Maksim or Karina? ‘DWTS’ Is Deciding

It looks like all the personal drama between Maksim Chmerkovskiy and Karina Smirnoff — who broke off the engagement in September — has finally cha-cha-cha’d it’s way on to the dance floor, potentially forcing ‘Dancing With The Stars’ to decide which one of their loose-legged dancers they want most. “It’s really gotten ugly between the two of them since the spit,” a friend of the chest-waxing dancer (you guess which one) told me. Maks himself admitted to PopEater that he doesn’t talk to Karina at all anymore, saying “I’ve got to thank her for being a great instructor in the lesson of what not to look for in a woman.” Zing! We’ll give that insult a 9 for technical difficulty.

Adding to the ‘pick him or her’ rumors is Karina’s noticeable absence from the Broadway show ‘Burn The Floor,’ which once starred the two of them busting out some very sexy moves. “Maksim wouldn’t have returned to the show if the producers had insisted on him dancing with Karina,” said a theatre insider, adding that “the same will be true for the new season of ‘DWTS.’ All the feathers and sequins in the world wouldn’t be able to cover the bad feeling between those two.”

Lets hope Maksim and Karina master the peace dance before ABC is forced to play pick the hottie. And remember everyone, work romances always end in tears — so sorry, PopEater colleagues, I’m just not interested!

So when I started this post I was originally going to talk about something that we have talked about before…the fact that DWTS doesn’t need a live band. I was going to post some examples of how bad it could be and I asked my fellow bloggers for some suggestions since I’m kind of the newbie and Heidi pointed me in the direction I decided to go. She said that she had read on a message board on Television without Pity that Harold Wheeler changed the tempo without telling the pros. I took her advice and I found the TV Guide article. Here is part of the article but you can find the whole thing here.

Wheeler holds a lot of power in that baton. It’s his job to match the performance of his live band to the records the dancers have been practicing to all week. He knows he’s got to get it spot-on or he’ll have a dance floor full of confused hoofers. “I know they’re all nervous,” says Wheeler. “So my job is making sure that the tempos I set for them — and the arrangements I do for them — complement what they’ve been rehearsing to all week. We’re in the fourth season now and I don’t want to say that I’ve got it down to a science, but I’ve got to get each performer down to a science.”
Listen to this: Even after Wheeler has exactly matched the tempo of a couple’s rehearsal music, he’ll sometimes change that tempo between Monday afternoon’s dress rehearsal and the Monday night live performance — without the dancers knowing it. “I’ll kick it up a notch,” says Wheeler, sounding like spice-friendly chef Emeril Lagasse. Why? Because a couple of the remaining dancers, namely Ohno and Fatone, are “adrenaline junkies,” says Wheeler. When these performers are in the spotlight and surrounded by an audience, their hearts race a little faster and their feet move a little faster. “So I’ll make the tempo just this much [he shows a pinch with his fingers] faster than at dress rehearsal during the live show.” And the dancers really don’t know he’s doing it? “No,” says Wheeler. “It’s my thing. I have to make it a little faster because I know that’s the way they are.”

The article is a few years old (May 2007) and Harold says he did it only for Apolo Ohno and Joey Fatone but I still don’t agree with it. What if that little (according to Wheeler) change threw off these guys and cost them their scores? Would that be fair? And the biggest question in my mind is what if he doesn’t like the dancer? Now do I really think that he would sabotage a dancer? No…but it was a question that popped in my mind.

I do want to say one more thing. I think that Harold Wheeler is a wonderful musician and handles the many genres of music that are thrown at him as well as he as able. Sometimes they hit it but sometimes they really don’t.

Now I want to hear what you think about this. Is it okay that he tampered with the tempo? Is it not? Let’s hear it.

According to Wikipedia:

ringer – Horse racing: An impostor, especially one who misrepresents his or her identity or ability in order to gain an advantage in a competition. Originally used in horse racing, when a fast horse was substituted for a slower one that it resembled (a “ring-in”), the term now applies to any athlete entered in a competition under false pretenses

So for this post we are going to substitute dancer for athlete. And it isn’t so much “false pretenses” but the fact that they have more dancing experience or a more devoted fanbase than the other celebrities. It seems we have quite a few ringers this season. You might not agree with my opinions on this and that’s cool because it would really boring if we all liked the same celebrity and the competition would non-existent.

Mya

Mya Marie Harrison (born October 10, 1979), professionally known mononymously as Mya, is an American R&B singer-songwriter, record producer, actress, dancer, and choreographer.

I pulled the above DIRECTLY from Wikipedia. Yes, she is a wonderful dancer. BUT she should be…she‘s a ringer!! She has had lots of experience. She was in ‘Chicago‘, ‘Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights‘, and ‘Shall We Dance?’.  And what was with the romance thing…she needed rose petals and candlelight to learn a dance routine (the rumba)? I will give you that Shawn and Mark did a similar thing with the prom thing last season. Maybe it’s because I’m biased (and it probably is) but Shawn and Mark’s didn’t feel quite as hokey to me. And I believe she said she helped Dmitry with the choreography on the Lambada. RINGER! I think Len agrees that she is a ringer and that’s why he has been so tough on her.

Donny Osmond

Donny is a ringer mostly because of his fan base although he is a very experienced performer. There is a rumor that he has been taking lessons for a year before starting on DWTS. And it’s kinda true(from Yahoo News)…

And as it turns out, Donny may have an unfair advantage over the competition this season, as a source has told Access that Donny has been using a dance coach in Utah for the past year.
“Rumor has it that you’ve been rehearsing for a year with a private trainer in Utah. Is that true?” La Toya asked him on Tuesday night.
“No, that’s not true,” Donny initially replied.
However, the Osmond brother then changed his tune about his ballroom background.
“I will clarify because I have been taking dancing lessons to learn ballroom for the dances that we do in Vegas,” he continued, referring to his Las Vegas show with sister Marie, who previously competed on the show. “That’s part of the choreography, but it’s a whole different thing than what we’re doing here.”

Does that count? I personally think so! It definitely makes him a ringer!

Aaron Carter

Okay…I’m gonna be honest. I have a special place in my heart for Aaron Carter but it’s because he is Nick Carter’s little brother. In high school I was a HUGE Backstreet Boys fan and my little sister forced me to a Aaron Carter concert (she got to meet him…he was like 11!)  But…Aaron’s a ringer. He has the dance and entertainment experience. Not as much as Donny and Mya but he’s been on stage for most of his life. He also has what I’m going to call the “Steve-O effect.” We know he has had some trouble with the party lifestyle (drugs, alcohol, and the such) and like someone (I’m sorry I can’t remember who or where) said earlier that can translate to votes. I don’t know about his fan base. In a previous post’s comments section there was some argument that Aaron wouldn’t get votes. I argued that Backstreet Boy fans would vote but a few people disagreed. They said he was rude and unlikable. I still disagree. I think he’s mischievous and a little immature but a good dancer…although he’s had a couple of bad weeks. Either way…he’s a ringer.

Okay…these are my picks for ringers. Do you agree? Is there someone I missed? It’s very possible…there are too many celebrities to remember them all. Feel free to tell me what you think…unless you disagree! Just kidding! Can’t wait to hear from you!

We’re two weeks in and we are all starting to pick our favs and our not so favs. And I have to commend Courtney on doing a great job with the DWTS power rankings. I want to know what you guys think though. I’m going to ask you to vote on who you think will go home next week on Dancing with the Stars. Not who you WANT to go home next week…because I know you have strong feelings on this.

You can tell me who you want to get rid of in the comments, just don’t vote on it .

Maks and Karina were on the Emmy’s last night and they were amazing. Apparently NappyTab from SYTYCD choreographed and I recognized some so the other dancers from SYTYCD as well. Cat Deely (SYTYCD host) was also on hand to give out an award. Sadly, Tom Bergeron lost to Jeff Probst as best reality host.

P.S. It’s MONDAY!! Season 9 is finally here!!!

Enjoy the video!

One week! Just a week left…finally! So today I’m gonna ask you who you think will go home first. But there’s a little catch…I only put 5 girls and 5 guys. That means 6 people didn’t make it to my list and the person you expect to be booted off first might not be on here. And if they aren’t I want to know.

And just so you know…I put these up in “no particular order” and randomly chose names.

I also wanted to give you the latest results for the last 2 polls.

Favorite Past Winner Poll

 Shawn and Mark are still in the lead at 31% and the next couple behind them is Brooke and Derek at 21%.

The Dance You Are Most Excited to See Poll

The Argentean Tango is in the lead at 26% and the Paso Doble is 2nd at 19% with the Cha-Cha-Cha at 16%.

What do you think of these results? Do you agree or disagree? Let’s hear it…

Time for a new poll! Today I want to know what dance you are most looking forward too. I know, I know! You can’t pick just one…but I’m gonna make you! I want you to tell me your absolute favorite. Now I’ve only put 10 dances on here so your favorite might not be on here but feel free to tell me you and if you want to tell me your second, third, fourth (and so on) favorites…leave me a comment or tweet me (@sunshine5220) I’m looking foward to hearing what you think!

Oh! In case you were wondering about the results from the last DWTS past winners poll, Shawn and Mark are in the lead at 29% and Brooke and Derek are at 24%. That poll is still open as well if you want to vote on that too.

I have to admit that I’m getting impatient…I’m ready to see the first dances and I’m sure that you are all feeling the same way. So to have something to pass the time I’m going to do a different poll twice a week. If there’s something you want to vote on let me know. First up, I’m going to ask you to vote for your favorite past winner.

Hello all! I did a quick round-up of what the stars and pros are tweeting. There are a lot of cool pictures and gives us some insight on how great the first shows are going to be. (Just a note that the only editing to the posts is censoring any obscenities)

Tom Bergeron

Reading tweets from some of our season 9 cast. They’re all hard at work. I don’t start for two weeks. Makes me almost feel guilty. Almost.

   *Looks like us fans aren’t the only ones interested in what this season’s cast is tweeting.

Joanna Krupa

couldnt sleep cause i am sore from head to toe…long day of rehearsals yesterday. taking my aleve now

had a great salsa lesson by my kick a** partner! he rocks…now need to tan!

   *Should I tell her that Advil works better? I love that the stars are already tanning.

Aaron Carter

I THINK WE HAVE CHA-CHA’d OUR WAY INTO INSANITY!

    *I completely agree Aaron. I cannot wait to see how this is going to be worked into their dance.

Tom Delay

I am back from LA. The photo shoot was so much fun. It was like going to Disneyland. You know politics is showbiz too.

In LA for rehearsals and title shoots. Also learning two dances. Cheryl says I am progressing very well.

After two dance sessions I can tell you Cheryl Burke is the most patient person I have ever met.

   *I wonder how they are going to pan out…maybe she’s over getting stuck with “the old guy” (See Heidi’s post DWTS Season 9 News).

Melissa Joan Hart

Learned the basic foxtrot and jive today!! Good stuff. Feet are hurting and back is sore. Yay!!

Wow! The chacha will make your abs rockin!!! No more crunches, just need to chachacha!

Team Melarky

   *Don’t they look so cute together? She has learned 3 dances already…are these for the first shows or is this just preparation? And I think it’s time to start learning the cha-cha myself…I hate crunches!

Chuck Liddell

Went to my first costume fitting today. This is going to be interesting…

   *It IS going to be interesting and I can’t wait to see what they get him to wear,

Debi Mazar

This is ME now..I’m afraid that I will have this face during my routine.Today was rough..near tears.I sucked! 

   *I love this pic but I hate that she had such a rough day. Hopefully, it’ll get better for her.

Just got my 1st spray tan for DWTS,funny!St.Tropez brand,doesn’t smell! look like I just got off a boat off of Italian Coast.for promo shoot

Sadly I discover that I’m uncordinated..After 30 yrs on NYC dance floors,I thought i was the “s***”.I had a wake up call this 1st week!oy!

   *LOL! This makes me laugh.

Karina Smirnoff is sexy ,amazing&and as actress,she is MY character study!GOD,she ROCKS!I only wish I can pull off her moves!!!BELLA!!!!

Kelly Osbourne

 sorry this pic is not that good but this is me and louis playing around at our photo-shoot yesterday

   *Looks like they are having a lot of fun together.

Mark Dacascos

Foot is getting better. Bruise on the sole is almost gone, a little residual inflammation. Ice, heat, as much as possible. Must be fit t…

*Our first celeb injury? Hopefully, he’ll be better and no more injuries for anyone.

Pros

Chelsie Hightower

Taking a break.. Got our music today, “it’s my life” by No Doubt?? How am I gonna pull off a foxtrot to that?!

   *Umm, yeah…that song doesn’t really say “foxtrot” to me.

Derek Hough

Joanna is doing better .. lookin good .. Worked on a little ballroom frame aswell .

I always hurt my neck every season , I guess it’s better now then later … Frustrating pain ..

Here’s a little peak of what we did today

   *Heidi this is for you…and for everyone else. Derek, thank you for this! Oh, and I hope your neck feels better.

Louis Van Amstel

Our first solo dance is a ballroom dance.The dance originating in the capital of Austria.Our relay dance is the dance w 3 of d same words

   *Okay, I really don’t understand this after the second sentence. Can anyone translate? And what the heck is a relay dance.

No kickingin in the nuts today. @MissKellyO learnt the whole routine today.It’s still rough,but i think u might b in 4 a surprise…

Oh,yeah..i forgot to tell all of you @MissKellyO kicked me in the nuts yesterday.She decided to just pull up her other knee!!!Kinda hurt….

   *Poor Louis! I’m excited about this surprise…

MaksI think I got one of the hardest working people as my partner. I’m really enjoying our rehearsals. I think Debi will do great!

   *Seems like they are going to be a good pairing…even if she was having a rough day it’s good to know she’s still working hard.

Mark Ballas

Cha cha time!!!!!!!!!!! Wahoo!

Melissa doing GREAT today, moving what I like to call SMOOTH!!!

   *I’m glad that she’s doing well and Mark is one of my favorites so I hope the Team Melarky does well!

Just a quick note that almost all of the celebs have Twitter accounts (not all verified) but not all of them mentioned DWTS or if they did…it just didn’t seem interesting to me. This is a previous article that has links to all of the DWTS season 9 Twitter accounts if you want to see more.

Okay well it seems as if there is some controversy over the new dances that are being added to the mix this year. So I decided to try and get some more information for those of us who aren’t familiar with these particular dances. The only one of these that falls into the list of “traditional” ballroom dance is the Bolero and it is in the American Rhythm category.

Let’s start with the Charleston. It was developed in the early 1920’s and it turns out that the Lindy Hop was developed from the Charleston. It can be danced in a partnership, in a group, or as a solo. Check out this website with instructions for the steps from the 20‘s. Also take a look at this dance with Lucille Ball and Ginger Rogers.

Next, let’s take a look at the Bolero. Originally from Spain, this is the only traditional ballroom dance. Wikipedia mentions that this dance is different from the other American Rhythm dances because it requires Cuban motion, the rise and fall of the waltz, as well as the contra body movement of the tango. The videos that I found on Youtube reminded me of the Rumba. What do you think?

Okay next on our list is the Lambada, the “Forbidden Dance.” From Brazil, a couple of the forerunners of this dance are the salsa and the merengue. It is very fast-paced. Everything that I’ve seen makes it look like this will be definitely be one of the sexiest, hottest dances of the season. There are some instructional videos on Youtube that you should check out but I wanted you to see a dance.

The last of the new dances is the two step. Now there are a few kinds of two step,
nightclub, country, and ballroom. To me these all of these seem a lot alike and remind me of the Foxtrot. This video is of Lacey’s father Buddy teaching the nightclub two step. I thought it would be fun to see where she got her moves

Okay so now that we know a little more about these dances let’s talk about them. Can the pros handle these? Well, I have a feeling Lacey will be able to do the two step since her father developed it. Now the question is will that give her an unfair advantage? I personally don’t think so. All of these dances contain steps and movements that are familiar to other dances used in previous seasons. The Charleston contains elements of the quickstep and may be a “kiss of death” dance like the quickstep seems to be. The Lambada may be too spicy to get votes from some people but may be a very memorable dance that draws a ton of votes…we’ll have to see. The others are a lot like other dances and that might be a vote killer too. If a couple does a Rumba one week and a Bolero the next…people might not vote thinking ‘this isn’t new, I just saw this.’

Now, I know that most of you are not looking forward to these new dances but now that we know a little more would you choose to keep any of them? I’m excited for the “Forbidden Dance” myself. I have to wonder though, will any of the older dances be replaced by the new ones? I loved all the dances from last season and don’t want to see them go-especially the Paso. In the end, I think that maybe these dances were added because there are SO MANY couples this season. Hate the added dances or love ‘em but it’s gonna be a great season. It’s time to get those dancing shoes on!