Marissa Jaret Winokur and Mario by Bob D’Amico/ABC
As Dancing with the Stars' newbies get ready to dazzle on the dance floor — the hit reality competition returns Monday, March 17 — we've got a week-long guide to who's hoofing for Season 7. Check back each day for our profiles of more pairings. — Deborah Starr Seibel
Marissa Jaret WinokurAge 35
Best Known For Her Tony Award–winning performance in Hairspray
Lives In Los Angeles
Partner Tony Dovolani
Advantages Winokur studied a little tap and jazz in college as part of her musical theater training. She’s also got a great outlook on life. In 2001, Winokur was diagnosed with cervical cancer. She beat the cancer, stopped eating junk food and improved her self image. “I would say to women out there: You can be happy and healthy, and you don’t have to be a size 0 to do this.”
Disadvantages Winokur describes herself as “totally dyslexic. I can’t tell my left leg from my right leg.”
MarioAge 21
Best Known For His chart-topping R&B song, “Let Me Love You”
Lives In Baltimore
Partner Karina Smirnoff
Advantages It’s an inside joke that his partner will be Smirnoff, who famously danced with another Mario (Lopez) to place second during Season 3. “[Lopez] obviously has a lot of female fans,” says Mario, “and so do I.”
Disadvantages “Mario might not be known to our older audience,” says Green. And, like last season’s Sabrina Bryan, Mario may have the tendency to fall back on his hip-hop moves.
Poll: Which Dancing duo are you rooting for? Vote here.
Don't miss TV Guide Network's 25 Things You Didn't Know About Dancing Favorites, airing Sunday, March 23, at 8 pm/ET.
More Dancing profiles:
• Kristi Yamaguchi and Adam Carolla
• Marlee Matlin and Jason Taylor
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