The all-athlete lineup for season 26 of Dancing With the Stars was revealed Friday (Apr. 13), and Good Morning America is already getting the sports stars warmed up to take the ballroom floor.
In a match of “Create the Graze,” host Michael Strahan invited pros and athletes to go head-to-head in making up sports-inspired dance moves on the spot, based solely on the piece of athletic gear waiting for them in a locker. The studio audience then voted on whose moves were better fit to become a craze.
After pro Lindsay Arnold lost to Olympic luge silver medalist Chris Mazdzer, Strahan invited pro Sasha Farber to step up to the challenge with one of the Internet’s favorite athlete of the 2018 winter Olympics, Adam Rippon, the first openly gay U.S. Olympian.
Although the 28-year-old figure skater wasn’t able to utilize his assigned rhythm gymnastics ribbon enough to get the GMA audience’s approval, he put up a strong competition.
Also among the athletes in the newest Dancing cast include NBA legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Olympic snowboarder Jamie Anderson and ex-figure skater Tonya Harding, whose controversial story was retold in the Oscar-winning drama I, Tonya.
Season 26 of Dancing With the Stars premieres Apr. 30 on ABC. Watch Rippon and more try their best improvisation below.
Sports-inspired dance moves?! Why not! Watch the #DWTS cast of season 26, “create the craze.” #DancingOnGMA pic.twitter.com/csYZy9FfeH
— Good Morning America (@GMA) April 13, 2018