Free DWTS Newsletter Want to receive the latest news on Dancing with the Stars sent straight to your email? Join hundreds of other DWTS fans who subscribe to Pure DWTS for FREE!
Bermain judi qq online tentunya setiap orang ingin meraih kemenangan besar, sekarang telah hadir situs judi online koinqq agen bandarqq online. Seiring berkembangnya judi online di dunia internet, maniaqq kini telah menyediakan dominoqq yang bisa kalian download melalui android / ios dihandphone kesayangan kalian. Cukup menggunakan 1 ID saja kamu bisa menikmati berbagai macam permainan idn poker seru seperti poker Online, Ceme Keliling, DominoQQ, Ceme Online, Capsa, Super 10, dan Omaha. Total ada 7 jenis permainan terbaik dimana bisa kamu nikmati dengan menjadi member disini.

DWTS Season 11 – The Initial Press Reaction, Part I

It’s widely variable, from what I can see.

First, the press conference that Marianya so thoughtfully transcribed.

Watch with Kristin, from E!:

Warning: David Hasselhoff Thinks Dancing With the Stars Is a Dating Show
We just chatted up the new “stars” of Dancing With the Stars after last night’s big cast announcement and have some things you must know. Like, for starters, not only is Sarah Palin herself expected in the audience (unless she can see the stage from Alaska?) to cheer on her daughter Bristol, but David Hasselhoff’s partner should be afraid—very afraid…

Unless she’s totally crushing on The Hoff!

‘Cause apparently he is crushing on her. Big time.

We can’t yet reveal who David’s partner is, but he does tell us the first thing he did when he was cast on the show: He asked his daughters whether she’s single.

Damn. Wish I would have thought of that “seeing the stage from Alaska” crack. GOOD ONE. 🙂

E! has paparazzi video! Take note of who is with Mark and who remains amazingly, shockingly SILENT. 😉

Here’s an excerpt of the article that goes with E! video:

Bristol Palin, though, did make it to the party, and she left her baby Tripp at home.

But that doesn’t mean he won’t be seen on the set. “She’s bringing him to set with her Tuesday for the first time,” a source tells me.

And get this: Bristol, who’s paired with Mark Ballas, supposedly drove herself all the way to from Wasilla to Los Angeles with her baby in tow.

“She’s actually a very sweet girl,” one insider says.

Audrina Patridge was one of the last people to leave to the party and stayed behind to hang with her partner Tony Dovolani and Maksim Chmerkovskiy.

While Audrina’s probably a little easier to handle than Tony’s last partner, Kate Gosselin, insiders are already pegging Audrina as “the new Kim Kardashian.” As in, she looks hot in skimpy costumes but can’t really dance.

I recommend reading the whole articles since I may not include something you want to see. 🙂

Here’s a new category for Courtney…from MTV:

‘Dancing With The Stars’ Carries On Tradition Of Casting MTV Stars
New castmembers the Situation and Audrina Patridge join the ranks of Steve-O, Kelly Osbourne and Drew Lachey.

While we won’t know how Patridge or the Situation will fair until the first step is executed when the show premieres in three weeks, they both have a lot to live up to. MTV stars repeatedly show up as castmembers on “Dancing With the Stars,” and while their level of success has been mixed, they always leave an impression.

One of them even won once. Drew Lachey, the former member of 98 Degrees and a staple on the hit MTV reality show “Newlyweds: Nick and Jessica,” took home the mirror-ball trophy back in February of 2006. In the finals, Lachey narrowly beat out Jerry Rice (the former NFL wide receiver and a big fan favorite) and Stacy Keibler (a former WWE performer who has a bit of MTV history of her own — she appeared on the wrestling promotion’s “Heat” show on MTV at the beginning of the decade).

Niecy talks to MTV about the new cast:

‘Dancing With The Stars’ Alum Sizes Up Bristol Palin, The Situation
‘The Situation seems very disciplined,’ Niecy Nash tells MTV News of the ‘Jersey Shore’ star’s famous abs.

MTV News caught up with last season’s sassy comic relief, Niecy Nash, who offered a few thoughts on the new castmembers — namely Palin and “Jersey Shore” standout Mike “The Situation” Sorrentino.

” ‘Dancing With the Stars’ is the hardest and most fun thing I’ve ever done,” she said. “I will tell you, for people who are untrained, it is a challenge.”

Nash added that if Sorrentino’s dedication to his famous stomach muscles is any indication, he might have the stamina to stay on the show for a while. “The Situation seems very disciplined,” Nash said. “You gotta do something to get 45 abs. So maybe he has what it takes to stick with it.”

Nash worried that juggling long rehearsals and taking care of baby Tripp could prove to be a challenge for Bristol.

“Bristol, you know, she’s been through a lot,” Nash said of Sarah Palin’s 20-year-old daughter. “It might be hard on her. But, you know, if you could get together with Levi [Johnston], you ought to be able to do anything,” she joked.

The Wall Street Journal! 🙂 They handicap the race for the mirrorball and make a few good points. Click to read all of it.

Bristol Palin, Florence Henderson, Margaret Cho, Kurt Warner, Kyle Massey and the New Cast of ‘Dancing with the Stars’ Season 11: Who Will Win?

Most of the contestants on the new season of “Dancing with the Stars” aren’t really stars, of course, but “Dancing with the Formerly Notable” doesn’t quite have the same ring to it. ABC recently announced the new cast for the coming season of the show and it includes such semi-famous folks as Bristol Palin, Mike “The Situation” Sorrentino, David Hasselhoff, Florence Henderson, Audrina Patridge, Margaret Cho, Kurt Warner, Kyle Massey, and Jennifer Grey. The 11th season of the show begins on September 20. Who will will? Here’s Speakeasy’s pre-season analysis:

Entertainment Weekly scopes out the competition with a slideshow:

‘Dancing With the Stars’: Sizing Up the New Cast
Who’s got the inside track on ballroom glory this fall? See our scouting reports, weigh in by voting in our polls

MIKE ”THE SITUATION” SORRENTINO
Occupation: Having spectacular abs on reality smash Jersey Shore
Outlook: The Sitch has definitely found his niche — said spectacular abs will benefit him at least as much on Dancing as it does on Shore. Even better, he’ll come with his own spray tan.

The Washington Post

Bristol Palin’s next step: The next edition of ‘Dancing With the Stars’

The teenager joins mom Sarah, who has a reality series on TLC debuting in November, and Bristol’s baby-daddy Levi Johnston, who is shopping around a reality series in which he runs for mayor of Wasilla, Alaska.

Bristol is going to dance circles around Mom and Levi in the ratings: “Dancing” has recently become an “American Idol”-esque ratings behemoth, thanks to some very savvy casting.

ABC made the “Dancing” Season 11 cast announcement Monday night during two interludes in a two-hour episode of “Bachelor Pad,” in which a bevy of hot men and women make a mockery of the abstinence that Bristol is all about these days, in order to win a $250,000 purse.

Hehehehe…..

August 31, 2010 I Written By

I'm a nerd and proud of it. Two degrees in geology also means I love BEER. :-) I'm also a Derek lover - proud of that too. So don't scream at those of us on this site and call us a bunch of "biased Derek-lovers" - it's just ME. :-) It may sound like I hate DWTS at times, but really, I'm just a snarky nitpicker from way back. And I'm cynical and jaded too. But I do love DWTS. :-)

DWTS Season 11 Casting Rumors – The Typecasting of Season 11, Part I

Prior to the cast announcement last season, some of you may remember me analyzing the typecasting of DWTS – basically, the patterns in celeb casting over the seasons which can help us to predict who we might see each season.  Interesting to note – last season’s cast fulfilled all 12 of my types (counting Nicole as both a “Teen Idol” and a “Singer”).  So why not examine those types again and see what we might get for this season? 😉

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.

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: Johnny Weir fans (including Karina Smirnoff) have been tweeting like crazy trying to get him cast this season, but I don’t see them succeeding.  I see more possibilities with swimmer Greg Louganis, who has been trying to get on the show for several seasons now, or gymnast Nastia Liukin – a teammate of Shawn Johnson’s & an alleged former flame of Lysacek.

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

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: At this point, the numerous (reputable) news outlets reporting that Kurt Warner is going to be on season 11, along with Kurt’s own coy dodging of questions regarding his participation, make him almost a lock for this season in my eyes.   Don’t see a whole lot of hope for wrestler Shelley Martinez. Landon Donovan is a toss-up for me – maybe, maybe not. We here at Pure DWTS would love to see a representative from a more unique sport – such as jockey Chantal SutherlandTroy Aikmen – nice try, but we’re pretty sure you’re just joshin’ us 😉

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 “pretty girl backlash” – the female viewers may turn on them due to jealousy or perceived arrogance, or just never vote for them in the first place, instead giving their votes to the attractive male participants.

Possible candidates this season: Rumors have been flying about UFC ring girl Arianny Celeste, and True Beauty contestant Amy Schmoldt has been hinting that she’d like to do the show.

The Legend

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

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: The Betty White rumor seems to be kaput, so that only leaves Ryan O’Neal, whose name we’ve heard only a few times as a possible contestant.

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 most likely is probably Nancy Lee Grahn, since she’s on an ABC soap.  Although I’d love to see Martha Byrne’s campaigners succeed in getting her on the show! As for the men – seems like the only name we’ve heard is Antonio Sabato Jr., and that really just seems more like wishful thinking on the part of his fans.

The Comedian

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

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: The only name we’ve heard is Heather McDonald, and we can’t even telling if she’s serious or kidding 😛

Tune in for part II, when I make my predictions for who we might see in the way of reality TV stars, teen idols, and much more!

August 25, 2010 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 – Who Wore it Better? Part VII

Holy cannoli, kids! Can you believe we’re already into Part VII of our series? That means, as of this post, you’ve seen 49 dittoed costumes.  FORTY-NINE.  And there’s still more to come! The folks at Randall sure are getting their money’s worth out of these dresses, eh? 😉

But you’d better enjoy it while it lasts, kids – once season 11 premieres, Heidi and I may be too busy to continue this series and still do our regular season features (DWTS By the Numbers, the power rankings, the Cheesecake Awards…all the in-season stuff you love!).  And the beautiful Marcela only has so many pictures she can share with us! So unless anyone’s got a cache of (decent-quality, un-watermarked) pictures from all 10 seasons that you’d be willing to share with two very appreciative bloggers ;-), please…savor every last one of these costume contrasts 😉  (Heidi: No question, we may be too busy starting Friday when the Pros find out if they’re back for the season or not. 😉 )

Battle of the purple cut-out bodice dress with the black & blue ruffled skirt: Cheryl’s paso with Maurice in season 7 vs. some random pro Sandra Udis in some random pro dance in a subsequent season 😛

Courtney: Ok, we confess: we have no clue who the blonde is, or what performance this dress was dittoed in.  Believe me, we searched high & low – to no avail.  So if anyone does know which performance this was, please, do share! 🙂 Well I don’t think the dress does either lady any favors…hell, the purple bodice seems to clash with the electric blue trim on the skirt! And this was unfortunately during Cheryl’s “frumpy” season – the season where every single costume they put her in just wasn’t flattering.  But her shoes seem to match better, so I’ll give it to Cheryl.

Heidi: Another week, another gawdawful dress. Lordy.  I think besides the blue versus purple is definitely a problem – but Cheryl’s hair is just to severe for that cut of dress. It makes it worse. I have to agree with Courtney – the matching shoes give Cheryl they edge, although the dress sucks on both of them.

The winner: Cheryl, by a foot.

 

Battle of the royal blue, asymmetrical silk ballgown with beaded belt: Debi’s foxtrot relay with Maks in season 9 vs. Lacey in the “story telling” pro demo in season 10

Heidi: This is one of those rare instances when the dress in motion doesn’t do the wearer a favor. I seem to recall that Debi, when dancing, didn’t look fab in this dress, but she sure looks great in it standing still!! I have no clue what Lacey has going on here.

Courtney: Ok, I’m sorry, but this pic of Lacey is just cracking me up – she looks like she has to poop or something.  Like one of the dancing people in the Pepto commercials.  Yes, I am feeling extra juvenile this week, kids 😛 Awkward stances aside, I like the dress better on Debbie – looks more dignified and flatters her figure better.  Lacey, like Cheryl, seems to have the problem with certain silhouettes making her look heavier than she really is.

The winner: Debi for dignity 😉

 

Battle of the skimpy, pink overdye silk ballgown: Edyta’s foxtrot with Joey in season 3 vs. Anna’s preseason photo shoot in season 6

Courtney: Wow, is it just me, or is there something delightfully ho-tastic about this dress? 😛 Well, really just the top of it – it’s awfully scandalous as far as ballgowns go.  Without being too lewd…let’s just say it looks like something one might see at an “adult novelty store” or a “gentlemen’s club”.  But what’s really funny to me is that for as skankalicious as the cut of the dress is, the color seems really sweet & demure…almost like a prom dress.  Anywho…the cloying pink color of this number seems to flatter Anna better than it does Edyta.

Heidi: Let me be more crude – you’re likely to see the top part of this outfit in a place with a lot of Poles. 😉 And I don’t mean Poland. Anyway, Anna manages to actually remove some of the skank-tastic-ness from this dress. A combination of the color and her pose and the sweet smile. Gotta hand it to her. 😉 Is this two weeks in a row that Edyta has actually lost????

Courtney: Indeed it has been two weeks in a row.  Maybe Edyta isn’t the costume goddess we once thought she was!

The winner: Anna…for making the dress look more like it’s from Russia, than from Pole-land 😉 Get it??? Hehe!

 

Battle of the long-sleeve, black mesh cut-out ballgown: Edyta’s tango with Jason in season 6 vs. Kym’s tango with Mayo in the new pro competition in season 8

Heidi: Kym, Kym, Kym!!  Fierce expression and a rockin’ bod. Best boobage on the show. She’s sooo hot. But besides how fantastic Kym looks – have we ever seen Edyta slump her shoulders like that before?? It really detracts from her whole…Edyta-ness!!

Courtney: Some minor tweakage does a world of good here! Glad they replaced Edyta’s flesh-colored hip strap with something more substantial that matches the dress – doesn’t look odd like it did before.  And Heidi and I agree – Kym has the most fierce expressions and really works her costumes for all they’re worth.  So hot!

The winner: Kym’s fierce face and rockin’ bod (and awesome boobage!) wins over Edyta’s slumpy shoulders.

 

Battle of the olive green, army-inspired paso dress: Julianne’s paso with Cody in season 7 vs. Aliona Vilani in the pro dance to Rascal Flatts in season 8

Courtney: Anyone else remember Aliona when she tried out for season 4 of So You Think You Can Dance with her boyfriend Leonidas Proskurov? I thought for sure she was going to make it to the top 20…but thankfully, they took Chelsie instead – I daresay Chelsie had both the chops and the personality to succeed on the show.  Ok, back on topic.  I really don’t care for this dress.  I never really understood why they opted for a military theme while dancing to Shiny Toy Guns, but I guess I’ll give it to Julianne – the dress looks a lot less “clunky” on her, while I think Aliona is weighed down by bulky boots & dark leggings.

Heidi: I only remember Aliona from her Viennese Waltz with Derek on the last tour – amazingly beautiful dance. Kudos to Maks for that choreography, although I’ve heard the pros have a lot to do with their own solos. Anyway, not only do Aliona’s leggings kill it, but Julianne really has it pulled together. Between the cute little hat and the hair that goes with it, she’s workin’ it the right way.

The winner: Julianne by a hat.

 

Battle of the two-piece, ruffle-y yellow beaded Latin dress: Karina’s mambo with Rocco in season 7 vs. Edyta in the pro dance to Robin Thicke in season 8 vs. one of the performers in the Tiempo Libre performance in season 9

Heidi: Ick. Yellow. I got nuthin’ else.

Courtney: I’m afraid I’ve fallen in yellow costume apathy, because I’m having a hard time liking some of the yellow dresses we’ve featured in the past few weeks.  This ensemble is just ok for me.  Sorry Edyta, but the way your hair is styled just doesn’t seem to mesh well with the outfit; and Tiempo Libre dancer, it looks a bit ill-fitting on you.  Karina, it looks like you’ve been playing with your It Cosmetics Airbrush Abs kit again, but I’ll give it to you…even with an ace bandage around your ankle, you manage to pull this one off. 

The winner: Karina…is it bad that she wins this one by an ace bandage and some airbrushed abs?

 

Battle of the red, beaded Latin dress with the sweetheart neckline: Marissa’s mambo with Tony in season 6 vs. Niecy’s preseason photo shoot with Louis in season 10

Courtney: Marissa, no doubt – I just absolutely love her expression in this picture!  She just looks like she’s having the most fun ever.  The beads are just sparkling away, and she’s got a huge smile on her face.  Niecy, on the other hand – I feel like she falls victim to the curse of the preseason photo shoot.  It always seems to make the dresses look less than impressive, and everyone seems to look so…I don’t know, made-up? Niecy and Louis both look kinda artificial to me, like they’ve been over-airbrushed. 

Heidi: I agree, I love the look on Marissa’s face (although I didn’t like her ‘tude in post show interviews at all – seemed petty and jealous) – like she can’t believe she’s doing it. I also can’t stand Louis anymore either, so that’s a point against Niecy – although I like her just fine.

The winner: Marissa by a grin.

  

Get your copycat costume fix while it lasts, kids! Reminisce over parts I, II, III, IV, V, & VI of “Who Wore it Better?” 😉

August 19, 2010 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 10 Niecy & Louis (and Others) Dance Comparisons

Another week, another celebrity eliminated. This time it was Niecy Nash and her professional partner Louis van Amstel that was given the ax. After going through all of their songs, it came to my attention that they only have one recycled song! La Bamba by Ritchie Valens Ritchie Valens - The Best of Ritchie Valens - La Bamba

Here is that Samba as done on Week 5 by Niecy Nash and Louis van Amstel:

This song was previously done as a Mambo by Paulina Porizkova & Alec Mazo of Season 4 on Week 2. (Start at 1:57)

Read more..

May 14, 2010 I Written By

My life can be summed up in the following two quotes: 1) "I am married to engineering and am its faithful wife by day, but at night my wanderlust takes hold and the arts becomes my jealous paramour." and... 2) "Engineering is my safety net. Writing is my passion. Acting is my escape when the other two become too much." So where does dancing fit in? Pretty much anywhere at this point... =)

DWTS Season 10 Week 8 – Local ABC Affiliate

George always gets good interviews out of these guys, so I thought I would post a few. You can see all of them here —> ABC Local

May 13, 2010 I Written By

I'm a nerd and proud of it. Two degrees in geology also means I love BEER. :-) I'm also a Derek lover - proud of that too. So don't scream at those of us on this site and call us a bunch of "biased Derek-lovers" - it's just ME. :-) It may sound like I hate DWTS at times, but really, I'm just a snarky nitpicker from way back. And I'm cynical and jaded too. But I do love DWTS. :-)

DWTS Season 10, Week 8 – Miscellaneous Media

Derek and Nicole do a Show tune of their own creation.

The Insider

Entertainment Tonight

For those of you eager to paint Nicole with the ringer brush while letting Erin and Evan slide, here some fun stuff just for you from Karla in the comments of another post.
USA Today

:::snip:::
On the training she has had:
“Ballet, jazz, lyrical, all of that. But it is totally different with ballroom and partner. It’s a whole other language.”

Gee, that’s probably the same stuff that Nicole had!! Also without a partner!! As for Evan, well – ballet was his thing. And a hot picture of him in this article from New York Sports:

When we met him back in December, Lysacek ran down his training routine for us: “Weight training and biometrics every other day, cardio every other day, and ballet once a week. I usually hike on the weekends, and I do all my balance warm-up and cool-down stuff every day for an hour, and then I do court training every day for an hour.” It paid off during last night’s performance, when his back-loaded routine edged out Plushenko’s.

Hey, people keep saying dance experience is dance experience, regardless if it’s only just “chest pumps and booty dips” and not ballroom. So, unless you WANT to be a hypocrite, I guess some will have to concede that Erin and Evan have “experience” too. 🙂

I Written By

I'm a nerd and proud of it. Two degrees in geology also means I love BEER. :-) I'm also a Derek lover - proud of that too. So don't scream at those of us on this site and call us a bunch of "biased Derek-lovers" - it's just ME. :-) It may sound like I hate DWTS at times, but really, I'm just a snarky nitpicker from way back. And I'm cynical and jaded too. But I do love DWTS. :-)

DWTS Season 10, Week 8 – The Cheesecake Awards!!

Week 8 – It’s easy, it’s cheesy!! And, actually, quite funny and not so much annoying. 🙂

The Déjà vu Award: Cheryl’s see through skirt.
Heidi: Another week, another see thru skirt on Cheryl – only, like, the photo negative version. Is this like a new favorite thing with her? Don’t get me wrong – I didn’t hate it, I just find it…weird.
Courtney: Cheryl loves her some tulle, that’s for sure. I maintain my theory: he stinks at the ballroom dances, so they’re trying to trick him into thinking they’re Latin (by wearing costumes that feel more Latin) so he does better. Power of positive thinking, I guess! What caught my eye more was that the top of the dress didn’t do much to flatter Cheryl’s funbags – it kinda smushed them down and it looked uncomfortable.
Heidi: Funbags. Heh heh heh.

The Cheesiest Production Addition: The Titles and Credits of the judges shown on screen when they first critique.
Heidi: Heh, credits below judges names. Think they’re getting a lot of shit for being on CRACK half the time?? LOL
Courtney: Well I guess if your claim to fame in the dance business includes gyrating on a pole, topless & bald for Madonna and having a brief engagement to a ballroom dancer (ahem, Carrie Ann), people might need to be reminded that you are qualified to be nitpicky when you’re bitching about lifts and technique. Oh, yah – and she was Fook Mi in the 3rd Austin Powers movie. Shouldn’t overlook that qualification! If it’s not already obvious – I’m not a Carrie Ann fan. As for Len – maybe all this yo-yo scoring has people wondering if he’s got dementia, so we have to be reminded that he’s a world-class expert. Bruno – they should just change his description to “Flamboyant Italian who Loves Metaphors”.

Cheesiest Producer Tactic of the Night: The Packages
Heidi: Jesus. Where do I start? Chad being BIZARRE, both he and Cheryl being low talkers. Niecy – let’s pimp how hard she works, like she didn’t KNOW she would have to work hard when she joined up. Erin – how cute, she’s afraid to jump. Evan, let’s pimp his skating with another cute package. Nicole, yeah, she’s doing too well so we’ll show her crying again – even though there is plenty of footage of non-crying moments – the evidence is out there. I know each of these couples actually practiced DANCING in a normal way at some point in the week. Producers, you suck. Edit: Okay, you’re forgiven (for now)….
Courtney: I’m kinda over the packages – seems like the same song and dance (no pun intended) each week with every couple. Niecy will yuk it up and crack jokes about food, Chad & Cheryl will have a verbal altercation in hushed tones, Nicole will put a ridiculous amount of pressure on herself, Evan will be busy traveling, and Erin & Maks will continue their lovers quarreling. Can’t we see more of them just having fun? 🙂
Heidi: Gee, what a novel idea. They’ve shown they have the footage…

Most Hilarious Sports Center Bit: Derek and Nicole…and Derek and Mark
Heidi: Bwahahaha….Derek dances with the most beautiful girls. Shannon…Brooke….Joanna….MARK. Hilarious. Then they FINALLY show some of the bizarre stuff Derek and Nicole get up to – smelling armpits?? Spitting gum into each other’s mouth?? I see the fun stuff all the time on the entertainment shows, bout time DWTS showed it too.
Courtney: I didn’t really need the slo-mo repeat of those two thrusting next to each other during their “Move” performance last year. Kenny Mayne wishes he could quit Mark. Please, no more Brokeback DWTS. I don’t know what to say about Derek & Nicole…sharing gum and sniffing armpits? Those two must REEEEAAALLLY feel comfortable with each other.
Heidi: Yeah, between Erin and Maks’ cold rumba, and Derek and Nicole sharing gum I was starting to wonder if there was a whole lot of SEX going on on DWTS this season. 🙂

The WTF were the judges smoking Award: Chad’s Jive
Heidi: Are you kidding me? Is it because his kids were in the audience?? Or were you just that anxious that Niecy go home and, like, NOW?
Courtney: Even his kids looked a little bored with it. I’m starting to wonder if it’s not so much that they’re trying to praise Chad – it’s that they’re trying to appease Cheryl. She’s one of the longest-tenured pros on the show (next to Edyta), she’s got two trophies under her belt, and even when her celeb doesn’t win, she still seems to avoid being the first sent home and ends up placing fairly well. She’s a definite asset to the show – and she’s scary when she’s angry 🙁

Tom B’s Line O’ the Week: “There’s no whipping in ballroom.” Honorable Mention: “Next season, they’re gonna have Derek do a quickstep from the Renaissance!”
Heidi: The question, Tom, is WHY?? I think a little whipping makes everything more interesting.
Courtney: It’s little quips like these that makes Tom infinitely better than Seacrest, and Howie Mandell, and that guy that hosts Survivor – somebody please tell me why this man hasn’t yet won the Emmy for Best Reality TV Host??! I got a pretty hearty laugh about the Renaissance comment. Somehow, I think Derek could pull that off too…or a samba from the stone age, a foxtrot from Medieval times, a jive from the American Revolution…I could go on and on…
Heidi: The boy does well with a challenge. 🙂 Did you hear Brooke’s response to that line? “He could pull that off.” And how about him working the school supporters in the background? 🙂

Most Shocking Dance of the Week: Erin’s Rumba; Honorable Mentions: Erin’s AT and the 50’s Paso Doble
Heidi: Both of Erin’s dances shocked me, for different reasons. A fantastic AT followed by a not good, but not horrible Rumba. If there was any dance I expected those two to seriously pull off, in a hot and sexy way, it was the Rumba. Maybe they ARE sleeping together? 🙂  Because that was too cool (as in temperature) to be a rumba. As for Derek’s 50’s Paso? Dear lord, that’s two years in a row that he pulls off something that seems impossible. Fantastic. When Television without Pity calls you a genius, you know you’re good.
Courtney: Was definitely surprised at the lack of chemistry in the rumba (their rumba was, quite possibly, the most anticipated dance of the season), especially after such a sexually-charged Argentine tango. I’m gonna chalk it up to Erin’s nervousness about her long limbs. But I actually liked the rumba – even if it was really only because I <3 the 80’s and that John Waite song 🙂 And what can I say about the 50’s paso that hasn’t already been said? It was brilliant – I think any other choreographer would have been hard-pressed to come up with a paso from that era. And what I especially appreciated was that they managed to strike a balance in the composition of the dance – not just a bunch of textbook paso (a la Niecy & Louis) and not too much fluffy, era-appropriate choreo (like Chad & Cheryl).
Heidi: I wonder if Maks and Erin burnt out all their sexual energy in the first dance? Seems like it would be hard to do two dances like that in the same night. Or two dances in a week was too much for her at this point.

The “Don’t Faint, I Agree with Len” Award: Evan’s Cha Cha
Heidi: I was confused too. I just wasn’t sure if I liked it or not. I mean, I liked it – but was it a cha cha?? I don’t know if I liked it as a cha cha. Confused. I have decided that I could so kiss Evan’s face off, though. 🙂
Courtney: It was the electrical-tape inspired facial hair that did it for you, didn’t it? 😉 This dance left me puzzled as well – I didn’t hate it per se, but I certainly don’t think it was Evan’s (or Anna’s) best dance. Again, I think whoever drew “futuristic” as their era was at a disadvantage to begin with, due to the success of Derek’s paso last season. Kind of a hard act to follow, but Anna made a valiant effort…loved the little drop they did towards the end.

The Coolest Eyelashes Award: Anna Trebunskaya’s futuristic lashes
Heidi: I was hypnotized. They had little tiny white beads or something on the end.
Courtney: I actually think I’ve seen these lashes before – Makeup For Ever, if my memory serves. You can get ’em at Sephora. Go get ’em and save ’em for Halloween! We’ll figure out what you’re gonna be lata 😉
Heidi: With those eyelashes aren’t your options kinda limited to Futuristic robot or some sort of Bug?? 🙂

The “Say WHAT??” Award: a structural engineer on the UC San Diego Dance Team
Heidi: I work with Engineers. They don’t dance. They can barely walk and talk at the same time.
Courtney: You’d be surprised – when I was on the Purdue team oh-so-many years ago, it was predominantly industrial engineering and chemistry majors, and I was one of the latter. Scientists are hardcore, man – they don’t stop until they GET it. It was actually the liberal arts and education majors that seemed to struggle.
Heidi: I am a scientist – a geologist, to be specific. We kick ASS, for sure. 🙂 But engineers? All of that persuasion that I know are rather…stiff. And not in a good way. 😉

The “I’m So Sorry I laughed my Ass Off” Award: Sports Center on Evan – snoring guys; Honorable Mention to the Erin/Maks Rant segment.
Heidi: I really did feel bad for laughing so hard at the Sports Center guys. They were wonderful tonight though – I mean, the snoring. LOL. Poor Evan. And of course they had to pick up on Maks’ temper tantrum. Makes it worth it. 🙂
Courtney: I think you and I would get along great with those guys, Heidi – they seemed to be saying last night stuff that you and I have been saying all season: Evan is bland, Maks is an ornery toddler, etc. etc. I had to smile at the repeat of Maks’ tantrum – too funny for words, especially when you’re looping it!

The Cheap Costume Award: Chad’s 60’s pimp suit
Courtney: Seriously? This is the best that wardrobe could come up with? I could walk into any costume store around Halloween and find a dirt cheap copy of this, with a bonus pimp hat. Shoddy craftsmanship, I say! And since when are the 60s the era of big pimpin’? I thought that was more of a 70’s thing.
Heidi: I think it was a 70’s thing, for sure. Wasn’t 60’s peace, love and understanding and all that?? I dare say this isn’t the first time Cheryl’s gone that route. Why wardrobe enables that, I have no idea.

The Unintentional Back-Handed Compliment Award: Tom to Cheryl – “What are you doing after 10? You’ll be busy, dressed like that!”
Courtney: Congrats, Tom – in trying to convey to Cheryl that she looked hot, you more or less told her (on live television) that she looked like a ho and would likely be getting busy later in the evening because of it. I love you. Marry me. 🙂
Heidi: Get in line, sweetie. I am older than you, I get first pick. I pick Tom and Derek. 🙂 Aaanyway, Cheryl certainly picked up on it. I don’t remember what show I saw (because I was tired from meeting the mayor and “mingling” at a “function”) but she definitely picked up on it. 🙂

The Most Pointless Prop Since the Heart Pillows: The TV screens in the background for Niecy’s paso
Courtney: I bet half of you didn’t even notice them – they were that useless in conveying that it was a 90’s paso. I know what they were going for – the quintessential 90’s music video/club cliche of the wall of TV’s all showing the same thing – but it really looked like they just went dumpster diving in Compton and precariously stacked the obsolete tv’s they found at the front of the stage. Cue the white noise.
Heidi: I noticed them, but failed to grasp the point. And I’ve always been one for clubbing, so I guess my brain shuts off on performance night.

Most Ironic Comment of the Season Thus Far: Anna to Evan “You can come across kind of…cold.”
Courtney: I’m gonna sum this one up with Heidi & I’s favorite phrase: “Pot, meet kettle.” 🙂
Heidi: HA!!! I was thinking, “You’re just NOW telling him this? Seriously?” Dude, it’s week 8. While I’m still mostly convinced that Evan is going to win this thing, last night I started thinking that perhaps Erin and Nicole could take the top two spots, leaving Evan at third. Not that they’ve made huge strides past him, but because he’s fading into obscurity a bit. He REALLY needs to do something spectacular next week.

Okay, folks – that’s it for this week. I started out this week thinking there wasn’t that much funny, but in retrospect it was a pretty darn good week!!

May 12, 2010 I Written By

I'm a nerd and proud of it. Two degrees in geology also means I love BEER. :-) I'm also a Derek lover - proud of that too. So don't scream at those of us on this site and call us a bunch of "biased Derek-lovers" - it's just ME. :-) It may sound like I hate DWTS at times, but really, I'm just a snarky nitpicker from way back. And I'm cynical and jaded too. But I do love DWTS. :-)

Spoilers!! DWTS Season 10, Week 8 – The Scorecard

Well, really, what is there to say? Everyone called Niecy as the one to go, and she went. Chad was in the bottom two with her and yes, they did call it a bottom 2. No controversy, no shocks…well, other than the Dance Center boys lumping Mark Ballas in as one of the beautiful “women” that Derek has danced with. I’m sorry…I laughed my ass off. It’s wrong, I know. 🙂

The Predictions:

Heidi: Predicted pretty solid that Niecy would go with Chad sharing Bottom 2 duties. Correct.

Courtney; Predicted, also pretty solid, that Niecy would be the one to go with Chad also in the bottom 2.

Marianya, as usual, has the harder job, as she predicts the scoring before the dances have actually happened. Here’s how she did:

Dancer/Predicted Score/Actual Score
Nicole/57/59
Evan/54/53
Erin/48/53
Chad/49/45
Niecy/46/43

She did pretty good!! Under rated Nicole a bit, but that’s valid based on LEN. Pretty much called Evan. The rest? Well, she underestimated Erin, but I would imagine that’s based mainly on Maks’ less than stellar track record. I would say she over estimated both Chad and Niecy, but actually I think she got them right and the judges got them WRONG. 🙂

In Summary:
Heidi: Well, me and Courtney are kicking butt, but I don’t expect that to hold as we advance to the really unpredictable stretch. If the fans are actually voting on dancing, at this point, Chad should be the next to go, but you know what? I’m not so sure that Erin and Nicole shouldn’t be the final 2. Evan has got to pick up his pace. EVERYTHING will depend on the dances that get assigned next week, especially for Evan and Erin. But that’s all based on dancing, and we know that’s not always how people vote. Evan still has the edge based on fanbase, but I’m starting to be persuaded that maybe he’s not got the lock on it that I think he does. This might be the season where it really does come down to the freestyle.

Courtney?? Marianya?

May 11, 2010 I Written By

I'm a nerd and proud of it. Two degrees in geology also means I love BEER. :-) I'm also a Derek lover - proud of that too. So don't scream at those of us on this site and call us a bunch of "biased Derek-lovers" - it's just ME. :-) It may sound like I hate DWTS at times, but really, I'm just a snarky nitpicker from way back. And I'm cynical and jaded too. But I do love DWTS. :-)

Dancing with the Stars Season 10, Week 8 – By the Numbers

Everyone PLEASE remember to give to the Red Cross, if you are able.

Random Musings…

Not too much to complain about tonight, other than Chad’s score for his Jive. He rather got a pass on that one, IMO.  I’m glad Len finally gave Nicole her due – after that absolutely joyful and lovely fox trot (which, upon rewatching, was even better than the Paso) earned only a 9 from him, and after he gave Erin a 10, I was prepared for another night of faux outrage coming from him. But what he did was give Nicole his only standing ovation of the season thus far. I’ll take it. 🙂  I don’t begrudge Erin her 10 – that was a fantastic dance – but Nicole should have gotten one from him sooner. :::cough::: Tango :::cough:::

The Math:

After combining the individual dances, the celebrities were ranked in this order:

Nicole /59

Evan/53

Erin/53

Chad/45

Niecy/43

I really have nothing to add. That pretty much sums it up for me.  I think Chad is two points too high.

Add all the scores together to get the total judges points awarded (253). Then you divide the celebs score by the total points awarded to get their judges percentage:

Nicole/23.32

Evan/20.95

Erin/20.95

Chad/17.79

Niecy/17.00

Well, they made a very clear break between the top three and the two who should be the in the bottom. As a result, Nicole SHOULD be safe, but you just never know. Sometimes fans assume someone will be safe and they don’t vote. But I’m going to cautiously say that she is safe. If she is “in jeopardy” I’m going to call bullshit on it.

As for Erin and Evan, who are tied for second place, I have to agree with Courtney. They are likely safe, but I would not be surprised to see the producers pull a faux “in jeopardy” with one of them just to pump up the drama. For that matter, they could try that with Nicole, too, but I would be surprised. And here’s why…

For Niecy to stay and Chad to go, she needs to get approximately 7,950 votes more than him per 1 million votes cast. That’s not a lot. It’s very doable.  But, for Niecy to beat both Chad, Erin and Evan – for her to stay and for two of those three to REALLY be in the bottom 2, she also needs to get about 39,500 more votes than Erin and Evan (each) per 1 million votes cast. How likely is that? Well, she can get past Chad with 7,950 votes and MAYBE either Erin or Evan with 39,500 votes – but I find it highly unlikely that she will do that much better than Evan (the main ringer) or Erin (the sympathy votes thanks to Liz Hasselbeck).  But I could be wrong.

What are the odds that Nicole would go home? Well, thanks to better judging, not that great. If my math is correct, all of the following has to happen:

Niecy has to get 63,300 more votes per 1 million cast

Erin AND Evan have to get 23,800 more votes per 1 million cast

Chad has to get 55,400 more votes per 1 million cast

This is fairly unlikely.  I’m calling Niecy going home, with Chad as a possibility.  Mainly, because the judging seemed legit and I don’t think fans will be outraged by any of it. I will not be surprised to see some faux “in jeopardy” action with either Nicole or Evan.  I would be well and truly shocked if Erin were to make another bottom two appearance – she had a great first dance, and the rumba wasn’t horrible (just not as good as I was expecting), plus her fans have to be scared so they’re voting like crazy AND she gets the Hasselbeck sympathy vote for this week. In fact, I bet they call her safe first BECAUSE she was in the bottom two last week. Better yet, they have a do over – call Nicole and Erin to the front and call them both safe and everyone else in jeopardy. That would throw a scare into the Evan fans and create a little DRAMA.

I guess we’ll see in just a few hours!!

I Written By

I'm a nerd and proud of it. Two degrees in geology also means I love BEER. :-) I'm also a Derek lover - proud of that too. So don't scream at those of us on this site and call us a bunch of "biased Derek-lovers" - it's just ME. :-) It may sound like I hate DWTS at times, but really, I'm just a snarky nitpicker from way back. And I'm cynical and jaded too. But I do love DWTS. :-)

DWTS10 Week 8 Power Rankings

Thank goodness – back to a week of normal scoring after weeks of inebriated scores from the judges! Thought that, for the first time since week 2, the scores were actually spot-on tonight.  Definitely refreshing 😉 

Suffering from a wicked sinus infection, so I’m gonna try and bang this out before my Benadryl kicks in…bear with me!

 1.)    Nicole & Derek – I can’t argue with 1 point away from a perfect score for the evening J Glad these two FINALLY got their much-deserved perfect 30 for that paso – I had my doubts, but Derek managed to make it feel like it was both from the 50’s and a legitimate paso doble.  I don’t know if I smell any Emmy buzz, but it was a worthy performance nonetheless.  Foxtrot was adorable – these two are great at telling a story.  I was a little worried that Len was gonna scold them for too much open work, but he managed to actually relent and give props where they were due this week – for BOTH of Nicole’s dances.  I’d also like to point out something very interesting Nicole said in her package – “Everyone assumes it’s so easy for me.  But it’s really HARD!” People have been giving her crap for her perfectionist attitude for weeks, but honestly – it might actually be very hard for her, and she’s not just being a drama queen.  Just sayin’.  Well I think these two ought to be safe based on scores alone, and based on some Twitter recon I’ve done, it seems like quite a few Pam fans are now voting for Nicole. I know me & my mamacita are – except for one vote, when mom dialed the wrong number and accidentally voted for Niecy.  She’s a little foggy after Mother’s Day festivities, forgive her 😉 

2.)    Erin & Maks – I will commend these two this week – they had two really good dances, and managed to get through them with a minimal amount of drama.  I actually thought Erin’s tango was better than Evan’s last week – maybe not quite 30-worthy, due to the level of difficulty, but she still had crisp footwork and generated a good amount of heat with Maks.  I’ll give them that – these two have the best romantic chemistry of the couples this season, when they can stop fighting (and Erin can shake off her insecurities) long enough to let it show.  Her insecurity is really the only thing majorly hindering Erin at this point – it prevents her from really committing to the dance, and from really moving to her full extent.  Their rumba was actually pretty cute – I do have a soft spot for that John Waite song – and while they didn’t really do any 80’s choreography, it was still apparent what decade they were channeling.  The only problem is that Erin still seems a bit uncomfortable with her arms & legs due to their length, which resulted in her rumba indeed feeling a bit “jerky” and almost like more of a cha-cha.  Girl, those arms & legs are an asset – don’t be ashamed of them! Anyway, fans will rally this week after their bottom 2 scare, and some remarks made by a certain boneheaded talkshow host…they’ll be fine. 

3.)    Evan & Anna – Now I could see these two in a surprise or faux bottom 2, not just for shock value, but also because they seemed a little…well, bland this week.  The waltz, while “pretty” was also pretty unmemorable.  Even the costumes felt a little ho-hum to me, and I caught Evan reverting back to his “deer in the headlights” face a few times as well.  The futuristic cha-cha was pretty cool, but seemed to lack the a little bit of the drama that last season’s paso did.  I’m honestly left with not a whole to say about these two tonight – they did good, but not great, and tended toward the unmemorable.  I would say that Evan is 100% safe based on fanbase, but as we saw last week – we’re now headed into “shocker” bottom 2 territory, and it wouldn’t surprise me if they were in it as a scare tactic to his voters to step up their game.

 4.)    Chad & Cheryl – Don’t ask me how, but Chad still managed to skate by this week by letting Cheryl do most of the work.  He moved ever-so-slightly more in his tango this week than he did in his Argentine tango – but again, Cheryl doing most of the dramatic movements, and Chad just sort of “being there” for her.  Not sure what Cheryl was talking about when she said Chad had great posture – I honestly think he’s slouching a bit to compensate for their height difference, and it’s limiting his range of motion.  The jive was just as I predicted: Chad barely got his feet off the ground.  Don’t know what Len saw, but that wasn’t high-energy to me – it was maybe one step above Niecy’s low-energy jive from a few weeks ago.  And honestly – did anyone else notice that there wasn’t a whole lot of actual jive choreo in this one? Granted, they were running with a theme; but all the other couples seemed to still fit a good amount of basic steps into their routines, and this seemed more like…fluff.  Definitely beginning to think Chad is in danger this week, for two reasons: 1, he stinks; 2, I don’t see Bengals fans outnumbering Olympics fans, Hasselbeck haters, and male fans voting for a hot body.  He also danced in the crap spot. You’ve been warned, Chad…

5.)    Niecy & Louis – No big surprise here.  Niecy was the weakest dancer yet again…but this time, there just isn’t anyone else that she can outvote to get saved once more.  I actually was pleasantly surprised by her Viennese waltz – she managed to be lighter on her feet than I’ve seen her so far, and kept up with Louis, even if her feet got a little shuffly.  But will it be enough to save her after an atrocious paso? Doubt it.  What can I say about that paso that wasn’t blatantly obvious? It was heavy.  It was boring.  It didn’t feel the slightest bit 90’s-y to me (but then again, I think whoever gets the 90’s as their era is screwed anyway).  Niecy should (and likely will) go home.  Sorry kid – your jiggly parts can only carry you so far.

Well that was pretty painless…easiest ranking I’ve done in awhile! Now I am gonna go let the Benadryl do its thing and pray that I don’t have viral pneumonia – everyone on Twitter has been telling me that’s what my chest pain could be.  Yikes!

Oh, and one more shameless plug for tomorrow night’s college competition – as I mentioned in the comments of Heidi’s post earlier today, my old college team from Purdue is competing tomorrow night, and they’re a hard-working group of students who really deserve this opportunity.  It’s because of my experiences with the team 7 years ago that I am involved with dance today, and it’s always nice to support the alma mater.  So please…vote 😉

May 10, 2010 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.