'Dancing With the Stars': Who could shine - or burn out

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The new cast of “Dancing With the Stars” was announced on Monday. There are some big names, surprising contestants and a couple of head-scratchers.

amNewYork takes a look at the soon-to-be dancers.

Chelsea Kane, 22
Who: Disney Channel actress on “Jonas L.A.”
Pro: She’s young.
Con: An association with the Jonas Brothers is now passé.

Chris Jericho, 40
Who: Wrestler in the WWE and frontman of the band Fozzy
Pro: As an athlete, Jericho is in top physical shape, and he’s incredibly charismatic.
Con: The outcome of this competition isn’t predetermined.

Hines Ward, 34
Who: Wide receiver for the Pittsburgh Steelers
Pro: Skills on the football field always have translated well in this competition.
Con: Choking in the NFL playoffs might be contagious.

Kendra Wilkinson, 25
Who: Star of reality shows “The Girls Next Door” and “Kendra”
Pro: She’s got a football-player husband to help train her.
Con: She’s known as a huge fan of Olive Garden. Can she hold back on the breadsticks?

Kirstie Alley, 60
Who: The ever expanding and contracting star of “Cheers”
Pro: She can incorporate some teleportation learned on “Star Trek 2: The Wrath of Khan.”
Con: Who knows what kind of shape she’ll be in when the show starts?

Mike Catherwood, 31
Who: Psycho Mike from KROQ radio and the new co-host of “Loveline.” We’re never heard of him either, don’t worry.
Pro: He has a background as an amateur body builder and certification as a personal trainer.
Con: As the least-known contestant, he’ll probably go quickly.

Petra Nemcova, 31
Who: Supermodel who graced the cover of the 2004 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue
Pro: She faced great danger in Thailand during the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami. If she can make it through that, she can survive this.
Con: She broke her pelvis in the tsunami, so there could be some lingering physical issues.

Ralph Macchio, 49
Who: The star of the original “Karate Kid”
Pro: He’s been personally trained by Mr. Miyagi and is well-versed in the arts of painting fences and waxing.
Con: “The Karate Kid” was more than 20 years ago.

Romeo, 21
Who: Rapper and former basketball player at the University of Southern California
Pro: Athletes typically do well in this competition.
Con: He wasn’t a stand-out while playing at USC.

Sugar Ray Leonard, 54
Who: Championship boxer and Olympic gold medalist
Pro: Boxers have serious footwork skills.
Con: Who knows what a career of taking hits to the head will have done to him?

Wendy Williams, 46
Who: Host of her own self-titled TV talk show
Pro: She’s got a fervent fan base behind her.
Con: Rappers often take shots at her in their songs, and this could provide more fodder.

On TV: “Dancing With the Stars,” season 12, premieres on March 21 on ABC/7.

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