'Dancing with the Stars' Contestants Answer: Is Ballroom Dancing Ageless?

"Dancing with the Stars'" oldest competitor of the season, Tom DeLay, resigned from the show Tuesday night due to stress fractures in both of his feet. "The Insider"'s Samantha Harris asked the stars and pros if an age limit should be imposed on the show.

 

Dancers responded with a unanimous, "No." Mark Ballas said, "Dancing has no age."

Past "Dancing" competitors have been older than DeLay and avoided injury. Louis Van Amstel recalled, "Priscilla [Presley] was 62. She did it. It was no problem." Anna Trebunskaya posed the question, "Cloris Leachman did it for how many weeks and she was 80-something years old?"

Donny Osmond is sad to see DeLay exit the show because, he realized, "I'm now the oldest dancer." He joked, "It doesn't matter. I dance like a 15-year-old."

One of the youngest competitors this season, Louis Vito, projected that, "When I'm old, I don't want anyone telling me what to do." He continued, "Age is a number. Who's going to tell you that you're old or young?"

Everyone recommended that the show should take precautions to prevent injuries by subjecting the stars to physical exams and choreographing routines to be sympathetic to any conditions they may have. Additional padding can also be added to the shoes to comfort the feet.

The stars that remain standing will show off their next dance on Monday's "Dancing with the Stars" on ABC.

Published 10/7/09 by the Insider

Comments (5)

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  • As a huge fan of Misty May who wasn't much older than 30 I wish someone would have mentioned her. How can she be forgotten? Injuries can happen to anyone. Im 26, an athlete myself and have had my share of them. Maybe he should go on dancing with the...
    Anonymous 10/8/09 Reply
  • I am writing in because after last nights show, comments about having a age limit on dancing with the stars. As a huge fan of Misty May who wasn't much older than 30 I wish someone would have mentioned her to Chris Jacobs. How can she be forgotten?...
    Anonymous 10/8/09 Reply
  • Samantha, Samantha. How could you forget Misty-Mae Treanor, and her injury and pullout from the show. If she, in her 30s, could get injured on the show, then anyone can - regardless of their age. There should not be an age limit.
    Anonymous 10/7/09 Reply
  • John Ratzenberger, in 2007, was about sixty and was quite a good dancer, lasting five or six weeks. The professional has to adjust choreography, but ballroom can be pretty to watch even when not terribly athletic.
    Anonymous 10/7/09 Reply
  • i loe the insider i always watch it
    jill2 10/7/09 Reply