Monday, March 30, 2009

Dancing With the Stars 8: The Argentine Tango and The Lindy Hop with Little Lenny Hardbutt

Hey y'all! Tonight is the end of another trying week for our Stars on Dancing With the Stars. They've dealt with more injuries (Holly) and a stalker (Shawn). Tomorrow is a double elimination and tonight they've been given one of two new dances that may even be new for their Pros. The Argentine Tango is sensual. It's different from the regular tango in that the dancers can be cheek to cheek or far apart. The Lindy Hop is fun and for enjoyment feturing kicks, tricks and lifts. Last week I wrote of my desire to see Gilles do an Argentine Tango and my wish was granted! I may just fast forward thru the show until I get to his dance. Sorry guys.

Just kidding. First up was David/Kym with a Lindy Hop. To get the gist of the dance, they went to a club called The Lindy Groove to pick up some pointers. I thought their dance was cute and very energetic. I wasn't impressed by the lifts, though. The judges also gave mixed reviews. Len said that it was fun, had energy and captured the flavor of the dance, but he lost the rhythm a couple of times. It wasn't David's best, but it wasn't his worst. Bruno also commented that he lost the timing a few times and Carrie Ann thought that it was great, that they kicked up the energy. Scores: Two 7's and an 8 (from Carrie Ann) for 22/30

Lil Kim/Derek had the first Argentine Tango of the night. It was okay for me. Technically it was sound, but, in my opinion, it didn't sizzle. I think the problem is that I see the female in a Tango as sophisticated as well as sensual, and I don't see any sophistication in Lil Kim. I'm in the minority, though. In addition to the standing ovation given by the audience, the judges loved it. Bruno was all worked up and I don't have a clue what he was blabbering about. Carrie Ann said that they are the real deal. The dance had drama, she had beautiful lines and was sensuous. Len, bless his heart, said that he was knocked out by the choreography, not so much by the sensuality. Scores: 9 from Carrie Ann, 8 from Len, and the first 10 of the season from Bruno for 27/30.

Chuck/Julianne did the cutest Lindy Hop. I thoroughly enjoyed watching it. The judges didn't seem to enjoy it as much as I did. Carrie Ann and Len both said that they wanted them to push it to the next level, that they needed to go for it more. Bruno liked the style, but he said something about it being too loose around the edges. In their practice video, they showed Chuck having big problems with a lift/trick that Julianne wanted to put in their dance. He was terrified of falling on his head and Julianne ended up cutting it out of the dance. I wonder if that influenced the judges comments about them stepping it up. Scores: Two 7's and an 8 (from Carrie Ann) for 22/30

LT/Edyta were next up with an Argentine Tango. LT was having major problems visualizing the man's role, so Edyta brought her gorgeous hubby, Alec, to demonstrate. Now that I could have watched all night. We only got to see pieces, but what I saw, I loved. I bet that those two would set that stage on fire. Then it was back to earth watching LT dancing with Edyta. I enjoyed it more than I expected to actually. It wasn't as technically sound as Derek's Tango, but I enjoyed the story they told with the dance, the characters. Once again, the judges didn't agree with me. Len said that they did a good job, but that it was kind of heavy and lacked passion. Bruno said that LT was menacing and intense, that his character was good, but that he walked instead of glided and Carrie Ann said that they exuded power and it had good choreography, but that they lacked chemistry. She said that LT looked like he was afraid of Edyta's sensuality. Scores: Two 7's and a 5 (from Len) for 19/30. This prompted Tom to call Len 'Little Lenny Hardbutt'.

Ty/Chelsie got the Lindy Hop this week. Today I read the cutest interview with these two over at tvguide.com. It made me love them as a couple even more. He joked that he and Jewel were going to adopt Chelsie and she joked that if they did she'd have to get up too early to do chores on the farm. Really cute interview and a really cute dance. I loved it. Nice mix of dancing and tricks and it was so much fun to watch. All three judges seemed to like it and all remarked on the transformation from week 1 to now. Len even went so far as to say 'Hot Dog and Darn my britches, what a great routine'. Alrighty then, lol ... Scores: Two 8's and a 9 (from Carrie Ann) for 25/30

Why, oh why, would they give The Woz/Karina an Argentine Tango? Sensual and Woz don't belong in the same article, not to mention paragraph or sentence. I was reading today that Woz is going to give Karina away at her wedding, which I think is super sweet. Unfortunately, though, I think Woz is getting a little cocky. I thought it was cute at the beginning when he said, 'The judges have forsaken me, but the Geeks shall inherit the earth', but I didn't think it was cute at the end when he made a smart remark about he was still standing after more critical comments from the judges. Their tango wasn't as bad as I feared, but it wasn't good. It wasn't even particularly entertaining, as his previous performances were. Carrie Ann remarked that it laced passion and that it felt really long, Len gave him props for attempting a proper Argentine Tango, and Bruno came right out and said that he loved him, but his dance stunk. Scores: Three 4's for 12/30, which is better than last week.

Melissa/Tony did an awesome Lindy Hop. She mentioned during her practice video that she was going to challenge herself this week and she did. This dance had some awesome lifts and tricks and the dancing itself was really cute. They did this amazing trick at the beginning and again at the end where she flips over his back and that he brings her back to the front through his legs using his hand on the back of her head. You really have to see it to appreciate it. The judges loved it, too. Len said that it's starting to break down to the Pretenders vs. the Contenders and they were contenders. Bruno said it was eyepopping, fantastic and had the full range of steps. Carrie Ann, after being critical of Melissa last week, gave them high fives and said that NOW she was impressed. She complimented Tony on the fantastic choreography. Scores: Two 10's and a 9 (from Len) for 29/30! Fantastic scores!

Holly/Dmitry were another couple that I really did not want to see do an Argentine Tango. Dmitry would probably do well, but Holly? Ugh. Anyway, their practice video showed that she hurt her ribs last week and she was still having pain. She went to the doctor and he told her that she strained the muscle around the rib but cleared her to continue. You could tell that she was in a great deal of pain, but was trying to work through it. Whoa, did she almost fall of the stool at the beginning of her dance? She didn't recover very well from that slip up. They did a nice trick at the end, but the dance itself was lacking. I didn't think it was awful, but just not that good. The judges liked it less than I did. They each remarked on her falling off the stool at the beginning and that it went downhill from there. Len praised Dmitry for the choreography of the routine, but said that the bad start caused a negative attitude. Scores: Two 5's and a 6 (from Len) for 16/30

Steve-O/Lacey got the Lindy Hop. In their practice video, he was very uptight so Lacey brought him a clown costume to help loosen him up. It seemed to do the trick ... at least in practice. I thought it was better than last week. There were a few missteps, but it was fun to watch. The judges didn't like it, though. They all commented on his lack of rhythm and timing. He always seems to be a step behind Lacey, as if he watches to see what she does before he does it. Scores: Three 5's for 15/30.

FINALLY! What I've been waiting all night for ... Gilles/Cheryl and their Argentine Tango. And my, was it worth the wait. That dance was freaking awesome! I had to turn on the ceiling fan, it had gotten so hot in here. Dang that was good. They flashed to Carrie Ann fanning herself ... I agree. Len said that it was another fantastic performance. He waxed eloquent in his description saying that they showed every element of the dance. Bruno called Gilles the quintessential Latin Lover, he has an almost deadly animal magnetism. Bravissima! Carrie Ann, when she finally could talk, said 'Holy Cow! Jeez Louise!' She said that she couldn't tell who was the pro and who was the star. Scores: Three 10's for 30/30!! Well deserved, I thought.

Shawn/Mark had the unenviable position of following that dance. They had the lindy hop and after watching Shawn in her element at the gym, Mark decided to pack their dance full of tricks. I think they went a little far. Their routine was fun to watch and it was certainly full of tricks, but I didn't see much dancing there. The judges agreed with me, that it wasn't their best effort. Both Len and Bruno commented that there was not enough dance, but Bruno said that it was a spectacular feast of tricks and gymnastics. Carrie Ann said that it was a polished performance, but that whe was a little heavy with her footwork. Scores: Two 8's and a 9 (from Bruno) for 25/30.

Well, boys and girls, that's it for another performance show. Gilles/Cheryl are alone at the top of the leaderboard this week with a perfect score, but Melissa/Tony are hot on their heels with a 29. Lil Kim/Derek and Ty/Chelsie really picked up their games and Shawn/Mark slipped to a tie for fourth. Once again The Woz/Karina bring up the rear, but as we saw last week, that doesn't mean a thing.

Tomorrow night, the bottom 3 will be revealed with a double elimination. BoyzIIMen and Kevin Rudolph will be performing and a special dance choreographed by Louis Van Amstel. I really wish that we could see the best performance on the Results show instead of two bad ones in the Dance-Off. What did y'all think? Will the geeks save Woz again or will he end up in the bottom this week? Who do you think will be in the bottom two and who will go home? Comment below or drop me a line at ladytex@tvfunspot.com

Tuesday, March 24, 2009

Dancing With the Stars 8: Week 3 Results Show

Hey y'all! It's that time again. Time to say goodbye to one more couple on Dancing With the Stars 8. Next week, though, there will be a double elimination according to Tom. After an extra long recap of last night's show, Karina tells us that if they are there next week, we'll see a new move ... and she pokes The Woz in the tummy and he giggles ala The Pillsbury Doughboy.

The first four couples are told that they are safe and there are no surprises until the fourth couple. Melissa/Tony, Gilles/Cheryl and Shawn/Mark are let off the hook. Who was the fourth couple? The Woz and Karina. The judges looked shocked, Tom was shocked, Woz/Karina were shocked. After my wanderings around the web, I'm wondering if this was a judges backlash. There was plenty anger and indignation about how the judges talked to him last night. People felt that they were undeservedly and unnecessarily rude and mean. I counted quite a few people on a couple of boards that gave all of their votes to Woz and Karina because of that.

In the TMI moment of the night, in the stupid Samantha interview, Woz told us that he was more shocked than anytime in his life except when he was served divorce papers ... um ... okay.

Also safe this week are LT/Edyta, David/Kym, Chuck/Julianne and Lil Kim/Derek.

In addition to a double elimination, the celebs and their pros will be doing one of two new dances, the Lindy Hop and the Argentine Tango. To demonstrate the basics of these two dances were ... Cloris and Corky. It was a cute segment, I guess, but not as funny as I think they were aiming for. Ooh, I hope Gilles gets the Tango ... but I bet he won't.

The two musical numbers came next. Maks, Tony, Dmitry and Karina danced to Hall & Oates singing Maneater. This was an awesome dance. How come I never realized how sexy Tony is? The dance had the three guys showing off for Karina and at the end she picks Maks, of course. Then Alec and Edyta sang to Adele singing Chasing Pavements. I've never heard her sing, but I love her voice. I really like that style of music and the song she sang. I also loved that dance. It was so beautiful, I miss Alec.

The last four couples standing were Steve-O/Lacey, Holly/Dmitry, Ty/Chelsie and Denise/Maks. Steve-O/Lacey were put out of their misery first and Ty/Chelsie were also told that they were safe. That means that this weeks Dance-Off will be between Maks/Denise and Holly/Dmitry. They both repeated their pitiful Sambas.

First up were Holly/Dmitry. She worked on her bottom half and I guess she improved a little. She still looked stiff and awkward to me. The judges all seemed to think she did better and gave her three 6's for 18. Last night she got a 17. Denise/Maks were next. It looked to me like she walked the steps instead of danced the steps, but the judges disagreed. They all enthused over the improvement in her performance. Len even went so far as to tell Denise that she proved that she deserved to stay. They gave her two 7's and a 6 (from Carrie Ann) for 20. Last night they got a 16.

Both these teams can leave, as far as I'm concerned, but after four minutes of commercials, Denise/Maks were given their walking papers. Wow, I really didn't expect that after the judges scoring. I guess this couple really had no fan support. Maks must have ticked off his loyal following with all the kvetching he's been doing. It's mean of me, but I gave a quick laugh because Karina outlasted her man after he made the comment he made that Karina deserved better than she got. Right after I thought that, the camera panned to a visibly upset Karina. I almost felt bad.

Anyway, what do you think? Did y'all pick the right couple to leave? Who do y'all want to do what dances next week. I know I will drool to see Gilles/Cheryl do the Argentine Tango. That is one sexy dance when it's done right. I definitely do NOT want to see Steve-O or Woz do it. Okay, I probably just jinxed it and they will both have it. I think Tony/Melissa could do a hot one, too. They'll probably have everyone's favorite couple (insert eye roll here) Chuck/Julianne do one to show us their chemistry. Your thoughts? Comment below, and I'll catch y'all next week.

Monday, March 23, 2009

Dancing With the Stars 8: Week 3 and He Gave Up Golf For This

Week three of Dancing With the Stars 8, and we finally have all of the stars participating. Week one doesn't count because of Jewel and Nancy. Tonight's dances are the Samba and the Foxtrot. Who'll bring it and who'll drop the ball? You know, this season for me, is good because I don't see anyone just going through the motions. It seems like all of the contestants from the best to the worst are all working their hind ends off to give us the best show possible. And I appreciate it because this is another long two hour show.

First up tonight are Denise/Maks doin' the Samba. To loosen Denise up, Maks showed up to practice in drag as a Samba Queen. Maks, that's not a good look for ya, honey. Their Samba was just okay for me. I didn't enjoy watching it and it didn't look like she enjoyed doing it. The judges pretty much agreed with me. Len said that the Samba is the hardest of the Latin dances, but theirs needed more of a latin kick and more hip action. Bruno said that it was flat and full of holes. It was a waffle instead of a Samba and it didn't have a party feel. Carrie Ann agreed with Bruno and told Denise to mask her fear and to work on her hands and arms. Scores: Two 5's and a 6 (from Len) for 16/30

Chuck/Julianne had the first Foxtrot of the night. In their confessional, they whined about the judges being too hard on him, that they had higher expectations of him since his girlfriend could dance. Yeah, whatever. But in spite of the music, and the whining, I enjoyed the dance. Chuck did much better this week. But actually that's not saying much, since last week he just posed. Anyway, I did like it. The judges appreciated his effort, too. Bruno said that he was glad to see Chuck in the driver's seat and starting to dance WITH Julianne. Carrie Ann said that this dance showed that Chuck could possibly be a contender and Len said that it was good, but not great yet. Scores: Two 8's and a 7 (from Len) for 23/30

Holly/Dmitry were next with their Samba. I really didn't think this dance was fun to watch. She tries hard, but she looked so awkward. I cringed through most of this dance. Carrie Ann said that this was rough to watch, that it was totally disjointed. Len said that she needed to work on her footwork. He said that she was like a match, hot on the top, wooden on the bottom and Bruno said that her feet weren't going the right way and that her hip action was not correct. Scores: Two 6's and a 5 (from Carrie Ann) for 17/30

Steve-O/Lacey had another rough week. He had to ease back into the dancing because of his back. I worry about him. He said earlier that he was going through addiction recovery while doing this show and I'm sure he's been given meds for his back. He looked like PeeWee Hermann for his Foxtrot. It was a cute dance and I enjoyed it until the end when he fell and hurt his back and ankle. Len clapped for him because he said that he came out and did it, and it had elements of a proper Foxtrot. Bruno said that he was the model of propriety. He started so well and then fell to pieces. Carrie Ann said that she liked that he learned from his mistakes and that she's sorry that he's had such a rough time. Scores: Three 5's for 15/30

LT/Edyta were next up with their Samba. He cracked me up talking about how he gave up golf time for dance ... and he doesn't give up golf for anything. This Samba wasn't technically the best, but it was very fun to watch. LT's got a little rhythm going there, haha. Bruno said that LT was pretty light on his feet for a big guy and has rhythm. He told him not to doubt his ability. Carrie Ann said that they did a good job, that he has a new found confidence and a twinkle in his eye, but she wants him to go for more difficulty next time. Len said that he liked LT's work ethic, but wants more hip action and less shoulder action. Scores: Two 7's and a 6 (from Len) for 20/30

Shawn/Mark did a very beautiful and elegant Foxtrot. Bruno and Carrie Ann both remarked on how it looked like she was just gliding across the floor, similar to an ice skater. Carrie Ann called her a princess, Bruno called her a beautiful bejewelled hummingbird and Len said that it was the best dance so far ... yeah, by a long shot. Scores: Three 9's for 27/30

My new dance honey, Gilles, and his partner, Cheryl did a very hot Samba. His mom came to visit practice and it was so sweet to see. She told him that she wanted more, and he gave it to her. That man can shake his lil booty and hips. Len said that he was a good dancer, he lacked a little rhythm at the beginning, but he made a hard dance look easy. Bruno called him a throbbing, red hot poker ... down boy ... said that the Samba was a party dance and Gilles makes everyone want to party with him. Carrie Ann said that it was excellent and that Gilles brought out something special in Cheryl and he shook things that Carrie Ann didn't know guys could shake. Scores: Three 9's for 27/30

David/Kym did a decent Foxtrot. It started out really good and slowed down for me. Kym said that this week she wanted to showcase David and I think she did a good job. The dance didn't really wow me, but David did a lot of dancing and he did a good job. Had a big Broadway vibe. Bruno said that they took the Foxtrot to Broadway and that it was a big transformation for David. Carrie Ann gave him two snaps and gave props to the choreography and Len said that it was his best dance so far. Scores: Three 8's for 24/30

The Woz/Karina got the Samba. Okay, I'm scared for him. I cannot imagine his body doing this dance. On top of that, he had another trip to the hospital this week and he pulled his hamstring. He was still cringing in pain trying to dance on Sunday. This Samba was just awful, but strangely enjoyable, if that makes any sense. They even threw in something that I think was supposed to be a worm. It was funny watching Bruno cover his face. Carrie Ann said that he was cute and adorable, but at some point the novelty wears off. She called his worm a slug, lol. Len said that the dance was killing him. He hopes that the audience was entertained, because it was bad from start to finish. Bruno just called it the worst Samba that he's ever seen. Backstage, though, they got a standing ovation for his efforts. Scores: Two 3's and a 4 (from Carrie Ann) for 10/30

Melissa/Tony did an old-timey, big band looking, gorgeous Foxtrot. I loved it. Len said that it had great musicality, but said something about working on her ball/heel foot thingy. Bruno called it beautiful to look at and easy to love and Carrie Ann called her an excellent dancer but told her that she needed to challenge herself a little bit ... it was too easy for her. Scores: Three 9's for 27/30 And it seems that LT has to take Melissa golfing since she got at least three 8's.

Lil Kim/Derek had a Samba. They did a good job, but it was missing something to me. The girl can shake her butt, that's for sure. Bruno said that it worked for him. He called her a pocketsized Venus with Supersized sex appeal. The dance was not perfect, but she sold it. Carrie Ann said that it was hot and they went for it. She loved it. Len said that Lil Kim had a bionic booty but asks Derek to put more basic dance moves into their routines. Scores: Two 8's and a 9 (from Bruno) for 25/30

And last, but certainly not least, was Ty/Chelsie and their Foxtrot. It was a very nice and elegant dance. Poor Chelsie slipped and fell near the beginning, but Ty was a pro and didn't miss a beat. He helped her up and they just kept going, and they did a nice job. Carrie Ann called Ty the most improved by miles and said that they looked fantastic. Len said that he was a bit stiff and lacked musicality, but that the routine was fantastic and they had a great recovery. Bruno said that Chelsie was turning into a miracle worker. They had that one mistake, but it was an excellent dance. Scores: Two 8's and a 7 (from Bruno) for 23 That's a good score considering that fall. It was bad, but he handled it well and the male pros made sure to give him props backstage.

So that was it. Another long night watching Dancing With the Stars 8. I think that next week I will record it and begin watching it 45 minutes later. I bet I can catch up with fast forwarding through all the commercials and filler. I couldn't believe that they had a bunch of commercials after every single dance. That was overkill. I did enjoy the dancing though. Top of the leaderboard again were Gilles/Cheryl, Shawn/Mark and Melissa/Tony and poor Woz/Karina are bringing up the rear again. I enjoy watching him dance, but his poor body is falling apart.

Tomorrow night's musical guests are Hall & Oates and Adele and two more couples will have to participate in a Dance-Off. Who do you think those two couples will be? Comment below or drop me a line at ladytex@tvfunspot.com

Tuesday, March 17, 2009

Dancing With the Stars 8: Week 2 Results Show

Hey y'all, I'm back again! This time with my recap of the first elimination show of Dancing With the Stars 8. There is a new twist this season, with the Celebrities with the two lowest point totals having a 'Dance-Off'. There were also three special musical numbers this evening, a Macy's Stars of Dance performance and songs by Big Bad Voodoo Daddy and Jewell.

The show started right off with Mark, Cheryl, Lacy, Tony, Derek and Julianne dancing to a Big Bad Voodoo Daddy song. You know, I thought this would be some crazy hard rock group, but was pleasantly surprised. I love big band music and this was kinda like Big Band with a rock twist. Very cool. Oh, and the dancing was good, too.

Steve-O was backstage and was interviewed. He hopes to stay, and he took total responsibility for that front flip (take that, you judges) and said that Lacey tried to talk him out of it. That led to a Tom Bergeron crack about what's it coming to when Lacey is the voice of reason. I hope he stays a while because I think that he and Lacey will have some interesting dance routines.

Eight couples were put out of their misery and told that they were safe. They were: LT/Edyta, Shawn/Mark, Chuck/Julianne, David/Kym, Denise/Maks, Melissa/Tony, Lil Kim/Derek, and Gilles/Cheryl. As much as I love Maks and Julianne, their comments this week (actually their whining this week) about Melissa have me sort of rooting against them. I didn't hear Maks complaining when his partner was Mel B, who had plenty of dance training, and Julianne shouldn't be complaining about anything since she's been given all these breaks already this season. Every season there is a contestant with more of a dance background and every season someone complains about it. Anyway ...

They wasted some time by having a little segment on a Celebrity Survival Guide by Cameron Mathison. He had the following tips for the Celebs to follow if they wanted to be successful:
-- Don't trip on the stairs
-- Make friends in the Red Room and then psych them out
-- Always cry in the confessional
-- Always kiss up to the judges
-- Make friends with the spray tan girl
-- And finally, to prevent injury ... don't sign up.

The two remaining special musical numbers followed. The Macy's Stars of Dance performance was choreographed by Michael Rooney, son of Mickey Rooney, and was a tribute to the Music of Hollywood's Golden Age. It was just okay for me. 'Our' dancers would have done a much better job, the girls especially. I also wasn't too impressed by the choreography. It looked like something just thrown together. I wonder how long they gave him to come up with this. I did, however, love seeing Mickey Rooney in the audience. Then Dmitry and Chelsie danced to Jewel's rendition of 'Somewhere Over the Rainbow'. It was a pretty dance, but it looked like a typical SYTYCD routine and, of course, Dmitry just had to have his shirt open. *rolling eyes here*

Finally back to the results ... Holly/Dmitry, Ty/Chelsie, and Steve-O/Lacey were told that they were safe. That leaves Belinda/Jonathan and Steve Woz/Karina as the bottom two and the participants of the first ever Dance-Off. The way this worked was that the judges slate was wiped clean, tonight's scores will count for 50% of the final score, with the audience vote counting for the other 50%.

Belinda/Jonathan were up first and chose to repeat their Salsa from last night. Last night the judges kept harping on her lack of hip action, so that's what they worked on today. It was really sad, though. She focused so much on her hips, that she messed up on her footwork. It wasn't as much fun to watch today, she didn't look as if she enjoyed it as much either. The judges agreed. They complimented her better hip action, but all remarked on her losing her footwork. Backstage, she kept apologizing to Jonathan for letting him down, and he just kept telling her that he was proud of her. Scores: Two 6's and a 5 from Carrie Ann for a total of 17, one point less than last night.

The Woz/Karina chose to replay their Quick Step. This guy just makes me smile when he dances. He just seems to have so much fun. I enjoyed this routine once again. The judges commented that he's not a good dancer, but they enjoy watching him. Backstage, Samantha asked both couples some really assinine questions. She asked how they would feel if this was their last dance. What does she think? I'm waiting for someone to just give her a look and then ignore her. Scores: Two 6's and a 5 from Len for a total of 17, the same as last night. Bruno had a paddle malfunction and held his score paddle up backwards.

With the judges scores equal, it was up to the audience vote. And the first couple eliminated from Dancing With the Stars 8 was Belinda/Jonathan. It was really sad, but frankly, she wouldn't have lasted very long. I feel badly for Jonathan, though, lately it seems that he gets booted early. Don't forget to go to abc.com and vote for the Design-a-Dance. This past week plus the dance was voted on and the Quick Step was chosen. Now the vote is for who we want to see dance. I hope the dancers chosen are not the Houghs this time.

Well, catch y'all next week. What was your reaction to tonight's show? Did the right couple go home? Comment below.

Dancing With the Stars 8: Week 2 and I'll Still Call Him Superman

Hey y'all. It's only the second week of Dancing With the Stars 8, and the injuries just keep a comin'. Over the weekend, there were reports of injuries to Steve Wozniak (foot), Steve-O (back), and Gilles (shoulder). At the time, I wondered if any of those injuries would have a big impact on the show. It didn't take long to find out that, at least in the short term, the answer was yes. During introductions, Lacey came down the staircase alone and Tom Bergeron commented that Steve-O had hurt his back earlier in the day during dress rehearsals. Well, either Tom was kept in the dark, or they deliberately were keeping from us the prior back injury. Anyway, we got the first of several teases that we'd learn more about the situation later.

To begin the night, Holly/Dmitry did the Quickstep. During their practice video, they decided to get to know each other better, to help the chemistry issues. Holly told us that her mantra is "Every day is a Holly-day". Okay, stop gagging now. The funny part was that Dmitry kept thinking that she said 'holiday' and he was like ... okay. I guess it kinda loses impact when you have to explain it, hahahaha. Anyway, their Quickstep was okay. The footwork was pretty good, but there was no chemistry. The judges weren't glowing in their comments. Len said that the footwork was good, but that she had bad posture up top, Bruno said that it looked like she was running after Dmitry trying to catch up and Carrie Ann said that she looked like a doll. He was dragging her around. She told Holly that she needed to be more of an equal partner in the dance. Scores: Three 6's for 18 this week and a two dance total of 36/60.

David Alan/Kym were next with a Salsa. He impressed me by insisting to Kym that he didn't want to just stand around while she danced, but that he wanted to dance, too. And she did choreograph for him to dance. I thought the dance was very entertaining. I'm not a pro, but I know what I like and I liked this one. The judges? Not so much. Bruno said that he was only in one character tonight, but that his timing was off and his hip action needed work. Carrie Ann said that harder was not always better and that they lost the musicality trying to hard. Len said that there was too much Kym, not enough David and that the hip action was lacking (* remember this comment because I'll rant about it later) Scores: Two 6's and a 5 (from Len) for 17 this week, and a two week score of 36/60.

Denise/Maks did the Quickstep. It was just okay to me, nothing spectacular or even very entertaining. Her footwork was good, but she just looked stiff and uncomfortable about the upper body to me. The judges disagreed with me again (yes, this is a reoccurring theme this week). Carrie Ann said that this was much better, fantastic even, but that there were a few missteps. Len said that it was quite an improvement, but that they momentarily lost sync and Bruno agreed on the improvement and said that there was great leg action. The only entertaining part of their segment, at least for me, was that after the judges comments, at Maks suggestion, Denise either patted or pinched Tom's tushy. Scores: Three 7's for 21, and 39/60 for the two weeks.

Belinda/Jonathan's Salsa was next. Jonathan said that he was going to make this wild and exciting and put in a few of her moves from the Go-Go's. I thought it was a fun, cute routine. Even though I saw one big mess up, I had a smile on my face the whole dance. Of course, the judges saw a different dance. Len said that it was exuberant and fun but it lacked hip action. Bruno said that there was progress made, but she needs to work on her timing and rhythm and Carrie Ann just dissed Belinda and told her that she was lacking in grace. Scores: Three 6's for 18, and 35/60 total.

Ty/Chelsie were next with their Quickstep, and I was worried. I like these two and don't want them to leave right yet. Alright! This dance is so much better. It was so cute and entertaining. Ty is such a cutie pie and he worked so hard. And the judges seemed to agree with me this time. Carrie Ann cheered and said that she was so proud of him. Bruno commented that he was riding that Quickstep, he had good posture and was much improved. Len called it a metamorphosis. Last week he was a caterpillar and this week a butterfly (um, okay). Scores: Two 7's and a 6 (from Len) for 20, and 34/60 for the two week score.

Shawn/Mark's Salsa also had me worried. I'm just not sure if this little girl can handle the Latin dances. She's so immature and inhibited and the Latin dances are just so sexy and free. Their Salsa was pretty good. I didn't enjoy it as much as many of the dances, but technically it was good. Once again, the judges commented similarly, but their scores didn't reflect the comments. Bruno called her a cute little thing, charming and precise. But she has to work on her naughtiness and flirtation. Len said that she was clean and precise. She needs to let it go a little more in latin dancing, and Carrie Ann said that her footwork was good and precise and that she was very focused. Scores: Three 8's for 24 and 47/60 for the two weeks.

The Woz/Karina had a Quickstep that had me cringing before it even began. Woz has a bad foot. He had an MRI this week and was told to rest his foot as much as he could and to use a walking cast. The doctor did not tell him that he couldn't dance, though. He's a big man already and with a broken foot, how would he handle this dance, in particular? Well, he handled it. It looked awkward, but he looked like he had so much fun, and it was fun to watch. I love this big guy and his whole attitude. Len said that it was great antics, Carrie Ann said that he was such a trooper, that she enjoyed watching him, but he needs to work on his arms and his endurance. Bruno was nasty to him again. He called him Wall-E this week (teletubby last week), rusty, made with spare parts, but resilient. Scores: Two 6's and a 5 (from Len) for 17, and 30/60 total.

Then came the Salsa from Chuck/Julianne. I thought it was a Julianne Salsa and Chuck posed. She came out in her bright costume with lots of, not ruffles, but you know those strings that hang off the costume and he was in all black. And she flashed and wiggled and jiggled and moved all around him while he stood there. Whatever. All three judges put Julianne on blast for it, but their scores didn't reflect their comments. Scores: Two 7's and a 6 (from Carrie Ann). I was pissed because David Alan did SO much more than Chuck and Len made a pithy comment about it and gave him a 5. Anyway their two week score is 40/60. Wonder if that is written into her contract that she can't be given bad scores for bad choreography.

Anyway, I soon calmed down when I saw LT/Edyta's Quickstep. I was so happy to see him do so much better. He still isn't quite in the Emmitt and Jason category, but he's definitely improved. This routine was fun to watch, entertaining. The judges agreed. Carrie Ann sang "That's the Way, uh huh, uh huh, I like it" and told them that it was much better, smooth and powerful. Bruno commented that he's a competitor, he came out there and performed and Len said that it was difficult choreography, but that it was well done. Scores: Two 7's and a 6 from Len for a 20. WHAT?? He dances, Chuck poses and they get the same score??? Bull hockey! Dang it, now I'm mad again. Two week total 36/60

We finally get a Steve-O update. During dress rehearsal, he fell on his mic pack and hurt his back. During their practice video he was saying how he was gonna do this salsa Steve-O style, which told me that he was going to put some risky moves in it. He'd already had some back problems, it was shown. And he was icing it between dancing. Well at the end of the routine in dress rehearsal, he and Lacey both did a front flip. Lacey landed correctly, but Steve-O landed flat on his back ... on his mic pac. Lacey said that he got up from that, but when they went back stage, they were rehearsing a move and he hit his back on her and it swelled up and at that point they took him to the hospital. Lacey did say that initial reports from the hospital were that there was nothing broken.

The show decided to judge him and Lacey on their dress rehearsal. That really stinks, because there is no excitement, no polish on a dress rehearsal performance, but oh well. They showed the performance and it was pretty good. I bet it would have been awesome during the show. The judges were harsh with them all seeming to blame Lacey for his getting injured. It wasn't a traditional salsa by any means, and it was out there even for Lacey, so I figured that they wouldn't like it. But they actually surprised me with how much they disliked it. Scores: Two 5's and a 4 (from Len) for 14, and 31/60 for the two weeks.

To lighten things up, Lil Kim and Derek performed their Quickstep to 'Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend'. I enjoyed it more than I expected to. She was quite refined (for her) and it seemed very smooth. Bruno commented that she did bling very well and he loved it. Carrie Ann said that it was great, fantastic choreography, but that they needed to work on their holds. Len was harsh. He said that she's definitely not shy, there was not a lot of quality, no refinement and virtually no body contact. His comments were harsh, but the scores were not. Scores: Two 8's and a 7 (from Len) for 23 and 44/60 for the two week score.

Melissa/Tony followed with their Salsa. Now THAT was a salsa! Best one of the night and best dance so far. Very entertaining and it was the most like a traditional salsa. I was shaking along with them, and I wasn't the only one, haha! Carrie Ann said 'Finally a real salsa!' and called it slammin'. Len said that he was gyrating in his seat (that was a visual that I could do without, thanky very much), and Bruno made some cooking analogy talking about so much content and so much flavor. He wanted more and thanked them. Scores: Two 9's and an 8 (from Len) for 26 and 49/60 for the two week score!

And last, but definitely not least, my new Dancing honey Gilles and his partner Cheryl doing a Quickstep to 'Kryptonite'. He came out looking just like Clark Kent, down to the glasses. Oh, man this was my second favorite dance of the night! Very close second, too. Maybe it's tied for my favorite dance. It was awesome, I loved it! And at the end he threw off his glasses and tore open his button down shirt to show his spandex with the G on it. Excellent dance! That was the way to end this thing! Judges agreed, too. Len said it was great, well done. Bruno called it French class with American flair, and Carrie Ann told him that they were quickly becoming fan faves. I hope so because he probably had the smallest fan base coming into this thing, and he deserves to stay. Scores: Three 9's for 27! Woo hoo! and 51/60 for the two dance total.

And that was it boys and girls. Another entertaining two hours of dance. Gilles/Cheryl top the judges leaderboard with 51/60, Melissa/Tony are on their heels with 49/60 and Shawn/Mark have 47/60. Down at the bottom are Steve Wozniak/Karina with 30/60 and Steve-O/Lacey with 31/60. That doesn't mean much because there will also be two weeks of viewers votes added in. This year, they will tell us the bottom two, and instead of that being it, those bottom two teams will have a Dance-Off. According to abc.com: In the "Dance-Off," the judges scores from the first 2 weeks are wiped out and the judges scores from the "Dance-Off" performance will replace them. The viewer votes from the first 2 weeks still count. The new judges scores from the "Dance-Off" and the viewers votes from the first 2 weeks will be combined to determine the eliminated couple.

While it sounds like a big thing, it really isn't. As I see it, the only thing it will accomplish is to let us know who the bottom two are, so that if we're fans and our fave survives, we can vote our tails off this next week. It will also allow the judges to manipulate their scores (as if they don't already) to determine who they want to leave. Maybe. Only if the voters totals are close, because if they're not, then it shouldn't matter what the judges do. Unless they're weighted, which they won't tell us. And I bet every week, whoever gets the highest judges score will stay, regardless of fan vote.

Anyway, Tuesday night is the first elimination and the musical guests are Jewel and Big Bad Voodoo Daddy. Macy's Stars of Dance performance is, according to Tom, a contemporary twist on the golden age of Hollywood Musicals, whatever that means. But I usually love that segment, so I'm looking forward to it. So who will be in the dance off and who will leave? Comment on that or on your thoughts of the show below or shoot me an email at ladytex@tvfunspot.com and I'll catch up with y'all tomorrow with the recap of the results show.

Tuesday, March 10, 2009

Dancing With the Stars 8: "I Wanna Put My Foot in the Waltz's Butt"

Hey y'all! The season premiere of Dancing With the Stars 8 was a good one. There were the expected bad dances, the expected good dances, and even the unexpected good ones. This is a non-elimination week and the scores earned along with the vote counts will carry over to next week. A new twist have the bottom two couples doing a dance off to get the judges to change their scores. As everyone knows, two female celebrities dropped out of the competition last week, Jewel and Nancy O'Dell. For the intros only 11 couples came out and we were told that we'd find out the replacements later.

The first couple to dance this week was Lil Kim / Derek. In their little pre-dance blurb we learned that Lil Kim became a fan while she was in prison and that she was dedicating this first dance to all her girls in the Federal Detention Center. Alrighty then ... She also made a remark that she's gonna be Black Barbie to Derek's Ken. Okay, so I didn't really have an open mind about her to begin with, and this really didn't help. So, for their dance, they did a Cha-cha to Nasty Boys. Uh, yeah. So I guess they're going to cater to the hip hop crowd with her this season. The dance really wasn't that bad, for what it was. The judges seemed to like it, giving her three 7's for a score of 21.

Next up was Belinda / Jonathan. She's our token older lady this season. They had a decent waltz. She was kind of stiff, but I think it was nerves. I loved that she was actually singing the words to the song as she danced. The judges didn't like it nearly as much as I did with Bruno being particularly brutal saying that she started off like Julie Andrews and it turned into Cloris. I didn't see that at all. Carrie Ann told her that it wasn't great, but it definitely wasn't Cloris. She also gave her some good advice, to trust Jonathan and to let him lead. She received two 6's and a 5 for a score of 17.

Lawrence (LT) / Edyta came out next. I used to have such the crush on this man ... sigh. Unfortunately, he looks like he will be the one to break the streak of football players doing well and going far. Emmitt, Jason and Warren he is not on the dance floor. I was quite disappointed. He was so worried about looking like a fool, that he didn't enjoy himself and it showed. This Cha-cha was pretty bad. The judges pretty much agreed with me, but gave him some useful advice for next week. They gave him a 6 and two 5's for a score of 16.

This next couple surprised me. My original predictions had Steve-O being one of the first to go, but maybe not. The Steve-O / Lacey combo make a good team. He's got a rough row to hoe, though. He's balancing DWTS with rehab and he said that this week, "I wanna put my foot in the Waltz's butt". I really enjoyed their Waltz, it was fun to watch. Not perfect, by any means, but very entertaining. I was impressed at how seriously he is taking this. The judges, however, didn't like it as much as I did. Len admitted that he expected much worse, Bruno called it a big pile of slapstick, but fun. Both he and Carrie Ann told him that he needed to work on his technique. They gave him two 6's and a 5 for a score of 17.

I have no clue who this Gilles guy is, but they called him the "Sexy Naked Neighbor". Uh yeah, he IS sexy and the Cha-Cha that he and Cheryl did was HOT. The judges agreed complimenting him for pulling it off and Cheryl for the choreography. He probably has the smallest fanbase, so he's gonna have a hard time staying in this thing, but if it was based on performance alone, Cheryl could possibly be on her way to her third trophy. The judges gave them three 8's for a score of 24.

The real life couple, Chuck / Julianne, were next. They are gonna ram this real life couple thing down our throats until we puke. I was already rolling my eyes at them before they even hit the dance floor. In spite of myself, however, I kind of liked their Waltz. It wasn't my favorite, and she has some work to do to get him up to championship status. The judges thought that it had good spots, but that it was also hectic at times. Bruno said that it looked like he was chasing her at times, and the Lift Police (Carrie Ann) said she caught a lift. They got two 7's and a 6 for a score of 20.

Next we had our first replacement dancer. Tom introduced Holly Madison as Jewel's replacement. They made sure to let us know that she had been on the cover of Playboy 4 times ... whatever. She only had one week to prepare this Cha-Cha with new pro Dmitry Chaplin from So You Think You Can Dance, and it looked it. I didn't like it at all ... all flash, no substance. All she did was shake her fake boobs and her butt. The judges liked it better than I did with only Bruno honestly critiquing her by telling her that she lost the timing quite a few times. The judges gave her three 6's for a score of 18.

Ty was up next with his partner, new pro Chelsie Hightower, also from SYTYCD. She is just cute as a button and may give Julianne a run for her money for the cute little bubbly blonde role. Poor Ty, though. I think he just did this for his wife, Jewel, and now she's out. He looked so awkward and uncomfortable with this cha-cha. This man has no rhythm. The judges, other than Bruno, struggled to find something kind to say. Bruno said it looked more like an army drill than a cha-cha. The scores were also brutal, two 5's and a 4 for a total of 14.

The next couple is one that I was waiting for. Shawn Johnson / Mark Ballas did a very pretty waltz. When they showed the practice clips, I was a bit worried because she came across as very young and immature. Gotta remember that she is a very sheltered 17 yr old. While it was a pretty waltz, you could see her gymnastics with some of the awkward arm movements. She had a tendency to throw her arms out there instead of letting them flow. The judges agreed and enjoyed this performance with Carrie Ann almost in tears. Bruno and Len both commented on the gymnastic arm thing, but were very impressed. She got two 8's and a 7 for a score of 23.

Then came another cringe moment. Steve Woz is a typical nerd. This co-founder of Apple Computers even came out to his 1st meeting with his pro on a Segway. He's really sweet and a big teddy bear. He said that he just wants to prove that nerds can dance. I have only two words to describe his and Karina's Cha-Cha ... oh my. Len said that the good news was that it held his attention, but it was a disaster. Bruno called him a teletubby gone mad and Carrie Ann siad that he was what the show was about, taking the celebrities out of their comfort zones and doing something new. The judges gave them two 4's and a 5 for a score of 13.

I had no expectations for the next couple. In fact, I had them pegged as early exits, too. David Alan Grier is another comedian that I don't find particularly funny and I didn't know if he'd take this seriously. He started off on the wrong foot trying to joke with poor Kym Johnson, who didn't get his jokes at all and didn't know how to take him. They did a Waltz to one of the worst renditions of "You Light Up My Life" that I've ever heard. And it wasn't half bad. You know I'd forgotten that he'd worked with Carrie Ann, when she was a Fly Girl on "In Living Color" and she warned him to be careful with his facial expressions while he danced, they could be distracting. Bruno also commented on his face and said that with his face he was 4 or 5 different characters in that one dance. Len said that it was more good than bad, lol, but that his bum sticks out when he dances. This couple received two 6's and a 7 for a score of 19.

My Maks was up next with his partner Denise Richards. I don't know what to make of her. Something about her bugs me, but I can't root against her because I wanna watch Maks. What a conundrum. Whoa, this chick may not last long though. Maks had her in tears already! We all know it takes a strong woman to deal with Maks, and that's usually who they give him. Either they screwed up, or she's stronger than she's coming across. Their Cha-Cha was just okay. I didn't really enjoy watching her dance, and she distracted me from watching him! The judges all saw some potential there with Bruno saying that she has it all, but doesn't know what to do with it. I guess time will tell. In the meantime, the judges gave them three 6's for a score of 18.

And last but not least, the replacement dancer for Nancy O'Dell. They tried to keep this one undercover, but they did an awful job of it. We got to see Jason from The Bachelor dump this poor girl twice in this show, once instead of practice film. Melissa and her partner Tony had two days to learn and practice this Waltz, good thing she has a dance background. Good job! She's a very pretty dancer, you can see her ballet training. All three judges agreed with Len and Bruno calling Jason a loser. She received two 8's and a 7 for a score of 23

There you have it. A very long evening with lots of dancing and information. No Tuesday show this week, but if you go to the website, they are doing the Design-A-Dance thing again. This week, the vote is for the style of dance. Next week, the stars dance again Monday and have an elimination show on Tuesday. The scores from this week and votes will count toward that elimination. Gilles and Cheryl top the leaderboard this week with Shawn and Melissa close behind. Bringing up the rear is Steve Woz and Ty Murray.

What did you think? Were the scores justified? How did your favorite do and who did you like the most/least this week? Comment below or email me at ladytex@tvfunspot.com

Sunday, March 8, 2009

Dancing With the Stars 8: First Thoughts

Hey Y'all! It's that time again! Hard to believe that another season of Dancing With the Stars is getting ready to begin. And not only that, it seems that the injury bug that plagued last season has started early. We've not even begun and two dancers have bitten the dust (cue music).

Nancy O'Dell and Jewel have both suffered injuries forcing them to drop out of the competition. Jewel has suffered stress fractures in BOTH legs and Nancy has a torn meniscus. So will we start down two teams or will replacements be found? Well, over the weekend, replacements have been named.

I admit that when I first heard rumors that some playboy chick named Holly was bragging about going on the show I cringed and buried my head in the sand in denial. All I know about her is that she's a young pretty girl that shacked up with an old ugly rich guy on national tv. And she shared him. Ugh .... But alas, she was telling the truth and it seems as if she will be partnered with new pro Dmitry Chaplin. Now I remember Dmitry from So You Think You Can Dance (SYTYCD). He wasn't my favorite, in fact, I called him the poor man's (or woman's) Maks. So I laughed when I heard that he was going to be on this show WITH my Maks. Those dynamics should be interesting, I think.

What hasn't been confirmed by ABC, but is a widespread rumor, is the replacement for Nancy. I've seen everywhere that Melissa, the jilted ex from this past season of Bachelor, is stepping up to the plate. Melissa is a NFL dancer, so I know she has some moves. Will they translate to the ballroom floor? We'll see. She would also seem to be coming in with the pity vote. Lots of people feel sorry for the way she was treated by the new bad man of reality TV, Jason, and that may equal more votes. She will be partnered with Tony Dovolani and I think this will be a good team.

Shawn Johnson will also be one to watch. This tiny gymnastic champion also has dancing in her background and she'll be partnered with Mark Ballas. He's a wonderful partner who seems to do very well in choreographing to his celebs strengths.

Denise Richards, Lil Kim and Belinda Carlisle round out the women. I think that Denise Richards was cast as the woman everyone wants to hate this season, you know, the Heather McCarthy role. Her partner is Maks, so I can't root against her. Lil Kim does the hip hop thing, but she's kinda coarse and I'm leery of watching her do a ballroom dance. Her partner is Derek Hough, and I really don't know how that combo will play out. I look for these two to be out soon. The only thing I know about Belinda Carlisle is that she was in the Go-Go's, a group I loved back in the day. Now I have “We Got the Beat” stuck in my head. Her partner is Jonathan Roberts, who I'm glad to see back in the mix.

Then there are the guys. The football player role is being filled by Lawrence Taylor, the original LT, this season. I know that he used to be quick on his feet, and he was sexy as heck with a smile that wouldn't quit. Oh, sorry ... focus here. I don't know how kind the years have been to him since he retired from football or if he's kept himself up. He's being partnered by Edyta, lucky chick.

The resident geek is Steve Wozniak, The Woz, of Apple Computer fame. This has nothing to do with dancing, so I guess we'll see if this geek has rhythm. His partner is Karina Smirnoff, who I am only beginning to like. I used to totally despise her because of her attitude, but it seems like she's toned it down since she got involved with Maks. Wait a minute ... maybe I like her less now, I'll get back to you on that one.

I know who David Allen Grier is, but that's about it. That's more than I can say about the other guys. I don't have a clue who Steve-O, Gilles Marini, or Chuck Wicks are. The only reason I've heard of Ty Murray is that I saw him on some race car driving reality show at some point. Oh, and he's married to Jewel. Ty is partnered with another newbie, Chelsie Hightower, who I absolutely loved on SYTYCD. Kym Johnson is David Allen Grier's pro and Cheryl Burke is teamed up with Gilles Marini. Steve-O is partnered with Lacy, which I don't know about. Is she being punished? I see him in the not funny comedian who can't dance role. We'll see.

I read that Chuck Wicks is the sweetheart of Julianne Hough, who just happens to be his partner. Wonder if that was written into their contracts. She'd previously announced that she was taking this season off to concentrate on her music career and tour with none other than Chuck Wicks. I'm not sure how I feel about that favoritism shown to her partnering with her honey. They come into this with a big leg up on the rest of the cast seeing that they don't have to get familiar with the other or worry about chemistry.

My early picks for best dancing teams are the Shawn/Mark team and the Melissa/Tony team. Who'll be the first out? I would guess Steve-O or David Allen Grier. Dancing With the Stars premieres Monday, March 9th at 8/7 central with a two hour show. Don't miss it!