent performers. The
eldest of four kids in her family, she comes from a Jewish background and
famously performed her Gold medal-winning floor exercise to the traditional
Jewish wedding song, "Hava Nagila," for which she earned worldwide recognition
in the Jewish community. Since returning from London, she has been named
Bostonian of the Year by The Boston Globe, was a presenter at the "Video Music
Awards," appeared on "Fashion Police" and most recently won an award at the
Cartoon Network Hall of Game Awards. In her free time, Raisman can be found
shopping, reading fashion magazines, hanging out with friends and family, or
listening to some of her favorite music. ALEXANDRA RAISMAN partners
with MARK BALLAS.
LISA VANDERPUMP -- Hailing from London, restaurateur,
designer, author, philanthropist, producer and television personality Lisa
Vanderpump moved to the United States eight years ago. Vanderpump is best known
for "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills," which she joined in 2010. In 2013
Bravo launched her reality television show, "Vanderpump Rules," exploring the
intricacies of owning SUR, a sexy, unique restaurant in West Hollywood. The
show follows Vanderpump as she balances her motherly instincts with a
shrewd business sense while keeping the passionate and volatile staff at her
West Hollywood restaurant in line. After years as a restaurateur, Vanderpump
showcased her passion for food, decor and lifestyle in her bestselling book, Simply
Divine: A Guide to Easy, Elegant and Affordable Entertaining. Vanderpump
serves as a contributor to Beverly Hills Lifestyle magazine. She lives in
Beverly Hills with her husband, Ken Todd, and their four dogs. They have two
grown children, Pandora and Maxfield. LISA VANDERPUMP partners with
newcomer GLEB SAVCHENKO.
