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Title: Rick Perry to take a turn on 'Dancing With The Stars'
Source:
Houston Chronicle
URL Source: http://www.houstonchronicle.com/lif ... The-9194062.php#photo-10852247
Published: Aug 31, 2016
Author: Kyrie O'Connor
Post Date: 2016-08-31 09:56:03 by Willie Green
Keywords: None
Views: 1137
Comments: 2
Season 23 of ABC's "Dancing With the Stars" will have the usual odd assortment of celebrities: Vanilla Ice, Ryan Lochte, Marilu Henner. But it will also have former Texas governor and two-time presidential candidate Rick Perry. "I'm de-dicated to helping #veterans however possible, and I'm going to use @dancingabc as a stage to do that. #DWTS," Perry said on Twitter Tuesday morning. "Dancing With the Stars" began in 2005 and has made a solid Top 10 franchise out of coaxing dancing performances out of athletes, musicians, up-and-comers and slightly-past-sell-by-date celebrities. And two politicians. Perry, 66, whose partner will be Emma Slater, is only the second former office holder to be a contestant on the dance-competition show - and both of them, of course, have been Texans. The first, former U.S. House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, said Tuesday that he's looking forward to seeing Perry on the show. "I can't wait to watch," he said. "Doing the show was a lifetime experience, to be honest." He has some advice for the ex-governor. "Be in shape," he said. "I hope you're in shape. And most important, listen to your partner. If you're not focused, you'll embarrass yourself." DeLay said he practiced "eight days a week, eight hours a day, for five weeks. That's probably why I broke my feet." Though DeLay, who is now 69, was still in the competition after three weeks, he had to drop out with stress fractures. "It was so much fun. I was sick that I had to quit," he said. A chance to soften image Perry, whose tenure as governor, from 2000 to 2015, was the longest in state history, made a presidential bid in 2012 that fizzled when, in a debate, he failed to remember the third of the three federal agencies - commerce, education and energy - he had promised to close. It was the oops heard 'round the world. His 2016 presidential campaign, though it involved some natty Jean Lafont eyeglasses, failed to take off. State political observers see Perry's move as an unorthodox bid to keep in the public eye and, perhaps, soften an image. "Just when you thought Texas politics couldn't get any stranger, you have a former governor joining 'Dancing with the Stars,' " said University of Houston political scientist Brandon Rottinghaus. "But there's a strategic reason to do it. It provides an avenue for the softening of the governor's image, as well as a redemptive moment for some embarrassments past." In a potential primary run against U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, which is rumored in some GOP circles, the show is also a chance to highlight Perry's personality. "It's an opportunity for him to show that's he's still well-liked and to reinforce some of the reasons why people elected him governor four times," Rottinghaus said. Perry maintains he has no interest in running for the U.S. Senate. If there's a downside, Rottinghaus said, it's that the show is generally seen as the haunt of B and C class celebrities and also-rans. "By definition, going on there means this is your second act in American life," he said. To others, Perry has little to lose. "I think he's has learned from Donald Trump that any visibility is good visibility," said Cal Jillson, a political scientist at Southern Methodist University. "I hope he's doing it for the fun of it, with joy in his heart, and to help the veterans. But in the back of his mind, this visibility can't hurt him." Perry insists his sole motivation has nothing to do with him. "I'm dedicated to doing everything I can to help build awareness for improving the lives of our nation's veterans, and I'm going to use "Dancing With the Stars" as a stage - literally and figuratively - to do that," Perry said in a statement. "I'm excited to have some fun, dance, and probably get into the best shape I've been since I served in the Air Force." Winning over the judges Kimberly Conde, who owns River Oaks School of Dancing in Houston with her husband, Antonio, has advice for Perry. Getting the judges' respect is important. "Definitely make sure the judges see the timing, the presentation and the characteristics of the dance," she said. A tango, for example, should be edgy and sharp. "Bring your own personality to it and have fun," Conde said. "Know the fundamentals and techniques of every dance." And heed your partner. "Ballroom is partnership," she said. "Lead her through the dance as much as possible." Whatever his moves, how Perry's appearance on the show plays as a branding strategy depends on how he expects to spend his next few years, said Ward Pennebaker, CEO of Pennebaker Inc. in Houston. "From a brand standpoint, it appears his challenge has been that he lacked gravitas," said Pennebaker, who teaches and lectures on branding. Dancing on TV would only reinforce his status as a lightweight if he continues in politics. "I think going on 'Dancing With the Stars' could be a really great idea, if he is moving more to the entertainment side," Pennebaker said. Perry's former chief of staff, Kathy Walt, said she didn't know much about Perry's terpsichorean talent, but that such a move didn't surprise her. "It's another opportunity to get out and meet folks and do different things," she said, as he figures out the next chapter of his life. The dancing chapter begins on Sept. 12. Mike Ward and Kevin Diaz contributed to this report Poster Comment:
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