Deaf Times: Deaf Actress on “Dancing With the Stars” Show By Leonard Hall

This weekly column writer for deaf community, Leonard Hall, discussed Marlee Matlin at "Dancing With The Stars" and many deaf outstanding dancers in the deaf world.  Here is an article online from Deaf Times below:

From the newsroom of the Olathe News, Olathe, Kansas, Saturday, March 22, 2008 .....

By Leonard Hall

Deaf actress Marlee Matlin had never danced professionally before and joined one of the 12 woman dancers with male partners on the ABC reality television show “Dancing With the Stars” that debuted last Monday night.

Marlee Matlin and her male dancing partner/teacher Fabian Sanchez did very well last Monday show dancing the “cha-cha” and getting 21 points. The couple finished third among the 12 dancing couples.

It is no surprise that Matlin can dance well as she is in good physical shape. It took two weeks of cha-chaing and quickstepping practice for seven hours a day for Matlin to prepare for last Monday “Dancing With the Stars” debut.

In the deaf world, there are many outstanding deaf dancers.

At the international deaf festival held at Gallaudet University several years ago, there were several outstanding dancing troupes from throughout the world, including China, which provided outstanding dance performances.

Matlin proved to be more rhythmically inclined than at least half of her competitors.

She faced tough competition, even so none of the other women dancers have danced professionally before.

On Monday, the top woman dancer was Kristi Yamaguchi, who is the Olympic gold medalist in women figure skating. She made it look easy being on and off the ice.

Also dancing are actresses Shannon Elizabeth and Priscilla Presley, tennis champ Monica Seles, actress Marissa Jaret Winokur and other well-known celebrities.

No couple was eliminated from last week show, but two will be eliminated Monday, March 24^th.

Matlin is a 42-year old Emmy-nominated television actress who won a best actress Oscar in 1986 for “Children of A Lesser God.” She has starred in a number of TV series and movies.

This is the sixth season of “Dancing With the Stars”. ABC sought to provide a diversity among the dancers, a contributing factor to the success of the show. Dancers had been boxers, basketball players, football players, baseball players, models, and actors.

In season four, model Heather Mills, who wears a prosthetic leg, lasted seven weeks on the show.

It is good to see diversity on this reality television show. Matlin will do well in the dancing competition.