Dancechica028 is our videographer of the day! She caught this cute video of Corky and Shirley Ballas. More videos are posted on Pure Derek Hough, since they all have…Derek.

Mark and Shawn (and Derek and Corky) dance to Michael Jackson

Many, MANY thanks to Lisa, a new friend of Pure Derek Hough and Pure DWTS!  She took these great pictures and is very generously sharing them with us. 

If you want to see Lisa’s other pictures, including some great ones of Derek with Mark and Derek with Chelsie and Cheryl visit Pure Derek Hough.

I found some video and pictures (and a review, and a blog) about the show last night in Iowa.  It sounds like it was a lot of fun – very jealous of the attendees.

Pictures courtesy of  Star 102.5!  I pasted a few of them below (gallery – click on the pic and then click again for full size):

Kurt from Star 102.5 also contributed a blog. Read the whole thing, but my favorite part is:

Then we saw Shawn, Mark, and Derek Hough. Then, Lacey Schwimmer walks into our area wearing some workout pants and her sports bra. Very nice! Apparently, dancing creates fantasic abs. Jennifer caught me looking, but I think I get a pass considering Derek and Mark apparently refuse to wear shirts backstage.

I’ve only found one set of videos for this show thus far, thanks to Blazing1010. I’ve copied a couple of them, below, but there are a total of 13 on his/her YouTube channel.

I also posted a video of Derek and Chelsie, and a video of Derek, Mark and Lacey doing a hip hop number on Pure Derek Hough.

UPDATE: Check out the latest Dancing with the Stars Season 9 cast rumors here.

UPDATE 2: It’s official, check out the cast of Dancing with the Stars Season 9. Nice to see lots of the cast were on our rumor list.

So, we’ve heard countless rumors about the Season 9 Cast, many of which I’ve written about on this site. I figured it was time to do a listing of all the rumors to date – what can I say? I’m a fan of lists.   The rumors have varying degrees of plausibility, so you guys be the judge.

First, the men:

Next, the women:

A lot of these rumors come from the stars themselves, although I think that’s happened before and turned out to not be true.  Donny Osmond  isn’t on my lists although I’ve read in other places that he wants to do it (please no).  Also, right after the season ended, Suge Knight was also rumored to be on S9 – which I have a hard time believing, but apparently the Steve O rumors began right after S7 ended so you never know.

I’ve seen this list floating around the net, but I’m somewhat skeptical – for one thing, I couldn’t find the original source so it could be a wishlist.  A couple people I would consider too high profile.

Da Brat
Alicia Sacramone
Heather Locklear
Jewel
Aubrey O’Day
Christie Brinkley
Melissa Joan Hart
Aaron Carter
Tony Danza
James Wagner
Johnny Weir
Brian McKnight
Lou Ferrigno
Mike Greenberg

James Wagner could be Jack Wagner from the Bold and the Beautiful – and who is also dating Heather Locklear. I also read that Jewel has already ruled it out because she wants to have a baby. Alicia Sacramone? If she’s partnered with Mark I might hurt someone. There are a few pros who never get athletes, ya know?

SO – what rumors have you heard that I’m missing?? I saw an actual list with professional partners next to them, but now I can’t find it. It was too good to be true anyway (e.g. Derek Hough and Tara Lipinski).

The Des Moines Register has a nice write up about the “Shawn Johnson and Friends” show tonight in Iowa. Here’s a short excerpt:

Johnson, who was greeted by a standing ovation, spoke to the crowd before the one-time only event began. “It’s great to be here,” she said.

Johnson shared the spotlight with dozens of her friends, including her “Dancing with the Stars” partner Mark Ballas. The evening started off with a tribute to the late Michael Jackson, with a moonwalk dance set to “Billie Jean,” followed by Johnson and Ballas performing the Cha Cha Cha to “P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing).”

Season-eight competitor and actor Gilles Marini heated up the stage when he danced the salsa with his partner on the show, Cheryl Burke. Stuntman and funny guy Steve-O, along with dancer Lacey Schwimmer, performed the fox trot to Jason Mraz’s “I’m Yours.”

Here’s another article: Des Moines Register with pictures.

So far, we have a rehearsal video:  http://www.kcci.com/video/20182362/

And a cute picture of Shawn Johnson and Lacey Schwimmer getting ready, courtesy of Derek:

Here’s some rehearsal video from a local TV Station:

Hee. One thing I really enjoyed about this past season was how well the entire cast seemed to get along. Most of the Stars showed up at the Ballas Hough Band shows every tuesday, they all took part in the video Derek did…the list goes on. Then there’s cute pictures like this one from Gilles, which he tweeted from Iowa where he’s taking part in “Shawn Johnson and Friends“:

If one had a dirty mind….

Shawn Johnson is hosting a DWTS-themed event in Des Moine, Iowa as a big thank-you to her hometown fans.  This event is entitled “Shawn Johnson and Friends” and takes place tonight (July 26) at the Wells Fargo Arena.

While groups of previous “Dancing” contestants have conducted nationwide tours in recent years, this is a one-shot event. The Ballas Hough Band and Mitchel Musso (from the Disney Channel’s “Hannah Montana”) are on the bill, as well as dancers such as Gilles Marini, Cheryl Burke, Steve-O and Kristi Yamaguchi — the latter, like Johnson, a former Olympian turned “Dancing” champion.

I wrote more extensively about this event at Pure Derek Hough, mainly because Derek was talking about it and tweeting funny pictures of himself, Shawn, Mark, Corky, and Steve-O. If you check that site, you will find what I think is a full list of the participants and a few more links to more information about the event. A check of Mark, Gilles and Lacey’s Twitter accounts also show mentions of the event and a lot about practicing. I’m really, really hoping we’ll get video of the dancing and the singing – so check back here tomorrow. Cross your fingers!!

You’ll remember that Gilles hinted (via Twitter) a while back that he had big news to share. Turn’s out Gilles has an album deal.

Yes, you heard that right. Am I the only one who thinks this is totally out of left field? I mean, I love Gilles. I think he’s a beautiful man…I mean, dancer.   But, but…I dunno, this just seems very strange and unexpected.  He used the words “crazy” and “amazing” – I would agree. Hey you Gilles fans – has Gilles sung all along and I just didn’t know?  Am I totally out of the loop, or is everyone as surprised as me?

Well, good luck to him, in any case.

Marc Malkin at E! Online is reporting that Mark Ballas told him all about his dream wedding with Joanna Pacitti:

Dancing With the Stars pro Mark Ballas says his girlfriend, former American Idol wannabe Joanna Pacitti, 24, is the woman he plans to marry.

“She’s definitely the one,” Mark, 22, told us at the TV Moves! 2 Live event in L.A. “She’s the best.”

And, of course, Mark’s wedding wouldn’t be complete without becoming a whole DWTS affair. “Derek [Hough] would be my best man,” Mark said. “I’d ask Jo if Lacey [Schwimmer] and Cheryl [Burke] could be the bridesmaids.”

If you read to the end, it’s clear that Mark is just talking about it and hasn’t actually set a plan in motion just yet. Of course, talking to E! Online is a definite first step. Testing the waters? Saying “She’s the One”  to E! is a pretty huge step! Word to the wise, Mark – let your bride choose her own bridesmaids.