Tuesday, April 21, 2009

Dancing With the Stars 8: Week 7 Results Show and Pick A Pro Round 1

Tonight on Dancing With the Stars 8, the Group Dance is the Encore Performance tonight. I wasn't very thrilled to hear that, but it was actually a little better tonight and Chuck lost that stupid blonde wig. After the dance, they of did a recap of last night. During the recap, they showed Melissa injuring, or re injuring her rib during practice. Poor girl looked like she was really hurting.

The first musical performance was Natasha Bedingfield singing 'Soulmate' and Lacey and Dmitry doing a beautiful contemporary looking dance. I wasn't crazy about the song, but it's whatever. Tom didn't introduce the dancers until after the dance, but Lacey has a unique look and Dmitry I identified by his open shirt, hahaha. Then a group of International Ballroom Champs, opening on Broadway, calling themselves Burn the Floor performed next. That was wonderful! I'd go catch their show in a hot minute!

In backstage interviews, Samantha let it out that next week, in addition to their individual dance, the stars and their partners will be participating in the Team Dance. There will be Team Mambo and Team Tango. Then, in no particular order, the first three couples told that they were safe were Chuck/Julianne, Melissa/Tony and Shawn/Mark.

The Pick a Pro competition was introduced next. Six dancers will compete for one spot for next season. The kids are dancing in pairs tonight, but are actually competing against each other. Each dancer will have a unique telephone number. The judges will give comments, but not score. Only thing that matters is the viewers votes. After this week's votes, the bottom male and the bottom female will be eliminated.

Afton DelGrosso and Brent Borbon were up first with a Cha Cha. I remember her sister, Ashley, who used to be a pro on this show. I loved her. These two are comfortable with each other because they danced together in Le Reve. Ooh, I liked that dance! Very flashy and energetic. I don't like her as much as I liked her sister, but those are two very talented dancers. Anna Demidova and Mayo Alanen were up next. They are friends, but have never danced together. Tonight they did a waltz. That was beautiful, oh my. He sort of reminded me of Louis while he was dancing. That was the most beautiful waltz. It's going to be tough for me to pick a favorite. Snow Urbin and Genya Mazo were the last two to dance and they got the Rumba. Genya is not as manly looking to me as his brother, Alec, is, but he dances manly like Alec. Snow is another So You Think You Can Dance alumnae, so she may have a leg up on the competition as far as fan base. Heck, I won't be able to vote this week, because I don't have a favorite yet and they all looked terrific.

Next up was Celtic Woman with a Show Dance Champion couple. I absolutely love Celtic Woman and catch them as many times as I can on PBS and this song, 'You Raise Me Up', gives me chills whenever they sing it. The dance fit perfectly and was beautifully performed. Wow, they ended that dance with him leaning backwards and her standing on his chest. That looked gorgeous and sounded gorgeous.

Finally, back to the eliminations. In no particular order, Lil Kim/Derek and Gilles/Cheryl were told that they were safe. Ty/Chelsie and LT/Edyta weren't necessarily the bottom two, but tonight LT/Edyta were the lowest and were eliminated. To tell the truth, LT had the biggest grin on his face and promptly set up a tee time on the golf course in Miami. He was very gracious and appreciative to TPTB and Edyta.

Next week on Dancing With the Stars 8, the couples will have two dances judged, their individual dances and the team dance. How will that affect the leaderboard? Last season, remember, that team dance really shook things up. What did you think of the show tonight? I enjoyed the extraneous performances more tonight than I have in a while, especially more than last week. What say you? Comment below

Monday, April 20, 2009

Dancing With the Stars 8: Getting Their Smooth On and Revisiting the 60's

Last week on Dancing With the Stars 8, Steve-O's train finally left the station. Tonight was tougher on our celebs since they not only had to learn their individual dances, but also the group dance. This wasn't the judged one, as I thought last week, but the one big group dance that was not judged. Remember the gosh awful hip hop routine last year when they stuck Cloris up on the stage and posed her periodically? Yeah, that one. Last year, hip hop ... this year, the 60's. Right. This week the stars designed the costumes and some of them were quite interesting. Edyta is covered from neck to toe with a fur edged royal blue coat and Julianne in a red fringie mini dress. Lil Kim is in the Edyta role with a sparkly bikini looking thing with a flowy chiffon body scarf.

Anyway, first up with their individual routine was Melissa/Tony. The judges think her too nice, so tonight Melissa wants to bring out her inner man eater in their Argentine Tango. To help her, Tony took Melissa to Wisteria Lane to be tutored by their idea of the ultimate man eater ... no, not Edie, Susan. Yeah, that's what I said. Anyway, I loved their Argentine Tango. It was awesome. The footwork was fantastic. I kept waiting for her to get her feet tangled up in his or vice versa, but it didn't happen. This was an excellent start to the night! Len said that it was fantastic and complimented their footwork and lifts. He did see a tiny blunder, though. (I didn't) Bruno said that Melissa's legs were like magic tools in the hands of a master (Bruno was full of it, tonight). Carrie Ann said that this was by far the best Argentine Tango of the season and called them the King and Queen of legal lifts. Scores: Two 10's and a 9 from Len for 29/30

Last week, LT did much better. This week, he had to take a time out to do a golf tournament for his foundation, so he gave Edyta golf lessons so that she'd feel out of her element as he does every week. Their dance this week is the Waltz and it must be elegant and graceful. Last week he got his groove on, he said, but this week he needs to get his smooth on. Edyta looked absolutely beautiful in the long flowing dress that she had on under the coat, and their dance was beautiful, too. I saw some mistakes, and at one point, a scarf from the dress was draped over Edyta's head, but I enjoyed watching this. Edyta joked that she had on so many clothes that she got tangled up in them. Bruno said that there was romance and compared the beginning to Dr. Zhivago, and then he turned. He said that it wasn't terrible, but it wasn't great. Carrie Ann said that she saw more freedom in the movement and Len said that they kept grace in the dance. He said that it was graceful and elegant. He pointed out their mistakes, but said that they did better than he expected. Scores: Three 7's for 21/30

Lil Kim/Derek jived their way to the top of the leaderboard and this week they have the rumba. Derek says that they have to tone down Lil Kim's sexiness and was stressing over the choreography. While Derek was worrying about toning down her overt sexuality, she was designing a minus costume for herself. That costume was skimpier than the ones normally worn by Edyta and I wasn't really impressed by the dance either. I was honestly bored watching it. The judges comments were kind of in line with my thoughts. Carrie Ann called it understated and underwhelming, Len said that parts of it were great, but she needs to go with what she does best, and Bruno said that it was a good rumba, but that taking the raunch out of Lil Kim was like taking the tequila out of a margarita. Negative comments aside, the scores were: Two 9's and an 8 from Len for 26/30 and I thought these scores were inflated. Carrie Ann was underwhelmed and still gave her a 9? I guess that's like watching the mistakes in their jive last week but still giving them a 10.

Chuck had a concert this past week and took the opportunity to work the crowd for votes. Chuck/Julianne had a samba this week and Julianne's focus was on technique. She's dressed in her little bitty red mini dress and he's dressed in red satin shirt and slacks. I enjoyed this dance much more than I expected to. He was moving his lil scrawny hips, haha. Len said that this was by far their best dance to date, Bruno commented that Chuck must really want this and that he was working his butt and hips, and Carrie Ann gave them high fives and told them good job. Scores: Three 9's for 27/30

Last week Ty/Chelsie dropped to second from the bottom and this week they have the waltz. It's supposed to be romantic, but Ty feels awkward because he thinks of Chelsie as his adopted daughter. Chelsie brings Jewel in to help them get their heads right for this dance and she does a good job. This was a very pretty dance, really quite sweet. Bruno says that Ty is back in the game. This was a difficult dance but that it was well done. Carrie Ann commented on his beautiful frame and posture. Said that her dancer was back and Len said that it was well done ... spot on. Scores: Three 8's for 24/30

Shawn/Mark had a busy week. She missed the practice for the group dance and some individual dance time because she was jetting around receiving the Sullivan Award, which is a very prestigious award for amateur athletes and also a Character Counts award. She dressed Mark as a nerd this week for their Cha cha, with a tux with too short sleeves and too short pant legs with sparkly socks that matched half her dress. The other half of her dress matched his tux. And they did the cha cha to Michael Jackson's PYT. Yeah, okay ... It was pretty good for what it was and they put elements of MJ into it. I enjoyed watching it, it just didn't feel like a cha cha to me, even though I did see the cha cha footwork. Carrie Ann loved it, said that the dance came to life, Len said that the cha cha is difficult, but they did a great job. Both of them commented that her technique is always wonderful, but this week the feeling was there also. Bruno called her a cheeky little devil and compared her to a young Debbie Reynolds or Mitzi Gaynor, which, in my opinion is a big compliment. Scores: Two 9's and a 10 from Bruno.

Last, but not least, is Gilles/Cheryl. Last week they fell to third and Tom made a big production of talking about him being dumped from his perch at the top of the leaderboard. This week they have the Viennese Waltz. In practice his arm movements were too harsh and aggressive so Cheryl took him to a synchronized swimming coach to help him smooth out his movements. The coach had him doing the dance underwater and he said that it helped him to soften his arm movements. Okay, they get the Awful Music Rendition Award of the night. The music and the singer were AWFUL. In spite of this, I thought the dance was beautiful. She had on a very pretty gold satin gown that matched the inside of his brown suitcoat. Len called the dance romantic and said that they had lovely location, but that he needs to work on his footwork. Bruno compared it to a dance in Gigi, the Lap of Honor. He called it glamorous, but said that he still managed to put some sexy in it. Carrie Ann called Gilles one of the most graceful male dancers that she's seen, but says that he needs to watch his posture. Scores: Three 9's for 27/30

Then there was the group dance. The practice was ... I don't know how to describe it. I guess they had fun. It sort of reminded me of that segment of Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In where all the people are dancing until they freeze and someone tells a joke. I really was not looking forward to it. But, actually, I enjoyed the dance itself more than I expected to. The girls were all good, but of the male celebs, only Gilles was good. For some reason Chuck came out in a blonde wig. Each couple had a little solo part and that was forgettable all around. Bruno called it sublime silliness, fantastic fun. Carrie Ann said that the girls brought their A game and Len said that it was fun, full of energy and fantastic. Well, I wouldn't go that far ...

Anyway, at the end of the night, there was a new leader. Melissa/Tony were at the top with 29/30, with Shawn/Mark right on their heels with 28/30 and Chuck/Julianne and Gilles/Cheryl close behind with 27/30. LT/Edyta brought up the rear with 21/30 and second to last was Ty/Chelsie with 24/30, then Lil Kim/Derek with 26/30. Those are really close scores and I'm thinking that any one of them could go home. Will LT's fans save him? Will this be the week of the surprise exit?

Tomorrow night on the Dancing With the Stars 8 results show, in addition to the elimination, Natasha Bedingfield will be singing along with a performance by Celtic Woman, which I'm looking forward to. I love catching their specials on PBS. Also the first round of Pick a Pro will be held. You can read about that here.

What did y'all think of tonight's show? Who was your favorite and who should go home? Did anyone else feel like that group dance was just a waste of time? Comment below or drop me a line at ladytex@tvfunspot.com

Tuesday, April 14, 2009

Dancing With the Stars 8: Week 6 Results Show

Tonight is the week 6 Dancing With the Stars 8 results show. Last night Lil Kim jived her way to the top of the leaderboard and Ty dropped almost back to where he started, near the bottom. As we've seen the past few weeks, the fan vote has a lot to do with placement. Who will be safe and will head home?

Lil Kim/Derek's
jive was chosen as the Encore Performance. Last night she had a wardrobe malfunction that was hidden so let's hope wardrobe has her 'girls' under more control tonight. I noticed Tom step in front of her, but it was only later that we found out why. Whoever does costumes needs to do a better job. Their jive was good again tonight.

First, from the revival of West Side Story, some of the cast with 'America'. I'm too much of a purist for this. I liked the interplay between the men and women in the original better than I liked this. I still have Rita Moreno and George Chikiris in my mind doing that song, as I've seen the movie hundreds of times I'm sure. It was okay, though.

Tom let us know that there was no Dance-Off tonight. What's up with that? They need to get some consistency here. I'm sure it's made some conspiracists speculate. They had all the couples on the steps and called Lil Kim/Derek and LT/Edyta down first and told them that they would be back next week.

Julianne and Tony danced to 'Goodbye' by Rascal Flatts. I'm not a country music fan, but I am a fan of theirs. Wow, this dance was freaking awesome! He flipped her all over like a rag doll, but she stayed graceful throughout. Beautiful song and beautiful dance. Oh heck yeah, this I loved!

Next week, instead of the Pros, the stars will be designing the costumes. This ought to be interesting. Lawrence joked with the head costumer that he was gonna put a little more clothes on Edyta since his mama will be watching. Lil Kim teased that she was gonna put Derek in sparkles and a pimp cup. Steve-O teased animal print. I'm kind of looking forward to this.

Back to the results, Shawn/Mark and Melissa/Tony were called down next and told that they would be back next week.

Well, Carmen Electra was featured in this weeks Macy's Stars of Dance Performance. I knew their definition of 'Star' was different than mine, and this was just another example. When did she become a 'Star of Dance'? Anyway, this was choreographed by an original member of the Pussy Cat Dolls so if you guessed that it would be kind of raunchy, you would have been correct. And the dancing wasn't all that good either. They are lacking with this segment this season ... sigh. I'd have rather watched our pros dance.

Rascal Flatt's performed their rendition of The Beatle's song 'Revolution'. I recognized Chelsie and Mark dancing, but not the other pair, and Tom didn't tell us who they were. I liked that dance, though, it was pretty cool. Not as good as the first performance, but it was pretty good.

Four couples left, Gilles/Cheryl were told that they were safe. Then Ty/Chelsie, Chuck/Julianne, Steve-O/Lacey were left to sweat it out for a commercial break. Someone fell asleep at the button, though, because it was not a smooth transition from show to commercial and Tom was heard to say something about 'Well, that was abrupt'. Once back, Chuck/Julianne were told that they were safe. They made sure to tell us that the other couple left is not necessarily in the bottom two. After wasting a few more minutes talking to the judges, Steve-O/Lacey were told that they would be leaving tonight.

As a counter to the ugliness that was David Alan Grier, Steve-O was very funny and gracious in his goodbyes. If you don't know what I'm talking about, google DAGs exit interviews and see how ugly he really was. Anyway, next week on Dancing With the Stars 8, we can look forward to seeing the costumes that the stars come up with.

What did y'all think of the show tonight? Was it finally time for Steve-O to go? What did you think of the other entertainment. Who do you want to see as the entertainment for next Tuesday? Let's brainstorm. Comment below.

Monday, April 13, 2009

Dancing With the Stars 8: Romance and Fun in a Neat Lil Package

Last week on Dancing With the Stars 8, a shock result sent David home. All the Stars are upping their games this week. Can anyone top Gilles? Jive and Rumba tonight. Past championships mean nothing. We're at the halfway point in the competition. Who'll bring it? Random thought here: coming down the stairs, Lacey's costume looks trashy, like she came out wearing lingerie. Julianne looks beautiful, as does Edyta. Cheryl and Chelsie look cute as buttons.

First up with the jive is Ty/Chelsie. Last week he was stiff, can he loosen up this week? Their practice was hilarious because he was so stiff and Chelsie tried to get him to loosen up. She brought a trampoline to help him feel the jive and she brought a hula hoop. He was surprisingly good at the hula hoop. Those two are so cute. She made the dance look like a country line dance. He was doing pretty good until he lost his place. But she helped him get back on track. This routine wasn't perfect, but it was fun to watch. Len said that Ty was charming and had a bewildered look. He tries 100%, but tonight it took him a while to get started, and it wasn't that good. Bruno said that the line dancing was good, but the jive part was not. Timing a bit rough. Carrie Ann said that it was an exciting jive, didn't think he found his footing, though. Some dancers are suited to particular dances, this one was just in the middle. Backstage with Samantha, he admitted that he messed up a bunch, and that in front of all those people once he messed up it kind of snowballed. Scores: Three 6's for 18/30

Shawn/Mark have the romantic rumba. Last week she won the judges hearts back. Wow, their practice video looked scary. She was so uptight. She'd told him that she was missing her prom, so he recreated it, in the hopes of helping with the dance. She surprised me. I loved that. It was romantic without being overly sexual. Bruno said that it was so beautifully cute, almost angelic. The innocence of romance. He wants her to work the hip action a bit. Carrie Ann said that she could see the discomfort of the dance in her eyes, but the 2nd half was good. Len said that sometimes the rumba can warm and sometimes it can burn, but this one was just right. Backstage, Mark said he worked to keep the dance fun and age appropriate. Scores: Two 9's and an 8 from Carrie Ann for 26/30

Tomorrow's Stars of Dance performance is a number choreographed by an original Pussy Cat Doll. I'm rolling my eyes here. From talking about romantic to smut. More random thoughts here: Ooh, ooh, Edyta brought Warren Sapp to practice for LT and I can see them trying to play up the real life romance of Julianne and Chuck again. Dang, that philly cheese steak sandwich looked good in that Tum's commercial, and I really want that 2010 Fusion Hybrid. You know, I read earlier today that the show makes over $4 Million per hour from the commercials that most of us ff through. See, this is why I shouldn't watch the show live, I go off on tangents.

Oh we're back and next up is LT/Edyta. Last week he dodged elimination, but what will he do with the jive? In practice, he's such a perfectionist that he can't have fun. People were saying around the net that he didn't look like he wanted to be there. I don't see that. I see a perfectionist that is getting frustrated with his lack of success. Edyta brought Warren to loosen him up. It looked like he was so much happier after the visit. He's moving better and he had a lil smile on his face. He shouldn't look down at his feet so much, though. He looked more comfortable than last week, that's for sure. I smiled throughout the whole dance. Tom commented that Warren was a good influence. Carrie Ann said that LT brought his groove back, it was so much more enjoyable to watch, caught a lift. Len said lots of basic movement. Said that LT was very intense, but showed the light inside his personality. Good job. Bruno said that Lawrence was alive and kicking. On time the entire way, his best performance yet. Backstage, LT said that Warren reminded him that he was supposd to have fun. This was better because this music at least had words and a constant beat. Scores: Two 7's and an 8 from Bruno for 22/30.

Melissa/Tony with the rumba. She wants to come back from last week. She was disappointed that they practiced so well, and then didn't deliver. In practice, they looked like they were having fun. They even loosened up enough to make a Bachelorette joke. Tony said that he thinks that she's really taken to this dance. This was very pretty. Not as hot as I expected, but I enjoyed it. What's up with the males wearing these sheer, sparkly open shirts tonight for the rumba? Len wanted the dance to be more earthy, less balletic. Great job. Bruno said that she's voluptuous and so exotic, and her body takes on incredible ease. I think he said that he wanted her to let it go. She has everything to gain. Carrie Ann said that the emotional quality of the dance moved her. Get her hips going, but everything else is there. Scores: Three 9's for 27.

Lil Kim/Derek hit a high note last week with their Viennese Waltz, but can they keep it up? Derek said that this week they should have an advantage because they were adding a lot of 'flavor' to this dance. They did a 50's era jive. Lil Kim was the very sexy looking cop with Derek the jailbird, dancing to Elvis' Jailhouse Rock. I really hate the faces that she tends to make when she's dancing. The dance was cute though. Queen Latifa in the audience really enjoyed it. Bruno went on one of his rants. He said that she rocked, it was fabulous. Carrie Ann said that it was amazing. Fantastic choreography, and such pizazz. Len said that it was fun and had such energy, but they got so carried away with the Jailhouse Rock, but it was lacking in the jive dance essentials. He enjoyed it, but it was a mischaracterization. Scores: Two 10's and an 8 (from Len)for 28/30. Samantha made a disparaging remark about Len's 8, but Derek said that Len was right and he knew it, but they took a risk.

Last week Steve-O/Lacey received the lowest scores, and this week they have the rumba. Lacey tried to pull romance out of him, and it looked so hard. He admits that it will be a major challenge, they look at each other as brother/sister. He is in love, however, with his dog and Lacey said that she was going to try to channel that love into their rumba. It was a sweet dance, he didn't do much dancing though. I still don't see why she wore her underwear. Carrie Ann said that there was something oddly mesmerizing about watching them dance. She really enjoyed it, long way from last week. Len said that you can't confuse movement with dancing and it was no good. Bruno said thank goodness for racy Lacey. Steve was charming, but the dance was bad. Scores: 7 from Carrie Ann, 5 from Bruno and 4 from Len for 16/30

Gilles/Cheryl had the lead for the third straight week last week. This week, though, he can't be the sexy Gilles, he has to be the fun Gilles. I'm wondering if they can pull this off. Their practice video didn't look very promising. He was getting frustrated, so she took him to a soccer pitch and it helped his spirit. Fun in black leather ... yum. I had a smile on my face the whole way. At one point it looked like he lost the beat of the music, but he got back on beat. Dang this beat was fast. I loved this dance and it was so sweet how he ran across to kiss his wife. Len said that he showed a lot of the qualities of the jive, but a pity was that he went a little bit wrong on a step in front of him and again he found it frenetic. Bruno called it fast and furious, put 110% into the dance, great performance, but they tended to lose some of the sharpness because of the speed. Carrie Ann said that his arms were weird, because of his injury, but a good job. Christian de la Fuente was in the audience looking hot. Scores: Two 9's and an 8 from Len for 26/30.

Julianne/Chuck impressed the judges last week with their Viennese Waltz, but they seem to be feeling a lot of pressure with this dance. they were feeling like because they were a couple that it would be devastating to hear that there was no chemistry. They were back on the kick of hard to separate the girlfriend from the teacher. They were very snippy with each other, so they went to the place they had their first date. Chuck realized it was not about the steps, but about the connection. Wow, that was hot. Bruno said that he'd like some more of that please, switched on the raunch factor. Technically not perfect, but it was a step in right direction. Carrie Ann was fanning herself. Most passionate sexy number of the night. Work more on technique, great job. Len said that parts of it was more suitable for the bedroom, not the ballroom. Some great lines, some poor lines. Mechanical and animal. This was a little too raunchy for him. Backstage Chuck said that this was his favorite dance. Scores: Two 8's and a 7 from Len for 23/30.

Tomorrow night in addition to the Macy's Stars performance, Rascal Flatts will sing and there will be a performance by the cast of West Side Story. And next week, in addition to their individual dances, there will be a group dance. I'm thinking that it will be like last season when they were split into two groups and the scores from their group dance were added to their individual scores. That was really bad for one of the groups.

But this week there is a new #1. Lil Kim/Derek took over on the top of the Leaderboard with 28, but Melissa/Tony are nipping at their heels with 27 and Shawn/Mark and Gilles/Cheryl have 26. Steve-O/Lacey brought up the rear once again with 16, but Ty/Chelsie only had 18. Steve-O's fans kept him out of the Dance Off last week, will they come through again? Who impressed you the most and who should leave? Comment below or send me an email to ladytex@tvfunspot.com


Tuesday, April 7, 2009

Dancing With the Stars 8: Week 5 Results Show with Etta James and Demi Lovato

Hey y'all! Tonight's Dancing With the Stars 8 results show featured musical numbers by Etta James, Demi Lovato and Le Reve in addition to an encore performance, a Dance-Off and another couple leaving. Who would it be? Steve-O/Lacey had the lowest judges scores, but what would the voters say?

Right off the bat the show began with the encore performance. I really wanted to see Gilles/Cheryl again, but since they danced last week I knew it wouldn't be them. In fact since I spied Lil Kim posing behind Tom, I correctly guessed that she and Derek would be repeating their Viennese Waltz from last night. The dance was as beautiful as last night.

As they recapped last night's show, they showed that part of Melissa's foot problem was that she put her foot through the bottom of her dress. Watching in slow motion, I'm amazed that she managed to stay on her feet, not to mention finish the dance. Props to her for that. But then I'm a klutz and I'd have been flat on my face ... or my butt.

Tom and Samantha announced the first two couples that were safe. Shawn/Mark and Lil Kim/Derek will be back to dance for us next week. Off on another tangent here, I was reading that Cat Deeley was standing by to sub for Ryan Secrest last week in case he was too sick to go on. The Idol stage is right across the street from the DWTS stage ... I wish she would have subbed for Samantha last week. I love Cat, she's awesome.

Anyway, the first guest was Etta James singing her classic "At Last". Maks and Karina did an absolutely beautiful dance to that song. Once again I had to ask why we had to watch Ms. James sitting and singing instead of watching the entire dance and listening to the singer.

Then in a backstage interview, Steve-O revealed that his dad said that if he went to the Dance-Off and his judges score stayed the same, he would need a 12% edge in audience voting to beat the next lowest couple. Foreshadowing perhaps? Well ... no. Tom and Samantha then told Gilles/Cheryl and Steve-O/Lacey that they were safe. Guess he got more than his 12% edge. Then Chuck/Julianne and Melissa/Tony were told that they'd be back next week.

Next up was the Macy's Stars of Dance Performance. Okay, I was very curious to see this. Le Reve is usually done in a large pool of water, or water theatre. In fact, I read that all of the performers, in addition to being dancers and acrobats, had to be scuba certified. How would they pull this one off? Well, they did their performance without the water. Don't get me wrong, it was a very cool performance of dance and acrobatics, but it was a bit of a let down for me because I wanted to see them in the water. Y'all should check out some of the YouTubes available.

Demi Lovato, some Disney girl, sang this song called "La La Land". I didn't care for the song, but I did enjoy getting to see Benji Schwimmer dance again. His partner, Tori Smith, was okay, but Lacey or their cousin Heidi would have been better. Oh, and their costumes were ugly, too.

Ty/Chelsie were put out of their misery and that left David/Kym and LT/Edyta in the bottom two. To be honest, I didn't enjoy either of their dances enough last night to want to see them again, but alas ...

First up were David/Kym with their Viennese Waltz. This was the one that looked more like a torch dance than a romantic Viennese Waltz. I loved watching Kym, she's a glorious dancer, but I didn't see much improvement. The judges did, though, especially Carrie Ann. Last night, she said that there was a disconnect, but tonight she said that their dance felt connected and showed more passion. Their score from last night was 22, tonight they got three 8's for 24.

Lt/Edyta repeated their Paso Doble. LT should have talked to Warren Sapp or something, because as much as I love my football guys in this competition, he's not doing it for me. Warren's Paso Doble was very cool, this one left me cold. In fact, I thought that they did better last night. All three of the judges mentioned that the music they had was very difficult and commended them for being able to follow it. Len said that they made a real improvement from last night. The scores didn't reflect that, though. Last night they got a 20 and tonight they got two 7's and a 6 (from Carrie Ann) for another 20.

After yet another commercial break, Tom told David/Kym that they were the couple leaving. Wow, he must really not have a fan base. What did y'all think? Did the right couple go home? Comment below and I'll catch y'all next week.

Monday, April 6, 2009

Dancing With the Stars 8: Hot Paso Dobles, Smooth Viennese Waltzes and Pec Envy

Hey y'all! It's time for another fun Dancing With the Stars 8 performance show. Last week, the Woz and Holly Madison were sent packing in a double elimination. How did our faves do this week? The two dances being performed were the Paso Doble and the Viennese Waltz. I've made no secret as to my favorite, and I think he could rock either of these dances. The Paso Doble is passionate, intense and aggressive and the Viennese Waltz is beautiful and romantic. It was interesting, to say the least, seeing how the stars did.

First off the block were Chuck/Julianne doing a Viennese Waltz. Julianne was 'pretty in pink' and their waltz was very pretty. Chuck came out tonight like he really wanted this, it looked like he was more invested. He was a partner and not a pole. The judges gave mixed reviews. Len said that Chuck was finally out of hibernation but he needed to work on the finesse of the dance and his footwork. Bruno told Chuck that he was emerging from the shadow of Julianne. It was a good performance, but he needed to work on his timing and Carrie Ann called a questionable lift and said that he lost focus in places. When he was on, he was great, but this performance wasn't there for her. Scores: Two 8's and a 7 (from Carrie Ann) for 23/30.

LT/Edyta were first up with a Paso Doble. In his confessional, he said that he wants the aggression and intensity that he had on the football field. This dance was pretty good. It was kind of slow for me in the beginning, but by the middle, it had picked up nicely, I thought. Bruno called LT the Prince of Darkness. Said the dance started off badly, but then got into gear. Carrie Ann said that he had a limited range of motions, but that she commended them for working to that music. Len said that the intensity was good but the dance quality wasn't there. He did say, though, that it was their best dance so far. Scores: Two 7's and a 6 (from Carrie Ann) for 20/30.

Shawn/Mark weren't happy with dropping to the middle of the pack last week and were looking to go back to the top with their Viennese Waltz. I thought it was beautiful, they just flowed around the floor so gracefully. I loved it. Carrie Ann said that simplicity was the best route to success, called the dance beautiful. Len said that it was romantic and lyrical, but told her that she stepped forward with the ball of her foot instead of her heel (?). Bruno called it sweetness and light, said that it had great flow and musicality. He said that the simplicity worked, but told her to work on keeping her shoulders down. Scores: Two 9's and an 8 (from Len) for 26/30.

Melissa/Tony were challenged this week with the Paso Doble. She admitted that she needs to show aggression and intensity and to lose her cheesy grin (her words, not mine). This Paso was just okay for me. It was too soft for a Paso Doble, I thought. For me, it was her worst dance yet. Len said that she was an excellent dancer and that this was a difficult routine. He pointed out her blunders and said that the dance lacked aggression. Bruno said that it was a difficult routine, but that most of it was beautiful. Carrie Ann said that it was fantastic choreography, but tonight she seemed off balance and her footwork was off. She also called a questionable lift, which she said might have been caused by a footwork blunder. Scores: Two 8's and a 9 (from Bruno) for 25/30.

David/Kym did a different Viennese Waltz, at least for me. While the other couples went for soft and romantic, this was more sultry, like a torch song. I liked her, but he was a little stiff. Bruno said that it started well and that Kym was mesmerizing. He told them that the tricks were unnecessary, when they stuck to classic, the dance worked. Carrie Ann said that there was a disconnect there. Their unison wasn't working. Len, on the other hand, said that the story worked and that it was a difficult performance but well done. Scores: Two 7's and an 8 (from Len) for 22/30.

Then it was Gilles/Cheryl's turn at the Paso Doble. Their practice video showed them at a martial arts studio with his little boy. They were so cute together ... sigh. All that and a loving papa, too. I admit that I was concerned when he came out earlier with only a plain black button up shirt and black slacks, but that concern was for naught. He had exchanged that shirt for a black open front bolero type jacket with silver sparklies. He has a very nice chest and this was a very nice Paso Doble. What am I saying?? This was a super hot Carmen flavored Paso Doble! Bruno and Carrie Ann were on their feet and the girls in the audience were going crazy. Carrie Ann said that it was passionate, that it almost brought tears to her eyes. She said that they brought to life the heart and soul of the dance. Len said that he liked the passion, but that it was hectic in places. He made a snide comment about not getting the open jacket and Tom said that Len had pec envy. Bruno said that Gilles went for the kill. It was a battle of supremacy between him and Cheryl, back and forth, but he nailed it. Scores: Two 10's and a 9 (from Len) for 29/30.

Poor Steve-O/Lacey had to follow that. At least, though, they had the Viennese Waltz instead of a Paso. He was so bummed after the scores last week that Lacey brought his friends to practice for support. It was a pretty amusing practice video. This was another variation of the Viennese Waltz. He came out like a French Mime and the dance was so sweet. I really liked it. She was a maiden and he was courting her, it was really sweet. The judges weren't as impressed. Len did say that it was their best dance, Bruno said that the timing was on tonight and Carrie Ann said that it had a beautiful emotional quality and called it beautiful and sweet. Such good comments didn't equal good scores, however. Scores: Three 6's for 18/30. They got robbed.

Ty/Chelsie had the most eyebrow raising Paso Doble of the night for me. A Paso Doble to Heart's Barracuda? Who picked that crap out? That had me off from the first and I didn't quite recover. It wasn't bad ... but I didn't think it was very good. Ty was stiff and the dance didn't flow. Bruno said that it was too robotic. The steps were there, but it was too stiff. Carrie Ann asked where her little dancer went and Len said that it wasn't up to the standard that they set the last two weeks, but still better than the beginning. Scores: Three 7's for 21/30.

The last dance of the night belonged to Lil Kim/Derek with a beautiful Viennese Waltz. They pulled it off well. I'm not a Lil Kim nor a Derek fan, but I thought this dance was gorgeous. Carrie Ann said that she was beaming all the way through. They were perfectly matched and brought the story to life. Len said that it was lyrical and that he loved the musicality, but the dance was lacking in Viennese Waltz footwork. Bruno said that he, too, had a huge smile on his face. He said that they made the Viennese Waltz look sexy. Scores: Two 9's and an 8 (from Len) for 26/30.

Wow, that was a good show tonight. Most of the couples really picked it up. Once again Gilles/Cheryl were at the top of the leaderboard with Shawn/Mark and Lil Kim/Derek close behind. Steve-O/Lacey were bringing up the rear, but they were only 2 points behind LT/Edyta and 3 points behind Ty/Chelsie. Tom made a comment earlier in the night about Gilles/Cheryl's 30 in week 4 was only the second one in show history. The first one was Sabrina Bryan and Mark Ballas and they were eliminated in week 6. That was chilling. I hope the better dancers stick around to the end this season.

So, it was obvious who my favorites were, what about y'all? Who's on the top of your leaderboard? Steve-O/Lacey are at the bottom, but I honestly don't think they belong there. I thought his dance was better than Ty/Chelsie and LT/Edyta. What did you think? Who will be in the Dance-Off tomorrow night? Yes, the Dance-Off is back along with the Macy's Stars of Dance Performace of Le Reve from Las Vegas. Singers Etta James and Disney's Demi Lovato will also be on board to fill the 60 minute Dancing With the Stars 8 Results Show. Catch y'all then. Make comments below or drop me an email at ladytex@tvfunspot.com

Wednesday, April 1, 2009

Dancing With the Stars 8: Week 4 Double Elimination Results Show

Hey y'all! Tonight on Dancing With the Stars 8, we were told the bottom three couples for the first time and then the bottom two were eliminated. As usual there were musical numbers, dances and other fillers to stretch the show to an hour and two minutes. Samantha was sounding sick last night and tonight her time on camera talking was limited. Tom was out front while Samantha spent her time backstage.

I must be psychic or something! First Gilles got to do the Argentine Tango and then last night I wished for an Encore performance instead of a Dance-Off. My wish was granted! I got to see Gilles/Cheryl do that super hot Argentine Tango one more time and it was even better than last night. Whew, that was hot.

After a recap of the Leaderboard, which showed Gilles/Cheryl alone on the top and Woz/Karina on the bottom, Tom put Gilles/Cheryl and LT/Edyta out of their misery and told Holly/Dmitry that they were in the bottom three.

Next week one of the dances will be the Paso Doble. To show us how one is supposed to look, Chelsie, Lacey, Julianne, Derek and another male dancer performed this very cool Paso while Kevin Rudolf sang his hit 'Let It Rock'. It shouldn't have worked, but it really did. That was a way cool Paso, very enjoyable to watch. I just wish they'd let us watch the dancers more while the singers sang off camera. What do we need to see them for?

Shawn/Mark were told that they were safe right before another special number. The couples that don't get the Paso Doble next week will be doing a Viennese Waltz. To demonstrate the proper form for this was a group of International Champions, choreographed by Louis Van Amstel, doing this beautiful dance to 'Annie's Song'. Wow, this dance was gorgeous. This is one of the first times that I've enjoyed dancers other than our pros doing ballroom.

Chuck/Julianne were told that they were safe, while Steve-O/Lacey were told that they were in the bottom three. After that, Cheryl, Tony, Kym and Dmitry danced to a BoyzIIMen Motown Medley. Kym and Dmitry really looked good together. All the dancers were good, of course, but the singing was not so good. I actually cringed at a couple of points.

Lil Kim/Derek and Melissa/Tony were told that they were safe and then they wasted some more time. I don't even know what it was, I fast forwarded through it. Finally Ty/Chelsie were told that they were safe, as were David/Kym. This means that Woz/Karina joined Steve-O/Lacey and Holly/Dmitry in the bottom three.

Who went home and who squeaked through? Dun Dun Dun ... Since by this time, they were running out of time, Tom quickly told Holly/Dmitry and Woz/Karina that they were leaving. They did get the time to enthuse over their partners and their experiences and we were reminded to go to abc.com and vote for the Design-A-Dance. The dance, Quick Step, and the song, 'It Don't Mean a Thing, If It Ain't Got That Swing', have already been chosen. The dancers and costumes are still to go. Catch y'all next week when we'll get to see Paso Dobles and Viennese Waltzes on Dancing With the Stars 8.