![Rehearsals and Twitter talk talk heat up for the new cast of "Dancing with the Stars."](http://cdn2-b.examiner.com/sites/default/files/styles/image_content_width/hash/75/96/75969027ec6c6d2354159d611b06e0b4.jpg?itok=sfLVPe_M "Rehearsals and Twitter talk talk heat up for the new cast of "Dancing with the Stars."")
The premiere of season 16 of “Dancing with the Stars” is still three weeks away, but rehearsals began in earnest on Feb. 28. This season is shaping up to be one of the best yet due to the larger-than-life cast of celebrities, so the stars and their pro partners are taking their practice time very seriously. As rehearsals heat up, everyone is lighting up Twitter with interesting tweets to prove that they're in it to win it.
For 15 seasons, foxtrotting football players, dazzling Olympians, and spray-tanned stars have battled it out on the dance floor. In the past, the weeks leading up to the big premiere were always very hush-hush, but in recent seasons, the stars keep their fans posted on their progress via Twitter talk.
Since Tuesday’s big reveal on “Good Morning America,” it’s been an incredibly busy week for the stars and their professional dance partners. On Tuesday, all of the pros endured a grueling 8-hour rehearsal. On Wednesday, the entire new cast came together for a daylong “DWTS” photo shoot. Now, everyone is getting serious with daily rehearsals.
Some Teams have already come up with their new team names, like Andy Dick and Sharna Burgess (Team Shandy), Wyonna Judd and Tony Dovolani (TeamToWyn), Victor Ortiz and Lindsay Arnold (Team Vicsay), and Mark Ballas and Aly Raisman (Team Rais-N-Ball). To keep fans up-to-date with the latest “DWTS” news, the new cast and the pros are posting regular Tweets. Below are a few from Feb. 28 and 29.
- “I can dance! I can dance! Tony is an awesome partner!”
- “Today was an amazing day! And tomorrow, we shall dance again!”
- “Tony is an awesome teacher!”
- “For my DWTS outfits, I’m just gonna wear the Pope’s wardrobe and add glitter.”
- “I need to be able to do WHAT?!”
- “One…two…my partner is coming for you. Three, four, we’re gonna hit the dance floor.”
- “Well, being honest, I am going to need a lot of help, support and a few glasses of rose to even get started.”
- “That ball is ours. We are in it to win it.”
- “And so the journey begins.”
- “’Bout to get my ballroom dance on. Let’s do this!”
- “She is killing me at rehearsals!”
- “Jacoby and I have a deal. I teach him hot to do a flip and he teaches me hot to play football.”
- “Can’t wait for this season!”
- “Getting ready for my first practice at home with Mark Ballas & who randomly shows up…Drug testing. What a lovely surprise.”
- “Hanging with Vicious Ortiz during the break. Working hard!”
- “Just left dance rehearsals. I’m sure when I wake up tomorrow morning, I’m gonna feel like I got hit by a semi truck.”
The dance pros are also keeping fans abreast of their partner's progress. Here are a few recent Twitter posts from the professional dancers.
- “Love my partner! Can’t wait to stars rehearsing with Jacoby Jones!”
- “Hey guys, Lisa is doing great. There are a lot of things we need to work on, but overall it’s very good!”
- “Feet hurt, neck hurts, back hurts, EVERYTHING HURTS but it feels so good! Loving today’s shoot.”
- “First rehearsal done. It’s going to take a lot of hard work, but on this season of DWTS, Zendaya will create magic.”
- “Been up since 3am and still rehearsing.”
- “You did so great today. See you on the dance floor!”
- “Great official day with Kellie Pickler. Having a swell time so far.”
- “Getting ready to rehearse with DL Hugley. Get those Cuban heels on and get ready to boogie.”
Below are the eleven new celebrities and their pro partners who will lace up their dance shoes, get their spray tans, and deck out in sequins when season 16 of “Dancing with the Stars" kicks off in three short weeks.
- Wynonna Judd: 48-year-old country music superstar and 5-time Grammy winner. Pro partner is Tony Dovolani.
- D.L. Hughley: 49-year-old comedian, actor and star of "The Hughleys." Pro partner is Cheryl Burke.
- Jacoby Jones: 28-year-old wide receiver for the Super Bowl championship team Baltimore Ravens. Pro partner is Karina Smirnoff.
- Lisa Vanderpump: 52-year-old savvy entrepreneur and star of "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" and "Vamderpump Rules." Pro partner is Gleb Savchenko, a brand new professional dancer.
- Andy Dick: 47-year-old actor, comedian, director and musician. Pro partner is a new "DWTS" pro, Sharna Burgess.
- Victor Ortiz: 26-year-old WBC welterweight champion. Pro partner is another new face, Lindsay Arnold.
- Zendaya Coleman: 16-year-old "Shake It Up" star on the Disney Channel. Pro partner is Val Chmerkovskiy.
- Aly Raisman: 18-year-old captain of the U.S. Women's Gymnastics Team that won team gold at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. Pro partner is Mark Ballas.
- Ingo Rademacher: 41-year-old soap star from "General Hospital." Pro partner is Kym Johnson.
- Kellie Pickler: 26-year-old country music star and "American Idol" finalist. Pro partner is Derek Hough.
- Dorothy Hammill: 56-year-old Olympic gold medalist from the 1976 Winter Games in Innsbruck. Pro partner is Tristan MacManus.
“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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