Tina Arena: Dancing With The Stars back with fresh energy and new cast; Cosentino, Tina Arena and Libby Trickett impress

Dancing With The Stars back with fresh energy and new cast; Cosentino, Tina Arena and Libby Trickett impress:

 

FROM the first flash of Jesinta Campbell's heavily spray-tanned lithe limbs, to the duelling washboard stomachs of the runway-ready Stenmark twins, Seven's Dancing With The Stars returned with a youthful enthusiasm this reality format had been missing. 

The combination of new judges Kym Johnson and Adam Garcia, coupled with the 12 new celebrity dance pairings may have added fresh jeopardy to the season opener but any question of whether this series has the legs to jive on were swept up in a steady sequence of entertaining cha chas, sassy foxtrots and compelling contemporary routines.
Illusionist Cosentino, songbird Tina Arena and swimmer Libby Trickett were the great surprise performers, winning over the judges with their advanced skills and commitment to a challenge that has been the undoing of some of Australia's biggest names.
The camaraderie on set was palpable between this mixed bag of famous faces - from game show king Tony Barber, to kitchen nasty Sophia Pou - whose energy and surprising talent has reinvigorated Dancing for another season at least.
Setting the positive tone was the always charming and increasingly effortless hosting of Daniel McPherson, matched beautifully by the effervescent Edwina Bartholomew from Sunrise, who left no doubt of her grace and quick wit under pressure.
While the season opener stretched to almost three hours, the quality of performances - even those who looked like day-old foals - made for easy viewing.

 NEW CO-HOST: Not your average weather girl, Edwina (or Weenie as her university friends in the studio audience chanted) may lack the dancing pedigree of her predecessor Sonia Kruger or the ego of Mel B but this is one woman who can hold her own. Funny, smart, credible, collegiate, she was the perfect sidekick to handsome Dan McPherson and made one of the best first-time, prime-time impressions in recent memory.

 

 

JESINTA CAMPBELL (former Miss Universe Australia, dancing for the Reach Foundation):

Wasting no time to reclaim his resident Mr Nasty title, Todd McKenney dissed the beauty queen's cha cha as "nice, pretty, dull and boring." He added: "Nice is great but people want you to become something else on the dancefloor." Adam Garcia was blown a kiss by Campbell during the routine and while flattered said: "your smile can light up the dance floor but won't make you win."
Scores: Todd 6, Kym 6, Helen 6, Adam 6 - total: 24