March 07, 2013

By Alexis Taylor

Special to the NNPA from the Afro-American Newspaper

 

Suggesting that he has what it takes to hold his own outside of the comedy film and stand-up arena, comedian D.L. Hughley officially joined the cast for season 16 of “Dancing with the Stars” (DWTS).

News of this year’s line-up came on Feb.26 as cast members made the announcement on ABC’s “Good Morning America” with DWTS hosts Tom Bergeron and Brooke Burke-Charvet.

The comedian follows in the footsteps of NFL star Emmitt Smith, the season three winner, and war hero J.R. Martinez, winner of season 13, who have both taken their twists and turns on the professional ballroom dance floor and closed out competitions with the Mirror Ball Trophy.

“I guess I’ll see if I can learn to dance with my foot in my mouth,” said the 49- year-old Hughley at the ABC cast reveal. “I’m excited.”

“I never knew my hips were supposed to move like that.”

In the coming weeks, Hughley will attempt to dazzle audience members with renditions of dances such as the mambo, tango, samba, and rumba.

Each star is partnered with a professional dancer who will work with the celebrities to bring their ballroom skills up to par.

Hughley is partnered with professional dancer Cheryl Burke, who has won two seasons of DWTS.

Other stars included in this season’s cast include Baltimore Ravens Super Bowl Champ Jacoby Jones, 28, and former welterweight champ Victor Ortiz.

The competition will kick-off on Mar. 18 at 8 p.m. Eastern Time on ABC and everyday citizens aren’t the only ones looking forward to watching the competition unfold.

“I’ve never seen you dance!” said fellow comedian Cedric the Entertainer via his Twitter account on D.L Hughley’s page. “No ‘C’ walk’n LOL. Go gett’um Bruh. Tag me in if you need me!”

This season fans will have four different options when it comes to voting, which include calling-in, visiting the show page online at ABC.com, or via Facebook atfacebook.com/dancingwiththestars.

AT&T customers can also text in their votes, which are added in with scores from three judges.

Category: Arts & Culture