Week 9 Results and a Few Rants about DWTS

So last night was results & elimination on DWTS and I was pretty disappointed.  Brandy went home and Bristol is moving on to the Finals.  What the...  Okay, yes, I've been progressively more & more impressed with Bristol.  She really came out & proved me wrong several times.  But she's NOT as good a dancer as Brandy.  What a travesty of democracy.  Oh well.
Three things I haven't been brutally honest about while blogging this season: Kyle, Carrie Ann & Brook.

First, I have to say Kyle surprises me & did so again on Monday night with his Samba.  I've been hesitant to say much about the chubby factor but here it is.  He's a chubby guy, I'm always sure the chub will slow him down and honestly sometimes it does.  The thing is that the extra weight can slow him down which keeps him from really hitting those sharp steps the way I expect, it prevents him from really getting the extension he needs, the arching & the lines needed in the ballroom...  but sometimes he just busts out something surprising and I am utterly amazed.  And that's what he did in his Samba Monday night.  That chubby butt shook like nobodies business!

So on to Carrie Ann.  More and more I think she's a hater.  Granted, Bristol is the weakest dancer and didn't deserve any 10's on Monday night in my opinion, but I don't think she deserved the 8 Carrie Ann gave her.  I feel like Carrie Ann plays favorites and doesn't give love to the ones she doesn't like, even when they improve.  She harps on Bristol's emotional disconnect and criticizes it even when I think the emotion & character were far improved.

Last, I have to say Brook needs to go!  I've mentioned it before but holy hell that girl bugs me!  Enough with the "How does that make you feel?" questions!  You're a co-host, not a therapist!  She's kind of an air head, she's not entertaining, her questions suck...  she's really just a pretty face and a hot body dressed up in an endless supply of beautiful evening gowns.  Anyone can do that.  ABC - get Tom a new girl please!

So there you have it.  Next Monday is the final competition night!  Jennifer Gray, Kyle Massey and Bristol Palin will battle it out for the mirror ball and one will take it home on Tuesday!  I'm excited!

It's Semi Finals Time at DWTS!!!

So it's the semi finals and up first are Brandy & Maks.  But before the dancing they had a cute moment of togetherness after Maks's blow up in last weeks judging.  He obviously felt bad about the whole thing and worried that his tiff with carrie Ann would hurt Brandy's chances in the competition.  But Brandy assured him she would have done the same thing for him.
So their first dance was the Paso and I thought it was pretty good.  Her footwork was good, her arm movements were precise, her facial expressions were fierce.  I enjoyed her solo and am pretty impressed with her progress since the beginning of all this..  It wasn't ten material in my opinion but it was really great.  Len overall great dancing.  Bruno said Brandy needed anger management and definitely released all the aggression, but might have lost a little of the finesse.  thought her character was wonderful and her upper body looked glamorous, great job over all.
Scores from Carrie Ann, Len & Bruno are:  9-9-9
Call 1-800-868-3406 to vote for Brandy & Maks till 30 minutes after show time, or vote online at abc.com all night.

 Jennifer & Derek went next with a Cha Cha Cha that rocked the house.  She started out shaking her naughty bits on Lens head, then proceeded to wow us in this crazy frilly white feathery body suit.  The choreography was of course amazing, since Derek is a genius.  Her footwork was awesome.  All three judges loved it and all three judges gave them tens!  Deservedly so.
Scores from Carrie Ann, Len & Bruno are:  10-10-10
Call 1-800-868-3411 to vote for Jennifer & Derek till 30 minutes after show time, or vote online at abc.com all night.

Bristol & Marc are dancing next and I'm still wondering who's voting for this girl.  Thy've got another Paso  Doble and it's definitely not as good as Brandy's but it's not bad.  She got more intensity than usual but it's still not the tight routine I'd expect in the semi-finals.  However, I thought she looked hot in her black leather big hair.  Good for her coming out like that!  Carrie Ann said she was so happy to see her come out & nail it.  Len said Bristol the pistol has fired a few blanks throughout the season but came out with both guns blazing tonight!  Bruno said the little lamb is turning into a tigress and admired her beautiful flamenco lines.
Scores from Carrie Ann, Len & Bruno are:  9-9-9
Call 1-800-868-3407 to vote for Bristol & Mark till 30 minutes after show time, or vote online at abc.com all night.

Last up in the first round was Kyle and Lacey with a Samba.  I thought it was Kyle's best dance since the beginning when he impressed us with what seemed like a bit of a fluke for a bit as the competition progressed.  But tonight was great fun to watch and they should get a ten or two at least!  Len pronounced Kyle's bum bionic tonight!  Bruno said he was a bouncing bundle of fun & Carrie Ann said she's never seen so much pelvic action ever!
Scores from Carrie Ann, Len & Bruno are:  10-9-10
Call 1-800-868-3403 to vote for Kyle & Lacey till 30 minutes after show time, or vote online at abc.com all night.

On with the second round and it's back to Brandy & Maks.  Their Argentine Tango blew me away.  Her lines were amazing & beautiful and if she doesn't get at least one 10, I'll be surprised.  Len loved that she created great atmosphere - outward expression of her inner emotion.  Bruno loved the emotional depth, full extension of her body, and called her stunning.  Carrie Ann said it was a beautiful & powerful dance.
Scores from Carrie Ann, Len & Bruno are:  10-10-10
Again, to vote call 1-800-868-3406 to vote for Brandy & Maks till 30 minutes after show time, or vote online at abc.com all night.

I have to say I'm not a Brooke Burk fan.  I miss Samantha.  Don't get me wrong, she looks H. O. T. in those evening gowns.  But she can't interview contestants in the celebraquarium to save her damn life!  "Three 9's - how does that make you feel?" ...  "26 out of 20 - how do you feel about that?" ...  "A perfect 30!  How are you feeling right now?"  Ugh!  Get a new schtick Brooke.  Pulease!  I think the producers need to bring in a new co-host - put the hot dresses on some other smokin' hot chick and see if she can do any better.  I'm over this one.

Done ranting!  Next up were Jenifer & Derek with their Waltz.  She just makes it look so easy!  Every step is effortless and graceful and beautiful.  I love it.  Bruno said it was a gem of a waltz, full of style & elegant detail.  He said it was stunning & she is a great dancer.  Carrie Ann said she thinks the body never lies & through dance we can see a persons soul - and she thought this simple waltz was one of the most beautiful things she's seen in her life.  Len said sometimes a whisper speaks louder than a shout & this poignant delicate waltz was fabulous.
Scores from Carrie Ann, Len & Bruno are:  10-10-10
Again, call 1-800-868-3411 to vote for Jennifer & Derek till 30 minutes after show time, or vote online at abc.com all night.

 Bristol & Mark had a Waltz in the second round and I was very impressed.  Carrie Ann said she felt like there were moments when Bristol drifted out of her character & connection, sort of disconnected.  Len disagreed and said it was quite beautiful.  Bruno said it was haunting, there were beautiful lines and then he mentioned the journey she's been on and how happy he is to see her here.
Scores from Carrie Ann, Len & Bruno are:  8-9-9
Call 1-800-868-3407 to vote for Bristol & Mark till 30 minutes after show time, or vote online at abc.com all night.
As hard as I've been on Bristol, I think they should have had at least one 10.  And honestly I think Carrie Ann can be kind of unusually hard on the female competitors sometimes.

So last was Kyle & Lacey with an Argentine Tango.   I thought it was great but I liked their Samba better.  His steps were clean & his character was fierce.  I have no criticisms, I just thought the other dance was fun & spicy: this one, not so much.  Len said he's never seen so much attack & enthusiasm.  Bruno said whatever happens, Kyle is Season 11 Mr Charisma!  Carrie Ann said he reminds her of Emmit Smith - how he came out of nowhere at the end and killed it in every routine. 
Scores from Carrie Ann, Len & Bruno are:  10-9-10
Call 1-800-868-3403 to vote for Kyle & Lacey till 30 minutes after show time, or vote online at abc.com all night.

I enjoyed all the dances tonight but I think Bristol should go home tomorrow night.  The finals should be a competition between Kyle, Brandy & Jennifer.

Here's the leaderboard:
Jennifer & Derek: 60
Kyle & Lacey: 58
Brandy & Maks: 57
Bristol & Marc: 53

Instant Dances and Other Fun on Week 8 of DWTS

It's week 8 on Dancing!  This week the couples have been practicing their dances without knowing what their music will be!  They find out right before showtime!  Should be fun.  I've got a bowl of chips and my very favorite dip.  I'm ready for some dancing!  Len points out that in a regular ballroom competition, the dancers go out onto the dance floor with a dance prepared but no knowledge of what music will be played.  In this way, tonight's "Instant Dance" format is much more like a real ballroom competition.  Carrie Ann says what will set one couple apart from others will be the embellishments, how well they can hit the accents in their music, and if they can finish on the final beat.  Bruno says the best strategy will be to trust their partners, and it could be we'll see very low scores...  but we can't know till we see since in 11 seasons they've never done this.

Kyle & Lacey were up first and I have to say at this point in the competition, Kyle needs to do more than show some rhythm to earn a vote from me.  By now he should really be polishing his technique and from this Vienese Waltz, I can't say I think he deserves to keep coming back.
Len said his posture was better and implied he's blooming week after week.  Bruno said we're all charmed by him - the sophisticated, charming young man.  true, he has taken the judges comments and worked on them.  Carrie Ann said her crush on Kyle is back in full force.  She talked about his elegance & said it was like watching a fairy tale.  Eh...  I guess they were more impressed than I was.
Scores from Carrie Ann, Len & Bruno are:  9-9-9
Call 1-800-868-3403 to vote for Kyle & Lacey till 30 minutes after show time, or vote online at abc.com all night.
Kyle & Lacey drew a CD for their Instant Dance segment in the second half & got Good Golly Miss Molly for The Jive.  So they'll have 45 minutes to practice before they perform live on the air.

Next up were Jennifer & Derek but there's some question she'll dance with all the clips they're playing about her injuries, pain & Dr visits.  But after a visit from Daddy she decided the show must go on.  And I'm so glad she did because I loved their Quickstep!  High energy, great footwork & lots of fun!
Bruno called it a classic Astaire/Rogers Quickstep, and said they're capable of brilliance.  Carrie Ann said they're loved and it was amazing.  Len said the song "Let's Face the Music And Dance" was perfect for the trials they've endured.  
Scores from Carrie Ann, Len & Bruno are:  9-9-9
Call 1-800-868-3411 to vote for Jennifer & Derek till 30 minutes after show time, or vote online at abc.com all night.
Then Jennifer got to reach into the mirror ball bowl and drew "Waiting for A Girl Like You" by Foreigner for their Rumba.

Next to dance were Kurt & Anna with The Waltz.  Now I have to say that of the two sports guys, I thought Rick Fox was better than Kurt Warner.  But now that he's gone, Kurt is the only big time sports star left.  He's definitely made great improvements over the weeks but I still miss rick.  Carrie Ann called him a ballroom dancing Ken doll, Len said the overall feeling of the dance was beautiful and Bruno called him dashing.  Len mention his right arm needed to be stronger and Bruno said there are better dancers but he's come a long way.
Scores from Carrie Ann, Len & Bruno are: 8-8-8
Call 1-800-868-3408 to vote for Kurt & Anna till 30 minutes after show time, or vote online at abc.com all night.
Kurt & Anna drew "Hella Good" from No Doubt and then dashed off to practice their second dance a bit.

Bristol and Mark came next with an Argentine Tango that she was a little shy to show her mom at rehearsal!  Lets hope its scandalous!  ...well not so much but it was somewhat fierce.  She looked great in her black lace dress and even impressed me a little with her leg flicks and an awesome lift at the end.  Not bad....  Len thought the lifts were good, it was clean, well placed, well rehearsed but lacked a bit of intensity.  The crowd booed but he's right.  Bruno said she actually made him think she was mad and moody but reminded her she has to be a bad girl all the way through.  Carrie Ann said she thought it was the most intensity we've ever seen from Bristol and she was truly impressed.  She said she needed a little more energy in her legs and her flicks were a little lackluster, but great overall. 
Scores from Carrie Ann, Len & Bruno are:  8-8-8
Call 1-800-868-3407 to vote for Bristol & Mark till 30 minutes after show time, or vote online at abc.com all night.
For their Instant Dance song, Bristol drew "Mas Que Nada" for their Samba and no one in the celebraquarium recognizes the title.

Last up in the first round were Brandy & Maks dancing The Waltz.  She nailed the character - her longing was palpable.  Bruno said it was more than a dance - it was an exquisite interpretation of the song.  It was like a symphony or a poem.  Carrie Ann said it was riveting and told her to make sure she relaxed her neck.  Len said a nit-picky person could make a point about her neck but he wasn't going to because he was overwhelmed by her whole performance.
Scores from Carrie Ann, Len & Bruno are:  9-10-10
Call 1-800-868-3406 to vote for Brandy & Maks till 30 minutes after show time, or vote online at abc.com all night.
Last pick of the Instant Dance songs, Brandy chooses "Teenage Dream" by Katy Perry.

So with round 1 complete, we move on to round 2, the Instant Dance portion and first up again are Kyle & Lacey.  Lacey mentioned in rehearsal that Kyle needed to focus intently on the steps in order to not be distracted by the alternate music on show night.  So to help him ignore distractions she brought in her partner from season 8, Steve O!  I love Steve O.  From bubbles to a leaf blower, he did his best to distract Kyle but Kyle kept dancing!  So lets see how he does with Good Golly Miss Molly.  Okay, after his tight Jive, full of personality, I'm going to eat my earlier words and say he should be in the semi finals next week.  Len said it was fun & high energy.  He would've liked a little more finesse in some places, but he really enjoyed it.  Bruno said they didn't miss a beat, the timing was unbelievable and he loved every second of it.  Carrie Ann said it was by far the most fun she's had as a viewer in this whole season.
Scores from Carrie Ann, Len & Bruno are:  10-9-10
Again, call 1-800-868-3403 to vote for Kyle & Lacey till 30 minutes after show time, or vote online at abc.com all night.

The next Instant Dance will be Jennifer & Dereks Rumba.  In Jennifer's own words: without total trust, and good breath mints, it could be a total disaster.  I see shades of Dirty Dancing and of course I love it, but I can't deny that she's not got the hip action I expect to see with The Rumba.  I don't think it was as good as Kyle's Instant Dance but I liked it!  Bruno says this challenge is bringing out the best in people because this was again, breathtaking.  Sensual, sexy, classy, and flawless underarm passes.  Carrie Ann loved it and Len said what he loves about dancing is the variation - soft hard, big small, fast slow - that's what makes great dancing and that's what we've just seen.
Scores from Carrie Ann, Len & Bruno are:  10-10-10 
Call 1-800-868-3411 to vote for Jennifer & Derek till 30 minutes after show time, or vote online at abc.com all night.

We're back around to Kurt & Anna again, this time dancing The Cha Cha Cha for the Instant Dance portion.  I think Bruno was right - this Instant Dance segment is bringing out the best in all the dancers - even Kurt is dancing better than I've seen!  Carrie Ann said "I like Instant Dance!  This is fun!"  She pointed out musicality has never been Kurt's strong suit but tonight he nailed every single beat!  Len said they've coped extremely well.  His theory is that the known music is like a safety net or a track to run on and when they haven't got it they have to fully focus and it turns out well - he may be right.  Bruno said he let it loose, had fun & went for it!  The foot placement wasn't exactly perfect, but the performance was good!
Scores from Carrie Ann, Len & Bruno are:  8-8-8
Call 1-800-868-3408 to vote for Kurt & Anna till 30 minutes after show time, or vote online at abc.com all night.

Bristol & Mark had their Samba up next for the Instant Dance round and her hip action is pretty fierce.  their timing is a little off but I'm amazed with how much Bristol managed to shake it!   Len said because of the rhythm changes, The Samba is the most difficult Latin dance to get in his opinion.  He thought she coped well, would have liked to see more rhythm in her hips and less in her shoulders but it was lovely.  Bruno shouted how she shook it!  Bruno always loves it when the girls get a little down & dirty.  Carrie Ann said this round is a true test of musicality and unfortunately she didn't think Bristol & Mark were that musically connected.  They had good things to say but they still have criticisms.
Scores from Carrie Ann, Len & Bruno are:  7-8-8
Call 1-800-868-3407 to vote for Bristol & Mark till 30 minutes after show time, or vote online at abc.com all night.

Brandy & Maks have the final Instant Dance of the night - The Cha Cha Cha.  Their routine is pretty tight and they just might top the leader board tonight.  Bruno called it another fabulous performance to end a truly fantastic night!  Carrie Ann said she was shocked that they took 4 8ths to get to their choreography at a time when the whole test of the Instant Dance is to see how fast you get into the musicality and make the song yours.  She wasn't impressed and she and Maks exchanged words right there in the ballroom.  Len said it was full of flair, full of rhythm & full of performance but when asked, he said he did agree with Carrie Ann that they wasted some time at the beginning.
Scores from Carrie Ann, Len & Bruno are:  9-9-10
Call 1-800-868-3406 to vote for Brandy & Maks till 30 minutes after show time, or vote online at abc.com all night.

Jennifer & Derek:  57
Brandy & Maks:  57
Kyle & Lacey:  56
Kurt & Anna:  48
Bristol & Mark:  47

Episode Two Hundred... and One. The DWTS Results.

The nights started out with a repeat performance of Team Apolo's Cha Cha Cha.  Then they got right down to the first set of results with a couple from the top and one from the bottom: Brandy & Maks and Bristol & Mark are up in the spotlights first.  The first couple safe is Brandy & Maks.  They'll definitely be back next Monday night.  Bristol & Mark were left in jeopardy.

In keeping with last night's celebratory theme, Tom announced they would be giving some awards throughout the hour.  In the first awards Segment the award was for the Most Dramatic Moment.
Nominees:
Christian's Arm Injury
Kate & Tony's Fight
Misty May's Achilles Injury
Marie Osmond's Collapse
Kelly's Wardrobe Malfunction
And the award goes to Marie Osmond who fainted after her Samba in season 5.

The Macy's Stars of Dance performance tonight was done by the Broadway cast of Mary Poppins.  First of all I love DWTS.  Second I have loved musicals my entire life.  I'm a sucker for a musical.  And third, Mary Poppins was one of my first favorite musicals growing up!  So I loved it.  Loved loved loved it.  Mary Poppins was great and I absolutely loved her exit out on an umbrella!

I'm not a huge Taylor Swift fan but you have to be living under a rock if you haven't heard Mine.  And I loved the glitter guitar!

The next award given was the Best Worst Dancer award.  The nominees...
Kenny Mayne
Master P
Kate Gosselin
Steve Wozniak
Billy Ray Cyrus
And the award went to Kenny Mayne who really sucked it up for a single episode in the second season.

The elimination continued for the other top scoring couple, Jennifer & Derek as well as Rick & Cheryl.  The next couple safe to dance next week is Jennifer & Derek.  I'm glad for that.  I'm still pulling for Jennifer.  And so Rick & Cheryl were put into jeopardy.

The predictable bunch of celebs wishing DWTS a Happy Birthday made me yawn... then they jumped into another award, the Biggest (male) Dancer Transformation.  The nominees were:
Derek Hough (the perfect blond hair)
Tony Dovilani (the blinding white teeth)
Maksim Chmerkovsky (the mullet)
Mark Ballas (showing off the abs)
Louis VanAmstel (the pony tail)
And the Golden Pony Tail Award goes to Louis VanAmstel!

And then Rod Stewart performed I Get A Kick Out Of You.  What a great song that is!  And I've always enjoyed Rod Stewart - he's a great performer.  He even danced a little.  Obviously the shadowdancers did most of the real dancing but Rod can definitely shake it!

The next award was the Best Judges Moments.  This time, rather than announcing nominees and awarding a winner, they chose several winning moments and edited a montage of moments for first Carey Anne, then Len & Bruno. 

The final pre-elimination segment had Kyle & Lacey up in lights next to Kurt & Anna.  The next couple safe to bicker some more, Kurt & Anna.  Which means Kyle & Lacey were in jeopardy.  So the final elimination round was between Kyle & Lacey, Rick & Cheryl and Bristol & Mark.

So remember how I said I'm not a huge Taylor Swift fan?  Well obviously, because I never heard the next song she did.  But I remember some of the classic clips they played on the screen behind her.  As much as I don't like the boring celebrity Happy Birthday tapes, is how much I do like the best-of packets.  Love'em!

And Oh. My. God.  They're doing an "instant dance" next week, where they know the dance style but won't know the song they're dancing to until they go on the air!  Oh wow.  That is gonna be really fun to watch!

At last, the final elimination.  Of the three couples,  Rick & Cheryl were sent home and I'm pretty shocked!  I'm sad because honestly I think both Bristol & Kyle should have gone home before Rick.  I guess he just didn't have the votes.  So sad.

200 Episodes of Dancing With The Stars!

So tonight, Dancing is 200 episodes old!  I love that they celebrate the milestones with fun extras on the show.  They started out with a big dance number using all the pro's, dancing to the first song ever played on DWTS, Crazy In Love by Beyonce.  And honestly, shiny sequins and sexy silver costumes make any dance number exponentially better!  It really was fun to see so many of the pro dancers I recognize from contestants & seasons past.
Tom did a quick introduction of groups of guests from every season...  except no one from season 6 apparently?  And it seemed like the camera wasn't sure who it was supposed to be on at one point.  But we saw some familiar faces, whatever season they were from!

And now for the teams! 
They introduced Season 6 champ Kristi Yamaguchi and on Team Kristi were Rick & Cheryl, Bristol & Mark and Kyle & Lacey!  Next was Season 4 champ Apolo Anton Ohno and on team Apolo were Kurt & Anna, Brandy & Maks and Jennifer & Derek!
Tonight each of the pairs scores will be added to the other scores of their team mates and the team dance score to determine which team is the winner.  After the teams were announced, we saw tape of the captains picking their teams.  Apolo chose Jennifer & Derek first.  The smart move would be for Kristi to pick Brandy & Maks but since Mark was her partner in Season 6, she went with Bristol & Mark.  Which meant Apolo got Brandy & Maks.  I'm sure you can guess which team I think will take the game tonight.
Team Kristi danced first with a group Cha Cha.  They came out in sparkly black suits & hot pink flapper dresses and I thought it was hot.
Rick & Cheryl danced the first solo and I think that of the two sports men, Rick seems to move better than Kurt.  Call 1-800-868-3404 to vote for Rick & Cheryl for 30 minutes after air-time, or go to abc.com to vote online till the morning after.
Bristol & Mark had the next solo and I have to say I'm proud of Bristol!  She rocked it and even gave us a little attitude!  Call 1-800-868-3407 to vote for Bristol & Mark for 30 minutes after air-time, or go to abc.com to vote online till the morning after.
Kyle & Lacey had the last solo in the dance and I thought Kyle did alright but it wasn't anything to write home about.  Call 1-800-868-3403 to vote for Kyle & Lacey for 30 minutes after air-time, or go to abc.com to vote online till the morning after.
Len said when he saw the team lists he thought this team was the underdog but seeing their dance, these dogs have got some bite.  Bruno pointed out Bristol lost the step a bit but they did a good job.  Carey Anne said the group choreography was great and Rick was on fire!  The judges gave them a score of three 8's!

Apolo's team was up next with their own Cha Cha and their costumes weren't nearly as sexy.  The guys are wearing neckerchiefs and white t-shirts with bedazzle rhinestones all over them...  not so sure about this wardrobe choice.
Kurt & Anna danced the first solo in their group and I totally called it when I saw Rick earlier - Kurt just looks awkward compared.  Call 1-800-868-3408 to vote for Kurt & Anna for 30 minutes after air-time, or go to abc.com to vote online till the morning after.
Brandy  & Maks were sharp and Brandy looked good in the slotted hammer pants the girls had.  Call 1-800-868-3406 to vote for Brandy & Maks for 30 minutes after air-time, or go to abc.com to vote online till the morning after.
Jennifer & Derek looked great aside from one little hop Jennifer had to keep her footing.  Call 1-800-868-3411 to vote for Jennifer & Derek for 30 minutes after air-time, or go to abc.com to vote online till the morning after.
Bruno thought it was hot, Carey Anne thought they were all at their best & Len liked the pattern changes and thought individually everyone upped their game.  The judges gave them a score of three 9's!

In round 2 each pair got to recreate an iconic dance from a past season and was also judged by the star who made it famous.  The six past favorites who returned as guest judges: Helio Castroneves, Kelly Osbourne, Emmit Smith, Drew Lachey, Mel B and Gilles Marini.

The first guest judge was the runner up from season 5, Mel B and Tom Bergeron actually told us that Mel B was the first one to ever grab his cheeks on DWTS - you never forget your first he said.  Mel's famous dance was her Paso Doble to Free Your Mind.  This time Kyle & Lacey took on the Mel B Paso.  Well Kyle is no Maks but he was pretty fierce.  He brought some attitude,, his steps were sharp, I was impressed.  Of course Lacey is a pro so it may not be fair to compare her to Mel B but to be honest, I thought the unruly blond mane took away from the intensity of the original number.  But overall it was great fun.  Len said Kyle needs to up his game but also said it was his best dance.  Mel B thought it was amazing & it blew her away.  Bruno said Kyle had the attack & energy of an untamed young bull.  Then he told him he had to keep his shoulders down.  Carey Anne said it was a difficult original to live up to and Kyle did well by also being in his own power & strength, as she was the first time around.
Scores from Mel B, Carey Anne, Len & Bruno are 10-9-8-8  Call 1-800-868-3403 to vote for Kyle & Lacey for 30 minutes after air-time, or go to abc.com to vote online till the morning after.

The season 3 champ Emmit Smith joined us next to judge a new version of his awesome tango, performed this time by Kurt & Anna.  Kurt just doesn't have the grace that Emmit had!  It was alright but I just wasn't too impressed.  Bruno said he went from Mission Impossible last week to Mission Accomplished this week.  Carey Ann said what made Emmit so great wasn't his footwork but the character & she thought Kurt also brought a character to life.  Emmit said he looked dapper in the suit and thought the technique was great.  Len thought it was sharp and had drama but he needed to learn the difference between flexed knees and bent knees.
Scores from Emmit, Carey Anne, Len & Bruno are 10-8-8-8  Call 1-800-868-3408 to vote for Kurt & Anna for 30 minutes after air-time, or go to abc.com to vote online till the morning after.

The third guest judge was season 9's Kelly Osbourn.  This week Bristol & Mark got to dance her Viennese Waltz again.  I do think it's cute that Bristol did Kelly's dance - especially since both are young girls who weren't great dancers to begin with and had to sort of blossom in the ballroom.  Bristol didn't have quite the frame she should have - not quite what Kelly had - but she was graceful and she's come out of her shell quite a bit since the start.  Carey Anne said she touches our hearts but still seems slightly detached.  Kelly said Bristol stole her heart and did fantastic.  Len said he enjoyed it very much, loved the reverse turns etc.  He said they lack chemistry but had good footwork.  Bruno said she moves so well and it comes naturally to her but she needs to become someone else and connect as that character.
Scores from Kelly, Carey Anne, Len & Bruno are 9-8-8-8  Call 1-800-868-3407 to vote for Bristol & Mark for 30 minutes after air-time, or go to abc.com to vote online till the morning after.

The season 5 champ Helio Castroneves  joined the show next to judge Rick & Cheryl's rendition of his Quickstep.  He told us he'd be looking for Rick to be "smooth up here, fast down here, and of course have fun!"  Rick definitely brought some fun into his dancing but I wonder if it was a little over the top.  The kiss at the end I loved just as much as the original between Helio & Julianne.  Len said sometimes he gets too analytical but when he enjoys himself so do we and tonight it was like that.  Bruno said he did his best performance yet & had more faces than Jim Carey.  Helio loved it and said he couldn't believe Rick stole his kiss!  Carey Anne said that was by far his best dance yet.
Scores from Helio, Carey Anne, Len & Bruno are 10-9-9-9  Call 1-800-868-3404 to vote for Rick & Cheryl for 30 minutes after air-time, or go to abc.com to vote online till the morning after.

Next up was the season 8 runner up Gilles Marini to judge his iconic Foxtrot!  Brandy & Maks will have their go at the Foxtrot and Gille will look for sexiness but also for Brandy to take charge a bit.  Once again I was impressed with Brandy!  Her steps were sharp & she definitely brought some sexy sass to the number!  Bruno thought it sizzled with sex, every step driven by eroticism.  Gilles said he felt goosebumps all over his body and the performance was unreal.  Carey Anne said she liked that Brandy attacked the sensuality but could transform into the elegant hold.  Len said he was surprised the others would be so pedantic about a little misstep (the others mentioned Brandy's small mistake as well as giving her praise) when they've just witnessed the best foxtrot of the season!
Scores from Gilles, Carey Anne, Len & Bruno are 9-9-10-9  Call 1-800-868-3406 to vote for Brandy & Maks for 30 minutes after air-time, or go to abc.com to vote online till the morning after.

The last guest judge was season 2 champ Drew Lachey to judge Jennifer & Derek's rendition of his Tango.  I don't know that Jennifer is going to make it much further if she keeps coming unraveled like she seems to be.  She's kind of coming undone and of course her body is having a hard time keeping up the pace.  Tonight though, she was graceful, controlled & fierce.  And as always, Derek's choreography was awesome.  Carey Anne said on this show there's nothing we love to see more than someone who comes back after a tough week and blows us all away and that's what she did.  Len said she came out with tension, passion & attack -very well done.  Drew said the musicality was amazing & her lines were beautiful.  Bruno said he felt like we were watching a phoenix rising from her own ashes, more splendid than ever. 
Scores from Drew, Carey Anne, Len & Bruno are 10-9-9-9  Call 1-800-868-3411 to vote for Jennifer & Derek for 30 minutes after air-time, or go to abc.com to vote online till the morning after.

Jennifer is damn good but she could lose it emotionally.  Brandy wants it and isn't going to give it up easy so if Jennifer can hold it together, it'll come down to Jen & Brandy at the end!  So tonight with all the scores added, Jennifer & Brandy are tied at the top and Rick & Kurt are tied next, then Kyle and Bristol at the bottom.  Here's tonight's leader board:
Jennifer & Derek:  64
Brandy & Maks:  64
Rick & Cheryl:  61
Kurt & Anna:  61
Kyle & Lacey:  59
Bristol & Mark:  57

Rock'n'Roll Week on DWTS!

It's Rock & Roll week!  But first we start the evening with some of our top ten competition dances of all time!  Viewers voted for their favorites from over 1000 dances and here were the results.  At #10 is Shawn Johnson & Mark Ballas dancing their final season 8 dance, the freestyle.  Shawn Johnson became the youngest champion ever on DWTS at age 17.  Then in #9 was the oldest ever champion, Donnie Osmond, dancing his Argentine Tango with Kym Johnson.  #8 was Helio Castroneves and Julianne Hough dancing The Quickstep in Season XX, then Julianne showed up again at #7, this time with Apolo Anton Ohno with their final freestyle.  Coming in at #6 was Joanna Krupa with Derek Hough, dancing their futuristic Quickstep.  Mel B and Maks landed at #5 with their season XX Paso Doble.  Nicole Scherzinger & Derek Hough made it into the #4 with their 50's style Paso Doble.  Apolo Anton Ohno & Julianne Hough showed up again at #4 with their Samba.  The #2 pair was Gilles Marini and Cheryl Burke dancing the Argentine Tango in Season 8, which was te first season the Argentine Tango was danced in competition.  Gilles is apparently destined for DWTS seconds.  He was 2nd in season by only 1% of the scores & votes combined, and then 2nd in top ten list by less than 1000 votes!  And the all time favorite dance is Drew Lachey & Cheryl Burke dancing their Season 2 trophy grabbing freestyle.  I have to say I miss seeing Julianne dance.  She's always incredible and always entertaining.

Up first tonight were Audrina Patridge & Tony Dovolani dancing The Paso Doble.  My first thought was: It will be interesting to see such a sweet girl dancing something as intense as the paso!Her steps aren't crisp enough, I can see her thinking and she needs to be more fierce and larger than life - she's not.  No mistakes but it's not great.  Len said she's getting on his nerves.  Her dancing is clean & crisp without the character of the dance.  I totally agree.  Technicality with no musicality.  Bruno told her to imagine the man-eating Spanish beauty.  Carrie Ann agreed with the men but praised Audrina's improvement.  Nice of her to suggest something to work on.
Scores from Carrie Anne, Len & Bruno are: 8-8-8
Call 1-800-868-3401 to vote for Audrina & Tony for 30 minutes after air-time, or go to abc.com to vote online till the morning after.

Kyle Massey & Lacey Schwimmer were second, dancing the Tango and as much as I love Kyle he just doesn't sell those Latin numbers very well.  I think he has a hard time getting the steps as crisp & sharp as they need to be, but I thought his frame was great.  Bruno had some constructive criticism, he & Carrie Ann both agreed his hold was good.  Bruno said he worked hard, it was still a bit rough but a great improvement.  He made a very good point: Kyle's dances are performance driven and of course we don't want to see a technically perfect dance coupe with no style, but there has to be a balance.
Scores from Carrie Anne, Len & Bruno are: 8-7-8
Call 1-800-868-3403 to vote for Kyle & Lacey for 30 minutes after air-time, or go to abc.com to vote online till the morning after.

Jennifer Grey & Derek Hough were next with The Paso Doble (which should have been their dance last week with all her pent up anger).  It was pretty great but something funny happened there at the end.  Still the crowd is going nuts.  Carrie Ann says Jennifer needs to calm down because she's way out of control and going downhill.  Len again said dancing is about balance and she had a lot of the attack but trying to go with such gusto she lost some control.  Bruno enacted a furious fight with an imaginary skirt - it seems they all agreed she was out of control and headed down a slippery slope.
Scores from Carrie Anne, Len & Bruno are: 6-7-7
Call 1-800-868-3411 to vote for Jennifer & Derek for 30 minutes after air-time, or go to abc.com to vote online till the morning after.


Rick Fox & Cheryl Burke gave us a Tango next.  Almost his best dance et but he lost his frame pretty early on in the dance.  Len said he's always impressed with his hold & posture - shows what I know.  Bruno said a little more romance but good overall.  Carrie Ann said it was perfectly balanced but he needs to be careful not to be too stern. 
Scores from Carrie Anne, Len & Bruno are: 8-8-8
Call 1-800-868-3404 to vote for Rick & Cheryl for 30 minutes after air-time, or go to abc.com to vote online till the morning after.

Next up were Brisol Palin & Mark Balas dancing The Tango.  In rehearsal she decided to show more of the personality the judges have been asking for, they should do a little air-guitar mid-performance.  Well, it was cute.  And the dance was alright as well but I still think it's time for Bristol to go home.  She's just not entertaining in the least.  Bruno called it her best performance & best technique of the season.  Carrie Ann said it was great and she created drama.  Len said last week a chimp, this week almost a champ - though he will take of a point for breaking hold in the air-guitar moment.  Ah well. 
Scores from Carrie Anne, Len & Bruno are: 8-7-8
Call 1-800-868-3407 to vote for Bristol & Mark for 30 minutes after air-time, or go to abc.com to vote online till the morning after.

Kurt Warner & Anna Trebunskaya brought another Paso Doble next.  I was impressed though his joints looked a little wobbly.  Carrie An thought the dance lacked polish and Kurt looked uncomfortable.  Len said he could see what they were trying to do but it felt awkward & just didn't come off.  Bruno said they worked very hard but it looked more like karate than Spanish dance.
Scores from Carrie Anne, Len & Bruno are: 6-6-6
Call 1-800-868-3408 to vote for Kurt & Anna for 30 minutes after air-time, or go to abc.com to vote online till the morning after.

The last of the individual performances are Brandy & Maksim Chmerkovskiy dancing The Tango.  Her steps were crisp, her attitude was fierce, her movements were large & bold...  I loved it.  I have to admit early in the season I was skeptical of Brandy & said I'd never seen her do more than sway a bit.  But this was great.  Len said Maks is his hero, Bruno said they were Tina Turner and Mad Maks! Carrie Ann said she got goose-bumps watching... but also mentioned a couple tiny mis-steps.
Scores from Carrie Anne, Len & Bruno are: 8-9-9  (the only 9's of the nights individual dances)
Call 1-800-868-3406 to vote for Brandy & Maks for 30 minutes after air-time, or go to abc.com to vote online till the morning after.

For the competition marathon portion, all couples will be out on the dance floor at the same time.  They can dance steps from  The Jive,  Swing Dance & Lindy Hop.  Legal lifts are allowed, one tap on the shoulder means the couple is out and when they get down to 4 couples, the final 4 can break out of their spots and move around the dance-floor.  Out first are Kurt & Anna - I was thinking that should be the first choice since Kurt was standing and Anna was doing most of the dancing.  Bristol & Mark got cut next but I didn't see much of their stuff on camera.  Rick & Cheryl go next, followed by Kyle & Lacey.  Audrina & Tony were out next leaving Jennifer & Brandy to duke it out on the dance floor.  Jennifer & Derek were tapped next leaving Brandy & Maks with an extra 10 points in the end.

So tonight the leader board is as follows:
Brandy & Maks: 36
Audrina & Tony: 32
Rick & Cheryl: 30
Kyle & Lacey: 30
Jennifer & Derek: 29
Bristol & Mark: 28
Kurt & Anna: 22

Week 5 On DWTS - The Halfway Point

Now that we're half way through the season the judges have pre-recorded some commentary with clips for each of the remaining contestants.  Some praise as well as constructive criticism.  And this week is TV Theme week!  First impressions: Tony's bare chest - yum yum!  Kyles afro, um...  Rick Fox can arrest me ANY time!  Florence Henderson, what. the...  lady lumberjack?  And is Jennifer Grey dressed up as June Cleaver? 

Brandy & Maks were up first and based on their pre-recorded packet, they seem to be getting along a little better this week.  They did The Quickstep to the theme song from Friends and it was a really cute routine with a few playful elements, like you might see on the show.  Her footwork was great, the characters were fun...  I loved it and will probably call in a vote for Brandy.  Len was very impressed with the energy & sassy fun.  Bruno thought they finally found the right combination and Carrie Anne said she felt their relationship is improving and bringing them to a whole new level.  Everyone was pleased.
Scores from Carrie Anne, Len & Bruno are: 9-9-9
Call 1-800-868-3406 to vote for Brandy & Maks for another 30 minutes, or go to abc.com to vote online till tomorrow morning.


Florence & Corky were up next with The Tango to the theme song from The Brady Bunch.  I'm wondering if this was a bad idea just for the possibility of too much focus on the Brady aspect, or if it will be to their advantage that The Brady Bunch plays on the hearts of so many of us.  Anyway, her steps & footwork looked good but her head seemed to be more shaken around than it needed to be.  Bruno said he didn't like the sudden switch from good tango characters into "rag-doll mode".  Carrie Anne liked it and called her a "sexy senior".  Bruno wished to be a sexy senior and Flo hopped up and kissed him!  He said parts were excellent, parts were frantic, she needed a bit of calmness, but possibly her best dance yet.
Scores from Carrie Anne, Len & Bruno are: 7-7-7
Call 1-800-868-3409 to vote for Florence & Corky for another 30 minutes, or go to abc.com to vote online till tomorrow morning.

Next, Kurt & Anna danced The Quickstep to the theme from Bewitched - they had little nose-twitches and musical tinkles in the dance that made Kurt "better" or more cooperative.  It was a cute routine and he looked pretty great except for a bit of slouching still showing in his posture.  Carrie anne said she thought she saw the spirit of gene Kelley enter his body, he made it look so easy!  Len said after last week the only way to go was up and up he went!  Bruno announced the magic is back & being bewitched was working for him.  Both Len & Bruno mentioned his posture but everyone loved it.
Scores from Carrie Anne, Len & Bruno are: 8-8-8
Call 1-800-868-3408 to vote for Kurt & Anna for another 30 minutes, or go to abc.com to vote online till tomorrow morning.

Audrina & Tony are dancing The Rumba to the theme song from The Hills with absolutely no intensity.  She's beautiful, graceful, accurate... and boring.  Bruno thought she had lovely feet & legs and nice hip action.  He thought she needs to open up a bit ut overall a good dance.  Bruno thinks she's improved technically but he wants more passion!  "Don't be plastic, be fantastic! Because you can."  Carrie Anne mentioned to many technical details she admired but felt from the waist up she was dead.  And she suspects there was a lift.
Scores from Carrie Anne, Len & Bruno are: 7-8-8
Call 1-800-868-3401 to vote for Audrina & Tony for another 30 minutes, or go to abc.com to vote online till tomorrow morning.

Kyle & Lacey were next with a Foxtrot set to the theme song from Charlie's Angels and can I just say I love Lacey's rump in those bell bottoms, and look at those abs...  Oh!  Anyway, uh, nice dancing Kyle, or something.  Bruno wasn't pleased - he thought it was fun but no Foxtrot.  Carrie Anne disagreed wholeheartedly - she loved it!  Bruno said it started bad and gradually got worse and worse.
Scores from Carrie Anne, Len & Bruno are: 8-5-7
Call 1-800-868-3403 to vote for Kyle & Lacey for another 30 minutes, or go to abc.com to vote online till tomorrow morning.

Rick & Cheryl came to the floor next with The Rumba to the theme song from Hillstreet Blues - that was my dads favorite show when I was a kid and I was always in bed by then but I knew the tune.  I loved it and thought Rick was great.  Carrie Anne loved it.  Len didn't get the romance.  Bruno said he went from Megatron to Mega-smooth.
Scores from Carrie Anne, Len & Bruno are: 8-8-8
Call 1-800-868-3404 to vote for Rick & Cheryl for another 30 minutes, or go to abc.com to vote online till tomorrow morning.

Bristol & Mark did a Jive to the theme song from The Monkeys.  Right now they're in a couple of full body gorilla suits so I'm not sure how that's going to work.  She lost several steps while she was still in the monkey suit, she was out of sync with Mark on several occasions and you could see him trying to pep-talk her mid-dance.  Not great in my opinion.  Len liked the monkey suits & thought it was a high degree of performance.  Bruno liked the suits but felt the technique fell to the side.  Carrie Anne felt she saw a great transformation in Bristol but still pointed out that she forgot a lot of the steps.
Scores from Carrie Anne, Len & Bruno are: 6-6-6
Call 1-800-868-3407 to vote for Bristol & Mark for another 30 minutes, or go to abc.com to vote online till tomorrow morning.


Jennifer & Derek were dancing the Foxtrot to the theme song from Married With Children and it was beautiful.  Beautiful lines, perfect symmetry...  Bruno thought it was pristine & elegant.  Carrie Anne said it was good but not nearly Jennifer's best and a bit out of sync.  Bruno thought the dance was lovely but a bit too theatrical. I guess they didn't like it as much as I did.
Scores from Carrie Anne, Len & Bruno are: 8-8-9
Call 1-800-868-3411 to vote for Jennifer & Derek for another 30 minutes, or go to abc.com to vote online till tomorrow morning.


So Brandy is at the top of the leaderboard this week and I definitely think she earned the spot.  We'll see tomorrow night who goes home!


Brandy & Maks: 27
Jennifer & Derek: 25
Rick & Cheryl: 24
Kurt & Anna: 24
Audrina & Tony: 23
Florence & Corky: 21
Kyle & Lacey: 20
Bristol & Mark: 18

DWTS Gratuitous Fashion Post

So this is the mid-week lull where I distract myself with fashion critiques and Glee commentary while I impatiently wait for the next competition night!  So here are the facebook pictures from week 4 of competition along with some of the thoughts I didn't have time to share on last Monday night.

I think my favorite costume of the night was...  well it definitely wasn't Bristol.  She looked like she was wearing black sequin granny-panties and her dad's work shirt.  I get that certain styles are appropriate for certain dances.  Each dance has a sort of "look" if you will, and it surely helps set the tone for all of us watching and for the dancers getting in character.  And I know that The Rumba means the gals get to wear some sheer flowing number that looks like my grandmothers curtains have been turned into a poncho.  No objection here.  And though I'm not a huge fan of what Brandy wore, it seems to fit the bill for Rumba costume pretty well - sequined granny panties and Grannies sheer drapes.  Not loving it, doing nothing for me...  but I get it.  Bristol's costume though...  I mean come on Mark - she's a young girl on a dance competition, not Tom Cruise a la Risky Business. 


Not exactly the best shot of the awful costume but you get the idea. And as for Brandy's, like I mentioned, it's DWTS traditional Rumba-wear, but I'm not loving it. I've seen similar costumes on previous seasons that looked better and showed the movement of the dancer more easily. This was just long enough and just wrapped enough that it hid a lot of her hip action.


I wasn't crazy about Florence Henderson's dress either. The high-waist and belt were both terrible ideas. They made her look a little thick and shortened her torso. Also I'm not loving the orthopedic dance shoes she's wearing. Come on Flo, this is DWTS and you're a card-carrying woman! Suck it up and rock those high-heels girl!


I feel pretty neutral about The Situation & Karina's wardrobe choices, and I also wasn't raving over what Anna chose for Kurt & herself.


So that leaves my favorites. I thought Rick & Cheryl looked stunning in their shared black & white. Unfortunately for Kurt I thought Rick pulled off his tux better and was more nicely complemented by the colors & style of his partner.


I often wonder what on earth Lacey is thinking with her wardrobe choices, but just as often she's found something fun, unique and very appealing. Last week she was wearing a skin tone top with black-lace applique floral trails snaking around her body, over her puffy pink tutu-ish skirt & down onto and around her stocking-clad leg. I thought it was an interesting and adorable effect.


Tony dressed Audrina in a sparkly red number with a sort of strange strappy transition between the bottom and top but I think overall it worked well.


And Derek and Jennifer once again looked great. Her traditional short black lace dress was perfect for their Argentine Tango and the cut of the top showed off her shoulders beautifully.


So there you go, just a few of my thoughts on last weeks show. I can't wait for tonight... come back in just over 12 more hours for my thoughts and opinions on Week 5 tonight!

DWTS Week 4 is Over...

Last night started out with the top three scorers , Jennifer & Derek, Audrina & Tony and Brandy & Maks, all up to learn their fate, and Tom tells us all three couples are safe!  Next was the spotlight dance, and of course, it's Jennifer & Derek's Argentine Tango.  If you can believe, it was even better than the competition night.

Next we were treated to a Goo-Goo Dolls medley...  hm.  Not impressed.  I've never liked the Goo-Goo Dolls.  And seriously, what kind of name is Goo-Goo Dolls for a band anyway? Of course the dance was incredible as always but the pro's could have used better accompaniment IMHO.

On competition night, Len mentioned his objection to Mark's shirtless dancing, pointing out that we don't see him prancing around without a shirt on... and last night as Tom reminded Len and the rest of us of that statement, a clip played of Len in a "Dance Center" segment with Kenny Maine - shirtless.  Priceless!

The next stars to learn their fate were Kyle & Bristol.  Kyle & Lacey were announced safe, while Bristol & Mark were headed for the final cut, still unsure of their fate.

The next pair of stars up for results were the athletes, Kurt & Rick.  Rick & Cheryl were safe but Kurt & Anna were still on the chopping block.

Since Len almost never gives 10's, he taped a helpful segment on how to earn a 10 from Len.
Just show up and you'll earn a 1.
Move your left foot for a 2.
Add the right foot for a 3.
If you can get through the routine you'll get a 4.
Show some musicality and you'll get a 5.
Show him some potential for a 6.
Get some chemistry going and he'll give you a 7.
Drive the dance and you can get an 8 (whatever that means).
A 10 from Bruno & Carrie Ann is a 9 from Len.
He listed a lot of qualities but he pretty much wants you to be magic for a 10!

Back in the celebraquarium, Tom comes in just in time to see the entire group headed off camera - I'm thinking it was so they could get their seats for the next number which ended up being pretty awesome.  But he wanted to remind us all of the Macy's Design-A-Dance routine.  This weeks vote is on a concept for the routine.  And as Tom stood at the front of this cluster of stars and pros, telling us about the Macy's Design-A-Dance, there was some major grabass going on until finally an exasperated Tom burst out "Stop grabbing my ass!"  Laughter abounds. 

Tango routine - 5 couples - so awesome.  Yes, I was a little speechless with all the lifts and intense choreography.

Florence & The Machine... another musician I've never heard of before now and it was a pretty good number.

Florence & The Situation were on the dancefloor next, to hear that Florence & Corky are safe for another week  while The Situation & Karina were still in jeopardy.  The Situation wasn't very happy last night and I have to say I agree the judges were a little harsh.  Even according to Len's own scale earlier in the show, he should have given The Situation a 5 or even 6.  I think the lifts he managed have to at least "show potential" right? Oh well.

Have you ever wondered what the stars see and go through each day while they're on the show?  Well the stars strapped on some headcams to give us a first row view of a day in the life of.  It was pretty crazy seeing the eye to eye perspective, getting ready to do The Waltz with Anna Trebunskaya, live on the show in front of the entire studio audience.

At this point it was down to the final cut of the night:  It's between Bristol & Mark, Kurt & Anna or The Situation & Karina...  who will it be?  I watched as The Situation nervously flexed his pecks to the beat of his own drum while he listened to Tom chatter on about the judges various comments on competition night.  Of course everyone was amused with the chest play, there was some scattered laughter, and then Tom announced that Bruno just gave The Situation a 10.

Kurt & Anna are safe.  And between Bristol & The Situation, it's The Situation going home!  Wow.  First I'm surprised that Bristol got enough votes to beat a kid from an MTV show.  Second I'm disappointed that we won't get to see what more he can do.  I really felt like he was way outside his comfort zone but giving it his best shot anyhow.  Bristol started out shy and still doesn't seem willing to break out of that shell and really throw herself into a dance and a character.  I feel like she doesn't give it everything he does.  Ah well.  She's got another week to show me I'm wrong.

Unplugged in Week 4 of Dancing with The Stars

Tonight's show is in the round, acoustic and will include 2 score for each couple!
First, Kurt & Anna will be dancing The Rumba. This could be a bit of a trick for Kurt since it's got a lot of hip action and Kurt's not really got a lot of swing in his hips! But then again... I could be wrong, I think as he swivels around like a pro. And the frying-pan hands are getting better every week! Len thought the technique was alright, lateral hip action was great, and the performance was good but not over the top. Bruno is still having a hard time with the frying pan hands and thought the romance was more brother/sister than lover. Carrie Ann loved the chemistry & performance between them but agreed with Bruno that his arm movements need to start within the body as opposed to his elbow.
Technical Scores: 5-5-5
Performance Scores: 7-6-6
What ridiculous scores. I didn't think the big hands warranted such a drop in the scores
Call 1-800-868-3408 to vote for Kurt & Anna or go to abc.com

Next we see a Rumba from Brandy & Maks. Yeah, Brandy mentioned she has a hard time feeling secy when she hasn't been with anyone is 6 years and wow is she right - she looked a little awkward at times. Maks on the other hand, can Rumba into my room any time. And if he could wear that bare chested outfit that would be a bonus. Bruno said it was a moment of passion in a moonlit garden but warned her to be careful of erratic hands. Carrie Ann said the performance was fully committed & great but thought she could be a little bit bigger in her movements. Bruno thought the performance was great but also felt she could put a little more power into her legs, as both other judges mentioned.
Technical Scores: 7-8-7
Performance Scores: 9-8-9
Okay I thought it was better than Kurt's performance but it certainly wasn't THAT much better. In fact it didn't grab me enough to call in a vote before seeing all the other dancers as I sometimes do, so I don't think it warranted a 9.
Call 1-800-868-3406 to vote for Brandy & Maks or go to abc.com

Rick & Cheryl has prepared a smokin' Argentine Tango for us and I'm pretty excited to see some crazy foot action and impressive lifts. I love the intensity of the Argentine Tango & they didn't disappoint me! But ti looks like they might not have impressed the judges. Carrie Ann thought it was one dimensional. She didn't see the motion and the passion but she saw too much concentration. Len loved the lifts and what they did for the dance but felt they could be a bit sharper. He thought it was a great performance but felt a little like the intensity faded as the dance went on. Bruno seemed to agree. He also felt some of the passes were a bit like Megatron... whatever that means...
Technical Scores: 6-7-6
Performance Scores: 6-7-7
Call 1-800-868-3404 to vote for Rick & Cheryl or go to abc.com

It's time for Kyle & Lacey to show us their Rumba and we'll get to see if Kyle's footwork has improved at all since last week. He's got to point his toes... I'm loving the hot pink tutu and hardly anything else that Lacey is wearing but it still can't hide the fact that Kyle's hips seem almost fused they're so stiff! His arms were good and so were his feet but his hips... oh boy. Len thought the footwork was much better but the whole thing was just a little too sharp with not enough flow. Oh, and he liked the performance. Bruno said he has moments of fluidity but sometimes Kyle isn't on it. Carrie Ann liked what he did with the performance but felt because he was focusing so much on his footwork he lost track of his upper body a bit.
Technical Scores: 6-6-6
Performance Scores: 8-7-7
Call 1-800-868-3403 to vote for Kyle & Lacey or go to abc.com

The Situation & Karina are up next with another Argentine tango and as much as I didn't want to like this guy, he's not so bad. He's goofy & personable, not proud or cocky and willing to work. Even though he goofed just a few steps in, his footwork is looking better than previous weeks but it's possible this is just because he's stood still a large portion of the dance while Karina danced around him. He's definitely the weakest of the bunch technically and I'm afraid he's going home soon. Bruno felt it never quite made sense and there were an incredible amount of mistakes. Carrie Ann first welcomed The situations Abs tot he show on behalf of all the women. She felt it was a good time to bring ont he distraction because it was pretty bad, but good job on the lifts. Bruno said it was consistent: bad through out.
Technical Scores: 4-4-4
Performance Scores: 6-5-5
I still gotta admire the guy: he said had fun, he said was glad Karina was in one piece and all he said about the judges scores: That's definitely a situation.
Call 1-800-868-3410 to vote for The Situation & Karina or go to abc.com

Next, Florence & Corky are dancing The Rumba, which Corky describes as a vertical expression of a horizontal desire! You can definitely see Florence struggling with the hip movements but it was a sexy dance. Carrie Ann felt like it went just a little too far. Len thought it was better than he expected and Bruno thought the performance was a bit much and the hips could be better - he's seen better. But I thought it was an improvement on last week at least!
Technical Scores: 6-6-5
Performance Scores: 6-6-6
I think Carrie Ann felt uncomfortable with the sex of The Rumba because it was Florence. I don't think she would have felt that way if it were Rick & Cheryl doing the same dance. She has Florence in her head as Mrs Brady and I think that puts them at an unfair disadvantage.
Call 1-800-868-3409 to vote for Florence & Corky or go to abc.com

Jennifer & Derek are doing an Argentine tango and I love how hard Jennifer pushes herself despite her physical limitations. I love the bit at the piano but Len will say it was wasted bars. Wow. She's sharp tonight. And Derek is always sharp. The choreography was intricate and beautiful. I loved it. I dare say Jennifer Grey is back on top. Len said it combined excellent technique & great performance skills, Bruno said it was prime time delight and Carrie Ann said it was A. May. Zing! I agree.
Technical Scores: 9-9-9
Performance Scores: 10-9-10
The first tens of the season and they get a pretty pair of them! I'm definitely calling in a vote for Jennifer.
Call 1-800-868-3411 to vote for Jennifer & Derek or go to abc.com

Bristol & Mark are dancing the Rumba and as Mark says, "The rumba and Bristol have absolutely nothing in common. She's still a little young to understand sensuality so it all looks a little awkward. It;s unfortunate since this might mean she goes home. I'd bet both Florence & The situation have more fans in their own right than the daughter of a political figure. Bruno says she's always very technically clean but the moves never go anywhere & she kind of goes vacant in her performances. Carrie Ann thinks her dancing can be really beautiful but she seems to not really be dancing for the audience. Len was of course disapproving of the topless Mark portion and wants to see more we and less me from Mark.
Technical Scores: 6-6-6
Performance Scores: 4-5-5
It's true that her performance is not as impressive as her technical skill. She's not a great dancer but she works hard on her steps and technique.
Call 1-800-868-3407 to vote for Bristol & Mark or go to abc.com

Audrina and Tony are dancing The Argentine Tango. I really like Tony and despite the dubious nature of her star status in my eyes, I'm willing to give her the same benefit I've given the Situation. She seems sweet and she's a decent dancer so far this season so we'll see. Her technique is nice, her steps are clean, but it's not the intense dance we saw from Jennifer & Derek. I think it was partly Jennifer's mistake last week that landed Audrina at the top. Carrie Ann said she needs to work on extending her foot and she was floppy on the dismount, but she liked their performance. Len said it was clean & clear with good lifts & a clever routine, but he didn't get transported to a seedy club in Buenos Aires. Bruno said it was effective, but she was sort of like an ice queen. He said it wasn't bad and enjoyed the difficult embellishments but she didn't point the feet.
Technical Scores: 8-8-8
Performance Scores: 8-7-7
Call 1-800-868-3401 to vote for Audrina & Tony or go to abc.com

And so tonight the leader board is as follows:
Jennifer & Derek: 56
Audrina & Tony: 46
Brandy & Maks: 41
Kyle & Lacey: 40
Rick & Cheryl: 39
Florence & Corky: 35
Kurt & Anna: 34
Bristol & Mark: 32
the Situation & Karina: 28

DWTS Sends Home Another In Week 3

Of the facebook pics posted today, this is definitely my favorite! "This is the gayest thing that's every happened here!" says Margaret after her rainbow filled routine... clearly she hasn't watched very much DWTS...

For the spotlight dance they chose The Situation & Karina Smirnoff.

"The Situation & Karina Smirnoff! That was so fun... plus we got to amortize the cost of the time machine!" - Tom Bergeron.

OMG I love Tom. I thought it was interesting that they picked The Situation for the spotlight but it was indeed fun.

After a video packet featuring Jennifer Grey, Brandy & Rick Fox, we see Audrina & Tony, Kyle & Lacy and Kurt & Anna waiting in the spotlights. How funny that they showed the wrong video clips - I noticed a couple of production goofs last night as well! But on with the show and we soon find of the three stars standing in lights, Audrina & Kurt are safe but Kyle is still in jeopardy.

I'm not a big-time Ne-Yo groupie but I enjoyed his performance. I always like it better when the vocal or instrumental performers come down from their spot on stage and join the dance performance in some way. Sometimes they get more involved than others, some are more at home staying on the stage... Shakira knew how to shake it with impressive expertise when she appeared on the show but not everyone likes to mix it up with the pros.

So far this season we know the Macy's Stars Of Dance performance will be The Cha Cha to Billy Joel's Only Rock & Roll. This week you can go online to vote for which pro's you'd like to see.

The next segment is a visit from Donny Osmond. Donny hits the streets to see what people think of the stars of Season 11, and convinces a bunch of beer gut guys to pull up their shirts in imitation of The Situation!

And now we see the Audrina/Kyle/Kurt clips. And then we find out Jennifer & Derek are safe, Rick & Cheryl are in jeopardy and Brandy & Maks are safe. Tom & Brook switched it up on us a little and Cheryl was fooled for a second! Tom announced one safe couple, then Brook said the next couple to be announced was in jeopardy but Cheryl must not have caught that - she & Rick were celebrating until Brook said "In jeopardy - in jeopardy..." over and over again.

Did you ever sit, sipping your morning coffee, reflecting back over the previous nights episode of DWTS, thinking... "You know what would have really made the show last night? A musical face off between Mark Ballas and Val Chmerkovskiy!"? If you've had that conversation, this was your segment. Mark on guitar, Val on violin, both on the dance floor... in the words of Tom "it was like high noon with spandex."

I'm glad to see Michael Bolton back to perform. I was worried that his final judges comments would sour him on the experience. But standing in a room full of fog, singing Hallelujah while Anna & Jonathan dance like lovers... its quite the triumphant return!

I'm sure you're wondering now about the fate of Bristol, The Situation, Florence & Margaret right? Well The Situation and Florence are safe. Bristol and Margaret will join Rick and Kyle in the final reveal.

But before we are told who is going home, we get to hear the stars tell us about the emotional demands put on them as contestants on the show. Rick talks of the roller coaster of emotion they ride. It starts over every Wednesday morning with "you don't know how to dance"! I'm glad I don't ride that ride!

And next comes the final reveal... Kyle & Lacy are the first to learn they're safe and I'm relieved as well! Kyle definitely deserves to stay. This time Rick & Cheryl are actually safe and can celebrate. Whew - I would hate to see such beautiful eye candy go home. So who is going home? Margaret & Louis. I'm kind of sad that after such a rough back-to-school season for gay youth, and such a fun uplifting performance about pride last night, that they're the ones eliminated. But it's a dance show, not a political forum. And Margaret was I think the weakest dancer of the bunch.

Next week we'll be seeing The Argentine Tango - one of my personal favorites, and The Rumba.

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...

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).