Forever Tango | Pure Dancing with the Stars

Pure DWTS – What Some Of The The Pros & One Judge Are Up To And More!

Just a few dance things to share with you today!!

First of all, Carrie Ann was interviewed by Popstop TV this week. In the interview she talks about Lindsay Lohan, Todd Palin, her Christmas plans, and more. Here is a take. Be sure to see the link for more as well as a video that I couldn’t embed here.

“I’ve been asking for Lindsay Lohan since she went to jail the first time,” Carrie Ann Inaba dished exclusively to me.

“Honestly, I definitely think it’d be a great experience for her because she’s very talent. I think it would be a great come back for her.”

Lohan on Dancing With the Stars would definitely benefit not only Lohan but also the network! Who wouldn’t tune in to see Lohan’s foxtrots? But what about Todd Palin, who’s rumored to be in the works of being on the show right after his daughter Bristol?

“Nope,” Carrie Ann said. “I wouldn’t be interested in seeing his moves.”

Carrie Ann is also a big advocate for same-sex couples on the show. “I love breaking down boundaries just in general in my whole life. I think it’s important to break down stereotypes and break down boundaries so I would love to see a same-sex couple on ‘Dancing With the Stars’ but we’d have to figure out some judging changes.”

Any chances of Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi putting on their dance shoes in the near future?

“I would love that! I don’t know if we’re going to be able to get that but I think it would be great.”

Heidi’s Note: I believe that today was the semi-final of Strictly Come Dancing, so we know where Bruno and Len are right now.

In other news out there, Tony Dovolani has officially been picked to be a Judge for the 90th Miss America Contest to be held on Jan. 15th. From Google News.

“The View” co-host Joy Behar and actress Marilu Henner are among seven judges who will decide the next Miss America in January.

Judges for the beauty pageant in its 90th year also include country singer Mark Wills, “Desperate Housewives” creator Marc Cherry and Miss America 1990 Debbye Turner Bell.

“Dancing With the Stars” choreographer Tony Dovolani and shoe designer Taryn Rose are also on the panel.

The selections include plenty of ties to ABC, the network airing the pageant live Jan. 15 at the start of a three-year deal. The pageant hasn’t aired on network television since 2004, when ABC dropped it after record-low ratings.

Here is a new fun interview with Cheryl on her appearance in “Forever Tango“, the current broadway show that is coming to San Francisco from Dec. 21 – Jan. 9 (I am so dying to see this). She talks of why this show means so much to her (the roots of it go way back to when she was a little girl) and how she trained for it last summer in Argentina.

Speaking of shows, Mark Ballas says the show he’s doing, “Burn The Floor” is “bad ass”. Here is a take from The Houston Press.

“People should come to see Burn the Floor because it is bad ass from start to finish. High energy, in your face, awesome dancers, awesome choreography, and it’s a spectacle of our sport. People will love it. This is like Dancing With The Stars on steroids,” Ballas told Art Attack.

After learning eight routines in two days, Ballas opens tonight in Raleigh, North Carolina, then moves to Houston before taking a Christmas break and then rejoining the tour in Pittsburgh in late December and early January.

“I’m excited for the opportunity to keep dancing and be doing a show over the Christmas holiday. The choreographer [and director Jason Gilkison] is a good friend of mine and I have a lot of friends in the show so I thought it would be great to join. ”

Ballas said DWTS is very different from Burn the Floor because on the first, you’re dancing with an amateur. “You have to train them, mentor them and go out and perform with them. That’s in contrast to BTF,” a professional show with professional standards. “It was good to be able to really dance again and get into it and dance how I trained to dance,” he said.

Which isn’t to say he doesn’t enjoy DWTS. “It’s one of my favorite seasons I’ve ever done.” He said he enjoyed working with Bristol Palin “just because she was so sweet, so easy to deal with, so wonderful, so eager to learn, open-minded, kind, loving, caring and just fun to spend time with, and to see her journey from the beginning to where she ended up was just remarkable and as a coach just very satisfying.”

I wouldn’t mind seeing this show too. Also, if you’d like to see some pics of Mark’s new home, he tweeted that you can see some pictures of it in the new edition of Ok Magazine.

Anyone missing and wondering where Maks is like I have been this last week? Well, here he is arriving at the airport, filming, and being interviewed on the Ukrainian version of The Bachelor which he is currently starring in. Can anyone understand what he’s saying? Be sure to see the link for more on this project.

Kym has given Stylelist some of her backstage beauty secrets. Here is take.

“We’ve used hair extensions and pieces since the beginning on ‘Dancing With the Stars.’ And now, everyone at home can achieve those looks. It literally takes five minutes to do. Believe me, your husbands and boyfriends will thank you for it because you’ll spend far less time getting ready.”

When asked how she personally likes to use the extensions, Johnson replied, “To achieve highlights or lowlights without changing my natural color, I use extensions a shade lighter or darker, depending on my mood. I just clip in the strips! It’s that easy and there’s no risk of damage like with glued-in extensions. My favorite piece is the Salsaloosa — it’s like a messy updo, you put your own ponytail in and you just wrap the Salsaloosa around twice like a scrunchy. I prefer the “buttered toast” shade. For the strips I use a shade lighter, like highlights, but you really can’t go wrong.”

And for the show?“Often we go for a 1940s-inspired look and those are complex and glamorous. I like to do a bun, too. I’ve got such fine hair and these just minimize the damage and don’t have that funny synthetic shine to them that lots of inexpensive hair pieces do. I was wearing the extenions when my friend Jai Rodriguez from “Queer Eye” came with me to “Skating With The Stars” and he couldn’t tell I had the extensions on, so I know they’re good, because he would totally have said something.”

What’s a typical day like during the season?“We start at 8 a.m. and half the day is spent in hair and makeup, but it’s fun and social. I go to the makeup area and use gel [under eye] patches from Shiseido and keep them on while my hair gets done — they tighten the skin under my eyes and feel great and cooling and wake me up. Also, you cannot underestimate great lashes. My eyelash curler is my best friend and I use Maybelline Great LashMascara or Christian Dior DiorShow. These are absolutely a part of my daily routine.”

How do you stay motivated?“Each season of ‘Dancing With the Stars’ is grueling. We train about seven hours day every single day once the show starts. We get no days off at all. But it’s so much fun and I’m lucky to be able to do what I love for my job.”

Jennifer Grey’s surgery was a success this past week. She posted on it at Twitter a few days ago.

Thanks once again for all the good thoughts. Dr. Bray performed a perfect surgery yesterday and I am now safely home in bed.

December 7, 2010 12:22 pm via TweetDeck ReplyRetweetFavorite

@therealjgrey

Jennifer Grey

Lastly, it looks like her partner Derek has finallly found a spot for all three of his “Mirror Ball” trophies. He just posted this picture at his twitter today.

He also posted his new refridgerator and a picture of his new couch being lifted into his Condo. As Heidi said to me, he sure is in the nesting spirit lately. We wonder why?

Ok, that wraps up this weekend media edition for now. More soon!! I hope you are all being good or else. Have a fun weekend!! xxx

DWTS Season 11, Week 7 – Some Backstage Media After The Show

What an awesome show last night! I can’t say more good things about it. The couples and everyone interviewed seemed very happy in general too for how they performed. Here’s some video coverage backstage.

Here is Brandy and Maks ecstatic as ever! I love Brandy’s reaction over what Maks says on her;

Here is Jennifer and her family being interviewed (including Joel Grey)! I love what she says about being a “Warrior”. Her daugher is so adorable and looks just like her.;

Here are a couple of fun recaps and after party coverage;

Here’s a pic Maks tweeted at the after party.

Lastly, check out Derek as well on the Red Carpet. The photographer caught his amazing energy in just the right form.

Ok, that is all for now. More later and here’s to the Results Show tonight!

DWTS 11 – Hallows Eve And One More Day Until Show Time Media!

Just a few things to share with you on the “calm before the storm”. lol

First up, and special thanks to fan Moeynj, we have a new blog from Cheryl writing about last weeks dances and what’s to come this week. Here is a snippet from it from MSN Reality TV.

I was so proud of Rick this week. Our tango was powerful and intense. I also felt that the passion that the judges keep saying is lacking in Rick was really there. You could really feel it in the audience.

The dance marathon was fun to do. We all got the chance to be a little crazier in how we presented on the dance floor, and we also got to do lifts.

As far as the elimination this week, I’ve learned through all of my seasons on the show to expect the unexpected. It was sad to see Audrina leave. She really had so much more to show the audience with her dancing. You have to bring your all every week and let the audience decide your fate. I really don’t think Audrina deserved to go home at all.

Brandy and Max were in the number one spot again this week. They are doing really well. Brandy is improving each week, and that is what this competition is all about.

Next week Rick and I have the quickstep. For the 200th episode we’re all dancing to songs that were already used on the show, and that produced some of the most memorable moments over the last 10 seasons. We’re going to be judged by the contestant who originally danced to that song. It’s a little daunting, but I think Rick knows how to handle all that additional pressure. He has so many NBC Championships that if there’s one thing he knows–it’s pressure. We also have a team dance Cha Cha that we’ll be doing. We’re on Team Yamaguchi.

Mark also wrote more in his journal yesterday on USA Today. Here is a sneak peak into he and Bristol’s dance and the team dance. Be sure to see more at the link.

This week we have the Viennese Waltz! I had a suspicion that the VW would be our dance step this week.

After the group rehearsal Tuesday night, we spent six hours on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday getting the routine down. And because Bristol is doing well with it, I feel confident we’ll get the intricacies nailed down this weekend. All she needs is some polish on her toe-pointing, arm movements and head position, which is exactly where she was last week. If you pay attention to her feet and steps, she really is fantastic in that area and in fact, I’m willing to say her footwork is the best in the competition. Take that, competitors!

Speaking of group rehearsal, let’s just say that it’s good to see my old pal Kristi (Yamaguchi). I may or may not be on her team for the group routine, so you’ll have to tune in to see. Group routines typically are not difficult; they’re just quite time consuming. They are such a hurdle because it takes time away from our regular dance routine, which really puts a lot of pressure on Bris to get it all down and remember. We had the first high-intensive group rehearsal Tuesday night, as you know, and our next on is on Saturday.

Here is a little interview Maks gave to E On-Line on this last week’s dances. Check out what he says on his leather pants. lol

First of all, what was up with those leather pants? Were they hard to dance in?It was the most uncomfortable I’ve ever been in my entire life I think, because there’s no breathing. It’s obviously pleather and it was not a pleasant experience. Lets just say that my thighs and above are a little bigger than your average rocker’s so I guess the tight leather pants are just not for me. It’s safe to assume it’s not going to happen again.

Brandy was very emotional this week. Is she going to have a nervous breakdown by the end of the season?She’s not a weak person. She’s a very strong person and she just expresses certain things her own way. It’s a hard show and a lot goes into it, and girls—I guess that’s what they do. Girls cry. It pains me to see her cry, and I try to be supportive, but it’s very, very difficult when I’m the only one trying to make her do stuff.

I saw Melanie Griffith in the audience. Have you met her or know anything about her being on the show?Jamie Lee Curtis a big fan of the show and she’s been coming every week. Yesterday, she calls me over and says, “Hey, I have somebody for you to meet.” I’m not going to lie, I almost crapped myself and had a heart attack at the same time. To introduce me to Melanie Griffith, I know exactly who she is. We had Martha Stewart there yesterday. She wants to be on the show. She’s been talking to Erin [Andrews]. It just feels like everybody wants to be on the show. (FYI: Stewart told E!’s own Ryan Seacrest on his radio show this morning she would need a year to prepare for DWTS)

How tired were you and Brandy doing the rock marathon right after doing your tango?I’m not going to lie to you, [it] cost me probably a liver and a kidney and a lung because this thing was just never ending. They did not make it simple, did they? I’m going to start a petition for next season to do a rumba marathon. Jesus! It was exhausting. We were tired. Where she pulled out the energy to finish, I don’t know.

Speaking of….here is a clip of Maks on “Celebrity Ghost Stories” last night. I’ve been watching You Tube closely and haven’t seen anyone post the full story yet. If anyone sees it posted, be sure to let us know. For those that missed it, it will air again today on the Bio Channel at 1:00pm ET. They will also have it eventually available to watch at Biography.com.

Ok, that wraps this up for now. Have a fun and safe halloween. I leave you with this Halloween vision. Kurt Warner posted this picture on his twitter of he and his wife all dressed up for the occasion. Special thanks to Heidi sending me this. We hope more of the dancers and celebrities will post more pics of themselves in their costumes. We’ll see.

DWTS Season 11, Week 6 – Odds & Ends Media Part 1

So much to report today! Good thing Heidi has collaborated with me on this one again!!

First up, more news on next week’s shows. According to Playbill, the 200th show, along with Rod Stewart and Taylor Swift, will include a broadway performance from the cast of “Mary Poppins”.

The 200th episode of “Dancing with the Stars: The Results Show,” which airs Nov. 2 at 8 PM ET on ABC, will feature the cast of Mary Poppins. Led by Caroline Sheen as Mary and Nicolas Dromard as Bert, the company will perform “Step in Time.” The performance will mark the second time “Dancing with the Stars” has hosted a Disney on Broadway musical. Last year, the cast of The Lion King performed “Circle of Life.”

Also, for you Damian Whitewood and Peta Murgatroyd fans like myself, stay tuned. She’s confirmed to me at facebook that the two will be dancing in the Results show again this week. They’ve been tweeting about it too. *dies* I love these two!!

There is also more news on Maks’ and Brandy’s special Halloween appearance on The Ellen Show today from The Examiner. Apparently, he’s going to be escorting Brandy as Prince Charming. Brandy will be dressed as Minnie Mouse. Be sure to tune in today on ABC. It’s an Ellen show you won’t want to miss.

Speaking of Maks and Brandy, more pics have been released of their “OK” shoot and the full interview has been released. Here is one of the pictures and a snippet from the article. Be sure to see and read more at the link. 9 photos in total.

What’s the most important thing being on Dancing With the Stars has taught you?Brandy: Staying in the moment. Dance is all about trusting the moment and letting the dance flow through you, instead of over analyzing.

It’s a lot of exercise. How are you feeling?Brandy: Great, very energized. I’m starting to develop some calf muscles and we all want those Britney Spears legs, so if I keep dancing and keep doing my lunges, I’ll have some killer legs. And my midsection is looking a little muscular. Not a six-pack yet but watch out, Janet Jackson!

What surprised you about doing DWTS?Brandy: The level of fear that comes with the show is unexpected. You are so
nervous on Mondays. There’s judgment, constructive criticism and being compared to other people. I’m really proud that I’m able to get out there every Monday.
Maks: I think she retains choreography quick, but she still gets nervous on Mondays and it can jeopardize our performance. But I feel like now, week by week, she gets more and more comfortable.

Are you enjoying the costumes?Brandy: Oh, when I wear the costumes I feel like a completely different
person. With the hair and the makeup — I feel like a real-life Barbie doll. My favorite so far was the one for the samba. It was really tight at the top and flowy at the bottom. I felt really sexy in it and I don’t feel sexy a lot in my real life!

In other fun interviews out there, Lacey talks to TooFab. Here is a take from that interview.

On her chances of winning with partner Kyle Massey …“You never have any idea with this show. Obviously, we ‘d love to be at the end, but at the same time we’re happy we’ve made it this far!”

On Audrina’s elimination …“She’s so lovable and so sweet and was doing amazing on the show. I was definitely shocked to see her go. At this point in the game though, we’re shocked no matter what. We’re like a family, we never want to see anybody go. She’ll be really missed.”

On why Bristol Palin’s lasted so long, despite low scores …“She’s more of the underdog and she knows she’s the underdog. She’s working her butt off, she’s sweet and such a great girl, she’s having a blast.”

On dancing with Kyle …“He’s like a little brother. He’s super fun at all of our rehearsals. And I totally understand how my mom felt raising me and my brother.”

On what we haven’t seen on the show …“Kyle has a basketball he named Jacko Wilson. It can’t leave his sight during rehearsals. He’ll go talk to it for 5 minutes. We play basketball, kickball with Jacko. It’s really fun.”

On their toughest competition …“At this point, it’s hard to say. We’re all really consistent at this point, but there are ones that will definitely make it to the finale, like Jennifer [Grey].”

And YOU GO William Shatner on Jimmy Kimmel!! Check out who he thinks is “America’s Greatest Dancer” and even compares him to Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly in one. I have to say he’s pinned it about Derek. What do you think? He loves Dancing With The Stars. See why here.

More coming up Guys. So, stay tuned!!

DWTS, Season 11, Week 6 – Recovering from the Aftershock and Media

As most of you know, next week, Dancing with the Stars will celebrate its 200th episode. Associated Content is reporting that each celebrity will perform a dance they have not learned yet as well as a team dance. To celebrate the 200th episode, past DWTS contestants will return. Among those confirmed to return to the ballroom are Helio Castroneves, Kelly Osbourne, Emmitt Smith, Drew Lachey, Mel B. and Gilles Marini. There will also be two group dances, led by “DWTS” winners , team captains Kristi Yamaguchi (season 6) and Apolo Ohno (season 4). Musical guests include Taylor Swift and Rod Stewart.

Right now, this is all very confusing to me and messy. I hope that isn’t the case next week. We are all confused enough by what happened this past week with the elimination of Audrina and Tony which I still haven’t recovered from. lol (Heidi: It didn’t confuse me. )

Speaking of….Erin Andrews dished to Movie Line on her thoughts on the devastating elimination. Here are some snippets from that interview. Be sure to see the link for more.

In fact, it’s probably good to have a bad week. Then people remember to vote for you. Otherwise you end up like Audrina did yesterday!I’m… stunned. Are you stunned?

Traumatized!Ha! I was shocked. I was actually flying back from LA, and I hadn’t gotten to see the show. When I landed, I read Maks’s Twitter, and it said, “America got it wrong.” And I was like, “What?!” They were the last people I thought would be eliminated. I was with Tony [Dovolani, Audrina’s partner] at dinner the night before. Let me tell you, there are some nights you think you’re going home. But that was not the vibe any of us felt about those two.

Ouch, you got to talk to them the night before? Were they at all pessimistic? I mean, they tied for second place this week.Second place. It was unbelievable. I don’t think either one of them had the sense they’d be leaving at all. I think everyone kind of thought, “Ehh, maybe this person will go, that person. Maybe it’s time for that person to go.” But not those two!

On Maks, Brandy, and Bristol, she said this…..

Yeah, you got to witness the Brandy-Maks dynamic firsthand. What did you think?I liked it! You know, I thought their dance was great. I thought he kind of stole the show with the leather pants — no offense to Brandy. I mean, he comes out in those pants and it’s like, what else are you supposed to focus on? But I loved meeting her. She was great. You can tell she really, really, really wants to win this thing. She kept saying it over and over. She kept saying, “I really want to win this. I really want to win this.” She said she was glad I was came and she appreciated the support. So I enjoyed meeting her.

I know you said Bristol did better this week, but how optimistic are you for her future on the show?I don’t know. It’s just going to get harder. Obviously the night of the dance marathon that night, I was there. But they’re going to have to start doing two dances. It’s going to get worse. The competition will get more difficult. I mean, if she can stay in it, and I know she wants to, I’m all for it. Good for her. But it’s just going to start getting harder. I don’t remember what her criticism was that night, but I thought she did have the technique. Her technique looked great. She’s just got to let herself go, emotions-wise. I don’t know what dances she has coming up, but it’s not going to be any easier. And the judges aren’t going to get any easier as well.

Mark Ballas has blogged a little about the next week’s dances and Bristol at USA Today. Here’s what he wrote;

Time to kick it into overdrive!

The results show just wrapped and I only have about 20 minutes before the remaining cast hops into a minibus and heads to rehearsal for three hours tonight. We have two dances next week: a partner dance like we always have, and a group dance. For the group dance, we’re separating into two teams of three couples, each headed up by either (former season champs) Apolo (Ohno) or Kristi (Yamaguchi) my partner when we won Season 6. I really hope I’m with Kristi, as we’re close friends and work very well together.

It might sound redundant by now, but I’m really proud of Bristol. After getting the poor scores and doing our worst last week, getting the encore performance this week was incredible! I knew heading into Monday’s show that Bris would do well, and she killed it. I wish (judge) Len (Goodman) hadn’t docked us the point for separating, but it doesn’t matter because Bristol is coming alive on the floor!

Have you noticed how she’s really owned the judges’ critiques of more emotional performing, playing a character and enjoying the dance? The more comfortable she feels, the better I think we’ll do. Isn’t it fun watching Bristol get better every week? I know I love it, and I get a front-row seat. Each week, this competition will get more heated. The dancers are a close bunch, and we become like a big family with the celebs. But on show days and with someone going home on results shows, backstage gets really tense. I mean awkward tense. Everyone is working hard, and no one wants to lose.

We hope to have more blogs coming up. So, stayed tuned.

Thanks to Heidi and Pure Derek Hough for this interview of Derek at Popwatch. He may like the “Theme Nights” but, I think it’s safe to say from the reaction here, fans of the show are over them. More at the link.

Does anyone on the show take the “in jeopardy” thing seriously at this point? Were you and Jen shaken at all to be “under the red light”?You forget while it’s happening that it may not be a real bottom two. That red light is like the warming light at a diner. You hope that something good comes out of it, but you never really know.

How important do you think is the order in which couples dance on Mondays? Any idea how the order is determined? Are you relieved whenever you find out you’re dancing near the end of the show?
Every couple is different. I’m not sure how they choose who goes first and last, but I’d prefer if we always went in the middle somewhere.

So many theme nights this fall! Are you tired of shaping dances around themes, or do you think themes are necessary to keep things interesting after so many seasons?
The themes present new challenges. I like that aspect of it — we get to think even more creatively about choreographing and props.

Heidi’s Note: Found an article about Audrina’s elimination and the guest judges next week at Access Hollywood:

Next week’s “Dancing” episode will mark the show’s 200th episode and more than 50 former celebrity contenders will be back for the monumental event.

Helio Castroneves, Kelly Osbourne, Emmitt Smith, Drew Lachey, Mel B and Gilles Marini will all return to serve as guest judges, while Apolo Anton Ohno and Kristi Yamaguchi will also be back to serve as head team captains for a group dance round with the show’s current contenders.

On Tuesday, Kristi, who returned to the ballroom, said she’s ready to take down her fellow skater after seeing him land a couple of his “Dancing” numbers in the Viewer-Voted All Time Top 10. (Click HERE to see which dances made the list)

“He had two dances in the top 10 and that just stoked my fire because I want to turn the heat on now,” she said. “I want my team to beat his.”

In TV Alerts out there: Be sure to watch The Ellen Show on Friday. Maks and Brandy are making a guest appearance on Ellen’s special “Halloween” show. Should be good.

Lastly, just a reminder that today is the last day you can vote in the “Design a Dance” competition for your favorite dancers. So be sure to get your votes in if you want to see your favorites dance.

Ok, that is for now All!! More later if you are good.

DWTS, Season 11, Week 5 – Media Weekend Edition

I was just wondering from all the dances there are, which is your very favorite on the show? Mine is the Argentine Tango. I hope for whoever has this dance this upcoming Monday, can nail it with a lot of heart, emotion, romance, and passion in it. The more, the better I say!

For media to start off our weekend, we have Anna and Kurt practicing for their upcoming dances from ET On-line. They have the Paso Doble this week. Anna explains the Group Marathon.

Jennifer and Derek were interviewed by Access Hollywood. They address the drama backstage and if there is any animosity. Thanks again to Heidi and Pure Derek Hough for this tip.

As reported before, Rick and Cheryl were on “The Talk” yesterday. They discussed their their dancing strategy for winning! Rick also discusses co-parenting with actress Vanessa Williams. Plus, Cheryl discusses being a victim of cyber-bullying and how she made it as a dancer.

Does he not look fine if that suit?? He is one of the best celebrity male dressers out there.

For some cool details on the Results show this upcoming week, J!-Entertianment is reporting that legendary rock group “Heart” and Kylie Minogue (one of my favoritie artists) will be performing. There will also be another Special Macy’s Stars of Dance Rock Number from School of Rock. More details below. Note to John: Check it out! Peta Murgatroyd is going to be dancing.

On Tuesday’s results show, legendary rock and roll band Heart will play its iconic hit, “Barracuda,” accompanied by “Dancing with Stars” pros Louis Van Amstel, Karina Smirnoff, Derek Hough, Chelsie Hightower, Damian Whitewood and Peta Murgatroyd. Heart recently released its 13th studio album, “Red Velvet Car,” produced by Grammy-winning producer Ben Mink (kd lang, Feist, Bare Naked Ladies), which debuted at No.10 in Billboard Magazine’s Top 200 Album Chart. Their current AC single, “Hey You,” was in the Top 30 for three months, while their classic rock single, “WTF,” hovered near the Top 10 (on those respective charts). Heart has sold over 30 million albums and had 22 Top 40 hits. Over the past decade, Heart songs have achieved ubiquity in pop culture in films (“Shrek 3″), television (“American Idol,” “Glee,” “Dancing with the Stars”), commercials (Honda, Swiffer) and videogames (Rock Band, Guitar Hero), as well as being performed by other top artists (Eminem, Fergie, Gretchen Wilson, among many others). To support the release of “Red Velvet Car,” Heart toured throughout the summer of 2010, including four Lilith Fair shows and nearly 40 headline shows, which continued through September 25 and will pick up again in November and December. Heart’s first album, “Dreamboat Annie,” was released in 1976. The band broke barriers with a repertoire that includes rock classics like “Barracuda,” “Crazy on You,” “Magic Man,” “Straight On,” alongside acoustic standards like “These Dreams,” “Dog & Butterfly” and “Dreamboat Annie.” They were 2008 recipients of VH1 Rock Honors, received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Northwest Grammy Foundation and received ASCAP’s Award for Excellence in Songwriting in 2009.

Also on Tuesday, international Pop icon Kylie Minogue will perform her new single, “Get Outta My Way,” which hit the top of the Billboard Club Chart this week and marked her second consecutive No.1 Billboard Club single from new album “Aphrodite,” following the smash “All the Lovers.” This is Minogue’s fifth No.1 club single to date, joining an illustrious list of chart-toppers including “Can’t Get You Out of My Head,” “Love at First Sight” and “Slow.” “Get Outta My Way” impacts mainstream radio on Nov. 1, and a suite of remixes are currently available on all digital download stores. Minogue’s new album, “Aphrodite,” was released in July and debuted at No.19 in the U.S., marking her highest U.S. chart position since 2002′s “Fever.” “Aphrodite” became her fifth No.1 album in the UK, hitting the top spot a full 22 years to the week since her debut album, “Kylie,” entered the chart. The album also made Minogue the first solo artist in the history of the UK charts to have a No.1 album in four different decades.

Lastly, we have Maks’ latest blog from TV Guide. Here is a take from it of their upcoming dances. Be sure to read the link for more about his feelings on their dance last week and some updates on his family and how they are coping after their loss.

We have the tango next week. It’s going well. We’re taking the same approach. Like the quickstep, we have a dance that has us in a close position the entire time. It’s the challenge of making it as exciting as possible since other couples have the paso doble, which is a much more visually exciting dance. We’re just trying to do the best tango we can. I’m a little concerned about the costumes because we have to do things that represent Rock ‘n’ Roll. We have a rock song and the floor is going to be black. I know some people don’t like all the themes, but I don’t mind them. You will never be able to please everybody. Producers are doing what they can to make it entertaining. I just want to make sure that the focus doesn’t shift from ballroom dancing. The simplest comparison I can think of is asking a pro swimmer to swim in something other than water. I’m just worried about the changes to the floor. It’s not hardwood, so it poses some difficulty. I know there’s going to be some rips and stuff. But we’re all in the same situation. We all need to figure out how to be our best. I feel like they can experiment and we’ll see how it goes. There’s no way of predicting what it’s going to be like.

We also have the Rock ‘n’ Roll marathon. We started working on ours a little bit. We’ll put together like a 30-to-40-second routine mix of jive, swing and lindy and go from there. The biggest challenge will be to dance for a long period of time. They didn’t choose an easy dance for four minutes. It’s really about stamina and creativity. We’ll put together a more active routine. The thing with the marathon is that the audience doesn’t get to see the whole floor, especially for those watching at home. So you watch whoever you’re drawn to. But this is more of a ballroom format where there are so many couples dancing at the same time, so you need to be active.

But honestly, my focus right now is the tango. I’m so in my head as far as the tango goes. Brandy and I had a long conversation Wednesday. We got a taste of what it’s like to be on top and we want to stay there. We don’t want to rest on laurels and say, “That’s good enough.” I’m focused on bringing out the best in her every week. She said she’s considering putting some stuff on hold because she wants to do her best as well. Every celebrity who does the show does it to promote themselves in some way, but I always believe that the publicity will absolutely come to you. If you do too much publicity during the show, it could cost you. Or you could be on the show until the end and the publicity will come to you after you’re done. Also, I want her to get the most out of this experience. You blink and it’s all over. We’re halfway done now. Five weeks sounds like a long period of time, but it’s short in this competition. I’m happy that she actually told me that. I was like, “OK, great.”

Ok, wrapping is this up for now. Have a great weekend Everyone!xxx

DWTS, Season 11, Week 5 – More News Bits, Blogs, & Media

It’s already Friday and another dance week is fastly approaching. I can’t believe the dancers can put together a performance together so quickly let alone TWO dances for this upcoming Monday night!!

Up first today, we have a new 8 minute interview with Maks and Brandy on Fox “Good Day LA“. They try to stomp out rumors that the two don’t get along and how much they’ve grown as a dance couple and as friends. Check out how one of the interviewers calls Maks an “ass” and how he addresses it. lol

Brandy also wrote about their dance last week in her new blog on Access Hollywood. She describes the intensity and how sad she was to see Florence go.

So, we’re at the halfway mark now and while Monday was a great night for both Maks and I, Tuesday was filled with both joy and sadness. After a rough week of intensive rehearsals, I felt nothing but calm going into Monday’s night performance. All day I felt prepared and ready and very confident that I knew the routine and could hold up my frame. Practicing for the quickstep was almost as tiring as the jive, because while my arms and neck are stiffly positioned, there is a lot of footwork that goes into the dance.

We had pulled the theme song from the TV show “Friends” and I knew that it would strike a chord with the audience. While I knew the song, I had never seen the show. I definitely believed that we pulled that song for a reason, as Maks and I have a burgeoning friendship that I’m certain will go beyond this show. He brought in some useful tools to help me keep my upper body in frame during rehearsals. We went over each portion of our routine, bit by bit, and put together what I thought was a great way to incorporate the audience into our dance. So, all of Monday, I felt completely calm and ready for the show.

I admit that my nerves flared up just a bit before we went on, but once the spotlight hit we were off and I felt confident that I had managed to keep everything together and pull off a good performance. When we heard the judges’ scores of three 9’s, I was ecstatic! It’s one thing to be confident about your performance and another thing to have the judges validate it. I definitely wasn’t perfect, but I had incorporated the judges’ previous points and my confidence was at an all-time high when we returned to the booth.

Needless to say, when it came down to the final two, I was saddened to hear Florence’s name called as the one being eliminated. And yes, before you ask, I did get a bit teary-eyed but I’m hoping the camera didn’t catch that! From day one, Florence has been really wonderful to me. I was just so excited to meet such an icon, but she truly is an inspirational woman and always had a smile whenever we were together. We would sit in the make-up trailer and chat and compare aches and pains. She would share with me part of her life’s journey at times and I laughed at some of the great stories she told. Maks became a complete cuddly bear whenever she was around. She was so protective of him that I would giggle! Imagine….Maks needing protection!

When we knew she was going home, everyone got emotional and I made sure to rush down the press line so that I had a chance to say goodbye. It really does get harder, knowing that you will have to say bye to someone who has been such a huge presence in your life each week. No matter what anyone says, when you work the long hours that we do and spend so much time together, there is a bond built and you do become a sort-of family. And now half of that family is gone. It is a sober reminder of the weeks to come. As I grow more and more confident in myself and in my abilities, I continue to strive to get better each day of each week. It’s not just about the dance. It’s also not just about the people. It’s about the memories that we’re all making together.

Thanks to Heidi and Pure Derek Hough for this video showing the awesome support the celebrities have this year. Note the special appearance by Michael J Fox and his wife in support Jennifer Grey. Is he just not the coolest or what? Same with Jamie Lee Curtis.

Speaking of Team Jenougher, I’ve got to post this. Look at this picture Rick Fox took of Derek yesterday funning around in Rick’s suit. The size difference is remarkable, isn’t it? Special thanks to Cheryl for posting this on Twitter. Heidi’s Note: He so looks 12.

Anyone else having a “Thriller” flashback moment?

So, is it The Tea Party keeping Bristol in this competiton? I hate to say it, but I think that is exactly the case for what Joy Behar said on “The View” this week. It’s a “right wing conspiracy”, simple as because I don’t see what else it could be (some of you are going to kill me for saying that, lol). If that’s the case, she and Mark could be around for a very long time yet despite talent and who are the better dancers. Watch this and see which lady from “The View” you agree with.

Can you believe DWTS is to air their 200th episode come Nov. 2nd? Time flies when we are having fun. In honor of this special event, The Examiner is reporting that Taylor Swift has been one act booked to perform. Most likely she will perform something from her new album. This will be her second time to perform on the show.

For some TV Alerts, Rick and Cheryl guessed on “The Talk” on CBS today. We hope to have a video of that soon. Also, don’t miss seeing Audrina and Tony on “The Ellen Show” on Monday on ABC before the show.

Ok, more later and don’t forget to do a Tango in your living room tonight with one of your family members or better yet, by yourself with a broom. It is fun. Try it sometime.

DWTS, Season 11, Week 5 – News Bits, Blogs, & Interviews

So, our stars of the show are starting to blog about this past week’s dances and on their future dances. Here are some snippets from Mark’s new blog from USA Today. On his Dad and Florence leaving, he wrote;

The best emotion to describe how I feel right now is bittersweet. I can’t explain how great it feels to know that Team Ballin has great fans that pulled us through this week. But it’s a bitter feeling because my dad (pro dancer Corky Ballas, matched with entertainer Florence Henderson) got eliminated.

I’m his biggest fan and it makes me really sad that he’s leaving the show. I lost my partner who throws the football around with (retired NFL quarterback) Kurt Warner on Tuesday afternoons. Who’s going to show up (pro dancers) Maks (Chmerkovskiy) and Tony (Dovolani) with me now? Ha!

On Bristol;

It’s terrible feeling like you might go home. As professional ballroom dancers, we’ve spent our lives competing and we want to win and be successful very badly. When you don’t have your strongest performance and feel you may be eliminated, you just feel sick to your stomach all day.

So how about those gorilla suits? How funny was that? The judges keep harping on Bristol to have a better overall performance and play a character, so that’s exactly what they got! We had great fun with all the shots of us backstage, jumping on couches and beating our chests, and the fact that we pulled off dancing in gorilla suits will be remembered for years!

Pro dancer Derek (Hough) said never in a million years would he have his partner wear — and remove — a costume like that. I’m so proud of Bristol for going for it and pulling it off!

We’re back to work Wednesday. We have two dances this week, the Tango and a group dance.

No time to let up now!

Here is a snippet from a cool new interview with Erin Andrews on the show and her former partner Maks from Movie Line. She is their new “Dances With The Stars” Commentator.

Your old partner Maksim had a great week with Brandy, earning the highest score of the night. What was your reaction to that?I know Maks had a tough week because his grandmother passed away. Obviously they didn’t show that in the feature. [Based on] everything that I heard from him, the show really helped him out with dealing with that. So I was happy to see [Maks and Brandy] not fighting and getting along. I haven’t met Brandy yet, but I know how much everybody puts into that. By the time Monday comes and you see the feature they’ve put together, it’s like — if you’ve been fighting all week, you’ve finally gotten through the week, and then you see the feature where you’ve been arguing — you’re like, “Gosh, really? This is the focus?” That’s why I kind of felt bad for Derek and Jennifer. You work so hard, and then you see, “Oh, crap, we’re going to be fighting. This isn’t good.” So I was happy Brandy and Maks had kind of gotten their act together.

Last week you said that Brandy needed to stop and listen a bit more with Maks. Do you think she did that?It sounds like she kind of figured out that he’s a perfectionist. I made this comparison at the time: He’s like a lot of coaches that I look up to in the sports world. He demands a lot of his students. When you come into that show being the best that you are in your profession and you’ve got someone who’s demanding of you and you don’t know really what you’re doing, it’s very hard and you become very insecure. So you have to kind of figure out your groove in the relationship with him. I don’t know if I ever figured it out. It looks like she kind of figured it out. And you know what? The competition is getting tougher. She’s going to have to learn two dances. It tests you and tests your patience. She’s still going to have to learn about how to handle him, but I’m glad it looked like they got off to a better start.

Do you think he needs to adapt to her just as much as she adapts to him?Oh, I absolutely think every professional has to adapt to their students. Maks had to figure out how testy I got, and he knew that if my blood sugar was going down, it was time to get out of there and go get a coffee or a smoothie, because I wouldn’t pay attention and I’d get crabby. He knew not to have practices too early in the morning because I was exhausted. He knew when I needed to be fed, he knew what things to joke with me about and when to push me, absolutely. Both sides have to figure out what the best way to work together is.

It’s funny that Audrina forced herself to eat an onion and ruin her breath this week to help deal with the pressure of a romantic dance. Are the “romantic” parts of a routine nerve-wracking? Did you think about them a lot ahead of time?Well, there’s two things about that. I would always get in trouble on that show for chewing gum. I was always insecure about my breath. It’s just something that bothers me in my life now, like when I interview athletes or coaches. Dancing with this gorgeous man for seven hours a day, I was like, “My breath cannot smell.” So I constantly had to have gum in my mouth. The producers would yell at me and be like, “I need you to take the gum out because you can’t be chomping on-screen.” And I’d say, “No, I’m sorry, I don’t want my breath to smell with him.” So when Audrina did this onion thing, I was like, “I am so confused.” That would not make me want to be romantic! Maks wouldn’t come near me if I didn’t have gum in my mouth, and I’d push him away and say, “My breath smells, don’t come near me.”

And that’s not all. Special thanks to Andie, Rick Fox did a fun interview with Ryan Seacrest this past week which is a fun listen if you happened to miss it.

Speaking of….for you Cheryl Burke fans who are wanting to see more of her after this season ends, The LA Times is reporting that she is to star in “Forever Tango” at the Saban Theatre in Beverly Hills in January.

“Forever Tango,” which is directed by creator Luis Bravo, tells the history of the sensuous dance through musical numbers and vignettes. The show originated in San Francisco in 1994 and opened on Broadway three years later. Burke has been practicing up for her stage gig. She and her current partner, former Laker Rick Fox, tangoed their way through last week’s competition, which included a visit from the “Forever Tango” troupe. The show at the Saban will run for four performances, Jan. 14-16.

Here is a little preview of what this fine show is like;