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DWTS13 End-of-Season Award Winners – What Change Do You Most Want to See in Season 14?

Soooooo many write-in responses for this one…and the results were quite interesting 😉

Other responses:

No more theme nights – 10

No Maks/Maks taking a break/Maks sitting out a season/get rid of Maks – 9

New judges – 7 (I think this could fit under “better judging”, as it’s implied that “better judging” could be new judges altogether…)

More Tristan – 4

Better quality of dances/ringers/celebs with better dancing capabilities – 4

No troupe/troupe actually dancing in sync – 3

All of the above – 3

More Derek – 3

Replace Brooke with Carson/Carson added in any format – 2

Get rid of Brooke/new co-host – 2

Bring Chelsie back – 2

Bigger cast/more celebs – 2

I love the show the way it is/If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it – 2

Better band – 1

Start sooner – 1

TIE: Better judging & better music – 1

Less talking in between dances – 1

More traditional music (no Katy Perry/Gaga/Beyonce/etc.) – 1

Less Derek – 1

No more Carrie Ann – 1

NO MORE NANCY – 1 (Ummm yeah, pretty sure you don’t have to worry about that, ya asshat.)

Total season’s votes included in calculation of winners – 1

Better intro packages before the dances – 1 (HA! Keep dreaming…)

Courtney: Thank goodness this is the last award, because you guys (as much as I love you all) are killing me with all of these write-in responses.  Anywho…I agree that improving the judging could definitely help take some of the edge off of watching the show.  Looking back at a lot of my power rankings from the past few seasons, I see that I most often got upset when the judges were way off in their scoring…either for better or worse.  Now I don’t think getting rid of the judges we have and starting anew is the solution – and it seems like a lot of you agreed in our poll about the judges last season – new judges altogether could be even worse, especially if those judges haven’t judged on a dance show before.  However, I’m not sure how to really force Len, Carrie Ann, and Bruno to judge more fairly – it’s such a subjective thing.  As for “better celebs” – I guess I should have been more specific about that one, as “better” can mean different things to different people – better could mean “more famous”, or better could mean “more skilled dancers”.  And speaking of which – there is something to be said for having ringers, kids.  The past 2 seasons, we haven’t really had a skill ringer – and I notice that a lot of you have complained that the dancing has not been as good as it has in previous seasons.  Ringers can ensure that we get to see dynamite dances each week, and tend to raise the level of competition during the seasons in which they compete.  More pro dances are always welcome for me – just as long as they’re not troupe dances 😉 Better music? Yeah, it would be nice if they didn’t ditto quite so many songs; but to whoever wants “more traditional” music, be advised that this could severely limit the music that can be used on the show, and can run the risk of alienating more casual viewers – contemporary music can make the dances more relatable.  I don’t think we need more dance styles OR more couples – whenever someone starts clamoring for that, I start to worry that we might have another season 9 on our hands, aka the “Kitchen Sink” season, where there were just so damn many dances, couples, and nuances that it was hard to keep up.  Now to the 2 write-ins I found most interesting: “total season’s votes included in calculation of winners” and “better intro packages before the dances”.  Sorry, but I find both of these to be pretty implausible.  What would including the total season’s votes in the calculation of the winner accomplish? Do you really think it would change the outcome of a season? It’s possible – but it could have unintended consequences.  I think it would tend to help bad dancers who stuck around far too long (think Bristol, Marie, Hope, Kendra, etc.) and could hurt really good dancers that maybe had smaller fanbases (Mya, Chelsea, Brandy, etc.) The bottom line: as much as the whole “50 % scores, 50% votes” scheme may piss off fans who don’t get their desired outcome, it’s probably the fairest system they can use on this show – it’s equal parts popularity contest and dance contest.  And as for the “better intro packages before the dances” – I have to wonder if this was written by a Maks fan, as they seemed to be the ones most concerned about the intro packages this past season.  I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again – the producers are going to cut together the footage that will generate the most “buzz”…and if that means using the footage of a couple fighting or crying or storming out of the studio, so be it.  The solution? Don’t give them anything negative to work with.  If you’re seeing a couple fight in their intro packages week after week, it’s because they’re probably actually fighting week after week and that’s all the editors have to work with – not because the producers are conspiring to ruin them.  Asking them to make a warring couple look like they’ve got rainbows shooting out of their ass is futile if all they have footage of is a couple screaming at each other.  It’s a tv show, people – they’re gonna go for ratings.

Heidi: Correct – and any pro who’s been on the show for more than a season KNOWS this and SHOULD react accordingly. Just sayin’.  🙂  As for the total season votes? I don’t think that will work like you would want it to work. 🙂 Increasing the number of votes  would likely just make the winner more of a solid winner – it’s a percentage of the whole, not a count. If they don’t have a high enough percentage at the end of the season, adding in their votes through out the season won’t likely change anything, except make the individual votes count less. Particularly if the judging portion remains the same.  You wanna make it votes only, like American Idol?? Well, how often does the best singer win that show?? Like, less than half the time? And who’s to say an individual is “best” – it’s subjective.  The judges may suck from time to time (particularly when they are for YOUR couple), but I actually trust them to balance out the wacko fans in the audience who will vote for Kate Gosselin just for giggles.  Was Donny Osmond the best dancer? No, but if it were up to the audience alone, Mya probably wouldn’t have made it to the final two. This is an extreme case of “be careful what you wish for.” I have a feeling that some haven’t considered the potential ramifications.  As for me…I don’t remember what I voted for.  I may not have voted because I pretty much like the show the way it is, better the “devil you know” and all that. I would normally say “more pro (non-troupe) dances” but I was pretty happy with that this past season as well, simply because I got a lot of Derek. For a change. I do think they could use more all pro dances similar to those in seasons 5 and 6 – no musical act, just great dancing.

Vogue: I was at a loss on this polling. It seems during the last several seasons I complain the most about the judging. I really think the judges go too far sometimes when they get too “personal” instead of just judging a dance. For instance, dissing about a person’s weight or things a celebrity can’t help is just low. At the same time, I really don’t want any judging changes as all three of them add excitement and diversity to the show. In the end, I voted for “better music”. There is so many times I wish they’d stick to traditional music that fits the dancing styles instead of what they use for theme weeks that don’t match the style of dance.

*photo courtesy ABC/Adam Taylor

January 29, 2012 I Written By

Ultrasound sales specialist by day, semi-knowledgeable DWTS fan by night...with a smattering of hair & makeup enthusiast, occasional model, baker, and crazy cat lady peppered in to make things REALLY interesting ;-) I might pee my pants in happiness if Donnie Wahlberg ever does DWTS - or if they ever use "Sunglasses at Night" as a paso doble.

DWTS13 End-of-Season Award Winners – What Was the Best Catchphrase?

Other answers:

All of the above were so memorable/epic – 2

“There must be a mistake cause this is my show!” – David (on getting eliminated) – 1 (Loved this one too!)

“Sorry Jesus, I have to curse!” – Chynna – 1

“LMFAO & Bruno ‘WTF’ Tonioli!” – Tom – 1 (Oh that Tommy Bergeron!)

Can’t think of any – 1

NOT NANCY – 1 (Ok, seriously – get a hobby)

Courtney: Poor Tristan the leprechaun and his brogue 🙂 Gotta agree with the results on this one – the infamous “turd step” comment was unfortunately said so early in the season (and was hilarious enough to be remembered) that it gave anyone and everyone (Nancy, Len, the Dance Center guys, etc.) plenty of chances to give Tristan a good ribbing about it…a ribbing which the amiable Tristan seemed to tolerate really well 🙂 “This is MY show!” was pretty funny too, although I actually found it funnier when David humorously adapted it for his own use when he was eliminated 😛 I just thought it was cool how Rob went from looking totally uncomfortable to grinning broadly as he exclaimed “Because I LOVE to dance!” And really, anything that comes out of Carson’s mouth is probably going to be riotously funny, so of course I laughed at “Maks, hold me!” too. 🙂

Heidi: The funniest thing about “This is MY Show” was watching Derek, Rob and Cheryl in the background. Their faces were priceless. 🙂  But yeah, I went with the turd step as well.  It’s so funny that I wondered if he was putting it on.  I think the Dance Center bit about the turd step was even better than the original thing though. 🙂

Vogue: Ya know…while I just loved Tristan’s “turd step” phrase and his wonderful Irish accent all through out the season, I loved Rob’s “Because I LOVE to dance” phrase even more. I remember just stopping for a minute when he said that and you felt his whole journey at that moment totally from his heart. I was warmed thinking that is exactly what this entire show is all about. He never thought he could dance, but, he DID!! He surprised all of us and he surprised himself. So cool!!

January 26, 2012 I Written By

Ultrasound sales specialist by day, semi-knowledgeable DWTS fan by night...with a smattering of hair & makeup enthusiast, occasional model, baker, and crazy cat lady peppered in to make things REALLY interesting ;-) I might pee my pants in happiness if Donnie Wahlberg ever does DWTS - or if they ever use "Sunglasses at Night" as a paso doble.

DWTS13 End-of-Season Award Winners – Who Was the Cutest Kid in the Audience?

Other responses:

Johnny Solo, Hope’s nephew (kid in Buzz Lightyear costume) – 6 (Some of you seem convinced that this was a deliberate omission on my part – I can assure you it was not.  I honestly didn’t know that the cute kid in the costume during movie score week was her nephew.)

All of the kids were cute – 4

I didn’t even notice the kids in the audience/did not enjoy the kid distraction – 2

No vote – 1 (Ok…so why bother even voting, then?)

Tie between Coco & Hope’s nephew – 1

Tie: Nancy’s twins – both! – 1

Maks (on the day of the finals) – 1 (He did seem unusually chipper…)

Carson – 1 (I can’t recall a time when they actually got him to stay in his seat…)

Oksana – 1 (Hehe)

NOT NANCY’S – 1 (Go back to your lair under your bridge, troll…)

Ricki’s sons – 1

Courtney: First of all, some clarification – this was not meant to be a mean-spirited question, and I think some of you kind of assumed it was, based on some of your write-in responses.   I just found it interesting that this was a season where the “shot of somebody’s kid in the audience” played a bigger role than ever before – I can’t recall a previous season where we were constantly bombarded with cute, clapping, gap-toothed grinning kiddie faces week after week, and we even discussed the fact that TPTB may be rather invested in whose faces we see each week – hence the “boost” they may have been giving David.  Really & truly though, I agree with the majority – I got the biggest kick out of seeing Coco’s little bashful, excited face each week after her daddy’s dances.  She really is a mini-David, with some of the faces she pulls! I just loved that she seemed so happy to be there, and so proud of her daddy after every dance, whether he knocked it out of the park or failed miserably. Mason was also cute in his few appearances – I got a kick out of seeing him dressed as an Indian during Halloween week, and during the non-dress up weeks, I just thought it was cute how he clapped more out of mimicry of the rest of the audience, rather than actual comprehension of what was going on around him 😛 Nancy’s twins were fun in that they seemed like polar opposites – John David seemed like the sweet, affectionate one, waving to the camera, smiling and blowing kisses; I think a lot of us agreed that Lucy seemed like the handful, often pouting and scowling in pictures and refusing to cooperate.  Nancy’s gonna have fun with those two! 😀 I think I only caught a short glimpse of Hope’s nephew in his costume, but he was cute too 🙂 And I can only recall Ricki’s sons showing up once, and they’re a bit older, so they were pretty tame, just clapping politely and smiling rather than doing anything generally considered “cute”.

Heidi: Well, ya know, to some people everything is mean spirited. 🙂  Oh, and by the way – saying “no vote” is, in reality, A VOTE.  :::rolls eyes:::  (That was mean spirited of me… 🙂 )  Anyway, on to the kiddies. While I do think Coco is adorable and loved seeing her, I think Mason Disick is probably the most beautiful child I’ve seen in a while.  How does such a thing happen in that family? I mean, have you seen their various shows?? Ridiculous – complaining about paparazzi while being the biggest famewhores (looking at you mamma Kris and Kim, in particular) is so eye roll inducing as to give me a massive headache. The list goes on with the absurdities on those shows. Yes, I did see some because it comes on after E! News on Saturday morning. Like a trainwreck, I couldn’t look away. Sue me. It won’t happen again.  Anyway, I like all the kiddies in the audience and think they are all cute, but Mason gets the award from me – the indian outfit capped it off. 🙂

Vogue: Courtney, I didn’t think this was a mean spirited question. I thought it was a fun one especially being the camera showed the celebrities kids and family so much last Season. All the kids were so cute. I voted for Coco being her heart was so much into the whole show. She was clapping nonstop! You could tell she loved being in the audience and her love for her Dad was so apparent. Nancy’s kids caught my eye too…but, boy oh boy, I imagine they are a handful…..much like SHE is. LOL!!

*photo courtesy ABC/Adam Taylor

January 24, 2012 I Written By

Ultrasound sales specialist by day, semi-knowledgeable DWTS fan by night...with a smattering of hair & makeup enthusiast, occasional model, baker, and crazy cat lady peppered in to make things REALLY interesting ;-) I might pee my pants in happiness if Donnie Wahlberg ever does DWTS - or if they ever use "Sunglasses at Night" as a paso doble.

Jay Cutler and Kristin Cavallari Announce They Are Expecting First Baby

Congrats are in order for Dancing With The Stars Season 13 contender Kristin Cavallari. Her and her fiance Jay Cutler of the Chicago Bears have announced she is pregnant with their first child. Here is a take from People Magazine today.

“We are thrilled to announce we are expecting our first child together,” they tell PEOPLE exclusively. “It’s an amazing time in our life and we can’t wait to meet the new addition to our growing family.”

Shortly after Cavallari, 25, and her Chicago Bears quarterback beau, 28, renewed their engagement, the former Hills star and Dancing with the Stars contestant said, “Sometimes, in order for things to get better, they have to end – even if it’s momentarily.”

Love that quote above! I’m so glad things have worked out for them!! You could tell by Jay’s facial expressions in the audience last season that he still very much cared for Kristin.

Thanks to Courtney (and her Mom) for the heads up on this news.

January 23, 2012 I Written By

"Dance is the hidden language of the soul" ~ Martha Graham. That's what DWTS makes me think of every Monday night. To read more about me and my other interests, see Lisa Kay Photography. You can also follow me at Voguerista Twitter & Voguerista Soundcloud.

DWTS13 End-of-Season Award Winners – What Was the Biggest Controversy?

Other responses (lots of paraphrasing here…and some in-line commentary):

Hope being rude about getting three 7’s in the semifinals – 1 (One of the dangers of overscoring: bad dancers expecting good scores all the time…)

The Kadrashian’s voting tweets/Kim tweeting Rob’s voting # as Justin Bieber’s – 2 (Kadrashian, Kardashian, Cardassian, Klingon…whatevs)

Awful scoring by the judges – 1 (In other news, fire is hot & water is wet…)

Maks, “This is MY show!” – 1 (Ehhh…I think this kind of falls under the same category as “Maks fighting with the judges”)

Anything to do with Hope – 1 (Lemme guess: Maks was the innocent bystander?)

Carrie Ann telling Maks not to smile – 1 (Again – this is kinda the same thing as “Maks fighting with the judges”)

Carrie Ann being an awful judge – 1 (Again, nothing new – but it ain’t just Carrie Ann…)

Kym’s comments – 1 (???…Are you talking about her calling Roethlisburger a DB? Cause that was just funny…;-))

The continued presence of Maks’ evil clone (bring back the Maks that danced w/Kirstie) – 1 (Preaching to the choir…)

Both/all of Maks’ controversies – 2 (I’m thinking I should have just put “Maks” as one of the responses…)

The continued inability for Brooke to do her job – 1 (Not so much a controversy as a source of comedy…)

Derek & Maks rivalry – 1 (Seemed like more of a one-sided thing to me…)

Rob, who still cannot dance, coming in 2nd – 1 (Lemme guess: Ricki fan?)

Courtney:  The biggest controversy category is always a bit amusing (and simultaneously, a bit of a headache) for me, as it tends to reveal a bit of the rivalry between certain fanbases – and also seems to invite a TON of write-in responses, as some people want to hone-in on one very specific aspect of one of the previously listed options.  And somehow, Maks’ name always seems to come up.  *sigh* I’m honestly a little surprised that there weren’t more votes for “Maks vs. Hope”, because the “shove heard ’round the world” seem to really strike a nerve with people – and boy, were lines drawn! I guess I’ve come to expect the perennial “Maks vs. the judges” controversy; and in retrospect, after watching some older episodes of the show, I’m starting to wonder if some people were a little hypersensitive about the Chaz issue, as I’ve noticed that Bruno has always tended to use animal analogies to describe some contestants’ dancing…not saying that Bruno was right, but I’m wondering if those comments would have evoked the same response had they been directed at another contestant…say, Rob or Chynna.  Definitely not the most sensitive choice of words on Bruno’s part, but I don’t think they were as fat-phobic/insulting/condescending as some were some were making them out to be.  Bottom line: Bruno’s an idiot, but I don’t think he’s a cruel idiot…unless you name is Hope.  But that’s another story 😉 The Kardashians started out strong as the antagonizers, but as the season wore on (and Rob actually started doing well, and stopped running his mouth to the press), the hype kind of died down.  Hehe…”Nancy’s nudism” was actually a half-joking nomination on my part, as I think I wanted to have 6 responses.  So for those 19 of you that voted for it, I have to ask: were you really that perturbed about catching a peek of Nancy’s nipple or underwear, or at the prospect of her *gasp* passing gas on live tv? Cause I certainly didn’t lose any sleep over it 😉 As for the write-ins…I find that the majority of the responses kind of fell under some of the nominees we had already, although some of the nominations make me curious about the demographics of those doing the nominating…but I’ll just leave it at that 😉

Heidi: I didn’t think Maks yelling at the judges was that big a thing. So what? At the end of the day he’s comes off looking like an unprofessional jerk and it’s not the first time.  Anyone following my private twitter account even saw where I was agreeing with him…up until the point that he just wouldn’t STFU.  He couldn’t stop with just having his say out on the floor, he carried it upstairs, then he carried it to the media like a petulant child. For me it was the Hope versus Maks thing – that was very painful to watch. He went way too far this time.  It was just disgraceful.

Vogue: I voted for the “Maks vs Hope” on this one. The “shove” to this day haunts me. As most of you know, I’m a big Maks fan and I was never more disappointed him as I was in all my time watching him dance. On one hand I understood how Hope was bringing out the worst in him and vice versa. She was in no way innocent…and yet, no one deserves to be physically abused. No, it wasn’t full out physical abuse, but, it was still a shove/yank, or whatever you want to call it. Do I still love Maks and am I fan? Yes, because none of us are perfect, he’s acknowledged the incident, being wrong, and he’s a constant work in progress….and, in the end, aren’t we all? His comments to the judges were over the top too at times, but, sometimes I think they are necessary to keep them more balanced and to cool it. So, I can’t fault him all the way on that one. IE: Bruno’s over the top nasty comments to Chaz.

*photo courtesy ABC/Adam Taylor

January 22, 2012 I Written By

Ultrasound sales specialist by day, semi-knowledgeable DWTS fan by night...with a smattering of hair & makeup enthusiast, occasional model, baker, and crazy cat lady peppered in to make things REALLY interesting ;-) I might pee my pants in happiness if Donnie Wahlberg ever does DWTS - or if they ever use "Sunglasses at Night" as a paso doble.

DWTS13 End-of-Season Award Winners – Which Celeb Improved the Most?

Other responses:

Ricki/Ricky/Rickie/Ricci – 14

Chaz/Chazz – 2

JR/They were all bad except JR – 2

Kristin – 1

GET NANC OFF THE STAGE – 1 (Who’s “NANC”?)

Courtney: I really don’t think any of the other contestants had such a profound transformation as Rob – after week 1, I think I said “Yeeeep, he’s a goner next week or the week after!” and then each week, he actually started to get better…and better…and better…and more likeable, too.  Like his buddy Romeo (who went to USC too…did you know that? ;-)), he seemed to let go of his “tough guy” image, and really embraced the experience…and when celebs with hang-ups finally open up, that’s when they really start to get good.  I know there are people who still swear that Rob can’t dance – but really & truly, he ended up outdancing both JR & Ricki in the finale, and probably cumulatively had better technique than everyone except Ricki during the whole duration of the competition.  Continue to deny it, if you wish – but from a technical standpoint, the boy did improve 🙂 Nancy did improve, but I don’t think she had the same leaps & bounds that Rob had; Hope was so all over the place that it was hard to tell if she was really improving, or was just sucking less than the previous week – I would say her foxtrot, quickstep, and instant jive were high points, but compared to all the low points (pretty much every other dance she did), I think she ended up pretty weak overall.  David did legitimately improve – he would have probably been my 2nd choice after Rob for this award.  He started off as a pretty hot mess and then managed to gain some focus to take him further.  Ricki was more like a Hines to me – started off good, and stayed good for most of the season.  Any improvement was minute, as she never really stunk to begin with.  Chaz improved, but did seem to hit a wall by the time he left; was Kristin even around long enough to see any improvement? And as for JR…oy.  He actually seemed to get worse during those last few weeks, but I think he had the right energy (and a big enough fanbase), so he managed to still win.

Heidi: I find it pretty hard to argue against Rob on this one – I mean, I was rooting for him!! Not only did he improve as a dancer, but you could tell that he really liked hanging out with Derek and Mark….well, the whole cast. He was having FUN. He was making jokes at his own expense. He was just funny.  It’s almost like this was the first time that HE got to be the center of attention and he blossomed because of it.  I think DWTS really improved his sense of self-worth which is a great thing.  He went from gossiping about the cast to being part of that family and being invested in it.  It was very nice to see.  “They are all bad except JR” – what, are you FIVE?? Sheesh.

Vogue: Yep, Rob Kardashian all the way on this one!! When I first heard he was going to dance, I was turned off especially being I’m not a fan to the Kardashian’s in general. I thought between he and his sisters, they’d turn this show upside down with all the attention focused on them. I thought Rob would be a horrible dancer. I didn’t think he’d care about dancing, growing, or advancing. Wow, was I ever wrong and I love it when people do that to me. Rob not only listened to Cheryl, worked hard, and improved his dancing, he wanted to grow as a person as well. I was a total fan by the end and even hoped and thought he’d deserved first place. What a class act he turned out to be!! He will not only go down as most improved, but, as one of my favorite contestants on this show!! I was continually impressed with Chaz and how he worked so hard and improved too. Hope improved as well, but, much too late and her attitude was questionable all through out the show and until the end.

*photo courtesy ABC/Adam Taylor

January 20, 2012 I Written By

Ultrasound sales specialist by day, semi-knowledgeable DWTS fan by night...with a smattering of hair & makeup enthusiast, occasional model, baker, and crazy cat lady peppered in to make things REALLY interesting ;-) I might pee my pants in happiness if Donnie Wahlberg ever does DWTS - or if they ever use "Sunglasses at Night" as a paso doble.

DWTS13 End-of-Season Award Winners – Which Dance Was the Worst?

Other responses:

Hope & Maks’ rumba – 6

Ricki & Derek’s jive – 3

Hope & Maks’ first jive – 3

Chaz/Any dance from Chaz – 3 (Another one I’m tempted to throw out, because this seems a bit mean-spirited…and it doesn’t follow the directions)

Hope & Maks’ paso doble – 2

Elisabetta & Val’s cha-cha – 2

Ricki & Derek’s samba – 1

David & Kym’s rumba – 1

Ricki & Derek’s freestyle – 1

Rob & Cheryl’s samba – 1

Nancy & Tristan’s rumba – 1

Chaz & Lacey’s rumba – 1

Ricki & Derek’s paso doble – 1

Too many to list – 1

Courtney: Again, no big surprises here – looking back, I really do think Ron/Metta & Peta’s cha-cha was pretty hard to watch…and just kind of bizarre.  Hope & Maks’ tango, while very “clunky”, didn’t seem as bad to me – she was at least trying, where I felt like Ron just said “f*ck it” and was out there just winging it.  I have to give Nancy & Tristan’s jive a bit of a free pass, considering they got what I think could be the WORST jive song in the history of the show.  Chynna  had a brain fart – yes, it was hard to watch her crash & burn out there, but after seeing their encore performance during the finale, the dance itself didn’t seem quite so bad.  I would say that Rob & Cheryl’s Viennese waltz the first week had the potential to be as bad as Ron’s cha-cha, but Cheryl is such a pro at this point, I think she managed to conceal more of Rob’s flaws with backleading than Peta did with Ron’s.  JR & Karina’s cha-cha – yeah, it was a pretty hot mess, but I found that JR’s dancing in the finale was generally not up to snuff with the other stuff he had done all season…chalk it up to injury, I guess.  David & Kym’s jive was another hot mess, but again – he at least looked like he was trying.  It’s funny how effort can make or break a dance for me – a dance can be a hot mess, but I tend to cut it a bit of a break if I feel like the celeb is at least TRYING.  Likewise, a dance can be pretty good, but if I feel like the celeb is not really trying  or doesn’t really care (think Kate Gosselin) – I cannot bring myself to like it, no matter how great it may be.  Rounding out the write in category, I’ve got to raise my eyebrows at some of the responses, unfortunately.  Regardless of how one feels about Chaz’ life decisions, I don’t think all of Chaz’s dances were the worst ones this season, by any stretch – in fact, his cha-cha and samba were both pretty good, in my eyes.  And regardless of how one feels about Ricki and/or Derek, I don’t think any of their dances came close to being the worst, either – I think they may have gotten excessive praise for a few of them, but I don’t think any of them are inherently bad.  Hell, I was actually surprised that no one brought up their 80’s foxtrot – if any of their dances seemed even remotely qualified to be the worst of the season, it was that one…but again, I blame a crappy song and theme.  It’s funny that people bring up Hope & Maks’ rumba – with all the drama that followed it that week, I think it may have colored some people’s opinions of that dance for the worse; however, I actually kinda liked it, because Hope actually seemed to let go and show some vulnerability that week.  I just hated those damn flat boots she had to wear 🙂

Heidi: Heh. I forgot Ron was even on this past season, so it would be difficult for me to call him the “worst” – maybe being utterly forgotten is worse than being the worst. 🙂  I always laugh when someone throws in Ricki and Derek for a “worst dance” category.  She was not Derek’s best partner ever, but worst out of this group? LOL – I think a bit of envy is at play here.  I will also freely admit that Maks’ and Hope’s behavior toward the end of the season completely colored my thoughts on their dancing and, frankly, them as people.  But you know what? That is the risk you take when you persist in that type of behavior with no apologies. You have to own it.  Be responsible for it.  Like it or not, you’re on TELEVISION and what you do will have an impact on people, either positive or negative.  Now, I’ve had a negative opinion on Maks before and he turned it (and me) around with Kirstie. He may be able to do it again. But how many times can one keep making the same mistake before they just get written off?  So, at the end of the day, that is likely what you’re seeing in the number 2 ranking for Hope and Maks – unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on your POV) I’m rarely alone in my opinions or reactions. I’m just not that unique. 🙂  As for Tony and Chynna – I think people are very sympathetic with someone just blanking on someone and then feeling awful about it. Sympathy plays a huge part in this show, as we’ve said time and again. Plus, I think most people can see the difference between forgetting ones steps and being a “bad” dancer.  I don’t think she got voted out for blanking, I just don’t think she had a fanbase to begin with and her previously good scores had been protecting her from elimination.

Vogue: Wow, I’m shocked to see Maks and Hope’s Tango scoring so high for worst dance? 😯 But, looking back at it again, I was quickly reminded of her “attitude” which was turning a lot of fans off at the time including myself. I also thought Tony and Chynna’s Tango would have scored higher as “worst dance”. In the end, I agree with who won in this catagory. Ron didn’t even seem to care and Peta seemed to have given up as well on him which I didn’t fault her a bit. If she comes back this next season, I really hope she gets a good partner. I’d really like to see her given a good chance to teach.

*photo courtesy ABC/Adam Taylor

January 16, 2012 I Written By

Ultrasound sales specialist by day, semi-knowledgeable DWTS fan by night...with a smattering of hair & makeup enthusiast, occasional model, baker, and crazy cat lady peppered in to make things REALLY interesting ;-) I might pee my pants in happiness if Donnie Wahlberg ever does DWTS - or if they ever use "Sunglasses at Night" as a paso doble.

DWTS13 End-of-Season Award Winners – Which Dance Was the Best?

You guys voted…now it’s time to reveal your picks for the bests and worsts of season 13!

Other responses (keep in mind I am paraphrasing, as there were some…creatively-written responses ;-)):

JR & Karina’s freestyle – 11

JR & Karina’s waltz – 7

Nancy & Tristan’s rumba – 4

JR & Karina’s rumba – 4

JR & Karina’s 1st jive – 4

Ricki & Derek’s rumba – 3

Ricki & Derek’s quickstep – 2

JR & Karina’s instant jive – 2

Rob & Cheryl’s tango – 1

Elisabetta & Val’s quickstep – 1

Ricki & Derek’s paso doble – 1

Ricki & Derek’s portion of the team paso doble – 1

Rob & Cheryl/JR & Karina’s instant samba – 1

Kristin & Mark’s samba – 1

Kristin & Mark’s quickstep – 1

JR & Karina’s “Vietnamese” waltz – 1 (I assume you meant “Viennese”? :-))

Chynna & Tony’s rumba – 1

Derek & Mark’s dance w/Charm – 1 (one of the results show dances)

Chaz & Lacey’s rumba – 1

Carson & Anna’s Vogue – 1

GET NANCY OFF THE STAGE – 1 (I have half a mind to toss this one out completely…)

None really impressed me to say they were the best – 1

Courtney: Can’t say I’m too surprised – choreographically, I think Ricki & Derek’s tango was really the strongest dance of the season, and the execution and performance value were there as well.  It’s also a great example of how a less-than-desirable song/theme isn’t necessarily a death sentence, if put in the hands of a creative pro – in fact, a challenging song can often push a pro to really rise to the occasion and crank out something incredible.  JR & Karina’s samba was fun & well-executed, but maybe not quite as creative; ditto for Rob & Cheryl’s samba.  Gotta say – I was kind of rooting for Carson & Anna’s cha-cha.  It has yet to get old for me 🙂 Nancy & Tristan’s foxtrot and Hope & Maks’ quickstep were both fun & light, but I actually think Hope & Maks’ foxtrot was a stronger dance, both performance-wise and technique-wise…but I feel like it got overlooked because it was wedged between two weeks where Hope didn’t do so great.  The quickstep happened during her “breakthrough” week, so I think it comparison it may have appeared better than it really was. Hope looked to me like she was holding on for dear life in the quickstep, but seemed much more at-ease during her foxtrot.  I dunno…it is what it is.  Other responses: I liked JR & Karina’s freestyle a lot, but for some reason (which I can’t really put my finger on), it’s lacking a certain something for me that would really qualify it as the best dance of the season.  I have to raise my eyebrows a bit at the fact that 4 people (or rather, 4 different IP addresses ;-)) really thought Nancy & Tristan’s rumba was the best dance of the season…I mean, the dirty glance Tristan tossed Carrie Ann’s way at the beginning was hot, but other than that…Nancy was kinda lifeless in that dance, at least for me. As I recall, the judges weren’t too keen on it, either.

Heidi: I think JR was up and down an awful lot for someone who won the show, actually – and their freestyle??  I know we discussed it at the time but I can’t put my finger on it either.  There was nothing really technical in it beyond the one or two lifts – I always seem to prefer the freestyles that stick to a lot of ballroom moves but break all the rules in terms of lifts and hold – which explains why I am a Derek fan. He generally puts a lot of ballroom in his freestyles.  Tristan and Nancy?? Just no.  I liked them as a couple, and Tristan is a cutie – but the jury is still out on his choreo skills.  Nothing I saw from them was “wow” – although I adored the Spamalot dance just cuz it was Spamalot. 🙂 And I’ll give credit to Maks’ fans for being loyal at least.  Best dance of the season? Nope. Their dances were just too awkward looking most of the time.

Vogue: I don’t think I’ll ever forget my jaw dropping during and after Ricki and Derek’s Psycho performance. I love it when that happens. I’m a huge fan of theatre-like dance productions anyway being a huge fan to Madonna and Lady Gaga. Derek covered all of his bases not only with the dance itself, but, with the costuming and the brilliant backdropping. This performance will go down as one of the ‘most memorable’ on Dancing With The Stars. I’ll never forget it. I also loved Maks and Hope’s Quickstep. I felt they were both finally starting to find their element with this dance. It was good to see her finally relaxing. Whatever the case, their Quickstep gets best costuming. 😀

Keep watching in the coming weeks as we reveal more of the results of your voting! 🙂

January 11, 2012 I Written By

Ultrasound sales specialist by day, semi-knowledgeable DWTS fan by night...with a smattering of hair & makeup enthusiast, occasional model, baker, and crazy cat lady peppered in to make things REALLY interesting ;-) I might pee my pants in happiness if Donnie Wahlberg ever does DWTS - or if they ever use "Sunglasses at Night" as a paso doble.

DWTS Champ J.R. Martinez Rides As Grand Marshal In Tournament Of Roses Parade

Pictured above today as the Grand Marshal of the 123rd Tournament Of Roses Parade in Pasadena, California is our Dancing With The Stars champ J. R. Martinez. The Pasadena Sun reports J.R. sat in an open car as fans cheered and waved. On the last four days visiting the city, J.R. said, “The people are so nice and so accommodating. I can see why this tradition continues.”

If you didn’t get to see J.R. in the parade, you can do so at KTLA. You can also view a recent parade preview with J.R. where he talks some on Dancing With The Stars here. Below is a clip of J.R talking about the honor of being Grand Marshal from CBS Los Angeles.

Thanks to Jazortega for the picture above!!

January 2, 2012 I Written By

"Dance is the hidden language of the soul" ~ Martha Graham. That's what DWTS makes me think of every Monday night. To read more about me and my other interests, see Lisa Kay Photography. You can also follow me at Voguerista Twitter & Voguerista Soundcloud.

DWTS Nancy Grace’s Dancing Special From Dance With Me Studios Part 2 (Full Video)

In case you missed Part 2 of Nancy Grace’s “Dancing Special” last night on her show, here it is in full special thanks to Grinya’s Entertainment.


Happy New Year's From 'Dance With Me' Studios -… by GrinyasEntertainment

What do you think? I thought Part 2 was better than Part 1. I loved how they spotlighted the little dancers! They were so good. I loved how they included the full cast of this past season in it in some way, not just the dancers present at Dance With Me Studios with Nancy! I also loved Val playing his violin (and the retrospective with Mark Ballas) and the kiss on Nancy’s cheek from Maks after they danced (they would have made a cool couple to watch last season like he and Kirstie). Great show!!

And again, if you missed Part 1, be sure to see it here.

Great shows!! I hope Nancy will continue to cover Dancing With The Stars in the future. I’d love to see more TV coverage of what goes on at Dance With Me Studio’s as well. Fascinating!!

December 31, 2011 I Written By

"Dance is the hidden language of the soul" ~ Martha Graham. That's what DWTS makes me think of every Monday night. To read more about me and my other interests, see Lisa Kay Photography. You can also follow me at Voguerista Twitter & Voguerista Soundcloud.