Entertainment

Mark Ballas & Ginger Zee Made A Perfect Pair

The partner switch week on Dancing With The Stars is usually a rough one — the contestants, who just recently have gotten into grooves with their assigned dance pros, have to basically upend their entire practice to work with someone else, and this usually throws everyone off. There are exceptions to the rule though, and one or two dancers continue to flourish under the tutelage of their temporary partners. This season, Ginger Zee was one of those Dancing With The Stars lucky ones.

Ginger’s usual partner is Val Chmerkovskiy, who is known on the show for being heavily accented and a bit of a hard nut to crack. I think it’s an Eastern European thing. This week, Ginger was paired with Mark Ballas, who is known for his fantastical productions, creative choreography, and penchant for the silly. One would think that Ginger would stumble (pun intended) with the sudden switch in teaching styles, but Mark awakened something in Ginger that Val had left untouched. Maybe it was the bright yellow outfits, the nightclub set, or just the ability to shake shake shake it, but Ginger and Mark’s salsa dance was the best dance of the night, and it was definitely one of the numbers that put Ginger on the fast track to the Dancing With The Stars finale.

The judges agreed, giving Ginger and Mark a score of 32. During last week’s Disney week, Ginger really put herself out there as a contender. With Mark’s help, she’s placed herself above and beyond most everyone else in the contest. Will she win? That’s up to Val to help her now, but I’d say that with that great attitude and those flexible hips, she has a pretty good shot at the Mirrorball Trophy.

Images: Adam Taylor/ABC