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Helio Castroneves and Julianne Hough Share Parade Car
Posted By: admin On: May 25, 2008 Comments: ( 1 )
Helio Castroneves shared his parade car with none other than Julianne Hough. The parade I am referring to is the Indy 500 parade that takes place downtown Indianapolis, Indiana. Julianne sang her new single “That Song In My Head” while former Dancing alums, Drew Lachey, Sabrina Bryan, Marlee Matlin and Fabian Sanchez looked on. They held up all 10’s after she finished. Drew, Sabrina, Marlee, and Fabian were in the Dancing with the Stars Float as well.
After Julianne sang her song, she was interviewed for about 15 minutes. She will be touring with Brad Paisley next month and will open for him. They asked about Helio and how much they keep in touch and she said they talk all the time that they are really great friends. She said they had been texting each other all day since she hadn’t seen him since she got into town. She saw him right after that because she shared his parade car with him. The seat next to the driver is usually reserved for wives, children, and family members. Don’t get the wrong idea - they still profess that they are just good friends.
I’ve captured some pictures of Julianne Hough and Helio Castroneves. The last picture is of the Dancing with the Stars Float. Drew Lachey is in the white. Standing next to him is Sabrina Bryan with Fabian next to her. Marlee was next to Fabian, but she isn’t pictured (sorry Marlee fans).
I’ll try to capture some photos tomorrow of Kristi waving the green flag. Stay tuned!
A Dancing With the Stars Studded Indy 500
Posted By: admin On: May 24, 2008 Comments: ( 0 )
Tomorrow is race day folks. Yep, I’m a Hoosier - born and raised and I plan to go to the Indy 500 and I’m so excited. Why you ask? Well, the whole race tradition is exciting - packing the traditional grub (KFC popcorn chicken), waking up early, sitting in the car listening to WIBC AM as they cover all the pre-race festivities, dragging out the cooler, butt pad, and thermos to make the mile trek to our seats, the stars parading around the track, the “Back Home Again in Indiana” song, the millions of colored balloons let out in the sky, and the list goes on and on. What does this have to do with Dancing with the Stars you ask?
Well, obviously last seasons winner, Helio Castroneves is starting in Row 2 of this years race. He must have some pull because he got his former dance partner, Julianne Hough to sing the National Anthem tomorrow. She posted on MySpace that she is “ready for the Indy 500″ and that she is “thankful”. Not only is Helio and Julianne gonna be at the race, so is newly crowned winner Kristi Yamaguchi. Guess what she’ll be doing? She’ll be waving the green flag to get the race underway. Some boxer backed out at the last minute so Helio must have pulled more strings to get new champ, Kristi to wave the green flag. I am stoked because most of this will be taking place in front of my very eyes. Of course I’ll have to use some binoculars to see Julianne and Helio, but Kristi will be right by my seats waving that green flag in the air like she just don’t care. I’ll try to get some pics and will try my best to contain myself. I’m also hoping that Helio’s pits will be around my seats as I’m right in front of pit row. Ahhhh - the anticipation of it all. I’m getting excited!
In the meantime, enjoy some Kristi Yamaguchi and Mark Ballas winner’s pictures! The last picture is my favorite because Helio is in it giving the thumbs up. Soooo cute! Enjoy!
Cameron Mathison Just Won’t Go Away
Posted By: Bridget On: May 23, 2008 Comments: ( 0 )
My least favorite celeb of all time, the over-exposed, over-tanned, and under-talented Cameron Mathison will also move to the judges chair for the Hallmark channel’s Daddy dancing competition. This competition sounds a lot like the laughable “Your Mama Don’t Dance” program that former DWTS star Ian Ziering hosted. I never thought they would actually invent jobs for the DWTS alum, lucky for them.
Hallmark is inviting dads across the country to participate in its “Daddy of All Dance-Offs,” a light-hearted competition aimed at “moving Dad” through music this
Mathison hopes to get dads across the country excited about this opportunity to compete. He also will help judge the four finalists in a national dance-off finale to determine the best dancing dad in America.”If I can do it, anyone can do it,” said Mathison. “My wife and kids got a huge kick out of seeing me dance week after week on the show, and now dancing is something we do together as a family. Hallmark’s “Daddy of all Dance-Offs” will give dads everywhere the chance to experience what I’ve experienced — that dancing is a lot of fun and can connect families in a new way.”
Mathison knows, however, that some dads may need more help than others in this area. So, starting today, consumers can visit http://www.hallmark.com/movedad to view Mathison’s own dance tips and advice for overcoming stage fright, recovering from a botched dance move, and more. “I certainly wasn’t a dancer before I competed on ‘Dancing With The Stars,’ so I know how daunting it can be to put yourself out there. If my hints can help move dads from the couch to the dance floor, I’ll be happy.”
Any dad brave enough to bust a move can enter the contest in one of two ways. First, they can participate in one of three live “Daddy of All Dance-Off” events, where they’ll compete against other local dads for a chance to move on to the final round. The live events will take place in the following cities and locations:
Main Street Days (Downtown Grapevine) Grapevine, Texas May 16: Auditions 3 - 8 p.m. May 17: Auditions 10 a.m - 8 p.m. May 18: Auditions 11 a.m. - 1 p.m. Finals from 3 - 4 p.m. Indy 500 (Indianapolis Motor Speedway) Indianapolis, Ind. May 23: Auditions 10 a.m - 7 p.m. May 24: Auditions 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. Finals from 5 - 6 p.m. Portland Rose Festival (Downtown Portland) Portland, Ore. May 31: Auditions 11 a.m. - 9 p.m. June 1: Auditions 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. Finals from 3 - 4 p.m.
Dads who aren’t able to compete in one of the local events can instead submit a 30-second video dance audition on http://www.hallmark.com/movedad where a 30-second clip of “U Can’t Touch This” is available for free download, for audition purposes only. The finalists’ videos will be posted on
The prizes for each of the local events and the online contest are
Dancing With The Stars Results Wk. 10-The Bitter END!!
Posted By: Bridget On: May 21, 2008 Comments: ( 1 )
By: Bridget
I have to start by saying that I am not going to remain coherent for the full two hours of this show, seriously this is out of control. Plus I am multi-tasking voting for David Cook on American Idol, so pardon me if I miss some of the filler, but really two hours???? Ugh!
Everyone looks lovely to start the evening. Kristi Yamaguchi & Mark Ballas are in their Jive outfits, yay! Cristian de la Fuente & Cheryl Burke are in their Paso Doble costumes and Jason Taylor & Edyta Sliwinska are in what I think are their Viennese Waltz clothes, fun times. Backstage with Samantha the gang reflects on friendship and hard work. Jason Taylor joked backstage about being happy to be in last place, poor guy.
Marissa Jaret Winokur & Tony Dovolani are back with their Paso Doble. I am getting tired of this recap nation.
Usher is performing now. I am not an Usher fan…sorry gang. Yeah, this is like, unbearable for me.
Anywho, some former contestants give their thoughts on the contestants and there is lots of love for Kristi & Mark. After last night I think the final two will be Kristi & Mark and Cristian & Cheryl. Let’s find out if I am correct! The third place couple is Cristian de la Fuente & Cheryl Burke, I am shocked. After Jason Taylor’s lackluster performances last night I thought he was going to be out first, wow. Now that it is between Jason and Kristi, I have a feeling there could be an upset. Jason Taylor has an awful lot of fans out there so the question is who votes more football fans or ice skating fans? This is like a microcosm for the Democratic nomination!!!
We see a montage of Cristian de la Fuente and Cheryl Burke that oozes with love and respect, then they get to dance their Paso Doble again. I know the judges loved this one but is was not a favorite of mine.
After the break they show a montage of all the celebs from the beginning of the show. I miss the old gang so much!! First back to perform the Cha Cha Cha are Penn Jillette & Kym Johnson. It was on par with their first performance. I have to agree a little bit with Alyssa that Kym has some junk in her trunk for a ballroom gal. Seriously, Julianne Hough could curl up and take a nap in there! That being said, I love Kym Johnson and I hope that someday she gets a decent partner!! Penn fakes a fall on the way out again, funny.
Monica Seles and Jonathan Roberts are also back with their Mambo. It is nice to see Jonathan, but poor Monica Seles looks as scared and awkward as ever. I am embarrassed for her!
Awww, next up are Steve Guttenberg and Anna Trebunskya., He was so sweet, I really hated that he got out so early. He is like smiling nad winking at the camera and almost messes up I think. He is having fun though which is nice to see, cute. Love him! Steve says his favorite moment of the show is right now, aww shucks. Tom tries to get him to say his least favorite moment, Steve lays it on a little thick with the niceness here.
More montage.
Ooh, yay, up now are Adam Carolla & Julianne Hough. The do the Paso Doble, which is fun, but what I am really looking forward to is him being funny in the interview! Adam is funny he plugs his radio show and Julianne’s CD. But then he gets serious and says this show is why the terrorists hate us, black/white, rich/poor, gay/straight/Guttenberg…God Bless The USA. It was both funny and poignant. I love him.
The kids are back to be judged way too early in life. The junior champions are Brandon & Britney. They get the trophy presented to them by three of the Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders, that is one lucky 13 year old boy!
More Montage.
Next to do their Tango are Priscilla Presley and Louis Van Amstel. Again, it is great to see him and also her a little bit. This dance was nice the first time so I don’t mind watching it again.
The do a bromance montage of Jason Taylor and Cristian de la Fuente. They play “Just The Two Of Us” during the clips, it is really, really funny.
Marlee Matlin and Fabian (I know I said I would only do it once but I can’t resist…dirty!) Sanchez are next. She’s great, she was out too early. The timing is way off this time though, good thing they were not being judged tonight.
Up next we are forced to watch Shannon Elizabeth and Derek Hough do the Quickstep again. She is horrible, I don’t even have to watch the dance to tell you that. Shannon leans on Tom Bergeron and then actually wraps her legs around him making her hold him up. Poor Tom Bergeron can barely handle it. My hubby said she is acting like a 12 year old and if he were Tom as soon as the camera was off he would say “get the $&%^ off me!!” That’s why I married him!!
Next to dance are Mario & Karina Smirnoff doing the Mambo. Fun to see this again, these two sure have chemistry! Too bad that did not translate to spot in the finals! Ooh, interview with these bloggers favorite DWTS alum, Drew Lachey and Helio Castroneves!! Today is a food day.
For the record Wikipedia already has Kristi Yamaguchi & Mark Ballas listed as the winners of this season.
Usher again, maybe it will be better with some of our professionals dancing. I guess this is ok, I’m just not at all into Usher.
Back to Kristi Yamaguchi & Mark Ballas for their final dance of the season. This is for all the marbles and their Jive was awesome the first time, I doubt they will disappoint us. If she does not win it will seriously be a crime. Kristi hugs Tom in an appropriate way, Shannon Elizabeth could learn from that. Len loved it. Bruno loved it but they called out a snafu with her foot getting caught in her skirt. Carrie said the two of them set the standard for the competition. Kristi is near tears backstage, it is nice to see this kind of real emotion from her. Three 10’s for another perfect 30. No way Jason Taylor can manage that.
Jason Taylor & Edyta Sliwinska get to do their final performance last. Ooh they are doing the Quickstep. I am surprised at this choice, but I enjoyed their Quickstep so I’m glad they are doing it. Jason even does his old grabbing the paper trick. It is a great performance and Jason knows it as he punched the floor at the end. He even cleaned up the papers he threw! Bruno calls it his best performance ever. Carrie loved it. Len calls Jason the peoples champion. Three 10’s for their first perfect score of 30. Wow, he could actually beat Kristi Yamaguchi.
And the winner of the mirror ball trophy is…Kristi Yamaguchi & Mark Ballas!!! Yay, yay, yay!! I am so incredibly glad that a female won!! I love Jason Taylor, but I think Kristi really deserved it this year, was she great or what???
Dancing with the Stars Finale
Posted By: admin On: Comments: ( 1 )
By: Alyssa
Well the time has finally come. We are at the end of the season and we are about to crown the winner of Dancing with the Stars. Will a woman when this season? We’ll find out soon enough. Wow - Samantha looks amazing in lavendar - love it! Cristian and Cheryl are all decked out in black - Cheryl has leather, but not sure if Cristian does. While we are watching yet another recap, I learned from my Helio Castroneves tracker (my Mom) that he was supposed to be in the audience last night, but his flight was delayed. He missed it! I bet he was sad. He should be there tonight though to give away his crown. Then he has to fly back to Indy to get ready for the Indy 500 race…soooo exhausting, but I’m sure he’ll keep his natural energy up - c’mon it’s Helio.
We get some backstage confessionals after the recaps, but nothing to write home about yet. All of them said the same - that they did everything they could and that was all they could give - yada yada yada. All are backstage with Samantha - Kristi says this has been a once in a lifetime opportunity. For Cristian it has been a journey - everything is possible if you work for it. For Jason this is so different, but it has been great, he’s found a new me. He isn’t going to keep dancing unless it is the right price. ha! And, they all have outfits on from previous dances by the way. And here we go, another recap with more backstage confessionals. Cristin asked Cheryl if he doesn’t win can he have one of her trophies - she said absolutely! Yeah right - she’ll be holding onto those for sure. Jason says he is glad to be in last place - NOT! ha! Kristi and Mark were just super excited to be on top.
“Love in this Club” is now being sung by Usher. I did say last week that if he sings this I will puke - well here I go. Get me a bucket. He is out dancing his Usher dance and it appears he might be lip sync-ing. My fiance doesn’t like his outfit and he thinks he isn’t lip sync-ing, but I think he is - his lips are barely moving and he doesn’t have that neck vein that comes out when one sings. I will say that he does have some nice smooth moves and a unique style of dance. I bet Mario is jealous. Look at those old ladies in the audience standing and clapping for “I wanna make love in this club” - you sluts! ha!
We now get to see past DWTS alums give their take on who will win. Trista Sutter, Lisa Rinna, Harry Hamlin, Mark Cuban, Drew Lachey, Wayne Newton et al all gave their input. Now, one couple will get that ax. Already? Geez - I’m not ready yet!!! Third Place goes to - (before they announce it - I’m guessing Jason Taylor will be 3rd place) let’s see if I am right - WOW! Cristian and Cheryl took 3rd place. My guess was wrong. The crowd is on their feet. Cristian looks upset. He thanked Cheryl and was glad he made the decision to stay in the competition. Tom thought he was nuts for staying in the competition at first, but now thinks he is pretty amazing. Cristian said Cheryl has been a real friend, a great support, and the best dance partner. We stroll down memory lane with behind the scenes stuff and their practices. Cheryl is crying, but trying to maintain. I don’t know why I have tears, but I do. They ended with them hugging stating “We’ll be friends always.” Cheryl says she loves him and she’ll miss him and his family so much. AWWW! I know some of our readers will be glad that he got 3rd place.
They are now dancing their fave dance of the season - the Paso Doble. They would have danced this for the judges had they stayed in the competition. He did less screaming in this and it looks like they made some modifications to deal with his one armness. It was still good though. They ended with a long embrace. Great job, Cristian de la Fuente - we give you props for making it to the final 3. That leaves us with Kristi Yamaguchi and Jason Taylor as the final 2. They will be performing their favorite dance of the season for one final judging and score.
We stroll down memory lane again starting from the beginning of Season 6. We remember Steve Guttenberg, Adam Carolla, Penn and the rest of the gang. It feels so long ago, doesn’t it? But they are all back to dance again for us. Penn and Kym are up first and he is wearing his sexy red boa. They ended weird with their backs to the audience - think they messed up. Monica and Jonathon dance their Mambo next. She looks embarASSed during this, but c’mon this is a tennis player who is sooo not graceful. She looks like she is getting pulled around by Jonathon. Poor girl! We still love ya, Mon’.
Steve “The Gute” Guttenberg and Anna Trebunskaya are dancing their Tango again. He is trying to hold back his smile, but it isn’t working. They put in a cute little lift. They did fantastic. It was nice to see him back. Steve’s worst moment is that he doesn’t say Wow anymore b/c everyone keeps saying that to him b/c he overused it so much. Ya think?
We get more recaps - the Mango with Jonathon and Steve Guttenberg, the neck drama with Derek, the tears of Marissa when Carrie Ann said it was boring, the flying 10’s, Adam and Julianne leaving, speaking of which - they are back and he is dancing the Paso Doble with his unicycle. He is incredibly violent in his moves this time. ha! They do a nice lift this time around. It was very entertaining that is for sure. Adam goes off about all colors, religions, etc. all going for the Mirror Ball trophy and that is “why the terrorists hate us.” He begins it with “That’s why the terrorists hate us!” and I thought - oh great -open mouth insert foot, but he ended with “God Bless the USA!” The crowd loved it as did Julianne. He also pimped his radio show and Julianne’s album that dropped today. Coincidence that it drops today? I think not!
The ballroom kids finale is up next - The votes have been cast and the champions are Brandon and Brit after much promotion from Benji Schwimmer (from So you Think You Can Dance - winner 2 years ago). The Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders presented them with the trophy and Brandon was just sooo happy! They got a mini mirrorball trophy. Now, more recaps. We relive Marlee’s disaster and getting upset as well as Priscilla’s disappointment of a dance, Kristi’s cute little jive, and Shannon Elizabeth’s less than sexy Rumba and her meltdown in the confessional, etc.
Priscilla Presley and Louis Van Amstel dance their tango right now. She looks smashing and Louis is now a US citizen - good for him. He pulls out a rose at the end and gives it to her. I don’t think they did that last time. It was really good. We didn’t get to chat with them (Tom says later) because now we get to see the bond between Jason and Cristian - the bromance. We see Cristian giving Jason a kiss on the cheek, hugs and Jason wrapping his arm. Cristian’s dream from day 1 is to be in the finals with Jason. Awww..his dream which has been so badly crushed right now. haha! It was a cute little package that was supposed to be for the wrap party, but it wasn’t. It was shown to all of America.
Marlee Matlin is dancing now and she is in her tiger outfit looking amazing as usual. She did amazing. She was so proud and I bet it felt good to come back to dance one last time and leave on a high note. Tom asked about the public reaction - people have been so supportive and people have been inspired by her, but she said everyone has inspired her includng Fabian. The final 2 are backstage practicing their routines. I bet they are so nervous.
It appears we are back from commercial and Tom and Samantha are not prepared. I also saw some blond Derek Hough hair out on the floor so it appears Shannon Elizabeth and Derek Hough are up next and yes, they are up next. Derek is playing up the audience. They dance the Quickstep and it looks awesome. Guess they’ve had lots of time to practice considering the rumors of them living together. Who knows if it is true or not, but I think they are cute together. Shannon hangs on Tom because she is so out of breath. Tom is speechless. Shannon thanks the judges this time around. Derek picks her up like he is carrying her over the threshhold and spins her around. The crowd loves it. He carries her off backstage. How cute.
More and more recaps and some cat scratchin’ your eyes out tiffs between Bruno and Len, some fake butts, Cristian and Cheryl’s injury, Kristi falling down the leaderboard, some Mario who we haven’t seen very much of tonight on the recaps. Mario is up next and they are dancing the Mambo and Tom said that it looked like Karina could take her second Mario to the finals, but her Poopie pooped out! haha! They did amazing as usual. Loved it even more the second time around. We’ll chat with them in a little bit.
Samantha is across the stage with former champions - Drew, Kelly Monaco, and Helio who is looking SOOOOO CUTE! Helio plugged the Indy 500 this weekend - he said he doesn’t know who will take the trophy tonight, but he’ll be taking the trophy this weekend at the 500. haha! I’ll be there sitting right across from the pits. Julianne Hough will be there too singing the National Anthem. Helio got her the gig - how sweet of him. Now, commercial break…
Marissa and Tony are up next - our loudest competitor according to Tom - hehe! They dance the Paso Doble too - very popular dance tonight. Boy, she has just improved so much from the beginning. So proud of her! Tom asked her about her self image now - she feels so sexy and more confident ever now. Tom said Tony won’t have to wax anymore while Marissa stroked his chest. haha!
Now we see the Football player against the Olympic Skater package. The judges tells us why each one might win the Mirrorball based on Masculinity, Technique, etc. They are standing face to face and Jason is soooo tall and Kristi is so tiny. This matchup is cute. Samantha is backstage with both of them. Kristi is taking deep breaths so they are probably up first. Jason said he has tons of respect for her - he grew up eating wheaties and watching Kristi win the gold and Kristi says she has the most respect for him - he’s a true gentleman.
Usher is back. He is singing a jazzy version of “Yeah“. Looks like he is lip syncing again so that he can concentrate on his dancing. He is just out here taking up the entire dance floor. Forget the professionals dancing while the entertainment sings - it is all about Usher tonight. Some tappers come onstage and Usher taps with them. Nice! Didn’t know he had it in him. This is song is much more appropriate for the ballroom and I must say I did enjoy this performance more than the first. Plus the way this song was sang didn’t sound anything like the original which is a good thing for Dancing with the Stars.
We get some green lazer lighting with the names of past winners - who will join that list tonight? Both couples come out and the crowd is on their feet. They all wave to the audience and stand up on stage. Kristi and Mark are up first and we see them meeting for the first time and her journey through the competition. Kristi thanks Mark for opening up this ballroom world to her - she wants to keep dancing. They are dancing the jive now. Their first jive where Mark has his dorky glasses on and is acting nerdy. Is my Mom on the couch screaming and clapping right now? Probably!
Len said she is the most consistent of any season - even with her foot going in her “frock” and he thought she was going to pull her ‘knickers’ off. Bruno said she didn’t miss a beat and she was consistent. Carrie Ann said they set the standard since day 1 and she grew throughout - she thanked her for representing the ladies. I have a feeling both couples will get all 10’s so there is no room for the judges to impact the final decision. Kristi said she was trying to hold back the tears from the start and is crying because it is over. Her scores are all 10’s for a perfect score again. If you add that to her other scores she gets a 90 out of 90 and Samantha thinks that this is the first time in history. Is it? I think it might be.
Next is Jason Taylor and Edyta Sliwinska and we see their journey including the pink tutu moment. Jason thinks football made him a better dancer and hopes dancing will help make him a better football player. Edyta thinks this has been one of the best experiences of her life. Jason says he has conquered his fear by dancing - awww! They dance the Quickstep again - the one I loved so much. They nail it - as Jason just tosses papers in the air and does his handstand over Edyta. He picks his papers back up so gentleman-ly like. He is super excited and happy. The crowd loves it.
Bruno said they moved like angels - 2 speedracers as well. Bruno thought it was their best performance. Carrie Ann said it was definitely a showdown tonight and his elegance of spirit shined through. Len said this season he came along unexpectantly and that Jason was the people’s champion and Kristi is the judges champion. His scores were all 10’s for a total of 30. Last time he got a 29 on the same dance and he turns around saying “hey Kristi, it does feel good. Wow!” haha! Cute. Jason’s combined score is an 81 out of 90.
Tom is chatting with the kicked off stars and getting some plugs and he starts with Priscilla and asks her how she did it being so shy - she identifies with Jason and is long winded. Tom tries to cut her off and he did so much better than Samantha. Mario says it was pure fun and takes his hat off to the people who doesn’t dance at all. Tom points out Shannon Elizabeth crying again and asks her “what the hell is going on now?” and she says she is highly emotional at everything and she’ll cry at the winner. I hear ya, Shannon - I’m a sappy crier too! Commercial break and it is 5 till 11 so they are really dragging this out to the very end. Obviously!
We’re back and the winner will be crowned. Kristi is standing where Helio stood when he won it. Will she win it? Jason looks a bit nervous and Kristi looks calm. That’s a change. I’m glad that Edyta is in the finals - I really am. Mark looks nervous too - and here Tom is drawing it out. Mark and Kristi won it and Mark is sooooo happy. He picks her up and is holding her sooo tight that she looks uncomfortable. Mark is supppper excited that he can’t even stand it. They thank everyone who makes the show happen.
Jason and Edyta are interviewed and Jason said he never thought he’d do the show or even get to the finals. He said Kristi is so deserving and he thanked everyone too. Tom gives Kristi and Mark the Mirrorball Trophy and they hold it high. Here comes the paper confetti. Jason and Cristian hoist Kristi up on their shoulders. Derek hoists up Mark on his shoulders and Jonathon looks like he is freakin out making sure the Mark doesn’t fall. haha! Kristi hugs her hubby and parents. Well, predictable or not - our girl Kristi won it. ‘Bout time it went to a girl. You go girl!
Thanks to Bridget for another season writing for www.starsdancingontv.com. Make sure you visit us here often even in the off season because we are always keeping track of our stars and professional dancers when the show isn’t on.
Dancing With The Stars Week 10: The Finale!!
Posted By: Bridget On: May 20, 2008 Comments: ( 1 )
By: Bridget
It seems like just yesterday I was enjoying watching Adam Carolla and Steve Guttenberg and now here we are at the end of the line. Our stars, Kristi Yamaguchi, Jason Taylor, and Cristian de la Fuente are fighting for the mirror ball. I predict Kristi Yamaguchi will win.
I love the idea of this Cha Cha Cha face off. Cristian de la Fuente opens. He and Cheryl Burke look amazing in magenta and the danced is sassy and up beat. Again Cristian is not favoring his pseudo injured arm at all. Moving on to Jason Taylor & Edyta Sliwinska, not nearly as sexy as their predecessors. I don’t especially like the choreography and Jason is a little out of sorts in the beginning. He looks uncomfortable and even sloppy at some points. They messed up a turn at the end. Kristi Yamaguchi starts out their round by planting a big kiss on Bruno’s lips!!! She and Mark Ballas are amazing, the best and most complex choreography so far. Also, they are moving the fastest and having the most fun. They end with all six and Kristi in a big lift, it looked fabulous!! When the three stars were dancing side by side you could clearly see how much better Kristi was than the boys.
Len loved the whole thing saying Cristian had all the gear in the rear!! He said Jason was ok, but Latin was not really his thing and that Kristi was the complete package. Bruno in his sparkley suit with Kristi’s lipstick on his nose said he could see Cristian de la Fuente’s improvement, Jason Taylor had some issues and Kristi Yamaguchi was in a class all her own. Carrie got serious calling Cristian fantastic but that his posture was clipped. She said Jason was not so great and had awkward arms and that it was ladies night, Kristi win it hands down!! I agree, Kristi was by far the best.
After milking the sympathy vote for his injury again, Cristian de la Fuente and Cheryl Burke got two 9’s and an 8 from Carrie for a total of 26. Jason Taylor and Edyta Sliwinska get three 8’s for a 24, not good for a finale dance. Kristi Yamaguchi and Mark Ballas get three 10’s for a perfect score of 30!!!
I missed the opening of the show, which I assume was just recap nation-but let me say now that Samantha Harris’ dress is gold, very gold and looks to be made out of some weird fabric that will crack if she bends too much…yuck.
I am very excited about the freestyle round. Lots of lifts and fun stuff always, this is the best part of the competition. My new second favorite is the face off, they should definitely bring that back each season. They bring in Julianne Hough to help Kristi Yamaguchi and Mark Ballas rehearse, they look great.
Kristi and Mark are up first do the freestyle round. They begin in Pajamas and do a sassy quick change into sparkley outfits and cool Converse dance shoes. Lots of lifts, Mark is just tossing her all around the stage. The dance is really hip hoppy, which may bother Len. It is good, crisp and fun to watch but does seem kind of frantic which gets them all the time. Bruno loved it he said they did not miss a beat and that it was very complex. Carrie said she was a big crowd pleaser and she loved it. Len starts out by saying she is not a lover of hip hop, but loved this and it held his interest from beginning to end and that he, “absolutely loved it.” They get a perfect score of 30 again!! Is this a first for a finale, a perfect 60??? I think it is a record, as Kristi and Carrie said GIRL POWER!!!
Jason Taylor and Edyta Sliwinska are up next. I assume after that so-so Cha Cha Cha he is feeling nervous. They show him drop Edyta a couple of times in rehearsal. They bring his super cute kids into rehearsal, fun times. Eydta is wearing a beach hat and Jason is bouncing a giant beach ball for the dance. He first dumps the ball and then strips Edyta’s dress off to reveal a bikini. The music is an homage to Miami-no doubt a ploy for votes from his Dolphins fans. This is really all hip hop, some cute lifts but not much chemistry. I think they are going to get slammed for it being too much hip hop. In the end Eydta yanked off Jason’s shirt, gotta love that! That was not food enough to win, but everyone is on their feet for the nakedness. Carrie called it fantastic and loved the lifts. Len also liked the lift and said he could see them in South Beach, Jason in his speedo and Len in his thong…hahaha. Bruno was nice also saying it was like a centerfold. No way they got any 10’s for that. Samantha asks a long winded question, then cuts of Jason’s answer. They got three 9’s for a 27. More questions and cut off answers.
Cristian de la Fuente and Cheryl Burke are bringing up the rear in the freestyle round. More rehearsal shots and playing up the so called sore arm. They even have melodramatic music when he hurts his arm in practice, I kind of think he is a douchebag. They are all decked out in chartreuse and are working the Latin music and moves. So far, this dance looks the most like ballroom, which is really nice. Yeah, I like it and the lifts are exciting because I think he could drop her at any moment. However, this was not truly much of a freestyle but more of a glorified Latin montage. I liked it better than Jason’s dance. Len said he did not think some of the lifts were up to par with the other dancers. Bruno said for one arm he did “bloody well.” Carrie said that she did not compare to Kristi, that it was not what they were maybe looking for for a winner. They get two 9’s and an 8 from Len (yikes) for a total of 26. Cheryl said she was very happy, but her body language said otherwise.
Easily, Kristi Yamaguchi was the winner tonight. Let’s pull in the votes for the first female winner in five years!!!!!!!!!
Dancing with the Stars: The Finals
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By: Alyssa
Well we get to see some practices and we learn that the dancers will face off doing a cha cha cha. Also there’s a shameless Bachelorette plug b/c our Bachelorette Deanna is panned to in the audience. I’m sure Tom will bring light to that shortly. Jane Seymour, Sabrina Bryan, Marissa Jaret Winokur, Tony Dovolani, Mel B. and Marlee Matlin are also in the audience.
But, first things first. First impressions - I think Samantha Harris looks lovely tonight in gold. Edyta needs more clothes as usual. Jason has a sleeveless vest on that matches his skin tone - lovely. Cristin is in hot pink with his entire shirt open - got any buttons on that shirt? Kristi is decked out in white/gray/black fringe and Mark has on what looks like sheer lingerie up top. LOL! Tom makes fun of the several gallons of spray tan mostly on Edyta - haha! Good one, Tom. I wonder how white Edyta really is. I guess she has to pour it on to match her partner’s natural color. And the crowd is absolutely going nuts with the help of Cristian and Jason getting them going.
First up is the cha cha cha face off. They only have a minute to show their stuff. They drew mirror balls to see who would go first. Cristian was first, Jason 2nd and Kristi 3rd. Jason was happy about being second b/c of seeing his competition in Cristian and not having to go after Kristi. Kristi wants to steal the show. Cristian is shown practicing first and they’ve been practicing all these crazy moves. It doesn’ t look like it is going so well. Same with Jason. Mark gets on her for doing something with her face. And he is one to talk? haha! All of them practiced together and Mark and Kristi kept their cards close to their chest and only showed 30 seconds of their dance..niiice! Anyways, commercial…
We’re baaaack! Cha Cha Face off is here. You could tell Cristian has some arm issues in this dance. They dance to Dancing on the Ceiling by Lionel Richie. He does have some nice hip action though and they have a nice move at the end looking like they might fall. Edyta and Jason are next and the music continues. They get down and sexy, but he wasn’t as fluid as Cristian, but he did do the splits over Edyta’s shoulders - niice. It seems like they missed something too on their last move, but they ended ok. Kristi came out and kissed Bruno who wasn’t ready for her - and it looked like he mouthed “I love you!” haha! The crowd was screaming and so was I. She looks like the champion to me - for sure. Mark is so fast and precise with his movements. She couldn’t have gotten paired with a better professional partner. The threesome (Mark, Kristi, and Cristian) looked like they had a blast out there as did the professional dancers. They ended with a HUGE lift with Kristi in the air - WOWSERS! Loved it.
Len said it really got him going - it was fantastic. Cristian has great hips, rhythm and all the gear at the rear. Jason - eleganance and style, but he felt sorry for him b/c it wasn’t a ballroom dance. Kristi - technique and style, hips and rhythm - the complete package. Bruno has Kristi’s lipstick under his nose still - hahaha! He said Cristian banged like the best, Jason is very athletic, but off in timing, but Kristi was a class all her own. Carrie Ann mentioned again that we’ve never done this type of thing before - she thought Cristian was fantastic, but said the injury seems like is affecting his posture, said the same about Jason that the others, Kristi won it hands down - IT’S LADIES NIGHT! HoooooHAAAA!
Cristian and Cheryl’s scores were an 8 from Carrie Ann and 2 9’s from Len and Bruno for a total of 26 out of 30. Jason and Edyta’s scores were all 8’s for a total of 24 out of 30. Kristi and Mark’s scores are all 10’s for a total of 30 out 30. They win this cha cha face off.
Here’s the shameless plug for the Bachelorette by Tom - I KNEW IT! Of course I am tivo-ing it because I love the Bachelor and -ette. First up doing freestyle is Kristi and Mark - Kristi is concerned of Mark’s shoulder. I don’t know why Mark sounds like he has a British accent sometimes. Could be because he lived in London for some time, but seriously - what’s up with that? Julianne Hough came into the studio to show some lift action and we get to see a crotch shot. My fiance said it and then said - they should edit that out. LOL! Anyways, Julianne and Mark used to be partners and they used to date as well when they were younger. Plus they were in a teenie bopper band with her brother Derek - just some trivia as we build up to the freestyle routine with Kristi and Mark - ok here we go…
They come out in jammies and rip off their clothes to reveal sequins and converse shoes. They have lots of lifts and do the moonwalk - while Mark gets up on his toes just like MJ (Michael Jackson). They have a lot of Michael move in this. She flips him over and he does a blackflip - WOW! She looks majorly out of breath and looked like the lift at the end was a challenge - they kiss on the lips (a peck) and then fall to the ground. She looks exhausted. The crowd is LOVIN’ it and so did Jane Seymour! Bruno said it was so demanding and she didn’t miss a beat - worthy of the championship for him. Carrie Ann said she was the big crowd pleaser - loved it. Len isn’t in love with hip hop when it is in a latin dance - his attention was held though - it was slick, quick, had abundance of energy and he absolutely loved it. Bruno hugged him and said YES!!! We turned him. hahaha! Cute. I smell lots of 10’s. Scores were all 10’s for another 30 out of 30. Mark picks her up and swings her round and round. The judges are setting her up for a win, but will America pull through?
Jason and Edyta are up next with their freestyle. Edyta wants to make it and out of control freestyle. Edyta said this is the first time she’s made it to the finals - they do lots of lifts and he drops her lots - poor Edyta. Bet she has lots of bruises. Jason’s cute kids and wife Katina come by. They are all such beautiful people including Edyta. OMG! Jason did a cartwheel. I wish I could do one. I am inspired to do one now - him being so big. They come out with a HUGE beachball and he kicks it out to the audience. Edyta is wearing a cute sundress and hat - he rips it of and she is scantly clad again. They do some hip hop and some HIGH lifts. She rips his shirt off at the end too. It was hot, but wasn’t as good as Kristi’s in my opinion. He was definitely cute though and shook his lower half quite well. The crowd loves it too and Tom is telling Bruno to calm down - hmmm..wonder why?
Carrie Ann said she loved the ending - she started off saying it is good to see Edyta in the finals. Carrie Ann said who knew? - Jason can get funky - the lifts were ambitious. Len loved the lifts and the humor. Len said he can see Jason and him at South Beach - Jason in his speedos and Len in his thong - I ABOUT DIED LAUGHING SO HARD! I had to put it on pause just to laugh my A$$ off on that one. Tom said he had to rub that image out of his head and Bruno said he isn’t going to have dinner tonight after that..hahaha! Bruno said he was watching centerfolds, it was fun, funky and full of great lifts. And Samantha just cut off Jason - How rude! He got all 9’s for a total of 27 out of 30. Tom said it was like an interview in haiku - LMAO! It was - she cut Edyta off too. Dang Samantha. haha! It was quite funny.
Last up is Cristian and Cheryl with their freestyle - lifts will be limited with this one armed bandit. Let’s see how he compares. He injures his arm in practice, but he bounced back and continues - he said he doesn’t want sympathy, but I’m afraid he might just get it. Cheryl brought her trophy to practice so he can keep his eye on the prize - hmmm…Here they go - they start off shakin’ it and dancing to a Mexican song. He is doing a one arm lift and just did another one that they’ve performed before. Cristian loved it, but I wasn’t impressed with it. I know, I know - he only had one arm, but it wasn’t as good as what I’ve seen Cheryl do in other freestyles and I wasn’t AS impressed as the other 2.
Len mentioned his challenges with the lifts - he said their lifts weren’t up to the standards of the other two. Bruno said for one arm he did bloody well and he loved how their latin flavor was captured. Carrie Ann said she saw a winner in Cristian in so many other ways (just not dancing) b/c she did say they didn’t compare to Kristi. Yep, my thoughts exactly. Their scores were 2 9’s and an 8 from Len for a total of 26 out of 30. Cristian called on Latino power. Samantha said to Cheryl “You’ve got to be happy with that” and Cheryl said “very happy” but her face showed it all - she did not LOOK very happy at all and was simply being PC about it.
Final Leaderboard
Kristi Yamaguchi and Mark Ballas 60 out of 60
Cristian de la Fuente and Cheryl Burke 52 out of 60
Jason Taylor and Edyta Sliwinska 51 out of 60
Ok, people I have to tell you - please vote for the best dancer. Don’t let sympathy play into it. Vote for the best dancer. It was obvious who that was tonight, folks - so blatantly obvious. Go Kristi!!
Drew Lachey Moving to the Judges Chair!
Posted By: Bridget On: May 17, 2008 Comments: ( 2 )
Drew Lachey, DWTS alum and fantasy man of my pal Alyssa, will judge an online video contest called “Dancin’ To Change Diabetes.” In his ongoing spokesperson role, Lachey has teamed up with healthcare company Novo Nordisk to judge the contest. In Dancin’ contestants are invited to submit videos of themselves doing dance moves that help keep them in shape.
Drew Lachey will lead a panel of judges who will choose three finalists who will then be voted on by the public. The winning dance clip will be announced in San Francisco on Saturday, June 7, 2008, during the official ceremony of the Novo Nordisk Changing Diabetes® Bus World Tour and Diabetes Village on Pier 39, East Park.
First prize is a year-long gym membership within close proximity to the winner; second place is a Wii™ system, including Wii™ controllers, Wii Fit™ and Dance Dance Revolution™; third place is a four hundred dollar gift certificate to REI®, a popular sporting goods store.
Full contest rules can be found at www.dancingtochangediabetes.com
Submissions will be accepted from until 12:01 p.m. EST May 26, 2008.
Online voting polls will be open from 12:01 a.m. EST Friday, May 30, 2008, through 12:01 p.m. EST, Thursday, June 5, 2008.
Dancing With The Stars Results Wk. 9
Posted By: Bridget On: May 14, 2008 Comments: ( 0 )
By: Bridget
We are almost to the finish line, who will win??? I don’t currently have a favorite, but I am leaning towards Kristi Yamaguchi-hopefully she does not get eliminated tonight! In the backstage outtakes they show Tom Bergeron congratulating Christian de la Fuente and saying he thought that he really “carried” Cheryl Burke. Love that Tom Bergeron. Marissa Jaret Winokur was annoying backstage again, I think she is going home tonight. That fact makes me a little sad because it is why this season is boring, like Alyssa said, it would be predictable. Who wants predictable in reality TV.
I’m just getting my first look at Samantha Harris’ dress. It’s horrible. It reminds me of the episode of Friends where Ross spills hummus on Phoebe’s dress and she covers it up with a big Christmas bow. I miss that show in an almost abnormal way.
Anywho, Kristi Yamaguchi and Mark Ballas are doing their Tango for the encore dance, not my pick from last night but I was happy to see it again. Except I didn’t really see it because I was too busy writing about fond memories of Friends…sigh.
Some of the little tykes are back to compete. They show the kids having a pep rally at their schools. This is all disturbing. Kym Johnson comes to see them and talk to them about dancing. They are cute and excited to be on stage. I refuse to comment on their performance, because they are children. I can hardly watch.
Backstage with Samantha Harris and her attempts at interviewing. She asks Cristian de la Fuente a question that I can’t even decipher. Then she moves on to Jason Taylor, and gets cozy with him asking about his “bro-mance” with Cristian. Tom makes fun of her, I bet he despises her.
Big group dance doing Micheal Jackson. Thriller was the first album (cassette tape, actually) that I owned. This is a great song and I love the choreography is an homage to his genius. Despite all of his trouble, he was a genius. I loved Billie Jean the best, this dance is fabulous! I was hoping for more from the Thriller choreography, and maybe it was great but there were not enough full stage shots to tell.
Back to more kiddies. They are very cute, that is all I can say.
The 13 and under kids are up next. They are from Utah, ballroom must be popular in Utah. Their dance is very mature, too mature if you asked me. All the kids won a trip to Disneyland.
After a boring montage the first safe couple is Kristi Yamaguchi & Mark Ballas. No surprises here folks, keep moving. Also safe are Jason Taylor and Edyta Sliwinska. That leaves Marissa Jaret Winokur and Cristian de la Fuente. Would love a surprise DWTS…but no, Marissa Jaret Winokur and Tony Dovolani are leaving. Sigh…
Dancing with the Stars Semi-Finals Results
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By: Alyssa
Who will dance the encore dance? I think it will be Cristian and Cheryl’s Samba, what do you think? Before we find out - we get a recap. I am fast forwarding it….I’m recapped out. Now I know what Cheryl’s dress looks like - it looks like someone had too much fun with foil that’s what.
We get some confessionals - Marissa actually asked for more leaps, but she missed the only one in the dance. She also said that they hope they make the finals, but if not they will be in the audience and her and Tony just laughed their heads off. Jason said he is high octane - referring to Len’s comment about he is like gas prices on the way up. Cristian didn’t mention anything worth typing. Kristi and Mark wants to come back next week to show off their mad freestyle skills - let’s hope they are better than the moves and faces they displayed in the confessional.
We will be subjected to the little kiddies who want to be adult dancers this week - I guess the finals or something of that. Then, backstage they have a bunch of people dressed in white and black for what, I don’t know. I’m sure I’ll find out and I will report it to you then. I am too lazy to fast forward by the way…so we’ll just have to wait to find out. And…we’re back after a wonderful Mole teaser. If you’ve never watched the Mole, you need to watch. It is the best reality show ever.
And yet another recap and more backstage confessionals. I guess we aren’t going to have an encore dance, are we? What happened to the encore dances this season? They’ve hardly had any - too many guest star appearances? Apparently Usher will be performing on the finale - woohoo - NOT! He better not sing Love in this Club or I just might puke. Ok, there is an encore dance and it is Kristi and Mark’s Tango. Hmmm..I’m stumped at why they picked this one. I mean yes, it was good, but oh well, whatev’! I’m just glad we get an encore dance. Oh and we get to see more of Samantha’s dress after the encore dance and ugh that hideious bow in the middle - it HAS to go. Otherwise the dress is ok.
Now, the teenie/kiddie boppers starting with the under 9 year olds. The first couple is very cute. I think I missed them when my DVR went down. Kym Johnson came in to their rehearsal and helped them out. No offense and I really shouldn’t talk, but Kym’s ass looks huge. hmmm. First up dancing the cha cha cha Aaron and Rashell dancing to “Please Mr. Postman“. Aaron is a little cutie wearing those bell bottom black pants that Maks wears all too beautifully. Compared to what I’ve seen before it was a little dullsville. We’ll see though. For crying out loud, they are kids so of course it was good - much better than what I can do. Carrie Ann referred to them as little munchkins and Len said their little bums were shakin’. LOL! Just had to share that. Oh and the group backstage wearing black/white are our very own Macy’s dancers - yep, we can never rid ourselves of those Macy’s dancers can we? Who knew Macy’s had their own dancers and what do these dancers do in the off season when DWTS is not on? That’s the question of the day. Now, commercial break…
We’re back starting off with a shameless Desperate Housewives plug with Dana Delaney in the audience. Just when did she become a housewife? She’s been in so many shows - let’s hope this one will last for her. Geez. Samantha and her bow is backstage with everyone. Marissa is thankful she is still in the competition. Samantha asks Cristian if it is just getting to the finals or about winning it? Well, what in the world do you think, Samantha? Are they just there to take up space? Samantha referred to Cristian’s and Jason’s relationship as a bro-mance. haha!
Macy’s dancers are up and came from the audience. They are dancing to Michael Jackson’s “Wanna Be Startin’ Something” which I love. Ya know, “Mama-se, mama-sa, ma-ma-kos-sa. It is the same sound that Rihanna uses on “Please don’t stop the music”.
And now “Billie Jean” with a Michael Jackson wannabe dancer and a black sequined glove. I tell ya this show loves MJ songs. Now, “Thriller“, but they aren’t doing the thriller dance which I so love. Ok, now they are - woohoo. We couldn’t have Thriller without the Thriller dance now could we?
Our “little gremlins” are back - Jaryd and Cara. According to Cara, her life has changed since appearing on DWTS. Um, what life? At 10 years old - you have a life? Apparently Maks came to visit them and help out. He danced with Cara and it was sooo cute. They dance the Samba - she looks like a little Mrs. Claus in a little red and white dress. They are really good and cute. Tom asks for Cara’s autograph - it was cute. Carrie Ann is getting teary eyed b/c she wants to take them home and put them in her pocket. haha!
Next up is Brandon and Brittany - under 13 kiddies. Brandon’s baseball team has been asking about it b/c they want to be on TV. Sure. Now Ashly Delgrosso (former DWTS professional dancer) is in practice with them as she used to be their teacher. They dance the Paso Doble to the Phantom of the Opera Song. It is very crisp and precise. Nice with lots of tricks at the end - WOW! That was insane. Carrie Ann can’t catch her breath. We get to vote for the kiddies - so better get your vote on, peeps.
Dang, they are drawing this out to the bitter end. We still don’t know who is safe and apparently we will have to wait even longer as all kiddie couples are backstage with Sam and her bow. If you want to vote - here are the numbers 1-800-vote4-06 for Aaron and Rashell. Jaryd and Cara’s number is 1-800-vote4-07 and the number for Brandon and Brittany is 1-800-vote4-08. Cara and Rashell are holding hands - that is sooo cute. Samantha suprises the kiddos with news they are going to Disneyland. Good for them.
We get to the Final 4 go dramatic behind a chain link fence. Jason practices his moves behind the fence. Marissa is in a brick room and the other contestants remark about how she has the fans on her side. They remark about how Kristi has been a threat from the beginning - no news there. Cristian does his annoying “ha” that he did during the Paso Doble. Marissa wants the girls to take the boys down - yep, I’m kinda wanting that too. But, what that whole dramatic package boiled down to - everyone wants the trophy. Yep, we knew that already - nice filler though.
Ok, finally the results - what we’ve been waiting for. We get another recap verbally from Tom and Samantha. First saved couple - Kristi and Mark. Mark is super excited and lifts her up hugging her tight. Tony and Marissa are having a blast up there while the others look nervous and scared. Commercial break…
Next saved couple is Jason and Edyta. Edyta is super excited. That leaves us with Cristian and Cheryl and Marissa and Tony. I think we know that Marissa will be leaving and she seems prepared. And yes, they are leaving. The judges are on their feet and Marissa keeps saying “so close!” Tom made fun of Tony’s teeth sparkling even brighter this season with Marissa as his partner. We get a recap of her trials and great moments - from crying to pure joy. Marissa’s final words were for everyone to go out and do something fun - and shake what your Mama gave you. Tony just hugs her during their final dance. It was cute and a bit sad, but we’ll live.
Kristi Yamaguchi- the only woman goes head to head with Jason Taylor and Cristian de la Fuente next week in the finals. Will a woman pull it out this season - or will hotness take over the women’s votes? Will Cheryl have a 3-peat? Will Edyta take her first title in 6 seasons? Tune in next Monday for the Finals!
