Thanks to the wonders of technology, I watched the “Grand Final” of Strictly Come Dancing live yesterday. It was quite the interesting experience, to say the least. Most people know that the two are sister shows, with SCD being the predecessor of DWTS. That said, there are quite a few differences between the two shows – and a few similarities. Now, I’ve only seen three episodes, at most, and I’ll be going mainly on memory so let me know if I leave anything out.

The Similarities:

• The theme song – it was strange, to say the least, to hear that music pop up followed by all the British accents and the just different enough to be noticeable set.
• Len and Bruno – yep, Len and Bruno are ever present…but they are different too.  Or so it seems.
• The Live Band.
• The best dancer doesn’t always win…and that person’s fans claim they will never watch SCD ‘ever again’.  :-)
• Two host, one male and one female (although the male, Brucie, sang and dance on the final with one of the judges).
• Celebrities dance with professional partners.
• This season, the final two teams did a side-by-side Lindy Hop, similar to what our final three did but less complicated – one style instead of several.
• Pro-dances.

Here is one of the best (the best, in Len’s opinion) couples from this “series” (aka season in USA speak) – Ricky Whittle and his professional partner Natalie Lowe do the Quickstep during the final:

Here’s the guy who actually won (and I found him very enjoyable) – Chris Hollins and his professional partner Ola Fortuna (any relation to Brian?) doing the Charleston during the Final:

The Result?

There are quite a number of differences, some huge, between the two shows, including:

• They normally have *four* judges, and by the end of the season they had added a fifth, and controversial, judge.  That’s right – 50 possible points per dance! We could discuss how this waters down the impact of any single judge, but that’s a much longer, math-related, post.
• Len and Bruno are a similarity, but also a difference.  Bruno is still wild – it’s Len that is a bit different. He lets it rip with the British lingo much more than he does on DWTS. But, he’s also not the “mean” judge on SCD, as far as I could tell – the other guy, whose name I don’t remember, seemed to be worse.
• I haven’t done a ton or research on this, but I gathered from the message board ecstasy over the possibility of them getting Derek Hough (he says no), that the male pros ALWAYS wear tails for ballroom. The commentary on the message boards was that the dress and manner of the SCD pros is much more formal than that of DWTS – our guys almost never wear tails, whereas their guys always do.  Derek visited the show and his main comment on it was the “feel” of the show – very different.
• The scoring is COMPLETELY different on SCD than it is on DWTS.  On DWTS, they use a formula to give each couple percentages of the vote cast and percentages of the total judges points given out on a given night, then those two percentages are added together.  On SCD, each couple is simply given a rank based on the judges scoring and viewer votes. For example, if seven couples are dancing, the couple with the highest judges score is given a seven, and so on down the line.  The couple with the highest number of viewer votes is given a seven and so on down the line. Those two numbers are added together and the two couples with the lowest combined number do a dance off. As in DWTS, the judges decide who stay. In the event of a tie somewhere in the lineup, the couple with the higher viewer votes takes the higher position. Keep in mind, this is the standard, not just something they use during Mambo Marathons, etc.
• Voting is by telephone ONLY for SCD – this is a huge difference with, I would guess, a huge impact on the results. And it appears, from my limited research, that you have a relatively short period of time to vote. On the order of two hours.
• I don’t know if this is par for the course, but yesterday they aired the performance show live at 6:40 local time.  Each couple danced two dances. They open the phone lines at some point late in the show, and then have an hour break where they air another show. Then, at 8:40 they air the results show. The phone lines have been open the whole time. The couples dance two more dances, including a “show dance” (aka Freestyle in USA speak).  Then, about 15 minutes before the show is over, they close the phone lines and tally the results. And get this – the judges scores don’t count.

Now, I’m sure there are many more differences, large and small, between the two shows.  But I’ve outlined a few differences that I’m sure everyone can see would have a huge impact on DWTS if they changed to be the same as SCD.  Which is the biggest; the short voting period, phone only voting or the scoring…or the fact that in the final the judges scores don’t count? Good grief, they all seem huge to me.

I’ll let you guys thing about that for a few hours, while I come up with my thoughts on the impact on DWTS if we made it more like SCD. Would we still have a Donny Osmond? Would Gilles have won instead of Shawn?

Many thanks to Kristina and Katie for their blogs about the Dizzy Feet Foundation Benefit from the other night. I’ve only put some excerpts that pertain to DWTS here – you can find Katie’s in it’s entirety at PureSYTYCD. Kristina’s can be found at her personal blog.

Kristina -

So, I found out a few days ago that Katie got tickets for the Dizzy Feet Gala (thanks Dona and Dee), and I could barely contain myself mainly because that meant we’d be seeing Derek Hough. Also, it meant that I didn’t have to go to that other concert next week because I can write my paper on this gala.

We arrived at Hollywood & Highland with about 30 minutes to spare. So we hurried on up to the Kodak Theater. They were doing the red carpet on the 1st level so we got a peek at some of the people arriving like Glee’s Matthew Morrison (Mr. Schuester), SYTYCD Judge Mary Murphy, and DWTS’ Anna Trebunskaya and Jonathan Roberts. Sadly enough I couldn’t get my camera out quick enough before the guards made us leave. So we went into the Kodak Theater, and to our seats. Our seats were REALLY good – 4th row, balcony and on the left side. It was definitely a full house at the Kodak Theater, which by the way is ridiculously beautiful.

The show started and Derek Hough and Cheryl Burke were like the second performance. I wasn’t ready for it, no camera or anything (they were really strict about cameras, btw). They were amazing! I found out later that he and Cheryl just came up with it this morning. I never realized how great of a pair those two made till tonight. They definitely do the facials to Latin dances that I love to see. Hands down, a smoking hot performance. It’s a shame that it probably lasted a minute and half, 2 minutes to top.

As for the DWTS people, aside from Cheryl and Derek’s number, Lacey Schwimmer and Lance Bass (LOVE) came out. Anna Trebunskaya and her hubby, Jonathan Roberts did a beautiful dance to Norah Jones’ “Come Away With Me”. Cheryl came back out to dance with her partner from Season 8, Gilles Marini. AND Mark Ballas did the “Rip It Up” Jive with Kristi Yamaguchi! She is so cute. It was a breath of fresh air watching them have so much fun.

Katie -

From memorable dances from the So You think You Can Dance seasons, to the all so entertaining routines from Dancing With The Stars, a collective group of people came together today to celebrate its first Dizzy Feet Foundation gala.

My friend and I were privileged enough to see the works of some brilliant choreographers tonight!! And the seats were amazing! I think you couldn’t go wrong with sitting anywhere really. The structure of the place is done so thoughtfully that wherever you were, you would have a great view!

Derek and Cheryl from DWTS danced a great Cha Cha Cha, getting the audience excited with a great opening number, and making the audience want more. Derek and Cheryl definitely seemed like they were enjoying their night; however later we found out that the dance was put together earlier this morning. I say fantastic job for a time crunch. You wouldn’t have even thought for a second otherwise.
Lacey Schwimmer and Lance Bass also graced the dance floor tonight. Being such huge fans of both Dancing With The Stars, as well as So You Think You Can Dance, we were thrilled to bits when a Travis Wall routine was picked for the night. Jason and Jeanine’s Necklace routine had the room applauding, it was an exact replica of the performance piece shown on the show only a billion times better watching it live.

Dizzy Feet Foundation is:

Dizzy Feet Foundation was founded in 2009 by producer Nigel Lythgoe, director Adam Shankman, “Dancing with the Stars” judge Carrie Ann Inaba and actress Katie Holmes to help underprivileged young people realize their dream of becoming professional dancers and to support, improve, and increase access to dance education in the Unites States.

They had a huge benefit tonight at the Kodak Theater in Hollywood. From DWTS, Mark, Derek, Cheryl, Jonathan, Anna T., Lacey, Gilles, Kristi Y., Lance Bass and Ballas Hough Band all performed, along with many people from So You Think You Can Dance. Socialite Life has quite a few pictures, a few of which I’ve posted below. Please visit their site for more pictures – I did NOT post them all here. I’ve posted LOTS of pictures of Derek and Cheryl dancing together on PureDerekHough.

Lots more pictures at the Wall Street Journal.

The Local ABC Affiliate covered the event tonight:

Oh my wow! Where has this season gone??? I feel like it was just last week that I was trying to rank all 16 couples and it took me bloody forever – and then there were 3.  Gotta say, I was pleasantly surprised by both Donny & Kelly tonight, and felt a little let down by Mya (or rather, Dmitry’s choreography).  However, the tentative rankings I had in my head after last week have remained intact, and now, without further ado, I give you – the FINAL RANKING!!!

Finishing in 3rd place: Kelly & Louis – I will finally come clean: Kelly & Louis were my favorite couple this season (and pretty much the only one I wasn’t accused of either hating on or favoring unfairly), and what a joy it has been to see Kelly blossom from the nervous & unsure girl in week 1 to the fun-loving & confident gal that danced tonight! Kelly was pure joy to watch in her freestyle – who cares if she fouled up more than once? I couldn’t help but smile watching she & Louis groove – those two are just perfect together. And boy did it show in their tango! I honestly felt more chemistry between Kelly & Louis during their tango than I did all season from Mya & Dmitry…and let’s just say Louis isn’t really into chicks (trying to keep it PG here, folks ).  Kelly’s footwork was crisp & sexy, and there was nary a misstep in sight.  The megamix: oy.  I’m sorry, I absolutely hated the idea…much preferred the mambo marathon & the relay to this.  Honestly, pretty much everyone looked chaotic & out of sync to me, and unfortunately Kelly & Louis stuck out the most.  While the fact that Kelly made it to the finals speaks volumes about her fanbase, she has been in the bottom 2 more than once, and she just doesn’t have the judges scores to boost her potential to win.  But at the risk of sounding totally cheesy – I feel like Kelly is already a winner for all the progress she has made this season.  Best of luck to her after the show ends…I have a feeling we’ll be seeing more of her

Runner-up: Mya & Dmitry – I’ve said it ad infinitum, but I’ll say it once more for good measure: the best dancer doesn’t always win.  And in this case of Mya & Dmitry, I would be prepared for Gilles Marini redux – I just don’t see them pulling out a win over Donny & Kym.  Her dances tonight only solidified for me that she & Dmitry have about as much chemistry as peanut butter & pickles – they just don’t go together well at all.  Paso – can we say “overscored”? They definitely got off-time, and I feel like Dmitry was powering her through every move.  Mya’s face looked absolutely blank to me – she does great with sexy dances, but with aggressive ones like the paso, I think she’s a bit of a fish out of water & doesn’t quite know what to do with her face.  It also felt a bit repetitive, which seems to be a trend in Dmitry’s choreography – and now we move onto the freestyle.  I hated it.  I felt like it did nothing to showcase Mya’s talents, was low energy, too simple (C’mon, Dmitry…Kelly’s choreography was harder than that!), and cliched – I feel like the ’50s/’60s themed dances on the show have really been overdone.  I have to wonder if their freestyle would have been more exciting had they gone with Mya’s idea instead – after all, when she helped Dmitry with their ’70s samba, it was actually fun to watch, and they got their first perfect 30.  Now here’s the conspiracy: I feel like the judges are gunning hard for Mya to win…to the point that they’re deliberately overscoring her.  To what end? I’m not sure – maybe trying to shift the focus of the show back to good dancing rather than popularity.  So Mya may have the highest point total after tonight, but it’s only 2 points more than Donny…and in the battle of the fanbases (though it will probably be a close call, just like last season!), I think Donny will edge Mya out.  Mya really needed to make an impression tonight to really contend for the trophy, and I feel like she fell short (due mostly to ho-hum choreography). I just don’t see her really sticking out in voters’ minds as much as Donny & Kelly do.  But what a great run! Seriously, Mya could be the best technician I’ve seen on the show – EVER.  It’s a shame she just couldn’t seem to hone her showmanship skills to really knock it out of the park. 

The Winner: Donny & Kym – Donny has actually been a pleasant surprise for me this season, overall – I guess I was bracing for another Marie (ai ai ai).  But when he wasn’t talking out of turn while getting his scores or perpetuating his fauxmance with Bruno, he was actually very fun to watch.  I will give it to him – none of the other competitors this season could measure up to Donny in terms of showmanship.  Almost every week (with the exception of maybe the quickstep & last week’s tango) he brought his energy full-tilt, and never stopped playing to the crowd. He really impressed me in his cha-cha – his foot & hip action were better than any of the other guys I’ve seen this season. Plus it was just a fun, fluffy, energetic routine (even if it was less cha-cha and more open work).  And he had by far the best freestyle – Kym made a smart choice in chosing a Broadway theme again, as that is really Donny’s venue – it was high-energy, explosive, and engaging.  I wish I had more to say about Donny tonight, but he was overall quite good – not much to critique.  He has definitely secured the win in my mind, due not only to his large fanbase, but also his good scores and his peerless performance quality – I may have ragged on Donny in earlier rankings, but his routines were always ones I remembered, for better or worse.  And I will be thrilled if Kym finally gets the trophy after two seasons of being the “almost” girl! Kudos to both of them…

…and with that, I close my final power ranking for this season.  It’s been fun hearing what you guys think week after week, and bouncing thoughts off one another.  Hope you guys will stick with us in the off-season – rest assured this will not be my last post until next March! I still have plenty to chat about and hope you have thoughts and opinions about it   Now speaking of opinions…let’s hear yours! Will Mya manage to pull out the win over Donny? Will Kelly surprise us all and take the trophy home herself??? Will Cloris get naked tomorrow night (oh dear!)? TALK TO ME!

I threw that Season 8 in there because I found Gilles on E! News in a “European” swimsuit. Ahem. Yep, never voted for Gilles when he was on the show, but he is one hot hunk of man and he seems like a real sweetheart.

Donny and Kym on ET – Donny finds out that MJ’s kids are rooting for him. (Um, so what? They’re just KIDS! Geez. They’re kids I feel sorry for because of all the hype.)

Reality Chat Part 1 – DWTS Week 5 – Melissa Joan Hart talks to Sabrina and Rosie

Reality Chat Part 2 – DWTS Week 5 – Chuck Liddell

Several of the entertainment shows had DWTS stories that I’ve not previously posted – I’m sure I’ll have more tomorrow too. It never ends. Latest on Derek for those not following on Twitter – Joanna says that Derek wants to dance on Monday, but it’s still very much up in the air, because he’s still sick. I personally think he should take the day off and rest, but he is 24 and male, so what are the odds he’ll listen to me?

E! News from Wednesday, October 14, 2009. There is a second E! News Video at Pure Derek Hough.

Entertainment Tonight pimping Donny Osmond (again), and he talks about his broken toe. Also Mya and Dmitry.

Extra from October 15, 2009 – Randall Christensen, Chuck Liddell, Joanna Krupa, Derek Hough and Michael Irvin:

Extra from 10-13-09 – Donny Osmond again, plus others.

I have an annoucement to make.

Heidi is indisposed at the moment…she fainted (and subsequently hit her head) because Derek TOOK OFF HIS SHIRT.  ALL THE WAY OFF, PEOPLE!  And while my reaction may not have been as strong as Heidi’s, I will admit – it was nice to see a guy with his shirt completely off instead of hanging open or unbuttoned, as if to tease the female viewers (shame on them).  Been jonesin’ for that since Gilles’ paso last season…

…but I digress.  I dub tonight’s show as the “Lipstick Mark” show due to the fact that almost everyone felt compelled to leave their mark on their partner (sometimes more than once…I love you to bits, Louis Van  :-) ) Tonight was such a mixed bag, with 4 new dances, so it was hard to really make any other generalizations other than the lipstick marks.  Sorry But I will say that those who got the lambada or the Charleston definitely had an advantage over those that got the 2-step or bolero…and let’s just say those that got bolero got ROYALLY screwed…

1.) Joanna & Derek - Derek may have singlehandedly shot himself (and Joanna, of course) to the top in viewer votes when he doffed his shirt.  But even if he hadn’t – that routine would have been commotion enough!  This is the routine that the hens in my office will be aflutter about tomorrow. The steps and execution of the lambada were good (if not a bit repetitive), but this week they brought the chemistry (man oh man! ) that I have had yet to really feel from these two…definitely the sexiest dance of the night.  Heidi, you were definitely onto something when you said that Joanna really had an advantage in having Derek – because right now, it’s his overall likeability, innovative (and lusty!) choreography, and penchant for taking his clothes off that is probably keeping Joanna on right now.  Let’s face it: Joanna is good, and pretty, but not so much well-known…but sex sells, people.  SEX SELLS!

2.) Mya & Dmitry – I know, I know…everyone thinks Mya & Dmitry are boring.  But tonight I feel as though they had a breakthrough…I definitely felt the heat from Mya.  However, I think I’ve figured out where the disconnect happens in their chemistry – Dmitry.  I was getting all sorts of vibes off of Mya tonight, and almost none from him.  For me, he’s basically out there just doing choreography and showcasing Mya – which is what he’s supposed to do, but at least put some feeling into it! I have to say – Mya felt the most “authentic” to me in the lambada - I could totally picture her in a seedy nightclub in Rio, grinding away and dripping with sweat. Anyway, these two tied for the top spot, and got the coveted “money spot” (the last dance of the evening) – and they were oily.  REEEAAALLLLY oily.  I think the light reflecting off of Mya’s legs was supposed to inspire the viewers to vote…and they might, but even if they didn’t, I think their scores alone could carry them through.

3.) Donny & Kym – I almost feel like it’s pointless to really try and rate Donny on his dancing, because no matter what he does, I think he more or less has a first class seat straight to the finale…UGH.  Ok, I will admit that their Charleston was technically pretty good – Donny seemed to keep up with the intricate hand and foot work, and seemed to carry off the character of the waiter well (surprise, surprise). But – and there is a but (anyone catch the SYTYCD reference? ) – he did fall out of step at one point, and got called out for it.  So maybe the coddling from the judges is about to wear off and they’re going to start being harder on him…then again, his rabid female baby boomer fanbase will probably just rally that much harder to keep up his vote percentage up.  I could go on and on about things that I didn’t like about Donny tonight (or any night, really)…but there really is no point…he’s staying around for a long time…phooey.

4.) Melissa & Mark – I am pleased as punch with Melissa tonight…she finally brought both the energy and the enthusiasm we all have been waiting for! I think she definitely had an advantage in having the Charleston, as Mark seems to really thrive in high-energy, goofy choreography.  They tied for the highest score, and I have a feeling they might get the encore tomorrow night (sorry Heidi, while I too would enjoy an encore of Derek & Joanna’s lambada, I have a feeling the FCC might veto that! haha ) The black and white during the beginning was fun (and memorable!), as was Mark’s mustache (as smarmy as it made him look).  They may have had a bit of a disadvantage in going so early in the show, but nevertheless, I don’t see these two going anywhere this week…

5.) Kelly & Louis – I adddoooorrrreeee these two.  So cute together – but rather than a romantic chemistry, it’s really more of a brother-sister chemistry, which is cute nonetheless While Kelly’s Charleston was not as high-energy as Melissa’s or crisp as Donny’s, she brought her own brand of sass to it, which always seems to work in her favor.  And Louis with that dreadful makeup…ai ai ai.  I can’t decide which was worse tonight – Louis’ makeup or Mark’s mustache. But people will remember it! Plus these two are just so doggone likeable even when they aren’t the center of attention (anyone else catch those two goofing off in the background while someone got their scores? ), that they’ll probably coast through this week and several more, because they seem to have the voters wrapped around their jazzy little Fosse fingers

6.) Mark & Lacey – I’m starting to see glimmers of stage presence from Mark, and little bits of the wild Lacey choreography I love.  I think he seemed to take to the “swagger” of a cowboy fairly well, which made him more entertaining to watch.  And I have to give Lacey props – this was the most authentic, well-choreographed 2-step of the evening…not only that, but Mark seemed to keep up with it and do more than just walk around the room spinning the girl (although honestly…that’s pretty much all guys do in 2-step :-/).  Still not super memorable for me, but a dramatic improvement from last week (and prior weeks).  And they did pull out their highest score thus far…

7. ) Aaron & Karina – Oy. I think Aaron may be giving Donny a run for his money with the dramatic displays he’s pulling…except he doesn’t have as big a fanbase to keep him in.  This is the first week that Aaron has really been “off-putting” to me – I thought his crying over the rumba scores was over-the-top (only girls are allowed to cry on DWTS! DUH! ) and his overall “work, work, work” demeanor came across as stubborn and a bit whiney.  Their lambada wasn’t terrible – it just wasn’t great, or particularly memorable.  Not a whole lotta content – just Karina spinning and a bunch of tricks (although I will say that his tumbling pass in the opening was flawless…and it should be, for as big a deal as he made about it!).  I can definitely see him losing some votes this week due to last week’s meltdown, but then again, the opposite could happen – he could become memorable because of his dramatics. Guess it depends on whether his “off-putting” outweighs his charm or not…

8.) Natalie & Alec - May as well call this one rumba redux – felt like a recycled version of their rumba last week, just without the sheet and with a lot more glitter.  In her defense (and Alec’s as well), bolero was definitely the hardest of the 4 new dances, and I think having to do it the week after you did the rumba makes it hard for you to be memorable, as they are often so similar in timing and footwork (at least when done by amateurs), they’re nary indistinguishable.  I felt maybe a tad more chemistry between them (just a tad), but it was a valiant effort – Natalie has great legs, and moves beautifully.  And she’s still sweet as pie, even when she’s “frustrated” with Alec, and she did tie for the 3rd higest score of the night…the question is: will her smile and scores get her the votes?

10.) Louie & Chelsie – The only reason these two aren’t in my “danger zone” is that I think they may be able to ride the coattails of this whole “showmance” thing for a little while longer.  People are still abuzz about the rumba, and Chelsie tweeted some awfully chummy pix of the two of them at Disneyland over the weekend.  And if I were them, I would milk that for all its worth – cause this 2-step was pretty underwhelming, at least on Louie’s part.  Granted, Louie is good at doing tricks, and he always seems to stay on time and can actually keep his hands straight while spinning Chelsie (which is all this really was, anyway).  But he’s really starting to feel a bit “blah” to me in terms of showmanship…he just grins and walks through the dance.  And he definitely doesn’t have the mainstream fanbase of Donny or Melissa, or the judges’ scores in his favor – he’s basically slipping through on cuteness and showmanceyness (yah, I just said that) alone.  So Louie & Chelsie, if you happen to read this – SHOW-MANCE.  I don’t care if you hate each other – get caught walking hand-in-hand at the Grove, or kissing while sharing a milkshake, or something else cute and couple-y for people to talk about – it’s your only hope!!!

11.) Chuck & Anna – Oh Chuck, you big loveable teddy bear.  You can’t really dance for beans, but you’re just so darn huggable that I don’t even care.  Let’s face it: there’s not much to be said technically here: not a lot of content, mainly just Anna spinning around…probably the least authentic 2-step of the evening.  But I stand by my belief that Chuck would totally rock at doing lifts – didn’t even break a sweat.  The fluidity with which he hurled Anna up onto his shoulder…magnificent.  But I fear their days are numbered, and likeability will only trump bad dancing for so long (unless you’re an Osmond…*cough cough*).  So glad we got to see him do lifts, though!

12.) Michael & Anna – No surprises here.  Although I do find it a bit funny that they got the hardest dance…almost as if production was trying to engineer who went home…hmmm…but anyway.  All this was was some flaily arms and some faux sexy times (which was really just kinda icky…although not as icky as Donny & Kym).  Just Anna doing the occasional dip and Michael trying in vain to look romantic. Epic fail.  I think the “I stink but I’m fun!” train has just run out of steam for these two…they already had one foot out the door last week.  And Anna was really a letdown for me this season – she was brilliant in the pro competition, and nothing on the actual show.  *sigh* I was really waiting for her to hit her groove…

So long, Michael & Anna…it’s been fun, but fun can only take you so far in this competition.  So now let’s hear what you guys think…feel free to agree or disagree, all opinions are welcome! And while you’re at it, someone might want to send Heidi some e-smelling salts…I hear she’s still passed out from tonight’s show

Via Jimmy Kimmel. LO freakin’ L!!

Holy Smokes!  I was totally blown away by celebs that I thought wouldn’t last very long…Kelly Osbourne!  Where did she come from!  I was so touched by her performance and she looked beautiful!  Aaron Carter…what!  I knew he had rhythm but I think it’s a combination of him not be a little kid anymore and taking on such a sexy dance!  Louie Vito…those eyes!  He has great potential and he and Chelsie are adorable together!  I never thought Macy Gray was going to be funny!  And Heidi…Props to your man Derek and Joanna!  HOT, HOT, HOT!!!!  Even Debi Mazar was a surprise!  Her arms killed me the entire night but her and Maks together could be a force to reckon with! 

THE GOOD
I have to go with Kelly and Louis’ first dance!  It was so precious and the most technically correct dance!  Her foot work was surprising remarkable and I couldn’t help smile throughout the entire performance because she was so elegant!

THE BAD
I have no problem putting Tom Delay here!  I really hate that Cheryl goes from Gilles to Tom!  Tom has a great heart and wants to do well, you can see that.  But, he just doesn’t have any stamina, rhythm, strength, or musicality. 

THE INCREDIBLY HOT!
For me, this spot was a toss up between Joanna and Aaron because they both showed sexiness and nailed the hip action that the Latin dances required of them!  However, I am going to go with Derek and Joanna because she was so fluid and completely connected with the audience the whole time!  Her hips were on fire, her lines were incredible, her footwork was there, and you could tell she had a lot of fun!

I point out this article in The Seattle Times in particular because I found what they had to say about the teams rather amusing.    Here are a few excerpts:

Gather ’round, fellow “Dancing with the Stars” fans, and let us mourn: Gilles Marini is no longer on the show, and none of the new contestants are slinky Frenchmen.

Regardless, everyone’s favorite guilty-pleasure, ballroom-dancing-with-the-C-list reality show is back, to steal our Monday nights and remind us of some of the great mysteries of life: namely, sequined pants, orange spray-tans and Samantha Harris.

Aaron Carter

Who? 21-year-old pop singer, Backstreet Boy relative (brother to Nick Carter) and former reality-show participant (“House of Carters”).

Any hope? Sure; pop singers generally know how to move.

Partner: The fabulously named Karina Smirnoff, in her seventh season.

Ashley Hamilton

Who? Actor/musician, but better known for being George Hamilton’s son and Shannen Doherty’s momentary husband.

Any hope? Let’s hope he does better than his famously tan father did on the show (in Season 2).

Partner: The marvelously slinky and frequently near-naked Edyta Sliwinska.

My personal favorite –

Joanna Krupa

Who? Model, best known for one of those “I’d Rather Go Naked Than Wear Fur” PETA campaigns.

Any hope? Um, who?

Partner: Hold the phone — she’s dancing with the marvelous Derek Hough.