Dancing With The Stars - Who Takes The Bullet

It's elimination night and tonight someone will no longer be in contention for winner of the coveted Disco Ball Trophy. Ashley Simpson is our musical guest as well as Riverdance and the kids take to the floor again.


Up first is a recap of last nights performances. We see the group dance in review first and it was as manic as before. We see Marissa getting really good comments and good scores and her going berserk, as usual. Len threatens to show his rear in the supermarket if Christian is in the bottom two. I for one am hoping that doesn't happen. As for Mario and Karina, get a room already. I will say it again, it was totally inappropriate for him to dedicate that dance to that song to his little brother. The mambo proved to be too fast for Marlee and her comments and scores reflect that. Shannon was looking for perfection but did not happen. She was criticized for her lack of hip action, which she looked completely shocked about. She broke down big time in her confessional. Derek got defensive pointing out the others mistakes (no one by name). Jason and Edyta tackle the cha cha but alas the choreography is too much for him to keep up with. Kristi and Mark aka. Beauty and The Geek, own the night and get the first perfect score. Both confess that they had their most fun doing that dance.

It's time for the encore dance, and I am thoroughly disappointed that they choose the group dance. It should have been Kristi and Mark. Guess I will go rewind my DVR and watch it again. Still a manic mess to me. Cute but way too busy. Looked to be a slight snafu at the tail end of Jason and Edyta's lift, but it was still a great lift.

Next up.....we get a reminder that the 100th show celebration is coming up with the return of over 30 stars, including Mario Lopez, Apollo and Mel B.....two weeks. Don't miss it.

It's time for Ashlee Simpson with a cut off her new album. My question....will she lip sync or sing for real. As soon as she starts singing, I instantly know why I don't listen to her music. Instead I think I will watch the dancers. Not sure who they are, but they are good as always. I will say the hair color change for Ashlee is a plus. Now she doesn't look like the bimbo I thought/think she is. It's a good color for her.

We are shown the leader board again:
Kristi and Mark (6th week in a row)
Mario and Karina
Christian and Cheryl
Marissa and Tony
Jason and Edyta
Shannon and Derek
Marlee and Fabian

We start with the elimination process....one couple is safe and one is in bottom two:
First couple safe: Shannon and Derek
First bottom two: Marlee and Fabian

Up next in the Stars of the Dance, is Riverdance. Good ole fashioned tap dancing at it's best. What's amazing is how they can move their feet so fast all the while keeping their upper body so still. The synchronicity of this group of dancers is OUTSTANDING. I don't think I have ever seen a group of dancers dance such a hard routine and all be in perfect unison.

We are back from commercial and it's time for the ballroom kids competition. This is the 13 and under group. Brandon and Brittany have been dancing together for 3.5 years. They are doing the cha cha cha. She reminds me of Edyta with her leg extensions...WOW. And she is deaf in one ear. Could have fooled me. And he aint bad either, reminds me of a mini Louis. WOW, that ending with her leg over his head was awesome. Len praises them for their sharpness and crispness. Bruno says it was dancing of the highest standards. Carrie Ann said the execution was perfect and sees future Dancing With the Stars professionals. I was impressed especially since Brittnay got her skirt caught in her shoe and jsut kept dancing until she was able to take it out. And all the while she made it look like she meant to do it. Impressive.

Our next kid's couple is Austin and Liza, both 12. Liza has been dancing half her life. Tonight they dance the Samba. Wow he has great footwork. The height difference does not seem to be causing them a problem. (she is 5.2, he is 4.11). I liked him better. He reminded me of Maks. She did not do anything to impress me. Not saying she was not good, but Brittnay was better than Liza. Bruno says they are two rising stars. He tells Austin his talent his huge even if he is small. Carrie Ann tells the ladies to watch out because Austin was working the audience. Len says that American has a great future in dancing with these two pairs.

After the commercial we find out the judges have voted for Brittnay and Brandon to move on to the finals with a vote of 2 to 1, with Len voting for Austin and Liza.

We get a filler piece on the judges and what a hard job they have. Carrie Ann gets nervous right before the stars perform. Len says as soon as the music starts that is when you go into judging mode. They are not scripted. They take notes as they can but sometimes when writing their notes they may miss something. Bruno says sometimes he can't remember what he says right after he says it. Len says they have to judge from their brain and he feels terrible when he critizes them. Carrie Ann is usually prepared to say one thing and then when she opens her mouth something else may come out (remember when she wobbled like a bird to Jason and Edyta). Sometimes they feel like they may have scored too high or too low, but it is only their opinion.

It's time to get back to elimination. Two more that are safe are Marissa and Tony and Christian and Cheryl, who genuinely look surprised. Backstage Christian and Marissa are jumping up and down. Christian still can't believe they are safe. Samantha reminds them that moving forward they will have to learn two dances a week. Christian says, "bring it on" and asks again if they are really safe.

We are back from what I hope is our last commercial break. Time to find out the fate of the rest of the couples. Kristi and Mark are safe as is Jason and Edyta. Edyta looked prepared for the worst and her surprise was very geniune. That means Karina and Mario and Marlee and Fabian are in the bottom two. I will be honest I think the reason Mario is there is because of the lift and the dedication to his young brother. A lot of America was turned off by that.

So tonight Marlee and Fabian is leaving and Marlee did not really look surprised. She gets a standing ovation and gives a wonderful speech, thanking the judges, Fabian, her family, friends and the fans. And a special thanks to Henry Winkler for all his support. Tom breaks as host to tell his long time friend how proud he is of her. Final dance is done to Dust in the Wind.

All in all a good show and a predictable outcome.

Until next week.............when our stars will learn two dances and hopefully the professionals will do a group number.

bbfanatik

Dancing With the Stars - Name Your Poison

So the dancers got to pick which dance they wanted to. It had to be something they had not done before, so we will get a mix of different styles. We also get out first group number and this one will be a country dance. So are you ready and are you riding the Winokur Wave!!

Tonights first couple is Jason and Edyta and they will be dancing the cha cha cha. Or is it cha cha. Who knows, it's pronounced both ways so say it however you wish. Thsi week Edyta's goal is to get more content for Jason to dance and not just Edyta. Seems the judges thoiught last week she danced around him, but we know the judges are not always right. Edyta takes Jason to learn some hip hop moves, not sure why, but they can both shake their groove thing (yeah I know that dated me....sue me). I thought it was a pretty good routine, but I wonder if Carrie Ann will point out the lift.....or the almost lift. Hopefully she was looking the other way. I don't think it was a lift but we all know how Carrie Ann is. Scores of 8, 8, 8 seem right and I suspect they will return to dance again next week.

Shannon and Derek are next with the Rhumba. We all know the Rhumba is the most sexual sensual dance of ballroom/latin dancing. And with all he rumors swirling around these two this should be an easy dance to pull off. Their practice footage only fans the rumor flames as they take to the beach to work on the routine. This is just too romantic in nature. Quit denying the rumors Shannon.....he's hot, go for it! Their routine is safe at best. I think with all the rumors about an ongoing relationship, she pulled back in the "Acting" part of the dance and for me there was no chemistry on the dance floor. Scores of 8, 8, 8 are a little surprising to me, butg what do I know. During their post dance interview, was Samantha ever the inquizative one. She was not going to let it die in that she kept asking if they have a relationship off the floor. Both were able to dance around the questions (pun intended), but did Shannon ever look uncomfortable.

Marlee and Fabian have the mambo tonight and considering that Fabian is a former mambo champion (2006) this should be great. However Marlee is doubting herself because of her lackluster performance last week. So she calls in good friend Henry Winkler (The Fonz....aaaayyyyy) for a much needed pep talk. Thsi week is another bad week for Marlee. She is terribly off tonight but you gotta give her props for keeping going even after making mistakes. This could be the week that does Marlee in. Her scores of 7, 7, 7 aren't bad considering the dance wasn't great. I found it very rude of the judges to not let Marlee speak when she tried. They just kept talking over her.

Cheryl and Christian are next with a foxtrot. First I have to say that Cheryl looked like a big blob of pink cotton candy. It was so sugary sweet, my teeth were hurting...lol. During practice footage, Cheryl takes Christian to the swimming pool to dance to help him with his arm movements. It helped because they dance a flowing, graceful foxtrot. Their best dance yet. The get scores of 9, 9, 9, rightful earned. But note to the wardrobe people, lay off the pink and fluff.

It's time to find out if you are jumping on the Winokur Wave or not. Next up is Marissa and Tony. I have to say I think Tony is having more fun this season than any other. And Marissa has come a long way. I did not think she would last this long. Their dance for tonight is the Viennese Waltz. Her dress is beautiful and elegant. I could use something like that for formal night on my upcoming cruise...lol. their Watlz was truly amazing. Flowing, graceful, elegant and full of content. She has definately come into her own as a dancer. They get scores of 9, 8, 9. Len was being a fuddy duddy. Was good to hear Carrie Ann has jumped on the Winokur Wave....have you!

Kristi and Mark are next and they will have the jive. This is my pick for the couple to win. Kristi is just too cute and man is Mark ever hot!!!! We learn in their practice footage that Kristi was born with a club foot. I think her accomplishments are even that more impressive having overcome this. I don't know what to say about this dance. The best dance of the season. Fun, fast paced, energetic.....AWESOME. I actually rewinded and watched it three or four times. Such a fun dance. I loved Mark in his geeky glasses. He was so cute and cheeky. And when the dance slowed dance, Kristi was hot with her pouty lips. I found myself moving and groovy during this number (my daighter laughed). PERFECT SCORE!!!!! Hopefully this will be the encore tomorrow...if not there is something terribly wrong in DWTS judges world.

Mario and Karina round out tonights dances with a rhumba. We see during practice footage that Mario is a huge role model for his younger brother. Such a cute segment between the two....that is until Mario dedicated this dance to his brother. I'm sorry Mario but you don't need to be dedicating the Rhumba danced to "Let's Get It On" to what looked to be an 8 year old. Poor taste Mario. But the dance was not bad. Very hot, very steamy. Actually for most of the dance it looked like they were about the "Get It On" on the dance floor. The only problem with the dance was there was a lift. No doubt about this one. She tried to keep a foot on the floor, but didn't work. Scores of 9, 9, 10. It would have probably been a perfect score except for the lift and for Len saying it was a bit too raunchy for him.

The group dance is set to Cotton Eye Joe. I personally like country music and when I heard they would be having a "showdown", I was excited. Made me think back to Drew and Cheryl and Save a Horse Ride a Cowboy! But this was no where near close to that. I thought the dance was too busy and too manic. Don't get me wrong, there were some amazing steps done and some fantastic lifts, but it was too busy. Too much going on at once. I would not have scored that any higher than a 7 or 8.

o someone is going home and I think it will be between Marlee and Shannon. That is if the votes are based on ability and not popularity. If America voted on popularity I think Cheryl and Christian could be going. I will be back to let you know how the elimination goes.

Until tomorrow..................

bbfanatik

Dancing With The Stars

Well it's seems I have fallen way behind with this show as well. Blame it on Big Brother and the absense of two of my fellow bloggers who have been out for a while now taking care of ill relatives and themselves. I hope for a speedy recovery for them and their families.

Now on to the topic of this blog....Dancing with the Stars. This years DWTS has a higher level of talent than in previous years. I am finally glad that Adam Corolla is out, even though that means the beautiful and talented Julianne is out. I absolutely loved Julianne two seasons ago with Apollo and still liked her last year, although she was a bit more big headed last year. This year she came in down right cocky. I wonder if that is why the powers that be gave her a lousy celeb to work with. Everyone knew right off the bat that Julianne would not be around long. In my opinion longer than Adam deserved but whatever, he is gone now and that will improve the show.

Steve Guttenburg on the other hand I would have liked to see him hang around a little longer. His upbeat personality was a delight. He really thinks this show makes the world a better place. What were they spiking his soda with....lol. But being serious folks, he brought such a joy to the dance floor that no matter if he was not a master technician he was a delight to watch. And the encore dance "The Mango" he did was hilarious.

As far as the rest of the contestants, I will give you my opinion on each and who I think will ultimately win:

Jason and Edyta - OMG.....is he hot or what. And man do I wish I had a pair of legs like Edyta. These two together make me want to go take a cold shower. I mean come on,the chemistry between them is hot hot hot! Again the football player proves he can be light on his feet and glide effortlessly across the floor. Finally Edyta has gotten a partner with a real shot at winning this, since Joey, even though Joey never had a legitimate shot at winning. Before you all start screaming at me, I loved Joey Lawrence and would have loved to see him win, but it wasn't happening and you know it as well as I do. This time Jason does have a chance. Keep up the good work Edyta and Jason. I look forward to the finals when you can do the lifts you so love to do.

Mariss and Tony - gotta love Tony. He is just such a sweet heart. I am sure by now the over exuberance of Marissa has to be getting on his nerves. It's getting on mine and I am only expossed to it for 2 hours a week. He on the other hand has it for days and days, hours and hours. Poor Tony...will he ever get a partner he can go to the finals with. Marissa, poor girl, trys so very hard and is probably putting in more practice time than the others, but give it up. This is not your thing. As a "plus sized" woman myself I can honestly say this.....Ballroom Dancing is not for the short and stubby. Bless her heart though for she has gotten better. Her Paso Doble this past week was brilliant. But I just don't see her being there much longer. And would someone tell the makeup department to lay off the spray tan on Tony. My goodness was he dark this past week or what. His teeth were glowing.

Karina and Mario - this is Karina's second Mario and the first one was better. Even though Mario #2 is a R & B singer, this is not his cup of tea. Let him go back to the funk, hip hop world he comes from. I just don't like his dancing. He is just not smooth enough for me. Karina on the other hand is awesome this year. In previous years I did not like her much because of her sour disposition. This year she seems to have softened and taken this contest for what it's for----fun! And wow was she ever hot in that black and green corset of a costume for their Paso....DAMN.

Shannon and Derek - isn't he just the cutest thing. I mean come on, admit it. You know you are thinking the same thing I am **wink wink**. I have to say Shannon has come a long way since her first dance when she did not know what to do with her legs. Their waltz this week was absolutely amazing. I felt like I was watching two lovers reconnecting on the dance floor. such grace and fluidity in her movements across the floor. And kudos to Derek for great choreography and performing while injured. Sorry to say Shannon will not make the finals. Maybe end up in final 3 or 4 but that's about it.

Priscilla and Louis - I am tremedously glad that Louis came back this year. There is no one that can come close to his level of choreography. Probably why he choreographs most of the professionals numbers. Priscilla is surprising me in being a very graceful dancer. But what is up with her face. Too much botox I guess because her face looks frozen and I can never tell when she is smiling. I think Priscilla will be around a few more weeks because she has all the Elvis fans voting for her. But she also deserves to hang around a little longer. Would be nice to see Louis carry her to the finals. He deserves it if nothing else. I coud sit and watch Louis dance all day till midnight.

Marlee and Fabian - I have to say I have been totally shocked on this one. First off the pro, Fabian: he is surprising me. I am liking him more and more each week. And he is doing a great job especially with the handicap he has been given. Now on to Marlee: for someone who is completely deaf I just don't get how she can have such great musicality. She moves with the music better than a lot of people who can hear the music. This last week was not one of her best, but overall she has done a great job. I see her out within the next two weeks though because I just don't thinks he will be able to stay in the top of the pack.

Kristy and Mark - my favorite couple and my pick to win it all. Of course the obvious: is Mark hotter this year than last year. Tis a shame Sabrina and he are still connected because I could make him my all day sucker for sure...LMAO. And Kristy looks as beautiful as she did during her ice skating days. As for their dancing, I just dont see this pair not ending up in the finals or even going so far as winning it. They have been at the top since the beginning and with 2 10's this past week, they should stay at the top. Mark is really showing himself as an awesome teacher. His choreography this year is incredible and comes close to rivaling Louis choreography. I can't wait to see what Mark will have in store for the final free-style.

Cheryl and Christian - we all know I love Cheryl. And before you go bashing her for her "supposed" relationship with the very married Drew, we really don't know the full story. And it takes two to tango, pun intended. If Drew didn't want it no matter how Cheryl tempted him he would have looked the other way. So don't just blame Cheryl. I still love Cheryl as a dancer. She is hot hot hot. Christian is improving every week. This past week their Paso was on fire. And that costume she was wearing should be illegal. Damn girl. I will take her body as well....lol. Sadly I don't think they will be around until the finals. Maybe final 4 but I think that is about as far as they will go. Just don't think he has the fan base to keep him in it and what with all the press about Cheryl and Drew getting it on behind the scenes, that will hurt her.

Well I think that is it for my opinions. I am enjoying this season more and more. I think our final two will be Kristy and Mark and Jason and Edyta and if the viewing public votes the right way we will have our second female winner in Kristy. Sorry Edyta, as much as I want you to win and you so deserve it, Kristy is the better dancer over Jason.

Until next time.....

bbfanatik

Dancing With The Stars - Ladies Night

So tonight it's Ladies Night and our lovely ladies get to strutt their stuff. Should be interesting night. I am looking forward to seeing how Marlee Matlin does being that she is deaf and will not be able to hear the music. And I look forward to seeing Louis dance again. He is AWESOME. So let's not waste anytime.

Shannon Elizabeth and Derek are first up with a Cha Cha Cha. Derek tells us this year he is a man coming in unlike last year when he was a boy. LOL....Shannon had long lean legs that could either help or hurt. In this first dance, they hurt her. She did not know what to do with them. Her top half looked great and she has some moves, but she needs to figure out where her legs go and move them more fluid. Overall not a bad cha cha cha but she will need to improve. Scores of 7, 7, 7

Tennis ace Monica Seles and Jonathan Roberts will do a Foxtrot. Jonathan is so smooth on the dance floor. And surprisingly Monica moves across the floor with elegance. I thought it was good...not sure what the judges saw that I didn't. I am sure there was some footwork issues, it's the first week, but I thought she looked very Grace Kellyish. Scores of 5, 5, 5 seemed a little harsh.

Tony Dovoloni and Marissa soemthing or other will do a Cha Cha Cha. Marissa has a Tony for her work in Hairspray and is so giddy of being given the chance to be on Dancing with The Stars. Poor Tony can barely get her to settle down long enough to learn the dance steps. Come dance time, her energy is over whelming and causes her to have a couple missteps. I have to say the dance content for her was not there. I am not sure what Tony was thinking but she needed more content. And who dressed Tony. His pants were so shiny and sparkly I almost needed sun glasses. They received scores of 6, 6, 6 but I think that was mainly due to her energy. Because her dance did not impress me.

Louis and Priscilla Presley are next with a Foxtrot. It's surprising that Priscilla would agree to do this show being that she is such a private person. I think Priscilla has always wanted to break free of the Elvis's wife mold and the public won't let her. Sorry Priscilla that is what happens when you marry the King. Their dance was incredible. Louis did not surprise me at all but Priscilla did. She was elegant and gracefull and glided across the floor. And WOW....the death spiral ont he first night...WOW. She did it and did it well. I always knew Louis was a great teacher, this just proved it. Scores of 8, 8, 8. Way to go Louis and Priscialla!

Last up for the night is Mark Ballas and Kristi Yamaguchi with a Foxtrot. Kristi has been demmed the ringer this year because of her previous experience with ice skating. I don't see how being a single ice skater can prepare you fro dancing with a partner. And as was shown during their practice session there are so many habits to overcome from ice skating that won't work in dancing. But, being that Kristi was a previosu competitor, that does give her a tiny edge. She is used to training and training heard, which he seems to be doing here. Their foxtrot was off the chart. This girl has it and Mark has been lucky again. Let's hope fan base does not play a role again this year and he leaves too early. They glided across the floor with grace and elegance that was unmatched. Probably one of the best Foxtrots ever, for sure so far this year. Scores of 9, 9, 9 secure Kristi the top spot.

Last up is Marlee and the newcomer Fabian. Fabian has his work cut out for him what with Marlee being deaf. However if he is any kind of teacher or dancer he should be able to lead her with no probelms. Their Cha Cha Cha was unbelievable. I was plesantely surprised at how well she did. It was truly inspiring. Scores of 7, 7 , 8.

So now all the couples will come back and dance again next week and there will be a double elimination. I think it's great that they get to dance twice before sending someone home, but don't see the need for a double elimination. Tune in next week, there will also be a performance by the red hot Jonas Brothers (my daughter went nuts when she heard that).

Until then......

bbfanatik

Dancing With the Stars - Mens Night

So another season of Dancing has begun and I think it began very well. The opening number by the professionals was incredible. I had to rewind and watch it twice. Oh how I wish I could dance like that. They were AWESOME. I hope there are many more professional numbers to come. And how great was it to see Louis back out and in front. Welcome back Louis....you were really missed. My favorite ladies, Cheryl and Edyta, are back again. Only one newcomer this year and that is Fabian. Will be interesting to see how he is considering her is paired with Marlee Matlin. I loved when Mark and Derek did their solo and worked it out with some hip hop moves that were hot hot hot. Way to go pros!!!

First up for our celebrities is Penn of Penn and Teller fame. He is huge and his size will more than likely work against him. But his humor keeps Kym on her toes. I think what works for Penn is even though he is not the youngest or most athletic he does have the most stage experience. Thier first dance is a Cha Cha Cha. Surprisingly he can move, only problem is his feet are huge and heavy. He is so tall, he towers over Kym, that he looks awkward. He did a good job but will need to work on the footwork. Scores of 5, 6, 5. I loved it when he told Bruno he would give him 4 weeks to learn a card trick. Good one Penn, because the judges really do expect the celebrities to be better with only 4 weeks of practice.

Jason from the Miami Dolphins and Edyta are up next with a Foxtrot. This just might be Edyta's year. She has been paired with someone who is not only good looking but has some moves. Surprisingly for a defensive player he is very light on his feet. I cracked up when Len said Jason was a good looking guy and then said it was like looking in a mirror....LMAO. Jason had good posture, was elegant, footwork was good but he needs to get into character more. There needs to be more passion. Scores of 7, 8, 7

Cheryl and Christian De La Fuente (??) are next with a Cha Cha cha. This should be easy for him what with his Chilian blood....at least one would think so. during his practice footage he seems like a big goof, but looks like he has some moves, just hope his over confidence does not get in the way. Their dance was good, but he seemed stiff. Cheryl was her usual hot self as always but Christian will have to work on his posture and stop leaning forward. He needs to put those shoulders back. Scores of 7, 7, 7

Adam Corolla and Julianne are next and will dance a Foxtrot. This year Julianne will not repeat as a winner....not with Adam. His attitude going into this will hurt him. Of course all his talk of not winning and doing badly may just be his thing. I don't know because I don't listen to him on the radio. However, I was pleasantly surprised at how light he was on his feet considering what a big guy he is. Although his footwork was good, his posture was not the best. He needs to relax. Not surprisingly they received scores of 5, 5, 5.

Karina and Mario get a Cha Cha Cha. No not that Mario. She is paired with R & B singer Mario. During their practice footage we find out that it was his wish/dream to be paired with Karina. He appears to have a crush on her...wonder how the other Mario feels about this. Karina had to have surgery during their 4 weeks of practice for a herniated disk in her neck which hopefully will not come back to hurt them. Some will say that due to his background in music he has an unfair advantage. I don't think just because you can sing, you can dance. Sure he can move, but ballroom dancing is so much different than just regular moving and grooving. And man can he move and grove. He has the moves. But Karina has to know she can not rely upon him gyrating to move them forward with the judges. Len said so. There needs to be more ballroom dancing and less hip hop. The chemistry between the two is there but I think he has a little bit too much of a crush on Karina. Scores of 8, 8, 8 put them in the lead.

Last up is Steve Guttenberg and Anna. I love Anna. She is so elegant and classy. Nice to see her back this year. We see right off the bat that Steve has the best attitude going into this. He is there to have fun and feels privileged to be there. He just beams with excitement at the opportunity he has been given, but he is taking it serious as well. Their foxtrot was awesome. Even though he was not perfect the energy he exuded on the dance floor was incredible. He will need to work on his footwork because there were too many heal leads, but I think I enjoyed his dance the best. But if he brings that kind of excitement to the dance floor each week, he will stay around for a while. Scores of 6, 6, 6

So the first night of dancing in over and I have to say I was pleasantly surprise. Although Mario and Jason were the better dancers, I think I liked Steve's performance better. My pick for for first male to go would be Adam Corolla. sorry Julianne but you got screwed for partners this year.

Next up is Ladies night where the girls will get to strut their stuff.....

bbfanatik

Dancing With The Stars - The Semi-Finals

Tonight we are down to the final four:
Marie Osmond - The Showbiz Legend,
Jennie Garth - The Yummy Mummy,
Helio Castronevees - Mr. Charisma and
Mel "Scary Spice" B - The PopStar Diva.....I expect we will see some great dancing tonight with these four. Our show begins with a quick video of Cameron's exit :-(

Our dancers again have two dances to perform, one ballroom and one latin. And they will receive pointers from Len for the Latin dance.

First Up is Marie Osmond and Jonathon Roberts with a Quickstep. During their practice footage, we see that Jonathon is intent on adding lots of content and Marie knows they have to up their game. Seems like Jonathon is working on Marie's technique this week...good thing. We already know she is the master showman, now if she gets the techinque she will have a shot at the finale. They perform their Quickstep to "Good Morning, Good Morning". Personally, one of Marie's better dances....light, airy and full of content. She looked absolutely beautiful floating around the dance floor. A well deserved standing ovation from the crowd. Len is up first with lots and lots of praise. He tells her she is the most entertaining of all the celebrities and this quickstep was better than her first, in fact perfect. Bruno is up next telling her she has gone Hollywood Classic and she put all the quickstep steps in. Carrie Ann says she did a wonderful job, uped her game and did not miss one step. Her scores: 10, 10, 9.....?????....what's wrong with Bruno - that was a perfect dance if ever there was one. And Bruno get's boos from the audience, which he deserved!

Next up is Spice Girl Mel B and Maks. During their practice footage we see all the Spice Girls come into practice and give her encouragement. Their ballroom dance is the waltz to the song, Somebody to Love....a beautiful song. I have to say the one thing I liked about her dance was the walking splits across the dance floor...WOW. It was a good dance, I just wish it wasn't her dancing it (lol).....very romantic and fairy tale like. Bruno is up first and we know he will have nothing but good things to say because he loves Mel B. Carrie Ann is next and she too has good things to say. Len is last and he steps in line with the other two and gives good praises. So a score of a perfect 30 is not surprising. The judges want Mel B to win. Don't get me wrong, I love Maks, but just don't care for Scary Spice. I think a lot of Mel's dances have been more walking and prancing across the floor than dancing. Plus I think entertainment is just as important and Mel just doesn't always entertain me.

Next up is The Yummy Mummy, Jennie Garth dancing the tango. During her practice footage we get a repeat of Bruno coming down on Jennie last week and we see how much it hurt and that her lack of confidence is due to the criticism she receives when she tries so hard. Jennie decides to take some time off and takes her kids to Disneyland where she dances with Mickey Mouse and spends time with her fans. This is what Jennie needed, a boost in her confidence. The rest of her practice footage is dedicated to actual practice...lol. Her tango looks like it started off with a hand mistake. If indeed it was, they covered it well and came back to wow the crowd. Such intricate choreography and well done. The third standing ovation of the night. Carrie Ann is up first and gives her great comments but of course she ends it with a but and how she did not see any chemistry. Len is next and totally disagrees with Carrie Ann and says there was tons of chemistry. Bruno calls her Jennie the Red Menance. Praises Derek on the choregraphy. Scores of 9, 10, 9 give Jennie a solid 28. I knew Carrie Ann would not give a 10 to Jennie. You can tell no matter how good Jennie dances, Carrie Ann will not give her a 10.

Last up for the ballroom round is Helio and Julianne with a foxtrot to How Lucky Can One Guy Be. Their practice session is all about how Helio can show Julianne his appreciation of helping him get a perfect score. First up is a room full of balloons and flowers. Second up is a meet and great with Rascal Flatts, one of her favorite bands. Their actual practice footage revelas that Julianne knows that this is the week everyone will bring it and she wants to make sure they do too. From their practice footage, it looks Julianne will do most of the dancing, as usual. During the dance I saw a lift...both of her feet came off the ground with the help of Helio and I don't think it was something she could have done on her own. A lovely dance, light and flowy. Overall a good dance. I think 9's would be the right score for this dance. Len is first and he thinks this foxtrot was just as good as his first dance. Bruno can not believe that Helio has never danced before and will eat his book if Helio doesn't make the finale. Carrie Ann says he looks like a little lucky lephrechan. Great job from all 3 judges. Scores of 10,10,10 give us our second perfect score. Another one the judges want in the finale. And no mention of the lift?????

Next up will be the Latin round and each celebrity gets a lesson from Len. I personally love this part. I think they should have Len give more pointers. Afterall he does have 40 years of dance experience and knows what he is talking about.
First up is Marie and her dance lesson from Len is all about helping Marie improve her hip shaking. He wants to make Marie the Mambo Queen.
Next is Helio and Len wants to work on his feet positioning.
He wants to help Jennie work on her arm extensions and being more cheeky. He teaches Jennie to be flirty. Last up is Mel B and tells her she can improve on her sharpness and keeping her head up. He scares her.....I don't know how, but he does.

So the Latin round begins with Marie and Jonathon doing a Mambo in what looks like a Carmen Miranda take for a costume. Her routine begins with her hips going side to side to side to side. A very cheeky routine. They are really playful. Both loose bits of their costumes, Marie the skirt and Jonathon the sleves of the shirt. Her dance ends with her jumping into the laps of her brothers, well 4 of them. Bruno says it was the most madcap mambo he has ever seen. Tells her it was entertaining as ever but she lost her footing. Carrie Ann loved it but agrees she lost her footage a couple times. Len tells her that her hips were working. He loves her energy and loves watchingn them perform. She gets 9's across the board which gives her a 27 and a 56 for the night. Good job Marie.

Next is Maks and Mel with a pasa doble that could end up backfiring on them since their first one was given a perfect score. Not sure I like the the beginning with the whip and think she went overboard with it. But Maks is definatley staying with her scary persona and making her the domanatrix in these dances. Again walking around the floor is not dancing with me. They fell at the end and it looks like Mel could have possibly hurt something, but won't say anything. Carrie Ann says this was better than their first pasa (I don't agree). Len says he thought it was a mistake to go with the pasa since they got a perfect the first time, but that it was fantastic. Len then sings to Mel B "You can whip me if I misbehave" and the crowd goes nuts. Bruno of course loves the dance and says her precision is perfect and she is a star. Of course she receives a perfect score of 30 for this dance which gives her a perfect score of 60 for the night.

Next up is Jennie Garth and Derek with a cha cha cha to Mustang Sally. Jennie did this song very well. She was Mustang Sally. I thought this was Jennie's best dance to date. She let herself go and had fun and did a great job. I watched this dance twice, it was that good. The team from Home Makeover loved it too. Len starts off with nothing but praise telling her how much she has developed week after week and that she was fantastic. Bruno finally tells Yummy Jennie she has star power and she did it. Carrie Ann gives Jennie the "work it out" finger snaps. She finally loved Jennie's dance - never thought I would hear Carrie Ann give props to Jennie without a butt somewhere in it. Scores of 10, 10, 10 give her a 57 for the night.

Last up is Helio and Julianne with a cha cha cha as well. They start on the stairs to the song Love Roller Coaster. This dance was all about showing what a great dancer Julianne is. From start to finish Julianne is the dancer and Helio is the spotter. A great dance, but I do not think it was his best, maybe Julianne's best. Bruno of course loved it. Carrie Ann of course tells Julianne how mind boggling she is. Len is last with of course nothing but praise for all the couples but tells Helio he is the standout couple of the night.....?????.....I must be watching a different show. He too gets a perfect score of 30 for a perfect score of 60 for the night.

Tomorrow night Kenny Maine is back...ugh...as well as our last Star of the Dance, Michael Flately. Tomorrow also brings us the return of Sabrina and Mark, the couple who should still be in the competition. She got a bum deal.

Until tomorrow night..................when hopefully in my book, Mel B goes home. Make this a true dance competition were the finalist are not professional dancers!!!

Dancing With The Stars - Take Your Pick Night

For tonight, the stars get to pick their dance they want to do from the list of dances they have not done yet. We will also get the group number tonight, which will be a rock-n-roll number that should be lots of high energy with lots of lifts.....legal lifts that the stars dedicate to Carrie Ann...lol

First up tonight is Sabrina and Mark with the foxtrot. I think they did a good job. Sabrina is defiantely better with the faster, funkier dances, but she did a really nice foxtrot. Unfortunately Lena nd Bruno thought she was being too agressive. Carrie Ann disagreed with them and frankly so did I. Not her best, but by far not bad. A nine form Carrie Ann and 8's from Len and Bruno.

Jennie and Derek are next with a mambo. due to Jennie's lackluster performance with a latin dance last week, I really thought this mambo would be ho-hum. But I was wrong. I thought she did a great job. She came out of her shell and had a lot of fun with it. The judges agreed and she got three 9's

Jane and Tony are next and will be doing a jive. During their practice segment we see that they went to visit some sailors and dance for them. This was not one of Jane's better dances. Although you could see she was having fun with it, unfortunately she seemed heavy footed. Her kicks and flicks fell flat for me. Two 7's and an 8.

Cameron and Edyta are next with a sambo. To get Cameron in the grove, Edyta takes him to experience the carnival spirit that will be needed for this dance. Unfortunately the music they are given has a tribal undertone and sounds nothing like Carnival. Edyta is dressed like Pochahantas and Cameroon....well anything he wears that is sleveless is ok with me. I personally liked their dance, even thought it was more tribal than carnival. Carrie Ann agreed with me, but Bruno and Len had a problem with the warrior. 9, 8, 8 gets them pretty decent scores.

Mel and Maks have the rhumba tonight. Ok, you all know I don't like Mel but love love love Maks....hubba hubba. Their rhumba tonight is good (Maks did great), but for me at a perfect score, which is what the judges gave them. It may have been hot, for some, but I just did not feel it. And I am sure it is because I just don't like Mel.

Marie and Jonathan are next and have the pasa doble. Marie tells Jonathan that she wants to be the bull....lol! This is probably a good dance for Marie to do this week. It's not too fast and will hopefully stop all the naysayers who insist Marie must quit or the producers must make her quit because of her fainting spell last week. They perform a good safe pasa,but I was so hoping for something more dramatic from Marie. 8, 8, 7 for their scores.

Helio and Julianne are back tonight with a cha cha. Helio is glad to be back in him element, that being a fun dance that she can smile all the way through. The serious dances don't see to work for Helio. You know last year, I LOVED Julianne. What she did with Apollo was amazing. But this year, eh....not feeling her at all. She seems to have gotten the big head and become more arrogant and bossy to her star. Their cha cha was good...not great but good. And you could tell Helio had more fun wiht this dance. Surprizingly 2 9's and a 10 for their dance. I guess I really do not know what I am talking about...lol

Our much anticipated group rock-n-roll number choreographed by Christian Perry is next. Their practice footage revelas they only have one day of practice. They have to learn the routine and polish the routine in one session. WOW....They did an amazing job. It was a Jocks versus the Cool Kids theme and they rocked t. The lifts were great. Makes me wish the freestyle were here already.

Tomorow night is the results show and the special guest singer will be none other than Barry Manilow. Will we get to see Louis VanAmstel dancing to CopaCabana again.....we can only hope!!!!

Until then.........

Dancing With The Stars - Finale

All I can say is WOW!!! What a night of dancing!

I think this has been the best finale yet. We of course have the media darling in Emmitt Smith and the very good dancer in Mario Lopez competing for the prized Mirror Ball Trophy. These two have impressed me for the whoel season. You could easily see that Mario had some dance background, not necessarily ballroom dance background, but some dance background. Emiitt on the other had was thought to be the big heavy footed football clod. Did he fool us. His lightness on his feet were a treat to watch all season long.

When the season began I was pulling for Mario and Monique - I had to pull for Monique because I have a 10 year old and I needed to make her happy...lol

During the course of the season, my favorite changed to Emmitt, especially after Monique was sent home. I think the reason for this had to do mainly with Marios partner, Karina and her sour disposition. She always seemed to come on stage with a hateful scowl on her face. Tis a shame, because with a smile I bet she is a very pretty lady. I also think the daggers she threw at Cheryl Burke all season were uncalled for. And as the season wore on, Mario seemed to get just a little too cocky for my taste. He was choosen as the winner from day one, but I think he got too sure and full of himself and he ended up making the voting public look the other way.

For the last dances of the season, we were treated to Mario and Emmitt getting to dance to the same song, repeat a dance and then freestyle. I think when they danced to the same song, Emmitt blew Mario away. Although Mario received 29 and Emmitt got 30, I think the judges were being nice to Mario. In my opinion Mario did not deserve 29. I wasnt impressed with that dance.

For the repeat dance, Mario did the Pasa Doble and the judges gave him a perfect score. I am not a fan of this dance so I will leave the judging to the professional judges. I do however think he danced good, just once again I wish his partner did not look like she was mad all the time

For Emmitts repeat dance he did the Samba and again got a 30, which he deserved. This was a great dance and I enjoyed every minute of it.

For the freestyle, we have Mario doing hip hop and breakdancing. Although everyone expected Mario to do lifts out of the you know what, but he did not. He only did two lifts. Surprising since he got scolded twice for doing lifts when he wasn't supposed to. I personally did not like Marios freestyle. Looked to me like for half the dance, his partner just stood there and watched him. What was that all about. But the judges awarded him a 30, which gave him an 89 out of 90.

Now Emmitts fresstyle was AWESOME! He danced to MC Hammers Can't Touch This and I have to admit I was sitting there dancing to the music too. I would have stood up and danced but I probably would have embarrassed my daughter too much, so I stayed seated. But Emmitt did a GREAT job. I loved him freestyle. He tried a few lifts and they seemed awkward. For a football star I would have thought he would have had no problem lifting Cheryl, but I guess when you are a short football star it is not as easy. Emmit was given a 29, which gave him a total of 89 as well.

So we ended the show with a tie. America would get to choose the winner. And sot he voting began!

When we came back on Wednesday night, we were treated to seeing all the stars dance again. Even though they only got to dance for maybe 20/30 seconds it was nice to see. Was also nice to see Sara Evans smiling, what with all she is going through. Prayers are with you Sara.

We also got to see Mario and Emmitt dance again and I was not disppointed! There was some behind the scene footage showign that Mrio and Karina may really have a personal relationship. At least during the competition they kissed and acted like they were a couple, but I have a feeling Karina will have heartbreak one Mario dumps her. Up until the finale, they lead the America audience on into thinking they were a couple, however Mario made several comments that led me to believe he considers her only a friend now and they will nto be together after the show. Time will tell.

The results are read and when they were, myself and my daughter probably woke the dead with our screams of joy! Emmitt and Cherly were the winners. And rightfully so, or at least I think so. My thinking for this is that Emmitt had NO dance background whatsoever, however Mario has had some professional training. Maybe not ballroom training but enough trainign to understand what beat to start on and to know the moves. Mario was great from day one, but he never improved. Emmitt on the other hand, improved week after week. He BECAME a dancer, he did not start as a dancer and for me that is the reason he deserved to be the winner.

So I will end with a big CONGRATUALTIONS to Emmitt and Cheryl. I cant wait for the next season which we now know will begin in March.

Happy dancing to you all!

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Bachelor & Dancing With the Stars Recap

Dancing With The Stars:

Ok, I am a little behind here. About two weeks behind - sorry for the delay. Two weeks ago Monique was eliminated, not much surprise here. Although she danced well and has improved considerably, she did not have the fan base to keep her in the competition.
Last week, it was just the guys, Mario, Emmitt and Joey. They each had to do two dances and when it was all said and done all three were tied in the scoring. Each received a perfect score of 30 on one dance and a 29 on the other. Although everyone thinks Mario's tango was the best dance of the night, I tend to disagree. I though Emmits dance to Ride Sally Ride was much much better and more entertaining. So for the results show Joey was sent home. I think this was not a shocker either. Again fan base will make you or break you. So for the finale tomorrow, it will be Mario and Emmitt. Seems as though Mario has this pretty much sewn up and in the bag. I like Mario, watched him many a time on Saved By the Bell. In fact when getting dressed in the morning, I still watch the reruns, however I would like to see an upset and see Emmitt take it home. I really like Cheryl and can not stand Karina. Karina is just too smug and she needs to be brought down a notch or two. Who will you vote for?

The Bachelor:
There was no show last week due to the Country Music Awards, so I am not behind here. I will say tonight should be interesting what with the "forgo" dates. I think ABC will get the Prince to keep Lisa for drama and we will have a Lisa and Sadie finale with Sadie taking it home. She has been my pick from day one, let's see if I am right.

Check back tomorrow for recaps of The Bachelor and I promise on Wednesday or Thursday I will have a recap of Dancing With The Stars finale recap for you too!