You Make Me Feel Like Dancing - DWTS Week 2 Results!

I watched the Monday night dancing portion of Dancing With The Stars yesterday morning. I got myself a cup of coffee, switched on my DVR and pulled it up so I could sit back and enjoy it again. I love seeing the dances, the costumes, the music...  without thinking too hard about who I want to vote for.

As far as costumes go, there was a lot of fun stuff, a few stinkers, and some really sexy bits...
I loved Cheryl's pink "Tush" panties!  It's a shame we only got to see them once! 


Karina looked elegant & sophisticated in her old fashioned dress and while The Situation has probably never worn clothes so tight in all his life, the uniform looked great on him!


Speaking of military uniforms, I loved Anna's old-school military uniform hot-pants and I thought the finger curls were adorable!  I wasn't a big fan of the strange sequin-outlined breast pockets she gave Kurt...


...but Kurt's pockets were certainly not as odd as the electrical tape wrapped thighs of Tony!  What is that about?  And what's going on with Audrina's fishnet chest?  I'm glad she didn't get tangled up in her own shirt!


Corky did a far better job with his suit and Florence pulls off the wet look quite well with her plethora of sequins.


Maks didn't quite wear a suit, but even in a bowtie, you can't deny he's just sexy. And who doesn't like a cutie in pigtails & plaid?!


Jennifer's gold flapper dress with the side cut-outs looked pretty hot.  And like I said, the ringlet extensions worked very well with the whole thing.  I love both of their faces in this picture!  They're so into the performance - it's great.


Lacey in her feather duster dress, mentioned below, was different but I thought it fit their dance and wasn't ugly.  And Chelsie's midriff exposing outfits can't go wrong!

I wasn't especially impressed with Bristol's layers of lavender,


and the zebra/hot-pink combo on Margaret didn't do it for me either. but I won't hold it against them since it's not "Fashion-Shows With The Stars".


Here are this weeks standings:
Jennifer Grey - 24
Audrina Patridge - 23
Kyle Massey - 22
Bristol Palin - 22
Rick Fox - 21
Brandy - 21
Kurt Warner - 21
Florence Henderson - 19
The Situation - 18
Margaret Cho - 18
Michael Bolton - 12

Last night, tuning into the results show, we first learned that Kyle & Lacey are safe & Brandy & Maks are "in jeopardy". But you know how that goes. Half the contestants will be left "in jeopardy" until the end, but only one star is actually going home.

I love the little fight going on between Len & Bruno over Michael Bolton's scores Monday night. It's funny that Len lectured Bruno on being nice. I thought Bruno was kind of an ass myself. He can say it was terrible, he can make a joke at his expense even, but does he really have to say it was the worst he's ever seen?  Typically, the judges give weekly pointers that the contestants can work on.  It's pretty mean-spirited to offer nothing constructive.  I've often made the observation that the judges and hosts on DWTS seem to genuinely enjoy each other.  I imagine them going home happy with their jobs and co-workers overall.  I don't get that same vibe when watching a show like American Idol and I don't like the undertones of actual hostility I sometimes sense between the judges of AI.  I like my judges & co-hosts happy thanks.  Please adjust the attitude before next week Bruno. 

But Len ended the squabble and announced that Kyle and Lacey were the judges pick for the encore dance tonight. I think Kyle's got a lot of musicality, he's incredibly engaging, and he's just plain good. Now, I don't think it's unfair to call Kyle chubby - don't get me wrong, I think he's adorable! But I wasn't expecting him to be as quick & agile as he is. I'm pleasantly surprised with Kyle's awesome performances. I loved Len's comment last night about how it looked like Kyle was caught up in the midst of a huge feather duster! The skirt was a bit odd but I liked it. The whole thing worked for them.


Next, Janelle Monae sang Tightrope and I'm a little curious what was going on up in that hair, but I really dug the James Brown vibe she had going. Honestly I hadn't heard of this girl before last night but I might check out more of her music. That was pretty entertaining.

You may have noticed the crazy level of booing in the ballroom last night at one point and there was a lot of news coverage later, claiming the audience began to boo as soon as they saw the cameras & Tom Bergeron were setting up to shoot a segment with Sarah Palin. DWTS came back with raw footage of another camera which indicates the audience was booing the low scores given to Jennifer Grey & Derek.  Some of the audience was even chanting "Nine!  Nine!  Nine!" so it seems clear that the booing was not at the political figure.  Though according to some bloggers that's what it was about.  Lets just consider both possibilities for a moment:  Clearly there were people in the audience chanting nine and booing the scores.  But I know cameras set up in preparation for the next segment in a live show and I have no doubt that some audience members didn't care about the already great scores of Jennifer & Derek, don't like Sarah Palin and took the opportunity to boo at her.  I'm pretty sure the booing was a combination of the two.  I have no doubt there was at least one audience member who was genuinely under the impression they were booing at Sarah Palin, which means they in fact were.  No matter if others were genuinely booing the judges scores.  Still, Jennifer & Derek thanked the audience for their show of support & all was put aside.

Of the next couples up, Florence & Corky are safe as well as Bristol & Mark. Which means that in this go-round, The Situation & Karina are "in jeopardy". Next Audrina & Tony are safe and Jennifer & Derek join them immediately, safe as well. How funny - they only had two couples up in that round and both were told they're safe tonight. I love how they love to mess with the contestants minds!

Next was a packet of the pro's talking about their rituals and routines on show-day.  They do stuff like pass a football back & forth, eat chocolate cake and sniff the ballroom floor.  Most of them keep their star partner close and all outside distractions away.  Most of them have got a lot of experience in this style of competition by now and are very clear on what works for them.

The Macy's Star's of Dance put on an amazing ballet/cirque style dance to Every Little Thing She Does is Magic. And after an endless commercial break, Seal sang The Weight Of My Mistakes. Cheryl, Lacey, Kym & Chelsie came onto the floor in fluttery little pink nighties & wavy flowing hair, dancing like little slumber party nymphs around him.  I wonder if we could get a nightie clad nymph for my next party.

Of course, how could they air a packet about pro's and their show-day rituals without also talking to the contestants about their thoughts & feelings so far in the game.  Some of them talked about how intimidating it is going up against big competitors and real stars - I'm sure it would be surreal for a reality star like Audrina or The Situation to suddenly find themselves making friends with people like Florence Henderson or Rick Fox.  And of course the serious competitors like Rick Fox, say things like they've played to win at everything they've ever tried in life and this dance competition is no different.

Kurt, Michael, Rick & Margaret were last up and we found Kurt & Anna and Margaret & Louis were safe, but before we could learn the fate of Michael or Rick, Tom sent us to another commercial! Or ten.

So back to the stage and the 4 remaining contestants are all up in lights. Rick & Cheryl are told right away they're safe. Remaining are The Situation & Karina, Brandy & Maks and Michael & Chelsie. Aaaaand it's another commercial. Of course. At this point I think Michael Bolton should go home. I hate to make people feel bad so I hate what Bruno said. especially since it's likely Michael could go home in a minute. That really sours his elimination & might send him home feeling bad.  But despite that, I think he's the weakest dancer & should be the next to be sent away.

Brandy & Maks are safe!

And yep, The Situation & Karina are safe and Michael Bolton & Chelsie Hightower are sent home in week two. Tom asked Michael about the camaraderie he experienced and if he expected that. I would imagine the consistency with which the stars get so close season after season is owed to the fact that they all share the condition of being completely immersed in unfamiliar territory.So hopefully Michael has made a few life-long friends that will make all of Bruno's words insignificant in the end. Aside from that, I do think he was the right choice to go home.

Next week it could go a couple of ways. Florence could get a dance that's tough for her - maybe one with some hip action required? And that could negatively impact her overall standing.  Or, one of Margaret & The Situation will step up a bit and the other will go home. We'll see...

Bristol & Mark Dancing A Quickstep on the 2nd Week Of DWTS

She had a droopy elbow that messed up her frame and when Mark tilted her backward in those ballroom dips that look so damn uncomfortable,, straining forward.  She didn't lean back enough.  But she looked graceful and hit her steps, smiled and looked great in her flowy lavender gown.  Bruno thought she did well but thinks now she needs to become a performer and engage the audience.  Carey Anne compared her to Kelly Osbourne.  Len said it's almost there but not quite.  He told her to try to wow them just a little more.
Scores from Carey Anne, Len & Bruno: 7-8-7
Call 1-800-868-3407 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              1-800-868-3407      end_of_the_skype_highlighting during the show or go to abc.com to vote for Bristol and Marc.

The Situation & Karina Quickstepping Tonight on Week 2 of DWTS

Last week Len told him he had the guns but not the ammunition!  Tonight he says he's showin' up with a bazooka - lets see!  He's a little flat footed but he hit the steps, kept up, and even caught Karina at the end.  Len said however, it was a series of unfortunate events.  But he said it was better than last week.  Bruno said he could tell he wanted to do well so badly, but we could see that and it's a fine line he needs to balance between dancing the dance and concentrating on the steps.  Carey Anne said he needs to bust out an iPod and work on his musicality.  And she said he's a little pigeon toed!  Obviously I'm not the only one who noticed.
Scores from Carey Anne, Len & Bruno: 6-6-6  His score improved from last week!
Call 1-800-868-3410 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              1-800-868-3410      end_of_the_skype_highlighting during the show or go to abc.com to vote for Mike and Karina.

Kurt and Anna doing the Jive in Week 2 of DWTS

Well Kurt, you're definitely a football player - still with the hand clenching.  But I think it's better than it was last week.  His Jive was pretty basic, but it was high energy and seemed accurate.  Carey Anne says he has great musicality and it looks like it comes so easy to him.  Len says he went from the outhouse to the penthouse.  Bruno says he's a cool guy doing a cool Jive.  And that his hands are as big as frying pans.  That's probably why he clenches them sometimes eh?
Scores from Carey Anne, Len & Bruno: 7-7-7
Call 1-800-868-3408 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              1-800-868-3408      end_of_the_skype_highlighting during the show or go to abc.com to vote for Kurt and Anna.

Kyle & Lacey Are Quickstepping in Week 2 of DWTS

It'll be hard to top the 2nd highest score of the night they got last week - We'll see...  Well I never know what numbers the judges are going to throw out there so I can't say, but once again I was impressed when I saw that chubby kid on the dance floor.  Bruno called him a powerhouse of boundless energy, but pointed out that he needs more control, especially with all the energy involved.  Carey Anne said he was a little flat footed but she still loved it!  "If you've got it, flaunt it!"  Len said it was hardly a classic Quickstep, his frame was bad, it lacked any style but...  he liked it!  Ha!  I'll give him a vote!
Scores from Carey Anne, Len & Bruno: 8-7-7
Call 1-800-868-3403 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              1-800-868-3403      end_of_the_skype_highlighting during the show or go to abc.com to vote for Kyle and Lacey.

Margaret & Louis Dance The Jive on week 2 Of DWTS

So far, not enough hip action but the outfit shows off her legs better so already the footwork is alright.  She could be smoother but over all - far better than last week. Len said it was a proper Jive with a lot of life & energy & he also noticed that she took on the judges comments from last week.  Bruno told her to keep it tight but complimented her smile.  Carey Anne saw improvement but asked her to watch out because she leads with her shoulder a bit.  Definitely a better showing this time.
Scores from Carey Anne, Len & Bruno: 6-6-6
Call 1-800-868-3405 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              1-800-868-3405      end_of_the_skype_highlighting during the show or go to abc.com to vote for Margaret and Louis.
Margaret is happy with 3 better than last week but Louis is upset with the triple 6.  Uh - it's a dance score, not a call to the devil Louis.  relax.

Jennifer and Derek - DWTS Season 11

First off, the hair extensions are adorable.  Second, the "shake-shake shake-shake ashake it" she's doing with her hips, I'm super digging.  And the dancing looked pretty good too.  In the packet before the dance, Jennifer was worried about her energy level but Carey Anne called her a bionic energizer bunny and Len said there was nothing Grey about her performance, and Bruno said it was a killer Jive and she nailed it.  Short and sweet - I'll be voting for Jennifer again tonight.
 Scores from Carey Anne, Len & Bruno: 8-8-8
Call 1-800-868-3411 during the show or go to abc.com to vote for Jennifer and Derek.

Audrina & Tony get to Quickstep in Week 2 of DWTS

Not a fan of her fishing net top or his electrical tape trim suit...  but I liked the dance!  She was quick and light on her feet, graceful and smiling.  Bruno warned her that something went wrong with her hops and at times her posture, but over all, the show pony was turning into Secretariate.  Carey Anne said it was a huge improvement over last week and Len said it was the best dance of the night so far.  I have to agree and I think I'll give her a vote right now!  Oh my - they just showed a clip that showed Tony saying "If we don't get three 8's this week, I'll wax my legs!" 
Scores from Carey Anne, Len & Bruno: 8-8-7
Call 1-800-868-3401 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              1-800-868-3401      end_of_the_skype_highlighting during the show or go to abc.com to vote for Audrina and Tony
Tom Bergeron's comment: "I gotta tell you - I was annoyed with you for the 3, but I'm loving the 7!"

Michael and Chelsie Jiving on DWTS Week 2

We start with Michael crawling on his knees out of the dog house.  So before the judges comment, I'm thinking it looks better than last week - he doesn't seem so much like he's racing to keep up with her and she's leading, but he looked kinda bored!  Like he was standing there, arms swinging, walking around with her while she did some dancing.  So the judges: Len thinks the world isn't ready for his interpretation of the Jive and said something about a pooper scooper but that might be a reference to the dog theme.  Maybe it was a reference to how shitty it was.  Bruno says he's a dog lover & Michael is making it very hard for him - he even told him he should've crawled back in the dog house!  Ha!  He went so far as to say it was the worst Jive he'd seen in 11 seasons!  At that point even Len started defending Michael!  Carey Anne told him she respects and appreciates his effort, but she just felt it was very awkward.
Scores from Carey Anne, Len & Bruno: 4-5-3  Ouch!
Call 1-800-868-3402 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              1-800-868-3402      end_of_the_skype_highlighting during the show or go to abc.com to vote for Michael and Chelsie.

Brandy & Maks Get To Jive In The 2nd Week On DWTS

Suspenders and School Girl costumes.  Very cute.  And Brandy even did a little solo in the middle.  Her footwork looked good and the audience is shrieking!  Carey Anne thought the energy was great but she didn't point her toes.  The toe pointing makes a pretty big difference. Len mentioned her great coordination but thinks she's taken a step back this week since he felt she wasn't dancing with full intent.  Bruno said she looked like a Gwen Stefani back up dancer.  He thought her dance wasn't sharp enough, not precise enough, okay but not great, and not good enough for her.  I still haven't been so so impressed with any of the dances yet that I've made a call.
Scores from Carey Anne, Len & Bruno: 7-7-7
Last week Len & Bruno gave them 8's...  just sayin.
Call 1-800-868-3406 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              1-800-868-3406      end_of_the_skype_highlighting during the show or go to abc.com to vote for Brandy and Maks.

Flo & Corky Dancing The Quickstep on Week 2 of DWTS

Suddenly I see Florence Henderson wearing a gown completely covered in black sequins.  Her feet were fast & her frame was elegant.Bruno said it looked a little like Driving Miss Daisy.  Hm.  I thought it was great.  Her footwork was pretty fast & precise.  I thought she'd be a lot slower at 76.  Carey Anne thought the dance suited her elegance.  And Len said he doesn't consider a competitors age - he watches the dance, he gives a mark & a comment on whether or not he thinks they should come back next week.  "And based on that - I'll see you next week!"
Scores from Carey Anne, Len & Bruno: 7-6-6
Call 1-800-868-3409 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              1-800-868-3409      end_of_the_skype_highlighting during the show or go to abc.com to vote for Florence and Corky.

Rick & Cheryl Jive in Week 2 of DWTS

Rick & Cheryl are dancing The Jive ZZ Top's  Tush.
He's definitely foxy in the black tank but he's not as fast as he could be with the footwork...  in the packet he talked about the tendon interview that ended his basketball career and I think that's going to be hard for him to compete as the weeks go on.  Len liked it and complimented how well he did considering his height.  Bruno liked it but had some pointers for next week and Carey Anne thought he was better last week!  I had a hard time watching his footwork!  Once he lifted Cheryl's skirt & showed her adorable pink "tush" panties,
 I don't think I'll vote for them.
Scores from Carey Anne, Len & Bruno: 7-7-7
Call 1-800-868-3404 to vote for Rick & Cheryl.

Glee - Back For Season 2!

"Hi, I'm Coach Beiste... spelled B-E-I-S-T-E...  it's French."  I don't care how you spell it lady, Your name is BEAST!  And I'm dying from laughter, moments into the show.  Yay!  Glee is back for season 2!

We open with the principal telling Sue & Will that The Cheerios and New Directions are both getting a 10% budget cut.  And where is the money going?  To the football team and the new (questionably) female football coach, Coach Beiste.  Coach Beiste refers to herself as "The Panther", talks about herself in the third person, and proceeds to cut every member of the football team, informing them they all have to try out again.  Because of the budget cuts, Sue and Will team up to bring down The Beiste.  They start by ordering a bunch of pizza's Beiste is forced to pay for.  After the impromptu team pizza party, Beiste announces practice is still on and the first 10 guys who puke are off the team.  Later, Beiste is snubbed in the faculty lounge by Sue & Will and retreats to the locker room to cry.  When Finn arrives, pushing Artie in his chair, and asks if Artie can go out for the team, Beiste figures she's still the butt of everyone's joke and kicks Finn off the team.  Eventually Will realizes the 'Mean Girl' tactics Sue is employing just aren't his style.  He makes peace with the Beiste and Sue vows they'll both regret crossing her.

Glee kicks the music off this season with Empire State of Mind and I think that's a fabulous choice.  The song is big, the hope is big, the city is big...  it seems to fit.  The kids break into song at lunchtime to hype up the kids in order to increase sign ups for the club.  Nationals are in New York this year and they figure students will be enticed by the idea of a trip to the big apple.  But we see they're still social outcasts because when the song is over they may as well have been invisible for all the attention they got.

Still, a couple students notice the number and seem to be a tad interested.  Rachel notices a new Philipino girl watching her during the lunch time performance, and then sees her later in the bathroom.  In her Rachely ignorant nice/not-nice way, she invites Sunshine to join glee club, telling her they need back up singers for her solos.  Sunshine politely agrees, then reinserts her earbuds and begins to sing Telephone with a crystal clear voice.  Rachel quickly realizes this tiny Philipino girl is much more than a back-up singer! What follows is a little dueling Telephone in the girls room between Rachel and Sunshine... till Sue bursts in and shouts at them.  "Shut up!"  Still, Sunshine's excited to join glee till Rachel starts thinking her beautiful voice is a threat to her own time in the spot light and gives Sunshine a wrong address for glee club try outs.  Off goes Sunshine - to a crack house.  Sunshine shows up to sing for the glee club despite Rachel's antics, and belts out a rousing rendition of Listen from Dreamgirls.  I was thoroughly impressed.  But before Will can welcome her to the club, Sue has called Vocal Adrenaline and tipped them off to the new prize at William McKinley High School.  And just like that Sunshine's mom has a green card and a new condo and Sunshine is ushered off to join the enemy.

Nestled within the drama between Rachel & Sunshine, Finn notices another new kid who is very into the lunchtime performance.  Finn invites Sam into the glee room for a jam session and the new kid busts out a guitar and starts singing Billionaire.  Most of the guys like him and he plans to return the next day to join up.  Unfortunately, by the end of the show, Sam's seen the bad opinion most of the school has of glee club and decides not to commit social suicide.  Instead he passes on glee club.

In all this, Quinn shows up at Cheerios try-outs and is greeted immediately by Sue telling her "No way, get out.  I don't want you anywhere near my squad.  You'll deafen them with the sound of your stretch marks rubbing together."  Oh my god I almost put milk out my nose in that moment.  But Quinn calmly points out that Sue's just lost 10% of her budget and there are many church groups that would donate to a squad that is rehabilitating a teen mom who now speaks out for abstinence.  Wait... does Quinn advocate abstinence now?  Is it even legal to be an abstinent cheerleader in this country?  I'm sure Quinn was back on the squad in that moment but then we see Santana arrive in Sue's office to be dressed down for getting a boob job.  Sue informs her she's been demoted and Quinn will replace her as head cheerleader.  Watching Quinn zip her cheer uniform, cinch her pony tail and strut down the hall, feeling so good to be back on top, made me smile.  It's a geat feeling.  Not that the strutting lasts long - Quinn is blindsided and slammed into a row of lockers by a very angry Santana, and cat-fight style drama ensues. Quinn doesn't even try to deny that she told their coach about Santana's boob job and after a little more slapping & hair pulling, it's all over. Frankly the whole scene was just like a visit to my sister's house.

At the end of the show, Sunshine and her new coach have just made their dramatic exit, and the team is crushed.  Finn urges Rachel to apologize to glee and she agrees, saying she'll meet him & the rest of the club in a minute.  Then she puts on her big sad eyes and starts to sing a show tune: What I Did For Love which left me thoroughly not impressed.  It just didn't fit.  Rachel didn't do it for love!  She did it for her own selfish reasons, as usual.  Her stupid excuses throughout the episode never do ring true.  She doesn't give a shit about her fellow glee club members.  "Tina, Mike...  I mean, what if Sunshine can dance?  Then your contributions to glee would be even more insignificant than they are now.  I did this for you guys."  Ha!  Rachel does it all for herself.

So we find that we're going into a new year and not one new student has signed up for glee club.  I don't really like that plot turn and I hope someone transfers in soon or something happens because I think it's just stupid that they've got these new kids that don't join.  Someone would want to sing.  So we'll see.  I think the addition of Dot Jones as Coach Beiste is brilliant.  I'm eager to see what she brings to the table when Sue & Will's feud becomes a triangle.  So hopefully they'll get some new students in soon.  In the meantime, I'm pretty damn excited for the Britney episode next week!

A New Bachelor for Season 15?

It looks like Brad Womack is coming back for another season on abc's The Bachelor. He was the season 11 Bachelor back in 2007 and shocked audiences by rejecting both DeAnna Pappas and Jenni Croft.  A lot of people were upset about that whole mess but I say good for him!  Don't lie about your feelings: if that spark isn't there, it isn't there.
I've been reading a lot of viewer commentary about how unfair it is that Womack is getting a second shot on The Bachelor. As far as that goes, I don't really think fairness is an issue here. Everyone deserves unlimited chances at finding love. How ever they choose to do it is no skin off my nose. As long as there is full disclosure with the women who come on the show so they know it's Womack they're getting, I think it's just fine - whatever. Do I think it's the best choice? Eh... I didn't watch Womack's original season so I couldn't really tell you if I'm personally happy to see him back or not. He seems handsome enough... but they're all kind of from that same mold. I think I would have preferred that they try to find a new random love-hungry bachelor to be 'The Bachelor', but the show seems to think recycling people from one season to the next is a successful formula so who am I to argue?  Certainly not a television producer with oodles of ratings statistics at my fingertips.  And let's face it - whoever they pick, I'll watch.

Dancing With The Stars - Week 1 Results Show

The results show started out with a one hour show that recapped last night by showing each dance and the judges comments.Then the live results hour began with a quick montage of pro's, hosts, judges & guests all getting ready for air.  Carlos Santana played Oye Como Va while Maks & Cheryl, Tony & Kym and Corky & Anna danced a lively Cha-cha-cha.  My mom comments "Wow, for an old guy Corky can really move!"  She's allowed to say this because she's older than Corky (I actually have no idea if this is true).
For the results, the contestants are split into 3 groups of 4 and first they showed us two safe couples from the 4 at the bottom of the leader board: Michael, The Hoff, The Situation and Margaret.
Michael & Chelsie are safe.
Margaret & Louis are safe.
Next there was a little bit with Adam Carolla (a season 6 contestant), Adam Carolla's Tour de Dance, where he took us on a world tour of dance styles... on a unicycle.
We start in NYC w/the Jive and a very unconvincing ride on a unicycle.  Next stop, Cuba for The Rumba which has been described as making love on the dance floor.  On to Brazil where they dance the Samba. Crossing the Atlantic on his unicycle, Carolla lands next in Vienna where we find the Waltz dating back to the 16th century, and over to England which gave us the Quickstep - a combination of The  Charleston & The Foxtrot.  Finally we finish the Tour de Dance in Southern France from whence came the Paso Doble, a dance heavily influenced by Flamenco.  Intersting...  I assumed the Paso was Spanish or Italian.  Not that I know anything more than what I've heard the judges say for the last several seasons. 
Next, Daughtry performed September while 2 couples danced a little number.  At this point I decided I'd keep track of how many dances the various Pro's have to learn while still in competition.  It's got to be hard to be dancing, choreographing, teaching, learning new numbers...  what an intense job!
After the Daughtry number, Brook went backstage to chat with the 4 contestants who will next learn their fate - the 4 at the top of the leader board.  She morbidly points out to Brandy that two contestants at the bottom are both safe, which means anything can happen!  So next up, Brandy, Kyle, Rick & Jennifer are sent to find out who are safe and who are sill in jeopardy.
Jeniffer & Derek are safe.
Rick & Cheryl are safe.
Next, India Arie sang While My Guitar Gently Weeps, accompanied by Carlos Santana.  It was truly beautiful. Louis & Karina did a Rumba maybe?  I really enjoy the growth, change, risk and suspense, when watching the contestants.  But there's also something so captivating about watching the perfection of the pros.
The last group of 4 was the middle of the pack: Audrina, Kurt, Bristol and Florence.
Audrina & Tony are safe.
Florence & Corky are safe.
At this point in the show we knew of six safe couples and were still waiting to hear the fate of the other six. Brandy, Kyle, Kurt,  Bristol, The Hoff & The Situation were still waiting to hear.
Daughtry sang Photograph (yes, a cover of the Def Leppard song), accompanied by Santana while Derek & Lacey and Marc & Chelsie danced a rocking Cha-cha-cha (I think).
Tom Bergeron spoke with Daughtry & Santana for a minute after their song and asked who they're rooting for.  Daughtry is a Michael Bolton fan because last night he danced to a Daughtry song "I never saw that in my future." Daughtry said. LOL  And Santana told us he's rooting for Kurt Warner.
For another time-filler, they played a little video montage of the Pros talking about how it feels to be the first couple eliminated.  I'm sure that's got to be hard getting sent home right away.
Brook had The Hoff, Brandy & Bristol, on one side and The Situation, Kurt and Kyle on the other side of her, in the celebraquarium, talking about how they felt going into the final minutes of the first results show.  Everyone has enjoyed themselves & hopes to stay.  And so off they go to hear who is safe and who is going home.
Brandy & Maks are safe.
Bristol & Mark are safe.
And of course Tom had to go to commercial before telling us any more.
Kurt & Anne are safe.
The Situation & Karina are safe.
Wow - I'm kind of surprised that they still have Kyle up there on the chopping block!  Either way, I'm surprised at who will go home.  Kyle danced a great dance and The Hoff I thought would have a better voting fan base.
So who's going home?  The Hoff!

I think that's the right choice.  While The situation & Margaret Cho were pretty bad, this gives them a little time to show us if they can do better.  The Hoff was eliminated and his daughter said she was so proud of him for dancing with his bad knees.  He wouldn't have made it much longer anyway.  It was a good elimination.
See you next week!

Dancing With The Stars season 11 - First Night!

The glitter is flying, the mirror balls are spinning & the lights are flashing! Dancing With The Stars Season 11 is finally here! Last night was a great premier show. I thought everyone did pretty well, and while there were some dancers that clearly need to go home, there were none as bad as some of the stinkers in seasons past. All said, an entertaining night.

I think my favorites were Jennifer Grey and Kyle Massey.





And as far as who should go home, I think it's Margaret Cho and Mike "The Situation" Sorrentino.  But I think The Situation has a better chance at getting the votes than Margaret Cho.


Audrina Patridge & Tony Dovolani were up first, dancing the Cha-cha-cha to Katy Perry's California Girls. Audrina was all smiles, cute, has a great body and decent form. She's a little awkward at times but very capable looking. All the judges were impressed and Len was even nice! Tom commented that the judges are always more pleasant when they return from summer break. They earned a vote from me.

Scores from Carey Anne, Len & Bruno: 6-7-6
Call 1-800-868-3401 during the show or go to abc.com to vote for Audrina and Tony.

Kurt Warner & Anna Trebunskaya danced second. Holy SEVEN kids?! Wow, is Kurt a Mormon (It's okay for me to ask in such a bold manner because I used to be one)? They're dancing the Viennese Waltz. Kurt wasn't too bad. He was graceful and not too wooden. He crouched a little and clenched his fists but I think this is common for football stars - they hunch & huddle a lot at first because that's what they're used to. Len wasn't happy with the performance and thought Kurt lacked grace. But we know Len is the toughest critic.

Scores from Carey Anne, Len & Bruno: 7-5-7
Call 1-800-868-3408 during the show or go to abc.com to vote for Kurt and Anna.

Kyle Massey & Lacey Schwimmer were up next and Lacey's hair was looking a little better for the show, but I'm still not a fan of the blond. They were dancing the Cha-cha-cha and I wasn't too sure Kyle would manage. Wow. Maybe I was wrong about him because he can actually move! That wasn't at all awkward & his footwork was great! I'm impressed and he might even get some votes from me. The judges liked it - of course Len hated the at-the-lockers gimmick at the beginning but he never does like that stuff. And Bruno enjoyed it - called him an entertainer. I ended up giving him 3 votes & thought he was the best of the men.

Scores from Carey Anne, Len & Bruno: 8-7-8
Call 1-800-868-3403 during the show or go to abc.com to vote for Kyle and Lacey.

Rick Fox & Cheryl Burke went fourth dancing the Viennese Waltz. Wow he's really tall! They danced to Aerosmith's Crazy - a favorite of mine - and it wasn't bad! I think Cheryl was right to set the precedent right off by telling him not to dance down to her - she would come up to him. That was the problem with Chad Ochocinco I think. Len said Rick was smooth & postured. Bruno pointed out the NFL/NBA face-off going on this season, and Carrie Anne called him a fox! That's right girl. Love the cream suit Rick. I'll give you a vote.

Scores from Carey Anne, Len & Bruno: 8-7-7
Call 1-800-868-3404 during the show or go to abc.com to vote for Rick and Cheryl.

Margaret Cho & Louis Van Amstel danced the Viennese Waltz to Queen's We Are the Champions but I don't think it was a champion-worthy performance unfortunately. They choreographed some mis-steps & spills into the dance and it was a risky move I think didn't pay off. The comedic element was fun & their flamboyant costumes fit, but I don't know if it can make up for the awkward waltz she gave us. Len thought the comedic element was inappropriate and Carrie Anne felt it was a brave move to purposely fall on the first night.

Scores from Carey Anne, Len & Bruno: 5-5-5 Ouch...
Call 1-800-868-3405 during the show or go to abc.com to vote for Margaret and Louis.

Brandy & Maksim Chmerkovskiy danced the Viennese Waltz and it was pretty good! She had grace & ease. She smiled and looked comfortable in the ballroom. All three judges loved her and she's off to a great start. I gave her a vote.

Scores from Carey Anne, Len & Bruno: 7-8-8
Call 1-800-868-3406 during the show or go to abc.com to vote for Brandy and Maks.

Bristol Palin & Mark Ballas started their season with the Cha-cha-cha. Len said for week 1 it was good. He pointed out that the steps were there, made no mistakes, had good hip action, etc. He's right, it was okay. And she did do a little hip shaking. Bruno pointed out some small details she did well. Carrie Anne said Bristol surprised her & had great legs. I thought she did well but in a lot of parts, it was uncomfortable to watch Marc literally dance circles around her. I guess that's typical for the first week, I just hate to see the dance/walking they do when they can't really do the steps.

Scores from Carey Anne, Len & Bruno: 6-6-6
Call 1-800-868-3407 during the show or go to abc.com to vote for Bristol and Marc.

Florence Henderson & Corky Ballas were next, dancing the Cha-cha-cha. And I just have to say I love Flo's dirty mouth! I think she dropped the F-bomb in rehearsals. Finally I can relate to the woman! It was a fun performance, she had the steps, she didn't stumble and she even had some hip action... Bruno called her a spunky lady & says he can see plenty of it! Ha! Carrie Anne was happy to see her enjoying the dance and Len said it was great entertainment. I still thought it was stiffer than it should be.

Scores from Carey Anne, Len & Bruno: 6-6-6
Call 1-800-868-3409 during the show or go to abc.com to vote for Florence and Corky.

Michael Bolton & Chelsie Hightower were up next with the Viennese Waltz. Michael has a winning smile but he was hunching his shoulders. He had all the steps but it was a little stiff. Carrie Anne wants him to smile more, Len wasn't happy with his posture and Bruno wants him to relax & take it easy. Despite the lack of polish, I gave him a vote. I'd like to see him back for a few weeks at least. I think he can improve.

Scores from Carey Anne, Len & Bruno: 6-5-5
Call 1-800-868-3402 during the show or go to abc.com to vote for Michael and Chelsie.

Mike "The Situation" Sorrentino & Karina Smirnoff danced the Cha-cha-cha and I thought his footwork was only gonna break-break the, break-break the judges hearts. He was pretty awkward and wooden on the dance floor. Of course this is partly because of his limited practice time, but the judges can't take that into account when scoring their dance. Len said he was under-rehearsed & had the guns but lacked the ammunition! I love it when Len gets laughs. Bruno said there was a spark of what may or may not be talent. Carrie Anne pointed out that they can't be nicer to him in consideration of his limited practice time, but she hopes to see him back next week.

Scores from Carey Anne, Len & Bruno: 5-5-5
Call 1-800-868-3410 during the show or go to abc.com to vote for Mike and Karina.

Jennifer Grey and Derek Hough danced the Viennese Walts to These Arms of Mine from Dirty Dancing. Watching their rehearsal was a little sad because she was remembering Patrick Swayze. But once they got past the emotion, the dance was great! Bruno said Baby is back where she belongs! Carrie Anne said it was profound and Jennifer only gets better with age. Len said the dance suited her but he was waiting for her Jive next week. I thought Jennifer was the best of the women, or as good as Brandy. I think she has great possibility, and she's still my favorite so I gave her 5 votes. I called once right after their Waltz & then spent the rest of my remaining votes after the show was over: 4 more for Jennifer and 2 more for Kyle.

Scores from Carey Anne, Len & Bruno: 8-8-8
Call 1-800-868-3411 during the show or go to abc.com to vote for Jennifer and Derek.

David Hassehoff & Kym Johnson danced the Cha-cha-cha to Sex Bomb! Maybe 10 years ago he would've torn it up but last night he was pretty stiff and had absolutely no hip action. Carrie Anne called him a mix of Donny Osmond & Jerry Springer! Len said it's never too early to panic, but he also called it entertaining. He's more worried about the Quickstep next week. Bruno assured him we do love The Hoff but said it was all madness and no dancing. He called it a Poo-Pouri of insanity. Poo-pouri Bruno?

Scores from Carey Anne, Len & Bruno: 5-5-5
Call 1-800-868-3412 during the show or go to abc.com to vote for David & Kym.

So here are the standings and scores:
Jennifer - 24
Kyle - 23
Brandy - 23
Rick - 22
Audrina - 19
Kurt - 19
Bristol - 18
Florence - 18
Michael Bolton - 16
The Hoff - 15
The Situation - 15
Margaret - 15

It was a great show and I can't wait for the rest of the season!  Tonight is the results show and we'll see Santana and Daughtry perform.

They're doing another Macey's Design-A-Dance this season and the dance styles are open for voting at abc.com.

Voting takes place by phone from the start of the show until 30 minutes after it's over (7pm till 9:30pm here in the Mountain time zone). Online voting  is open till 11am Eastern time the next morning (9am here in the mountains).

Dancing With The Stars Season 11 Begins Tonight!

The sneak-peek videos posted on facebook are probably our best indication of how the contestants are going to do tonight, but even those are carefully edited to keep us from knowing too much, I'm sure!  I also notice in the video packet each week, the rehearsal clips shown seem to be from early in the weeks rehearsal schedule.  Just so they don't give away too much about how well the pair may or may not do.  So it's still hard to say how I imagine tonight will go until I've actually seen what they can do in the ballroom.


Brandy seems to be a perfectionist so that could work in her favor.


I think Jennifer & Derek get my vote right now before they get to the ballroom. I know that makes it nothing more than a popularity contest, but that's all I have to go on at this point. I'll definitely be voting based on dancing ability however. But she looks like she may do alright in that respect as well - and Derek is no cream-puff when it comes to teaching, so I think they have a chance.


Margaret Cho looks like she's picking up the steps alright and working hard.


Audrina has a dancers body and decent form so she & Tony may do really well. I like Tony and would love to see him get a mirror ball trophy of his own. The closest he's come in 8 seasons on DWTS: 3rd place in seasons 2 and 8.


Florence Henderson thinks she can get away with not wearing heels?!  Seriously Flo?  Think again!  Corcky tells her she'll get spanked by Len. Tonight we'll find out if she's going to take the spanking or not.  But she looks a little brittle in the facebook video. Not as stiff however, as Buzz Aldrin looked - second to leave in season 10!


Mark Ballas is a strong leader so Bristol Palin seems to be doing okay in their early rehearsals, but those few steps don't tell me much. More telling is the look of uncertainty on her face when Mark slaps his thighs! HAHAHA! She looks at him like she's never gotten down! Well I guess we'll see how well little miss Palin can shake it!


I'm still hoping Michael Bolton & Chelsie Hightower do well and his sneak-peek video doesn't change that! Jennifer & Derek are my pick for the lady contestants, but Michael and Chelsie are definitely my pre-dancing pick on the men's side!

Mike & Karina are doing the Cha-cha tonight, as is everyone, and I hope they can make a decent showing since it sounded in the video, like he barely arrived in LA for rehearsals a few days ago. I think maybe his Jersey Shore taping schedule had him caught up longer than the other stars of the show, but that doesn't seem like they have much of a chance if he's barely learning to dance this week. Holly Madison tried to jump in at the last minute in season 8 and was the 3rd star to go home. She may as well have been the first eliminated, but with Belinda Carlisle & Denise Richards also competing, there were a few needing to go home at once so it took a minute to get to Holly. It's possible the extra rehearsal time wouldn't have mattered since the next two weeks she was still pretty bad. We'll see if The Situation has any raw talent Karina has been able to work with over the past week or not.


David & Kym might be going home sooner than I originally thought. The Hoff has vertigo? hehehe... Oh this can't be good!


If Kurt & Anna's video is any indication, it might be just a little bit painful to watch him in the ballroom tonight!


Kyle & Lacey seem to be working hard but WHAT is with her pants? And I'm still not digging the blond hair. And as I suspected, Kyle doesn't seem to be a natural. What was with his somersault? I can do better than that and I can't even turn a cartwheel!


Rick & Cheryl seem to be having a great time, working hard and not doing too bad. "Hanging on for dear life", he called it. I think he'll do okay.

I'm excited to see the premier tonight! It will be good to find out what kind of rhythm & skill these stars will bring to the ballroom. I'll let you know what I think...