Shall We Dance? Leading Relationship Expert Reveals Compatibility on Dancing with the Stars

From Fred and Ginger to Travolta and Thurman, some of the most famous dancing duos have proved it takes more than talent and choreography to create a perfect match on the dance floor. This season, ABC’s wildly popular Dancing with the Stars (DWTS) cast have been put to the test to see if Perfectmatch.com’s Duet Compatibility System, a leading compatibility assessment, can accurately predict how each team’s compatibility will affect their chance at success over the 10-week competition.

Tonight’s DWTS results show featured Dr. Pepper Schwartz, chief relationship expert for Perfectmatch.com and renowned author, who revealed Kristi Yamaguchi and Mark Ballas as the most compatible couple, the perfect match, and Adam Carolla and partner Julianne Hough as least compatible and most likely to struggle in the competition. Fans of the DWTS show have an exclusive, free opportunity to compare their own personal Duet assessment with that of the dancers and celebrities from DWTS by visiting www.perfectmatch.com/dwtsduet.

The entire cast took the Duet Compatibility System test to gauge their compatibility. The assessment identified similarity and complementary personality factors and then predicted the strengths and weaknesses of each celebrity/dancer duo, showcasing how compatibility affects their competitiveness and ultimately, their odds of winning the competition. Test results showed what truly makes a partnership enduring and a dance performance captivating is the dynamic and harmony between the partners.

“The celebrities and dancers have now been training for weeks, hours on end, relying on communication and trust to seamlessly execute risky moves and jumps,” said Dr. Pepper Schwartz, chief relationship expert for Perfectmatch.com. “Our hypothesis was that compatibility is a vital component of all relationships-romantic relationships, co-workers, friends, family and yes, even ballroom dancing! We expected Duet to accurately predict the success of the couples, based on similarity and complementary factors which are vital to all relationships.”

In March, three weeks prior to the premiere of the DWTS sixth season, the participants took the Duet Compatibility assessment online. Dr. Schwartz did not meet with the contestants nor did she have access to the teams’ taped training sessions to amass insight about their personalities. Her analysis and winner prediction were solely based on test results. Below are two of the twelve Duet findings by Dr Schwartz (for additional Dancing with the Stars Duet results, contact aackels@webershandwick.com):

JASON TAYLOR & EDYTA SLIWINSKA
“Jason and Edyta have explosive synergy and are both high energy, risk taking, optimists. He’s dominant, which will need to be muted in training to let the professional dancer take the lead - and then will need to be drawn upon - for the performances,” said Schwartz. “They are both, however, passionate introverts. This could build intensity between them, which could result in some hot, hot, hot performances!”

“Their mutual introversion could become an issue. Someone on this team will have to reach out and talk or give feedback to keep the communication lines flowing. This becomes less of an issue as they meld as one through intense training and get on the same wavelength.”

ADAM CAROLLA & JULIANNE HOUGH
“Adam and Julianne don’t appear to be a perfect match! The first set of characteristics show Adam is risk averse, slightly negative and takes a hang loose approach. He’s likely to kid around a lot - yuk it up. He’ll deal with his discomfort at a new task by distancing himself from it, by going where he may feel most comfortable - humor,” said Schwartz.

“Julianne is someone who’s focused and driven with a ‘go for it’ attitude. She’ll throw herself into this task wholeheartedly, regardless of how challenging it seems. Herein lies the problem, and the potential, for great frustration on her part as she may struggle to get her partner focused on the monumental task at hand.”

Schwartz continued, “On the second set of characteristics, Adam’s flexible and that’s good. However, Julianne likes things ‘just so’ and she needs to be the leader - by temperament and talent. However, she’s not a dominant type, and she’s young to boot. So, initially out of the gate, instinctively, she may give him too much rope, then really struggle trying to reel him in and get him focused.”

“Lastly, Adam is also an extrovert, which within this pairing may prove to be overwhelming to Julianne. She may not be able to get him to tone it down, as he may be one to talk consistently rather then listen! This will surely cause frustration as again, she tries to keep Adam focused on learning and perfecting the new dances.”

With more than 35 years of academic research behind it, the Duet Compatibility System pioneered analyzing and matching individuals who share similar and complementary traits and values. Since 2003, Duet has generated 10,000,000 assessments and Perfectmatch.com has recorded thousands of success stories ranging from long-term relationships to engagements and marriages.

“The inclusion of complementary traits and values into the equation is really the key to a perfect match. Matchmakers and dating sites traditionally match solely based on similarities, things that two people have in common,” said Duane Dahl, CEO and founder of Perfectmatch.com. “Research, our analysis and our members’ experience tells us that a solid relationship requires complementary traits as well-elements that are different between two people, though complementary to the other. In today’s fast-paced, highly competitive social environment, that’s the difference in endless serial dating and marital bliss. The Duet analysis is exactly designed to find the most compatible matches for our members.”

The Duet assessment features eight core dimensions of compatibility. Categories include: “Similarity Indicators” - Romantic Impulsivity; Personal Energy; Outlook; and Predictability, “Complementary Indicators” - Flexibility; Decision Making Style; Emotionality; and Self-Nurturing.