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DWTS Season 19 Contestant Tommy Chong 2nd Celeb Voted Off “The Masked Singer”; More Former DWTS Contestants Likely Behind the Masks

Well, as we hypothesized last week – it sure seems like the casting department for The Masked Singer went fishing for contestants from the pool of celebs that have done DWTS. Six new masked celebs performed last night, and my favorite of Peta’s former partners, Chong, was sent home after an exuberant (but just ok, if we’re being honest) performance of “I Will Survive”…while dressed as a pineapple, I might add 😛 And while only Chong was unmasked, there are four other contestants who may or may not be past DWTS competitors, based on the clues…shall we have a look?

“The Rabbit”

Clues given: has spent most of his life onstage, but never alone; he now “pops up here, and pops up there”; synchronized singing is his forte; he’s performed in a mask before; the last man standing “is gonna be me”

Who it might be: NSYNC member and DWTS season 4 finalist/all-stars contestant Joey Fatone (but I haven’t ruled out JC Chasez as a possibility)

Why: NSYNC had a hit called “It’s Gonna Be Me”; Joey seems to pop up in the most random places anymore (DWTS, hosting game shows, hawking male hair loss products); the only clue that’s throwing me is the straight jacket – yes, NSYNC did a video where they were in an insane asylum for “I Drive Myself Crazy” (which, in retrospect, was in rather poor taste) and they all wore straitjackets, but the cover of JC’s solo album Schizophrenic also features him in a straitjacket. Both men are of similar heights, though Joey seems quite a bit stockier than JC…but who knows.

 

“The Raven”

Clues given: “all my life, I’ve listened to other people’s stories”; always been a “sunny kind of person”; “no one talks more than me”; recently suffered a “tragic loss”, show is giving her the opportunity to “honor my beloved”

Who I’m fairly certain it is: talk show host and DWTS season 13 finalist Ricki Lake

Why: Ricki’s best known as a talk show host, but she also has dabbled in singing/performing – she played Tracy Turnblad in the original movie of Hairspray. Her ex-husband sadly committed suicide in February of 2017.

 

“The Poodle”

Clues given: loves to take on different characters while onstage; lots of clips of San Francisco shown – particularly the Castro District, which is a well-known LGBTQ area; comes from a “musical family”, but “known for a different kind of talent”; “STAND UP!”; pictures of rainbows; “time to return to my musical roots”; “to figure me out, you’re gonna have to WORK!!!”

Who I’m fairly certain it is: comedian and DWTS season 11 contestant Margaret Cho

Why: She’s a stand-up comedian from San Francisco, and has always been outspoken in her support of the LGBTQ community; has actually released an album and can legitimately sing

 

“The Bee”

Clues given: long career, and has never wanted to stop doing what she loves; “you can call me Queen Bee, but ‘Empress’ also suits me”; guys in suits in the background doing synchronized moves to a Motown-sounding track; “looking forward to singing to a new generation”; career started in the ’50s

Who I’m fairly certain it is: R&B legend and DWTS season 14 contestant Gladys Knight

Why: Gladys has been around for awhile, and she first started performing in the 1950s; nickname is the “Empress of Soul”; the Pips were 3 guys who did synchronized dance moves behind Gladys when they were performing

And in case you missed it (and love Chong like I do), here are Chong’s clues and performance:

As for the last remaining contestant, The Alien – still torn on that one, but most folks seem to be guessing Kendall Jenner.  What are your thoughts on the identities of the contestants, both this week’s and last week’s? 😎

January 10, 2019 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.

PureDWTS Season 27 – Preliminary Thoughts & Predictions

I feel like all I do is apologize for the lack of timeliness in my posts these days 😛 Sorry guys – life got busy for me real fast this season. I thought about doing a preliminary power rankings, but I realized I haven’t been keeping up with enough media about the couples to really do that justice.  So instead, welcome to my random and scattered thoughts about this season, in no particular order 🙂 I tried hit on some of the questions I was getting on Twitter, but if there’s anything else you want my thoughts on, go ahead and leave it in the comments and I’ll try to answer.

This is DeMarcus’ MBT to lose.  Now before anyone assumes I mean “I think DeMarcus will win!”, pump your brakes – what I mean by this is that I feel like DeMarcus has the easiest path to the MBT, from the jump: he’s a former NFL player from possibly the most universally popular team (the Dallas Cowboys – often referred to as “America’s team”, part of the reason why Emmitt was so popular), he’s well-spoken and well-liked, he’s in great shape physically, he’s got one helluva work ethic, and he has a great rapport with his partner, who is also widely well-liked and well-respected.  Basically, as long as he dances decently (not necessarily great – decent should do it) and puts on a good show and has a “journey”, I think the MBT is his – which means the other couples are going to have to work twice as hard to win, even though they might actually be better dancers. DeMarcus is easily the biggest fanbase ringer this season, from where I sit – and sometimes, that can help a decent dancer overtake a fantastic dancer for the MBT. Just ask Donny Osmond.

We could be dealing with season 24, redux.  I can’t help but draw some comparisons between this season and season 24, when there was a preponderance of ringers (particularly female ones) and the last two standing were guys with no previous dance experience (one of which was an NFL player) that were just really likeable and had great chemistry with their partners. I think each season of DWTS can realistically handle 1-2 high-level ability ringers, tops – any more than that and you start to run into some unexpected results, as we saw in season 24 (you could also argue that too many fanbase ringers of the same type yield unexpected results – look at season 22, when all three NFL players got shut out of the finale). And here’s the kicker: you’ve gotta have a pro that actually knows how to choreograph to an ability ringer’s strengths.  One way I think season 24 fell woefully short was handing the two biggest ringers (Normani & Heather) to two pros who couldn’t cut the mustard, choreographically-speaking. Maks’ choreo for Heather that season was absolutely pitiful, and while Val managed a few hits (the Mulan paso, the contemporary, maybe the Argentine tango), towards the end of the season, his choreo kinda petered out (the Viennese waltz and freestyle were both head-scratchers for me). Even Mark seemed to burn out towards the end of season 25 with Lindsey.  I think a big key to the big ability ringers’ (Tinashe, Alexis, Juan Pablo, Mary Lou, and to a lesser degree, Evanna & Milo) longevity this season is how well their partners are able to choreograph to their strengths – and if they’re able to keep up the momentum, all season long.

If any of the pros are going to step up the choreo to become the “new Mark/Derek”, now would be the time to do it. We’re kind of in an odd transition period in the show: with the exception of Cheryl popping in for fall seasons, the OG pros are all gone; even some of the second generation pros (Peta, Val, Sharna, Emma, Sasha) are starting to pursue other opportunities outside of DWTS, and they may move on from the show before long. TPTB continue to try retooling the show to keep up with the times (All-Athletes, Juniors), and the pressure is generally on to keep this show “fresh”. While most of the female pros are actually stellar choreographers, the male pro lineup has been woefully void of great choreography; if one of them wanted to try cementing himself as the new choreographic genius of the male lineup, now would be the time to do it – and I think Brandon may be the ticket.  I have heard tremendous praise for his skills as both a teacher and a choreographer on Juniors, and if you think about it, he’s the first male pro that has come from the same training background that gave us Lindsay, Witney, and Jenna. He’s impressively cross-trained (like the rest of the Utah Squad, and really, Ballas/Hough before them), and doesn’t seem to have any of the same “ballroom purity” hangups that we seem to see with Chmerkovskiy acolytes. I’m thinking Brandon could be the breakout star pro of this season, if he plays his cards right.

I am totally fine with newbs like Brandon & Alan getting ringers. Val’s already been granted his 2 MBT’s, and seems to be transitioning to more of a judging role; Gleb & Keo just can’t seem to get their choreo right; Artem & Sasha are for the most part “hit”, but still sometimes “miss”.  Repeating it again for good measure: the male pro lineup needs a wake-up call.  So if that means handing Brandon & Alan some pretty ringy ability ringers, I’m all for it – let’s see what they’re made of. I actually thought Alan did respectably well with Mirai, and the only issue there had more to do with Mirai’s loose lips and general lack of self-awareness. Seems like these pros really have to hit the ground running in their initial season, anymore, if they want to continue as pros – and that can be kinda hard to do, if they’re always handing the newbs dud partners. Cheryl, Mark, Julianne, and Lacey all got ringers in their first season on the show – and it seemed to keep them in play for awhile. I used to be of the “newbs shouldn’t get ringers” camp – but anymore, I just keep going “Show me something new and different!!!” and “Everyone ends up getting a dud at some point, and everyone ends up getting a ringer at some point. No point getting too hung up on a single season.”

I wouldn’t count on Mary Lou being an early out.  I know some are hoping she’s gone by week 2 or 3, due to her comments about the Nassar case – I don’t blame you.  However, a bit of a reminder about the demographics of this show: the largest chunk of viewers are middle-aged, female, and conservative, and likely have very fond memories of Mary Lou as the Olympic darling who brought home gold back in her youth.  I would also venture a guess that many of them (like some of the conservatives currently trying to get a man of questionable morals elected to the Supreme Court) are “#MeToo skeptics” who are unfortunately more likely to give a pass to an Olympic darling defending her former trainer than to take the word of countless women who bravely came forward to speak about the trauma they endured at Nassar’s hand. It sucks, no doubt – but it’s an unfortunate pattern I’ve noticed, and it makes me think Mary Lou could last at least until the midpoint of the season – especially if she’s a decent dancer, which I think she will be.  I don’t see her winning or making the finals, though…at least not right now.

I think Nikki & Alexis need to turn on the charm, though.  Both come from professions that have yet to really do well on DWTS: comedians, models, and social media influencers. With the exception of conservative-leaning “country boy” comedian Bill Engvall, comedians generally haven’t done very well on this show – I think their biggest struggle is connecting with the audience, particularly if their brand of humor is a bit more high-brow or sarcastic. Or female 🙁 Conservative folk love the somewhat simple-minded humor of Jeff Foxworthy, Rodney Carrington, Larry the Cable Guy, and Bill Engvall – but they tend not to embrace the D.L. Hughley’s, Jeff Ross’, and Margaret Cho’s of the world quite so warmly. Unless Nikki ends up being an Alexis or Tinashe-level dancer (and I don’t think she will be), or ends up finding a way to endear herself to the audience…I see her as an early out. Alexis may be a very trained dancer, but she’s also a model (and they tend not to last long on this show) and a social media personality (the only precedent we have for that being Hayes Grier – who couldn’t manage to get his millions of followers to vote hard enough to get him past week 7). Additionally, Alexis seems more reserved on-camera – so I think she’s really going to have to come out of her shell to endear herself to the audience, if she wants to stick around.

Being an “inspiring backstory” ringer may not be as much of an advantage as it once was.  Not counting Heather McCartney (who despite being an amputee, was also the much-maligned ex-wife of Paul McCartney), Amy was a novelty, since we hadn’t really had anyone disabled on the show in awhile, and Derek managed to mold her into a pretty respectable dancer. Noah had the fanbase boon of being a disabled vet; Nyle was both deaf AND a very likeable guy who could actually dance really well.  I’m not sure anyone really considered Terra’s small stature as a disability, since she was actually a pretty good dancer; and things started to deteriorate once Bonner came along, as he actually was a creep, despite his “inspiring backstory”. Victoria gave it her best shot a year ago, but given that her disability wasn’t as visible as, say, Amy’s or Noah’s, I don’t know that it really carried her as far as it once might have (then again, Val also really phoned it in on the choreo towards the end, so that likely didn’t help either).  I guess the point I’m trying to get at is this: the “inspiring backstory” is becoming less and less of a novelty on this show with each passing season, particularly with contestants whose disabilities aren’t outwardly visible, so Danelle might not get as much support as she would have on an earlier season. Times change – the audience changes.  Things that were once new and novel become commonplace, and voting attitudes change.  I don’t think Danelle will be first, second, third, or even 4th out, but I’ll be interested to see just how far her story takes her, particularly if she’s really struggling with the dancing.

Is Juan Pablo William Levy 2.0? Is Evanna going to be the next Katherine Jenkins? Those are the two former contestants that come to mind when I look at Juan Pablo & Evanna. On the plus side, I already find Juan Pablo quite a bit more likeable and relatable than William, who I always found to be a bit reserved and even borderline awkward in interviews; his dancing was decent, but not as fantastic as the judges would have had you think. Juan Pablo seems like he might have more polish and technique on his side. Evanna seems like she’s got roughly the same level of dance experience as Katherine – they’ve probably dabbled in it at some point, but are more well-known for other things.  I think Evanna will be at least as good as Katherine, ability-wise – question is, will Keo be as good as Mark? I’m gonna go with a big fat “NO” on that one, unless Keo has had some sort of choreographic breakthrough over the summer.  He seemed to hit a small groove with Jodie 2.5 years ago, but that season was a bloodbath and she probably could have gone further on a different, less competitive season. Will his choreo/teaching skills hold up this time? We’ll see.

Early prediction for the final 3: DeMarcus, Juan Pablo, & Tinashe. If they take 4 to the finale – Milo or Bobby join the other 3.

First out: My gut says Nikki.  Outside chance of John. Whichever one doesn’t go in week 1, is probably toast during the double elim in week 2. Having Val will likely keep Nancy around for a bit longer than expected, but I would be surprised if she lasted past the midpoint of the season.

“Shocking” elim potential: Alexis screams “good dancer that will probably get eliminated because she can’t successfully crossover fanbases” to me. I don’t think her millions of IG followers will vote as hard as some think they will, and I don’t know that the general DWTS audience is going to embrace her strongly.

Dark horse: I feel like Bobby is going to surprise a lot of people.  I’m hearing a lot of people say Joe, but Joe strikes me as kinda awkward…especially after I saw this.  What has been seen cannot be unseen. 😛

So there we have it – my thoughts headed into Monday’s premiere.  What do you guys think? Share in the comments, and if you don’t mind, please take 5 minutes to go watch my cousin’s son, Kingston, do his first LEGO unboxing video on YouTube and throw him a like or a comment.  He’s been battling leukemia since March, and he’s officially CANCER FREE now and starting to feel like a regular kid again. Bonus: appearance by his equally adorable brother Lincoln, and they both have the most adorable Tennessee accents 😛

See you all Monday for the live blog!!! 🙂

September 21, 2018 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.

PureDWTS 10th Anniversary Special – Who Do You Hope to See Back?

After much speculation (and a lot of questions!) we now know that the 10th Anniversary Special is taping this coming Tuesday, April 21, and will air on April 28  May 7 (or May 14, depending on who you ask).  What we aren’t so positive on is who will be returning to dance – Deep Throat has confirmed that Kelly & Alfonso will be participating, and thanks to Claire for the heads-up on this interesting post to Emmitt’s charity auction. So who else might we see? And who do we Pure girls want to see? Read on…

ETA1: Ok, got some new info that clarifies the format of the anniversary special a bit.  Apparently the list of returning celebs is MASSIVE; HOWEVER – not everyone returning is going to be performing individually.  Most of them are going to be performing in groups, and they’re doing brand new dances.  For example – a bunch of the NFL players are going to be performing together (squeeeee!!!) and so far, it’s definitely going to be Emmitt, Kurt Warner, Jacoby, and Donald…and there may be more 😀 Not gonna lie – about crashed my car when I got that text from Deep Throat.  I would guess that their respective pros are going to be performing with them. Now with that knowledge under our belts, I’m guessing that Kristi, Katherine (yes, I know she’s pregnant, but she’s on the list), Chelsea, and Sadie may be performing as a group with Mark.  As far as Deep Throat knows right now, the only couples dancing individually are Kelly & Val, Alfonso & Witney, and Meryl & Maks. 

ETA2: Guess I need to clarify a few things so that this post does not become a royal pain in my ass 🙂 First: I HAVE INSTAGRAM, TWITTER, FACEBOOK, ETC. TOO.  If Melissa & Tony confirm they’re in, I will see it, and I will get around to posting it WHEN I’M NO LONGER ASLEEP.  Repeatedly tweeting me and commenting here will not make it go any faster.  Second: I mentioned above that the list of returning celebs is HUGE.  The list below isn’t comprehensive, it was just what DT could remember off the top of his/her head.  There is NO USE in getting bent outta shape about your favorite not being included (yet) – there is definitely more that what we have here.  BREATHE. Three: some of you have tweeted me with some pretty flimsy findings that supposedly confirm that so-and-so is in or whatnot.  Unless a celeb states “I’m going to be on the anniversary special” or I get confirmation from Deep Throat, they’re not going on the “confirmed” list.  I added a new section for “random chatter” where I might post things like that, if I find them relevant.  Fourth: Don’t be that annoying person that continually DM’s myself, Heidi, Vogue, or John begging to know if [insert celeb or pro here] is coming back for the special.  All we know right now is posted here, and we’ll share more if we hear more.  Fifth: hearing conflicting reports about when the special is airing – it’s either the 7th or 14th.  At this point, all I care is that it’s NOT THIS WEEK…

ETA3: More names confirmed for the big NFL players group dance.  Also: Anna will be performing in it, so she is back.

ETA4: Per Deep Throat, 3 of Derek’s former partners and 3 of Mark’s former partners are all dancing together (with Derek & Mark) in a “bromance”-themed dance.  Sadie may have an individual dance.

ETA5: In yet another scheduling shakeup, Anniversary Special will now air next Tuesday, Apr. 28; first results show is pushed to the following Tuesday, May 5.  Single elim in week 7; double elim moved to week 8. Discuss.

Confirmed for 10th Anniversary Special:

Kelly Monaco & Val (season 15 All-Stars, 3rd place) – doing their paso doble and/or their surfer flamenco
Alfonso Ribeiro & Witney (season 19 champions) – doing their salsa
Meryl Davis & Maks (season 18 champions) – some individual dance
Emmitt Smith (season 3 champion) – NFL player group dance
Jacoby Jones (season 16, 3rd place) – NFL player group dance
Kurt Warner (season 11, 5th place) – NFL player group dance
Donald Driver (season 14 champion) – NFL player group dance
Jerry Rice (season 2 runner-up) – NFL player group dance
Michael Irvin (season 9, 7th place) – NFL player group dance
Hines Ward (season 12 champion) – NFL player group dance
Chelsea Kane (season 12, 3rd place) – Derek/Mark “bromance” group dance
Kristi Yamaguchi (season 6 champion) – Derek/Mark “bromance” group dance
Katherine Jenkins (season 14 runner-up) – Derek/Mark “bromance” group dance
Sadie Robertson (season 19 runner-up) – individual dance (?)
Maria Menounos (season 14, 4th place) – Derek/Mark “bromance” group dance
Amber Riley (season 16 champion) – Derek/Mark “bromance” group dance
Amy Purdy (season 18 runner-up) – Derek/Mark “bromance” group dance
Chelsie Hightower – not sure who she’s dancing with or what they’re doing, but she confirmed she’ll be back
Anna Trebunskaya – dancing in the NFL players group dance (and possibly others)
Melissa Rycroft & Tony (season 8, 3rd place; season 15 All-Stars champions) – Tony confirmed on Instagram; I’m guessing they’re doing an individual dance

Confirmed as not involved:

Shawn Johnson (season 8 champion, season 15 All-Stars runner-up) – knee injury
Zendaya (season 16 runner-up) – had other commitments in NYC, per her mom

Random chatter – take with a grain of salt:

Bill Engvall – tweeted this the other day – see Emma’s response further down
Margaret Cho – could be her in the background of this Instagram pic posted by Allison
Janel Parrishwill be at the show – but unclear if she’s actually dancing or will just be in the audience Read more..

April 19, 2015 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 15 All-Star Cast Rumors List: Who’s In, Who’s Out, Who’s a Maybe, Who Knows???

With all of the coverage of the upcoming all-star season we’ve been doing, we realize it can get a little hard to keep up and remember who’s said yes, who’s said no, who’s just a maybe, etc.  So for the sake of maintaining everyone’s sanity and trying to keep at least some degree of organization, here’s a handy list of what celebs we’ve been covering as it pertains to the all-star season, broken down by their original season, along with a brief summary of where they stand.  We’ll keep this post stuck to the main page until the cast announcement, and we’ll post updates in red as they come in. 

ETA #1: Updated with coverage of Joey Fatone & Trista Sutter, and an update of Ralph Macchio. 

ETA #2: Added info on Kelly Monaco. 

ETA #3: Update on Maria Menounos. 

ETA #4: A little over 24 hours until the cast announcement and updates & rumors coming fast & furious! Thanks Vogue & Heidi :-)Updates on Gilles Marini, Joey Fatone, Melissa Rycroft, Stacy Keibler, Kendra Wilkinson, & Carson Kressley; added info on Melissa Joan-Hart & Pamela Anderson. 

Season 1:

Trista Sutter – a few interesting tweets that seemed to imply she was heading somewhere to do something secret, but now says she is definitely not taking part in the all-star season 🙁
Kelly Monaco – hinted at a GH fan event that she was “going to need fans’ help with something that’s getting announced next Friday!”

Season 2:

Stacy Keibler – played coy, said “possibly” if she was asked to return; says we’ll “have to wait & find out”; rumored as a possible X-Factor host; Entertainment Weekly claiming she’s not likely to do the show
Drew Lachey – said he “had a blast and would be open to doing it again”, but wasn’t sure how things would play out

Season 3:

Jerry Springer – said he may do SOMETHING for the show and would love to be in the audience, but wouldn’t dance again
Mario Lopez – spilled the beans about being asked to do the all-star season on Live with Kelly way back in May, and was thinking about it; however, he now says he’s “too busy” and “doesn’t think he’ll be able to do it” – mentioned as a rumored candidate to host X-factor
Joey Lawrence – asked fans on Twitter to vote for him to get on the all-star season

Season 4:

Joey Fatone – says he isn’t really sure if he’d do it or not, and that he hasn’t gotten a call yet; Entertainment Weekly claiming he’s “likely” to do the show Read more..

July 13, 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.

Margaret Cho And Sherri Shepherd For Dancing With The Stars All-Star Season?

Uh no…just no! 😯

LOL! Seriously, let us know what you think after watching this new interview with Margaret Cho on The View today. Margaret also reveals why people shouldn’t feel sorry for those eliminated after they get voted off the show.

June 1, 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.

DWTS14 Casting Rumors – The Typecasting of Season 14, Part I

I don’t know about you guys, but I’m just ready for the cast announcement so we can get all of this speculating over & done with! But to help us get a handle on who might be in and out, let’s take a look at what combination of “casting types” we might get this season.

The Olympian

Previous examples: Kristi Yamaguchi, Shawn Johnson, Apolo Ohno, Natalie Coughlin, Misty May-Treanor, Maurice Greene, Louie Vito, Evan Lysacek, Hope Solo

Advantages: The winningest of the 12 types, their obvious advantage is their athleticism – you won’t see these guys struggling with strength or endurance moves.  In addition, the same tireless work ethic that helped them medal in the Olympics will likely carry them through the toils of the competition. They also seem to be adored by the masses, as many are seen as “hero” figures – which translates into a formidable voting fanbase.

Disadvantages: For those specializing in sports that are less “artistic” (i.e. swimming, running, volleyball), it might be a bit hard to really get into the character of the dance and truly perform to the crowd.  Previously incurred injuries (or the fear of incurring an injury that might hinder their participation in subsequent competitions in their sport, a la Misty May-Treanor) may also slow them down & limit their mobility.

Possible candidates this season: The only semi-legitmate Olympian prospect I think we’ve heard is Bruce Jenner – and I would like to think that TPTB would have mercy and not subject us to back-to-back seasons of Kardashians in the audience 😀

The Athlete

Previous examples: Chuck Liddell, Warren Sapp, Emmitt Smith, Michael Irvin, Helio Castroneves, Laila Ali, Floyd Mayweather, Ty Murray, Evander Holyfield, Jerry Rice, Clyde Drexler, Monica Seles, Jason Taylor, Lawrence Taylor, Chad Ochocinco, Kurt Warner, Rick Fox, Sugar Ray Leonard, Chris Jericho, Hines Ward, Ron Artest

Advantages: As with the Olympians, their athleticism & work ethic make them well-suited to the competition.  An edge they might have over their Olympic counterparts: sports like football, auto racing, & mixed martial arts tend to have a larger, more mainstream following than some of the Olympic sports.

Disadvantages: Again, a lack of “artistic” experience & previous injury (especially with the football players, who have really taken a beating over the years). Some of the more muscular athletes in hard-hitting sports may also have difficulty with the refined, precise moves of some of the dances.

Possible candidates this season: Vince Young tweeted that he had been asked to the do the show, then suspiciously deleted the tweet.  Guilty much? 😉 We’ve also heard Annika Sorenstam’s name in the mix.

Read more..

February 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 Casting Rumors – The Typecasting of Season 13, Part I

It’s that time of year, again – time to take all the wacky rumors and all the wacky casting patterns we see from season to season and hypothesize who we might actually get to see 🙂 This year is interesting, in that we already definitely know one of the celebs, are fairly certain about two others, and have got definite suspicions about another two – almost takes a bit of fun out of the guessing, no? 🙂 But I’m sure there will be at least one celeb who’s name we haven’t heard – and at least one we’ve never heard of, too…thankfully, even unpredictability becomes predictable after awhile! But let’s get it on with it, shall we? Oh, and if you’re feeling nostalgic (and want to see how effective using these cast types as a template can be), check out the typecasting of season 10, season 11, and season 12 🙂

The Olympian

Previous examples: Kristi Yamaguchi, Shawn Johnson, Apolo Ohno, Natalie Coughlin, Misty May-Treanor, Maurice Greene, Louie Vito, Evan Lysacek

Advantages: The winningest of the 12 types, their obvious advantage is their athleticism – you won’t see these guys struggling with strength or endurance moves.  In addition, the same tireless work ethic that helped them medal in the Olympics will likely carry them through the toils of the competition. They also seem to be adored by the masses, as many are seen as “hero” figures – which translates into a formidable voting fanbase.

Disadvantages: For those specializing in sports that are less “artistic” (i.e. swimming, running, volleyball), it might be a bit hard to really get into the character of the dance and truly perform to the crowd.  Previously incurred injuries (or the fear of incurring an injury that might hinder their participation in subsequent competitions in their sport, a la Misty May-Treanor) may also slow them down & limit their mobility. Read more..

August 26, 2011 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.

Dancing With The Stars Louis Van Amstel “Drop Dead Diva” Appearance (Video)

Hey Guys! Thanks to @DWTSGossip at Twitter for this news, you can watch Sunday’s “Drop Dead Diva” episode with Louis and Margaret Cho >>>>HERE. Below are some takes from Margaret via The Sop about Louis’ appearance…

“Louis was so gracious to do a wonderful cameo for us because he was in the middle of filming Dancing with the Stars,” says Cho, whose show films in Atlanta. “Of course, he was competing with Kendra Wilkinson and so he didn`t have a lot of time. He came in on a red eye, danced and choreographed the whole number, filmed with us, and left that same day to go back to rehearsals. So we`re so grateful to him. He was just marvelous.”

“Louis and I worked with the choreography — some of it from Dancing with the Stars — and then he took all of the moves that we had learned over that period of time and put them together and made like a mash-up of the best of,” Cho explains. “So we do like the most athletic, the most dynamic and showy ballroom moves, and we show them off to Grayson and he gets very intimidated.”

“I think a lot of the spins, the twists, the turns, learning how to be dipped. You know, having faith in who you`re acting with ” making sure they`ll carry you. I think that`s what I learned most of all from Dancing with the Stars is trust. When you trust somebody else to lift you and pick you up and hurl you around and catch you, I think that`s huge. So I definitely bring that to Drop Dead Diva.”

I haven’t watched the episode yet, but, from a fan at twitter, they say Louis danced to Shaun Barrowes’ song “Hop, Skip and a Jump” Hop, Skip and a Jump - Big Bang Theory and it was “pretty cool”. If you watched it, let us know your thoughts.

July 18, 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.

Louis Van Amstel Talks So You Think You Can Dance And Dancing With The Stars

Wetpaint has a great new interview up with Louis Van Amstel. As some of you know, he’s been currently helping to choreograph some routines for So You Think You Can Dance. According to our Heidi in the Emmy post, Louis choreographed “two kickass dances” that were “strict and difficult ballroom”. What’s more, she said his work was “better than anything he’s done on DWTS in YEARS.” Of the experience in the new interview, Louis said….

You also choreographed for So You Think You Can Dance recently. How do you find choreographing for So You Think You Can Dance compared to Dancing With The Stars?
It’s different… This week on So You Think You Can Dance it was very challenging. They had never done Tango, ever. So I thought, you know what, you’re going to have to rise to the challenge. I am not going to make it easier… If you have trained dancers that are out of their comfort zone, it is a completely different challenge than someone who has never danced before, where you have to just teach them how to dance. It’s different, but I love both, I absolutely love both.

Stay tuned because Chelsie Hightower will be helping with So You Think You Can Dance next week for one show.

Louis also talks about Dancing With The Stars. I didn’t realize he had taught many of the current pros on the show.

Before Dancing With the Stars you worked with a lot of the pros who are now on the show as their coach, right?
Yes. ABC doesn’t talk a lot about that, but yes, I couched ninety percent of the dancers on the show right now.

What has it been like to watch your pupils become your colleagues and co-stars on DWTS, which is a huge phenomena?
Now it’s great, but in the beginning — let’s say between Season 3 and Season 10 — there were conflicts. You get the dynamic that I had been the coach then [before the show], but now I’m not. And then some [of the pros] feel, in their minds, that they’re more celebrated than others, and others feel that now they want to compete with me. I’m not doing Dancing With the Stars to compete with someone else. My job is to develop, and create a journey for my celebrity, so that I can truly help my partner and make her as good as I can. And when we do group numbers, it’s to create the best number for the show, because we want to entertain. So, there had been conflict…

But now, in the last two seasons, the pros have now found their own self, and their own route, and their own niche, and it’s really good. I think people see it, and the celebrities feel it, and the celebrities have more camaraderie, and we all help each other.

A lot of pros have started to branch out into other projects, and seeing success there. Do you think that’s part of why they’re less competitive on the show itself?
If you’re very competitive by nature, in the end, there is some insecurity there. If you’re insecure about yourself, you focus on your product, your dancing, your art. You have to be pretty secure about who you are as a person to be able to say, “I’m not trying to put you down, or beat you, I am just focusing on my heart.” It’s not easy to do, sometimes.

Ineresting. Be sure to read more of this interview >>>>here. Louis also talks of his past partners on Dancing With The Stars. Note: Louis will be on “Drop Dead Diva” with Margaret Cho on Sunday, July 17th at 9:00pm ET on Lifetime if you want to check it out. Below is a hint of what’s to come….

July 15, 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.

DWTS Season 12 Casting Rumors – The Typecasting of Season 12, Part I

Whenever the time comes to start speculating about the next season’s cast, one useful “tool” we all seem to use is the patterns in typecasting over the seasons – we know there will likely be at least 1 athlete, perhaps a reality TV star, a singer or two, etc.  But when you REALLY take a good look at the casting “types” over the seasons, it becomes clear that each season has been a carefully-crafted combination of celebs to appeal almost every demographic…and I think we’ve cracked that code 🙂

Prior to the cast announcements, I’ve done a typecasting analysis for both season 10 and season 11, and both casts have fulfilled almost every subtype (with some celebs fulfilling more than one “type”).  So why not take a look at the casting rumors for season 12 and see which might fit into the casting equation, shall we? 🙂

The Olympian

Previous examples: Kristi Yamaguchi, Shawn Johnson, Apolo Ohno, Natalie Coughlin, Misty May-Treanor, Maurice Greene, Louie Vito, Evan Lysacek

Advantages: The winningest of the 12 types, their obvious advantage is their athleticism – you won’t see these guys struggling with strength or endurance moves.  In addition, the same tireless work ethic that helped them medal in the Olympics will likely carry them through the toils of the competition. They also seem to be adored by the masses, as many are seen as “hero” figures – which translates into a formidable voting fanbase.

Disadvantages: For those specializing in sports that are less “artistic” (i.e. swimming, running, volleyball), it might be a bit hard to really get into the character of the dance and truly perform to the crowd.  Previously incurred injuries (or the fear of incurring an injury that might hinder their participation in subsequent competitions in their sport, a la Misty May-Treanor) may also slow them down & limit their mobility.

Possible candidates this season: Since we didn’t get an Olympian last season, I can almost guarantee we’ll get one this season – and the most likely candidate seems to be Nastia Liukin, who has been a rumor for a few seasons now and has started following Mark on Twitter within the past few days.  Other possibilities: Greg Louganis, who seems to have been trying for several seasons now to get onto the show; and while it may be a long-shot, Johnny Weir fans are still campaigning for a “Team Weirnoff” partnership.

The Athlete

Previous examples: Chuck Liddell, Warren Sapp, Emmitt Smith, Michael Irvin, Helio Castroneves, Laila Ali, Floyd Mayweather, Ty Murray, Evander Holyfield, Jerry Rice, Clyde Drexler, Monica Seles, Jason Taylor, Lawrence Taylor, Chad Ochocinco, Kurt Warner, Rick Fox

Advantages: As with the Olympians, their athleticism & work ethic make them well-suited to the competition.  An edge they might have over their Olympic counterparts: sports like football, auto racing, & mixed martial arts tend to have a larger, more mainstream following than some of the Olympic sports.

Disadvantages: Again, a lack of “artistic” experience & previous injury (especially with the football players, who have really taken a beating over the years). Some of the more muscular athletes in hard-hitting sports may also have difficulty with the refined, precise moves of some of the dances.

Possible candidates this season: This category has been oddly devoid of really “solid” possibilities this season, aside from the Brett Favre debacle – doubtful, but stranger things have happened on the show! Chris Jericho was also kicked around as a possibility again this season, and it looks like WWE Diva Maria Kanellis is still gunning for a spot on the show.

The Model/Playmate/Beauty Queen

Previous examples: Kelly Monaco, Rachel Hunter, Tia Carrere, Shanna Moakler, Paulina Porizkova, Shandi Finnessey, Josie Maran, Albert Reed, Shannon Elizabeth, Brooke Burke, Holly Madison, Kathy Ireland, Joanna Krupa, Pam Anderson

Advantages: All the costumes seem to look fantastic on them (and they can get away with wearing the really skimpy ones) and so do their pro partners – easy to imagine a “showmance”, which always seems to grab votes.  Also seems to have cornered the votes of the small population of male viewers, for obvious reasons

Disadvantages: Despite making a career out of looking great posing & strutting down the runway, many of them have proven to be rather awkward movers outside of that context, and some seem to have a hard time carrying around their taller than average stature.  They also run the risk of getting lost in the shuffle among attractive male competitors, who seem to draw in more votes from the predominantly-female viewing population.

Possible candidates this season: A strong possibility seems to be Kendra Wilkinson, who would be following in the footsteps of her Girls Next Door co-star Holly Madison.  Rumored contestant Lee Meriwether is also a former Miss America.

The Legend

Previous examples: Cloris Leachman, Wayne Newton, Donny Osmond, Tatum O’Neal, Marie Osmond, Jane Seymour, Marlee Matlin, Susan Lucci, Florence Henderson

Advantages: These individuals are extremely well-known & respected in the entertainment business, with many years of experience (and fans) under their belts, as well as an award or two. Also masters of the stage & screen – perhaps the best at emulating the emotions of the dances.

Disadvantages: With many years of experience comes an older age than many of their competitors – which comes with an increased risk of injury & fatigue that could limit the difficulty of their routines.

Possible candidates this season: We’ve got two ladies with quite a sterling reputation in show business – Faye Dunaway & Lee Meriwether. One was the original “Bonnie”  of Bonnie & Clyde; the other was the original Catwoman.  Who do you think we’ll get? 🙂

The Soap Star

Previous examples: Kelly Monaco, Cameron Mathison, Lisa Rinna, Susan Lucci, Aiden Turner

Advantages: The demographic of soap opera viewers overlaps heavily with the demographic of viewers of DWTS, and most soap opera viewers have been watching those shows for years (I started watching General Hospital when I was 6!), so they often have a fierce loyalty to their favorite characters (and the actors/actresses who portray them).

Disadvantages: This group likely has the most grueling schedule to contend with, as most soaps tape year-round, and some of them are taped in New York, forcing the stars (and sometimes their partners) to fly coast-to-coast several times a week to practice.  Many also have absolutely no background in any kind of sport, making them a real “project” for the pros to take on.

Possible candidates this season: The lovely Lee Meriwether could do triple duty this season, by fulfilling this category by virtue of her role of Ruth Martin on All My Children. From the online voting for this season’s cast, it looks like Colleen Zenk & Crystal Chappell are also big favorites.

The Comedian

Previous examples: Penn Jillette, Jeff Ross, Adam Carolla, David Allen Grier, Ashley Hamilton, Niecy Nash, Margaret Cho

Advantages: Let’s face it, they’re fun to watch, and they definitely inject some much- needed hilarity into the show. 

Disadvantages: They often come across like they don’t take the competition seriously, instead favoring their usual schtick over actual dancing. Some of their on-show humor (Jeff Ross’ in particular) can also be rather polarizing – hilarious to some, offensive to others. And again – often no background in any sort of sport, let alone dancing.

Possible candidates this season: None that we’ve heard of…but who would you like to see? I’m holding out for a member of the Blue Collar Comedy Tour to sign on – Ron White would be a hoot!

So do you guys think I’m onto something with this season’s rumors? Tune in for my next installment, where I dissect just who we might get this season from the teen idol, host, actor, reality star, singer, & wild card categories!

February 27, 2011 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.