Julianne Hough | Pure Dancing with the Stars

DWTS Rants & Raves – Why the Pros Should Count Their Blessings

This post started off far more “rant” than “rave”, but I opted to change the tone a bit, perhaps in hopes that the message would then be more easily swallowed As many of you know, Edyta has recently been writing a series of blogs about her time on the show that have been rather…bitter. Vengeful. Even malicious. And it’s unfortunately colored many of our opinions of her for the worse – she even went so far as to block a reader who dared to make a comment expressing “disappointment” in Edyta’s choice to be so critical of the show that made her a household name. That’s when it dawned on me: some of the pros seem to have forgotten what life was like BEFORE they were on Dancing with the Stars.

For those of you unfamiliar with the “real” world of ballroom, first things first: prior to 2005, when DWTS & SYTYCD hit the air, most ballroom dancers (even the world champions) led lives of relative obscurity. They may have been well-known within the ballroom community (which is still relatively small), and may have even been what I like to call “ballroom famous” – a title that me & my teammates from my college ballroom dance team bestowed upon dancers that were particularly respected & admired in ballroom circles – but they most certainly weren’t household names, and they weren’t mobbed by fans in public. In short – they were just like you and I. Just average people with a not-so-average occupation.

How bout a short poll: how many of you had heard the name “Tony Dovolani” prior to 2005? Now of those who had, how many of you HAVE NOT somehow been involved in the world of ballroom dance at some point in your life? If you fit both of the criteria above, then I applaud you – because prior to 2005, the only mainstream thing Tony had really done was a bit part in the American version of Shall We Dance?, and he was also credited as a choreographer in that film. The fact that he actually got a few lines to say was pretty impressive, considering that, at that time, the biggest movie/tv role (besides choreographer) that most ballroom dancers could ever hope for was either dancing around in the background as an extra in a big dance scene, or maybe being a “dance double” for a particularly ungraceful actor (true story: the owner of my bf’s dance studio was Ben Affleck’s “foot double” in the movie Going All the Way – apparently Ben has 2 left feet!). Dancers were lucky to even get credited as extras, let alone hope for a speaking part. The widely held opinion with most casting directors was that “if you’re doing a dance movie, you’d better find actors that can dance…because you aren’t going to find dancers that can act!” It was a far, far cry from the starring movie roles that Julianne & Derek have been given in recent years, and the tv gigs that Maks (Bachelor Ukraine, Celebrity Ghost Stories), Cheryl & Louis (Suite Life of Zack & Cody), Edyta & Alec (CSI: NY), and Mark (Samantha Who?) were able to get due to their DWTS fame.

You know all those spiffy endorsement deals that so many of the pros on the show have gotten over the years, with their faces plastered over everything from shoes to hair extensions to diet pills to makeup to exercise tapes to dancewear? Yeah, pretty non-existent back in the pre-DWTS days – most competitive ballroom dancers were lucky if they could get a dance shoe or costume sponsor to help mitigate the exorbitant cost of competing. And speaking of money – let’s just say they weren’t raking it in back then like they are now Don’t get me wrong, some ballroom dancers make quite a good living for themselves just on coaching, choreographing, and doing exhibition performances, but it’s peanuts compared to what they’re rumored to make on the show (which I’ve heard reported as roughly $6k+ per week). And can you really put a price on the exposure the show gives them??? Since the beginning of the show, how many of the pros have opened successful dance studios with their name plastered on it? So far, I count Cheryl, Karina, Chelsie, and Maks & Tony (with the new Dance with Me in CA). For those who already had dance studios (like Jonathan & Anna), I can only imagine they started booking up faster after their appearance on the show – I know for a fact that Jonathan is now one of the most in-demand pro-am teachers in the country.

How many pros have graced the covers of magazines since joining the cast of the show? Back in the day, the biggest magazine a ballroom dancer could hope to appear in was American Dancer, the bimonthly publication put out to its members by USA Dance – which, of course, was only sent to members. All those invites to parties/award shows/premieres/charity benefits/etc? Probably wouldn’t happen to your average ballroom dancer. And how many pros can now count some pretty big celebrities amongst their friends…and sometimes exes? Without the platform of DWTS, Maks may never have met Kirstie, Derek may never have met Shannon, and Julianne may never have even been in the same room as Ryan Seacrest. In the entertainment business, it really isn’t what you know, it’s who you know – and DWTS has supplied some primo connections for its pros.

I don’t want ths post to be a neverending soapbox of why DWTS is so great, so I’ll get to my point: as much as the pros may bitch & moan in the media about the show and how “unfair” or “fake” it is, at the end of the day I daresay their participation in it has done them far more good than harm – it has plucked many of them out of obscurity and opened doors to opportunities far beyond their imagination as young ballroom competitors. Some (namely Julianne, Derek, Mark, Cheryl & Maks) have parlayed those opportunities into success better than others (namely Alec & Edyta), but even the latter has undoubtedly benefitted from having the show on their resume – Dance Temptation may not have taken off with someone less notable at the helm. And fans, you can take something away from this too – you may complain about how the show has been so “unfair” or “biased against” [insert pro here] (which, of course, is pretty subjective), but I challenge you to imagine a life without that pro in it. Would you rather watch Maks occasionally “take a beating” from the judges, or have never known him at all? Would you rather see Tony tough it out with such duds as Wendy Williams & Kate Gosselin, or have no idea who he is? I know many of you will probably argue “you can’t miss what you never knew to begin with”, but I’ve seen how this show brightens some of your lives, and what an important role some of the pros play in it. They inspire you, entertain you, and can even motivate you to better your own life. Yes, sometimes this show is indeed “unfair”, “fake”, “scripted”, & “storyboarded”, and I’m not saying the viewers or the pros should accept every aspect of the show without complaint. But when it comes down to it, it still fulfills one crucial purpose in the lives of its pros: to share their love of dance with the world…and reap some sweet benefits while they’re at it

DWTS4: Randall’s Costume Retrospective, Week 3

Randall has been incredibly busy traveling lately, but he is still gracious enough to offer his insight on our favorite costumes from seasons past Let’s see what he has to say about the tango & jive costumes from week 3 of season 4!

Apolo & Julianne’s costumes: “Definitely a LOT of fun paying tribute to Uma/John with a retro style costume. Apolo looked great with his slick and shiny hair pulled back ala John Travolta.”

*photo courtesy ABC/Carol Kaelson

Billy Ray & Karina’s costumes: “Looking back at these photos, I don’t even recognize Billy Ray nor Karina!!! I think that Billy Ray looks BEYOND dashing in his tango costume – sophisticated, masculine and definitely elegant. And Karina! The upswept hairdo, and that magnificent gown…..killer looks for a good tango! The sleeveless jacket for Billy Ray was great, as it minimized any raising of his shoulders, which is SO difficult to control when dancing a ballroom dance, especially the tango, which automatically creates tension in the shoulders. Without suit sleeves, the softness of the shirt minimized any tenseness that may have occurred while dancing.”

*photo courtesy ABC/Carol Kaelson

Laila’s costume: “The palazzo pants were a nice twist on the typical tango costume, and with Laila’s long legs, they really soared! The snake/serpentine rhinestone trim along that (long and sexy) back in navy and hematite stones – stunning! Laila has such a phenomenal physique that we wanted to showcase her beautiful shoulders, and went with a sports cut halter neckline. What great shoulders, huh?”

*photo courtesy ABC/Carol Kaelson Read more..

DWTS Season 4, Weeks 1 and 2 -The Cheesecake Awards (Retrospective??)

So, is it a retrospective when it’s a re-airing years later ?? I’m going with yes As I mentioned in an earlier post, we can’t promise that we will do these every week, and we can’t promise they will be as long as the regular Cheesecake Awards…but we can promise that we will try to be our obnoxious selves. On with the show…

The Bad Acid Trip Award: The old “kaleidescope” opening credits

Courtney: Soooooo glad they got rid of that cheesy nightmare – damn near gave me a grand mal seizure.

Heidi: I think I may have actually had a seizure every time it was on because I’m lacking in recall.

The “Trying Too Hard” Award: Brian Fortuna

Courtney: Admittedly, I actually missed a good deal of this season when it was originally airing, since I was still in college, working, and too broke for TiVo But what really struck me is that Brian (who I had all but forgotten about until that opening pro number in week 1) was just…too much. The dude seemed like he was trying waaaayyyy too hard to make an impact and carve out a niche for himself on the show. The face pulling, the exaggerated dance moves, the overgelled hair, the jewelry – just…no, dude. He was like young Derek and Mark lite – but not as talented. And quite possibly the best part of watching these old episodes years later? You already know that he ain’t going to be around for very long – kinda makes me wish I had a tin can phone system that could reach the past and tell him “Dude, you may as well dial it back about 5 notches…you’re not gonna be around much longer, anyway. Don’t strain yourself.”

Heidi: The thing that got me is what still gets me with Mark sometimes. The SMILE. Jesus dude. Almost constant, fake looking, very big smile. Mark has that same glazed look from time to time where he would habitually have a smile on his face but it doesn’t seem to reach his eyes or he’s not really feeling it. It’s like perma-face or something. Hard to explain. Brian does kinda look like Derek’s younger, squirrely, annoying brother. The less attractive brother. But everyone knows that to be a Hough you have to have blond hair and blue eyes. Freakishly strong genes in that family.

Courtney: Brian could be the weird cousin of the Hough family. Kinda like cousin Oliver from The Brady Bunch…never did quite understand his purpose. Read more..

DWTS4 – Randall’s Costume Retrospective, Week 2

First of all, thanks to all of you for such a great response on Randall’s Costume Retrospective from week 1 of season 4! Glad everyone is enjoying his commentary as much as I am Now let’s see what he has to say about the costumes from week 2, shall we?

Heather’s costume: “This black/green pants suit was created in England and was such a fun costume to dance the mambo. The circular bell bottoms were flying all over the place, and accentuated all of the intricate footwork that Heather did.”

*photo courtesy ABC/Carol Kaelson

Billy Ray & Karina’s costumes: “Dancing to “Ring of Fire”, Billy Ray really wanted to pay tribute to Johnny Cash. We embellished the back of his jacket with a completely rhinestone-encrusted guitar, quite the vintage country western look of that time period. To this day it is one of my favorite men’s costumes. And Karina’s costume had all those firey red rhinestones totally encrusting her bodice, along with that cute vintage June Carter Cash skirt, with a ballroom flare to it. Quite the perfect couple coordinating their costumes with such a great song.”

*photos courtesy ABC/Carol Kaelson

Ian & Cheryl’s costumes: “Cheryl’s asymmetrical panel skirt w/slits really showed off some really cool Quicktep moves and Ian’s sleeveless jacket w/coordinating color shirt was a great finish to the couple’s look. Cheryl’s costume was trimmed out in “Volcano” colored stones which has about 6 colors showing, depending on how the light hits it. Cheryl has such a curvy and sexy body and this dress really capitalized on showing off her fantastic curves.”

*photos courtesy ABC/Carol Kaelson

Apolo & Julianne’s costumes: “Julianne’s pink quickstep gown is still such a memorable gown. I still have people commenting on it, after all these years. I think the combination of the fringe skirt overlayed on top of one layer of sheer silk chiffon was a first, and it really showed off some terrific choreography of Julianne’s. I am so glad that Apolo was game to wear the gray tails suit, as it was a great look with Julianne’s pink.”

*photos courtesy ABC/Carol Kaelson

John & Edyta’s costumes: “The shaded (emerald green to mint green) silk satin ballgown was quite nude for a ballgown look, but who else but Edyta pulls off such a look (consistently)?! Even with the chiffon floater (bat wing), she was able to control it so that it didn’t get in John’s way when they were dancing (for the most part!). And John looks sensational in his classic white tie and tails.”

*photos courtesy ABC/Carol Kaelson

Kym’s costume: “During the dress rehearsal, Kym stepped in the hemline of her gown, which meant that in the (less than 1 ½ hour) turn around from dress rehearsal to LIVE show time, we had to shorten the skirt a couple of inches – which meant that we had to RIP OFF yards and yards (!) of paillette beaded trim on the hemline, shorten the skirt about 2” and RESTITCH the beaded trim back on! I have to say that we were literally sweating bullets trying to make that happen before we went live! I still get a hot flash every time I think about that dress!“

*photos courtesy ABC/Carol Kaelson

Shandi’s costume: “I sure wish I could take the credit for Shandi looking so INCREDIBLE, but honestly I have to say……she comes that way! That’s the way she looks all of the time! Tall and incredibly curvy and sexy. I just did a little “window dressing” and called it a costume! Wow!!”

*photo courtesy ABC/Carol Kaelson

Wow! Kym sure knows how to give Randall a heart attack, huh? Be sure to tune in next week when Randall gives his commentary on the costumes from weeks 3 & 4, which air this Saturday starting at 6 PM EST on GSN. Need more Randall between now and then? Check out his website, or holler at him on his Facebook page

DWTS4: Randall’s Costume Retrospective, Week 1

As promised, I am excited to bring you the first installment of our season 4 “costume retrospective” with Randall Christensen, the costume designer for the show from seasons 2-12 of DWTS! You’re in for a real treat, guys – in this edition, Randall not only reveals his inspiration for each of the couples’ costumes, but also explains how the costume department at the studio came to be, some interesting challenges that posed by Heather’s weekly transcontinental traveling, and what you DIDN’T see in Joey & Kym’s disco costumes Read on!

Did you know that the DWTS costume department wasn’t always located in the same studio as the show itself? Randall explains how tough it was in the early days: “This season was the second season (and the last season) that we had a company in Burbank, CA make the costumes. A nightmare trying to get the couples over the hill into North Hollywood, with intensely congested traffic. I remember one fitting where Heather Mills was 2 hrs. late getting there, even though it was only about a 15 mile drive, due to traffic. That delayed fitting was the catalyst to our getting our own workroom (the very next season), which helped the cast and my crew TREMENDOUSLY! We gave up the Green Room and created our workroom right in the same bldg. as the show, 2 floors above the soundstage.” Can you imagine how stressful it was for both the costume personnel AND the couples to make that trek for the costumes??? And what kind of problems it posed when there were wardrobe malfunctions that needed a quick fix??? Thank goodness the powers that be recognized the need for an in-house costume department, and made the necessary accomodations

*photos courtesy AP/Chris Pizzello

Billy Ray & Karina’s costumes: “Karina’s “tie dyed” red/burgundy burn-out velvet was a great choice of fabrics/color for their first dance. Individual strands of bugle bead fringe accented her body movements. Billy Ray’s costume was kept simple for this first week.”

*photo courtesy ABC/Carol Kaelson

Ian & Cheryl’s costumes: “Cheryl’s costume had chrome “nail heads” and other silver hardware, giving a bit of an edgier look. We tied in Ian’s look with a chrome studded belt.”

*photo courtesy ABC/Carol Kaelson

Edyta’s costume: “Edyta always looks sensational in “just a little something” and this costume was no exception! The crystal encrusted petal bra and that voluminous Cuban style circular skirt was perfect for this first week’s costume! Love the tropical coral color too.”

*photo courtesy ABC/Carol Kaelson

Apolo & Julianne’s costumes: “Julianne’s red beaded fringe number was TONS of work to create, but oh-so-worth it! That skirt just did NOT stay still! And Apolo’s red bandana was a fun tribute to his signature look when competing in speed skating. I loved that he was comfortable (and confident enough) to wear a bit of red trim on his shirt – to tie in (not only his bandana, but also ) with Julianne. Apolo was an incredible athlete, and dedicated and determined to do whatever was needed to give him an edge. I’ve noticed (and appreciated ) that about all of the athletes that have been on the show.”

*photo courtesy ABC/Carol Kaelson

Joey & Kym’s costumes: “Kym Johnson/Joey Fatone – now here is one confident (and FUN) celebrity! Joey really wanted for us to trim the back of his vest with TWO WORDS – FAT and ONE. The producers didn’t want us to do that, so we went with his Fatone (one word) rhinestone encrusted on the back of his vest. And what a FUN costume for Kym – a tribute to the 70’s-80’s “ABBA” look. Smoking on Kym’s smoking body, don’t you think? Very fun, and a bit tongue-in-cheek.”

*photo courtesy ABC/Carol Kaelson

Laila’s costume: “Laila is such a phenomenally gorgeous woman, and one terrific athlete. Because she is so tall, and has quite the muscular body, I really wanted to make sure her femininity came through. In spite of all her muscles (fantastic biceps!!!!) Laila is ALL woman! This rust silk satin gown with crystal encrusted appliqué was soft yet sexy, and did that skirt ever soar when she moved! Of course standing over 6 ft. tall in heels certainly made for a dramatic silhouette, one which Maks could still certainly handle.”

*photo courtesy ABC/Carol Kaelson

Heather’s costume (and the special challenges it posed): “The first few weeks of pre production and the first couple of weeks of the live show posed quite a challenge for us and Heather. Because of the notoriety of Heather, we had to do so much secretively, so as to not alert the public as to her being on the show (during pre-production I was the only person on my staff who knew she was one of the celebrities – we had to keep it THAT hush, hush!). So consequently, we had a company in London create the first two weeks’ costumes for her, as she was training weekly in England (flying over to compete and then returning back to England). The company we used had been the costume makers for the UK version of DWTS (Strictly Come Dancing) and we are good friends, so I felt really comfortable having them take care of Heather. They travelled a great distance to give Heather her fittings. This gown was one of their creations and fitted Heather’s style and physique perfectly! I think that the biggest challenge was to find a dance shoe company that could/would make VEGAN dance shoes. Being a strict vegetarian, Heather was quite concerned about wearing dance shoes which always have leather suede soles, for proper traction on the dance floor. Thank goodness her assistant knew of a great shoe company that made several pairs for her to try out, rehearse in, and another set to perform in. And Heather was incredibly helpful, not to mention a total JOY to work with! I don’t know that I have ever had (before Heather or since) a person who got so excited on each and every design session. There were times when we were giggling and she was clapping and exclaiming how much fun this was. Heather was one of my most memorable celebrities that I have worked with, totally professional and very appreciative!”

*photo courtesy ABC/Carol Kaelson

Wow! I never realized what challenges the costume department had to overcome behind the scenes! But obviously, they handled them with such skill and perseverence that we never saw them. But it is fun to know behind-the-scenes tidbits like these…definitely makes the show more fun to watch, at least for me

Still need more DWTS costume goodness? You can always check out Randall’s website and Facebook page, and be sure to stay tuned here for more costume retrospectives from the man himself – we’ve got Randall’s take on the week 2 costumes coming at you later this week

DWTS Julianne Hough And Cheryl Burke Dazzle The Red Carpet At People’s Choice Awards

The People’s Choice Awards are currently taking place at the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles, California. We don’t know if Dancing With The Stars has won in the “Favorite TV Competition Show” category yet, but, dazzling the Red Carpet in all of their glam style were former and current Dancing With The Stars pros Julianne Hough and Cheryl Burke (pictured above). We hope to have some results shortly. For now enjoy more gorgeous takes of Julianne and Cheryl at Zimbio here and here.

UPDATE: It appears Dancng With The Stars didn’t win a People’s Choice Award tonight. The “Favorite TV Competition Show” went to American Idol (wha? ). You can read more on the winners and losers at the People’s Choice Awards official site.

Dancing With The Stars Pros Fabulous, Fearless, And Airborne (Photos)

Some people are fearless when it comes to almost anything and such is true for some of our dancing pros!! I’m not sure if this attribute comes with the gift of being able to dance, but, indeed it makes a person wonder…especially this weekend when Julianne Hough made news headlines with an incredible jump from a mega yacht while vacationing in St. Barts with boyfriend, Ryan Seacrest below?

Would you ever try this? I don’t think so…not even if paid a lot of money to do so. More high quality pictures at the Daily Mail.

Like sister, like bro (or vice versa?), below is a picture of Derek also jumping off a yacht. Derek posted this at his twitter with the quote, “I like to jump off things.” I’m not sure when this picture was taken? Heidi or one of you will have to help me with this one.

And below is Derek again airborne on a snowmobile while on vacation in Utah before Christmas. This looks fun. Now this I would do as long as I could hold on tight to the man driving. Who else is game?

That’s not all! Dancing With The Stars Troupe member Sasha Farber shared this photo at his twitter and facebook accounts this past week. As you know, he’s been vacationing in Avoca Beach, New South Wales over the holidays. I don’t know how he is jumping that high… is it magic, a trampoline, or natural ability? Whatever the case, very cool picture.

The end! If you know of more shots of our pros airborne and doing fearless things, be sure to post them in the comments section. They never cease to amaze sometimes, do they?

PureDWTS Ask Courtney: What’s the Difference Between Jive/Lindy/Jitterbug/Charleston/etc.?

This is a very good question , but unfortunately one that required a bit of research on my part…so please bear with me as I give you guys a brief history/background of the swing dances.

First things first: all of the above dances are related, and evolved from one another, so that’s why they all look so similar to the naked eye. Even I often have a hard time discerning between them, especially within the context of DWTS, where I think sometimes even the pros themselves aren’t quite sure about some of these dances – especially the Jitterbug & Lindy Hop. The lines between them are very blurred, because there’s often a lot of overlap in terms of steps, timing, & styling.

Charleston was the earliest of the swing dances, originating in the speakeasies during the 1920′s, and is usually associated with the “flappers”, who danced it alone or with each other to mock the “drys” – people who supported Prohibition. At the time, it was considered to be a pretty provocative dance. It has a bouncy feel to it, and the basic step does have the backward rock-step characteristic to almost all of the swing dances. Here’s a good example of some other Charleston steps – note how it also has some twisting movements, high kicks, and very jazzy arm styling. The music was a swing beat, with perhaps a bit more of a ragtime feel than other swing styles to follow – think “Hot Honey Rag” from Chicago. These days, it more often lends steps to jive & quickstep, rather than being danced as its own, exclusive dance – my boyfriend’s studio doesn’t have an official Charleston syllabus (just not enough steps), but he does often incorporate Charleston steps into other dances. One example many of you may have noticed is that funky leg flick that the pros often add to their quickstep routines – Mark does it at about the :55 mark of he & Chelsea’s quickstep. Yep, Charleston moves fit Mark’s jimmie legs perfectly Which is probably why he & Melissa’s Charleston in season 9 sticks out to me as the best representation of the dance on the show – it has the characteristic steps, and they stuck with the 1920′s flapper theme.

Out of the Charleston came the Lindy Hop, which had its heyday in the big band era of the late 1920′s-40′s. It was a product of the Harlem Renaissance, and was born in traditionally black clubs like The Savoy & Cotton Club in New York. Its footwork was similar to the Charleston, but it had elements of other vernacular/folk dances (such as the cakewalk and Texas Tommy) and also included a breakaway/throwaway step, which allowed the couples dancing it to do more open work than in the Charleston. It was also quite a bit more daring – when wealthy white patrons descended upon Harlem clubs to watch the black dancers, the dancers themselves upped the ante, and began doing increasingly more dangerous & eye-catching lifts, flips, and tricks (“air steps” or “aerials”) to entertain them. This often resulted in the dancers being hired to perform or teach Lindy Hop to the patrons. I would say it’s definitely the “showiest” of all the swing dances, due to all the tricks that have come to be standard fare in the Lindy – and with the pros on DWTS, nothing seems to scream “Lindy!” more than some crazy lifts. In terms of said lifts, I would say that Melissa & Tony’s Lindy in season 8 is the best example; but in terms of overall “feel” (and good use of basic steps), I’d say that Ty & Chelsie’s Lindy is the best example. Read more..

Our Dancing With The Stars Pros Celebrate The New Year (Photos)

Twitter is alive with some cool photos of our pros celebrating the new year! First of all, check out Julianne and Derek Hough celebrating at Times Square in New York last night. Be sure to see more pics at Pure Derek Hough. Derek is all smiles and looking happy! I love when he wears these cool leather bombers! So cute!

Below is Maks and Val sexy and crazy as usual bringing in the New Year where ever they are located (somewhere in the Caribbean?);

Karina and company look like they were all in fine form and happy at her Joonbug Party in New York City. Below is one pic. More at Zimbio including some with Season 12 partner Ralph Macchio. Isn’t her dress gorgeous? Be sure to tweet her a Happy Birthday tomorrow.

We can’t forget about Kym and Cheryl beautiful as always as well. They are bringing in the new year in Australia.

DWTS Julianne Hough Rocks It Out In New “Rock Of Ages” Trailer & Covers Prestige Magazine

Have you seen the “Rock Of Ages” trailer with former Dancing With The Stars pro Julianne Hough, Tom Cruise, and Alec Baldwin? If not, you can view it below. Note how it has some previews of Julianne dancing in it (among other things! )! Powerful Hough stuff as always! “Rock Of Ages” has a tentative June 1st, 2012 release date.

Speaking of Julianne, she’s covering the December issue of Prestige magazine. Cover below. You can view more pictures of the shoot with her and catch what she says about “Dancing With The Stars” at Style Bistro.