Dancing With The Stars - A Little Tango and Jive

The action stepped up tonight as half the teams took on the tempestuous Tango and the jumping Jive.  But I was left a little confused and wanting.  The musical selections tonight were peculiar to say the least.

I missed the majority of Marlee Matlin and Fabian Sanchez’ Jive. What I saw rocked, it seemed maybe her arms could have been a little more controlled and her fingers finished, but wow, I saw a whole 30 seconds of the dance.  To me Matlin is a marvel.

The judges scored them straight 7’s for a total 21 on the evening

Steven Guttenberg and Anna Trebunskaya performed a Tango. I personally don’t’ think it is possible for Guttenberg to look angry or aloof, but the guy gave his all and best to the Tango, performing very good footwork.

The judges scored them straight 7’s for an evening total of 21

Christian De la Fuentè and Cheryl Burke danced a Jive.  I did not like the musical selection. I did not like the choreography, although it might have fit some other piece of music.  And I noted a few missteps on both dancers parts.

The judges disagreed and scored them 8 - 8 - 9 for a 25 total on the night

Mario and Karina Smirnoff danced a Tango. Mario was definitely off his mark tonight, but the music selection didn’t help. No musicality at all, weird, just really weird music for a Tango.

The judges scored them 7 - 6 - 8 for a total 21

Shannon Elizabeth and Derek Hough drew the Jive. The dance really fits her, but she had some floppy toes, instead of sharp pointed kicks. The energy was great through the whole dance.

The judges scored them straight 8’s for 24

Adam Carolla and JulieAnn Hough danced a Tango. Great choreography and Adam’s sucked in cheeks.

The judges scored them straight 7’s for 21 points

Marisa Jaret Winokur and Tony Dovalani danced a Jive. Some missteps, but I feel the choreography let them down. It seemed a bit pause dance, pause dance. And I give credit to Marisa I would have had tears running down my face. She’s a trouper.

The judges scored them 6 - 7 - 6 for a 19, the lowest score of the night

Priscilla Presley and Louis Van Amsted delivered a sultry Tango.  Good foot work, good body attitude and facial expression. Very nice choreography and classic Tango music.

The judges liked it too, scoring them 8 - 9 - 9 for a 26 on the night

Jason Taylor and Edyta Sliwinska performed the last Jive of the night. Good choreography that fit his physical build, good footwork, and fun.

The judges scored them 8 - 7 - 8 for 23 on the night

Kristi Yamaguchi and Mark Ballas served their Tango piping hot.  The music was just too darn weird again, but the great choreography shown through. Good physical attitude and position, great footwork.

The judges liked it too, scoring them straight 9’s for 27 on the night.

Tomorrow night one will go home, and nine will remain. Who will it be? Hard to tell, Marisa Jaret Winokur received the lowest score on the night from the judges. But Adam Corolla, while scoring better was necessarily a better dancer.  Tomorrow night will tell.

The night will also feature another Macy’s Stars of Dance, Tuesday’s treat, The Alvin Alley Dance Company.  Can’t wait.  Until then.

Sith,

Tanglefoot

Dancing With The Stars - Season Six - The Double Elimination

  Two weeks of dancing over three weeks and now two dance teams are being eliminated; one male celeb and one female celeb will be taking the last dance of the night. So who will it be?I’m think it won’t be Jason Taylor and Edyta Sliwinskia who were tonight’s encore performance, giving us a second look at their Mambo. And darn it was even hotter the second time around.

You have to love a man who is confident in himself enough to wear spandex and a cape on to the streets of New York. No I don’t mean Kenny Mane (no I shadow was involved) Cameron Matheson returned as the Dance Machine to find out who New Yorkers liked to date on Season Six of Dancing With The Stars.  I believe the favorite was Monica Guchi.

Macy’s Stars of Dance returned for season six with a Cirque du Soleil style performance to I Would Do Anything For Love.  These people make you believe flying is humanly possible without a plane that is.

So who are going home tonight?  Well the not necessarily in the bottom four couples were:

Penn Jillette and Kym Johnson

Cristian De la Fuente (don’t you just love saying his name?) and Cheryl Burke

Marisa Jaret Winokur and Tony Dovalani or

Monica Seles and Jonathan Roberts

Going Home:  Penn Jillette and Monica Seles

Up next week our teams will either dance a Jive or perform the Tango on Monday night, next Tuesday the next elimination will be made and we’ll get to experience another Macy’s Stars of Dance.

Until next Monday night,

Sith

Tanglefoot

Dancing With The Stars - Even Stars are human too

Season Six of Dancing With The Stars extended open continued with a second round of first round dancing.  Are you confused yet?  It’s simple to follow, kind of like Mitch Miller’s bouncing ball if you can read.  Except in this version you don’t have to know how to dance and they do the math for you. This season opener covers two weeks of dancing, tonight’s scores and voting will be combined with last week’s scores and voting. Tomorrow night will offer up the first victims of the season when one male celeb and one female celeb are cut from the list.

Last week in the opening episodes Kristi Yamagutchi and Jason Taylor both threw down gauntlets that said, “Here, Take that and btw, catch me if you.”  Tonight the competition stepped up to the plate with little let down in comparison to the first dances.

Steve Guttenberg and Anna Trebunskaya opened the action with a Mambo.  Very enjoyable although he began a bit stiff he seemed to heat right up. 

The judges score: 6 - 5 - 5 for a 16, combined with last week’s 15, for a total 34 out of 60 points

Cristian De la Fuentè and Cheryl Burke danced a Quickstep that was spunky with good footwork and nice shoulders.

The judges score: 7 - 6 - 7 for a 20, combined with last week’s 21, for a total 41 out of 60 points

Monica Seles and Jonathan Roberts delivered  a Mambo that showed she was trying, I mean really trying.  But the poor girl doesn’t have a rhythmic muscle in her body and she is pigeon toed.

The judges score: Straight 5s for a 15, combined with last week’s 15, for a total 30 out of 60 points

Penn Jillette and Kym Johnson were dealt a Quickstep. This man is an entertainer, but try as he might he’s not a dancer. He is a bit flat footed, a lot droopy shoulder, but he always looks like he’s having fun.

The judges score: 6 - 5 - 6 for a 17, combined with last week’s 16, for a total 31 out of 60 points

Priscella Presley and Louis Van Amstel Mambo’d. Last week she wowed me, this week she put me to sleep.  I didn’t like her upper body attitude, she was stiff and had bad arms. The dance was boring.

The judges score: Straight 7s for a 21, combined with last week’s 24, for a total 45 out of 60 points

Shannon Elizabeth and Derek Hough danced a lively energetic Quickstep. What improvement, this dance definitely fitted her.  Good feet, good posture, her physical attitude was wonderful.

The judges score: Straight 8s for a 24, combined with last week’s 21, for a total 45 out of 60 points

Jason Taylor and Eydta Sliwinska Mambo’d, oh yes they did.  Very nice, very fluid, great musicality, sharp footwork, snappy turns and twist. I hope he brings these moves to the field next season.

The judges score: Straight 9s for a 27, combined with last week’s 22, for a total 49 out of 60 points

Marisa Jaret Winokur and Tony Dovalani drew the Quickstep this week. I like this girl,she is so spirited and ready to conquer.  The dance had good energy, nice footwork, and was joyous. She needs to smile just a bit less, but I think that will be hard she is thrilled to be there.

The judges score: Straight 7s for a 21, combined with last week’s 18, for a total 39 out of 60 points

Adam Corolla and JulieAnn Hough danced an entertaining Mambo.  He really got into this dance and was much more fluid in his movement this week over last.

The judges score: 6 - 7 - 6 for a 19, combined with last week’s 15, for a total 34 out of 60 points

Marlee Matlin and Fabian Sanchez Quickstepped tonight. Wow. Each week I think I am going to be wowed by her ability to dance despite a lack of music. Tonight’s Quickstep was entertaining, offered great action, nice footwork, nice body attitude, and musicality.

The judges score: Straight 8s for a 24, combined with last week’s 22, for a total 46 out of 60 points

Kristi Yamaguchi and Mark Ballas Mambo’d, and damn they’re good. I thought she missed some hand work, but the judges didn’t comment, but the footwork was great, their chemistry is great, good musicality.

The judges score: Straight 9s for a 27, combined with last week’s 27, for a total 54 out of 60 points

Mario and Karina Smirnoff ended the night with a Quickstep that offered up tight footwork, great energy, good shoulders.

The judges score: 9 - 8 - 9 for a 26, combined with last week’s 24, for a total 50 out of 60 points

The best of the week by scoring and in my opinion was Kristi and Mark, they are going to be hard to beat.  Those I think that are outside the bubble and contenders to go home based on my opinion and the scoring: Monica Seles and Jonathan Roberts; Adam Carolla and JulieAnn Hough or Penn Jillette and Kym Johnson.

Tomorrow night will tell all. Until then.

Sith,

Tanglefoot

Dancing With The Stars - Season Six - Week One the Ladies

Right off I have to say, “Wow! What a great first week to open a new season.” The women stepped it up and passed the guys, and truly I wasn’t sure that could happen. A few surprises were in store for us. So let’s get to it.

Shannon Elizabeth partnered with the ever so cute Derek Hough opened the night with the Cha Cha.  My first impression, “Wow, what long legs.”  She needs to loosen up a bit and step into the dance. She does more of a move/pose, but there is definite potential there if she can relax.

The judges scored them straight 7’s for a 21 total.

Monica Seles is dancing with Jonathan Roberts, the duo drew the Foxtrot, which for Monica is a lucky choice, the woman doesn’t have a dancing bone in her body.  What she does have is acting talent and sellability. The dance was lovely, had good musicality, she was a bit stiff but you could see her come un-stuck as the dance progressed.

The judges scored them straight 5’s for a total 15 points.

Marisa Jaret Winokur is dancing this season with debonair Tony Dovalani, their first dance the Cha Cha. I love her vitality, she just has so much joy in her, but she needs to tone down her animation to fit dance. It is nice to see a big person dance so well. But she tried a bit too hard and needs to move away from the Broadway over acting.

The judges scored them scored them straight 6’s for a total 18 points.

Priscilla Presley is dancing with Louis Van Amstel, choreographer for three Dancing With The Stars Tours.  The pair pulled the Foxtrot for their first routine of the season. I was amazed. Presley has nice physical attitude, lovely grace and lines, beautiful hands and toes.  And doesn’t she look like Jocelyn Jackson’s not as pretty much older sister? I’m just saying.

The judges scored them straight 8’s for a total of 24 points.

Kristi Yamaguchi is dancing with Mark Ballas (what a cutie.) This was a performance of magnificent joy.  Their Foxtrot drew total smiles from me, great musicality, great physical attitude. Yep, joy.

The judges scored them straight 9’s for 27 points. Great score for opening night.

Marlee Matlin is dancing with Fabian Sanches, their first number of the season, the Cha Cha. I’m sure the numbers are up in viewing this year for several reasons, but many will be watching just to see if a deaf person, excuse me a profoundly deaf person can dance. And the answer is a resounding yes. Matlin had good timing, good fluidity, one or two little miss steps or stops, but the performance was much more than I expected.

The judges scored them straight 7’s for 21 points.

At the end of the evening the leader board (from both nights) was as follows:

Kristi Yamaguchi & Mark Ballas:               27

Mario & Karina Smirnoff:                                24

Priscilla Presley & Louis Van Amstel:                       24

Marlee Matlin & Fabian Sanchez:                     22

Jason Taylor & Edyta Sliwinski:                    22

Cristian De la Fuentè & Cheryl Burke:            21

Shannon Elizabeth & Derek Hough:             21

Steve Gutenburg & Anna Trebunskaya:                18

Marisa Jaret Winokur & Tony Dovalani:            18

Penn Jillette & Kym Johnson:                     16

Monica Seles & Jonathan Roberts:                      15

 

The couples will dance one last dance Monday, March 24^th, and then on Tuesday, March 25^th Dancing With The Stars will have it’s first ever double elimination with two couples being pared from the competition.

Until then,

Sith,

Tanglefoot

Dancing With The Stars Season Six Begins

A brand new season of Dancing With The Stars with the stars opened with the first of two night’s of premiering episodes.  First up the Men: Penn Jillett, Jason Taylor, Cristian De La Fuentè, Adam Corolla, and Steve Guttenburg dancing either the Cha Cha or the Foxtrot. All the professional women dancers are returning from last season.

Kym Johnson and magician Penn Jillette opened the competition with an entertaining Cha Cha. Penn gave it his all, put on his show biz smile and gave us an enjoyable first number.  His footwork was a bit clunky, but you could tell he was trying and he was having a good time. He definitely had the entertainment part down pat.

The judges scored them: 5 - 6 - 5 for a total of 16 points

Edyta Sliwinska and Miami Dolphins’ linebacker Jason Taylor drew the Foxtrot as their opening number.  Not to bad for a first dance, not a lot of errors, nice lines, and nice shoulders (for the most part.)

The judges scored them: 7 - 8- 7 for a total 22 points

Cheryl Burke and hot Latin star  Cristian de La Fuentè delivered a sexy Cha Cha. Cristian had very nice moves, good feet, good hips, fluid, sexy, quick.

The judges gave them straight 7’s for a total of 21 points

JulieAnn Hough and comedian Adam Corolla drew the Foxtrot this week.  Hmmmm, fluid lower half, stiff upper half, but slouching shoulders.  Some really good movements.

The judges gave them straight 5‘s for a total 15 points

Karina Smirnoff and R & B star Mario delivered a great Cha Cha. Good chemistry to go with the good footwork, very nice and fluid.  Good charisma.  He could be come a little cockie.

The judges gave them straight 8’s for the highest score of the evening, 24 points.

Anna Trebunskaya and Steve Guttenburg wrapped up the night with an entertaining Foxtrot.  Who cares about missed steps and Guttenburg’s counting? The guy was so happy to be there you couldn’t help smiling with him. He was charming, having fun, he was loving it.

The judges scored them straight 6’s for a total of 18 points.

Tuesday night the women perform before the lines open for voting. Then next Monday night each of the couples will perform a second dance. Tuesday, March 25^th will feature the first elimination of the season and the first ever double elimination for Dancing With The Stars.

Sith,

Tanglefoot

Dancing with the Stars…

Cele has done a great job recapping Dance Wars, which I never got a chance to watch. See, there’s this job at a certain agency and it requires me to work nights and long hours…. No, it’s not the CIA. I KNOW you were thinking that….Jenny Partridge and the CIA. The two just go hand in hand….

Anyway, the announcement of the next lineup for DWTS was announced, as Cele said.

Actress Marlee Matlin

Magician Penn Jillette

Hairspray stage star Marissa Jaret Winokur

Radio host and actor Adam Carolla

Olympic ice skater Kristi Yamaguchi

Latin heartthrob Crisitian de la Fuente

Tennis star Monica Seles

Singer Mario

Actor Steve Guttenberg

NFL Dolphins Football star Jason Taylor

Actress Shannon Elizabeth

Actress Priscilla Presley

I think this is REALLY cool. The coolest lineup yet. I mean, if Penn Jillette’s partner makes him mad, will he make her disappear (or spurt blood?)? Do ice skating and dance REALLY have that much in common? Can you turn that many times without the aid of a blade and some ice? Can Marlee Matlin (one of my heroes) really hear the music, even though she’s deaf? All in all, it’s going to be great fun to watch.

So how about you? Any thoughts on the new lineup?

Oh, and don’t forget to check out the cover for POINTE AND SHOOT, the third Jenny T. Partridge Dance Mystery, coming out May 6 from Berkley Prime Crime.

Dance War: Bruno vs CarrieAnn - The Reveal - or Thank goodness it’s over

I have to wonder if not for a writer’s strike would Dance War episodes have been as long? As a DJ, a lover of song, and as a former dance dreamer I love the concept of Dance War: Bruno vs CarrieAnn. But the reality of this show is that the episodes were too long with little content.

One of my biggest disappointments was that neither Bruno nor CarrieAnn, professional choreographers, choreographed a single move on this series.  They were the faces and the cheerleaders behind the teams and nothing more - I believe that is what is called a “producer.” And to my three friends who actually are or have produced in Hollywood, my apologies I don’t mean to make light of your vision, your talents, and you jobs. I just expected so much more out of this show.

Over twenty minutes went by before we were able to enjoy the first number of the night, a group rendition of Steppin’ Out featuring Drew Lachey. Enough said.

Team Bruno chose to relive These Boots Are Made For Walking, not my favorite performance by them. This time it was tighter than the first performance. The dancing was on spot; the singing was okay.

Team CarrieAnn revisited Papa Was A Rolling Stone. This was one of my favorites by them, but too much fog machine. The performance was definitely better the second time around.

Kenny Mane and Jerry Rice revived Dance Center with guest Lisa Rinna to announce the Dancing With The Stars Season Six cast beginning with…

Actress Marlee Matlin

Magician Penn Jillette

Hairspray stage star Marissa Jaret Winokur

Radio host and actor Adam Carolla

Olympic ice skater Kristi Yamaguchi

Latin heartthrob Crisitian de la Fuente

Tennis star Monica Seles

Singer Mario

Actor Steve Guttenberg

NFL Dolphins Football star Jason Taylor

Actress Shannon Elizabeth

Actress Priscilla Presley

Team Bruno returned to the stage to perform what will become their first single if they are to win the Dance War season one title… Falling In Love.  Catchy tune played up on their strengths and offers commercial appeal.

Team CarrieAnn performed what would be their single, Come With It. Not as good a song as Team Bruno’s, it doesn’t highlight the strong points and actually points out their weaknesses (in my own opinion.)

After 1000 hours of rehearsals, 40 live performances, three eliminations, and fourteen wasted hours of television viewing.

Team Bruno was named Dance War Victors

Team Bruno wins a recording contract with Hollywood Records. Their first single, Falling In Love, and that of Team CarrieAnn’s Come With It are now available for download. Note: I searched the ABC website and couldn’t find them.

Season Six of Dancing With The Stars begins with a two-night premiere, beginning March 17^th; America begins voting March 25^th.

Until then,

Sith,

Tanglefoot

Dance War: Bruno vs. CarrieAnn - Latin Week

Just one more week remains; tonight’s voting at the end of the show is to pick America’s favorite team. But before that vote begins, a team must lose and eliminate a member. Will it be Team Bruno for the third week or will Team CarrieAnn get their first taste of defeat?

Latin week could be telling, and if the opening group number is any indication, we’re in trouble. The group number was a combination of Hernando’s Hideway and Dance With Me. To me the group number always underscores how they DO NOT work together; they are too segregated the rest of the time to integrate for one number. The audio was terrible, the choreography sad.

Up first in Latin week competition is Team CarrieAnn, who drew the Miami Sound Machine’s Conga! I have to say strong performance. Nice vocals, good choreography Team CarrieAnn kept it moving. I loved the lift; it was different and well performed.

Team Bruno took the stage for Michael Bublè’s Sway. I love this song. Kelsey is a hot performer. She doesn’t get a lot of notice, but her footwork and harmonies are superb. Phillip’s voice was great tonight, very full. Lacey and Zak - not so much. On the other hand the partnering was wonderful.

Team CarrieAnn’s second number of the night was Marc Anthony’s I Need To Know. I liked it; good harmonies, good vocals, but not as driven as CarrieAnn thought. The choreography was interesting, but they could have stepped up a notch.

Team Bruno’s final number of the night was Wind It Up (I don’t know the artist - and I don’t care.) The song was uninspiring and definitely not Latin. The choreography was good, but the difference between four and six team members definitely stands out.

America’s vote from last week’s show goes to Team Bruno, an announcement that brought Bruno Tonioli to his knees and tears to CarrieAnn Inaba’s eyes.

Personally I think it is CarrieAnn’s stylist that should get the boot, but no, it’s a team member that must go. Making the bottom two by a tearful CarrieAnn…

Chris and Alyssa. And maybe Alyssa’s own words foreshadowed and were her doom, when earlier in the program she was caught saying on camera that she has to watch out for herself because it’s a competition.

Good-bye Alyssa.

Tonight America votes for the first champion of Dance War: Bruno vs. CarrieAnn. The winning team will be announced next Monday night and so will the next roster of celebrity competitors for Dancing With The Stars: Season Six.

Until next week,

Sith,

Tanglefoot

Newsletter updates from Natalie M. Roberts

Hello all,

It’s been a while since I sent out a newsletter. All my spare time, which isn’t a lot, is going to writing, as I plot my escape to Islamorada. “Huh?” you might ask. “Islamorada?” you might think. “Where and what is that?”

On New Year’s Eve, I was home, writing away, working on THE TIES THAT BIND, a book for St. Martin’s. My children were portioned out to various friends’ houses, and since I’m not big into the party scene, I was using the time to write.

I was also wishing myself far, far, away. Somewhere warm, since Utah has been slammed this year with snow storm after snow storm. Hasn’t everyone wanted to start their life over, somewhere new, at one point or another. Especially when you live in the North Pole and your name AIN’T Santa Claus….

Example:

 

I took this picture a few weeks ago, and it was just one of MANY storms to hit us. On my computer desktop, I have a weather thingie that tells me what to expect, weather-wise, and also tells me where people are having MUCH MORE FUN than I am. Well, it doesn’t say that, but it might as well. It should just flash THESE PEOPLE ARE SITTING ON THE BEACH DRINKING PINA COLADAS AND YOU AREN’T. Stupid weather thingie. That night, the warmest spot in the United States was Marathon Shores, Florida. Curious, and easily distracted, I wandered off to Google and did a search. I discovered Marathon Shores is in the Florida Keys. I’ve been to Key West ONE time, for a few hours (cruise) and I loved it.

 
So I spent the next few hou…er, minutes, perusing the pages of the Florida Keys. Islamorada became my hot spot, just because the NAME is so exotic, and of course, the place sounds pretty cool itself.

 
And I began to weave this story of myself, in Islamorada, escaping from the rigors of life, lounging on the beach.

 It’s a dream but hey, it could become reality. Or maybe even a BOOK. That research would be fun!

I know, I know, spring will come soon enough.

On the writing scene,  POINTE AND SHOOT is coming out in May. This is my favorite book in the series, and I think you will like it, too. Jenny grows up a little more, still finds herself in some serious hot water, and discovers that life as a dance teacher is tantamount to working in a loony bin. Or close.

To help you stay warm, here’s a hot cocoa recipe my Mormon mother swears by. She’s a cocoa connoisseur, so this one HAS to be good.

Hot Cocoa RECIPE INGREDIENTS:
	2 cups nonfat dry milk powder
	3/4 cup sugar
	1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
	1/2 cup mini semisweet chocolate chips
	1/2 cup powdered nondairy creamer
	1/8 teaspoon salt

1. Measure all of the ingredients into a mixing bowl and whisk them until they are evenly blended.
2. Store the mix in a tightly covered container at room temperature until you’re ready to package it. Makes about 4 cups of mix.

Well, that’s all for now, but I wish you all a MUCH WARMER and DRYER winter than we are having. Until next time….
–Natalie
www.nataliercollins.com
www.nataliemroberts.com
www.jennytpartridge.com

Hopefully I’ll get to see the opening cast number on You-Tube because I missed it.  Overall I thought tonight’s performances were split, each team gave a great performance and an on the fence performance. At the end of the night, one person had to go home.

Team competition opened with Team CarrieAnn’s cover of the Southern Rock classic The Devil Went Down To Georgia. Good choreography, good props, and very entertaining. The acoustics in that place suck, despite that face Qis’ voice stood out, the harmonies were great, and each team member’s characteristics stood out.

Team Bruno countered with a cover of Life Is A Highway. To me it really showed both Phil and Zak’s weak vocals, the choreography was so-so, but the harmonies were very nice.

Speaking of bad acoustics in the building, their non-existence was underscored by how bad Taylor Swift sounded at the half.

Round two of the night opened with Team CarrieAnn performing Black Horse and the Cherry Tree. First off to the stylist, Alyssa’s top, terrible, made only worse by her weak vocals in this performance. The performance was sultry, but the audio just didn’t sound right.

Team Bruno offered up These Boots Are Made For Walking. Kelsey rocked; Lacey opened weak, but regained her strength.  The choreography fit the song.

Based on performances tonight, again my vote goes to Team CarrieAnn.

First I have to wonder if the show would be 90 minutes long if there was no writer’s strike. Big, Greedy Powers That Be give in already.

Team CarrieAnn won America’s vote for the second week in a row but if America votes on CarrieAnn’s dress this week they are going to lose big time.  Face with a brutal decision Bruno whined how unfair it all is and then placed (wisely) Zak and Tony in the bottom two.  The sang off tonight pitted the two against each other with the only country song of the night If Tomorrow Never Comes, a song that suited Zak. Ergo, Tony was the loser on the night.

Until next week,

Sith,

Tanglefoot