‘Dancing with the Stars 21’ spotlight: Will Chaka Khan, Keo Motsepe hit the right notes?
There are certain archetypes that we know that “Dancing with the Stars” likes to fill year in and year out. “Member of music royalty” is one of them, and that is precisely why Chaka Khan was cast this season. She’s well-known for being one of the most noteworthy performers of the past several decades, and she will have an older audience supporting her.
Is this going to be enough for her to actually go far in the competition? That is something we’re going to be diving into further as a part of our new spotlight series.
Name – Chaka Khan
Age – 62
Claim to fame – Known as the “Queen of Funk,” Khan has sold in total tens of millions of records around the world, and also has ten Grammys to her name. “Tell Me Something Good” and “I’m Every Woman” are two of her biggest hits, and we imagine that both of these will be candidates for song choices over the months ahead.
Partner – Keo Motsepe. We really hope for good things for Keo this season, given that he was sent home almost right away with Lolo Jones, and he didn’t last much further with Charlotte McKinney. On paper, it feels like he at least has a chance to last a little longer here, even if he is partnering with one of the older contestants this season.
Strengths – Chaka is used to performing on stage, and you definitely get a sense in her music that she understands rhythm and time. She’s someone who has a big personality, as well, and that should shine through in some of her performances. She could be a crowd-pleasing dancer, and is well-known enough to court votes from older viewers.
Weaknesses – While she’s not the oldest dancer this season, she at 62 is not going to be able to do things that someone half her age will be able to accomplish. She is going to have to combat that, and also figure out a way to have younger viewers who are not as familiar with her music care about what she does.
Prediction – Chaka is probably going to make it further than some of the other older dancers like Gary Busey and Paula Deen, but with the field being what it is this season, it’s still harder to see her making it past sixth place. At least she’s going to help Keo get to his best position yet, right?
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