Behind The Scenes Of The Dances With The Stars 14 Cast Announcement (Video)
I’ll let this one do the talkin’ this time! ๐ This was just released by ABC…
Chelsie Hightower’s Dancing With The Stars partner, Roshon Fegan, was a guest on KTLA in Los Angeles today. He talks of how he knew he was going to dance for two months and he had to keep it “on the low”. Only a couple of people knew and it was hard to keep quiet. Roshon said Dancing With The Stars wanted the perfect dancer for him and they chose Chelsie which he’s happy for. Roshon admit’s he is a good dancer to “freestyle”, but, doing a salsa and a rumba is going to be difficult. Roshon is going to be extra busy trying to dance and juggle his music career, but, he’s going “with the flow” (I love the way he uses words!). After the interview, Roshon dances and sings to his new single “On Top Of The World”. More at KTLA here.
He’s got some great moves and he’s very likable. This is getting more interesting by the day, isn’t it?! ๐
"Dance is the hidden language of the soul" ~ Martha Graham. That's what DWTS makes me think of every Monday night. To read more about me and my other interests, see Lisa Kay Photography. You can also follow me at Voguerista Twitter & Voguerista Soundcloud.
WARNING: If you came here to seriously bitch & moan about how so-and-so has an unfair advantage due to their previous dance experience and how you’re boycotting the showย and yadda yadda yadda – look elsewhere ๐ We’ve been doing this for a few seasons now, and here’s the gist: many of the celebs on the show have at least SOME dance experience coming into the show – be it good or bad…and often, comically bad.ย Hence the quotations around the title – this is a very tongue-in-cheek post, kids.ย ๐
Today we’re gonna take a look at this season’s male celebs, and see just exactly how much hoofin’ they’ve done in the past and discuss what it might mean for them on the show – and we’ll probably point & laugh and generally act like teenage boys in our commentary. ๐
First up, let’s take a look at Jack Wagner, who is perhaps best known as Frisco Jones from the soap opera General Hospital from 1984-95.ย Jack’s also a musician, and this clip is montage of Frisco & his on-screen (and former off-screen!) love, Felicia, dancing to his song “Dancing in the Moonlight”:
Court: Ahhh, the magic of VHS recordings back in the 80s & 90s…such a crisp picture. ๐ Overall, a lot of soap opera-y swaying, with a little bit of goofball pseudo-swing dancing and fake tango thrown in…although some of what he was doing looked like it could have almost been west coast swing.ย Hmmm.ย Think he could get Anna to recreate that fake tango he did with Felicia, complete with a beret and French mustache? ๐
Heidi: When are they going to start dancing? What?
Vogue: Wow, let Jack wine and dine me anytime. But, seriously, if Jack can turn on the charm and romance as we see in the video above, can you imagine what his Waltz’s (or anything he dances to for that matter) are going to be like? *faints and fans myself*
The verdict: Only soap operas can make non-dancing look so..electrifying.
Now let’s take a look at Gavin DeGraw, who admittedly doesn’t do a whole lot of dancing, but rather “rhythmic swaying” during an impromptu version of Creedance Clearwater Revival’s “Proud Mary” during a live show (skip to the 2:20 mark):
Heidi: Nice pack…um….yeah, he’s aright.
Vogue: Uh oh, watch out for a killer and wicked Samba if nothing else. ๐ฏ
Court: I don’tย know about you guys, butย when I get the uncontollable urge to sing Tina Turner songs, I doff my guitar and start dancing like a drunken gypsy.
The verdict: Just say no to random Tina Turner covers, kids.
Up next we have Donald Driver, who, like many NFL players, seems to have his own brand of “touchdown dance”:
Vogue: Who needs Victor Cruz when we’ve got this guy instead? SERIOUSLY!! The Cruz for the Driver!! ๐
Court: Wiggle wiggle wiggle wiggle…he’s sexy & he knows it. That dance looks vaguely peacock-ish – like he’s showing us his fancy feathers.
Heidi: And the feathers are, like, really small cuz we only get a wiggle with a swing of about an inch and a half. ๐ ย Or would it be really big feathers and you only have to do a tiny wiggle to get lots of feather shaking?? :::confused:::
Courtney: It’s the latter, dear.ย Peacocks’ feathers span out so far that it kinda makes them top-heavyย – if they shake ’em too hard, they fall over.ย I’ve witnessed it ๐
The verdict: Is Donald brave enough to let us see his peacock? ๐
Our next contestant is this season’s resident heartthrob, William Levy, who is probably best known for being J. Lo’s man candy in her “I’m Into You” video.ย But alas, some semi-rhythmic writhing on a beach doesn’t really count as “dancing”, so I found this clip, which appears to be from some telenovela – it’s completely in Spanish and it looks to have Russian or Greekย subtitles (WTF?), but the basic gistย appears to beย that he and another beefcakey guy had their car break down onย a dirt road, some other considerably less-beefcakey guyย tried to fix it and failed, but thankfully a taxi full of middle-aged female tourists was driving by and stopped to offer assistance (and ogle the shirtless beefcakes)…and whilst fixing theย car, the urge to dance hits William and he does a brief bit of salsa with one of the tourist ladies (1:39 mark):
Court: Telenovelas are funny ๐ I have no idea what the hell they’re saying, but the minute I heard one of the tourists yell “Guapo!” and gesture towards the 2 shirtless men –ย I knew it was on, senor.ย Gottaย say – William doesn’t look totally inept.ย He’s probably done at least a little salsa & merengue in his day – kinda like JR.ย But he’s also a model, so he’s probably more used to standing still that moving around.ย I predict lots of posing and Cheryl dancing around him this season ๐
Heidi: He’s the one in the hat? Yeah…no fanbase in the US but it might not matter. ๐ But he better be the second coming of Gilles. He had relatively little competition.
Vogue: I predict right now that William Levy will be one of the sexiest male dancers to have ever graced the Dancing With The Stars stage. What’s more, it will be a “natural” kind of sexy that he can’t help. He just has that “look” to melt hearts. If Cheryl can find a way to capitalize on that and make him into a dancer, watch out.
The verdict: William es un chico muy guapo! Mis pantalones estan en fuego!!!
We’ve saved the 2 strongest contenders for last.ย First, let’s take a look at Roshon Fagen, who busts some pretty impressive moves at the end of a Radio Disney interview on the set of Shake it Up (2:00 mark):
And then Roshon assures us that he gets “Down on the Dance Flo” in this music video:
Heidi: Dude’s voice hasn’t even changed yet. ย ๐ ย Also not impressed with his dancing here – mainly because someone was saying he’s a trained dancer. Trained in what kind of dancing, I have to ask.
Vogue: He’s young. He has lots of energy to burn. What’s more, he’s refreshing. I think Roshon is going to be a huge contender in this competition.
Court: Maybe formal hip-hop training? Idk…I don’t really know if there is suchย a thing. Ooh, that’s a hefty promise, Roshon – promising you get down on the dance floor? I hope you’re ready to deliver ๐ Kid can certainly move, but can he translate that gyrating into a foxtrot? A waltz?
The verdict: Kid’s got potential…but can Chelsie harnass it?
Last but certainly not least, we have Jaleel White, who already seems to be the favorite to win this season for many of us.ย Since Jaleel is best known fromย his daysย as Steve Urkel from Family Matters, I simply have to include a clip of his famous “Urkel dance” – which, surprise surprise, I cannot find an embedabble copy of him doingย the original oneย on YouTube, so here he is doing it as Al’s date to the dance on Step By Step during a crossover episode (if you want to see the original, go here.) :
And more recently, here he is cuttingย a rug in Cee Lo Green’s “Cry Baby” video:
Vogue: I’m impressed. He’s got it all and a ‘smoothness” to boot. What’s more, I felt an automatic attraction with he and Kym during the cast announcement. This is going to be good. I’m really looking forward to these two.
Heidi: ย Not bad, not bad. Lose the penis and dance with Derek and he’d be a ringer for sure!!
Courtney: I have to respect any man that played such a dork for so many years…and yet somehow seems uber-slick & smooth now ๐ I’m actually kinda curious how much Jaleel is going to draw from his Urkel repertoire while on the show…I know he was really touchy about the whole Urkel thing for several years after Family Matters ended, because he was having a hard time finding roles because people couldn’t imagine him as anything other than Urkel.ย Should be interesting to see if he pays homage to it, or avoids it completely.
The verdict: Do not underestimate the Urkel.
Stay tuned for our assessment of the female competitors later this week ๐
Ultrasound sales specialist by day, semi-knowledgeable DWTS fan by night...with a smattering of hair & makeup enthusiast, occasional model, baker, and crazy cat lady peppered in to make things REALLY interesting ;-) I might pee my pants in happiness if Donnie Wahlberg ever does DWTS - or if they ever use "Sunglasses at Night" as a paso doble.
Right after the Dancing With The Stars Cast Announcement yesterday, singer Katherine Jenkins released a statement on her absence. Below is more from Entertainment Tonight….
“I would have loved to have been at the announcement but as a supporter of military men and women around the world, it was very important to me that I keep my word and be in Afghanistan to entertain the troops,” Katherine explained. “However, due to technical problems with the plane, I was unable to make it there this time … but this will not stop me from going again in the future!”
Katherine tweeted her disappointment concerning her dashed travel plans, writing, “Sadly we tried again (to get to Afghanistan) but it’s not going to happen. So sorry not to make it out to you but we really REALLY tried!”
She did the right thing, didn’t she!! I find it so commendable that she does so much for the troops.
Also, gearing up for her dance stint on the show, US Magazine has published some fun facts on her. Below are just a couple from the link. I like what she said about conquering her fears….
She has already performed on DWTS. Jenkins sang during “Classical Week” (when Kirstie Alley lost her shoe) in April 2011, belting out arias along with a 46-piece orchestra.
She has some dance experience. The singer joined ballerina Darcey Bussell on stage in the 2008 musicial Viva La Diva.She’s motivated by fear. On her decision to be on the show she explained, “I like to conquer my phobia. I was afraid of heights. I got a pilot’s license. My biggest fear was to drown, so I got a SCUBA diving license. I get embarrassed dancing by myself, so I figured why not do it in front of millions of people.”
I have a feeling this might be my favorite partner paired with Mark? I just love her.
Speaking of Mark, Perez Hilton posted a video of Mark practicing for a new Diet Pepsi commercial with a can on his head while dancing.
And then there is this commercial spot Mark did for the Mohegan Sun!! Too cool!!
"Dance is the hidden language of the soul" ~ Martha Graham. That's what DWTS makes me think of every Monday night. To read more about me and my other interests, see Lisa Kay Photography. You can also follow me at Voguerista Twitter & Voguerista Soundcloud.
Jimmy Kimmel interviewed Maria Menounos on his show last night!! He’s always a kick as always. He starts out teasing her that she might be doing Dancing With The Stars to lose weight. She gets serious and says she is not a dancer “at all”. Monday was her first rehearsal with Derek. Her parents have told her to dance “sexy” and she’s not sure she can since she’s more of a “jock”. Did you know Maria use to wear steel braces on her legs and re-enforced shoes when she was little? Things haven’t always been easy for her. She talks of doing an Online after show after Dancing With The Stars as well. Lots more below…
Be sure to visit Pure Derek Hough today when you get a chance. Heidi has some great new photos of Derek and Maria and more video footage and will most likely later as well.
"Dance is the hidden language of the soul" ~ Martha Graham. That's what DWTS makes me think of every Monday night. To read more about me and my other interests, see Lisa Kay Photography. You can also follow me at Voguerista Twitter & Voguerista Soundcloud.
Dancing With The Stars pro Tristan MacManus spoke to Radar Online yesterday about how happy he is to be dancing with legendary singer and entertainer Gladys Knight. He hopes she sings during rehearsals as he is an avid music fan anyway. Below are more on his plans in teaching her how to dance and pick her brain. Be sure to read the full story at Radar Online as he talks of his first meeting her as well.
โI am hoping she just starts singing when she comes out on the rehearsal floor, I sing along a lot when I dance, so I hope she doesn’t critique me,โ he said bashfully.
โI am definitely going to learn from her and start being a sponge and taking everything in and pick her brain. I have never sung professionally but I love songs and music and I generally sing to myself when Iโm in uncomfortable situations.โ
While the pro is hoping to learn from his partner weโre sure the Midnight Train To Georgia singer will learn some smooth moves from tripping the light fantastic with the ballroom and Latin dance teacher, who has high expectations for his muse.
โItโs great for me because she is a very passionate performer and thatโs something you canโt teach people, if she can put that into her performance every week then it will be unbelievable,โ Tristan told RadarOnline.com.
"Dance is the hidden language of the soul" ~ Martha Graham. That's what DWTS makes me think of every Monday night. To read more about me and my other interests, see Lisa Kay Photography. You can also follow me at Voguerista Twitter & Voguerista Soundcloud.
Ok, so reminiscing about past team names and trying to come up with ones for this season’s couples in another thread just seemed to clarify for me “We need a separate post for this.” ๐
It’s pretty self-explanatory – we wanna hear your suggestions for this season’s team names.ย Keep in mind that theย team names USUALLY are a sort of portmanteau of the celeb & the pro’s names (“Evanna” for Evan & Anna, “Florky” for Florence & Corky, “Kanenball” for Chelsea Kane & Mark Ballas), although they can also consist of nicknames (“Sugar & Spice” for Sugar Ray & Anna) or make no sense whatsoever (“Team Schmurgles” for Kyle & Lacey…still trying to figure that one out!).ย And let’s avoid anything too vulgar – if you can’t say it on tv, there’s really not much of a point in saying it here ๐
Heidi mentioned something about tweeting a link to this post to all of the teams to help them brainstorm their names – so make ’em good, guys, ’cause you never know if Maks, Kym, Tristan, etc. might be reading this! ๐ Keep in mind that this is the name that goes on the t-shirts that the couples tend to wear in rehearsal, around the studio, etc…so if they like your name, you’ll be seeing it everywhere.
ETA #1: We’ve compiled a list of names you guys have suggested for each couple thus far…keep ’em coming, though! ๐
Just to refresh your memory, here’s a list of the couples again, along with some hints that may help you in creating your names:
Jack Wagner (best known for his role as Frisco Jones on General Hospital) & Anna Trebunskaya:
Team Friskaya
Team General Ginger
Team TrebunSco
Team Wagskaya
Team Jumping Jack
Gavin DeGraw (musician) & Karina Smirnoff:
Team KarDegraw
Team Gavina
Team DeGrawsome
Team DeSmirnoff
Team GKRhythm
Team GaRina
Team KaVin
Team Smirnoffin
Martina Navratilova (tennis player) & Tony Dovolani:
Team LovaLani
Team MarTony
Team Novratilani
Team Dovalova
Team NovDov
Team Tonnis
Team Narvaloni
Team Dovatina
Roshon Fegan (plays Ty Blue on the Disney Channel series Shake it Up) & Chelsie Hightower:
Team BlueTower
Team ShonTower
Team RoShel
Team Dancing Rosh
Team Roshie
Donald Driver (plays for the Green Bay Packers, writes childrens’ books about a character named Quickie) & Peta Murgatroyd:
Team PetaPackers
Team PetaPack
Team BayTroyd
Team Drivertroyd
Team DonaTroyd
Team Donapetia
Team Donaltroyd
Jaleel White (played Steve Urkel on Family Matters) & Kym Johnson:
Team UrKym
Team Leel-Kym
Team Kurkel
Team Did I Do That?
Team Kymeel
Melissa Gilbert (played Laura Ingalls on Little House on the Prairie) & Maksim Chmerkovskiy:
Team Gilskiy
Team Ingallskiy
Team Half-Pintskiy
Team MGM
Team MaksPint
Team Prairie on a Stick
Team MeMak
Team MelMak
Team Maksy & Melly
Team Melliskiy
Maria Menouos (tv presenter for Access Hollywood & Extra) & Derek Hough:
Team MenHough
Team Marek
Team MariDer
Team Houghounos
William Levy (model, considered the “Mexican Brad Pitt”) & Cheryl Burke:
Team WilliBu
Team Levyl
Team WillChe
Team CheWill
Team WilBur
Team WillBurk
Sherri Shepherd (cohost from The View) & Val Chmerkovskiy:
Team EnWyCee
Team Sherkovskiy
Team Sherval
Team Valsherri
Team Shmear
Team Valeopard
Gladys Knight (singer, considered “The Empress of Soul”) & Tristan MacManus:
Team Lucky Pips
Team Gladys Knight & the Irish Pip
Team Knight Tristan
Team Lucky Knights
Team MacKnight
Team G&T
Team MacKnightus
Team Trips
Team Gladyator
Team GladMan
Team MidKnight Tryst
Katherine Jenkins (Welsh operatic soprano) & Mark Ballas:
Team Markins
Team Katnass
Team KatMar
Team KatBalls
Team Ballkins
I’ll go ahead and share two of my favorites ๐ The first I actually have to credit @Lannatexasgalย for coming up with, and it’s for Melissa & Maks – Team MelMak.ย Reminds me of ALF ๐ The 2nd I came up with this afternoon and it’s really super dumb…but you know how Gladys Knight performed with the Pips? Well for she & Tristan’s team name…how bout Gladys Knight & The Irish Pip? I know, point & laugh…it’s dumb. ๐
Now ready…set…NAME AWAY!!! ๐
Ultrasound sales specialist by day, semi-knowledgeable DWTS fan by night...with a smattering of hair & makeup enthusiast, occasional model, baker, and crazy cat lady peppered in to make things REALLY interesting ;-) I might pee my pants in happiness if Donnie Wahlberg ever does DWTS - or if they ever use "Sunglasses at Night" as a paso doble.