DANCING WITH THE STARS -Celebrity dancers-TY MURRAY and CHELSIE HIGHTOWER

TY MURRAY


Ty Murray has been labeled the most accomplished rodeo athlete in the century-long history of the sport. With a record-setting seven All-Around World Championship titles and two bull riding World titles under his belt, he has truly earned his nickname as "King of the Cowboys." Now retired from competition, Ty spends his time with his singer-songwriter wife, Jewel, on their 2,100-acre private ranch in Stephenville, Texas. He may have retired from the arena, but Ty hasn't slowed down as a cowboy. In 2004 he helped shepherd National Day of the Horse through the U.S. Senate, encouraging Americans "to be mindful of the contribution of horses to the economy, history and character of the United States." He runs his working cattle ranch and trains horses throughout the year. Additionally, he remains active with the Professional Bull Riders, Inc. , an organization he and 19 other elite bull riders founded in 1992. Ty serves as a board advisor, promotes a top level bull riding event in his hometown, and provides TV commentary for PBR events on NBC and VERSUS. He joins 10 Dance Youth National champion Chelsie Hightower, who makes her series debut.

His Professional Partner- CHELSIE HIGHTOWER


BACKGROUND:
Dancing has been a major part of Chelsie's life from a very young age. She started ballroom dancing when she was 9 years old in an after-school program. Being trained in all styles of dance, Chelsie's specialty is ballroom, where she has had the opportunity to receive thorough and extensive training from current and former world champions. Ballroom dancing has been a passion and an incredible opportunity for Chelsie to showcase her natural talents. Ever since Chelsie began competing at a high level in ballroom, she has been in the finals and ranked as one of the top three couples in the country.

In 2006 Chelsie appeared on the television show 'So You Think You Can Dance' and was one of six finalists. Chelsie received much critical acclaim from the judges. As one pointed out to her, "You move so well, you could make a Mannequin look good".

Chelsie won her first national title when she was just 11 years old. In 2005, Chelsie and her partner were asked to be one of four couples in the country to represent Team USA, in Blackpool, England, which holds the most prestigious competition in the world. Chelsie represented the U.S. in the Latin style, where Team USA took 3rd place behind Ukraine and Russia. In that same year Chelsie had the opportunity to be one of two couples from the U.S. that represented the country in the Standard World Ballroom Competition.

Chelsie has been teaching since she was 15 - she moved to North Carolina to teach and would fly to New York on weekends to get lessons. She has been teaching at Center Stage in Utah, and has helped many students win national titles. She also teaches abroad.

source: ABC