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The first pair sent to the bottom two is Cristian de la Fuente and Cheryl Burke. Joining them are Priscilla Presley and Louis van Amstel. Looking at last night's scores, Priscilla in the bottom two is not surprising, but one would think her fan base would keep her safe. But no dice. Despite a show-stopping split during last night's dance, Priscilla and Louis are going home. We'll miss the classy Ms. Priscilla, but I think after the illegal lift during the waltz and a number of stumbles last night, it was her time to go. What do you think?
First to take on the samba are Mario and Karina Smirnoff. Mario displayed some serious hip action and the audience—and the judges—loved it. They thought Mario did a fantastic job with his movements, and that the party vibe of the dance suited him. Score: 27
Priscilla Presley and Louis van Amstel took to the dance floor next with the rumba. It's a slow dance, with a lot of fancy-type walking. Priscilla did an impressive split, but she made a few noticeable mistakes. The judges, of course, caught every one. Bruno thought Priscilla played the part well as usual but the walks exposed the faults. Carrie Ann pointed out that Priscilla was concentrating too much, and Len announced he was disappointed with the lack of spontaneity in the dance. Score: 21
Can Marissa Janet Winokur and partner Tony Dovalani do a better job of impressing the judges? Their paso doble scored good marks last week, and this week they did the samba. Carrie Ann thought the dance was Marissa's best routine so far, and Len gave kudos to the clever choreography and lovely moves. And Bruno? He says Marissa had "more shakes than a cocktail bar" and "more bounce than a beach ball." So I guess he loved it. Score: 24
Cristian de la Fuente and Cheryl Burke tackled the rumba next, doing a decent job on the dance floor. Len says the performance was "good, but not fantastic" and noted that Cristian's arms are sometimes too stiff, and sometimes too soft. Bruno and Carrie Ann disagreed on the level of the pair's chemistry but both agree that it was an okay performance. Score: 23
It's a DWTS Results Show, but for the first time this season, the pairs with the least number of votes will be revealed! It's a Bottom Two shocker... or is it?
The special guest for tonight was Sheryl Crow, and we also see some adorable 8- and 9-year-olds showing our celeb-dancers how ballroom dancing is really done. The judges chose Adam Carolla and Julianne Hough's paso doble as the encore, so we get to see Adam's unicycling skills one more time. But let's get to the eliminations shall we?
Tonight, it was revealed that our bottom two are Priscilla Presley and Louis van Amstel, and Adam and Julianne. Alas, we'll have to say goodbye to our comic relief. Adam and Julianne are going home. Adam admitted participating on the show has been a great experience, he lost 20 pounds and gained 100 pounds of "angel" in Julianne. Aww. Julianne got a bit teary-eyed there. So off Adam goes, to dance his way, as he says "to the buffet."
First up are figure skating champ Kristi Yamaguchi and partner Mark Ballas who are performing the paso doble, and what a paso it was. Kristi has improved on her facial expressions and was clearly channeling passion and intensity. And although Len thought she had a "slight sameness" in every dance, Bruno thought Kristi "unleashed the attitude" and was a jezebel on the dancefloor. Carrie Ann praised the dance, calling it fantastic. This is a near-flawless performance, and it's clear why Kristi is the frontrunner. Score: 29
The waltz seemed to be the perfect dance for the elegant Priscilla Presley and her partner Louis van Amstel. Decked out in a sparkly gown, Priscilla displayed her usual gracefulness. Bruno thought it was a great interpretation and Carrie Ann was mesmerized by Priscilla's facial expressions and the dance's choreography. But is the lift police back? Carrie Ann and Len pointed out an illegal lift somewhere in the performance, so that hurt their score. Score: 22
Adam Carolla (who says he's "in it to... not lose it") and Julianne Hough were next up with their own version of the paso doble. A version that involved Adam sporting a moustache and Zorro-like mask... riding a unicycle! Carrie Ann gave the pair an "A for creativity" and while Bruno called Adam's dance a combination of "genius and insanity", he did point out that the dancing "went down the drain." And Len? Maybe he was just as baffled as we were. He said that while Adam is a lovable character, he's just "not much of a dancer." Score: 19.
Who made Carrie Ann cry tonight? That would be none other than Marlee Matlin and Fabian Sanchez who danced a lovely waltz. Len called their dance "poignant" but pointed out that Marlee's posture needed improvement. Bruno agreed, while a teary Carrie Ann thanked Marlee for a performance that was truly touching. Aww. You'd think Carrie Ann would give the pair a 9 at least, but nope. Score: 24
Mario and partner Karina Smirnoff were eager to redeem themselves from the previous week's "mess" of a tango—and they did. Kinda. Bruno called Mario a "conqueror, full of attack" and said he exuded strength and power, and Carrie Ann pointed out that while some movements were awkward, it was a great improvement from last week. Len, who was harsh on Mario last week, didn't let up tonight, though. Like Kristi, he said Mario has one style of dance. Bruno wasn't hearing any of it though, interrupting Len to point out that Mario "worked his ass off!" Oooh, are we going to see a judge throwdown? Nah, this is ballroom dancing after all. Score: 24
But first, the judges chooses Steve's and Anna's tango as tonight's encore. Since Anna is still sick, Jonathan Roberts (Anna's husband) steps in as Steve's partner for some man-on-man tango action, or as the judges call it, a "mango." It was a little bit hammy, a little bit awkward and oh-so-entertaining.
After Kristi Yamaguchi and Mark Ballas, and Adam and Julianne Hough are pronounced safe to dance another day, the fantabulous Kylie Minogue performs her new single.
And on to the other safe dancers: Priscilla Presley and Louis van Amstel, Marissa and Tony Dovalani. Backstage, Adam cracks more jokes—some funny, some not-so-much.
Dancers from The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater perform, and Kylie sings her poptastic hit "Can't Get You Out of My Head" before we hear the remaining dancers' fates.
Jason Taylor and Edyta Sliwinska, Marlee Matlin and Fabian Sanchez, Cristian de la Fuente and Cheryl Burke, and Shannon Elizabeth and Derek Hough are safe!
The last two couples standing? Mario and Karina Smirnoff, and Steve Guttenberg and Anna Trebunskaya. In the end, we say farewell to Steve and Anna! It was sad to see Steve go, he was obviously the most enthusiastic about being part of DWTS, but at least we got to see the mango!
First up are Marlee Matlin (rocking a slinky, sequin-y dress) and partner Fabian Sanchez. They did a high-energy jive that seemed to please the judges, who praised Marlee for her great attitude and technique despite a few timing issues. Marlee is getting better and better and she seems to have such a great, fun relationship with Fabian, who's quite the jokester. I thought it was hilarious when he yelled "Can you hear me?" in Marlee's ear during rehearsal. Hee. Score: 21
Nicest Guy in the World Steve Guttenberg (The Gute) and partner Anna Trebunskaya are giving the tango a go. On stage, The Gute slapped on a serious "tango face", but it still looked really comedic to me, if not constipated. But the judges all agree that The Gute is much improved this week, and gave props on his footwork. But seriously, folks, isn't Steve just the nicest? Score: 21
Cristian de la Fuente and Cheryl Burke delivered an energetic jive (but can a jive be anything but energetic?), and they kicked and skipped their way to a great score. I was afraid Cristian was going to kick that spotlight off the floor during that final sliding move, but the judges loved their performance. Cristian is another much-improved dancer. Can he be a true contender? I always love his funny banter backstage, it's like he has too much adrenaline after the dance and can't contain the excitement. Score: 25
Mario and partner Karina Smirnoff had great scores coming into this week, but as we saw in the pre-dance footage, Mario's schedule has been so jam-packed that he and Karina barely had time to practice. Did it show in their tango? Yes. Though they had some great moves, they were awkward and had quite a few missteps. They danced to Roxanne, so I assume that Karina was supposed to be playing a "girl of the night" and maybe Mario was trying to stop her? But as Carrie Ann pointed out, it just looked like they were fighting. Len was really harsh on the pair though—calling the performance "a mess." Ouch. It wasn't that bad. Score: 21
Shannon Elizabeth and Derek Hough followed with a jive. I thought Shannon's performance last week was heaps better, but she showed a lot of improvement in her leg positions and the judges definitely noticed. With all those kicks and between-the-leg moves and twists, who wouldn't? The judges loved the dance, despite a few comments on precision and technique. Score: 24
But on to the results. TV Cocktail commenter CB got it right: Tennis champ Monica Seles and magician Penn Jillette are going home. Anyone else thought "awwwk-warrrdd" when Penn misheard Tom Bergeron and initially thought he was safe? Oh well, it's been fun big guy. And Monica, you were a class act.
Next week our celeb-dancers do the tango and the jive. Who are you all rooting for?
Steve Guttenberg and Anna Trebunskaya are first to do the mambo. Successfully? Not really. Steve is obviously having fun, but Len thinks he is just "trying too hard," Bruno thinks all of Steve's energy is going to his facial expressions rather than his body, and Carrie Ann think the musicality is just off. Aww, poor Sgt. Mahoney.
Cristian de la Fuente and Cheryl Burke do the quickstep and it's obvious that the judges' comments from last week resonated with the Chilean heartthrob. His posture is much improved. But the judges think he had a few missteps, the dance too "wild to be a classic quickstep" and the footwork is not muy bueno. Phew, the judges are tough tonight.
Monica Seles and Jonathan Roberts were next to take on the mambo, and oy, it's just too painful to watch. Monica is adorable, and she clearly took last week's bad scores to heart, but the dance was too awkward. Bruno tells her she just needs to connect with the music. I don't think there's a DWTS trophy in her future, she looks to be the weakest among the female celebs.
Magician Penn Jillette and partner Kym Johnson did their thing with the quickstep, and although it was quite entertaining (I dig that magic trick with the tie in the beginning), the judges thought the footwork was still bad. Or as Len puts it, "really really really bad." I don't know, Penn doesn't seem to be the type to take criticism well, he keeps talking over the judges, and that just makes me cringe.
It's Priscilla Presley and Louis van Amstel's turn to do the mambo, and meow, Priscilla is really rocking the leopard print. The judges think the pair's technical work was good, but Bruno thinks Priscilla should do more with her sensuality and take it up a notch. She slithered on the floor, purred like a lioness in heat while decked out in a not-so-subtle leopard print dress Bruno, what more do you want?
It's time for the first dynamic dance of the night... and it's brought to you by Shannon Elizabeth and partner Derek Hough. Although she could be more graceful, Shannon is really working their quickstep with great footwork and great energy. Bruno calls their performance "exciting, a shot of adrenaline" and Carrie Ann praises Shannon's improved posture.
First up is American Pie starlet Shannon Elizabeth and partner Derek Hough dancing the cha-cha-cha. It was definitely a great start for Shannon, she had great energy and really showed off those long legs. If she pays more attention to straightening her legs and refining her technique next week, this "sexy minx" (as Bruno called her) will be one to look out for.
Tennis champ Monica Seles and partner Jonathan Roberts sashay out to the dance floor with the foxtrot. Monica looks a bit stiff, but her height and technique gives off an air of elegance—if only at the beginning. Bruno tells her that she started out very 'Grace Kelly' but quickly transformed to a 'Grace Adler'. Way to go with the pop culture references, Bruno.
Marissa Janet Winokur, Tony Award-winner, seems really really excited to be at DWTS. She's giggly and perky, and just cute as a button. You can't help but root for her and partner Tony Dovalani, who is almost bare-chested, and wearing a pair of pants that looks like a sequin explosion. Their cha-cha-cha had great energy, but the judges thought there wasn't enough "content" in there to be considered an actual cha-cha-cha. Marissa also messed up the footwork at one point, but who cares really? Her enthusiasm is really contagious.
First to hit the dance floor was magician Penn Jillette and partner Kym Johnson doing the cha-cha-cha. Penn described himself as "Big Foot" pre-performance, so it's no surprise that his footwork looked heavy and his movements quite awkward. Judge Bruno later called the dance "Shrek doing the cha-cha-cha." Ouch. But at least he looked like he was having lots of fun.
NFL star Jason Taylor and partner Edyta Sliminska were up next with the foxtrot and they fared a little better with the judges. Jason displayed great posture and a surprising elegance. Judge Carrie Ann praised him for his "fluidity." He was still a bit awkward, but I could see Jason as one of the male frontrunners.
Time for Latin heartthrob Cristian de la Fuente and partner Cheryl Burke to show off their cha-cha-cha skills. Steamy performance? Not so much. The judges felt Cristian was hunched over all throughout the dance, not-so-attractive in their opinion. I guess people will be expecting him to bust out the sexy Latin moves, but as Cristian says, he's Chilean not Brazilian, people. But I have to say, Cheryl worked. it. out.
Here's the list of the new contestants, along with a brief description to help clue you in on who these celebrities are.
ADAM CAROLLA
Most people know Adam from Loveline with Dr. Drew Pinsky, which started as a radio show and then made its way to TV. He also hosts a nationally syndicated morning radio program, "The Adam Carolla Show." Have a feeling he'll be the jokester on the show and not take it too seriously.
CRISTIA DE LA FUENTE
Who? According to his ABC bio, Cristian is an actor whose television work has mainly appeared on Telemundo. He's also done guest spots on Ugly Betty and Psych. Oh and he made it into People Magazine's "50 Most Beautiful" list.
SHANNON ELIZABETH
Shannon gained recognition as the sexy student in American Pie. She's also been in Scary Movie and Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back. A perhaps unknown fact about Shannon? She's a skilled poker player, taking third out of sixty-four in the 2007 National Heads-Up Poker Championship.
STEVE GUTTENBERG
Steve Guttenberg has starred in over a dozen films, including Police Academy and Three Men and a Baby.
MARIO
Mario is only twenty-one, and he's already a multi-platinum R&B/pop singer. Mario's also acted in the films Step Up and Freedom Writers.
MARLEE MATLIN
Marlee is an Academy Award Winning actress who is almost completely death. She's appeared on the big screen and small screen, and is well known for appearances on The West Wing, The L-Word, Nip/Tuck and Desperate Housewives.
PENN JILLETTE
Penn is one half of the illusionist team Penn & Teller. The duo has received 11 Emmy nominations for their TV show, Penn & Teller: Bulls**t. Maybe can use his illusionist skills to help him win?
PRISCILLA PRESLEY
Priscilla was married to Elvis Presley. I wonder if he taught her any moves.
MONICA SELES
Monica's a tennis champion who has won nine grand slam titles and for a long time was the number one player in the world. She turned pro at age 14 and won her first grand slime title two years later. We know Monica is in it to win it.
JASON TAYLOR
Having played for the Miami Dolphins for over a decade, Jason was named this year's NFL Man of the Year and last year's NFL Defensive Player of the Year. Jason's also a proud dad of two sons and one daughter.
MARISSA JARET WINOKUR
Marissa is best known for creating the role of Tracy Turnblad in Broadway's Hairspray, for which she won a Tony. Marissa is always making her way into movies and television.
KRISTI YAMAGUCHI
Kristi, an Olympic Gold medalist and World Champion, is one of the most popular figure skaters. After retiring in 1992, she went on to perform in television specials and the "Stars on Ice" tour. Kristi should definitely be able to use her skating moves and experience in her dancing.
So, that's the list. What do you think? Any early bets on who will win?
HHHHEEEEEEELLLLLLLIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Winner, winner, winner! Incredible! Helio Castroneves has a new trophy! You could see from his first night out on the dance floor that if any man was going all the way, it was Helio. That guy’s smile totally melts me. I knew he could pull it off. He is charismatic, endearing, genuine and adorable. Dangerous combo? Not with this guy. No one deserved it more (sorry, Mel Brown).
The race car driver from Brazil outdanced and outshined every other star. He dropped Julianne like she was hot (literally - not last night, but twice before - and let’s face it, she is). He’s like America’s sweet tart, the foreign exchange boy next door. Helio and Julianne danced their quickstep again last night to get another perfect score. Last night was the third time they quickly stepped, the second time they kissed (this time was a long one... yowza!) and the first time I ever worried for him (dumb). AND Julianne Hough is now a back-to-back winner! High fives all around!
Ah, the finals have finally arrived. It was highly anticipated, and only fell slightly short of all my expectations. Last night, the very last three danced a dance they were told to, then threw the rule book at the judges and did dips, flips and naughty things to each other in the dance we’ve been waiting all season to see: the freestyle. The contestants got to choose their very own music, outfits and moves. There was no dance step too controversial to be showcased in these unique performances.
No one scored perfect last night, a fact that I found a bit funny for the last night these stars had to showcase their talents (or ultimate lack thereof). Although the scores weren’t up to par, the rankings were to be expected.
Tomorrow is Thanksgiving and we are all going to stuff our faces and then change into pants that aren't so tight. Everyone except Marie Osmond that is.
The Dancing With The Stars finalist announced that she's lost 31 pounds from all the fox trotting and boogie-ing she's doing on the show.
"I’ve lost about five inches off my hips and five inches off my waist,” Osmond told OK Magazine. “I’ve added muscle mass and I am much more toned. It’s incredible. The show should be called ‘Dancing With the Starved’!”
I'm so jealous she'll be able to eat as much pumpkin pie she wants while I'm deciding whether or not I can eat both the rolls and my mother's mashed potatoes.
Well crap. Of course Marie Osmond was going to make it to the finals. It’s all those Osmonds, I’m telling you. I knew when she was the first contestant announced safe that either Jennie Garth or Helio Castroneves were going home. Sure enough, Melanie Brown was announced safe next leaving...Jennie and Helio. Poor Jennie. Gone is the real girl whom everyone in the crowd could relate to. I don’t think she would have won, but I definitely think she deserved a real shot.
And of course we don’t know if Helio really joined Jennie in the bottom two or if ABC simply rigged it that way to make us all sweat. As the last man standing, Helio certainly earned his spot in the finals. And so did Mel. Marie even said herself that if she makes it to the finals, she owes it all to the fans. This is a dancing competition, not a popularity contest. Oh wait. It’s reality television.
Last night’s show was full of high expectations and anticipated surprises. The semi-finals are as good a time as ever to really whip it out and give it all you’ve got, which the four remaining stars certainly did. Our leaders proved they are worthy of the top spots when they took home two perfect scores each. Lady third also snagged a perfect score, her first ever, nice timing. And our bottom feeder (that sounds bad, but you know what I mean), remains in the bottom spot.
Every contestant last night had the opportunity to choose their own dances, one ballroom, one Latin. And they chose pretty wisely. The scores were all high, the performances were all amazing, the stars all stepped it up and kicked each other’s butts (some obviously more than others). It was definitely special to see how each dance took on new dimensions the second time. I was wondering how the professionals would switch the dances up and tweak the elements to make them unique from the first time they were danced. I saw some of the same moves (duh, each dance has signature moves), but overall the dances last night were new, improved and hotter than ever. Bonus: head judges Len Goodman visited each contestant to help them work out their kinks for their Latin dances. I couldn’t wait to see how those panned out.
As soon as Marie Osmond was announced safe early on in the show, I knew immediately that we would have to say goodbye to either Jennie Garth or Cameron Mathison. And I was right. No longer will we have the pleasure of gazing at Cameron’s Super edible chest or envying Edyta’s flawless figure. I don’t think his dismissal had much shock value, but I will miss him nonetheless. He improved light years over the course of the last eight weeks, and even though he never snagged a 10, I always enjoyed watching him.
Once again, the bottom two were left shrouded in mystery. Mel Brown, one of the best dancers ever in the history of the show, joined Cameron, the long-limbed enthusiastic improver and Jennie, the dark horse who just might snatch up the trophy, in the unlucky three, shall we say? Jennie has never hung her head in the shame that can only be found inches from elimination, did she join Cameron in the bottom two? Or was it Mel? Thanks to ABC’s sneaky little twist, we’ll never know. After Sabrina Bryan got the boot, anything’s possible.
The heat is on. Only a week away from the semi-finals, the contestants are feeling the pressure to outperform each other, and it shows. Last night the stars completed the last of all 10 dances. With their performances all rounded out, the contestants have showed off every move of every dance. Following in last week’s dance steps, most of the stars received higher scores for their second dances last night. Whoever survives this week gets to choose which ballroom and Latin dances they will repeat next week.
In the eighth week of the competition, Helio Castroneves got the first and only perfect score of the night (and his first ever, nice timing), which sped him to the head of the pack. Poor Cameron Mathison is the only remaining contestant to never receive a single 10. Could he pull off an ultimate score if he sticks around another week? Maybe if he pulled off his shirt once and for all... (Len would surely recoil in disgust ... or is it envy?).
Well, in the case of DWTS host, Tom Bergeron, he does charity work. My good friend Hal who is a TV writer was picketing outside of the CBS studio where Dancing With The Stars films. He told me that during his morning picket shift, Tom came out of the studio and showed his support of the strikers by handing out around fifty Starbucks cards each with twenty bucks on them! I'm no math whiz but that's like a million dollars, right? Okay fine, $1000. But still, that's huge!
According to Hal, Tom told the crowd "I know it's not much, but go get yourself some lunch at Starbucks."
I love hearing the stories about the show of solidarity during the writers’ strike. Be strong!
P.S. When I'm on the line, can someone please bring gift cards to Kitson? Thanks.
Oh, no. Disaster has struck again (it was only a matter of time with the way this season has been going. I'd stay away from that ballroom floor if I were asked to perform). Marie Osmond was not present last night because her father, George Osmond, passed away yesterday morning. On Monday, she and Jonathan dedicated their army-inspired quickstep to Marie’s parents, who met after George’s return from World War II. Jonathan said last night that George was aware of the dedication and was for sure watching, and that Monday’s quickstep was a good way to say goodbye. I’m sure everyone’s thoughts are with Marie and her family in this time of loss and grief, and that everyone sends their best wishes for healing and strength.
Onto another contestant who faced one of life’s greatest struggles: Jane Seymour, who lost her mother the second week of the competition. Jane lacked enough votes from the fans to be sent home last night. Even in defeat, Ms. Seymour was gracious and well-spoken. Is anyone seriously that perfect? Regardless, Jane is gone, leaving more breathing room for contestants who can actually keep up with the rigorous requirements and ever-climbing expectations (I, of course, don’t mean everybody).
Last night’s results show was a little strange towards the end. The bottom two were not announced. Instead, Jane and Tony, Helio and Julianne, and Jennie and Derek were all left standing before the final break. When the show returned, Helio was announced safe, leaving Jane and Jennie to face their fates. Even though Jennie stood next to Jane in the final moments of the show, she may not have been the other star in the bottom two; it could have been Helio. I think that’s mean (to freak out two competitors), but at the same time, now Jennie and Helio will have to work even harder to evade the actual bottom two next week.
Sabrina Bryan was queen for a day (no, more like four weeks). Then she was garishly beheaded, thrown from her throne, betrayed by her subjects. Okay, that’s a little harsh, but that’s what it feels like (to some). Most of the stars last night showed their love for the fallen dancer by donning little cheetah paw tattoos. That is sweet. Curiously, there was no footage at the beginning of the show of Sabrina after being voted off. Hmm ... I wonder why that is?
Now Melanie “Scary Spice” Brown has taken over Sabrina’s reign as supreme in the fifth season of Dancing with the Stars. As we’ve all learned, being on top with the judges means absolutely nothing. Each star’s fate rests in the hands of YOU: the viewers, the voters!
So here we are in the seventh week of the competition with only six couples remaining (and for the first time in weeks, no fainting, no hospital trips, no losses of loved ones, no shockers). Each couple got the opportunity last night to dance a ballroom and a Latin dance they had not yet performed. Everybody gets a little taste of everything, and everybody definitely did better at one than the other. Marie and Jane drew the same two dances, and even though each prevailed at one dance, Marie trumped Jane, sending her way down to the bottom of the barrel ... again. I say take a hint and hit the road, Jack (I mean, Jane). Mel and Maksim took home another perfect score, but will it be enough to keep them from standing in the red light tonight?
Why is everyone so suspicious these days? The moment something happens out of the ordinary, people start spinning conspiracy theories. The latest is about Dancing With The Stars' delightful Jane Seymour.
Jane missed Tuesday nights Dancing results show due to food poisoning and a subsequent hospitalization. However, cynics out there are saying it was a publicity stunt. Um, a stunt for what? These cynics do realize that the winner of Dancing With The Stars wins a big ugly trophy and then slips back into oblivion, right? This isn't a presidential election, nothing is really at stake, Jane ate some bad food, who cares?
So let's talk about a real conspiracy like Tom and Katie's robot marriage.