Aly Raisman joins ‘Dancing With the Stars’
"Dancing with the Stars" hosts Tom Bergeron and Brooke Burke-Charvet announced this season's celebrity and professional pairings live on "Good Morning America" on ABC. Aly Raisman will compete with Mark Ballas. (Rick Rowell/ABC)
Needham Olympian Aly Raisman, 18, will compete on the next season of “Dancing With the Stars,” which starts March 18. She’s part of a lineup that includes “Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” personality Lisa Vanderpump, funny guy (according to some) Andy Dick, boxer Victor Ortiz, and another famous gold medalist, Dorothy Hamill. Raisman — who was supposed to spend the start of 2013 on the now-canceled “Teen Choice Live” tour — has been paired with professional dancer Mark Ballas, who was in Boston just a few weeks ago to appear at the local benefit for prostate cancer research, Dance for a Cure. Raisman’s bio on ABC.com states, “Since returning from London, she has been named Bostonian of the Year by The Boston Globe, was a presenter at the Video Music Awards, appeared on Fashion Police, and most recently won an award at the Cartoon Network Hall of Game Awards.” Ballas has danced on the show with Shannen Doherty, Kim Kardashian, and another Olympian, Kristi Yamaguchi. Raisman was introduced as a contestant on Tuesday’s edition of “Good Morning America” by “Dancing With the Stars” host Tom Bergeron, who, of course, is from Haverhill.
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