Dorothy Hamill and Tristan MacManus talk ‘Dancing with the Stars’

Dorothy Hamill and her pro partner Tristan MacManus appeared on “Good Morning America” on March 11 to talk about the upcoming “Dancing with the Stars” premiere, their grueling rehearsals and their first dance. “I’m not ready yet, but I’m working on being ready," Hamill said on Monday.

The two have been practicing twice a day in preparation of the big “DWTS” premiere. Dorothy Hamill just skated in her last “Skating with the Stars” performance on Sunday, so she’s set to devote herself 100% to rehearsals this week. She and Tristan will perform a contemporary dance on the premiere. “It’s new to both of us,” MacManus claimed on “GMA.” He added that he’d like to add a signature move similar to the Hamill Camel, but it’s hard to pull off on the dance floor. Concerning Dorothy’s progress, Tristan stated, “She’s doing super. The workouts are very demanding.”

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The dance team has not yet had a chance to size up their competition, but both agreed that Aly Raisman could be tough to beat. In the meantime, they plan on making the most of their last week before the premiere of “Dancing with the Stars.” “We’ll be ready,” MacManus promised.

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 transcended her sport and captured the country’s imagination. However, she has said she is most proud of her World Championship title in Gothenburg, Sweden, which followed her Olympic win. At that time, everyone had advised her to retire from amateur competition, saying that even a second place finish would tarnish the luster of her Olympic gold. Characteristically, once Dorothy set her mind to it, she would not be dissuaded, and 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 skate the closing ceremonies with vocalist Harry Connick Jr. Recently, Hamill released her memoir “A Skating Life: My Story,” which made The New York Times best-seller list.

Dance pro Tristan MacManus has appeared on three seasons of “Dancing with the Stars.” His partners were Nancy Grace, Gladys Knight and Pamela Anderson. Tristan hails from Ireland and began dancing at an early age. He eventually won numerous Juvenile, Junior and Amateur competitions around Europe.

MacManus appeared in “Ella Enchanted” and performed in theater productions throughout Ireland, including “Oliver” and “Aladdin.” He joined the UK tour of “Simply Ballroom” and toured the world with “Burn the Floor.” Tristan made his first appearance on “DWTS” as part of the Troupe during season 12. He joined the cast in season 13 and was paired with Nancy Grace. They came in fifth place.

“Dancing with the Stars” premieres at 8 p.m. EST on Monday, March 18 on ABC. The first results show elimination airs at 9 p.m. on March 26. During last season's final, Melissa Rycroft defeated fellow all-stars Shawn Johnson and Kelly Monaco to win the mirror ball trophy.

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