Dancing with the Stars 24 spotlight: Are Heather Morris and Maksim Chmerkovskiy beatable?

Heather Morris and Maksim Chmerkovskiy -

There are several interesting pairings on Dancing with the Stars season 24, but in our mind the one between Heather Morris and Maksim Chmerkovskiy are near the top of the list. They may also be the most controversial ones of the season.

For the record, there is absolutely nothing wrong in our mind with Morris wanting to be a part of this show. Let’s try and frame it this way: If you were offered a generous sum of money to be a part of a show, especially one where you are likely to make it far into the season, why wouldn’t you? It’s a fun experience, you get to make new friends, and it’s a springboard to other jobs. We do think that there will be a good bit of pressure put on Heather just because of her status entering the season, so we hope that she doesn’t have that get to her.

Claim to fame – Former Glee star, and one-time contestant on So You Think You Can Dance. At one point earlier in her career, she performed with Beyonce — her experience with that helped her teach the “Single Ladies” early on in Glee, which is in part why she ended up becoming a huge part of the show past the first season.

Partner – Maksim Chmerkovskiy. There was a point in which we wondered whether or not Maks was going to be a huge part of the show this season. However, having Peta Murgatroyd return probably made it easier for him to want to, since the two parties can co-parent their young child while also working on the show together and rehearsing. Maks is still looking for his second Mirrorball after winning with Meryl Davis.

Strengths – Morris is already an excellent dancer. She’s the most accomplished person in this cast by far, and she hasn’t done a single routine yet! She’s athletic, she understands rhythm, and there is a loyal Glee fan base out there who helped Amber Riley previously win the show. There’s a reason why she, even more so than Simone Biles, is being considered the favorite by so many people to make it to the end of the season and win.

Weaknesses – Heather’s biggest strength could in turn hurt her in terms of public perception. Because so many people now have access to information there could be a sentiment that she has an unfair advantage becuase of her dance history. Therefore, we think that the best thing that she can do is try to play up her humor and personality more so than her technical excellent. Be a great dancer, but make your dances about something more than that. She’ll have to win over fans more so than anyone else.

Prediction – It’s almost impossible to imagine Heather going home early. However, we do think there’s a slight chance of a Sabrina Bryan sort of exit this season where she has one off week, and the viewer support isn’t there to the extent that she ends up going home. Personally, we want her to go far because she is going to be entertaining in addition to a great dancer. If she was great on the floor and then boring, it’d be an entirely different story.

What do you think are Heather Morris and Maksim Chmerkovskiy’s odds of winning this season? Share in the comments below! (Photo: ABC.)

View more Dancing with the Stars season 24 spotlights!

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