Dancing with the Stars: The Finals

Posted By: admin On: May 20, 2008 Comments: ( 0 )

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: ( 0 )

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

Posted By: admin On: Comments: ( 0 )

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!

Dancing With The Stars Week 9

Posted By: Bridget On: May 13, 2008 Comments: ( 0 )

By: Bridget




Only four remain, fighting to the finish!! Yeah, I wish it was that exciting. They did a “random draw” to pick the dances for tonight, I wonder how random it actually was. Samantha is wearing a hideous dress tonight, is the pattern camouflage?? Yuck. Whoa, Cheryl Burke is dressed like a dancing silver robot. Back to Samantha, that is one awful dress, it has a bunch of structure to the bustier type top and some sort of 1980’s bubble skirt stuff, the worst dress of the season for sure.

We start with Jason Taylor and Edyta Sliwinska. Alyssa wanted to know why I hate her. Number one, because she was Cameron Mathison’s partner and I hate him with every ounce of my being. Number two, I hate the way she is always throwing her legs up in the air and posing like some kind of skinny statue, you have great legs Edyta, we get it OK??? Number three, she was Mathison’s partner, aaarrgh!! First dance after some dumb football schtick and they are doing the Foxtrot. It is a cute routine and Jason is doing some fun acting that I truly enjoy. Edyta does a lot of unnecessary leg kicks and poses, but otherwise it is nice and fluid. They really got lucky to do this dance, I think it was his best of the season. Standing ovation that includes Emmit Smith, nice. Len said he glided around the ballroom like a dolphin in the sea. Bruno said he was lucky to have Edyta as a choreographer, Carrie loved it too. One 10 from Len and stingy 9’s from Carrie and Bruno for a 28.

Marissa Jaret Winokur is up and Tony Dovolani brings in Stacy Kiebler for inspiration…yeah Marissa and Stacy are comparable. Marissa practices her Rumba and makes silly faces that could not look any less sexy. They start with the Quickstep and Marissa flashes that signature 1000 watt smile that all the little old ladies love. The dance is actually sort of impressive, Marissa and Tony do a cool spinning thing that is better than I expected from her. I think there was one spot where she flubbed but I might be mistaken and it sure seemed like they were in the ending pose an hour or so before the dance ended. Bruno notes that she did miss a step, I called it folks. Marissa held back tears over the criticism. Carrie loved it. Len said it was faster and more technical than the other dances her competitors were doing but that the one criticism he had was a lack of body contact. Backstage Samantha Harris fumbles through an interview and Marissa pretends that she and Stacy are good friends. Two 9’s and an 8 from the honest judge Bruno for a total of 26. Marissa said it was, “the hardest dance I have ever, ever done!!” Puke.

Back at the show, I love the short commercial breaks, I hardly have time to surf. Cristian de la Fuente is third and they picked the Viennese Waltz and the Samba. The Samba is the dance he got injured on and he feigns being nervous about it. Cristian and Cheryl Burke take to the streets for votes and Cristian seems to like the large chested ladies!! They do the Viennese Waltz first to Satellite by the Dave Mathews Band…you have got to be kidding me. Cristian is not favoring his fake injured arm hardly at all. So far this dance is not doing much for me, Cristian is acting nervous and uncomfortable. They do a neat spin but the whole thing is slow and anti climactic as far as I am concerned. Carrie Ann Inaba opens the judges comments, she loves it. Len said it was better than last time and Bruno also loved it. Tom Bergeron made fun of Cheryl’s dress asking if anyone was missing a weather balloon. I love Tom Bergeron. Three 9’s for a total of 27. Cheryl said her plan for getting to the finals was not to hurt Cristian’s other arm, haha.

Kristi Yamaguch and Mark Ballas dance fourth they pick the Tango and the Jive. I loved their Jive last time and I agree it will be hard to top. They went to a high level dance class for criticism, this was almost interesting. The do the Tango first and it starts of sharp and interesting, it made me sit up and really pay attention. I think there was a misstep in the beginning and Kristi let a smile peek through, not good in a Tango. The footwork is complex and interesting and I love that they use all of the dance floor. The precision that she is able to bring to the dance floor is unparalleled in this competition. Len can hardly get his critique out because of all the cheering. Len said that sometimes it was a little bit hectic, Bruno is appalled at this comment. You could hear Bruno saying wow as soon as his mic was turned on. Carrie tried to stand up and almost lost her dress during her positive critique. They get two 10’s and a 9 from Len for a total of 29.

Len goes to visit the couples for their Latin round turn. It is always fun to see Len out of his judges hat. First up is Jason Taylor and Edyta Sliwinska, Len says last time there was too much posing…AHEM!!!!! Len does some stomping around with her. Len shows Kristi Yamaguchi how to move her leg correctly without leaping, for her Jive and then shows she and Mark a new step. Next stop is Cristian de la Fuente and Charyl Burke, love seeing Len dance with Cristian. He then dances with Cheryl and Cristian gives them a 7. Next up is Marissa Jaret Winokur, does Len really have enough time to help her? Kym Johnson did a little Bond girl cameo in the end.

The first couple in the Latin round is Jason Taylor and Edyta Sliwinska doing the Paso Doble. Edyta is nearly naked and Jason is wearing a very silly gold and black costume. The choreography is nice but Jason seems a little unsure of himself at the beginning. Ooops, it looks like they had a lift in the beginning.. The rest of it is nice though, not too much posing. Bruno liked it and said he looked manly, Carrie Ann and Len also enjoyed the dance. Samantha asks why the viewers should vote for him and he said, I’ll lower the price of gas…etc. Cute. Three 9’s for a 27, but I think they were hoping for a couple of 10’s. Jason Taylor, I like this guy he is charming.

Next is Marissa Jaret Winokur and Tony Dovolani trying to look sexy doing the Rumba. I just don’t buy it and a I am beginning to think Tony Dovolani (who I love) is part of the problem. He might have trouble taking her seriously, like maybe he is surprised to be here too, like Jonathan Roberts with Marie Osmond last season. This dance was boring. Her stockings got stuck to his pants at the end and my Tom Bergeron covered it. Carrie hated it, she said it was not a semi final dance. Len thought they did a very good job and the Rumba was more about precision. Bruno also loved it and Carrie argued that it was not exciting. A little judges spat which goes back to Carrie’s inexperience with ballroom, she got a little prickly over that…I don’t feel bad for her at all. They get two 9’s and and an 8 for a 26 and the judges still look angry with each other. I love the drama!!

Cristian de la Fuente are up next with the infamous Samba. Cute dance, Cristian looks at his feet a couple of times, but maybe that is ok. If he is nervous it does not show. They do some rump shaking, and they show full frontal on Cristian, it borders on after 10 PM viewing!! Len says his injury has made him focus but occasionally he was a little flat footed. Bruno thought it was a fun party dance. Carrie said that tonight her reminded her of Emmit Smith, now that is a compliment, did anyone out there not love Emmit Smith???? They get a 9 from Len and two 10’s from Carrie and Bruno, they are very excited about the 29.

Final dancers are Kristi Yamaguchi and Mark Ballas doing the Jive. I loved their Jive before, I hope this one holds up. Mark Ballas is wearing pink shoes, that is interesting. I am confused immediately by the choreography, it is like Kristi is dancing with Edyta, Mark does a bunch of lifts and takes the spot light from Kristi, who is quite capable of doing those leg lifts. The dance is good though and a lot of fun, but not, for me, as good as last time. Bruno loved it. Kristi said it was an extremely difficult routine, but slightly out of sync. Len said it was great, but that Kristi was a little bit stiff at some points in the dance. No way will they get a perfect score this time around. Two 9’s and a 10 from Bruno for a 28.

My favorite tonight was Jason Taylor and Edyta Sliwinska’s first dance the Foxtrot. My least favorite was Marissa Jaret Winokur and Tony Dovolani’s Rumba. I hope Marissa and Tony get voted out, they don’t really deserve to be in the finals.

Dancing with the Stars Semi-Finals

Posted By: admin On: Comments: ( 5 )

By: Alyssa




Well, a random draw (drawing out little disco balls - so cute) determined what dances our couples will be dancing this week. I know ahead of time that Marissa Jaret Winokur and Tony Dovolani have the Quickstep and Rumba because he posted a myspace blog stating they’ve been working so hard this week.

First impressions - Edyta looks amazing in baby blue. Kristi Yamaguchi looks very pretty. I like her hair back. Cheryl looks like a gaudy disco ball and Marissa hmmm like the deep purple color, but no comment on the dress style. Jason Taylor looks handsome as does Cristian. Tom tells us that no lifts are allowed this week. Len congratulates them on the final 4 and that they are looking for some “welly” tonight - they all will need to up their game tonight. I agree.

Jason Taylor and Edyta Sliwinska are up first. This week they have the foxtrot and paso doble. Foxtrot he had at the beginning so Edyta wants him to show “them” how much he has improved. She is a naughty teacher with a chalkboard and pointer - pictures of his competitors are on the blackboard. The bit was rather cute because Edyta’s accent is so cute. We get to see Jason’s friends/colleagues tell him to step it up. He does that same pose that Kenny Mayne pointed out in his funny bit. Jason’s lines are great though. They just glide across the floor in the foxtrot. It is hard to believe he is a football player with that grace. Edyta looked like he had nailed it and his wife loved it as did Emmitt Smith who is in the audience.

Len’s welly meter thought he was a dolphin gliding across the floor. He loved every part of it and thought it was fantastic. What is up with Bruno’s hair? Messy as can be. Bruno loved it thought he was a showman tonight. Carrie Ann thought it was truly beautiful. His scores were 2 9’s a 10 from Len’s welly meter for a total of 28 out of 30.

Guess who is back?? Stacy Keibler - Tony’s season 2 partner. She joins Marissa and Tony in practice. Stacy referred to Tony as her older, meaner brother - because she doesn’t see him as sexy. Apparently, Marissa doesn’t see him as sexy either. Hmmm, I would have thought that Marissa of all people would. Interesting. This week Tony is paying attention to detail because it is the semi-finals. Well, it is about time, Tony. LOL! Ok, quickstep is first. They do the locomotion thing at the beginning - kind of cute. Her kicks are pretty fast this time and she seems very light on her feet. I think she might have missed a jump - at least Tony jumped, but I’m not sure if she was supposed to. I think she missed it. Tony seems pleased as does she, so perhaps she didn’t miss a thing.

Bruno said she started like a little locomotive, but went off like the Orient Express. Bruno said she missed something - must have been the leap that I was talking about. Carrie Ann says she is the unlikely contender, but she thought she did a great classic quickstep. Len took into consideration the difficulty/technique - he thought she did a great job. Her scores were 2 9’s and an 8 from Bruno the grouch (I think there is something to that messy hair of his). Her total was 26 out of 30.

Speaking of Bruno the grouch, this just in, I just read that Bruno and Simon Cowell might switch judges seats. Simon might end up judging on Dancing with the Stars while Bruno might end up judging on American Idol. According to Simon, who’s been friends with Bruno for many years, Bruno knows nothing about singing. That has me wondering how he could be a coach on Dance Wars: Bruno vs. Carrie Ann which was a show about Dancing AND singing. I know Carrie Ann was a singing pop star back in the day, but guess Bruno doesn’t have any singing talent. Say it with me - “interesting”. That is the word of the night, folks. Ok, back from commercial break now…

One armed Cristian de la Fuente and Cheryl Burke have the Viennese Waltz and Samba. Samba was the dance he got injured and that scared Cristian. He is having issues because of his fear and Cheryl told him to think of it as the a fun dance like the Mambo. They take to the streets and BEG for votes. Cheryl is all decked out in her costume and Cristian has a sign with their promo picture on it. Funny how karma comes back - he has to do with the same dances on the night he was injured. They dance to one of my favorite songs “Satellite” by Dave Matthews Band. This dance was fast and fluid and there was a nice camera angle as Cheryl spun on one leg. I didn’t think he was as graceful as Jason, but I think they did a nice job especially with one arm. Emmitt Smith was on his feet again too.

Carrie Ann said she loves his breakthrough moments where he just clicks in. Len said better marks - better mix of steps and Bruno said something about wow factor. They were pretty brief in their comments - are we short for time? Tom was making fun of Cheryl’s dress and asked “is anyone missing a weather balloon?” hahaha! It was a pretty hidieous dress for a beautiful Viennese Waltz. Their scores were all 9’s for a 27 out of 30. Samantha reminds us they got a 25 last time so they’ve improved.

Kristi Yamaguchi, who looks stunning tonight, and Mark Ballas have the tango and jive. They received a perfect score on their last jive, so are experiencing pressure this week to be perfect again. The tango last time needed more emotion so they are working on that. Mark took her to a high level dance class and they tango’d in front of the class. Looks like they got some good tips from the pros - might prove to be beneficial for them. We’ll see b/c they are doing that one first. Wow - fast and crisp already. Nice hold, nice crisp kicks, nice passion, footwork was good and the ending was awesome. This was the first time I’ve been really impressed with Kristi and Mark - seriously. I loved it. The audience did too.

Len said it was a bit hectic and Bruno goes off about it and Len makes fun of his haircut. Bruno said they squeezed every ounce of drama, passion, and sex appeal out of it - footwork was the best. Carrie Ann shut Bruno up and she stood up and said “welcome back to the dance floor” as she pulled her dress out from under the chair. They received 2 10’s and a 9 from Len for a total out of 29 out of 30. Last time they got all 9’s.

Leaderboard after Ballroom Round
Kristi and Mark 29 out of 30
Jason and Edyta 28 out of 30
Cristian and Cheryl 27 out of 30
Marissa and Tony 26 out of 30

Sexy latin round is next. Len Goodman goes undercover again with a cheesy James Bond bit. He does this cheeky move with the score paddle and I loved it. Up first was Jason Taylor and Jason hid behind Edyta. Them dancing together is HILARIOUS. Len makes the Cristian “I know it hurts” sounds as he dances with him. Len visits Kristi next and helps her with her jive. She had issues with her leg last time and he practices with her and does a nice move that she practiced with Mark - Len loved it so much he spanked his own A$$. hahaha! No joke. Cristian was up next getting all close with Len as Len pretended to be the girl. Len made some “da da” noises. He is sooo into this. Marissa was last - and he helps her with shaking it as Tony laughs on. He shows her how to rock her hips and says “Marissa, you were holding me kind of tight.” Tom was on the laptop getting the lowdown from Len. Len called him “T” haha! Kym Johnson was in the limo with him and Len puts the 10 paddle up to the camera as they get fresh - haha! Just know they didn’t really get fresh, but they made it look like they do. It was cute. Now a British Bachelor plug - Tom makes fun saying he gets a green card out of it. haha! Tom is all over it tonight.

Before the commercial we get a peek at Edyta’s and Jason Taylor’s outfit and I can’t say I’m a fan…ugh! We’re back from commerical and Jason’s final dance of the night is up first. They dance the Paso Doble - if you recall last time it was his football routine and Len said he had too much posing. Edyta did her leg up thing that Bridget loves so much. This is proper Paso Doble music, but I can’t say I really like it that much as it reminds me of speedy gonzalez. Jason certainly has the mean face down and I swear they just did a lift. Why even chance it? Edyta always does this. I don’t know - I thought it was just ok - didn’t love it.

Bruno mentioned strength and momentum. Carrie Ann said she commended them for the content - nice execution. Len said he attacked it and compared him to the price of gas - he’s going up. Hmmm…must have been no lift. His scores were all 9’s for a total of 27 out of 30 (better than his 26 last time). His grand total was a 55 out of 60.

Marissa Jaret Winokur and Tony Dovolani have their Rumba next. He has on large bellbottom black pants and a loose white top with the chest open. She has on black with fringe at the bottom. She’s getting all sexy on us. Will she be raunchy enough for Len? She has a chain in her hair. Don’t ask me why - but she does. Oops her fringe came off - or a piece of it did. I thought it was sexier, but it wasn’t THAT raunchy and I didn’t see a lot of hips that Len helped her with. Something happened to her dress - not sure what, but Tom is standing in front of them as they walk over - I guess her dress got stuck on Tony’s sequins. haha! Tom referred to it as becoming Siammese Twins.

Carrie Ann was down and said she wasn’t excited by that. She didn’t feel it was a semi-final dance. Len said the Rumba doesn’t have the wow factor and he thought they did a very good job. Bruno called it Sex in the City and said she sold it well. Carrie Ann interrupted and said it wasn’t exciting enough. Len kept telling her the dance doesn’t have the wow factor and that he was wow’ed for a rumba. Way to interject Len. I think Len has a thing for Marissa and wants to see her move on this competition. Good for Len. Her scores 2 9’s and an 8 from unexcited Carrie Ann for a total of 26 out of 30. Last time was a 25 out of 30. Grand Total 52 out of 60.

Cristian de la Fuente and Cheryl Burke have the Samba - the arm damaging dance. He has a blue shirt on that is not buttoned at all. The arm hasn’t affected his hips at all. I do not like Cheryl’s dress - has these big yellow flowers. I do like the blue tulle at the bottom though. They did EXCELLENT. Lots of hips, lots of fun - I loved it!! Len said it was hotter than a Chili Pepper. Len said his arm has really made him focus and help him come out stronger - but one criticism - at times it was flat footed. Bruno said he made it so exciting and fun and he was partying. Carrie Ann referred to Emmitt Smith and twinkle toes and that is what he brought tonight. She liked it obviously. His scores were 2 10’s and a 9 from Len for a total of 29 out of 30. He screamed b/c he was so excited (last time he got a 21) and his grand total 56 out of 60.

Last up, Kristi and Mark dancing their jive. Will perfection live on with this jive? She’s all decked out in pink polka dots and cute little pink bobby socks. Her hair is caught on her mouth and it is driving me nuts. She is not getting it out of her mouth either. ugh! Ok, better now. She seems a bit dizzy or something and it seemed chaotic. Nice kicks though and they did Len’s cute move really well. Bruno said this was the cherry on the icing on the cake of a sweet, sweet delicious jive. Carrie Ann said “that was an extremely difficult routine” saying she attacks it, but they were a hair out of sync, but still fantastic. Len liked the basics and had a lovely balance, but thought she was just a little bit stiff. Bruno wasn’t gonna attack that b/c it “isn’t worth it.” hehe! Her scores were 2 9’s and a 10 from Bruno. Total of 28 out of 30 and a grand total of 57 out of 60. And..perfection did NOT live on.

Final Semi-finals Leaderboard
Kristi Yamaguchi and Mark Ballas 57 out of 60
Cristian de la Fuente and Cheryl Burke 56 out of 60
Jason Taylor and Edyta Sliwinska 55 out of 60
Marissa Jaret Winokur and Tony Dovolani 52 out of 60

My favorite of the night Cheryl and Cristian’s Samba. Least Favorite was Jason and Edyta’s Paso Doble. I think both Jason and Marissa could be in trouble. If Marissa went it would be predictable for sure.

Marissa Jaret Winokur Developing Talk Show

Posted By: Bridget On: May 12, 2008 Comments: ( 0 )

Annoyingly cheerful Dancing With The Stars celeb Marissa Jaret Winokur is developing her own daytime talk show.  The starlet recently signed a development deal with Sony pictures to host a talk show with plans to air in the fall of 2009.  Apparently there was some sort of bidding war between studios for the bubbly Tony award winner turned reality star.

I, personally, am shocked that anyone thinks a full hour of the over the top sunshine of Mrs. Winokur is a good idea.  The thought of watching that program makes me want to gauge out my ears with a sharp stick.   Marissa has proven to have some staying power and fan base on Dancing With The Stars, but I question her ability to have a dedicated audience.  Let’s be honest-she’s no Oprah…and talk shows are, like, hard.  Chevy Chase failed, I think Megan Mullally failed, Pat Sajak failed…the list goes on and on.  Worse yet, another Dancing alum is also in development for a talk show.  Yep, Alyssa’s all time favorite contender Marie Osmond is also floating rumors about a gab fest.  I would love to see the two of them go head to head…on second thought, I would rather not watch!!!

Mario Appears on Jimmy Kimmel

Posted By: Bridget On: May 10, 2008 Comments: ( 0 )

Finally, Mario is on Jimmy Kimmel-not that I think he deserved it, but I always think the celeb that I don’t know is going to be the first one ousted. He lasted a lot longer than I anticipated. Jimmy introduced him by saying that DWTS celebrated its’ 100th episode by kicking him off the show. Mario looked handsome in a black suit with a white shirt and shiny white tie.

After replaying Len Goodman’s Britney Spears analogy, Mario laughed and said he appreciated Len’s comments. He also said that he was having some new underwear sent to Len’s house, since he has some that is more than 21 years old. Jimmy then moved on to Karina Smirnoff, claiming that Mario would not look him in the eye when asked about her, which must mean that he really dislikes her. Mario said that their personalities mesh well, Jimmy replied that, “she likes Mario’s you know.”

Mario claimed that there was not truth to the rumors of a relationship with Karina. He did say that the rumors were good because they showed that people saw their chemistry on stage. He also said that Karina Smirnoff tried to prepare him for the elimination by making sure that he had a speech ready, he did not heed her advice. Too bad. Then they burned the shoes, yuk, yuk, yuk.

Cristian de la Fuente Sued…Twice!!

Posted By: Bridget On: May 8, 2008 Comments: ( 1 )

Resident Latin lover on DWTS Cristian de la Fuente has more than a ruptured tendon to worry about these days. Cristian is being sued by by Jasmaine Chatman. Ms. Shatman filed papers at Los Angeles Superior Court claiming he “tampered with (her) vehicle” in early March (08). Chatman is seeking $5,000 (GBP2,500) for “damages, storage fees, car rental, lost time at school”, according to TMZ.com. No other details on exactly what tampering with a vehicle entails, but one thing is for sure it is not a headache Cristian de la Fuente has time to handle.

Cristian is also being sued by a man involved in a June 2007 incident at a Los Angeles Porsche dealership. According to the suit, de la Fuente parked his car in the service department, blocking other customers. The lawsuit claims he was asked to move the car, then “in a huff, jumped in his Audi and without looking, hastily put his vehicle into reverse and accelerated into the Plaintiff.” Plaintiff, Kazuo Kimura claims he was “knocked to the ground and sustained serious injuries for which surgical intervention has been recommended.” The suit claims de la Fuente “showed no remorse” and “blamed the plaintiff for standing behind his vehicle and then refused to provide his license and insurance information.” No citations were issued.

Yikes Cristian!! You seemed like such a nice guy….say it isn’t so!!!

Dancing With The Stars Results Wk. 8

Posted By: Bridget On: May 7, 2008 Comments: ( 1 )

By: Bridget




Let me start by saying that I agreed with Alyssa. This season is a little lackluster for me. I wish Adam Carolla were still on the show. At least he was fun!! I have high hopes for someone to really love next season!

As for this 100th episode, I am looking forward to it, at least a little bit. They start the show by picking their favorite dance of all five seasons. They choose Mario Lopez & Karina Smirnoff doing the Tango. DOes anyone else think they should have chosen a winner? Like Helio maybe??? It was a very good dance, but the best? I think that has an awful lot to do with Mario being on the show tonight.

I think they have all of the pro’s dancing in a big group dance at the opening. It looks good and it is always nice to see some of the old faces. Karina does an amazing and slightly scary lift, wow. Lots of DWTS alumni in the audience, including Jerry Springer and Mark Cuban-fun times.

Recap time. Mario & Karina Smirnoff are funny. Marissa Jaret Winokur is annoying. Kristi Yamaguchi & Mark Ballas are cute and as sportsmanlike as we have come to expect. Jason Taylor and Eydta Sliwinska are equally classy. I think I am beginning to agree with the critics that Cristian de la Fuente is faking his injury a bit.

Performance time with Rascal Flats and Julianne Hough and Apollo Ohno. This should be interesting. It always amazes me that such big names are willing to be on this show, if you follow country music at all you know that Rascal Flats is pretty big stuff. I supposed that it does not hurt aspiring country star Julianne Hough to be associated with them. She and Apollo’s dance is swell.

Tom Bergeron brings us back from the break by interviewing the former cast members in the audience. He interviews Lisa Rinna, yep she is nuts. The rest of the gang plugged their respective projects.

Carrie Anne Inaba is wearing a truly horrible dress tonight. It looks like she put on her 1987 prom gown, yuck. Oooh, Helio Castroneves interview…sigh, I miss him, my lover!

Mario Lopez and the ‘A Chorus Line” cast are up next. This is a great play. I can’t imagine how badly Mario Lopez-who honestly could not act his way out of a paper bag- would ruin it for me. I can’t comment on it any further, too sad.

Rascal Flats are back with their remake of “Life is a Highway” and Mel B. & Maksim Chmerkovskiy performing. They dancers get a thunderous applause. They are also swell, not as swell as Julianne & Apollo, but swell none the less. Kelly Monaco says that she wants Kristi Yamaguchi to win, but Apollo says either her or Jason Taylor. Ooh, there is some Drew Lachey for Alyssa! He thinks Cristian will win, I seriously doubt that. We get to see Mario Osmond faint again, fun times.

I think we are about done with the talent for the evening, so hopefully we will get to the elimination soon, very soon, I’m tired. Finally, after a montage that I am too tired to write about, let’s just say it was DWTS predictable, the first safe couple is Marissa Jaret Winokur & Tony Dovolani and Kristi Yamaguchi & Mark Ballas. Tom Bergeron has to shoo them backstage for their Samantha Harris interview, pretty funny Tom-I almost love you as much as Helio.

As Samantha Harris interview Kristi & Mark, he holds her in the prom picture pose. You know the one with the guys hand around your waist, but holding the top of your hand so that the guy is not actually touching the gals hip. Odd.

Next safe couple is Cristian de la Fuente & Cheryl Burke. The last safe couple is Jason Taylor & Edyta Sliwinska, which means we say good bye to Mario & Karina Smirnoff. Is anyone surprised? I’m not.