Dancing with the Stars: Jennie Garth May Be the Surprise Contender

Jennie Garth started the evening off with class with her renditions of the Cha Cha on the season premier of Dancing with the Stars. Her dancing potential, genuinely likable personality, and broad fan base make her a genuine contender to be in the finale of Dancing with the Stars.

Reason #1: She Can Dance

And the judges of Dancing with the Stars agree. Three sevens for a total score of 21 points is a solid first score for any dancer, but especially for a female dancer. While the male contenders can often "frame" their female professional partner and take a break from the difficult footwork, females are usually dancing with their partners or their partner is framing them as they doing a little fancy footwork and they are the center of attention. Though Garth did not come out with the top score of Dancing with the Stars, she did prove that she has the base talent and drive to go far in the show.

Reason #2: Personality Counts

In real life Jennie Garth is a far cry from the catty Kellie, her character on Beverly Hills 90210. Her good-natured enthusiasm for Dancing with the stars and desire to do her best will win her votes, even when her dancing falls short of more experienced dancers, like Sabrina. who had a background in Hip Hop Dancing. The most skilled dancers have not always won the coveted disco ball trophy. Mario had the edge on Emmet a couple of seasons ago in dancing skills, but Emmet's unfailing positive personality, sportsmanship, and work ethic gave him the edge.

Reason #3: Broad Fan Base

The teens and young adults who were addicted to Beverly Hills 90210 now comprise much of the fan base for Dancing with the Stars. Garth's star power there were surely help her when the votes are cast by the audience. Her continued acting in the sitcom What I Like About You and various movies have made her recognizable to many of the viewers who tune in weekly to Dancing with the Stars.

Of course, Jennie Garth's all-American good looks will make her popular with the male audience, even if they had not seen a single episode of 90210.