The couples dancing community, especially dance studios and independent dance teachers, looked forward initially to the new Dancing With The Stars (DWTS) TV show, as it would have been expected to help drive a rebirth of interest in couples’ social dancing. Unfortunately, though, it was not a dancing show but a reality show, where the TV audience was more concerned about the personalities of the stars and the banter of the judges than about the dancing feats that skilled teachers could elicit from men and women who had been stars in sports or other pursuits. Hollywood got involved, with their interest in the ratings (i.e, watcher-ship) far exceeding any interest in the dancing itself. The stars were all household words in their own specialties, and often were no longer active in them, so they were happy to prolong their share of mind in American audiences. But the show did not drive many, or any, new students into dance lessons or studios. Now, however, there is a 16 year old woman named Zendaya who is a current star on the Disney Channel’s “Shake It Up” series. We can all hope that she will give a shot in the arm to couples dancing by her high-schooler fans.