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Other Great Reality Shows => Other Reality TV Shows & News => Topic started by: marigold on December 02, 2008, 07:45:43 PM

Title: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on December 02, 2008, 07:45:43 PM
Dancing With The Stars Season 8

CBS, ABC fill midseason - Networks making plans for spring

ABC and CBS are making plans for spring, finding homes for several more midseason skeins.
ABC is conducting an extreme 10 p.m. makeover after struggling with the timeslot this season. Blame it partly on the rise of DVRs: Studies have shown that viewers watch more of their pre-recorded fare during the 10 p.m. hour, and Alphabet execs believe they’ve been hit hard.

Net will take another stab at the timeslot — still a critical hour for affils, who depend on strong lead-ins for their local newscasts — with newcomers "Castle," "Cupid" and "The Unusuals."

Scheduling moves come following ABC’s decision not to move forward with new episodes of current 10 p.m. inhabitants "Eli Stone" and "Dirty Sexy Money." (Another 10 p.m. entry, "Boston Legal," is finishing its run at the end of fall.)

Meanwhile, the Eye already is looking ahead to summer, scheduling mystery skein "Harper’s Island" to spill over into the postseason,

"Harper’s" will air Thursdays at 10 p.m. starting April 9, after "Eleventh Hour" (which just scored a five-episode extension) ends its run.

Designed to unfold over 13 episodes — with a big reveal at the end — "Harper’s" won’t conclude until July 2.

Eye wasn’t deliberately looking to invoke a summer strategy, however. CBS wanted to give "Eleventh Hour" a little more time to grow. But at the same time, it didn’t want to put "Harper’s Island" on Friday nights, the only other available slot for the show.

The solution was to premiere "Harper’s Island" late in the season, but give it a big push during CBS’ NCAA March Madness coverage. "Harper’s" also will benefit from several original, season-ending "CSI" episodes before it goes out on its own in the warm months.

"Harper’s Island" centers on a group of friends who gather on a secluded island for a wedding — but things soon turn to murder. CBS Paramount Network TV is behind the show, which comes from exec producers Jon Turteltaub and Jeffrey Bell. (Ari Schlossberg created the show.)

Eye also announced that last summer’s crime drama "Flashpoint," which performed decently for the net, has been upgraded to an in-season timeslot. Show will air Fridays at 9 p.m. (in the slot vacated by the canceled "The Ex List") starting Jan. 9.

That will make for a night of mystery and crime — genres that have become CBS’ bread and butter over the past decade.

Also, CBS will preem the reality skein "Game Show in My Head," from Ashton Kutcher’s Katalyst shingle, Fox21 and Hat Trick, with back-to-back episodes on Saturdays at 8 p.m. starting Jan. 3.

ABC’s week shapes up this way:

n Mondays, starting March 9, the Alphabet will preem the crime-mystery skein "Castle." Show takes over following the finale of the Ashton Kutcher/Tyra Banks reality skein "True Beauty," which airs there starting in January.

"Castle," from ABC Studios, stars Nathan Fillion as a novelist who discovers that a copycat killer is re-enacting crimes from his books. Andrew Marlowe created and exec produces; Armyan Bernstein, Barry Schindel, Rob Bowman and Laurie Zaks are also exec producers.

n The Tuesday 10 p.m. slot will be filled in the winter with "Primetime: What Would You Do?," which bows Jan. 6. "Primetime" will then make way for the new version of "Cupid," which airs there starting March 24. (Both shows fill the void left by the vacating "Eli Stone.")

Rob Thomas is behind the remake of his 1990s skein "Cupid," this time starring Bobby Cannavale and Sarah Paulson. ABC Studios is the studio; Thomas exec produces with Jennifer Gwartz, Danielle Stokdyk, Dan Etheridge and Diane Ruggerio.

n Wednesdays at 10 p.m. — as previously announced — will be filled by "Life on Mars" beginning in January. But once "Mars" ends its run, ABC is set to preem the cop drama "The Unusuals," which bows there on April 8. "Dirty Sexy Money" had previously occupied that hour.

"The Unusuals" stars Amber Tamblyn as a cop assigned to the homicide division. Noah Hawley created and exec produces, with Robert DeLaurentis and Peter O’Fallon. Sony Pictures TV is the studio.

Both "Castle" and "The Unusuals" have their work cut out for them, going up against crime drama vets "CSI: Miami" and "CSI: NY."

ABC and CBS also announced the midseason returns of their signature reality skeins. CBS unscripted staple "Survivor" is back for an 18th cycle Feb. 12, and "The Amazing Race" bows its 14th edition Feb. 15.

Alphabet’s "Dancing With the Stars" returns Monday, March 9, with a two-hour special, continuing with several more 2-hour segs before reverting to its normal 90-minute size on March 30. The "Dancing" results show comes in on Tuesday, March 17 at 9 p.m.

Link: http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117996691.html?categoryid=14&cs=1 (http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117996691.html?categoryid=14&cs=1)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on December 02, 2008, 08:13:42 PM

UPDATE: ABC Sets Premiere Dates For 'Castle,' 'Cupid' and 'The Unusuals'

Season 8 of Dancing With the Stars returns March 9 with a two-hour competition

ABC Tuesday announced premiere dates for three new dramas--Castle, Cupid and The Unusuals.

Castle will air Monday, March 9 at 10:00 p.m., Cupid on Tuesday, March 24 at 10:00 p.m. and The Unusuals on Wednesday, April 8 at 10:00 p.m.

Season 8 of hit Dancing With the Stars returns Monday, March 9 from 8:00-10:00 p.m. The Dancing Results Show airs Tues, March 17th from 9:00-10:00 p.m. There will be two performance shows before the first elimination. The networks says the Monday performance shows will be two hours for the first few weeks, then will start airing as 90 minutes beginning March 30 until the finale.

In addition, ABC News’ Primetime: What Would You Do? will return on Tuesday, January 6 at 10:00 p.m.

Link:   http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6619171.html (http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6619171.html)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on December 03, 2008, 01:10:25 PM

Wednesday, December 03, 2008

ABC Television Network

PRESS RELEASE 

"DANCING WITH THE STARS" RETURNS FOR SEASON 8 (3/9/09)

ABC'S HIT SERIES "DANCING WITH THE STARS" RETURNS FOR ITS EIGHTH SEQUIN-FILLED SEASON ON MARCH 9, 2009

In a two-hour season premiere sure to dazzle, a new cast of celebrities takes to the dance floor for the eighth season of ABC's "Dancing with the Stars" on MONDAY, MARCH 9, 2009 (8:00-10:02 p.m., ET). As with Season Five, each couple will have the opportunity to perform for two weeks prior to the first elimination, with every couple performing on both March 9th and March 16th (also 8:00-10:02 p.m., ET). "Dancing with the Stars the Results Show" debuts TUESDAY, MARCH 17 (9:00-10:02 p.m., ET).

The recent victory of Season Seven's host/model Brooke Burke and her partner, Derek Hough, closed the gap not only between the number of female and male celebrity winners, but also between non-athletes and athletes (both three to four, respectively).
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on December 03, 2008, 06:04:13 PM
 :groan: Oh no it can't be .... an interesting article:

Report claims Paula Abdul will be on Dancing with the Stars 8, despite American Idol 8 overlap

The rumors that Paula Abdul will join the cast of Dancing with the Stars 8 are getting new fuel with an anonymous gossip report today, but it seems about as likely as David Archuleta joining the cast of A Shot of Love. Citing “a source close to Paula,” Radar reports that “Paula is very excited to be on board.”

Paula Abdul has said she was “hypothetically thinking about it” (whatever the hell that means) although now-former executive producer Nigel Lythgoe said then that it wasn’t a good idea, shooting down ongoing rumors.

However, it seems logistically impossible. The two shows are filmed in studios that are right next door to one another, but Dancing airs its live results shows on Tuesday nights at 9, which would be immediately after Idol’s live performance show, and those often stretch into the 9 o’clock hour. Dancing typically starts airing in mid-March, right when Idol starts to pick up and is airing live performance shows.

Unless one show changes it schedule (unlikely), or they’re going to make some kind of special dispensation for Paula and she’ll show up five or 10 minutes late (extremely unlikely), I can’t imagine how this is even remotely true.

Link: http://www.realityblurred.com/realitytv/archives/dancing_with_the_stars_8/2008_Dec_03_paula_rumor (http://www.realityblurred.com/realitytv/archives/dancing_with_the_stars_8/2008_Dec_03_paula_rumor)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on December 09, 2008, 03:28:53 PM
An interview with Julianne:

Interview: Julianne Hough on Music, Marriage & More

Dancing with the Stars sweetie Julianne Hough is looking forward to a country Christmas in Nashville with her family and boyfriend, singer Chuck Wicks. But first she's got some business to take care of. The dancer-turned-country crooner, who braved the frigid weather in New York City to support MasterCard & Home Depot's "Overjoy of Giving" event on Monday, tells Star about her holiday plans.

Are you done with your Christmas shopping?
"I haven't even started my Christmas shopping, I have been so busy! I think I am going to get Chuck luggage since his luggage gets beat up from being on the road. My sister wants the Wii Fit. My brother Derek is the hardest person to shop for. Maybe a gift certificate to a guitar store."

Speaking of Chuck, will there be wedding bells anytime soon?
"I am really happy. That won't be for a while. We are just enjoying our relationship and the many stages of it."

Let's set the record straight: Are you returning to DWTS next season?
"I am not sure if I will do the spring or fall show. I will definitely take a season off to focus on my music. I don't know which season yet because I need to see which fits in best for touring, recording and writing."

It sounds like you have a big soft spot for the show.
"Absolutely! I understand completely my fans love seeing me on the show and I am where I am at thanks to the show. Of course, the people I met are great. I will miss being on it and I will watch from home. But people have to take what they have and go for it. Also, it would be really hard to do two things like this at once.

In addition to your country album, you also have a holiday album out right now. How did you pick the songs?
"These are the songs I listened to while I was home wrapping presents. When they would play I would dance around the kitchen while my dad cooked omelets. The songs are universal, they are not necessarily Christmas with the exception of one."

How are your plans going for your next album?
"I am in the midst of starting some songs now and I haven't written before so that has been a lot of fun. I haven't started recording yet so I don't know when it is coming out. The first album was a learning experience. I can't wait to work on this one. I will be more prepared then I was last time."

Link: http://www.starmagazine.com/idwtsi_julianne_hough_on_music_marriage_more/news/14946 (http://www.starmagazine.com/idwtsi_julianne_hough_on_music_marriage_more/news/14946)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on December 10, 2008, 12:44:52 PM
An interesting article the second one I came across re: Steve O

Steve-O To Dance With the Stars?

Is embattled Jackass star Steve-O attempting to dance his way into jump starting his career by competing on Dancing With the Stars? "I think it's going to be one of those Jackass pranks," said DWTS dancer Maksim Chmerkovskiy. "Somebody probably dared him, and now he has to do it."

Karina Smirnoff thinks she's likely be paired up with the legend of pranks if he appears on the show, saying "Based on the history of the partners I have gotten, usually I get people who have very strong personalities."

Does that qualify as a compliment or...a subtle jab?

Link: http://thebiz.fancast.com/2008/12/tv_news.html (http://thebiz.fancast.com/2008/12/tv_news.html)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on December 10, 2008, 12:59:22 PM
An interesting article:

Lacey Schwimmer: I'd "Totally" Dance With Steve-O on DWTS

Dancing With the Stars' Lacey Schwimmer says she wouldn't mind doing the Paso Doble with Steve-O.

Asked about rumors that the former Jackass star may appear on the ABC show's eighth season, Schwimmer tells Usmagazine.com, "There's obviously no confirmation. We don't even know until a few days before the show, but it would be awesome if it were true. I would be totally down to dance with him! I'm not kidding."

Even if he did his own stunts?

"I would join in on the stunts! I am totally down for that," she adds. "I am a fan of his movies and everything. I find him really fun and outgoing and silly."

Link:  http://www.usmagazine.com/news/dwts-lacey-schwimmer-id-totally-dance-with-steve-o (http://www.usmagazine.com/news/dwts-lacey-schwimmer-id-totally-dance-with-steve-o)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on December 10, 2008, 08:39:46 PM

Cheryl Burke plays a dancing nurse on a sitcom

Cheryl Burke makes an appearence on a sitcom as a nurse who dances


Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: apskip on December 10, 2008, 10:21:29 PM
The above clip from the Life of Zack and Cody is actually a wicked parody of a Dancing with the Stars competition. I highly recommend it for laughs.
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: TARAsia Fan on December 12, 2008, 09:16:52 PM
I can't stand those two. I'm sure they'll be drug addicts by age 16. :P
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on December 13, 2008, 02:37:13 AM
I can't stand those two. I'm sure they'll be drug addicts by age 16. :P

:lol: awww your mean 

I think they are 16 I know shocker
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on December 13, 2008, 02:44:52 AM

LOL I forgot to mention every site I go to has an article saying Stevie Wonder on Season 8
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: TARAsia Fan on December 13, 2008, 11:17:13 AM
I can't stand those two. I'm sure they'll be drug addicts by age 16. :P

:lol: awww your mean 

I think they are 16 I know shocker
Then Hollywood.com needs to go out to see if they're out on a street corner. :cmaslol:

I know, mean.
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on December 18, 2008, 07:31:53 PM
Cheryl Burke fans: an interesting article

Cheryl Burke of 'Dancing with the Stars' Joins Forces With Time Life To Create a Brand New Dance Workout, 'DISCO ABS'

Time Life is proud to announce they have teamed up with Cheryl Burke of "Dancing with the Stars" fame to create a brand new fitness program set to dance hits of the '70s, Cheryl Burke presents DISCO ABS.

Cheryl Burke has been dancing since the age of 4 and over the past 20 years has won numerous dance titles around the world. For the past six television seasons, the two-time champion of "Dancing with the Stars" has charmed audiences on America's #1 primetime show with her unique skill, enthusiasm and accessibility.

Cheryl's Secrets Revealed

And now Cheryl Burke and Time Life have created a 3-DVD dance workout that reveals, for the first time ever, her secrets to dancing your way into shape, the same moves she's used to help slim and trim celebrities and everyday Americans alike.

Original Songs by Original Artists

Available exclusively from Time Life, Cheryl Burke Presents DISCO ABS features Cheryl and her one-of-a-kind workout moves set to original hit songs by the original artists, including: "YMCA" by The Village People, "Disco Inferno" by The Tramps, "Boogie Wonderland" by Earth Wind and Fire, "That's The Way I Like It" by KC and The Sunshine Band and more.

"I created Disco Abs so you could have as much fun getting in shape as I do. ' Disco Abs' will change the way people think about exercise!" Cheryl Burke

As Cheryl knows, the way to make an exercise program work is to make it fun. And that's just what she did. Now you can move and groove with Cheryl to some of the greatest hits of the seventies -- while simultaneously shedding unwanted pounds and inches. By combining cardio with target area workouts, DISCO ABS is a complete exercise program.

" When Cheryl brought the idea of sharing her secret dance moves to original disco hits of the 70's, we we're blown away and honored to have a dance champion and award winning music in one DVD series. This is by far our best exercise DVD series ever!" Alan Rubens, Time Life Producer

Available January 29, 2009

Disco ABS will be released January 29th, 2009 via Television and Internet just in time for those New Years resolutions to take hold.

Cheryl Burke Presents DISCO ABS' Workout/Song List

    DVD 1 (35 min)
    Workout 1 (30 min): Disco Abs (DVD 1)
    YMCA
    Disco Inferno
    It's Raining Men
    Workout 2 (5 min): That's The Way I Like it Abs (DVD1)
    That's The Way I Like It

    DVD 2 (42 min)
    Workout 3 (30 min): I will Survive Cardio (DVD 2)
    I will survive
    Ain't No stopping Us Now
    Shining Star
    Workout 4 (12 min): The Beginner Hustle (DVD 2)
    Dim all the Lights
    The Hustle

    DVD 3 (20 min)
    Workout 5 (20min): Boogie Oogie Buns & Thighs (DVD 3)
    Boogie Oogie
    Boogie Wonderland

Link: http://news.prnewswire.com/DisplayReleaseContent.aspx?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/12-17-2008/0004943767&EDATE= (http://news.prnewswire.com/DisplayReleaseContent.aspx?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/12-17-2008/0004943767&EDATE=)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on December 18, 2008, 07:35:56 PM
... more on Cheryle Burke's dvd:

Cheryl Burke's Disco Abs

(http://i389.photobucket.com/albums/oo334/marigoldrealityfanforum/cherylebdvd.jpg)
 
Cheryl Burke, two-time champion of Dancing with the Stars, reveals her secrets to dancing your way into shape with Disco Abs, a brand new fitness program set to dance hits of the '70s. This exclusive 3-DVD offer features the original hit songs by the original artists, including: "YMCA" by the Village People, "Disco Inferno" by the The Tramps, "I Will Survive" by Gloria Gaynor, and many more. That's a total of 5 workouts on 3 DVDs PLUS an eating guide and workout calendar.

"I created Disco Abs so you could have as much fun getting in shape as I do. 'Disco Abs' will change the way people think about exercise!" -Cheryl Burke
 
Link: http://www.timelife.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?catalogId=10001&storeId=1001&langId=-1&productId=102001&sourcekey=Y91GOLMDAB (http://www.timelife.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?catalogId=10001&storeId=1001&langId=-1&productId=102001&sourcekey=Y91GOLMDAB)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on December 21, 2008, 01:42:18 AM

Julianne Hough on Rachael Ray Show December 24, 2008

(http://i389.photobucket.com/albums/oo334/marigoldrealityfanforum/jhrr.jpg)

Julianne Hough Returns!

The sexy singer/dancer talks about her uncertain future on Dancing with the Stars, and shares one of her favorite holiday recipes.

Link:  http://www.rachaelrayshow.com/show/segments/view/julianne-hough-2/ (http://www.rachaelrayshow.com/show/segments/view/julianne-hough-2/)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on December 21, 2008, 01:51:14 AM

Derek Hough and Mark Ballas Band aka Ballas Hough Band

(http://i389.photobucket.com/albums/oo334/marigoldrealityfanforum/dandm.png)

Friday, December 19, 2008 

ANSWERS TO YOUR QUESTIONS

We wanted to put out a blanket Blog answering several questions that we get all the time so we don't have to keep repeating the answers:

Q) "I don't see my city on your tour. Will you be going to more cities?"

A)- YES. UNFORTUNATELY, THE DATES POSTED ARE THE ONLY ONES WE ARE DOING ON THIS CURRENT TOUR. DWTS SEASON 8 STARTS IN EARLY FEBRUARY AND WE NEED TO GET BACK TO LA TO START REHEARSALS. HOWEVER, IN LATE MAY WE START A HUGE TOUR THAT WILL LITERALLY HIT EVERY MAJOR MARKET ALL OVER THE COUNTRY!! WE SHOULD ANNOUNCE THE NEW DATES SOMETIME THIS WINTER

Q) "I see that you guys are on MySpace a lot. Is it really you, or someone else?"

A) YES!!! WE ALL HAVE THE PASSWORD AND USERNAME FOR OUR PAGE AND WHENEVER WE GET A CHANCE WE GO ON TO TALK TO YOU GUYS, ANSWER E-MAILS, PUT NEWS UP, ETC.. IT IS REALLY US 98% OF THE TIME, WITH THE SMALL EXCEPTION WHEN OUR MANAGEMENT TEAM PUTS SOME POSTINGS UP OR OUR LABEL DOES SOME TWEAKING. SO WHENEVER YOU SEE THE "ONLINE NOW" SYMBAL-SHOOT US A MESSAGE- YOU NEVER KNOW, WE MAY RESPOND RIGHT BACK. WE LOVE TALKING TO ALL OF YOU AND RECEIVING YOUR KIND COMMENTS AND E-MAILS. YOU GUYS ARE THE REASON WE ARE HERE LIVING OUR DREAMS! WE WILL ALWAYS FIND TIME TO TALK TO YOU AND IF YOU SEE US, COME UP AND SAY HELLO. WE WANT TO MEET YOU ALL

Q) "When will your music be available to buy or add?"

A) IN THE NEXT WEEK, WE WILL POST A COUPLE OF SONGS THAT YOU CAN ADD TO YOUR MYSPACE. OUR ALBUM DOES NOT COME OUT UNTIL MARCH 3RD, SO YOU HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL THEN TO BUY IT, HOWEVER WE ARE PRETTY SURE OUR LABEL WILL MAKE SINGLES AVAILABLE FOR DOWNLOAD PRIOR TO THEN ON ITUNES

Q) "Will you have merch for sale soon?"

A) YES! WE ACTUALLY JUST GOT OUR NEW SHIRTS IN THIS WEEK! WE HAVE ONE FOR SALE ON THE DWTS TOUR AND WE WILL BE SELLING MERCH AT ALL OF OUR BHB SHOWS COMING UP! WE ARE WORKING ON OUR NEW WEBSITE AND WILL HAVE A LINK ON THE SITE SO YOU CAN PURCHASE MERCH

Q) "What is the best way to meet you guys?"

A) COME TO ONE OF OUR SHOWS!! WE WILL BE HANGING ALL NIGHT AND WANT TO MEET YOU ALL. IF YOU COME YOU WILL MEET US!! YOU ARE OUR FIRST FANS AND WE WANT TO GET TO KNOW YOU ALL

Q) "Will you be doing a music video soon?"

A) YES! WE ARE SHOOTING OUR FIRST MUSIC VIDEO IN 3 WEEKS IN CHICAGO WHILE WE ARE ON TOUR. WE ARE SUPER EXCITED

Q) "Is Emily Leaving BHB for the All American Rejects?"

A) NO!! SHE IS JUST HAVING FUN AND SINGING WITH THEM BECAUSE THEY ARE A GREAT BAND AND GREAT GUYS. HER FIRST LOVE AND LOYALTY IS TO BHB. HOWEVER, THIS IS GREAT FOR HER CAREER AND WHENEVER THEY WANT HER AND SHE IS FREE, SHE WILL BE SINGING WITH THEM. SHE IS DOING THE TONIGHT SHOW WITH THEM AGAIN ON JANUARY 12TH. MAKE SURE YOU TUNE IN!!

Q) "Are your shows coming up all ages?"

A) DEPENDS ON THE VENUE, BUT MOST OF THEM ARE ALL AGES. THERE ARE A FEW 21+ SHOWS, BUT WE TRIED OUR BEST TO KEEP THEM ALL AGES SO YOU ALL CAN SEE US

Q) "Are all the songs on the record new? Are they all as Pop sounding as "Do It For You"?"

A) NO. WE KEPT A COUPLE OF THE "OLD" ONES THAT YOU ALL KNOW. THEY INCLUDE BIRTHDAY, FALL AND LA (NOW CALLED TOGETHER FAR AWAY). WE ALSO HAVE SOME VERY SPECIAL ACOUSTIC-DRIVEN SONGS ALA ALMOST AMY THAT MADE YOU ALL FANS. THIS RECORD IS VERY SPECIAL AND TOUCHES ON ALL OF OUR MUSICAL INFLUENCES AND TASTES. IF YOU LIKED OUR OLD MUSIC- YOU WILL LOVE THE RECORD. DON'T JUDGE IT BY THE FIRST SINGLE. WE ARE STILL TRUE TO OURSELVES! THE RECORD LABEL DIDN'T "BOY BAND" US OUT GUYS! WE WERE IN THE DRIVERS SEAT ON THE RECORD AND WE LOVE IT!

Hope this helped you guys. We love you all!

Mark, Derek, Emily, Harry & Sam

Link to the myspace blog: http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=430752057&blogID=457693785 (http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=430752057&blogID=457693785)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on December 21, 2008, 01:58:21 AM

Reminder:

Don't forget to watch The 35th Annual People’s Choice awards are on Wednesday January 7, 2009

Dancing With The Stars has been nominated for FAVORITE COMPETITION / REALITY SHOW
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on December 21, 2008, 01:46:44 PM

Julianne Hough on BILLBOARD'S BEST OF 2008 lists

(http://i389.photobucket.com/albums/oo334/marigoldrealityfanforum/billjh.jpg)

Billboard Magazine's year end issue including it's "Best Of 2008" lists was just released.

Check out all of the lists that Julianne Hough made:

Top Billboard 200 Albums - #94 (JULIANNE HOUGH)

Top New Country Artists - #3

Top Country Artists-Female - #10

Top Country Album - #30

Link: http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/index.jsp (http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/index.jsp)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on December 24, 2008, 05:47:58 PM

Rachael Ray chats with Julianne Hough Part 1


Part 2

Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: TARAsia Fan on December 24, 2008, 11:01:17 PM
I can look at Julianne all day. Rachel? Not so much. :cmaslol
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on December 29, 2008, 10:56:56 AM
From etonline.com

'DWTS' Pro Mark Ballas Injured

"Dancing with the Stars" professional dancer Mark Ballas was reportedly injured while performing on tour and will take time off to recover.

The 22-year-old dancer announced Saturday night during a show in Los Angeles that he had suffered a groin injury and will need to take "a couple of weeks" off to heal, People magazine reports.

Ballas grimaced in pain as he apologized to the Staples Center crowd for not being able to give his all, while still managing a spirited performance with his partner Kristi Yamaguchi as well as a crowd-pleasing, high-energy hip-hop routine with fellow pros Lacey Schwimmer and Derek Hough, People said.

Ballas is participating in Dancing with the Stars: The Tour, appearing in cities across the United States, and he plans to return to the highly-rated ABC show for its eighth season, beginning March 9.



Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on January 04, 2009, 03:30:38 PM
An interesting article:

Dancing With the Stars' Karina & Maksim Engaged!

Karina Smirnoff and Maksim Chmerkovskiy are looking to perfect their pas de deux.

The Dancing With the Stars pros took the whole ringing in the New Year literally, getting engaged just before the calendar flipped to Jan. 1, a source close to the couple confirms to E! News.

The betrothal came between DWTS tour dates in Salt Lake City and Tulsa, Okla.—and a little more than six months after Smirnoff, 30, announced she and former Dancing partner Mario Lopez had ended their two-year relationship.

She and fellow Ukraine native Chmerkovskiy, 28, hooked up shortly thereafter.

Chermkovskiy joined DWTS in season two and last season partnered with Misty May-Treanor. Smirnoff has been on since season three, most recently teaming with Rocco DiSpirito.

No word on a wedding date, but both are expected back when season eight kicks off March 9.

Link to the article: http://news.yahoo.com/s/eonline/20090104/en_celeb_eo/77338 (http://news.yahoo.com/s/eonline/20090104/en_celeb_eo/77338)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on January 04, 2009, 03:41:14 PM
More on Karina and Maksim:

Maksim Chmerkovskiy and Karina Smirnoff Are Engaged!

Dancing stars Maksim Chmerkovskiy and Karina Smirnoff have gotten engaged, PEOPLE has confirmed.

Chmerkovskiy popped the question to his girlfriend of less than six months in Las Vegas on New Year's Eve, according to a source. The couple rang in 2009 at the Wynn Hotel in Sin City.

"They are really cute together," adds the source.

The couple, who have been dating since the summer, are currently performing on the Dancing with the Stars winter tour, which wraps up in mid-February.

The eighth season of DWTS kicks off March 9 on ABC.

Link to the article: http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20249902,00.html?xid=rss-topheadlines (http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20249902,00.html?xid=rss-topheadlines)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on January 07, 2009, 12:29:20 PM
An update on the lovely Carrie Ann:

KATE HUDSON AND TERI HATCHER ADDED AS PRESENTERS ON "THE 35TH ANNUAL PEOPLE'S CHOICE AWARDS," WEDNESDAY, JAN. 7 ON THE CBS TELEVISION NETWORK

Released by CBS

ALSO CONFIRMED TO PRESENT: DAVID BOREANAZ, TOM CAVANAGH, JENNIFER ESPOSITO, CARRIE ANN INABA, ERIC MCCORMACK, DEBRA MESSING, JAY MOHR, SHEMAR MOORE, KID ROCK, GAVIN ROSSDALE, SEAL, MARISA TOMEI AND ROBIN WILLIAMS

David Boreanaz, Tom Cavanagh, Jennifer Esposito, Teri Hatcher, Kate Hudson, Carrie Ann Inaba, Eric McCormack, Debra Messing, Jay Mohr, Shemar Moore, Kid Rock, Gavin Rossdale, Seal, Marisa Tomei and Robin Williams have been added as presenters on THE 35TH ANNUAL PEOPLE'S CHOICE AWARDS, to be broadcast live from the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, Wednesday, Jan. 7 (9:00-11:00 PM, live ET/delayed PT) on the CBS Television Network.

The show is hosted by PEOPLE'S CHOICE AWARD-nominee Queen Latifah. Previous PEOPLE'S CHOICE AWARD winners and current nominees Carrie Underwood and Rascal Flatts will perform.

The first awards show of 2009, THE 35th ANNUAL PEOPLE'S CHOICE AWARDS will honor fan favorites in television, movies and music in a total of 43 categories. Winners will be revealed during the live broadcast from the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles.

Fans can still vote online at http://www.pcavote.com/ for four categories - Favorite New TV Comedy, Favorite New TV Drama, Favorite Online Sensation and Favorite User-Generated Video - which will be announced during the live broadcast.
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on January 07, 2009, 06:25:28 PM
An interesting article:

Maksim Chmerkovskiy Gushes About New Fiancée

Getting engaged on New Year's Eve in Las Vegas was a perfect way to end 2008, Dancing with the Stars pros Maksim Chmerkovskiy and Karina Smirnoff tell PEOPLE in its new issue.

"I'm in love and so is she," Chmerkovskiy gushes in PEOPLE's exclusive interview. "Everything is beautiful."

Equally praising of her husband-to-be, Smirnoff says, "He is such a softie. The way he proposed was so romantic."

As they rang in 2009, Chmerkovskiy presented Smirnoff with a three-karat Harry Winston platinum and diamond engagement ring tucked inside of a Louis Vuitton bag.

New Love

The pros confess that while they've known each other for years as competitive ballroom dancers, it was only four months ago that they decided to explore a romantic relationship. They chose not to acknowledge their relationship to the press until their engagement.

But still, their love was clear to Staples Center audience members at the Dec. 27 Dancing tour show in Los Angeles.

"You could see it, the way he caressed her cheek and whispered in her ear and kissed her on the forehead in between dances," says fan Heather O'Connell. "There was such a tender connection between the two of them, the way they looked at each other and smiled all night. It was lovely. That they have that passion on and off the dance floor is awesome."

Awesome, indeed, Chmerkovskiy coos. "Somebody is looking out for me because everything is beautiful and I love it," he says.

The pair are both expected to return to Dancing for its eighth season, which kicks off March 9 on ABC.
 
Link: http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20250615,00.html (http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20250615,00.html)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on January 07, 2009, 10:58:55 PM
DWTS wins:

People’s Choice Awards Winner for Favorite Competition / Reality Show

Dancing With The Stars

Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on January 16, 2009, 12:19:51 PM

DWTS should reveal their cast of pro dancers and stars soon  :)

I did come across one "rumor" that Chelsie Hightower from Season 4 of SYTYCD will be added as a pro dancer

I am surprised that there are no leaks as of yet
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on January 16, 2009, 12:24:09 PM

Maks & Karina Discuss Their Engagement

Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: Kiwi Jay on January 16, 2009, 03:00:15 PM
Hopefully Soon  :jam:
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on January 18, 2009, 01:27:53 PM

Julianne Hough is in February's issue in Seventeen Magazine:

17 Girls Who Rock

(http://i389.photobucket.com/albums/oo334/marigoldrealityfanforum/jhsev.jpg)

Tell us a little bit about your sound — how you would describe it?
Country with a soulful feel. The last album was bright and happy and I hope the next will be more edgy.

Describe your onstage style.
A little bit country and a little rock-and-roll. Something soft with something hard. I like contrast.


What's your favorite song on the album? What makes you love it so much?
"Hide Your Matches." The melody and lyrics are amazing. Its one of the most mature tracks on the record and throughout the year I’ve matured so much I can relate to it better.

Do you have any pre-performance rituals or lucky items that you always wear to perform?
I warm my voice up. And I love hot tamales and tea. I also love to wear rings on my right hand.

Who are other female artists you love — the girls you'd put on your own rock hot list?
Katy Perry, Carrie Underwood, Pink, Stevie Nicks, and Linda Ronstadt.

Link to the article: http://www.seventeen.com/fun-stuff/special/julianne-hough-download (http://www.seventeen.com/fun-stuff/special/julianne-hough-download)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on January 19, 2009, 11:28:52 PM

E News with Maks & Karina Engagement

Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on January 22, 2009, 10:43:10 AM
 :res:  Oh brother ... an interesting article:

KEVIN FEDERLINE - FEDERLINE TO DANCE WITH THE STARS?

KEVIN FEDERLINE is considering a return to his dancing roots - after TV bosses reportedly tapped him to appear on hit U.S. show DANCING WITH THE STARS.

Federline met ex-wife Britney Spears when he began working for the star as a back-up dancer before their 2004 engagement.
According to U.S. tabloid Star, Federline has entered talks with TV executives to appear on the ballroom dance show's next season, beginning in March (09).

The 30-year-old, who has danced alongside Michael Jackson, Justin Timberlake and Gwen Stefani among others, has piled on the pounds in recent months - fuelling speculation he'll sign the TV deal in a bid to get his dancer's body back.
A source tells the magazine, "His career isn't exactly where he wants it to be. Kevin wants to get back into shape and welcomes anyone who can help him."

Link: http://www.contactmusic.com/news.nsf/article/federline%20to%20dance%20with%20the%20stars_1092542 (http://www.contactmusic.com/news.nsf/article/federline%20to%20dance%20with%20the%20stars_1092542)

Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on January 22, 2009, 12:48:04 PM
.... more rumors an interesting article:

Report: 'Dancing with the Stars' interested in 'View' co-host Sherri Shepherd

Sherri Shepard's Dancing with the Stars interest is apparently mutual.

The comedian and The View co-host -- who has repeatedly gushed about her interest in participating on Dancing with the Stars when the show has been discussed on the ABC daytime talk show -- has reportedly finally caught the interest of Dancing with the Stars' producers, who are interested in having her participate in its upcoming eighth season, In Touch Weekly reported Wednesday.

Shepard recently reiterated her love of the ABC ballroom dancing competition and desire to participate in it while participating in a New York Times interview panel with her fellow The View co-hosts on January 8 in New York City.

"I'd love to do that show -- I am such a fan!" Shepard told In Touch during the panel. "Oh, my goodness! I am so in love with [Maksim Chmerkovskiy], but he's engaged! And Tony Dovolani's married! I mean, they're all freakin' taken! I just want to get a [paso doble] with somebody on that show!"

ABC is expected to announce the identities of the celebrities and professional dancers who will be participating in Dancing with the Stars' eighth season in February.  Dancing with the Stars' eighth season will premiere with a two-hour performance episode on Monday, March 9 at 8PM ET/PT.

Link: http://www.realitytvworld.com/news/report-dancing-with-stars-interested-in-view-co-host-sherri-shepherd-8315.php (http://www.realitytvworld.com/news/report-dancing-with-stars-interested-in-view-co-host-sherri-shepherd-8315.php)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on January 24, 2009, 11:43:42 AM
An interesting article and interview with Edyta:

She's still dancing with those stars

Edyta Sliwinska is the only professional hoofer who has appeared on all seven seasons of ABC's popular reality series "Dancing With the Stars." The Poland native, who resides in Los Angeles, has yet to win a season. The ballroom dancer, who has been honing her craft since she was 11, has tripped the light fantastic with actor Joey Lawrence, boxer Evander Holyfield and football star Jason Taylor, among others.

Sliwinska will showcase her footwork when she and her "Dancing With the Stars" peers perform Wednesday at the RBC Center in Raleigh. The leggy entertainer reveals which of her partners possesses the most dancing talent, which celebrity she would most like to cut a rug with, and how she almost knocked comic Jeffrey Ross' eye out while working on a routine.

Q: Do you think you'll ever win one of these seasons? It's not up to me. It depends on who I get to dance with. Is that person a great dancer? Is that person likable enough for people to vote for him? But if I get a bad partner, there's nothing I can do about it. But it's not about winning. I would love to win, but I just love to perform.

Q: Even your husband, Alec Mazo, won while dancing with Kelly Monaco during the show's first season. Were you upset or happy for him? I was really happy for him. When my husband wins, I win.

Q: Were any of your partners great dancers? Joey Lawrence was a great dancer. He had a little experience. He knew how to move. He has a great sense of rhythm, and he's coordinated.

Q: So was he your most talented partner? I think my most talented partner was Jason Taylor since he came in without any dance experience. He has just played football. Jason didn't even dance at his wedding. He improved every week, which is the sign of having real talent. He's tall but very coordinated. Pro dancers are seldom larger than 6-foot-2, and Jason is about 6-foot-6.

Q: How tall are you? Five feet, 6 inches.

Q: Who was the funniest guy you danced with? George Hamilton. He's an older guy. He's known for his comedy. He was making me laugh all of the time. He has incredible energy and a great sense of humor.

Q: You also danced with comic Jeffrey Ross, and you almost impaled his eye. How did you do that? It's true. We were rehearsing one day, and I just poked him in the eye. I have no idea what happened. I injured his left eye, and he was really hurting. It was very difficult for him to dance that day. I think I swung my arm in the wrong direction. They showed the clip over and over, and I felt so sorry for him. I don't want to hurt my partner. It was so bizarre.

Q: If you could dance with any celebrity, who would you pick? I know it's not realistic, but if you want me to pick anyone it would be Johnny Depp. He has an amazing personality, and he molds himself into any character he plays. Just watching him in movies, the way he moves, I think he would be a great dancer.

Q: Do you prefer dancing on the show or on tour? There is a lot less stress on the tour. You're not judged. There is no competition. You go on the road and perform before thousands of people, and you just have fun. There is no mental stress. You don't have to teach your partner new dances. You just dance and hang out in places in America I would normally not go to. It's great seeing so much of this country. I love the tour, but I also enjoy the show.

Q: Will you be back next season? We don't know who will be back for next season yet. We'll find out in a week or two. The new season starts March 9. I hope I'll be there because I've love doing 'Dancing With the Stars.'

Q: It's a great gig for a ballroom dancer. You can't have a higher profile or make more money dancing elsewhere. This has been an incredible opportunity. Ballroom dancing is such a small, limited world. I get to dance in front of a huge audience. We're the most popular show with the exception of 'American Idol.' I couldn't be in a better situation.

Link to the article: http://www.newsobserver.com/105/story/1378790.html (http://www.newsobserver.com/105/story/1378790.html)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on January 27, 2009, 03:18:23 AM
One celebrity confirmed to be on DWTS

DONNY OSMOND

read it here

http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20255212,00.html
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on January 27, 2009, 10:29:28 AM
From etonline.com

Follow up on Donny Osmond....


Rumors have been swirling about Donny Osmond appearing as a contestant on the next season of "Dancing With The Stars," and now ET has the latest from the man himself.

Donny tells ET: "I did 'The Bonnie Hunt Show' today and I alluded to the fact that I am considering doing 'Dancing With the Stars.' After all I can't let Marie upstage me, however, there is no official offer yet."

According to People.com, Donny let slip during a taping of "The Bonnie Hunt Show" that he is considering following in the footsteps of sister Marie on the hit ABC show.

Donny and Marie's appearance on "The Bonnie Hunt Show" is scheduled to air Tuesday.

Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on January 27, 2009, 04:06:25 PM

 :lol: Donny can't keep a secret is he in Season 8 or Season 9 who knows

.... incase you missed it





Link: http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=2sqUwKrAJ7g (http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=2sqUwKrAJ7g)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on January 27, 2009, 04:12:37 PM

Another rumor floating around is Misty May-Treanor might be returning this season.

It's said that her injury has healed and is wanting to return.

I would love to see her back  :sucks

And Julianne Hough is rumored to be sitting this season out and will be on tour instead

I can't wait for the cast to be revealed  :wohoo:

Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on January 27, 2009, 04:43:46 PM
An interesting article:

Appiphilia: iPhone apps can help your dancing feat

(http://i389.photobucket.com/albums/oo334/marigoldrealityfanforum/tip.jpg)

You're at a wedding. Dinner has just ended, and the music starts. But instead of tempting you, the rhythm taunts you. Your feet are twitching, not tapping. Dancing doesn't move you because, well, you've got no moves. As Shakira says, the hips don't lie.

Sound familiar? The Ballroom Dance Channel wants to convince you that you can phone it in on the dance floor -- by whipping out your iPhone for some lessons. The Web channel's new series of apps takes you step by step through different dance styles: waltz, salsa, rumba and samba, to start.

A basic lesson for each of these American-style ballroom dances costs 99 cents. "The first stage is learning the steps," said Tony Dovolani of "Dancing With the Stars," who is one of the instructors online and on your iPhone. (Other celebrity dance instructors include Elena Grinenko, Nick Kosovich and Lena Kosovich.)  "The reason I chose the specific moves is they are the ABCs of dance."

Speaking of ABCs, Dovolani would like to add another R to readin', writin' and 'rithmatic -- rhythm. He hopes that "ballroom [will] exist in every school system." To that end, BDC will soon be waltzing its way into a school near us: About 235 students of Kenter Canyon Charter Elementary School in Los Angeles will learn the basics of ballroom dancing starting Feb. 10, Principal Terry Moren said. The details are still being finalized, but BDC lessons are to be integrated into the school's extensive creative arts programs, among orchestra, vocal music and visual arts.

"The element I felt very strongly was missing was dance," Moren said. "Our real goal is not to create the next champion for 'Dancing With the Stars' or 'American Idol' -- if that happens, great." Instead, he said, it's more about teaching character and connections within academic lessons.

"I know what dancing has done for me. It saved my life," said Dovolani, a Kosovo immigrant. "It was my escape."

And these days, who doesn't need a cheap little escape?

Link to the article: http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/technology/2009/01/iphone-dance-le.html (http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/technology/2009/01/iphone-dance-le.html)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on January 28, 2009, 03:18:06 PM
... so it could be Season 9???

Donny Osmond Eyes DWTS for Fall, Not Spring

Not so fast, Donny Osmond is now saying about his jumping into line on Dancing with the Stars.

“I’m definitely not doing this upcoming season,” the former teen idol, 51, tells Entertainment Tonight. “If there was an offer on the table, I’d do it in the fall. I would make room for it. Absolutely!”

Goaded by his sister Marie when the two appeared on The Bonnie Hunt Show earlier this week, Donnie “let the cat out of the bag” by saying he’d gladly follow her lead and join the ABC competition.

Only now, Osmond is saying he’s too busy to be part of DWTS this spring.

Link: http://tvwatch.people.com/2009/01/28/donny-osmond-eyes-dwts-for-fall-not-spring/ (http://tvwatch.people.com/2009/01/28/donny-osmond-eyes-dwts-for-fall-not-spring/)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on January 29, 2009, 12:45:53 PM

ABC PRESS RELEASE

NEXT WEEK ON THE VIEW

ACADEMY AWARD NOMINEE RICHARD JENKINS, "SLUMDOG MILLIONARE" STAR DEV PATEL, ACADEMY AWARD WINNER CUBA GOODING JR., PAULA DEEN, JANE SEYMOUR AND FROM ABC'S "DANCING WITH THE STARS," MAKSIM CHMERKOVSKIY, FEB. 2-6 ON "THE VIEW"
 
Molly Ringwald and Shailene Woodley (ABC Family's "The Secret Life of the American Teenager"), Teen Fashions, Teens & Technology, and What All Parents Need to Know, Feb. 6

Academy Award nominee Richard Jenkins, "Slumdog Millionaire" star Dev Patel, Academy Award winner Cuba Gooding Jr., Paula Deen, Jane Seymour, Maksim Chmerkovskiy (ABC's "Dancing with the Stars") and advice columnist Amy Dikenson are featured FEB. 2-6 (11:00 a.m.-12:00 noon, ET) on ABC's popular talk show "The View."

THURSDAY, FEB. 5 - Maksim Chmerkovskiy (ABC's "Dancing with the Stars").

 
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on February 01, 2009, 09:26:26 PM
The dancing teams will be announced next Sunday night, February 8th. ABC will be name dropping  throughout the regular primetime programming.

I'm excited to see who they are!  :jumpy:
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on February 02, 2009, 09:36:49 AM
From msnbc.com

Kutcher hints that LT will join ‘Dancing’ cast
Lawrence Taylor would be fifth NFLer to join reality competition


TAMPA BAY, Fla. - Avowed Twitter fan Ashton Kutcher may have started his second online commotion of the week on Saturday, hinting that football great Lawrence Taylor could be headed for “Dancing With the Stars.”

“Just met LT, the old school, Lawrence Taylor,” Kutcher wrote on Twitter Saturday night. “Expect to see him in prime time soon. Can’t say where, but he better work on his foot work.”

Taylor wouldn’t be the first football star to put on his “Dancing” shoes –- former defensive end Warren Sapp made a big splash on the show’s seventh season, finishing as runner-up to winner Brooke Burke, and legendary running back Emmitt Smith won Season 3 with partner Cheryl Burke.

Former San Francisco 49er Jerry Rice was runner-up during Season 2, while current Washington Redskins defensive end Jason Taylor earned the same position during Season 6.

The eighth season of “Dancing” debuts in March. Earlier in the week, Ashton caused a stir when he took to his Twitter to complain about –- and later apologize to –- his neighbor after being woken early in the morning by construction work.
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on February 02, 2009, 01:00:04 PM
Just saw a commercial while watching my soaps on ABC about the name dropping for DWTS

They will be naming dancers over the course of three hours from 8-11 during the airing of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, Desperate Housewives and Brothers & Sisters this Sunday night.

I will tune in to ABC that night to write down all their names and will post here. Hope I don't forget, LOL!
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: tory on February 02, 2009, 05:01:31 PM
i dvr the house wifes and bro and sis's so i will have it to will if u for get let me no .. well i won't have the make over ones though??
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: TARAsia Fan on February 02, 2009, 08:49:11 PM
My head will explode if I watch ABC's Sunday lineup so I'm glad you guys are doing it. You all deserve hazard pay. :lol:
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: tory on February 03, 2009, 03:17:12 PM
happy to do it during hw and b&s will wil u take home make over???  :waves: i will help if u need it ..i will b watching any way....
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on February 07, 2009, 12:36:49 AM

The View with DWTS Maksim Chmerkovskiy


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g7AEvpJvfsc (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g7AEvpJvfsc)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on February 07, 2009, 12:46:51 AM
OMG, I almost forgot the name dropping happens in less than 48 hours!

Don't worry, I will be glued to ABC for three hours to get all the names!
 
So excited....can't wait to see who will be DANCIN'!
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on February 07, 2009, 12:48:13 AM
ABC Press Release

ABC TO ANNOUNCE DANCING CAST IN ALL NIGHT NAME DROP (2/8)

ABC TO ANNOUNCE THE NEW CAST OF "DANCING WITH THE STARS" IN A SPECIAL PRIMETIME 'ALL NIGHT NAME DROP' HOSTED BY TOM BERGERON, SUNDAY FEBRUARY 8
 
Cast Members Will Be Revealed in Interstitials Throughout ABC's Sunday Night Lineup

ABC.com Will Post the Names as They're Revealed On Air

First Live In-Studio Interview with a Cast Member on "Good Morning America," Monday, February 9

Cast Member to Appear on "Jimmy Kimmel Live" Tuesday, February 10


In a special Sunday night event, the much anticipated Season Eight cast of "Dancing with the Stars" will be announced by "Dancing with the Stars" host Tom Bergeron in interstitials throughout ABC's primetime schedule. Beginning with "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition," followed by "Desperate Housewives" and "Brothers & Sisters," the "All Night Name Drop" will air SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 8 (8:00-11:00 p.m., ET) on the ABC Television Network.

Immediately following each cast member's unveiling during primetime, ABC.com will post the updated list online (8:00-11:00 p.m., ET).

Following the "All Night Name Drop" on Sunday, "Good Morning America" will have the first live in-studio interview with a member of the new Season Eight cast on MONDAY, FEBRUARY 9 (7:00-9:00 a.m., ET).

Jimmy Kimmel will then play host to a member of the cast on "Jimmy Kimmel Live," TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 10 (12:06-1:06 a.m., ET).
Season Eight of "Dancing with the Stars" premieres MONDAY, MARCH 9 (8:00-10:02 p.m., ET) followed by a second performance show on MONDAY, MARCH 16 (8:00-10:02 p.m., ET). "Dancing with the Stars the Results Show" debuts TUESDAY, MARCH 17 (9:00 - 10:02 p.m., ET).
 
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on February 07, 2009, 02:28:25 AM

... more rumors going around now with Denise Richards being cast, just thought I would share

Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on February 07, 2009, 04:21:47 AM
An interesting article:

Dancing's Karina Smirnoff "Feels Great" After Knee Surgery

Recently enganged Dancing with the Stars pro Karina Smirnoff is recovering well from a recent knee surgery, and looks forward to Dancing's new season.

"I feel great," Smirnoff told E! News. "I'm walking around easily, doing my physical therapy. The doc did an amazing job and said that I should be 100 percent by Feb. 10th."

Smirnoff injured her knee on the Dancing with the Stars tour last year. An MRI showed a torn meniscus. She went under the knife on Jan. 30, and was forced to miss an appearance with fiancé Maksim Chmerkovskiy at the Shrine Asian Kitchen nightclub in Foxwoods, Conn.

Smirnoff's injury and surgery won't keep her from hitting the parquet on March 9 for Dancing's eighth season. "[Karina] is resting comfortably and is expected to make a full recovery," Smirnoff's rep said. "She's looking forward to the new season."

Link: http://www.tvguide.com/Dancing-Stars/Karina-Smirnoff-Surgery-1002383.aspx (http://www.tvguide.com/Dancing-Stars/Karina-Smirnoff-Surgery-1002383.aspx)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on February 07, 2009, 04:25:20 AM
An interesting article:

Dancing's Mark Ballas and Derek Hough to Release Album

March is gearing up to be a big month for Mark Ballas and Derek Hough. Not only are they returning to the floor on Dancing with the Stars, but the two BFFs are set to release their first studio album as well. BHB by the very creatively named Ballas Hough Band will hit stores March 10, a day after Season 8 of Dancing premieres. Coincidence? We think not.

The Ballas Hough Band, formerly known as Almost Amy, is not a two-man show though. Alongside Ballas and Hough on vocals and guitar, respectively, are Emily Grace on keyboards and vocals, Sam Marder on bass and Harry Sullivan on drums. The 11-track BHB includes the first single "Do It For You," which was co-written by American Idol judge Kara DioGuardi.

Long before they won back-to-back Mirror Ball trophies, Ballas and Hough were writing and playing together as preteens and have frequently toured over the years with Almost Amy. (Remember this incident?) "I'm sure that people's first reaction to us will be, 'These dancing guys think they can play guitar now?'" Hough says. "But after seeing us play, they'll realize that this is not a Hollywood move to make a quick buck."

The Ballas Hough Band is currently playing local clubs after each stop on the Dancing winter tour. The band is also planning a summer tour in support of the disc.

As for Dancing, Ballas' and Hough's celebrity partners, along with all the pairings, will be revealed Sunday.
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on February 07, 2009, 04:32:29 AM
An interesting article:

Carrie Ann Inaba and Artem Chigvintsev Have Split

Dancing with the Stars judge Carrie Ann Inaba and her boyfriend of 2½ years, dancer Artem Chigvintsev, have called it quits, Inaba tells PEOPLE exclusively.

"I'm single. Artem and I broke up in the beginning of November," says Inaba, adding, "As much as our relationship was really good," the two realized that neither "was 'the one' for the other. It was very sad to let go of something that was so good on so many levels."

Inaba, 41, first met Chigvintsev, 26, several years ago, while he was competing on the FOX reality show So You Think You Can Dance. The two began dating in 2006.

Calling the breakup amicable, Inaba praises her ex for being "a fine gentleman. I have never gone out with somebody that grounded, always ready to talk it out. I'm very happy for him and the success he's having."

Chigvintsev is currently on tour with the live show Dancing with the Stars, which wraps in Philadelphia Feb. 8. In the meantime, Inaba is prepping for Dancing's eighth TV season, which kicks off March 9 on ABC.

Link: http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20257054,00.html?xid=rss-topheadlines (http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20257054,00.html?xid=rss-topheadlines)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on February 07, 2009, 04:50:26 AM

GMA with DWTS Cheryl, Mark & Derek

Cheryl confirms she's back on S8 along with a couple of new pro dancers

Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on February 08, 2009, 12:44:46 PM
 :jumpy:

ABC Television Network

PRESS RELEASE

"DANCING WITH THE STARS" RETURNS FOR ITS EIGHTH SEASON

13 NEW STARS GET SET TO SHOWCASE THEIR FANCY FOOTWORK AS "DANCING WITH THE STARS" RETURNS FOR ITS EIGHTH SEASON, MONDAY, MARCH 9 ON ABC

"Dancing with the Stars the Results Show", Premieres Tuesday, March 17

Three Real Life Couples Compete

Bottom Two Couples "Dance Off"

Macy's Stars of Dance Returns

Ballroom Kids Competition Returns

 
An all new cast of celebrities hits the dance floor on ABC's "Dancing with the Stars" with the highly anticipated two-hour season premiere MONDAY, MARCH 9, 2009 (8:00-10:02 p.m., ET) on ABC. Season Eight introduces us to 13 new stars including the youngest competitor to date, an NFL legend, a computer icon, a female rapper, three music artists, and a "Wildboy." Additionally, "love is a battlefield," when for the first time three real life couples take the ballroom floor. Husband and wife, Ty Murray and Jewel, compete for bragging rights while newly engaged professional dancers, Maksim Chmerkovskiy and Karina Smirnoff, go head-to-head. To top it off, country crooner, Chuck Wicks teams with girlfriend and two-time "Dancing with the Stars" champ, Julianne Hough.

Following is the schedule for season eight (dates and times subject to change):
* "Dancing with the Stars," two-hour performance show, MONDAYS beginning, MARCH 9 (8:00-10:02 p.m., ET) through MARCH 30
*  "Dancing with the Stars the Results Show," one-hour, TUESDAYS beginning, MARCH 17 (9:00 - 10:02 p.m., ET) through MAY 12
* "Dancing with the Stars," ninety-minute performance show, MONDAYS, beginning APRIL 6, (8:00-9:32 p.m., ET) through MAY 11
* "Dancing with the Stars," one-hour performance show, MONDAY, MAY 18 (8:00-9:00 p.m., ET)
* Season Finale, TUESDAY, MAY19 (9:00-11:00 p.m., ET)

"Dancing with the Stars" returns with new surprises and all the elements viewers have come to know and love including the Kids Ballroom competition.  "Macy's Stars of Dance," which features some of the most renowned dancers and choreographers of our time will also be back on "Dancing with the Stars the Results Show" along with its hugely popular "Design a Dance" competition. "Design a Dance" is sponsored by Macy's and made its debut last season. In addition, couples will once again take part in a team dance, group dance and face off as well as perform the Argentine Tango and East Coast Swing; a first in the series. And in an exciting new twist, the bottom two couples facing elimination will "Dance Off" to determine who is dismissed in the first weeks of competition.

As announced this evening on ABC's "All Night Name Drop," in alphabetical order, the 13 stars making their ballroom dancing debut are:

BELINDA CARLISLE - Belinda Carlisle is not only known as the lead singer of the Go-Go's, the most successful all-female band of all time, but also as one of the late 80's most glamorous adult pop soloists. The Go-Gos' 1981 multi-platinum hit debut, "Beauty and the Beat," spawned mega hits "Our Lips Are Sealed" and "We Got the Beat" and made the Go-Go's the first all-female band (who wrote their own music and played their own instruments) to achieve a #1 album.  The following years saw continued success for the girls with hits "Vacation," "Head Over Heels," and "Turn To You."  Belinda led off her solo career with the gold debut "Belinda," and followed with huge mainstream hits "Mad About You," "Heaven Is A Place On Earth" and "I Get Weak," to name a few.  Since then, Belinda has released 5 more albums, including 2007's French pop collection, "Voila," and continues to tour internationally, both with her Go-Go's sisters and as a solo artist.

DAVID ALAN GRIER -- Grier is often recognized for his work in television and film - in TV he is known from roles in "In Living Color," "Life with Bonnie" with Bonnie Hunt, "DAG," and most recently, "Chocolate News" for Comedy Central. In the feature film world, Grier has played memorable characters in numerous feature film roles, including "Baadassss!", "The Woodsman" opposite Kevin Bacon and Mos Def, "15 Minutes," "Boomerang," "Bewitched," Jumanji," and Robert Altman's "Streamers."   A multi-talented and Yale School of Drama trained actor, Grier began his professional career on Broadway as Jackie Robinson in "The First," for which he earned a Tony nomination. He then joined the cast of "Dreamgirls," went on to star opposite Denzel Washington in "A Soldier's Play;" both actors continued their roles in the film version, "A Soldier's Story."

JEWEL -- She grew up on a remote ranch in Alaska where her family were original pioneers.   From poverty and teen homelessness, to the triumph of international stardom, the three-time Grammy nominee has enjoyed career longevity rare among her generation of artists and has sold twenty-seven million albums worldwide.  Her debut album Pieces of You, became one of the best selling debut albums of all time, going platinum twelve times.  Last year, singer/songwriter Jewel released her first country record Perfectly Clear which debuted at #1 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart.  In May 2009, she will release an album of original and traditional lullabies.  Jewel lives on a working ranch in Stephenville, Texas with her husband, World Champion bull-riding superstar, Ty Murray.

SHAWN JOHNSON - The youngest ever competitor on "Dancing with the Stars," 17 year-old Olympian Shawn Johnson was the gold medalist in balance beam at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing where she also earned 3 silver medals in the team, floor exercise and individual all-around categories. The current two-time National Champion and high-school Junior Johnson appeared on a limited edition Cheerios box in early 2009, led the pledge of allegiance at last year's Democratic National Convention in Denver, was a headliner of last fall's Tour of Gymnastics Superstars and was named Choice Female Athlete at the 2008 Teen Choice Awards.  Her debut biography Shawn Johnson: Olympic Champion: Stories Behind the Smile was released in December. 

LIL' KIM - Born Kimberly Denise Jones, Lil' Kim, is a Grammy Award winning multi-platinum rapper, singer, actress, and fashion icon.  She is one of three female rappers to have a #1 Billboard Hot 100 hit with 2001's Lady Marmalade, featuring Christina Aguilera, Pink, & M_a. As an actress, she appeared on television shows such as "Moesha" and "The Game," and on her own reality series "Countdown to Lockdown," which has the hightest-rated premiere in BET's history. On film, she has appeared in "Zoolander," "She's All That," "Juwanna Man," and "You Got Served." She is currently working on her 5th studio album is expected to be released in 2009.

GILLES MARINI -- Gilles Marini exploded onto the scene as Dante, the Casanova living in the beach house next door to Kim Cattrall's Samantha in the "Sex and the City" movie, a role which has earned him international recognition. Born and raised in France, Gilles joined the French army and was stationed in Paris, where he acted as a fireman for the famous Brigade des Sapeurs Pompiers de Paris. After fulfilling his military duties, Gilles decided to go to the United States to learn English while working as a model. Gilles, who has appeared in series such as "Ugly Betty," "Dirty Sexy Money," and "Criminal Minds," will next be seen as Vanessa Redgrave's husband on FX's "Nip/Tuck."  Gilles currently resides in California with his wife Carole, son Georges, and daughter Juliana.
TY MURRAY -- Ty Murray has been labeled the most accomplished rodeo athlete in the century-long history of the sport.  With a record-setting seven All-Around World Championship titles and two bull riding world titles under his belt, Murray has truly earned his nickname as "King of the Cowboys." Now retired from competition, Murray spends his time with his singer-songwriter wife, Jewel, on their 2,100-acre private ranch in Stephenville, Texas.   Murray may have retired in the arena but he hasn't slowed down as a cowboy.  In 2004, Murray helped shepherd National Day of the Horse unanimously through the U.S. Senate, encouraging Americans "to be mindful of the contribution of horses to economy, history and character of the United States." He runs his working cattle ranch and trains horses throughout the year. Additionally, he remains active with the Professional Bull Riders, Inc. (PBR), an organization he and 19 other elite bull riders founded in 1992. Murray serves as a board advisor, promotes a top level bull riding event in his hometown, and provides TV commentary for PBR events on NBC and VERSUS.
STEVE-O -- Determined to build a career in television and film, Steve-O, a.k.a. Stephen Glover, sent his self-produced videos to anyone he thought might watch them including Jeff Tremiane (MTV's "Jackass" creator/director/producer). Steve-O wrote himself a "mile of work" to do for Tremaine and "Jackass." When MTV rejected his more dangerous ideas, Steve-O produced his own "too hot for TV" video series and stage show with the "Don't Try This At Home Tour". Steve-O also starred in his own show for MTV - "Wildboyz." 

NANCY O'DELL - The co-Anchor of Access Hollywood, O'Dell has contributed reports to NBC's Today Show and Dateline NBC.  Beyond covering events such as The Oscars, The Emmys, The Grammys and The Golden Globe Awards, O'Dell has been chosen by NBC for the last eight years to host two of their big annual network broadcasts, The Golden Globes Arrivals Special and The Tournament of Roses Parade.  Not only is O'Dell one of the country's most respected and leading entertainment journalists, she has also appeared in numerous films including: Thank You For Smoking, Scream 2, Scream 3, Martin Lawrence Live: Runteldat, and television series: 30 Rock, Project Runway, Charmed, Joey, Third Watch, Beverly Hills, 90210, Days of Our Lives, Melrose Place, General Hospital, Just Shoot Me and Ally McBeal among others. Although O'Dell maintains a busy work schedule, she regularly makes time for philanthropic endeavors. The Muscular Dystrophy Association, American Red Cross, the March of Dimes, Best Buddies, Best Buddies, and Childhelp USA have all benefited from her time and efforts. She resides in Los Angeles with her husband Keith, their daughter, Ashby, and two stepsons, Tyler and Carson.

DENISE RICHARDS -- Known for her roles in films such as "Wild Things" and "Starship Troopers," Denise Richards got her start as a fashion model before making her way into television and movies.  She was cast as Bond girl and geo-physicist "Christmas Jones" in the 1999 James Bond film The World Is Not Enough as well as appearing in films such as "Drop Dead Gorgeous," "Undercover Brother," and :Scary Movie 3."  In addition to her film work, Richards has made regular appearances in comedies Spin City, Two and a Half Men, Friends and Seinfeld.  She is currently working on her second season of her own reality television show, Denise Richards: It's Complicated airing on E! Entertainment Television. 

LAWRENCE TAYLOR - Widely regarded as the greatest defensive player in the history of the National Football League, Hall of Famer Lawrence Taylor rewrote the record book and built a legendary following during one of the most storied careers in the history of American sport. Taylor spent his entire career with the New York Giants, leading them to two Super Bowl titles. Taylor was the first player in the history to be selected to the Pro Bowl in ten consecutive seasons. He was also an unanimous selection to the NFL's 75th Anniversary team, which honored the top players in the history of the game, was the NFL's Rookie of the Year in 1981, Most Valuable Player in 1986 and was the three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year. LAWRENCE was inducted into the Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility in 1999. "LT" has written two best selling books ("Living on the Edge" and "Over The Edge"), has appeared in feature films (including "Any Given Sunday," "The Waterboy" and "Shaft") and is an avid golfer and philanthropist. 

CHUCK WICKS - A gifted songwriter and vocalist, Chuck Wicks made a compelling impression with his Top 5 smash, "Stealing Cinderella," the fastest-rising single by a debut country act in 2007.   By the time his first album, Starting Now (RCA Nashville), was released in January 2008, he had begun a year-long 750,000 fan-packed tour opening for superstar Brad Paisley.  Chuck Wicks co-penned 10 of the 11 songs on his debut CD, including his 2nd hit, "All I Ever Wanted," and the new single, "Man of the House," a touching story-song about a boy taking on beyond-his-years responsibilities as his father is on military assignment. For more information, please go to: www.chuckwicks.com or www.myspace.com/chuckwicks.

STEVE WOZNIAK -- A Silicon Valley icon and philanthropist for the past three decades, Steve Wozniak, a.k.a. "The Woz," helped shape the computer industry with his design of Apple's first line of products, the Apple I and II, and influenced the popular Macintosh. After leaving Apple Computer Inc. in 1985, Wozniak was involved in various business and philanthropic ventures, focusing primarily on computer capabilities in schools and stressing hands-on learning and encouraging creativity for students.  In 2000, he was inducted into the Inventors Hall of Fame and was awarded the prestigious Heinz Award for Technology, The Economy and Employment.  Wozniak is also a published author with the release of his New York Times Best Selling autobiography, iWoz: From Computer Geek to Cult Icon, in September 2006.

Viewers may cast their votes for their favorite teams via phone on Monday night during and up to 30 minutes after the "Dancing with the Stars" performance shows. AT&T subscribers may also text message their votes by texting the word "VOTE" and entering the number that corresponds to the team they want to support (standard text message rates apply). Viewers may also vote online at www.abc.com starting from the opening of each episode on the East Coast and until 12:00 Noon, ET the following day.

Hosted by Tom Bergeron ("America's Funniest Home Videos") and Samantha Harris ("E! Entertainment"), the celebrities will perform choreographed dance routines which will be judged by renowned Ballroom judge Len Goodman and dancer/choreographers Bruno Tonioli and Carrie Ann Inaba.
 
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: Kiwi Jay on February 08, 2009, 01:08:15 PM
Oldest is 58 and youngest is 17! Steve Woz is 58 and Shawn Johnson is 17! I dont know hardly all of the cast if any! I will be amazed at seeing new faces. Cant wait for it to start!
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: Kiwi Jay on February 08, 2009, 01:09:32 PM
And Chuck is dancing with Julianne??!! haha. 21 and 30 are their ages arent they!
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on February 08, 2009, 03:11:15 PM
I guess we'll find out who all the partners are during the name dropping tonight.

One team we already know is Chuck and Julianne. I thought she wasn't dancing this season. Probably changed her mind because she is dancing with her boyfriend. 
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on February 08, 2009, 07:42:31 PM
The name dropping is only revealing names of celebrities, not their partners.
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on February 08, 2009, 07:46:51 PM

Lil Kim

(http://i389.photobucket.com/albums/oo334/marigoldrealityfanforum/lkim.jpg)



Steve-O

(http://i389.photobucket.com/albums/oo334/marigoldrealityfanforum/stevo.jpg)



Nancy O'Dell

(http://i389.photobucket.com/albums/oo334/marigoldrealityfanforum/nancy.jpg)



Lawrence Taylor

(http://i389.photobucket.com/albums/oo334/marigoldrealityfanforum/lawrence.jpg)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on February 08, 2009, 08:20:11 PM

DWTS8 Name Drop

Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on February 08, 2009, 08:22:40 PM

 :hearts: Next batch of cast names coming up

I love this season's cast it's going to be one heck of a season  :wohoo:
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on February 08, 2009, 09:05:44 PM

Shawn Johnson

(http://i389.photobucket.com/albums/oo334/marigoldrealityfanforum/shawn.jpg)


Chuck Wicks

(http://i389.photobucket.com/albums/oo334/marigoldrealityfanforum/chuck.jpg)


Gilles Marini

(http://i389.photobucket.com/albums/oo334/marigoldrealityfanforum/gillies.jpg)


Denise Richards

(http://i389.photobucket.com/albums/oo334/marigoldrealityfanforum/denis.jpg)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on February 08, 2009, 09:21:19 PM

DWTS8  Name Drop  Part 2-3

Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on February 08, 2009, 09:34:25 PM

Steve Wozniak

(http://i389.photobucket.com/albums/oo334/marigoldrealityfanforum/stevew.jpg)


Belinda Carlisle

(http://i389.photobucket.com/albums/oo334/marigoldrealityfanforum/belindac.jpg)


David Alan Grier

(http://i389.photobucket.com/albums/oo334/marigoldrealityfanforum/davidag.jpg)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: Kiwi Jay on February 08, 2009, 09:38:33 PM
I loved it. The cast is diverse!
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on February 08, 2009, 09:50:17 PM
I already know who I'm rooting for....

Chuck and Julianne


I'm predicting Shawn will be partnered with Derek
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on February 08, 2009, 09:51:09 PM

Last two husband and wife and a couple more videos coming

Ty Murray

(http://i389.photobucket.com/albums/oo334/marigoldrealityfanforum/ty.jpg)


Jewel

(http://i389.photobucket.com/albums/oo334/marigoldrealityfanforum/jewel.jpg)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on February 08, 2009, 09:54:42 PM

DWTS8 Name Drop Part 3-4

Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on February 08, 2009, 10:05:50 PM

DWTS8 Name Drop Continued

Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on February 08, 2009, 10:05:57 PM
Marigold, are you trying to find out who the partners are? I'm looking with no luck...
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on February 08, 2009, 10:26:19 PM
An interesting article:

Access’ Nancy O’Dell Among New ‘Dancing With The Stars’ Cast

Access Hollywood’s Nancy O’Dell has made a living interviewing celebrities. Now, she’s about to join the “Stars.”

“Dancing With the Stars” revealed the latest cast of celebrities gearing up to lace up their dancing shoes and strut their way into the homes of millions during the “All Night Name Drop” on ABC Sunday night.

The dancing hopefuls include Access Hollywood’s Nancy O’Dell, rapper Lil’ Kim, former New York Giants linebacker Lawrence Taylor, “Jackass” wild man Steve-O, actress and reality show star Denise Richards, Olympic gold medalist Shawn Johnson, singer Jewel, rodeo star Ty Murray (who is also Jewel’s husband), actor and comedian David Alan Grier, “Sex and The City” guy candy Gilles Marini, country singer Chuck Wicks (who is also Julianne Hough’s boyfriend), former Go-Go’s singer Belinda Carlisle and Apple computers co-founder Steve Wozniak.

“I’m panicked, petrified, nervous, scared and excited all rolled up together!” Nancy told Access. “When ‘DWTS’ asked if I would do the show, everyone told me I had to do it…my husband, my boss, my parent-in-laws, my sister, my dad, my kids, my manager. People love that show and so do I. However, after watching season after season, I never ever thought I’d be one of the competitors! But my baby girl loves to dance so now she can watch mama dancing. Hopefully that’s what it will look like anyway…”

“Dancing” host Tom Bergeron announced the celeb cast in between the shows on ABC’s Sunday night lineup including “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition,” “Desperate Housewives” and “Brothers and Sisters.”

“Good Morning America” will have the first live in-studio interview with one of the new celebrity dancers on Monday morning.

Jimmy Kimmel will host another contestant of “Dancing’s” Season 8 on Tuesday night on his late night show.

The new season of “Dancing With the Stars” will premiere on March 9 on ABC.

Link: http://www.accesshollywood.com/access-nancy-odell-among-new-dancing-with-the-stars-cast_article_13721 (http://www.accesshollywood.com/access-nancy-odell-among-new-dancing-with-the-stars-cast_article_13721)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on February 08, 2009, 10:30:48 PM
Just found out that the list of professional dancers that will be paired with the celebrities will be revealed this coming Thursday, February 12th.
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: apskip on February 08, 2009, 10:32:43 PM
I guess we'll find out who all the partners are during the name dropping tonight.

One team we already know is Chuck and Julianne. I thought she wasn't dancing this season. Probably changed her mind because she is dancing with her boyfriend. 

Nope. She announced that she would not do both DWTS season 8 and season 9, but wasn't sure which one she would do.
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on February 08, 2009, 10:45:26 PM
An interesting article:

'Dancing With the Stars' goes for the 'unpredictable'

Friends, family and felons are the dominant themes on the latest installment of ABC's hit Dancing With the Stars.
The celebrity ballroom hoofer contest opens its eighth season March 9 (8 ET/PT) with singer Jewel facing off against her husband, professional rodeo champ Ty Murray — the show's first celebrity couple competing in the same season. DWTS popular dance professional Julianne Hough will be paired with her boyfriend, country singer Chuck Wicks, and DWTS pros Karina Smirnoff and Maksim Chmerkovskiy just got engaged.

The show also will feature Olympic gold medalist Shawn Johnson, at 17 the youngest competitor to date.

"It's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity," she says.

Pro athletes have won four of the past five DWTS crowns; three others have been runners-up. Johnson says she hopes her athletic training offsets any dance angst. "It'll help, but this isn't in my comfort zone," she says.

Reality TV prankster Steve-O, former NFL star Lawrence Taylor and rapper/actress Lil' Kim also are scheduled to perform. Steve-O, 34, was placed on probation last year after admitting to possessing cocaine. Kim, 34, was jailed for 11 months on a 2005 federal perjury charge. In the 1990s, Taylor, 50, pleaded guilty to income tax evasion and was charged with possessing cocaine.

"We've gone for some unpredictable people," says executive producer Conrad Green. "Once you have someone with one leg (Heather Mills), a deaf person (Marlee Matlin) and an 82-year-old (Cloris Leachman), it's hard to push the boundaries. An air of wildness doesn't hurt."

"One thing nice about this show is you see people in a different light," Green says.

That doesn't mean TV's No. 2-ranked series isn't difficult to cast, says ABC senior talent producer Deena Katz. Scores of celebs want on, but mixing and matching them, achieving the right chemistry and a 15-week time commitment weed out prospects, Katz says.

"It's a jigsaw puzzle," she says. "You can't always go with a supermodel or someone from a boy band. There is something about football players, though."

Rounding out the celeb cast:

•Actor Gilles Marini, 33.

•Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak, 58.

•Actress Denise Richards, 37.

•Comedian David Alan Grier, 53.

•Access Hollywood co-host Nancy O'Dell, 42.

•Singer Belinda Carlisle, 50.

Link: http://www.usatoday.com/life/television/news/2009-02-08-dancing-stars_N.htm?csp=34 (http://www.usatoday.com/life/television/news/2009-02-08-dancing-stars_N.htm?csp=34)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on February 08, 2009, 10:49:58 PM
An interesting article:

Dancing’s Season Eight Cast Is Revealed!

In a new twist, the season eight cast of Dancing with the Stars was revealed during commercial breaks in between ABC’s Sunday night primetime lineup.

The “namedropping” of the 13 contestants began at the eight o’clock hour when Extreme Makeover: Home Edition aired, and continued throughout the telecasts of Desperate Housewives and Brothers & Sisters.

For the first time on the show, a celebrity couple — singer Jewel and her husband, rodeo star Ty Murray — will compete against each other. In another first, two-time Dancing champ-turned-country-singer Julianne Hough will compete with her boyfriend, country singer Chuck Wicks.

“It’s the most diverse cast we’ve had,” Deena Katz, Dancing’s Senior Talent Producer tells PEOPLE. “The women are phenomenal and the men are such great characters.”

“Julianne is the cutest thing you’ll ever meet and she’s one of the toughest teachers,” says Katz. “I keep warning Chuck, ‘you see this loving side, but she is tough.’”

Real-life pro couple Maksim Chmerkovskiy and Karina Smirnoff, who got engaged last December, will compete against each other with their respective celebrity partners.

Rounding out the celebrity lineup will be the youngest contestant ever on the show, Olympic gymnast Shawn Johnson, 17. Also ready to rumba are pop star Belinda Carlisle, actress Denise Richards, former NFL star Lawrence Taylor, rapper Lil’ Kim, Jackass star Steve-O, Apple computer co-founder Steve Wozniak, actors David Alan Grier and Gilles Marini, and Access Hollywood co-host Nancy O’Dell.

An ABC spokesperson says the remaining professional dancer/celebrity pairings will be announced on Thursday, February 12.

Link: http://tvwatch.people.com/2009/02/09/dancing%e2%80%99s-season-eight-cast-is-revealed/ (http://tvwatch.people.com/2009/02/09/dancing%e2%80%99s-season-eight-cast-is-revealed/)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on February 08, 2009, 11:31:02 PM
Pairing predictions, anyone?

I'm gonna take a stab at guessing on a couple of the pairs

We already know one...

Chuck/Julianne

My guesses at some of the pairs are...

Shawn/Derek
Lil' Kim/Maksim
Denise/Mark
Jewel/Alec
Ty/Karina
Lawrence/Cheryl
Steve-O/Lacey
Nancy/Tony
Belinda/Corky
Gilles/Edyta
David/Kym

There are supposed to be two or three new pro dancers so I don't know who comes back and who doesn't.

Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: TARAsia Fan on February 09, 2009, 09:42:03 AM
I would think with her gymnastics experience, Shawn Johnson would do well, although I think Nastia Liukin might have made a better choice instead of Shawn.

Steve Wozniak might be one of the first to go.

I can see Jewel staying in for a while. She has a solid fan base.

Nancy O'Dell is an intriguing choice.

Denise Richards is this season's Kim Kardashian. She can easily be out early due to angry female fans.

Steve-O is a wild card. The man has lit his genitals live on national TV and has also stapled them to his leg. He just might do it live in front of Bruno. I think Steve-O is funny, but he's too crazy for this show.

LT is a guy who is probably doing the show to promote his celebrity golf appearances.

Lil Kim may try to stab a fellow opponent on stage. She's also crazy.

The others I have no feel for.
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on February 09, 2009, 11:36:36 AM
Besides the pairing of Chuck and Julianne, it was revealed this morning that Denise Richards is paired with Maksim.

Will post more info as I come across.
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: tory on February 09, 2009, 12:25:30 PM
oh denise and maxum will be awsome, this is going to be a great season, julane and her bf very cool.. i love david allen greir he is sooo funny i hope he does well.. i thought denise and derik would b an awsome pair, jmo any way i hope if he is paired with the gymnastick girl it is not to cutesy. sry about the sp..i hope some more of the so u think u can dance kids r the pros lacy did an awsome job last yr..
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: apskip on February 09, 2009, 12:30:39 PM
Anyone who has seen Shawn Johnson and Lawrence Taylor (age 50) perform in their sport knows that these two are people who are extremely quick and agile. Look at what Jason Taylor (age 35) and Warren Sapp (age 37) have accomplished. I think Lawrence Taylor will win if given the right partner and the same is true of Shawn (right for her would be Derek Hough or Mark Ballas). Come March 9 and we will see who is coachable and who can do what.
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: TARAsia Fan on February 09, 2009, 01:32:06 PM
ap,

Having seen LT recently, the man has had problems walking stemming from his hard hits in the 1980's and 1990's. I differ on your opinion that he's agile. Maybe back in the 1980's, but not now. He had trouble walking the last time I saw him at a golf tournament about six months ago.
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on February 09, 2009, 02:20:44 PM
An interesting article:

Denise Richards’s Dancing Strategy - Avoid Embarrassment

Denise Richards called her last foray into reality TV It’s Complicated. She may want to call her next venture It’s Scary.

“My biggest fear is just forgetting everything right before going on live, that’s what I’m scared of,” the actress tells PEOPLE of her new role as contestant on the eighth season of Dancing With the Stars. “All I hope is that I don’t embarrass my girls!”

Daughters Sam, 4, and Lola, 3, will be cheering on Richards, 37, throughout the competition. “I let the girls stay up a bit later when the show is on,” she says. “It’s popcorn night at our house.”

Although Richards says she’s “flexible and coordinated,” she will be put to the test with pro partner Maksim Chmerkovskiy. “I’m completely out of my element because I’ve never danced before. Never!” she says. “I just met (Maks) this morning and I’m really excited that he’s my partner. He’s an amazing, amazing dancer. I told him he’s got his work cut out for him, but it’ll be fun.”

As for the training that begins next week, Richards says, “I heard it’s pretty intense but I’m prepared to put the work in.”

The new season of DWTS premieres March 9 on ABC.

Link: http://tvwatch.people.com/2009/02/09/denise-richardss-dancing-strategy-avoid-embarrassment/ (http://tvwatch.people.com/2009/02/09/denise-richardss-dancing-strategy-avoid-embarrassment/)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on February 09, 2009, 05:35:00 PM

:popcorn: GMA with Dancing with the Stars

Denise Richards and Maksim Chmerkovskiy

Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on February 09, 2009, 05:39:50 PM

Dancing With The Stars - Commercial #1


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CDQ3Miifhhk&feature=subscription (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CDQ3Miifhhk&feature=subscription)

Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on February 09, 2009, 07:25:57 PM
An interesting article:

Karina & Maks: DWTS All About Popularity

Back when Steve-O was stapling various body parts together and intentionally getting punched in the face on Jackass, the idea of the crazy stunt guy twirling about on the dance floor would've seemed nuts.

It still might seem nuts, but newly-engaged couple Karina Smirnoff and Maksim Chmerkovskiy, two of Dancing With the Stars' pros, say Steve-O will be a fun one to keep your eye on this season.

"Steve-O is definitely someone to watch," Karina told OK! at Club mur.mur at the Borgata Hotel Casino and Spa in Atlantic City on Feb. 7. "I think you’ll be excited, he’s a character."

"I heard that he was a trained circus clown so he’ll physically be able to do a lot of things," adds Maks.

So could that training, or other skills akin to dancing, be an unfair advantage over other contestants like singer Jewel or Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak, who might have little to no dancing background?

"The show has definitely showcased that it’s not a dance competition in itself, it’s also a personality contest, and popularity," Karina explains to OK!. "Having a big fan base plays a big part."

"I’m pretty sure Cloris Leachman last year [didn’t have experience] but, she lasted like, what seven weeks?" chimes in Maks.

"I think personality plays a huge part. I mean, they have to be willing to spend hours in the studio, and their attitude, and approach to it. If they have fun, the audience will have fun with them," adds Karina.

As for the show itself, the couple revealed that there are going to be some fun changes around the set... or so they think!

"The rumor is that we are going to have an extra celebrity couple, instead of having 12 couples, we’ll have 13," says Karina.

Once again, Maks has more to add to his real-life partner's explanation, proving they work well together on and off the set.

"There is going to be something called 'the dance off.' The bottom two couples are going to be dancing off for the judges, to see who the judges want to win, some crazy stuff like that. We have no idea," he admits. "We’ve been busy on the tour for the past two and a half months."

Soon enough the pros will be finishing up their tour and flying out to meet the "star" half of their dance equations.

"I’m looking forward to finding out who my celebrity is!" gushes Karina.

We can't wait either!

Link: http://www.ok-magazine.com/news/view/11834 (http://www.ok-magazine.com/news/view/11834)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: tory on February 10, 2009, 10:20:19 AM
ty mg for th vid of gma.. i love this show denise richards is sooo cute, her and max r going to b funn to watch..
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on February 10, 2009, 12:43:14 PM
An interesting article:

EXCLUSIVE: Kristi Yamaguchi Thinks Steve-O Might Be "the Weakest" on DWTS

Dancing With the Stars champ Kristi Yamaguchi thinks Steve-O could be the first to go next season.

"I think he might be the weakest of the whole bunch," she tells Usmagazine.com. "We know he's fearless, but we'll have to see if he's smooth as well."

Still, the Jackass star's wacky personality "might be one that people want to see, so they might vote to keep him on."

As for who could take the crown, that's "hard to say," Yamaguchi says. "I think Lil' Kim. She's a performer."

Yamaguchi is also into gymnast Shawn Johnson, a fellow Olympian.

"She's young and she has the performance and competitive [aspect] as well," she says. "I think she has a lot of potential to do well, but who knows!"

And don't count out football player Lawrence Taylor, who has "quite a personality, and I think [people will] either love him or hate him" the season-six champ tells Us. But, "football players do really well on the show."

Yamaguchi says the couples this year will bring a new dynamic. Ty Murray is competing against wife Jewel, while Julianne Hough is dancing with her beau, country singer Chuck Wick.

"I think the chemistry will be fun," Yamaguchi says.

Link: http://www.usmagazine.com/news/kristi-Yamaguchi-steve-o-could-be-first-to-go (http://www.usmagazine.com/news/kristi-Yamaguchi-steve-o-could-be-first-to-go)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on February 10, 2009, 12:50:13 PM

Steve-O will be the DWTS guest on Jimmy Kimmel tonight!
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on February 10, 2009, 01:53:22 PM
An interesting article:

Which New Dancing Pair Has Maksim Keeping Mum?

Dancing with the Stars' lineup of Season 8 celebs has been released, and fan-fave pro Maksim Chmerkovskiy finds himself happily hooked up with actress/reality star Denise Richards. TVGuide.com sat down with Maksim on the set of Good Morning America, where he met Denise for the first time, to get his thoughts on some of this season's other celebs.

TVGuide.com: How does it feel to be back competing on Dancing with the Stars?
Maksim Chmerkovskiy: We're very happy, especially in this economy, that we get a job. It's a little bit of a whirlwind because we literally finished our last day of the tour yesterday, in Philly. Some of the people already flew out to meet their celebrities, and this is my meeting [with Denise]. We start rehearsals [Feb. 10].

TVGuide.com: Did you get to indulge in any pet projects during your time off?
Chmerkovskiy: I didn't have time off. I choreographed the tour, which went to 38 cities, and I was also the dance captain in charge of all the injuries and replacing people... . It was a crazy experience, and a lot of work. But it's fine. I'm 29; I'll relax when I'm 50.

TVGuide.com: How excited are you to be paired with Denise?
Chmerkovskiy: Very. Very. Things are happening up here [in my head], as to what we're going to do for our first dance... . I'm picking up on all the things she's been saying about her flexibility and the Pilates. Most of the things that are difficult for the celebrities are moving their legs and arms in different directions at the same time, to the music.

TVGuide.com: Coordination is important. [Olympic gymnast] Shawn Johnson might have the athleticism and Belinda Carlisle and Lil' Kim may have rhythm, but...
Chmerkovskiy: Lil' Kim is going to be up for a challenge, I think. We'll see. The cast is as diverse as it's ever been. All jokes aside, there are some people that I would probably not want to be paired up with. I lucked out with Denise.

TVGuide.com: What sort of unique challenges face Shawn Johnson, who is just 4-foot-10?
Chmerkovskiy: I actually think her main challenge is that she's so young [age 17] in a big girl's world, so to speak. Her challenge will be to spice things up if the judges say that she's too quiet and calm. But we all saw her at the Olympics — she's amazing and focused and determined. A very hard worker.

TVGuide.com: She could break into a tumbling pass in the middle of a Paso Doble!
Chmerkovskiy: Oh, she could do a cha-cha on her hands! We're kind of guessing that she'll be paired up with Mark [Ballas], and he's crazy with the [choreography].

TVGuide.com: Some are speculating that dancing as a team could be tough on Julianne Hough and Chuck Wicks, her country singer-boyfriend. But I think if DWTS has shown us anything, it's that it cultivates romance. They could come out of this stronger.
Chmerkovskiy: I don't want to start the season with a usual Maks rant, so I'm going to plead the fifth on that pairing!

Link: http://www.tvguide.com/Dancing-Stars/Maksim-Chmerkovskiy-Julianne-1002699.aspx (http://www.tvguide.com/Dancing-Stars/Maksim-Chmerkovskiy-Julianne-1002699.aspx)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on February 10, 2009, 06:34:48 PM
An interesting article:

Fans Pick Access Hollywood’s Nancy O’Dell As Early ‘Dancing’ Favorite

“Dancing With the Stars” hasn’t even returned to television yet, but already TV fans have picked Access Hollywood’s own Nancy O’Dell as the favorite to take home the title.

According to an online poll conducted by TVGuide.com, Nancy is the early favorite to win the mirrorball trophy on “Dancing’s” Season 8, taking home 30 percent of the vote.

Olympian Shawn Johnson was the second contestant picked by the TVGuide.com fans to win, netting 26 percent of the vote.

Chuck Wicks, the country crooner whose girlfriend is “DWTS” pro Julianne Hough, came in third with 13 percent.

On Sunday night, the full list of “Dancing” contenders was revealed including David Alan Grier, Steve-O, Steve Wozniak, Lil’ Kim, Belinda Carlisle and Denise Richards.

Tune into Access Hollywood on Wednesday to find out which of the professionals Nancy has been paired up with.

Season 8 of “Dancing With the Stars” premieres March 9 on ABC

Link: http://www.accesshollywood.com/fans-pick-access-hollywoods-nancy-odell-as-early-dancing-favorite_article_14291 (http://www.accesshollywood.com/fans-pick-access-hollywoods-nancy-odell-as-early-dancing-favorite_article_14291)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on February 11, 2009, 10:10:04 AM

Jimmy Kimmel Interviews Dancing with the Stars Contestant Steve-O

Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on February 11, 2009, 10:12:42 AM

Steve-O said Lacey Schwimmer is his partner on Jimmey Kimmel
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on February 11, 2009, 11:50:35 AM
From people.com

Dancing's Maks: My Kids with Karina Will 'Be Rock Stars'


Maksim Chmerkovskiy may be known as the "bad boy of the ballroom" on ABC's hit Dancing with the Stars, but when it came time to pop the question to girlfriend – and fellow DWTS pro – Karina Smirnoff, his trademark swagger dissolved.

"Planning the proposal was the most nerve-wracking thing of my life," the dancer, 29, tells PEOPLE in its new issue. "When it came down to it, I thought, 'It's not a given that she'll say yes.' All of a sudden it's like, 'I have nothing to say! Why did I even do this?' "

Adds Smirnoff, 31: "I thought it was so cute because you never see Maks [nervous] like this."

Although they only started dating in late September, the Ukrainian-bred couple – who will square off against each other in the new season of DWTS, debuting March 9 – actually have a long history: They first met as teenagers on the pro dancing circuit.

"You know how boys tend to develop slower than girls?" asks Chmerkovskiy. "A lot slower!" says Smirnoff. Back then, she adds, "I never looked at him seriously."

Now the couple, who plan to wed in late 2009, are looking ahead to starting a family. "Our kids would be rock stars," says Chmerkovskiy, playful swagger back in place. "They're going to be like royalty."
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: Kiwi Jay on February 11, 2009, 12:31:51 PM

Steve-O said Lacey Schwimmer is his partner on Jimmey Kimmel

She said she would have him!
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on February 11, 2009, 01:36:53 PM

Steve-O said Lacey Schwimmer is his partner on Jimmey Kimmel

She said she would have him!

 :tup: I remember Lacey saying that, together they make an interesting couple

I can't wait for DWTS to stars  :sucks
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on February 11, 2009, 01:38:25 PM
An interesting article:

DANCING WITH THE STARS: TED'S TAKE

With a new season of Dancing With the Stars starting up again next month, I though it only befitting to have an expert size up the contestants.

Or at least, someone who’s taken a turn (and a spill!) on the ballroom dance reality competition series.

Ted McGinley, who saw his exit early on in season seven, gave me his take on how the new cast will fare on the dance floor “I think this will be the year of the man, the year they claim it back,” says Ted, adding with a laugh. “This would have been a good year to have been a person with no experience. Looks like there are more people in my boat.”

But that won’t be a problem for Sex and the City movie star Gilles Marini. “The French actor? They are born with style and grace so they are already good," Ted proclaims. "He’ll look great in the costume and once he says something, he’s in,” Ted proclaims.

Ted thinks that rapper Lil’ Kim and the athletes will do very well on the dance floor. “Football star Lawrence Taylor was the fastest player in his position and so skillful,” Ted says. “He was sort of this untamed beast, and I’m curious to see if he’ll still be the same way when he dances.”

He’s saying a little prayer for country singer Chuck Wicks, who’s taking the stage with real-life girlfriend Julianne Hough as his partner. “If they make it through this, I’ll be the first to buy them a wedding present,” Ted declares. “If they can make it through this test, they can make it through anything, though maybe they’ve been practicing secretly in their hotel room.”

Ted’s pick for taking it all?  Actor David Alan Grier. "I think he’s one of the funniest guys I’ve ever heard and seen,” Ted says. “He’s a trained Yale graduate. I’m sure he’s got some musicality, and he’ll get a ton of votes.”

That is, of course, if Ted’s conspiracy plan for Apple founder Steve Wozniak isn’t true. “I’m sure he’s already got some computer virus that’s affecting all of our cell phones, that’s set up to vote,” Ted chuckles.

And Ted even has advice for the ever-unpredictable shock comedian Steve-O. “I think he’s going to do what I threatened to do if I screwed it up, break into this insane impromptu dance and spin on his head,” Ted advises. “When all else fails, put a staple in something and get out there.”

Link: http://www.okmagazine.com/blog/post/11868/Dancing-with-the-Stars:-Ted's-Take (http://www.okmagazine.com/blog/post/11868/Dancing-with-the-Stars:-Ted's-Take)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on February 11, 2009, 01:44:13 PM

Having seen LT recently, the man has had problems walking stemming from his hard hits in the 1980's and 1990's. I differ on your opinion that he's agile. Maybe back in the 1980's, but not now. He had trouble walking the last time I saw him at a golf tournament about six months ago.


 :( This is interesting I hope we don't have any injuries this season no DWTS Curse  :lol:

Thanks for sharing TARAsia
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: TARAsia Fan on February 11, 2009, 03:19:34 PM
Well, anything can happen marigold. After last season, I would be surprised if we saw an amputation. :lol:
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on February 11, 2009, 04:08:29 PM
An interesting article:

Nancy O’Dell’s ‘Dancing’ Partner Revealed

Access Hollywood’s Nancy O’Dell now has her “Dancing” partner.

When she makes her “Dancing With the Stars” debut on March 9, Nancy will be dancing with professional Tony Dovolani – something Nancy predicted prior to the unveiling.

“I have narrowed it down to three, just based on height. I think it’s going to be either Tony, Jonathan or Dmitry, who is a new dancer,” Nancy said. “I feel in my bones it’s going to be Tony. I don’t know why. I just do.”

And if her dancing is anywhere as on point as her premonition, Nancy will have quite a “Dancing” run ahead of her.

As it turns out, Tony was just as pleased to find out Nancy was his new “Star.”

“I’m so glad you’re doing this and I’m really happy I got you,” Tony told Nancy on Tuesday when the pair finally met.

Nancy joins a long line of lovely ladies Tony has danced with over the course of the show, including Stacy Keibler, Sara Evans, Leeza Gibbons, Marissa Jaret Winokur and Susan Lucci.

“I’m panicked, petrified, nervous, scared and excited all rolled up together!” Nancy said earlier this week when it was announced she would be on the show. “People love that show and so do I. However, after watching season after season, I never ever thought I’d be one of the competitors! But my baby girl loves to dance so now she can watch mama dancing. Hopefully that’s what it will look like anyway.”

A few of the other pairings have also been revealed.

Steve-O said on Tuesday’s “Jimmy Kimmel Live” his partner is Lacey Schwimmer; Denise Richards will be paired with Maksim Chmerkovskiy; and Olympian Shawn Johnson revealed in an interview with “The Billy Bush Show” she will be dancing with Mark Ballas.

Real-life couple Julianne Hough and Chuck Wicks will also be a “Dancing” team.

ABC will announce the rest of the pairings on Thursday.

The new season of “Dancing With the Stars” bows March 9 on ABC.

Link: http://www.accesshollywood.com/nancy-odells-dancing-partner-revealed_article_14334 (http://www.accesshollywood.com/nancy-odells-dancing-partner-revealed_article_14334)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: tory on February 11, 2009, 07:24:19 PM
ty for the up dates mg. i wonder who is danceing with derick???
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on February 11, 2009, 10:56:18 PM

ty for the up dates mg. i wonder who is danceing with derick???


idk .... only a rumor tory but everyone is speculating Lil Kim
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on February 11, 2009, 10:59:25 PM


Cheryl Burke confirms her partner is Gilles Marini

ET with DWTS Julianne & Cheryl


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ncO9JgKBkk (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ncO9JgKBkk)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on February 12, 2009, 09:21:51 AM
Official complete list of pairings

Chuck Wicks and Julianne Hough

Denise Richards and Maksim Chmerkovkiy

Steve-O and Lacey Schwimmer

Gilles Marini and Cheryl Burke

Shawn Johnson and Mark Ballas

Nancy O'Dell and Tony Dovolani

Belinda Carlisle and Jonathan Roberts

Jewel and Dmitry Chaplin

Ty Murray and Chelsie Hightower

Lawrence Taylor and Edyta Sliwinska

Lil' Kim and Derek Hough

Steve Wozniak and Karina Smirnoff

David Alan Grier and Kym Johnston
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on February 12, 2009, 12:03:08 PM

ABC Press Release

DANCING WITH THE STARS' CELEBRITY PARTNERS ANNOUNCED

13 NEW STARS GET SET TO SHOWCASE THEIR FANCY FOOTWORK AS "DANCING WITH THE STARS" RETURNS FOR ITS EIGHTH SEASON, MONDAY, MARCH 9 ON ABC

 
"Dancing with the Stars the Results Show," Premieres Tuesday, March 17

Three Real Life Couples Compete

Bottom Two Couples "Dance Off"

Macy's Stars of Dance Returns

Ballroom Kids Competition Returns
 
An all new cast of celebrities hits the dance floor on ABC's "Dancing with the Stars" with the highly anticipated two-hour season premiere, MONDAY, MARCH 9, 2009 (8:00-10:02 p.m., ET) on ABC. Season Eight introduces us to 13 new stars, including the youngest competitor to date, an NFL legend, a computer icon, a female rapper, three music artists and a "Wildboy." Additionally, "love is a battlefield" when, for the first time, three real life couples take the ballroom floor. Husband and wife Ty Murray and Jewel compete for bragging rights, while newly engaged professional dancers Maksim Chmerkovskiy and Karina Smirnoff go head to head. To top it off, country crooner Chuck Wicks teams with girlfriend and two-time "Dancing with the Stars" champ Julianne Hough.

Following is the schedule for Season Eight (dates and times subject to change):

* "Dancing with the Stars," two-hour performance show, MONDAYS, MARCH 9 (8:00-10:02 p.m., ET) through MARCH 30
*  "Dancing with the Stars the Results Show," one-hour, TUESDAYS, MARCH 17 (9:00-10:02 p.m., ET) through MAY 12
* "Dancing with the Stars," 90-minute performance show, MONDAYS, APRIL 6 (8:00-9:32 p.m., ET) through MAY 11
* "Dancing with the Stars," one-hour performance show, MONDAY, MAY 18 (8:00-9:00 p.m., ET)
* Season Finale, TUESDAY, MAY 19 (9:00-11:00 p.m., ET)

Dancing with the Stars" returns with new surprises and all the elements viewers have come to know and love including the Kids Ballroom competition. "Macy's Stars of Dance," which features some of the most renowned dancers and choreographers of our time will also be back on "Dancing with the Stars the Results." One of the Macy's Stars of Dance performances will be the hugely popular "Design-A-Dance" which made its debut last season. In addition, couples will once again take part in a team dance, group dance and face off as well as perform the Argentine Tango; a first in the series. And in an exciting new twist, the bottom two couples facing elimination will "Dance Off" to determine who is dismissed in the first weeks of competition.

In alphabetical order, the 13 stars making their ballroom dancing debut are:

BELINDA CARLISLE -- Belinda Carlisle is not only known as the lead singer of the Go-Go's, the most successful all-female band of all time, but also as one of the late '80s' most glamorous adult pop soloists. The Go-Go's' 1981 multi-platinum hit debut, "Beauty and the Beat," spawned mega hits "Our Lips Are Sealed" and "We Got the Beat" and made the Go-Go's the first all-female band (who wrote their own music and played their own instruments) to achieve a No. 1 album. The following years saw continued success for the girls with hits "Vacation," "Head Over Heels" and "Turn to You." Belinda led off her solo career with the gold debut "Belinda," and followed with huge mainstream hits "Mad About You," "Heaven Is a Place on Earth" and "I Get Weak." Since then she has released five more albums, including 2007's French pop collection, "Voilà," and continues to tour internationally, both with her Go-Go's sisters and as a solo artist. She teams with Jonathan Roberts, who returns for his sixth season.

DAVID ALAN GRIER -- David Alan Grier is recognized for his work in television and film - in TV he's known from roles in "In Living Color," "Life with Bonnie" with Bonnie Hunt, "DAG" and, most recently, "Chocolate News" for Comedy Central. In the feature world he has played memorable characters in numerous films, including "Baadassss!," "The Woodsman," opposite Kevin Bacon and Mos Def, "15 Minutes," "Boomerang," "Bewitched," "Jumanji" and Robert Altman's "Streamers." A multi-talented and Yale School of Drama trained actor, David began his professional career on Broadway as Jackie Robinson in "The First," for which he earned a Tony nomination. He then joined the cast of "Dreamgirls," and went on to star opposite Denzel Washington in "A Soldier's Play"; both actors continued their roles in the film version, "A Soldier's Story." Davis is paired with Kym Johnson, who returns for her sixth season.

JEWEL -- She grew up on a remote ranch in Alaska, where her family were pioneers. From poverty and teen homelessness to the triumph of international stardom, the three-time Grammy nominee has enjoyed career longevity rare among her generation of artists and has sold 27 million albums worldwide. Her debut album, "Pieces of You," became one of the best selling debut albums of all time, going platinum 12 times. Last year the singer/songwriter released her first country record, "Perfectly Clear," which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart. In May 2009, she will release an album of original and traditional lullabies. Jewel lives on a working ranch in Stephenville, Texas with her husband, World Champion bull-riding superstar Ty Murray. She teams with 2006 U.S. National finalist Dmitry Chaplin, who makes his "Dancing with the Stars" debut.

SHAWN JOHNSON -- The youngest ever competitor on "Dancing with the Stars," 17 year-old Olympian Shawn Johnson was the gold medalist in balance beam at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, where she also earned three silver medals in the team, floor exercise and individual all-around categories. The current two-time National Champion and high-school junior, Shawn appeared on a limited edition Cheerios box in early 2009, led the pledge of allegiance at last year's Democratic National Convention in Denver, was a headliner of last fall's Tour of Gymnastics Superstars, and was named Choice Female Athlete at the 2008 Teen Choice Awards. Her debut biography, "Shawn Johnson -- Olympic Champion: Stories Behind the Smile," was released in December. She teams up with former "Dancing with the Stars" champ Mark Ballas, who returns for his fourth season.

LIL' KIM -- Born Kimberly Denise Jones, Lil' Kim is a Grammy Award-winning, multi-platinum rapper, singer, actress and fashion icon. She is one of three female rappers to have a No. 1 Billboard Hot 100 hit with 2001's "Lady Marmalade," featuring Christina Aguilera, Pink and M_a. As an actress she appeared on television shows such as "Moesha" and "The Game," and on her own reality series, "Countdown to Lockdown," which had the highest-rated premiere in BET's history. On film she has appeared in "Zoolander," "She's All That," "Juwanna Man" and "You Got Served." She's currently working on her fifth studio album, expected to be released in 2009. Lil' Kim teams with reigning champ Derek Hough, who returns for his fourth season.

GILLES MARINI -- Gilles Marini exploded onto the scene as Dante, the Casanova living in the beach house next door to Kim Cattrall's Samantha in the "Sex and the City" movie, a role which has earned him international recognition. Born and raised in France, Gilles joined the French army and was stationed in Paris, where he served as a fireman for the famous Brigade des Sapeurs Pompiers de Paris. After fulfilling his military duties, he decided to come to the United States to learn English while working as a model. Gilles, who has appeared in series such as "Ugly Betty," "Dirty Sexy Money" and "Criminal Minds," will next be seen as Vanessa Redgrave's husband on FX's "Nip/Tuck." He currently resides in California with his wife, Carole, son Georges and daughter Juliana. He teams up with two-time champion Cheryl Burke. Cheryl returns for her seventh season.

TY MURRAY -- Ty Murray has been labeled the most accomplished rodeo athlete in the century-long history of the sport. With a record-setting seven All-Around World Championship titles and two bull riding World titles under his belt, he has truly earned his nickname as "King of the Cowboys." Now retired from competition, Ty spends his time with his singer-songwriter wife, Jewel, on their 2,100-acre private ranch in Stephenville, Texas. He may have retired from the arena, but Ty hasn't slowed down as a cowboy. In 2004 he helped shepherd National Day of the Horse through the U.S. Senate, encouraging Americans "to be mindful of the contribution of horses to the economy, history and character of the United States." He runs his working cattle ranch and trains horses throughout the year. Additionally, he remains active with the Professional Bull Riders, Inc. (PBR), an organization he and 19 other elite bull riders founded in 1992. Ty serves as a board advisor, promotes a top level bull riding event in his hometown, and provides TV commentary for PBR events on NBC and VERSUS. He joins 10 Dance Youth National champion Chelsie Hightower, who makes her series debut.

STEVE-O -- Determined to build a career in television and film, Steve-O, a.k.a. Stephen Glover, sent his self-produced videos to anyone he thought might watch them, including Jeff Tremaine (MTV's "Jackass" creator/director/producer). Steve-O wrote himself a "mile of work" to do for Tremaine and "Jackass." When MTV rejected his more dangerous ideas, he produced his own "too hot for TV" video series and stage show with the "Don't Try This at Home Tour." Steve-O also starred in his own show for MTV, "Wildboyz." 2006 U.S. Youth Latin champ and 2007 World Swing Dance champ Lacey Schwimmer returns for her second season to team with Steve-O.

NANCY O'DELL -- The co-anchor of "Access Hollywood," Nancy O'Dell has contributed reports to NBC's "Today Show" and "Dateline NBC." Beyond covering events such as the Oscars, the Emmys, the Grammys and the Golden Globe Awards, Nancy has been chosen by NBC for the last eight years to host two of their big annual network broadcasts, the Golden Globes Arrivals Special and the Tournament of Roses Parade. Not only is she one of the country's most respected and leading entertainment journalists, she has also appeared in numerous films, including "Thank You For Smoking," "Scream 2," "Scream 3," "Martin Lawrence Live: Runteldat," and the television series "30 Rock," "Project Runway," "Charmed," "Joey," "Third Watch," "Beverly Hills, 90210," "Days of Our Lives," "Melrose Place," "General Hospital," "Just Shoot Me" and "Ally McBeal," among others. Nancy is also an author; her new book, "Full of Life: Mom to Mom Tips I Wish Someone Had Told Me When I was Pregnant," for publisher Simon Spotlight Entertainment, will be in stores April 14, 2009. Although she maintains a busy work schedule, Nancy regularly makes time for philanthropic endeavors. The Muscular Dystrophy Association, American Red Cross, March of Dimes, Best Buddies and Childhelp USA have all benefited from her time and efforts. She resides in Los Angeles with her husband, Keith, their daughter, Ashby, and two stepsons, Tyler and Carson. She teams with Tony Dovolani, who returns for his seventh season.

DENISE RICHARDS -- Known for her roles in films such as "Wild Things" and "Starship Troopers," Denise Richards got her start as a fashion model before making her way into television and movies. She was cast as Bond girl and geo-physicist Christmas Jones in the 1999 James Bond film, "The World Is Not Enough," as well as appearing in films such as "Drop Dead Gorgeous," "Undercover Brother" and "Scary Movie 3." In addition to her film work, Denise has made regular appearances in the comedies "Spin City," "Two and a Half Men," "Friends" and "Seinfeld." She is currently working on the second season of her own reality television show, "Denise Richards: It's Complicated," airing on E! Entertainment Television. She teams with Maksim Chmerkovskiy, who returns for his sixth season.

LAWRENCE TAYLOR -- Widely regarded as the greatest defensive player in the history of the National Football League, Hall of Famer Lawrence Taylor rewrote the record book and built a legendary following during one of the most storied careers in the history of American sport. He spent his entire career with the New York Giants, leading them to two Super Bowl titles. He was the first player in history to be selected to the Pro Bowl in ten consecutive seasons. He was also a unanimous selection to the NFL's 75th Anniversary team, which honored the top players in the history of the game, was the NFL's Rookie of the Year in 1981, Most Valuable Player in 1986, and was the three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year. Lawrence was inducted into the Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility in 1999. "LT" has written two bestselling books ("Living on the Edge" and "Over The Edge"), has appeared in feature films (including "Any Given Sunday," "The Waterboy" and "Shaft") and is an avid golfer and philanthropist. He teams with Edyta Sliwinska, who is the only pro to compete in all eight seasons of "Dancing with the Stars."

CHUCK WICKS -- A gifted songwriter and vocalist, Chuck Wicks made a compelling impression with his Top 5 smash, "Stealing Cinderella," the fastest-rising single by a debut country act in 2007. By the time his first album, "Starting Now" (RCA Nashville), was released in January 2008, he had begun a year-long, 750,000 fan-packed tour opening for superstar Brad Paisley. Chuck co-penned 10 of the 11 songs on his debut CD, including his second hit, "All I Ever Wanted," and the new single, "Man of the House," a touching story-song about a boy taking on beyond-his-years responsibilities while his father is on military assignment. For more information, please go to: www.chuckwicks.com or www.myspace.com/chuckwicks. Chuck teams with girlfriend and two-time champ Julianne Hough, who returns for her fifth season.

STEVE WOZNIAK -- A Silicon Valley icon and philanthropist for the past three decades, Steve Wozniak, a.k.a. "The Woz," helped shape the computer industry with his design of Apple's first line of products, the Apple I and II, and influenced the popular Macintosh. After leaving Apple Computer Inc. in 1985, he was involved in various business and philanthropic ventures, focusing primarily on computer capabilities in schools and stressing hands-on learning and encouraging creativity for students. In 2000 Steve was inducted into the Inventors Hall of Fame and was awarded the prestigious Heinz Award for Technology, The Economy and Employment. He is also a published author with the release in 2006 of his New York Times best-selling autobiography, "iWoz: From Computer Geek to Cult Icon." He teams with Karina Smirnoff, who returns for her sixth season.

Viewers may cast their votes for their favorite teams via phone on Monday night during and up to 30 minutes after the "Dancing with the Stars" performance shows. AT&T subscribers may also text message their votes by texting the word "VOTE" and entering the number that corresponds to the team they want to support (standard text message rates apply). Viewers may also vote online at www.abc.com starting from the opening of each episode on the East Coast and until 12:00 Noon, ET the following day.

Hosted by Tom Bergeron ("America's Funniest Home Videos") and Samantha Harris ("The Insider"), the celebrities will perform choreographed dance routines which will be judged by renowned Ballroom judge Len Goodman and dancer/choreographers Bruno Tonioli and Carrie Ann Inaba.
 
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on February 12, 2009, 12:07:24 PM

Access Hollywood with DWTS Nancy O'Dell & Tony Dovolani


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0kT2V_KzlSQ (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0kT2V_KzlSQ)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on February 12, 2009, 12:22:04 PM
From people.com

ABC announces Season Eight's DWTS Dance Pairs

Everyone’s dance cards are full at last as ABC announced the entire season eight Dancing with the Stars celebrity contestant and professional dancer pairings Thursday. On Sunday ABC revealed the celebrity contestants
during its primetime lineup.

Access Hollywood’s Nancy O’Dell, who’s paired with pro Tony Dovolani, says she hopes to have a leg up on the competition, thanks to her height.

“Stacy Keibler was Tony’s partner and she had long legs,” the 5’10” O’Dell tells PEOPLE. “If I can dance one fourth as well as she did I will be happy.”

At the other end of the height spectrum — a full foot shorter than O’Dell — is Olympic gymnast Shawn Johnson, who’s paired with season six champ Mark Ballas.

Don’t let Johnson’s size fool you — she’s in it to win.

“I talked to Apolo [Anton Ohno, season four champ] and he told me what to expect and a rundown of the show. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity and I am going to make the most of it,” Johnson tells PEOPLE. “I can’t wait to perform.”

Two new professional dancers also join the cast this season, Dmitry Chaplin and Chelsie Hightower.

The entire season eight lineup is as follows:
• Former NFL star Lawrence Taylor and Edyta Sliwinska
• Actor Gilles Marini and two-time DWTS champ Cheryl Burke
• Rapper Lil’ Kim and season seven champ Derek Hough
• Actress Denise Richards and Maksim Chmerkovskiy
• Pop star Belinda Carlisle and Jonathan Roberts
• Olympic gymnast Shawn Johnson and season six champ Mark Ballas
• Reality star Steve-O and Lacey Schwimmer
• Rodeo star Ty Murray and first-time Dancing pro Chelsie Hightower
• Apple Computer co-founder Steve Wozniak and Karina Smirnoff
• Country singer Chuck Wicks and two-time champ Julianne Hough
• Access Hollywood’s Nancy O’Dell and Tony Dovolani
• Actor David Alan Grier and Kym Johnson
• Singer Jewel and first-time Dancing pro Dmitry Chaplin

Dancing with the Stars’ eighth season premieres March 9 on ABC.
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on February 12, 2009, 12:52:31 PM

..... some teasers  :lol:

(http://i389.photobucket.com/albums/oo334/marigoldrealityfanforum/dw1.jpg)  (http://i389.photobucket.com/albums/oo334/marigoldrealityfanforum/dw2.jpg)  (http://i389.photobucket.com/albums/oo334/marigoldrealityfanforum/dw3.jpg)  (http://i389.photobucket.com/albums/oo334/marigoldrealityfanforum/dw4.jpg)  (http://i389.photobucket.com/albums/oo334/marigoldrealityfanforum/dw5.jpg)

(http://i389.photobucket.com/albums/oo334/marigoldrealityfanforum/dw6.jpg)  (http://i389.photobucket.com/albums/oo334/marigoldrealityfanforum/dw7.jpg)  (http://i389.photobucket.com/albums/oo334/marigoldrealityfanforum/dw8.jpg)  (http://i389.photobucket.com/albums/oo334/marigoldrealityfanforum/dw9.jpg)  (http://i389.photobucket.com/albums/oo334/marigoldrealityfanforum/dw10.jpg)

 :ascared wow Steve-O can fly  :lol:
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: TARAsia Fan on February 12, 2009, 01:16:49 PM
That's not all he can do. :lol:
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on February 12, 2009, 01:28:27 PM
An interesting article:

Julianne Hough to Dish Tough Dancing Love to Chuck Wicks

Things are about to get serious between Julianne Hough and her beau, country star Chuck Wicks.

The real-life couple will be making a play for the mirror-ball trophy as partners on this season’s Dancing with the Stars–and the two-time DWTS champ isn’t about to go easy on her sweetie when they hit the dancefloor.

“I might kick him in the butt a little harder than with my other partners!” Hough, 20, tells PEOPLE. “I’m definitely a ‘crack the whip’ type of person.”

It’s a lesson Wicks, 29, has learned quickly. “He was like, ‘Wow, you’re really tough!’” she laughs. “But he says, ‘I don’t want you to treat me any differently than any of your other partners.’”

Though Hough admits she was initially apprehensive about dancing with her boyfriend, the potential ballroom benefits of quickstepping with Wicks ultimately won her over.

“We never get to spend much time together,” says Hough, whose foray into country music just earned her an Academy of Country Music Award nomination for best new female artist. “On the show, we’ll be together 24 hours a day. We’re a really good team off stage, so I think it will be fun.”

And Hough already likes what she sees. “To be honest, he’s actually really good,” she says of their first practice. “He’s never really danced before – well, he told me he does a mean electric slide, but I never saw it!”

Hough admits “there are going to be people who love us and people who hate us,” but says she’s looking forward to the season – all the more so because another real-life couple, Jewel and her husband rodeo star Ty Murray, are also contestants.

“We went on tour with Jewel last year and we’re all friends,” she says of the foursome. “We’ll definitely be rooting for each other.”

Link: http://tvwatch.people.com/2009/02/12/julianne-hough-to-dish-tough-dancing-love-to-chuck-wicks/ (http://tvwatch.people.com/2009/02/12/julianne-hough-to-dish-tough-dancing-love-to-chuck-wicks/)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on February 12, 2009, 01:30:41 PM
That's not all he can do. :lol:

 :groan: OMG he’s one crazy nut  :lol:
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on February 12, 2009, 01:41:50 PM
My pre-show picks to root for but reserve the right to change once the season kicks in...

Chuck/Julianne

Shawn/Mark

Nancy/Tony

Ty/Chelsie

I like Maksim but despise Denise so I won't root for her.

I love Lacey from last season (Lance was one of my faves) but don't know about Steve-O. Will have to see them on the floor to decide.
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on February 12, 2009, 08:42:10 PM

The newest Pro Dancer Chelsie Hightower ..... some more teasers Chelsie and Ty

(http://i389.photobucket.com/albums/oo334/marigoldrealityfanforum/ch1.jpg)  (http://i389.photobucket.com/albums/oo334/marigoldrealityfanforum/ch2.jpg)  (http://i389.photobucket.com/albums/oo334/marigoldrealityfanforum/ch3.jpg)  (http://i389.photobucket.com/albums/oo334/marigoldrealityfanforum/ch4.jpg)  (http://i389.photobucket.com/albums/oo334/marigoldrealityfanforum/ch5.jpg)

Random pic's

(http://i389.photobucket.com/albums/oo334/marigoldrealityfanforum/ch7.jpg)

(http://i389.photobucket.com/albums/oo334/marigoldrealityfanforum/ch6.jpg)

Video:

Chelsie Hightower (Audition) for So You Think You Can Dance


Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on February 12, 2009, 08:49:29 PM

The newest Pro Dancer Dmitry Chaplin

(http://i389.photobucket.com/albums/oo334/marigoldrealityfanforum/dimitri1.jpg)

(http://i389.photobucket.com/albums/oo334/marigoldrealityfanforum/dc1.jpg)

Video:

Dmitry Chaplin on So You Think You Can Dance



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KmuYwj6unik (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KmuYwj6unik)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on February 13, 2009, 11:10:47 AM

Dancing With The Stars Party At One Night Club


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BrU7N_eM8lc (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BrU7N_eM8lc)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on February 13, 2009, 05:14:17 PM
An interesting article:

Samantha Harris Dishes On New Dancing Cast

The new roster of Dancing With the Stars celebs and pro partners has been revealed, but what does co-host Samantha Harris think of the upcoming pairs?

"I think it's going to be an incredible season for personalities to shine — and maybe even clash," Harris said on the red carpet for The Heart Truth's Red Dress Collection 2009 fashion show.

"Going into season eight, we see some big names in their respective fields," Harris said of the athletes, actors and musicians slated for the March 9 premiere. "Of course this is a season of relationships.  We have three stages — from dating, to engaged, to married. So that's going to be interesting to see how that plays out, and whether it's working against each other or working as a team, like Julianne [Hough] and her boyfriend Chuck Wicks."

The co-host said Olympian Shawn Johnson may get the most scrutiny. "I think it's hard not to point out Shawn Johnson being that she's an Olympic gymnast. She has the grace and flexibility, but whether that translates to high heels and a ballroom floor is another story. The judges will probably be even harder on her because they have a higher expectation."

Former Dancing contestant Susan Lucci, who was also present at the event, also expressed her excitement for the new season. "Of course I'll be rooting for [my former partner] Tony Dovolani and Nancy O'Dell," said the All My Children actress. "They look great together and Tony's so wonderful. He so deserves to be right up there as a winner."

Link: http://www.tvguide.com/Dancing-Stars/Samantha-Harris-Dishes-1002908.aspx (http://www.tvguide.com/Dancing-Stars/Samantha-Harris-Dishes-1002908.aspx)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: tory on February 14, 2009, 09:49:07 AM
will i like denise.. i am routing for her i love julieann and derik so i will b routing for them, lacy was awsome last yr and irember the hightower girl also she is going to b a great addtion to the crew, lance and lacy where awsome last yr. give denise a chance she grows on u..i don't no who lil kim is but steve o (can't stand btw) is the jack ass guy.jmo he will go by by early on i hope..
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: TARAsia Fan on February 14, 2009, 10:32:27 AM
I may root for Jewel, but I still need to see the dancers. So far, no one has really grabbed me. Perhaps they could bring Cloris and her AARP/Grey Panthers coalition back. :lol:
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: tory on February 14, 2009, 12:20:32 PM
i like jewel also my now 21 yr old daughter asked for a jewel cd for christmas one yr she was like 9 or 10 it was jewel frist cd. loved it.. i was ment for u  and u were ment for meeee...... sing ;Ding lol
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on February 14, 2009, 12:31:48 PM

..... some more teasers  :lol:

(http://i389.photobucket.com/albums/oo334/marigoldrealityfanforum/md10.jpg)  (http://i389.photobucket.com/albums/oo334/marigoldrealityfanforum/md11.jpg)  (http://i389.photobucket.com/albums/oo334/marigoldrealityfanforum/md8.jpg)  (http://i389.photobucket.com/albums/oo334/marigoldrealityfanforum/md9.jpg)  (http://i389.photobucket.com/albums/oo334/marigoldrealityfanforum/md3.jpg)

(http://i389.photobucket.com/albums/oo334/marigoldrealityfanforum/md6.jpg)  (http://i389.photobucket.com/albums/oo334/marigoldrealityfanforum/md7.jpg)  (http://i389.photobucket.com/albums/oo334/marigoldrealityfanforum/md6.jpg)  (http://i389.photobucket.com/albums/oo334/marigoldrealityfanforum/md2.jpg)  (http://i389.photobucket.com/albums/oo334/marigoldrealityfanforum/md1.jpg)

Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on February 14, 2009, 12:45:40 PM

Teasers:  Denise and Maks

(http://i389.photobucket.com/albums/oo334/marigoldrealityfanforum/dm1.jpg)  (http://i389.photobucket.com/albums/oo334/marigoldrealityfanforum/dm2.jpg)  (http://i389.photobucket.com/albums/oo334/marigoldrealityfanforum/dm3.jpg)  (http://i389.photobucket.com/albums/oo334/marigoldrealityfanforum/dm4.jpg)  (http://i389.photobucket.com/albums/oo334/marigoldrealityfanforum/dm5.jpg)

Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on February 14, 2009, 02:28:16 PM

Access Hollywood with DWTS Nancy O'Dell & Tony Dovolani

They announce their first dance is a Romantic Waltz


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oymNAxasR6o&feature=subscription (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oymNAxasR6o&feature=subscription)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on February 16, 2009, 12:04:53 PM
An interesting article:

Ballas Hough Band Rocks DWTS Cast

The stars of Dancing with the Stars came out in droves last night to support pro partner regulars Mark Ballas and Derek Hough in their first ever Sunset Strip rock show as the Ballas Hough Band. That’s right, the two most recent Dancing champions and best friends are giving music a whirl, with an album due out March 10 on Hollywood Records. And dare we say, they’re pretty good! (Which shouldn’t come as a surprise considering both these guys are lifelong overachievers.)

Among the dancers and celebrities of seasons past sardined in the Roxy’s VIP area: Cheryl Burke, Tony Dovolani, Lance Bass, Kristi Yamaguchi, and Shannon Elizabeth, Hough’s current girlfriend. (It should also be noted that Ballas’ steady, recently disqualified American Idol contestant Joanna Pacitti, was also in the house, representing front and center.)

And in the crowd, one Steve O, who’s paired with Lacey Schwimmer on season 8 (premiering March 9). The Jackass star obliged a steady stream of autograph seekers all night long, making us wonder if he could end up being a popular contender. “So far, so good,” he told us after the show when asked about his first rehearsals. “It’s not easy, that’s for sure, but I’m looking forward to it.”

For now, a newly clean and sober Steve O added, he has no regrets about signing up. Hough, however, might be bemoaning his own scheduling challenges. He’s partnered with Lil’ Kim, and some four hours after taking his final rock star bow, was headed to the airport for a flight to New York so they could work on their routine. “I’ve only trained with her for, like, an hour,” he said, “but she’s awesome and so cool.”

Link: http://www.fancast.com/blogs/dancing-with-the-stars/ballas-hough-band-rocks-dwts-cast/ (http://www.fancast.com/blogs/dancing-with-the-stars/ballas-hough-band-rocks-dwts-cast/)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on February 16, 2009, 04:02:05 PM
from etonline.com

Shawn Johnson is not just the youngest contestant to ever put on her dancing shoes for "Dancing with the Stars," she is also the shortest. She tells ET's Thea Andrews all about the complications that is causing!

At 4 feet, 10 inches, Shawn Johnson, who turned 17 in January, was sure that her height would keep her from competing on the hit ABC series, so she says she was honored and surprised when they came to her with an offer.

She has been paired with Mark Ballas, who won the competition with Kristi Yamaguchi -- also an Olympic gold medalist, but says that he had to ask her to wear three-inch heels in order for them to partner up.

"I am used to being barefoot [to perform gymnastics], so it is awkward," she admits.

Shawn, who won her gold medal in Beijing last summer, says that the advantage to her being a gymnast is that she is used to long hours of practice, but she says that is where the advantages stop. Especially since her first dance is the Viennese Waltz.

"Our first dance is so smooth and elegant, and I'm used to really sharp powerful moves so it's a little hard," she tells Thea. "Ballroom dancing and gymnastics are completely different sports."

Look for Shawn and Mark to make their debut when "Dancing with the Stars" premieres on Monday, March 9 at 8 p.m. on ABC, but don't expect to see quite as much of her as the other competitors.

"They've actually said that since I'm younger I have to be a little more covered up than usual, just to make sure it's age appropriate, which I don't have a problem with, I'm used to being in a leotard, that's pretty revealing," she says.
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on February 16, 2009, 08:45:46 PM
An interesting article:

Julianne Hough Excited for 'Crazy' Dancing With Chuck Wicks

There's a new twist to ABC's 'Dancing with the Stars' this season. One of the couples really is a couple -- Julianne Hough and Chuck Wicks. In fact, fans of Hough should send Wicks a thank-you note, because it was after he came onboard as a contestant that she decided to do this season of the popular television show.

"I had already announced that I wasn't going to do this season, and then they asked Chuck to do the show," the two-time 'Dancing' winner explains. "A couple weeks later they called and asked me if I would be willing to dance with him."

Hough admits that at first she was hesitant to partner with her real-life partner, because she wasn't sure how it would work out. But then she realized all of the advantages to working with someone she knows so well.

"I can still write. I can still tour. I can still work on my next record if I dance with him, and I haven't been able to do that with my other partners," says the 20-year-old singer/dancer. "So I thought, 'Why don't we do this and I can take off next fall when my album comes out.' That way, I can promote it which is something I did not have a chance to do with my last record."

To the people who say she and Wicks may have an unfair advantage, Hough has three words: "Are you kidding?" She explains, "We don't have time to get in any extra practice -- we struggle to get in the normal amount of practice."

While she knows that some people will love the idea of boyfriend-girlfriend dance partners and others will hate it, Hough adds, "Chuck and I are gonna have a blast, and that is what the show is all about. Plus it gives us time to spend together. The season is going to fun and crazy and interesting and what everyone sees is what Chuck and I are finding out too."

Wicks and Hough are not the only couple dancing this season. Singer Jewel and husband and rodeo star Ty Murray will also compete; they just won't dance with each other. Jewel will dance with Dmitry Chaplin and Murray will partner with Chelsie Hightower. 'Dancing With the Stars' debuts its eighth season on March 9.

Link: http://www.theboot.com/2009/02/16/julianne-hough-excited-for-crazy-dancing-with-chuck-wicks (http://www.theboot.com/2009/02/16/julianne-hough-excited-for-crazy-dancing-with-chuck-wicks)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on February 16, 2009, 08:50:49 PM

Ty Murray's Blog:

Dancing king

There are more than 18 million people who watch "Dancing with the Stars," and in the past they've taken athletes from different sports — Jerry Rice, Emmitt Smith, Helio Castroneves, Apolo Anton Ohno — and this season, Lawrence Taylor and Olympic gymnast Shawn Johnson are going to be there with me, so it's nice that they look at our sport the same as they would football, racing, gymnastics, skating or any other sport.

To me, the amount of recognition that it's going to bring cowboys and the sport of professional bull riding is going to be tremendous. I think the crew is going to be coming with me to Oklahoma City this weekend.

When you have that many people watching a TV show, they might ask, "Who is this guy? What does he do?" And then they might see a clip from Oklahoma City and say, "Wow, I have to check that out."

First of all, I think it's something that will be a fun challenge that Jewel and I can do together as husband and wife. Not a lot of people get this opportunity, let alone have the chance to go through it with their spouse.

And then on top of that, like I said, the amount of exposure for the cowboy and the PBR is tremendous.

I've talked with some of the other athletes and people that have done it, and I haven't heard anything but great things about the crew and the whole experience, but they claim it is very hard and very challenging, with very rigorous training.

I think that just by the nature of how competitive Jewel and I are that we'll probably have to bear down and take a go at it.

Being that it's a contest that America votes on, it'll also be interesting to see what the cowboy or bull riding fan power is like.

I couldn't be further out of my element. In fact, you couldn't dream up something that would put me further out of my element. But at the same time, it looks to me like it could be about being coached, and about being able to use the same things I did in riding — working at it and training.

I say that cold, because I've never watched the show. I've heard about it, because, I mean, you would have to live in a cave not to have heard about it.

It really does look like it could be the same thing — just in a different environment — and at the end of the day, it's about learning the correct timing, balance and posture from a coach.

Like I said, I heard that it's rigorous and challenging, but not many people get an opportunity like this, especially with their spouse, and, for me, it all begins today.

I have a crew coming to my house this afternoon to scout the ranch, and then I'm going to meet my partner, here at the ranch, tomorrow.

We'll start practicing right away, and then I fly to Los Angeles so we can film some things for the show. Then my partner is going to fly with me to Oklahoma City. I'll practice in the morning and then work the telecast at night.

After Oklahoma City, I'll fly back to the ranch. Both our partners will live in Stephenville, so we'll be able to practice whenever and as much as we need to. They'll have two studios, and Jewel and I will practice separately.

We both hope that if one of us gets voted off, we both get voted off, and if one of us stays, both of us are able to stay.

It's a long, rigorous deal.

If I get canned the first week, she'll be out there for however long she stays on the show; out there in L.A., while I'll be back home running the ranch (or vice versa).

Who knows what to expect. We're just going to go at it like we do everything else.

Link: http://sports.espn.go.com/rodeo/general/news/story?id=3899762 (http://sports.espn.go.com/rodeo/general/news/story?id=3899762)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on February 16, 2009, 09:16:11 PM
An interesting article:

Nancy O’Dell’s First ‘Dancing’ Dance: The Waltz

She’s still a few weeks away from making her “Dancing With the Stars” debut, but Access Hollywood’s Nancy O’Dell has already got her first dance lined up.

Nancy and professional partner Tony Dovolani will take on the waltz for their first dance together – and Nancy is gearing up for the challenge.

“I think the waltz is the toughest one to start with because it is supposed to be very formal and proper and, therefore, feels rigid,” Nancy said. “Plus, there is so much to think about when you are doing it!”

And if enduring the grueling practice sessions each day, besides hosting Access, wasn’t enough – she’s trying to learn a dance she’s never tried before.

“I have never waltzed before because I have never danced before – period!” Nancy added.

Catch Nancy’s dancing debut when the new season of “Dancing With the Stars” bows on March 9 on ABC.

Link: http://www.accesshollywood.com/nancy-odells-first-dancing-dance-the-waltz_article_14484 (http://www.accesshollywood.com/nancy-odells-first-dancing-dance-the-waltz_article_14484)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on February 18, 2009, 10:14:29 AM
ABC released the official promo pictures of the dancing teams for the upcoming season.....

credit with thanks to etonline.com

Denise & Maksim

(http://i212.photobucket.com/albums/cc289/CuteboiWill/400_mchmerkovskiy_drichards_dwts_02.jpg)

Chuck & Julianne

(http://i212.photobucket.com/albums/cc289/CuteboiWill/400_jhough_cwicks_dwts_021709_abc_c.jpg)

Shawn & Mark

(http://i212.photobucket.com/albums/cc289/CuteboiWill/400_mballas_sjohnson_dwts_021709_ab.jpg)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on February 18, 2009, 10:20:13 AM
continued....

Steve-O & Lacey

(http://i212.photobucket.com/albums/cc289/CuteboiWill/400_lschwimmer_steveo_dwts_021709_a.jpg)

Steve & Karina

(http://i212.photobucket.com/albums/cc289/CuteboiWill/400_ksmirnoff_swozniak_dwts_021709_.jpg)

David & Kym

(http://i212.photobucket.com/albums/cc289/CuteboiWill/400_kjohnson_dagrier_dwts_021709_ab.jpg)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on February 18, 2009, 10:25:06 AM
continued...

Belinda & Jonathan

(http://i212.photobucket.com/albums/cc289/CuteboiWill/400_jroberts_bcarlisle_dwts_021709_.jpg)

Lawrence & Edyta

(http://i212.photobucket.com/albums/cc289/CuteboiWill/400_esliwinska_ltaylor_dwts_021709_.jpg)

Lil' Kim & Derek

(http://i212.photobucket.com/albums/cc289/CuteboiWill/400_dhough_lkim_dwts_021709_abc_csj.jpg)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on February 18, 2009, 10:31:43 AM
continued...

Nancy & Tony

(http://i212.photobucket.com/albums/cc289/CuteboiWill/nancy_odell300x400.jpg)

Jewel & Dmitry

(http://i212.photobucket.com/albums/cc289/CuteboiWill/400_dchaplin_jewel_dwts_021709_abc_.jpg)

Ty & Chelsie

(http://i212.photobucket.com/albums/cc289/CuteboiWill/400_chightower_tmurray_dwts_021709_.jpg)

Gilles & Cheryl

(http://i212.photobucket.com/albums/cc289/CuteboiWill/400_cburke_gmarini_dwts_021709_abc_.jpg)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: tory on February 18, 2009, 10:51:48 AM
awsome pic's will ty
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on February 18, 2009, 11:10:33 AM
I can't find Nancy and Tony's picture and will post once I find it. That's odd if I got all the others.
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: TARAsia Fan on February 18, 2009, 11:15:30 AM
I'll tell you why. ET will not cover Access Hollywood's Nancy O'Dell. And it won't talk to her after each show is done. That's why I'm kind of rooting for Nancy to make it to the finals to see if ET will finally mention her.
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on February 18, 2009, 11:19:48 AM
I'll tell you why. ET will not cover Access Hollywood's Nancy O'Dell. And it won't talk to her after each show is done. That's why I'm kind of rooting for Nancy to make it to the finals to see if ET will finally mention her.

I never thought about that but it does make sense. I'll find it elsewhere. Thanks, TARAsia!
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: tory on February 18, 2009, 11:51:32 AM
ooohhh good one tar.. i dvr access just in case i want to watch star news. most days it doen't get watched, but i did watch it the other day and nancy got in this bubble thing it was cute i love her and billy bush.. i was getting tired of et and the show after it showing what was comming next like way more than the actual story. it was getting on my dvring nerves..
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on February 19, 2009, 01:20:28 AM
found the pix of nancy and tony and added it to the others in earlier posts
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: Kiwi Jay on February 19, 2009, 02:21:30 AM
Love em
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on February 19, 2009, 12:13:01 PM
from etonline.com

Cheryl Burke and Gilles Marini Heat Up 'DWTS' Rehearsals



You saw him sizzle in last Summer's big-screen hit 'Sex and the City' playing the hunky next-door neighbor of Kim Cattrall's character Samantha, and now handsome actor Gilles Marini is rehearsing for his dance floor debut on 'Dancing With The Stars.' ET is with Gilles and his pro partner Cheryl Burke as they prep for the big show!

The French-born actor has worked as a model and has appeared in such TV shows as "Ugly Betty," "Dirty Sexy Money" and "Criminal Minds."

Click to watch two-time "Dancing" champ Cheryl tell ET what the duo has in store for the hot new season of 'Dancing With The Stars,' which kicks off March 9 on ABC.


http://www.etonline.com/news/2009/02/70918/index.html
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on February 20, 2009, 02:47:11 PM
from etonline.com

New Video: 'Dancing' with Denise Richards & Maksim Chmerkovskiy


Denise Richards and "Dancing" pro Maksim Chmerkovskiy are teaming up on the new season of "DWTS," but how's their chemistry so far? ET takes you inside the duo's rehearsal!

Click the video for Denise's take on how her daughters feel about her being on the show. Plus, Maksim tells us the latest on his wedding plans with fellow pro Karina Smirnoff -- who, along with celeb teammate Steve Wozniak, will be competing against Maksim and Denise!

Catch the season premiere of "DWTS" on Monday, March 9, at 8 p.m. Eastern on ABC.

http://www.etonline.com/news/2009/02/70981/index.html

Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on February 21, 2009, 12:44:20 AM
from people.com

Cheryl Burke's New Man: Model Maxwell Zagorski

(http://i212.photobucket.com/albums/cc289/CuteboiWill/burke_zagorski.jpg)

Dancing with the Stars two-time champ Cheryl Burke has a new spring in her step – thanks to a new man in her life.

Burke is enjoying a budding romance with Abercrombie & Fitch model Maxwell Zagorski, her rep confirms to PEOPLE. The couple, who recently stepped out together in Hollywood, have been dating for several months.

Burke, 24 and Zagorski, 21, "were introduced by Lance Bass, a few months ago when she was on tour," a friend close to the couple tells PEOPLE. "She seems to be pretty happy."

Burke will compete on the upcoming season of DWTS with model/actor Gilles Marini as her partner.

http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20260542,00.html
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on February 21, 2009, 08:09:57 PM
Julianne posted a blog on her myspace:

I'm a HORRIBLE blogger!!!!!

Hey guys,
yes it's really me! i know it's even hard for me to believe! lol how sad is this, i forgot how to post a blog because it's been so long i actually had to have Chuck show me how to do it! ha ha

where should i begin... ok, i think everyone knows i'm back on dwts this season. it was a last minute deal. i was set on taking this season off and then last minute the show asked me to do it because they had asked Chuck to do it and they thought it would be cool if we danced together... at first i still said no because i wanted to focus on my music BUT then i thought about it for a day and figured this out. i can still write, go on tour and work on Julianne Hough the country singer because chuck will be my partner and that will be a huge luxury. Also, if i would have taken this season off i would have had to go back on the fall season when i will be trying to promote a new single off of my new record so it would have been harder to do that if i was on the show.. i don't know if i'm making sense, but i wanted to clear that up with everyone, i know there had been some confusion, and the LAST thing i want to do is confuse my fans. you guys have been supportive of me from the beginning..... i can't thank you enough!!!

ok, so now i can go on to talk about rehearsal.. ha ha it has been so much fun and really hillarious to see chuck try to dance ha ha.. even thinking about it is funny! he is actually doing very well though.. i was really surprised! Today it was a great day, we TOTALLY fell on our butts.. lol that will definitely make it in our package the first week.... ha ha
it has been a little challenging trying to find studios that have mirrors and wood floors on the road.. i think we actually rehearsed at a theatre on a college campus....
SIDE NOTE : Jerry, chuck's tour manager, and chuck are totally dancing on the bus right now! Jerry was being the girl.. ha ha ha really funny thought i would tell you guys.

ok what else,.... lexi bexi is laying on my lap right now and snoring so loud it's awesome!!! i have never loved something so much as i love my little girl... i kiss her more than she kisses me... lol

All week i've been on the road with Chuck practicing and then going to his shows.. not gonna lie, i've been a getting a little antzy cause i haven't had a show PLUS i'm on a bus with even more guys than are on my bus, so i'm going a little coo coo!! my highlight of today was going to walgreens and getting a BUNCH of makeup and girly stuff like that just to feel like a girl again...

ok chuck is getting a little offended now cause he's reading this over my shoulder ha ha
i'm going to get ready to go watch him ROCK his show tonight... i'll be flying to Des Moines tomorrow for a show with Toby Keith so i'll try to write another blog tomorrow :)

thanks for all your support you guys are the best EVER!!!!!


OH yeah, i feel weird asking for this BUT.. I was fortunate enough to make the ballot for Top New Female Vocalist for the ACM's this year and the best part is, it's fan voted so if you guys want to see me up there in vegas on april 5th, go to GACTV.com and vote :) thanks a bunch, you guys are the best!!

JH

http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=191068936&blogID=472264042
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on February 21, 2009, 10:58:29 PM
From people.com

Lacey Schwimmer Dishes on Dancing with Jackass Star Steve-O

In 2008, dancer Lacey Schwimmer went from So You Think You Can Dance veteran to Dancing With the Stars newbie with a few fleet turns of the foot. And in a stellar showing, she took Lance Bass all the way to the finals before going on a nationwide tour with the show. Back for season 8, Lacey is partnered with comedian Steve-O and spoke with PEOPLE about why she was wrong about the Jackass star, whether they have any stunts planned and why she thinks they’ll do well in the competition.

So let us have it — how’s Steve-O?
Steve-O is a workhorse. He is here everyday, five hours. He says, “Is five hours enough, Lacey? Do you think I need more than that?” So he’s just such a hard worker and we’re in very intense rehearsals everyday.

Were you worried that because of his history he wouldn’t be the most disciplined partner?
Absolutely, and that’s what I thought going into it, too. I was like, “Oh, man. He’s not going to want to practice and this, that and the other.” But I walked in and the first thing he said to me was, “I’m taking this very seriously. So you’re the boss. You tell me what to do. I’ll do whatever you want.” Ever since, he’s been such a great person to work with.

Were you surprised?
It’s funny because he’s been eleven months sober from drugs and alcohol and so I think his mind is now thinking, “I really have to now achieve this goal. I have to do this.” His head is really clear. I look up to him in that sense because as hard as he’s working on so many things, I feel like I should be working harder. I wasn’t expecting how nice of a guy he turned out to be and how much of a gentleman and how adorable he is. He’s so sweet and so cute and everyone who meets him just falls in love with him.

Does he have any dance experience?
He comes from a background of circus training. He graduated clown school, I believe, and he has these really interesting tricks that he can do that I’ve never seen anyone on the show do before. So we’re definitely going to try and incorporate what he already can do and I’m trying to develop things that he could potentially do.

How about incorporating elements of Jackass into your routines?
Of course! He’s already told me things that he’s wanting to do on the set. I’m like, “You have to remember that this is live television and it’s ABC Family. I don’t know if me kicking you in a certain area would look good on TV.” He’s having fun and has great ideas and is a really creative guy. We’re both so silly and we love to laugh and have a good time. I get him. I get his humor and I understand what he’s thinking. We work really well together.

What do you think are your chances?
I think he’s this little dark horse of the competition. People don’t really know what to expect from him … I keep getting these messages on Myspace or on Facebook and they’re like, ‘Oh, man, you and Steve-O. I’m so sorry.’ I look at them and think they have no idea about this guy.


http://tvwatch.people.com/2009/02/20/lacey-schwimmer-dishes-on-dancing-with-jackass-star-steve-o/
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: tory on February 22, 2009, 10:18:00 AM
From people.com

Lacey Schwimmer Dishes on Dancing with Jackass Star Steve-O

In 2008, dancer Lacey Schwimmer went from So You Think You Can Dance veteran to Dancing With the Stars newbie with a few fleet turns of the foot. And in a stellar showing, she took Lance Bass all the way to the finals before going on a nationwide tour with the show. Back for season 8, Lacey is partnered with comedian Steve-O and spoke with PEOPLE about why she was wrong about the Jackass star, whether they have any stunts planned and why she thinks they’ll do well in the competition.

So let us have it — how’s Steve-O?
Steve-O is a workhorse. He is here everyday, five hours. He says, “Is five hours enough, Lacey? Do you think I need more than that?” So he’s just such a hard worker and we’re in very intense rehearsals everyday.

Were you worried that because of his history he wouldn’t be the most disciplined partner?
Absolutely, and that’s what I thought going into it, too. I was like, “Oh, man. He’s not going to want to practice and this, that and the other.” But I walked in and the first thing he said to me was, “I’m taking this very seriously. So you’re the boss. You tell me what to do. I’ll do whatever you want.” Ever since, he’s been such a great person to work with.

Were you surprised?
It’s funny because he’s been eleven months sober from drugs and alcohol and so I think his mind is now thinking, “I really have to now achieve this goal. I have to do this.” His head is really clear. I look up to him in that sense because as hard as he’s working on so many things, I feel like I should be working harder. I wasn’t expecting how nice of a guy he turned out to be and how much of a gentleman and how adorable he is. He’s so sweet and so cute and everyone who meets him just falls in love with him.

Does he have any dance experience?
He comes from a background of circus training. He graduated clown school, I believe, and he has these really interesting tricks that he can do that I’ve never seen anyone on the show do before. So we’re definitely going to try and incorporate what he already can do and I’m trying to develop things that he could potentially do.

How about incorporating elements of Jackass into your routines?
Of course! He’s already told me things that he’s wanting to do on the set. I’m like, “You have to remember that this is live television and it’s ABC Family. I don’t know if me kicking you in a certain area would look good on TV.” He’s having fun and has great ideas and is a really creative guy. We’re both so silly and we love to laugh and have a good time. I get him. I get his humor and I understand what he’s thinking. We work really well together.

What do you think are your chances?
I think he’s this little dark horse of the competition. People don’t really know what to expect from him … I keep getting these messages on Myspace or on Facebook and they’re like, ‘Oh, man, you and Steve-O. I’m so sorry.’ I look at them and think they have no idea about this guy.


http://tvwatch.people.com/2009/02/20/lacey-schwimmer-dishes-on-dancing-with-jackass-star-steve-o/


i am not a fan of steve o , my son who is 18 now loved those jackass vid's. and has problly all of them in his room. he bought them with his hard earned money. then he bought a vid cam and him and his friends started making thease vids them selfs. a lot of us parents did not no they were doing it and by the time we fuigure it out severl of them had broken legs arms. once we caught them jummping out a 2 story window. i am sooo thankful none of them were killed. they were doing some dangerous things, trying to b the next jackass producer..i love love lacy but they will not get my vote this year i don't care how good they r.
i am not loling after that they went on to try to b ultamet fighters. boys will b boys i get that but they don't need ppl showing them how to try to get killed, cause some one thinks it is funny. ok getting down of soap box now..
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on February 25, 2009, 02:26:20 AM
Julianne Hough explains her "surprise" 'Dancing with the Stars' return


Julianne Hough has offered an explanation as to why she flip-flopped when it came to competing on Dancing with the Stars upcoming eighth season -- claiming she almost wasn't even swayed by the opportunity to be partnered with boyfriend Chuck Wicks.

"It was a last minute deal.  I was set on taking this season off and then last minute the show asked me to do it because they had asked Chuck to do it and they thought it would be cool if we danced together," Hough wrote on Saturday on her MySpace blog.

"At first I still said no because I wanted to focus on my music BUT then I thought about it for a day and figured this out. I can still write, go on tour and work on Julianne Hough the country singer because Chuck will be my partner and that will be a huge luxury."

"Julianne Hough the country singer" was originally the reason behind Hough's November announcement that she would not compete in the show's eighth season.  Hough had called the decision "final" at the time and stated it was because she wanted to focus on her singing career and be "taken seriously" as a musician.

However she quickly changed her tune following last fall's Dancing with the Stars seventh-season finale broadcast.

"I may have put my foot in my mouth when I said I wasn't going to come back next season.  I just meant that maybe I'll come back next season, maybe I won't," she said at the time.  "Maybe I'll take a season off here -- like maybe this [spring] one, maybe the one in the fall.  But [I'm] definitely going to take one off to focus on the music."

Earlier this month, Wicks -- a country musician who has been dating Hough since last summer -- was revealed as a Dancing with the Stars eighth-season celebrity participant and Hough was announced as his partner.

In addition, Hough cited her need to take the show's Fall 2009 edition off as another reason as to why she's participating in its spring season, which will debut March 9.

"If I would have taken this season off I would have had to go back on the fall season when I will be trying to promote a new single off of my new record so it would have been harder to do that if I was on the show," Hough wrote on her blog, apparently oblivious of the irony that Wicks' own Dancing with the Stars participation implies that his management has determined the show is a better promotional vehicle than the more typical promotional activities she is planning to leave the show to do.

Hough added that the reason for explaining her thinking was to keep fans in the loop as to why she's changed her mind.

"I wanted to clear that up with everyone, I know there had been some confusion, and the LAST thing I want to do is confuse my fans," she wrote.  "You guys have been supportive of me from the beginning..... I can't thank you enough!!!"

http://www.realitytvworld.com/news/julianne-hough-explains-her-surprise-dancing-with-stars-return-8498.php
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on February 25, 2009, 09:50:47 AM
Derek posted a blog on his myspace:

   
Rehearsing with LIL KIM


Hello everyone... I haven't been on here for a while so I thought I would write a little something to let you know whats been going on....
I'm in New York City at the moment training up my new partner for this season of DWTS, none other than the wonderful LIL KIM... I'm happy to say that she has surpassed my expectations so far and think she will surprise a lot of people.
I have been a tourist in the city while I have been here, taking pictures and seeing all the wonderful shows. But I am ready to go back to LA.
I love working with LIL KIM she is so unbelievably nice and intuitive, she has been a great student.
I miss playing with the band and cant wait to play every week at the Grove next to CBS studios in LA, so we can keep up our chops during DWTS and meet everyone who comes....
I'm not very good at this blogging thing, but hope you enjoyed a quick personal update.
Have a wonderful day or night .

Derek

http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=30371912&blogID=472983157
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on February 26, 2009, 01:26:50 AM
Injured Jewel Worried About Dancing Future

Could Jewel’s Dancing future be over before the competition even begins?

With the premiere of Dancing with the Stars less than two weeks away, the singer has already been sidelined with this season’s first injury.

“I guess I really over did it on the rehearsal front!” the singer wrote on her blog (in an entry titled The Bee’s Knee) posted on Wednesday. “My knees have been hurting so badly that I finally broke down and talked to [husband Ty Murray] knee doctor yesterday.”

And the prognosis wasn’t good: “He said I have tendonitis in my knees and that I have to start a course of medicine to try and bring the swelling down,” she writes.

The worst part of getting bum knees: staying off her feet for a few days and not hitting the rehearsal studio with her partner, newcomer Dmitry Chaplin, to practice their first dance, the cha cha.

“I’m just worried I won’t even be able to dance!” the singer continues. “Hopefully these steroids will really do the trick and I can keep bad flare ups at a [sic] bay in the future.”

While Murray, who is also competing in this season’s DWTS, had warned her to not overdo it (”now he got a big ol’ ‘I told you so’), the singer writes: “But my Russian partner and I have the same work ethic and our motto has been ATTACK!! Well, it bit me in the behind, so I will have to bide my time and practice my moves in my head.”

And later Wednesday, she released a statement expressing more optimism.

“Yes it is true, I’ve had a minor setback in my training for Dancing with the Stars,” she said. “But I am dedicated to getting better and showing the judges and America that I can cha-cha with the best of them. Don’t count me out as I am in this for the long run.”

http://tvwatch.people.com/2009/02/25/jewel-worried-she-wont-be-dancing/
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on February 26, 2009, 01:52:13 AM
New Couple Alert: Dancing’s Mark Ballas & Idol’s Joanna Pacitti!

(http://img2.timeinc.net/people/i/2009/news/090309/mark_ballas.jpg)

It’s a match made in a reality TV heaven: Dancing with the Stars‘ Mark Ballas and former American Idol contestant Joanna Pacitti are a couple!

“She is the most supportive person in my life and she’s been great,” Ballas, 22, told PEOPLE Tuesday at the Jonas Brothers: The 3D Concert Experience world premiere in Hollywood. “We get to spend a lot of time together [and] we do pretty much everything together.”

Although the two have “been friends for a long time,” the Dancing pro says they only recently started dating eight months ago — when Ballas was training with season 6 champ Kristi Yamaguchi in North Carolina, where Pacitti was living at the time — and clicked because of their similarities.

“We both love music, we both love art, we both love dance,” explains Ballas, whose album BHB with best friend and fellow Dancing pro Derek Hough is coming out Mar. 10. “That’s what we’re all about so we are always there for each other.”

“I think we have the perfect situation,” Pacitti, 24, told PEOPLE. “We both get each other and understand schedules and even on a musical level, I’ve never met someone that’s so passionate about music…that’s what I live for so it’s amazing to be with someone who gets it.”

Pacitti, who auditioned for this season’s American Idol and made the Top 36, was dropped from the show because producers had “determined [she] is ineligible to continue in the competition,” FOX said in a statement. The Idol hopeful had previous record deals and reportedly knew executives at 19 Entertainment, one of the companies involved with the show.

Still, Pacitti has no hard feelings about leaving Idol. “I actually had an amazing time on the show and I met some amazing friends…Everything happens for a reason and it’s opened up a lot of opportunities.”

Adds Ballas, “I think she is amazingly talented and has the most beautiful voice. I tell her, ‘Keep your head up, keep going strong, never give up’ and I’m just here to hold her hand.”




http://tvwatch.people.com/2009/02/25/new-couple-alert-dancings-mark-ballas-idols-joanna-pacitti/
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on February 27, 2009, 12:29:24 AM
Belinda Carlisle Has the 'Dancing with the Stars' Beat

We all know that Belinda Carlisle has got the beat -- but can she translate it to ballroom dancing when she partners with Jonathan Roberts for the new season of "Dancing with the Stars"?

"I've never done anything choreographed before so I'm stepping out of my safe little world," the lead singer of the Go-Gos tells ET.

The 50-year-old adds, "I have noticed from the first few weeks of doing this, it's very hard -- especially when you're my age. It's a lot more difficult for me than Shawn Johnson who is 17."

Belinda is also taking a page from former "Dancing with the Stars" competitor Marie Osmond in that she has the same partner, is on the NutriSystem diet and will be juggling concert dates at the same time she is on the hit ABC series.

"I figure if Marie can do this and shows at the same time so can I. She's my role model right now," she says. Then she jokes, "I can eat a lot more NutriSystem snacks now. It all helps and I love to eat."

Belinda, who lives in France, says that she previously watched the show by satellite with her husband and son.

"My son is thrilled. My husband's thrilled. My husband's so nervous, though. He's not coming out to see it because he's too scared."

"Dancing with the Stars" premieres Monday, March 9 at 8 p.m. on ABC.

http://www.etonline.com/news/2009/02/71218/index.html
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on February 27, 2009, 01:49:43 AM
'DWTS'' Derek Hough Says Lil' Kim to 'Surprise' Viewers

Last season's "Dancing With The Stars" champ Derek Hough is opening up about his new "DWTS" partner Lil' Kim -- dishing about how it is to work with the hip hop artist and how the duo have been getting along so far!

On a new MySpace.com blog entitled "Rehearsing with Lil' Kim," Derek calls his new partner "unbelievably nice and intuitive," adding that she is a "great student."

Derek writes:

"…I'm in New York City at the moment training up my new partner for this season of DWTS, none other than the wonderful LIL KIM... I'm happy to say that she has surpassed my expectations so far and think she will surprise a lot of people. I have been a tourist in the city while I have been here, taking pictures and seeing all the wonderful shows. But I am ready to go back to LA. I love working with LIL KIM she is so unbelievably nice and intuitive, she has been a great student…."

http://www.etonline.com/news/2009/02/71227/index.html
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on February 27, 2009, 02:15:32 AM
Ty Murray’s Dancing Strategy: Get Wife Jewel Pregnant

She may have tendonitis in her knee, but Jewel is on the mend.

“I went to the physical therapist yesterday and I can say that I am feeling better!” the Dancing with the Stars contestant wrote Thursday on her blog. “He said if I take time now to heal I will be good to go by next week.”

That’s good news for the singer — “I hate missing these days, but it’s all for the best in the long run,” she continued, “because I’m in it for the long haul and I wanna win it” — but not so great for her rodeo star husband Ty Murray, who will compete against her in the ballroom.

But Murray has a plan.

“Ty said he thinks his best chance of beating me is if I get pregnant during the show so I would be too tired to dance,” Jewel writes. “Talk about a strategy! Of course, that would be fine with me if it did happen, so either way would be a win!”

http://tvwatch.people.com/2009/02/26/ty-murrays-dancing-strategy-get-wife-jewel-pregnant/
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on February 28, 2009, 01:34:04 AM
Gilles Marini's 'Dancing with the Stars' Setback?

ET confirms that 'Sex and the City' hunk Gilles Marini has experienced a bit of a setback while rehearsing for the premiere of the new season of "Dancing with the Stars." Will he still be able to compete?


"Gilles has tendonitis in his groin and shoulder," a rep for the star tells ET. "He is in excellent shape and will be fine."

Gilles is partnered with pro dancer Cheryl Burke. Catch the them both when "Dancing with the Stars" returns on Monday, March 9!

http://www.etonline.com/news/2009/02/71268/index.html
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on February 28, 2009, 01:50:30 AM
Dancing’s Gilles Marini Injured

Is there a Dancing with the Stars curse in the works for season eight? Actor Gilles Marini sought medical treatment after feeling pain in his groin area at rehearsal on Friday afternoon, his rep confirms to PEOPLE.

The Sex and the City: The Movie star and his partner, two-time Dancing champ Cheryl Burke, were rehearsing when he felt a sharp pain in his groin.

Marini, 33, sought medical treatment and his rep says doctors determined the actor has tendonitis in his groin and shoulder.

Despite the setback, “We’re pretty confident he’ll be fine for premiere night,” his rep Jana Davidoff tells People.com. “He’s in great shape. He’ll be fine.”

This is the second injured celebrity this year. Singer Jewel sought attention for a knee injury earlier this week, but plans to hit the ballroom floor when Dancing’s eighth season kicks off on March 9 on ABC.

News of Marini’s injury broke on E! Online.

http://tvwatch.people.com/2009/02/27/dancin
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: TARAsia Fan on February 28, 2009, 10:18:06 AM
Jewel's hurt. Gilles is hurt. Does it occur to the producers that they might be pushing too hard?
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on February 28, 2009, 09:49:49 PM
Julianne's latest blog:

I won't be able to get in because i'm only 20.....

Hey guys,
im at Joe's Bar in Chicago with Chuck tonight.. he is doing a show here. i never really thought about it this way, but all these bars and club dates that i've been to with chuck and obviously played myself are 21 and over. ha ha the fact that i am still 20 means i need to put an X on my hand with permanent marker.. oh well.. this show is going to be great! it's the first show that DWTS will be filming on the road.
we practiced today after we had a break for 3 1/2 days (we both had separate shows on the same days in different cities) so we are a little behind, but i'm sure we will be back on track in no time...
we go back to nashville tonight on the bus and will be there this whole week practicing and participating in CRS (country radio seminar) it will be really busy but really fun too!
we can't wait to get out to la next week and show off our mad dancin skills ha ha, but no really we are really excited and hopefully you will all like what you see....
i posted a little video (yes i did it myself can you believe it??? ha ha) from rehearsal today.. we will try to maybe show you a little dancing in our next video... so keep tuning in...

well im gonna go get ready, who knows i may just get up on stage and sing a song tonight!! :)

talk to you all soon
JH

Julianne and Chuck Practicing in Chicago

http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=191068936&blogID=473768159
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on March 05, 2009, 01:15:07 AM
Belinda Carlisle Reveals Her Dancing Problem — Spinning

(http://i212.photobucket.com/albums/cc289/CuteboiWill/belinda_carlisle240x320.jpg)

It was only after Belinda Carlisle had accepted a spot on Dancing with the Stars that she realized she might have a problem with a crucial dance step–the spin.

“Spinning,” says Carlisle, 50, the oldest female contestant of the group. “I can’t even look at a merry-go-round without getting dizzy.”

Despite that little hitch, the former lead singer of the ’80s band The Go-Go’s says she is ready to give ballroom dance a whirl even though “I’ve never done anything so strenuous.”

She rehearses with partner Jonathan Roberts five hours a day, six days a week. And while many past contestants have been known to lose weight during the course of the show, Carlisle, who is this year’s face of NutriSystem, says she’s not looking to lose drop any pounds off her petite frame.

“I’m eating like a pig,” she laughs. “I’ve already lost two pounds.”

And though she’ll have to wait till next Monday (8 p.m. EST on ABC) to go toe to toe against the other celebrity contestants, she has met one competitor, Jackass star Steve-O, who asked to use the Go-Go’s hit, “We’ve Got the Beat.”

“I was thinking, ‘What dance are you going to do to that?’” says Carlisle, “Given it’s Steve-O, it can be anything.”

http://tvwatch.people.com/2009/03/04/belinda-carlisle-reveals-her-dancing-problem-spinning/
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: puddin on March 05, 2009, 01:25:28 AM
From next weeks tvguide  :waves:

(http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b105/rawalsh/misc/rff-0070.jpg)
(http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b105/rawalsh/misc/rff-0072.jpg)
(http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b105/rawalsh/misc/rff-0073.jpg)
(http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b105/rawalsh/misc/rff-0074-1.jpg)
(http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b105/rawalsh/misc/rff-0075-1.jpg)
(http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b105/rawalsh/misc/rff-0076-1.jpg)
(http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b105/rawalsh/misc/rff-0077.jpg)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: puddin on March 05, 2009, 11:07:29 AM
tvguide has a photo gallery

http://www.tvguide.com/PhotoGallery/Dancing-Stars-2009-1002555/1.aspx
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on March 05, 2009, 02:36:43 PM
Jewel's out, Holly in???


Holly Madison's Quick Step to Dancing

The bunny hop is coming to Dancing With the Stars

Sources confirm that Girl Next Door Holly Madison will replace Jewel in the new season of ABC's hit reality competition show.

I'm told that the Jewel-Madison switcheroo happened pretty quickly, too.

Madison agreed to join the celeb dance-off on Monday, and by yesterday she was already rehearsing at an L.A. studio with partner Dmitry Chaplin

Although Jewel insisted that a case of tendinitis in her knees would not sideline her, doctors have apparently told the songbird to hang up her dancing shoes.

Reps for Madison, Jewel and ABC declined to comment.

The gig could be just the thing for Madison right now to help get her mind off of ex-boyfriend Criss Angel

She and the Mindfreak showman split in late February. Madison had spent most of the last four months in Las Vegas to be by his side, but she returned to L.A. late last month as a single woman.

http://tv.yahoo.com/dancing-with-the-stars/show/38356/news/urn:newsml:tv.eonline.com:20090304:102750__ER:20854
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on March 05, 2009, 02:53:06 PM
Holly Madison to Compete on 'Dancing With the Stars'

UPDATE: A source confirms to Celebuzz that bunny Holly Madison will indeed be added to the DWTS cast.

Moreso, ABC initially intended to announce her arrival this coming Monday.

When contacted for comment, a show rep explained the network had "no comment."

Holly Madison might be flying solo in her personal life right now, but she'll be hooking up with a professional partner soon enough—as a contestant on the upcoming episode of Dancing With the Stars.

Us Magazine reports that the Girls Next Door alum will be joining Jackass daredevil Steve-O and the rest of the crew on Season 8 of the popular show, which debuts March 9.

Though ABC has not yet commented on Madison's addition, they may be bringing her on to replace slated contestant Jewel, who recently experienced knee problems that threaten her participation.

Good luck, Holly—and whatever you do, be careful!

http://www.celebuzz.com/holly-madison-compete-dancing-stars-s90731/
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on March 05, 2009, 02:55:35 PM
Dancing's Cheryl & Gilles Already Starting Rumors

Gilles Marini and Cheryl Burke are ready for the romance rumors to begin as soon as the new season of Dancing With the Stars kicks off next week.

"I keep saying, after we dance, a lot of new babies are going to happen," Gilles, 33, tells me in his thick French accent during one of his now daily rehearsals with Burke in a Hollywood dance studio.

Burke adds, "He's married and I have a boyfriend, so bring it on! We want people to think something is going on on the dance floor. You want people to be so uncomfortable watching it because we are going to be so sexy."

That shouldn't be too hard to achieve.

Not only is Marini charming (and it's not just because of his accent!), but he's model-hot with a killer body.

And then, of course, there's his now legendary manhood that was displayed on the big screen during a shower scene he had as Samantha's always naked neighbor Dante in the Sex and the City movie.

Burke knows sex sells—or at least would help Marini get some extra votes.

Just hours before our chat, Marini had a fitting for his first outfits on DWTS. "I told the guy to make everything as tight as possible," Burke says with a laugh.

Sounds like he followed her directions. "It's tight," Marini says. "I'm going to have to tape my thing close to my thigh so it won't show."

What he really wants to be showing off when DWTS's eighth season premieres on Monday night are the cha-cha and quick step that he and Burke have been working on for about three weeks now.

"I have two or three left feet," Marini says. "But it's such a thrill. It's a great experience. I do not want it to stop. I don't want that experience to stop now. I say, 'How do I make that happen?' "

Hopefully, by not getting injured again. As I exclusively reported on Friday, Marini is suffering from painful tendinitis in his shoulder and groin that was caused by his dance training. He's expected to make a full recovery.

Burke says she wants Marini to lose one piece of clothing for every week he remains in the 10-week competition. "That is enough weeks to get me freaking naked," Marini says. "I would have to block the fact that 50 million billion people would be watching the show."

Or he could just pretend to be filming another scene for Sex and the City.

http://www.eonline.com/uberblog/marc_malkin/b102415_dancings_cheryl_gilles_already_starting.html
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: TARAsia Fan on March 05, 2009, 05:37:42 PM
What is about Cheryl Burke that attracts so much news? There are rumors about a sex tape, there are rumors she ruined another marriage, people talk about her weight, no other dancer (asides from Julianne) seems to attract so much attention.
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: apskip on March 05, 2009, 06:19:44 PM
TARAsia Fan, I'll give you two reasons:
1. Cheryl is a two-time DWTS winner.
2. She is almost as cute as Julianne Hough.
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: TARAsia Fan on March 05, 2009, 08:25:43 PM
I'll agree with you on your first point, ap. The second is extremely debatable.
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on March 06, 2009, 12:38:12 AM
Jewel and Nancy O’Dell Withdraw from Dancing

Singer Jewel and Access Hollywood host Nancy O’Dell are withdrawing from participating in Dancing with the Stars, ABC announced Thursday.

Both women have suffered knee injuries during rehearsals in recent weeks. Jewel, who originally was told she had tendonitis, was actually diagnosed with a fractured tibia in both legs. O’Dell has a torn meniscus that will require surgery.

“Both Nancy and Jewel were training hard. They just threw themselves into it,” Dancing executive producer Conrad Green tells PEOPLE. “It’s rather unfortunate that people the most committed to the show were doing harm to their bodies. I believe both injuries came from overtraining, particularly in the early stages.”

Green says he’s convinced that the women’s fitness levels (both are avid fitness enthusiasts) may have ultimately done them in.

“This is now three fit women, if you include Misty May-Treanor from last season, who had to withdraw from the show,” Green says. “Perhaps people who are fitter throw themselves into it with more wild abandon. I really feel for them and we may need to take a look at [how hard people train] in the future.”

In a press release issued by the network, both women expressed their regret in having to pull out of the competition days before the season was about to begin.

“When the doctors told me my injuries were so severe that I couldn’t walk, let alone compete, I was devastated that I couldn’t continue the show,” Jewel said. “I have every intention of being at Dancing with the Stars this season supporting my husband, Ty [Murray], and his partner, Chelsie [Hightower]. I hope to be back on the show in the future.”

“Beyond disappointment doesn’t even being to describe how I feel about not being able to continue on Dancing with the Stars,” O’Dell says. “It has been one of my favorite shows since Season one! But I have torn the meniscus in my knee in two places, which requires surgery. Dancing with the Stars was a great experience. I’ll miss working with my partner, Tony Dovolani, and all the other wonderful people on the amazing production that is Dancing with the Stars.”

Green says both women hope to come back to the show and give the ballroom another try. Meantime, Green confirms that “casting changes” will be announced live on the season eight premiere on Monday, March 9.

http://tvwatch.people.com/2009/03/05/jewel-and-nancy-odell-withdraw-from-dancing/
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on March 06, 2009, 12:43:14 AM
Jewel, Nancy O’Dell exit ‘Dancing’ due to injury
‘I have torn the meniscus in my knee in two places,’ O’Dell explains


“Dancing With the Stars” has lost two celebrity dancers, less than a week before the new season’s debut.

Access Hollywood’s Nancy O’Dell and singer Jewel have both withdrawn from the competition, ABC confirmed on Thursday.

Both have pulled out of the show due to injuries.

“Beyond disappointment doesn’t even being to describe how I feel about not being able to continue on ‘Dancing With the Stars.’ It has been one of my favorite shows since season one!” O’Dell revealed. “But I have torn the meniscus in my knee in two places, which requires surgery. According to the doctor, one is a ‘significant’ tear and it will require my getting knee surgery within the next couple of weeks.”

And although her time on the show was cut short, O’Dell was proud of what she and partner Tony Dovolani accomplished in their grueling rehearsal sessions.

“DWTS’ was a great experience. I’ll miss working with my partner, Tony Dovolani, and all the other wonderful people on the amazing production that is ‘Dancing With the Stars,’” O’Dell added. “Tony has been an amazing teacher and dance partner and I feel horrible I can’t continue for him… Although short, it was a great experience. I challenged myself to take risk at doing something I had never done before!”

And don’t rule out a possible return to the show somewhere down the line.

“After I have surgery and eight weeks of rehab, my doctor tells me my knee will be back to how it was,” O’Dell said. “So that means if I have the opportunity to go back, I could!”

Meanwhile, country singer Jewel had blogged last month that tendonitis in her knees had been causing her severe pain during rehearsals. Yet, in a later interview, Jewel vowed not to take off her “Dancing” shoes.

“Don’t count me out, as I am in this for the long run,” she said at the time.

However, ABC has announced it’s not tendonitis — but rather a fractured tibia in both legs that is knocking the singer off the dance floor.

“When the doctors told me my injuries were so severe that I couldn’t walk, let alone compete, I was devastated that I couldn’t continue the show,” Jewel said. “I have every intention of being at ‘Dancing With the Stars’ this season supporting my husband, Ty (Murray), and his partner Chelsie. I hope to be back on the show in the future.”

Earlier this week, Us Weekly reported “Girl Next Door” star Holly Madison would be joining the “Dancing” cast. However, a rep for ABC had no comment on the report.

According to ABC, both O’Dell and Jewel will appear on Monday’s season premiere to talk about their departure from the show and “additional changes to the cast” will also be announced during the premiere.


http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29535943/
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on March 06, 2009, 08:06:07 AM
ABC press release:

Thursday, March 05, 2009
ABC Television Network
PRESS RELEASE - PRESS RELEASE - ENTERTAINMENT - -
"DANCING WITH THE STARS" CONTESTANTS JEWEL AND NANCY O’DELL WITHDRAW FROM COMPETITION DUE TO INJURIES
 

Both Celebrities to Appear on "Dancing with the Stars" Season Premiere, Monday, March 9

Additional Changes to the Cast Will Also Be Announced

Multi-platinum singer/songwriter Jewel and "Access Hollywood" host Nancy O'Dell have withdrawn from Season Eight of ABC's "Dancing with the Stars" citing injuries. Jewel was diagnosed with a fractured tibia in both legs, O'Dell a torn meniscus. The injuries were sustained while training for the competition.

Jewel and O'Dell will appear on the season premiere of "Dancing with the Stars," MONDAY, MARCH 9 (8:00-10:02 p.m., ET) to address their injuries. The women were paired with professional dancers Tony Dovolani and Dmitry Chaplin, respectively. Additional changes to the cast will also be announced during Monday's premiere.

"Like most sports, dancing can be a demanding, physical activity. Each participant of 'Dancing with the Stars' warrants in contract that they are physically fit enough to participate in the competition. We love and appreciate Nancy and Jewel's competitive spirit, drive and desire to perform their best. Though we share in their disappointment that they can no longer continue, their physical well-being takes precedent above all else. We thank them both for giving it their all and wish them a quick and full recovery," said Executive Producer Conrad Green.

"When the doctors told me my injuries were so severe that I couldn't walk, let alone compete, I was devastated that I couldn't continue the show," said Jewel. "I have every intention of being at 'Dancing with the Stars' this season supporting my husband, Ty, and his partner, Chelsie (Hightower). I hope to be back on the show in the future."

"Beyond disappointment doesn't even being to describe how I feel about not being able to continue on 'Dancing with the Stars,'" said O'Dell. "It has been one of my favorite shows since Season One! But I have torn the meniscus in my knee in two places, which requires surgery. 'Dancing with the Stars' was a great experience. I'll miss working with my partner, Tony Dovolani, and all the other wonderful people on the amazing production that is 'Dancing with the Stars'"

http://www.abcmedianet.com/web/dnr/dispDNR.aspx?id=030509_08
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: TARAsia Fan on March 06, 2009, 08:22:58 AM
Looks like this season might be cursed as well.
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on March 06, 2009, 08:50:43 AM
I'm sure it will get leaked out before Monday who the replacements are and as far as I know, it has been rumored for the past week that Holly Madison is replacing Jewel. Haven't heard anything on who will replace Nancy.

I do agree it's cursed already and wouldn't be surprised if there will be more injuries as the season progresses.

Of course I'll post any updates as soon I find them.
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on March 06, 2009, 11:04:08 AM
Jewel Heartbroken over 'Dancing' Departure

Music star Jewel announced on Thursday that she would not be competing on this season of "Dancing With the Stars" due to injuries -- and now the singer expresses her devastation about leaving the show.

"Shock does not begin to describe it," Jewel says on her blog. "I am heartbroken to say I will not be competing in this season of 'Dancing With the Stars'. I'm sad I won't get to go through the rest of the experience competing with my husband, Ty [Murray]. I don't really know what to say. I am sad and mad and disappointed and just blown away at all that has happened.

"This wasn't the way I wanted to go, but my health must come first," the singer says. "And so it is with regret I will not be able to compete this season, but I will be there to cheer my husband on every step of the way- he will just have to dance for the both of us now!"

http://www.etonline.com/news/2009/03/71503/index.html
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on March 06, 2009, 11:13:18 AM
ET Joins Steve Wozniak & Karina Smirnoff's 'Dancing with the Stars' Rehearsal


ET is behind the scenes when "Dancing with the Stars" professional dancer Karina Smirnoff teaches Apple founder Steve Wozniak some smooth moves.

"It is a lot of fun," Steve, aka "The Woz," tells ET. "I just love all the fast dancing."

Steve and Karina's first two dances will be the cha cha for the premiere, followed by the quickstep on week two, and Karina says, "He is fast. You wouldn't expect Steve to be quick on his feet, but he is really quick."

Steve, who rides a Segway to help keep the planet green, and Karina reveal that she is helping him understand some dance moves by associating them with learning to drive a Segway.

"I am always focused on one thing and I forget the others around it until I have done it a number of times," Steve says about learning the dances.

The two, who at first glance might seem an unlikely pair, are having a great time together. So much so that they have nicknames for each other. Steve calls Karina "The Hurricane," while she calls him "The Flame."

Karina also reveals that rehearsals -- she and Steve are going at it six to eight hours a day -- have left her little time for preparations for her upcoming wedding to Maksim Chmerkovskiy.

But she has narrowed down her choice of wedding dress to three or four. "I know what I don't want," she says.

She also has no concerns that Maks is partnered with Denise Richards this season. She says, "She is definitely hot, but she is a wonderful girl."

One advantage that Steve and Karina may have for the competition is that a friend of Steve's is writing a computer program that will be sold in Apple I-Store to make it easier to vote for him.

As he jokes, "There is only room for one Steve in this competition," referring to the fact that Steve-O is also be competing.

http://www.etonline.com/news/2009/03/71463/

Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: tory on March 06, 2009, 12:54:59 PM
i don't think it is cursed i think thease pro's r pushing there new to the dance floor celb to hard trying to make them selfs look good they should b more carful with them jmo
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on March 06, 2009, 03:01:33 PM
Karina Smirnoff on Maksim's 'DWTS' Partner Denise Richards

ET was on the set of OK! Magazine's sexy new photo shoot with "Dancing With The Stars"' hot, engaged couple -- Karina Smirnoff and Maksim Chmerkovskiy. And Karina tells us how she feels about Maksim's celeb dancing partner, Denise Richards.

"Denise is so determined to do well in this competition. She's working hard, they've been rehearsing all day long, and they look really great together. I'm rooting for them."

When asked if he is concerned about rumors that may arise about the sexy routines Maksim will perform with Denise, he said:

"We went into this knowing it's gonna happen and it's gonna follow us," he said.

"It's like damned if you do, damned if you don't. We're gonna dance a sexy rumba, everybody's gonna start talking. We won't, and people are gonna say we did a bad rumba."

Karina is partnered up with Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak -- and the couple jokingly said Maksim is jealous of Steve.


http://www.etonline.com/news/2009/03/71513/index.html
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: apskip on March 06, 2009, 03:51:27 PM
They have 6 weeks to learn two dances for the first week, then one week for each additional dance. The injuries occurred last year during the competition, not during the preliminary rehearsals. It is no surprise that the same could happen during the preliminary rehearsals before March 9.
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityQueen on March 06, 2009, 04:33:19 PM
I'm pretty bummed that Nancy and Jewel are out... at least Shawn Johnson is still in! :) I hope they both recover and hope that their replacements will have enough time to learn the dances!
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on March 07, 2009, 12:31:53 AM
Source: Dancing Season to Begin with ‘Shocking Reveal’

What will become of Dancing With the Stars this season? Days before the Monday premiere, celebrity contestants Jewel and Nancy O’Dell had to withdraw due to debilitating injuries.

“We’re quite used to dealing with emergencies at our show,” Dancing’s executive producer Conrad Green tells PEOPLE.

While Green says “casting changes” will be announced live on the premiere, a source close to the production tells PEOPLE that the two new celebrity dancers will perform on Monday night with only several days’ worth of rehearsals under their belts.

“It will be a shocking reveal to viewers because these people have had little to no rehearsal time,” the source says.

This will mean that 13 contestants, as originally planned, will hit the ballroom floor for the two-hour premiere night show on ABC.

When contacted, an ABC spokesperson declined to comment.


http://tvwatch.people.com/2009/03/06/source-dancing-season-to-begin-with-shocking-reveal/
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on March 07, 2009, 10:14:25 AM
Gilles Marini Won't Be Dancing's Next Casualty

With singer Jewel and Access Hollywood host Nancy O’Dell having to bow out of the competition due to injuries, actor Gilles Marini tells PEOPLE he does not want to become Dancing’s next casualty.

“I am going to do everything in my power to keep dancing,” Marini says. “I will dance on Monday, no question.”

Marini was diagnosed with tendonitis in his left shoulder and groin area on Feb. 27. and has been taking ibuprofen for the pain and inflammation.

“It’s like I have a knife [in the groin area] and when I move or lunge, it’s like it is turning a quarter turn,” Marini confessed.

The 33-year-old actor will perform the cha-cha with partner Cheryl Burke on Dancing’s season 8 premiere Monday, March 9.

“I will dance and if I see it’s a problem, I have a choice of getting injected with a cortisone shot and the risk of rupturing a tendon is minimal, but it’s there,” Marini says. “We’re going to try to do the first dance and take it from there.”

http://tvwatch.people.com/2009/03/06/gilles-marini-wont-be-dancings-next-casualty/
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on March 07, 2009, 12:19:33 PM
Video:

Regis & Kelly with DWTS Judge Bruno Tonioli


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rBasvH2Go1k (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rBasvH2Go1k)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on March 07, 2009, 12:22:30 PM
Video:

ABC Monday March 9th promo---Dancing With the Stars


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7VxJTU6wUqg (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7VxJTU6wUqg)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on March 07, 2009, 01:46:54 PM
Will Jewel and Nancy O’Dell Be Replaced on Dancing?

With the shocking news that an injured Jewel and Nancy O’Dell were dropping out of Dancing with the Stars before the show’s season 8 premiere on Monday, March 9, the burning question is: Who’ll replace them?

“We’re not even letting anyone know if we are replacing Nancy and Jewel,” DWTS host Samantha Harris tells PEOPLE. “Monday night is going to be the big surprise. Are we still going to have 13 couples? Will we throw someone in at the last minute, which really isn’t very fair, but that’s part of the excitement of reality TV? Or will we just go with 11 couples?”

And the twists also extend to when eliminations will begin on the ABC show. “There’s the question of whether we’ll start eliminating them right away or will we wait a little bit longer?” says Harris. “This season we had already planned on having no eliminations the first week so we’ll have at least two weeks to see everybody. It’s going to be very interesting to see how it all unfolds.

Dancing executive producer Conrad Green told PEOPLE on Thursday that both Jewel, diagnosed with a fractured tibia in both legs, and O’Dell, who has a torn meniscus that will require surgery, hope to come back to the show and give the ballroom another try.

“This is some serious drama leading up to our big premiere,” says Harris. “We’ve never had two stars drop out due to injury in any one season, let alone before the show has kicked off.”

http://tvwatch.people.com/2009/03/06/will-jewel-and-nancy-odell-be-replaced-on-dancing/
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on March 07, 2009, 04:20:07 PM
Video:

Access Hollywood with DWTS Nancy O'Dell here's how her injury went down


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TTA5sdhI3TU (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TTA5sdhI3TU)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on March 07, 2009, 04:23:44 PM
Steve-O’s (Shameless, Ha-Ha!) Solicitation for Dancing Votes

(http://i212.photobucket.com/albums/cc289/CuteboiWill/steve_o_240.jpg)

Say this about Steve-O: He’s never been shy.

The star of reality TV’s Jackass, who has been willing to go to any extreme to live up to the show’s title, took to his blog for what he called a “shameless solicitation” for people’s support when he hits the ballroom floor for the first time on Dancing With the Stars.

“I think I’m ready to surprise many people with my waltz performance on Monday night’s season premiere,” Steve-O (born Stephen Glover) writes. “If you all want to call and text in votes for me, I’d love that!”

He then adds parenthetically: “(I wasn’t planning on asking people to vote for me, but I just did… haha!).”

http://tvwatch.people.com/2009/03/07/steve-os-shameless-ha-ha-solicitation-for-dancing-votes/
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on March 07, 2009, 07:35:28 PM

Ty Murray's Blog:

‘I’m not in spandex or a tutu’

This morning I left Highland, California, where Jewel had her show last night, and drove to Los Angeles. I had a meeting and then I had to go to the tailor for my final fitting--everybody can rest assured I'm not in spandex or a tutu.

I'm just wearing black pants and a black shirt that has some yellow piping on the front. Chelsie's wearing yellow so it matches what she's wearing.

It was pretty cool because the tailor for the show is this guy and his wife, and they own this dingy shop that they've had for 40 years. They make all the costumes for the whole show. They're this little Armenian couple, who have been together for a long time. They were really nice and very helpful.

Chelsie was at her final fitting so I went and picked her up, and then we went to practice.

Yesterday felt like a really good practice and today started out feeling really good, but then it got to feeling really bad because she went back and started trying to refine some things. Whenever that happens, you get back into the mode of thinking about all your different body parts and how to move them that it gets real cerebral again.

You start making a lot of mistakes because you start concentrating on what your hand and arm is supposed to do and your foot won't step the right way or you miss a step or whatever. She could tell it was going downhill so we took a little break, drank of bottle of water and talked for a little bit.

Then we went back in and it got a lot better so our practice went a little longer today then we planned because we a lot to work on and, I think, we're starting to feel the heat of the show premiering in just a couple more days from now.

Chelsie's mom came out and she's been with us for the last few days.

She's really a sweet lady and Chelsie is like a clone of her mom. You can see it right away and there's no mistaking that she's Chelsie's mom.

She watched a little bit of our rehearsal today and gave some really good pointers, which helps because when we're actually going through the routine it's hard for Chelsie to see everything. I mean, she's spinning around and doing all kinds of stuff so it makes it hard for her to see everything.

It was good to have her mom telling me things that she could see. She spent a lifetime watching Chelsie dance so she knows a lot about it.

My best buddies – Cody Lambert and Jim Sharp – are coming out for the first show.

They're my two best friends in the whole world and they're going to out and be in the audience on Monday night. The producers have a really strict dress code for the audience so they're going to be dressed up. They both had to go and get some tailored outfits and buy suits, so they'll be all decked out.

I didn't have a lot of time when I first got to town, because I had a meeting, but I stopped by the place where Jewel and I are going to be staying during the show.

It's going to be OK. It's a gated apartment with two bedrooms and two bathrooms. It has a living room with a fireplace, kitchen and a balcony. It pretty much has all the conveniences of home and it's clean.

It's going to be our home away from home.

Basically I haven't even unpacked yet. I just have bags at the door, where I dropped them earlier, before I hauled out here and went to work all day. I just got back the apartment a little while ago.

The room we rehearsed in today was 67 degrees all day and, to give you an idea of how much of a workout practice was, everything I'm wearing is completely soaking wet. The thing about being in a room that's 67 degrees is that most people need a jacket in a room like that – it gets chilly if you're just sitting there – and we were sweating the whole time.

And that's pretty much it for today.

http://www.pbrnow.com/blog/index.cfm/2009/3/7/Im-not-in-spandex-or-a-tutu (http://www.pbrnow.com/blog/index.cfm/2009/3/7/Im-not-in-spandex-or-a-tutu)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on March 07, 2009, 07:38:07 PM
Video:

Jewel sings with Chelsie Hightower at her concert


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PBnZr5e5clI (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PBnZr5e5clI)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on March 07, 2009, 07:45:06 PM

Dancing With The Stars Numbers are up ( I'll add the 2 replacements once they are up )

About the Vote

HOW IT WORKS:

During the live shows, judges will give a score based on several factors, including technical execution. But the judges' scores alone do not decide a couple's fate.

Phone lines, text votes (AT&T customers only) and online polls will open at the top of each performance show so that viewers can vote for their favorites. Phone and text lines will stay open for 30 minutes after the end of the show. Online voting will remain open until noon (Eastern Time) the next day.

In the Dancing with the Stars Results Show*, the couple with the lowest combined score from judges and viewer votes will be eliminated from the competition**.

The scoring is divided evenly between the judges and the viewers at home, ensuring unpredictable outcomes at the end of every show. When the final two couples remain, the ultimate dance-off will determine who wins the trophy.

*The Dancing with the Stars Results Show will premiere Tuesday, March 17 at 9/8c.

**Week 2 - On Tuesday night, the two couples with the lowest combined score from judges and viewer votes will compete in a Dance Off. Their original set of judges scores will be tossed out and they will perform the same routine again for a new set of judges scores. The new set of scores will be combined with their viewer votes from Monday night and the couple with the lowest combined total will be eliminated.

Viewers can vote via phone, text message or online for their favorites ONLY on the night they perform.

PHONE/SMS NUMBERS:

COUPLE NAME PHONE NUMBER TEXT-IN CODE

Lil' Kim & Derek Hough 800-86834-01
800-VOTE4-01 3401

Belinda Carlisle & Jonathan Roberts 800-86834-02
800-VOTE4-02 3402

Lawrence Taylor & Edyta Sliwinska 800-86834-03
800-VOTE4-03 3403

Steve-O & Lacey Schwimmer 800-86834-04
800-VOTE4-04 3404

Gilles Marini & Cheryl Burke 800-86834-05
800-VOTE4-05 3405

Chuck Wicks & Julianne Hough 800-86834-06
800-VOTE4-06 3406

Ty Murray & Chelsie Hightower 800-86834-08
800-VOTE4-08 3408

Shawn Johnson & Mark Ballas 800-86834-09
800-VOTE4-09 3409

Steve Wozniak & Karina Smirnoff 800-86834-10
800-VOTE4-10 3410

David Alan Grier & Kym Johnson 800-86834-11
800-VOTE4-11 3411

Denise Richards & Maksim Chmerkovskiy 800-86834-12
800-VOTE4-12 3412

FORMAT SUMMARY:

Lines open at the beginning of each show for viewers to phone and text vote for their favorite couples and stay open for 30 minutes after the end. The whole country can vote.

One (or more) couple(s) will be knocked out of the competition each week there is a results show. The couple with the lowest overall score is knocked out of the competition.

The scoring and format of the show is unique to the series and is not based on a standard dance championship.

The decision regarding which dances are to be performed by each couple each week rests with the Producers.

THE PROCEDURE FOR ELIMINATING COUPLES:

Each week every couple receives points from the judges and votes from the public. For every couple we work out the share they got of the points given by the judges on the night, and the share they got of the public's votes on the night and we add these two shares together. The couple with the lowest combined total is eliminated from the show.

For example if couple A, B and C receive 38, 26 and 14 points from the judges, we calculate what share these points represent of the total awarded by the judges on the night. In this case the judges gave 78 points in total, and each couples' share of 78 points breaks down as follows: 38= 48.72% of 78, 26= 33.33% of 78, 14= 17.95% of 78. Let's suppose that when the public votes are tallied, each couple has the following shares: A= 20%, B=40%, C=40%. To determine who's eliminated we combine these two shares for the total:

Couple A: 20+48.72%= 68.72%
Couple B: 40+33.33%= 73.33%
Couple C: 40+17.95%= 57.95%

In this case, the bottom two couples would be A and C, and C would be eliminated.
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on March 07, 2009, 08:10:13 PM

 :ascared  omg  :groan:

Lacey stapling Steve-O


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xaK4R1RN2Wg (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xaK4R1RN2Wg)
Title: Re: Dancihttp://forum.realityfanforum.com/index.php?acng With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on March 07, 2009, 08:14:13 PM
A Night Out With Cheryl Burke and Kym Johnson:Kicking Up Their Heels

(http://i212.photobucket.com/albums/cc289/CuteboiWill/08nite_190.jpg)


THE razzle-dazzle aside, ABC’s “Dancing With the Stars” is more labor camp than reality show, at least for the professional hoofers who make the hit series run.

Each week, they choreograph new routines, coach the celebrities, take part in endless rehearsals, give interviews and — oh, yeah — perform in front of millions of viewers while wearing itty-bitty costumes. During the three-month hiatus between seasons, they anchor the “Dancing” arena tour, traveling by bus.

So Cheryl Burke and Kym Johnson, who have become minor celebrities in their own rights because of the show, decided last Saturday to take full advantage of a rare weekend off. The dancers, who are friends off camera, aimed their sky-high stilettos toward Sushi Roku, a popular entertainment industry hangout near their respective apartments.

Boyfriends were Topic A. The fiery Ms. Burke, part Filipino and part Russian, said she was very happy with her new man of two months, a model, while Ms. Johnson, an impossibly tall Australian blonde, reported that her boyfriend of nine months, a business executive, was still “serious hotness.”

Ms. Burke plucked a fat piece of bluefin sashimi with her chopsticks. “We’re still on for France, right?” she said. When “Dancing” wraps in May, the two couples plan to retreat to a spot near Cannes. Ms. Burke wanted to know if a side trip to Barcelona could be arranged. “I just saw the movie ‘Vicky Cristina Barcelona’ and fell in love with that city,” she said.

Spain might be too ambitious, Ms. Johnson worried. “Whatever happened to our idea about driving an RV around the outback?” she said.

Ms. Burke said: “What’s your definition of outback? I know you, and you’re too high-maintenance for anything other than five-star hotels.” They laughed and asked for the check.

Next stop: MyHouse, a hipper-than-thou Hollywood nightclub that opened in January. (Paris and Audrina have been spotted.) Several hundred would-be starlets were clawing at the velvet ropes outside, but in the chaos Ms. Johnson managed to find a friend, Jack Ketsoyan, who is Tara Reid’s personal publicist and the owner of a makeup and styling agency. Mr. Ketsoyan knew a bouncer, who ushered the trio inside.

MyHouse is styled like a giant mansion, with a living room area downstairs (shag carpet and all) and a master bedroom upstairs (hot tub included). The dancers ordered a round of drinks, then headed to the V.I.P. bedroom, where they hopped on a bed covered in black leather. Before long, they were dancing on it — in heels — as a Mary J. Blige remix thundered overhead.

They didn’t dance much, deciding it would be more fun to people-watch in the living room. Soon the cattiness kicked in. “O.K., can that dress get any uglier?” Ms. Johnson said, nodding at a woman wearing what appeared to be a burlap sack adorned with bugle beads. “And look at the matching purse!”

Ms. Burke shook her head in pity. “It’s like something Cloris would wear,” she said, referring to Cloris Leachman, the 82-year-old actress who caused a stir last fall as a “Dancing” contestant.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/08/fashion/08night.html?_r=1
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on March 07, 2009, 09:01:09 PM


The View Scheduled Guests For Tuesday, March 10 2009

Dancing with the Stars judges Carrie Ann Inaba, Bruno Tonioli, and Len Goodman


Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on March 07, 2009, 09:28:25 PM
Carrie Ann Inaba: Being Over 40 Is Fabulous

Carrie Ann Inaba says just because she's in her 40s doesn't mean life is over.

"I don't look at myself as done, I look at myself as halfway through," the 41-year-old Dancing with the Stars judge tells PEOPLE. "I appreciate my vitality and what life has given me.”

Inaba, whose relationship with dancer Artem Chigvintsev ended last November, says, "Right now, I'm single and happy. I think it's easy for people in their 40s to feel like they've fallen behind something. What that something is I really don't know. [life] might be better because at 40 you know a lot more about a lot of things."

Inaba tapped into her inner youth when she filmed a guest-starring role for Hannah Montana. On the episode, which airs on the Disney Channel March 8, Inaba plays a choreographer who comes in to help Miley Cyrus's character prepare for an upcoming tour.

Inaba, a former In Living Color Fly Girl, even got to showcase her own moves. "Miley and I do a little dancing together," she says. "It made me feel like a kid again."

As for working with one of the hottest teens stars in Hollywood, Inaba says, "Miley was so kind and loving. She helped me out, too. In this one scene I was facing upstage and she was like, 'Carrie, you might want to face this way.' "

Inaba will be back in the judge's seat when Dancing with the Stars returns on March 9.

http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20263154,00.html
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on March 08, 2009, 11:13:37 AM
.... what, she's not a celebrity

Source: Bachelor’s Melissa Rycroft to Join Dancing With the Stars

Jilted by Jason Mesnick on the season finale of The Bachelor, Melissa Rycroft will rebound nicely — on Dancing With the Stars, PEOPLE has learned.

Rycroft, 25, is to fill the slot vacated by Access Hollywood host Nancy O’Dell, who had to withdraw from the competition on March 5 due to a knee injury. According to a source close to the production, the Dallas beauty, who has had only days to rehearse, is expected to perform live on Dancing’s Monday premiere.

Girl Next Door Holly Madison is believed to be taking over for singer Jewel, who also withdrew due to injury. Both Jewel and O’Dell have expressed their desire to return to the ballroom in the future.

A spokesperson for ABC declined to comment.

http://tvwatch.people.com/2009/03/08/source-bachelors-melissa-rycroft-to-join-dancing-with-the-stars/ (http://tvwatch.people.com/2009/03/08/source-bachelors-melissa-rycroft-to-join-dancing-with-the-stars/)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on March 08, 2009, 12:45:27 PM
'The Bachelor''s Melissa Rycroft to Return to TV?

Jilted "Bachelor" contestant Melissa Rycroft will reportedly be back on TV very soon on a top-rated network show!


Rycroft, 25, has been chosen to fill a vacant slot on ABC's "Dancing with the Stars," People magazine reports.

The Dallas beauty will have to start rehearsing immediately since she is expected to perform live on "Dancing"'s premiere Monday night, People quotes a source close to the show as saying. A spokesperson for ABC had no comment on the report.

Music star Jewel announced Thursday that she would not be able to compete on "DWTS" due to injuries. Last week, a source told Usmagazine.com that sexy "Girls Next Door" star Holly Madison star could be replacing Jewel on the show.

http://www.etonline.com/news/2009/03/71533/index.html

Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: TARAsia Fan on March 08, 2009, 01:14:23 PM
I agree. They need to fill spots at the last second and that's the best ABC could find.
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on March 08, 2009, 01:26:59 PM

Oddly, I think Melissa would be better paired with Dmitry and Holly with Toni but if DWTS doesn’t plan on changing the couples:

Jewel’s Voting Numbers were 800-86834-07  800-VOTE4-07 TEXT IN CODE 3407

( To be replaced for Holly )

Nancy’s Voting Numbers were 800-86834-13  800-VOTE4-13 TEXT IN CODE 3413

( To be replaced for Melissa )
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on March 08, 2009, 01:29:36 PM
Julianne's myspace blog post:


TO ALL MY AMZING SUPPORTIVE FANS!!!!!!

HEY EVERYONE!!

I JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALL VOTING FOR ME TO BE THE ACM TOP NEW FEMAL VOCALIST. YOU DID IT!!!! YOU GUYS GOT ME TO THE THERE...... YOU ARE ALL SO LOYAL AND SUPPORTIVE JUST ABSOLUTELY AMAZING!!! THANK YOU SOOO MUCH!!!! NOW THERE IS ONE MORE STEP... JAKE OWEN, ZAC BROWN BAND AND I ARE NOW UP FOR "TOP NEW ARTIST" WHICH WILL BE ANNOUNCED ON APRIL 5TH IN VEGAS....WAHOO I'M SO EXCITED!!!!!

IM ACTUALLY ON ONE OF THE WARDROBE PEOPLE'S COMPUTER RIGHT NOW BECAUSE THE APARTMENT THAT DWTS PUT ME UP AT FOR THIS SEASON DOESN'T HAVE WIRELESS...YET!! :) SO I BEGGED HER TO USE THIS SO THAT I COULD THANK YOU ALL....

ON ANOTHER NOTE,
CHUCK IS TRYING ON HIS TAIL SUIT FOR OUR FIRST DANCE EVER... THE WALTZ.. ALL I HAVE TO SAY IS... OW OW... :) SO HOT!!!!!
MY DRESS IS BEAUTIFUL ITS WHITE AND FLOWY.. HA HA TOTALLY LOOKS LIKE A WEDDING DRESS.. I CAN ALREADY SEE THE RUMORS.. LOL

WELL WE HAVE TO GO DO OUR CAMREA BLOCKING NOW SO I HAVE TO GO.. BUT WE WILL KEEP YOU UPDATED AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE :)

I LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH,
AGAIN THANK YOU!!!

JH

http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=191068936&blogID=475384027
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on March 08, 2009, 01:38:52 PM
That would explain why Melissa was in L.A. this past week. She originally had no intentions of doing any interviews or press relating to The Bachelor but since she was tapped to replace Nancy on Dancing, she ended up doing only one interview with Ellen and she said she wouldn't do any more and it makes sense because she don't have the time for it and she needed all the time to cramp in as much training and rehearsing to learn the dance for the premiere show tomorrow.

I'm really loving this controversy and not only that, what I really love the most about all this is that it is a major slap in the face to that bastard and his bitch, Jason & Molly! I can almost see Molly having a major meltdown about this. HA HA HA
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on March 08, 2009, 02:02:45 PM
.... more of the same

‘Bachelor’ Star Melissa Rycroft Joining ‘Dancing’

“The Bachelor” star Melissa Rycroft will join “Dancing With the Stars” for the ABC show’s Monday premiere, Access Hollywood has confirmed, although ABC would not confirm the news yet.

The casting was first reported by People on Sunday.

The former Dallas Cowboys cheerleader, who was dumped on the “After the Final Rose” special by Jason Mesnick after he proposed to her in the “Bachelor” season finale, will replace Access’s Nancy O’Dell, who had to leave the competition due to a torn meniscus in her knee.

In addition to her cheerleading skills, Melissa has a background in ballet — which could help the late addition make up for lost rehearsal time.

Former “The Girls Next Door” star Holly Madison is rumored to be filling the show’s other spot, left by singer Jewel, who also exited the competition early due to injuries.

ABC had no comment on the news when reached by Access on Sunday, noting that additional casting announcements would be made on Monday’s show.

The eighth season of “Dancing” premieres on Monday at 8 PM.

http://www.accesshollywood.com/bachelor-star-melissa-rycroft-joining-dancing_article_15305 (http://www.accesshollywood.com/bachelor-star-melissa-rycroft-joining-dancing_article_15305)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on March 08, 2009, 02:40:38 PM
 :lol:

Rachael Ray Show Scheduled Guest for Tuesday March 10, 2009

Dancing With The Stars Judge Bruno Tonioli

You love Dancing with the Stars ... and now Bruno Tonioli is judging our "Dancing with the Dogs!"

Dancing with the Stars' Bruno Tonioli had better watch his words when he judges a new kind of dance competition -- these contestants can bite back!

Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on March 08, 2009, 02:50:46 PM
Naomi, who was one of the final four on The Bachelor season posted a blog about Melissa:

Melissa...Now Dancing With The Stars...YAY!!!

Hey everyone!
Yes it is true, you've heard correctly Melissa is filling in on this new season of Dancing With the Stars! It was a last minute thing...ABC called her up and within 4 hours she was on a plane to LA. She called me before making her decision, somewhat hesistant to do it since her life was finally starting to feel normal again--AWAY from all the cameras..I said "Live with NO regrets...get your butt on that plane, or you WILL regret it one day!!!!"  I know you ALL will be just as excited as I am to watch our much loved Mel and root for her...So TUNE IN!!!
Go Melissa!! Get em' Girl!!  We Love You!
Lots of Love,
Naomi

http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=431714945&blogID=475394135
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on March 08, 2009, 03:18:39 PM

I’m sure there are going to be extraordinary votes from The Bachelor fans supporting Melissa

ABC must be thinking they hit a home run with this one

I’m sure they are starting to salivate   :lol:
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: TARAsia Fan on March 08, 2009, 03:36:53 PM
Reality crossover. However, there are fans like me who have no idea who this woman is or what she's like since I avoid "The Bachelor" like the plague. But ABC thinks she's a star so what do I know?  :duno: :duno:
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on March 08, 2009, 07:02:54 PM

 I avoid "The Bachelor" like the plague.


 :lol:  laughs hehehe
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on March 08, 2009, 07:04:37 PM

Edyta's Blog:

Sunday, March 08, 2009 

Season 8

Hi Everyone!

Another season is starting tomorrow! I'm very excited. I'm dancing with Lawrence Taylor, NFL legend. I hope we will go all the way to the finals. But to do that I will need your help, so please vote! I'm going to travel between Los Angeles and Miami, where Lawrence lives, so it will be hard, but I will do my best to bring a dancer out of Lawrence. Thank you for all your support and enjoy the show.

Edyta
 
http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=65352412 (http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=65352412)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on March 09, 2009, 12:05:12 AM
Video:

Dancing With The Stars Season 8 Promo 2 Fallen Stars


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F5pRDnjNFoo (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F5pRDnjNFoo)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on March 09, 2009, 11:30:49 AM
An interview with DWTS Host Tom Bergeron:

INTERVIEW: TOM BERGERON INVITES US TO GO "DANCING" ONCE AGAIN

By Jim Halterman

With its latest cast of celebrities from all areas of entertainment and beyond, ABC's "Dancing With The Stars" kicks off season eight tonight with contestants including Go-Go Belinda Carlisle, Olympian Shawn Johnson, rapper Lil' Kim, NFL's Lawrence Taylor and Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak. Host and Emmy-winner Tom Bergeron, who is as jovial and gregarious as he is on the sahow, recently talked to our Jim Halterman about why the show clicks with audiences, what the dangling carrot is for the celebrity contestants and about the stars who will never take the stage as a dancing contestant.

Jim Halterman: Looking over your career, you've really done a little of everything. Was that part of a master plan?

Tom Bergeron: It's true. I've done everything from talk shows, radio shows, "Good Morning America" for a stretch, "America's Funniest Home Videos." My career has had about as much planning as the current government bailout. [Laughs.]

JH: When "Dancing With The Stars" first came around, did you have any idea that it would be so popular?

TB: In all honesty, at most I thought it would be a summer show. It would be something we would do, if the ratings were half-decent, every summer for six-to-eight weeks. Initially, I had to be talked into it by my wife and agent because I was convinced that a celebrity ballroom competition was just a non-starter. Shows you what I know!

JH: What do you think it is about the show that really clicks with audiences?

TB: I can only say what clicked with me when I watched the British show after kvetching about it and everything. [The producers] said to watch about 10 minutes of the DVD and I liked it. I didn't know the stars that they had on the British version but I knew I liked the energy. I love live television so that appealed to me immediately; and then the fact that it was a reality show that didn't involve any backbiting or bug eating or anything like that. It had a real throwback energy to the day of the variety shows that I grew up watching. Everything from "The Hollywood Palace" to any number of variety shows that don't exist on TV anymore. It had a lot of nostalgic appeal and the live TV element and also it had a sense of humor about it. Even the British one; there's a real sense of awareness about the kitsch level that's going on that you can see duplicated in our show but still with great respect and admiration for the efforts of the couples.

JH: One of the things that I love about the show is the unpredictability factor. For example, you have Marie Osmond fainting one season and just about anything that Cloris Leachman did last year. How much of that do you think is the appeal of the show?

TB: I have a book coming out in April ("I'm Hosting As Fast As I Can: Zen And The Art of Staying Sane In Hollywood," out April 7th) and the first line in the introduction says, "Open on Marie Osmond, unconscious at my feet." [Laughs.] So, for me walking out there and not knowing what's going to happen and knowing that we have no second take, that it's live, is a wonderfully focusing energy for me and one of the key reasons that I love the show so much, aside from the people.

JH: One of the elements of the show is the relaunching of a lot of careers that may have been quiet for a while...

TB: ...mine included! [Laughs.]

JH: ...do you think some of those contestants forget that it's a lot of hard work on the show and are just thinking about the attention that they hope the show will bring?

TB: I think the attention is always the carrot on the stick but there's always a stick with it. Initially, it's not an uncommon refrain to hear 'I didn't know it was going to be this hard.' But I think you're right. It relaunches careers or sets careers going in different trajectories that they might have gone but it is tough. I danced only one dance in the second season to see what it was like and it was exhausting. It really was. I didn't do a particularly good job but it was enlightening for me insofar as understanding more than just on an intellectual level.

JH: Do you have a hand in choosing the contestants?

TB: Mercifully, no. But it's not unlike what they used to do when I hosted "Hollywood Squares" where we had those nine boxes to fill and we wanted to get as many different fan bases from music, TV shows, authors, politicians, business people. I don't think we ever went with a Steve Wozniak-type but I think that's a really interesting avenue to go down on this show. Plus, I can get free tech-support! I don't have to go to the Genius Bar anymore. I can just go to his dressing room and say, "Hey, Steve!"

JH: Are there any past contestants who surprised you by how far they went in the competition?

TB: Oh, sure. Definitely. Emmitt Smith went on to win and who knew? And, just in terms of a category of stars, the NFL has turned into a ballroom breeding ground. I never would have guessed that some of our most memorable dancers would come from the National Football League. And then we had Jerry Springer. I remember when I first heard he was cast I went "Oh really? Jerry Springer?" and I fell in love with him like everyone else. He was just wonderful as you got to know that the real, essential Jerry is a such a mensch on the show. And on the other spectrum was Master P. He was a riot but who knew he would last four weeks?

JH: This season has the first married couple among the stars?

TB: Yes with Jewel and her husband, Ty Murray. In terms of romances, we have Julianne Hough and Chuck Wicks, her boyfriend. That could be interesting because unlike Jewel and her husband, who are dancing against each other and that presents its own problems. Julianne and Chuck are dancing with each other. It's almost like there's no neutral corner to go to at the end of the day. I was getting some messages on my Facebook page and they were saying 'It's not fair!' and I said, 'Well, you might be right but not from the perspective you're thinking of.' It might be that they're at a severe disadvantage, particularly Julianne and Chuck. This is a reasonably young romance and it could be a death knell. [Laughs.] Look at last season, how many unexpected physical injuries took place. This could be the season of unexpected emotional injuries. [EDITOR'S NOTE: Following the interview, it was announced that Jewel would be withdrawing from the competition due to a fractured tibia in both legs along with Nancy O'Dell, who suffered a torn meniscus during rehearsals. Replacements will be announced during tonight's season premiere.]

JH: That will be fun to watch. [Laughs.]

TB: Spoken with the sadism of a regular viewer!

JH: There were rumors that Donny Osmond was going to be a contestant but then he wasn't? What happened there?

TB: As far as I know, it was just a rumor. I don't know the extent to which there had been or hadn't been conversations. It certainly sounds like he jumped the gun; I guess he was on Bonnie Hunt's show or something. It wouldn't surprise to see him there in an upcoming season.

JH: You've already said you wouldn't want to be a contestant. How about taking one of the judge's chairs?

TB: Although some might say otherwise, the judges know what they're talking about. Len [Goodman] comes from the world of competitive ballroom and both Bruno [Tonioli] and Carrie Ann [Inaba] are dancers and choreographers and have the eye for that. I...that would just be additional cruel and unusual punishment for the dancers and the stars although I probably would be a pushover.

JH: The show is so successful and done so much for the celebrity contestants. Is there anybody that the show has not been able to get to appear?

TB: I'm sure there are a lot of people that they would like to get but, for whatever reason, be it due to scheduling or someone just isn't interested. I know we've pursued William Shatner a couple of times and I've always been hopeful. Henry Winkler, who is a good buddy of mine, said 'no way.' He'll never do it. And for all the reasons you'd think. It's exhausting. It's a real challenge. Some people are comfortable enough that they don't need to put themselves through that. It's either a challenge for you that's enticing or it isn't, like everything else. Some people like to mountain climb and I can think of nothing I'd least rather due but for them it's fascinating to be in the mountains. I think there are a number of notable people that we'd love to get on the show but they'd just prefer to be viewers. William Shatner has told me that he and his wife Elizabeth both love it and watch it avidly. As for being on it, nope.

"Dancing With The Stars" premieres its new crop of celebrity dancers tonight with a two-hour episode on ABC at 8:00/7:00c.

http://www.thefutoncritic.com/rant.aspx?id=20090309_dancing (http://www.thefutoncritic.com/rant.aspx?id=20090309_dancing)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on March 09, 2009, 11:41:15 AM
Jason comments on Melissa being on DWTS:

Bachelor's Jason Predicts Melissa "Will Win" DWTS

Despite only having a few days to rehearse, The Bachelor's Melissa Rycroft should have no problem on the dance floor on ABC's Dancing With the Stars, says her ex-fiance Jason Mesnick.

"I am so excited for Melissa," he tells Extra.

Of Rycroft (who will fill in for an injured Nancy O'Dell), he adds, "I know she has danced her whole life, and she must be excited for the opportunity. I hope and think she will win it all."

The rest of the article here:  http://www.usmagazine.com/news/bachelor-jason-mesnick-predicts-melissa-will-win-dwts-200993 (http://www.usmagazine.com/news/bachelor-jason-mesnick-predicts-melissa-will-win-dwts-200993)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on March 09, 2009, 12:05:30 PM
DWTS Kicks Off with New Stars and New Twists

(http://i212.photobucket.com/albums/cc289/CuteboiWill/melissa_rycroft-1.jpg)

Dramatic. Exciting. Emotional. That’s what the eighth season of Dancing with the Stars has been — and it hasn’t even started yet!

It could be Dancing’s most unpredictable season yet. Already, two competitors, singer Jewel and Access Hollywood’s Nancy O’Dell, had to drop out due to injuries sustained while rehearsing.

In a show-must-go-on spirit, Dancing will kick off its new season Monday night on ABC (8 p.m. ET) with two new dancers — The Bachelor’s Melissa Rycroft and Girl Next Door Holly Madison — who will perform on the live telecast having had only days to rehearse, PEOPLE has learned.

While the show has dealt with many ups and downs, “There’s not a Dancing curse!” two-time DWTS champ Cheryl Burke insists to PEOPLE. “It’s not a curse, it’s people who have never danced before and you don’t realize but dancing is a sport. If your body is not used to it then you’re easily injured.”

Thirteen couples will perform live on the two-hour Monday night premiere. Then in one week all 13 couples will return to the ballroom, this time to perform a second dance. Audience votes and judges’ scores from both performances will be combined.

In the spirit of keeping the audience on its toes, a new Tuesday results night twist has been put into place for the early weeks of competition starting on March 17. After the judges’ scores and the audience votes have been tallied, the bottom two couples facing elimination will do a “dance off.” The judges will score this final dance to determine who will stay for another week and who must exit the competition.

http://tvwatch.people.com/2009/03/09/dwts-kicks-off-with-new-stars-and-new-twists/
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on March 09, 2009, 01:26:58 PM
'Dancing with the Stars'' Shawn Johnson's Last Rehearsal


It's just hours until the new season of "Dancing with the Stars" premieres and ET is backstage with Shawn Johnson and Mark Ballas for their last-minute rehearsal.

"I am very sore, very sore all the time, but knock on wood, no injuries," Shawn tells ET.

Mark and his Olympic gold medalist partner will be dancing the Viennese waltz tonight and they plan to wow the judges with this first dance.

"Tonight is all about elegance and grace," Mark says. "She's going to look gorgeous."

"Just like any competition, I am going to relax and think about practices. That should calm me down," Shawn shares.

"Dancing with the Stars" launches tonight at 8 p.m. on ABC.

http://www.etonline.com/news/2009/03/71556/index.html
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on March 09, 2009, 01:35:35 PM
Julianne's latest myspace blog:

sitting in the hair and makeup trailor

hey guys,
im just sitting in the hair chair getting it done for tonight..
we just got finished rehearsing walking down the stairs.. it's so funny everyone always gets so nervous about tripping down the stairs at the opening of the show (cameron mathison) ha ha so the producers every year have us go rehearse.. lol

a little secret.... we have new stairs (they are much bigger and go from the middle instead of the sides... you'll have to watch to see what i'm talking about) and the band is finally raised up so they can be highlighted more... they are so amazing!!!

We also found out our number too, it's 1800-VOTE4-06 we go on 6th so make sure you don't walk away from your tv or you'll miss it!!
so please vote :) ha ha

it has been fun for me today because while everyone met each other about 3 weeks ago at the title shoots, i was so sick and didn't go until the next week... so i got to meet everyone today..

i LOVE lawrence taylor such a class act gentleman, Lil' Kim is such a sweetheart and totally adorable, i love Gilles he is so much fun to be around, a ball of energy!


well i should prob stop moving so i don't get burned by the curling iron...lol
i will catch up with you guys later....
JH

http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=191068936&blogID=475592073
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: tory on March 09, 2009, 02:21:12 PM
i agree will i hope jason and molly have a holy cow!!!! i think mellissa will do realy well she is a cheerleader right? so she is allready in good shape for danceing, i have a friend who was on the wake forest dance/cheer team and it is totaly a cross over sport now..
allso to comment on the whole cross over thing the reality shows r like real world road rules chanlages things, one dancer dateing a ai kick off , a jilted batchlorett getting cast, realy ??? why not make one big show 24/7 they can dance they can sing , they can act stupid in front of millions of ppl , they can even get u r kid to jump off the roof,, vote vote no watch watch, oh they don't think we r on to them.. :wohoo: :wohoo:
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on March 09, 2009, 03:01:56 PM
Maks Blogs:

Maks’ Exclusive Blog: ‘DWTS’ Wild Thing

Well, guys this season is already off to a crazy start. I don’t really know what is going on with the injuries–me and Denise [Richards] have been really focused and practicing hard, and not worrying about everyone else. There’ve been lots of rumors about the cast but I say just watch tonight and you’ll see.

It’s really unfortunate that that happened to Jewel and Nancy. My feeling is that some of the celebrities are pushing themselves way too far and the dancers are not controlling their celebrities enough. It’s their show. But the combination of the two leads to injuries and everything else.

I also feel like the celebrities go by the mark that has been set by previous seasons. And I don’t think that’s right either because you shouldn’t be thinking, “Hey Brooke did so well, I need to be like that because Brooke and Mel B. and Laila, they gradually became better. So if you compare yourself to where they were in week 10 of the show, you are in trouble. Nobody is going to be that on the first day.

Everybody wants to know who the frontrunners are this season, but really, I don’t know. The nature of show is such that you just can never tell. I haven’t really seen any of the other couples dance yet…not even Karina [Editors note: In case you haven’t heard, Maks and fellow dancer Karina Smirnoff got engaged on New Year’s Eve].

I haven’t seen Karina and her partner Steve [Wozniak, Apple computers icon] dance. She has been rehearsing 10 hours a day for two weeks, and so have me and Denise, so we’ve been crazy busy.

Karina was at first a bit concerned about being partnered with “The Woz,” worried about his ability and all that, but they became friends, and everything she says about him sounds like he’s an amazing guy and he’s a legendary persona, so she is happy now.

People have asked me who is my perfect partner–and I would never give a name–but it’s someone between Mel B. and Misty, and I think that’s exactly who I got this year.

I’m paired with Denise Richards, and I have to say, she has been amazing. She has the flexibility of Brooke Burke and the personality of Mel B. We’ve been training like crazy and she’s very dedicated, which is the most important thing to me to have in a partner. Somebody who wants to be here.

Our first dance tonight is the cha cha and I’m really excited about our second dance, the quick step. I think we are going to be great with that.

OK, I’ll be writing about what happens backstage for the big premiere, so check back here…

Maks

http://www.fancast.com/blogs/tv-news/maks-exclusive-blog-dwts-wild-thing/ (http://www.fancast.com/blogs/tv-news/maks-exclusive-blog-dwts-wild-thing/)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: bee1233 on March 09, 2009, 03:26:37 PM
I don't get this Melissa Love Fest.  She was all wrong for Jason from the beginning.  I can't picture that she would have ever moved or survived in the wet and raining weather of Seattle.  For ABC to call her a "star" is a joke.  Well obviously she will have to earn a vote from me. :monroe:
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: tory on March 09, 2009, 05:30:48 PM
oh i just rembered trista was on dwts a few seasons bk. she did not do great jmo and was all like i can't do this or that my husband this and my husband that.. she got on my nerves to say the least.. i am sure mellisa won't and i think she should do go at this..we will ccccc..
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on March 09, 2009, 06:27:32 PM
oh i just rembered trista was on dwts a few seasons bk. she did not do great jmo and was all like i can't do this or that my husband this and my husband that.. she got on my nerves to say the least.. i am sure mellisa won't and i think she should do go at this..we will ccccc..

Oh thats right I forgot about Trista complaining how weird it's just dancing  :res:
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on March 09, 2009, 07:05:04 PM

Newest Dancing With the Star

Melissa Rycroft

(http://i389.photobucket.com/albums/oo334/marigoldrealityfanforum/mellisadw.jpg)

PROFESSION:
Bachelor star

PARTNER:
Tony Dovolani

BACKGROUND:
Melissa "waltzed" her way into America's hearts after being betrayed by bachelor Jason Mesnick on the most shocking and talked about season finale ever of ABC's The Bachelor. With an outpouring of support and affection from viewers across America, a dignified Melissa has personified the courage to move on. Her journey continues as a participant on season eight of Dancing with the Stars, valiantly stepping in with less than a week to train when two celebrities were forced to withdraw due to injuries. She teams with Tony Dovolani, who returns for his seventh season.

NOTE: Melissa Rycroft stepped in for TV host and anchor Nancy O'Dell, who was diagnosed with a torn meniscus while training and had to withdraw from the competition.
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on March 09, 2009, 07:06:42 PM

Holly Madison

(http://i389.photobucket.com/albums/oo334/marigoldrealityfanforum/hollydw.jpg)

PROFESSION:
Reality star

PARTNER:
Dmitry Chaplin

BACKGROUND:
Holly's work on the hit reality show The Girls Next Door catapulted her into the mainstream and into the homes of millions of viewers. Her sense of humor, hard work and "hometown" common sense won the hearts and minds of America and made Holly one of the most popular women in the world today. Holly worked as a photo editor for Playboy Magazine for several years; directing, producing and editing the Playmate pictorials for the magazine each month. She has co-written a book The Girls Next Door with her fellow girlfriends Bridget Marquardt and Kendra Wilkinson and has made numerous television and movie appearances, such as House Bunny, Scary Movie 4, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Entourage, General Hospital, The Apprentice and many others. She teams with 2006 U.S. National finalist Dmitry Chaplin, who makes his Dancing with the Stars debut.

NOTE: Holly Madison stepped in for singer-songwriter Jewel, who was diagnosed with a fractured tibia in both legs while training and had to withdraw from the competition.
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on March 09, 2009, 07:11:26 PM

DWTS Voting Numbers

PHONE/SMS NUMBERS:

COUPLE NAME PHONE NUMBER TEXT-IN CODE

Lil' Kim & Derek Hough 800-86834-01
800-VOTE4-01 3401

Belinda Carlisle & Jonathan Roberts 800-86834-02
800-VOTE4-02 3402

Lawrence Taylor & Edyta Sliwinska 800-86834-03
800-VOTE4-03 3403

Steve-O & Lacey Schwimmer 800-86834-04
800-VOTE4-04 3404

Gilles Marini & Cheryl Burke 800-86834-05
800-VOTE4-05 3405

Chuck Wicks & Julianne Hough 800-86834-06
800-VOTE4-06 3406

Holly Madison & Dmitry Chaplin 800-86834-07
800-VOTE4-07 3407


Ty Murray & Chelsie Hightower 800-86834-08
800-VOTE4-08 3408

Shawn Johnson & Mark Ballas 800-86834-09
800-VOTE4-09 3409

Steve Wozniak & Karina Smirnoff 800-86834-10
800-VOTE4-10 3410

David Alan Grier & Kym Johnson 800-86834-11
800-VOTE4-11 3411

Denise Richards & Maksim Chmerkovskiy 800-86834-12
800-VOTE4-12 3412

Melissa Rycroft & Tony Dovolani 800-86834-13
800-VOTE4-13 3413
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on March 09, 2009, 07:44:10 PM

DWTS Newest Couples:

Melissa Rycroft and Tony Dovolani

(http://i389.photobucket.com/albums/oo334/marigoldrealityfanforum/dws4.jpg)


Holly Madison and Dmitry Chaplin

(http://i389.photobucket.com/albums/oo334/marigoldrealityfanforum/dws3.jpg)


Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on March 09, 2009, 08:35:46 PM

Whoa judges are soooo mean this season it's unnecessary and not positive criticism/critiquing
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: TARAsia Fan on March 09, 2009, 08:37:48 PM
oh i just rembered trista was on dwts a few seasons bk. she did not do great jmo and was all like i can't do this or that my husband this and my husband that.. she got on my nerves to say the least.. i am sure mellisa won't and i think she should do go at this..we will ccccc..

Oh thats right I forgot about Trista complaining how weird it's just dancing  :res:
She was so stiff and refused to loosen up. Not only that, Trista was just a bitter little hedgehog about everything.
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on March 09, 2009, 09:07:29 PM

ABC ANNOUNCED TWO NEW CELEBRITY CONTESTANTS LIVE ON "DANCING WITH THE STARS," MONDAY, MARCH 9

ABC Press Release

"The Bachelor's" Melissa Rycroft and TV Star Holly Madison Join the Cast with Less Than a Week to Train, Replacing the Injured Jewel and Nancy O'Dell
 
In the most highly anticipated season premiere of ABC's "Dancing with the Stars," MONDAY, MARCH 9 (8:00-10:02 p.m., ET), two new participants were unveiled, gallantly replacing "fallen stars" Nancy O'Dell (host of "Access Hollywood") and multi-platinum singer/songwriter Jewel. Holly Madison ("The Girls Next Door") and Melissa Rycroft ("The Bachelor") stepped onto the dance floor in heroic fashion with just days to prepare for their nationally televised ballroom dancing debut. Both women displayed true character and strength, overcoming nerves, anxiety and the pressure to perform in front of a live audience.

Just one week after the most shocking and talked about season finale of ABC's "The Bachelor," Melissa, the woman who "waltzed" her way into America's hearts after being betrayed by Bachelor Jason Mesnick, danced her way onto the ballroom floor tonight, mustering up the courage to move on. Melissa is paired with professional dancer Tony Dovolani, who was previously with Nancy O'Dell.

With Jewel's former partner, Dmitry Chaplin, by her side, Holly wore her heart on her sleeve and laid it all out on the floor. The studio audience gave her a warm welcome and showed their appreciation for the courage she personified by answering the call to action at a moment's notice.

Nancy and Jewel appeared during the live show to address their injuries and bid farewell. The two women were diagnosed with a torn meniscus and fractured tibia in both legs, respectively.

Holly and Melissa join the following cast members and their partners to compete for the coveted mirror ball trophy:

Belinda Carlisle (lead singer of the Go-Go's) and partner Jonathan Roberts
David Alan Grier (comedian and actor) and partner Kym Johnson
Shawn Johnson (Olympic gymnastics medalist) and partner Mark Ballas
Lil' Kim (Grammy Award winning rapper) and partner, reigning champion Derek Hough
Gilles Marini (model and actor) and partner Cheryl Burke
Ty Murray ("King of Cowboys") and partner, newcomer Chelsie Hightower
Steve-O (star of "Jackass" and "Wildboyz") and partner Lacey Schwimmer
Denise Richards (actress) and partner Maksim Chmerkovskiy
Lawrence Taylor (National Football League Hall of Famer, a.k.a. "LT") and partner Edyta Sliwinska
Chuck Wicks (country music star) and partner Julianne Hough
Steve Wozniak (co-founder of Apple, a.k.a. "The Woz) and partner Karina Smirnoff
 
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on March 09, 2009, 09:10:51 PM

She was so stiff and refused to loosen up. Not only that, Trista was just a bitter little hedgehog about everything.


 :lol:  So true
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: apskip on March 10, 2009, 07:38:27 AM
I do not expect to be doing any full recaps this season. However, I will provide an overview of last night's competition (first half of first round):

I believe that ABC made a mistake by selecting Melissa Raycroft to replace Nancy O'Donnell. She about as close to a dance professional as you will ever see on the celebrity side, with a prior dance and ballet background. With 48 hours to practice, she scored second highest with a 23. Imagine how long it will take ther to get to 30s?

Gilles Marini was best with a 24 last night. His pro Cheryl Burke is emphasizing sex appeal. That works to some extent because he has style and panache.

Shawn Johnson showed why she is an Olympic champion. Despite her obvioius lack of comfort, she did an excellent routine and tied for second with a 23.


On the flip side, who is headed for the exits. I had read good things about Steve Wozniak who I would love to see win DWTS8. It isn't remotely going to happen. Steve has little coordination to compensate for his bulky frame. He had a 13 and is in real trouble.

Ty Murray looks good on a bull but not on the dance floor. He was awkward and disjointed. He is going down quite soon. He got a 14.

The scores for last night will be combined with those for next Monday and the 2 lowest score celebrities will be in a dance-off to determine who nis eliminated and who is not.
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on March 10, 2009, 10:16:52 AM
Tonight's premiere show was awesome...here's the breakdown of the scoring....

TEAMS                  DANCE       CARRIE     LEN   BRUNO        TOTAL
                                             ANN 

Lil' Kim/Derek         Cha Cha           7         7       7             21

Belinda/Jonathan       Waltz            6        6       5              17

Lawrence/Edyta     Cha Cha           6         5       5              16

Steve-O/Lacey         Waltz            6         5       6              17

Gilles/Cheryl           Cha Cha           8         8       8              24

Chuck/Julianne          Waltz            6         7        7             20

Holly/Dmitry            Cha Cha          6          6       6             18

Ty/Chelsie              Cha Cha          5          4       5             14

Shawn/Mark              Waltz           8          8       7             23

Steve/Karina           Cha Cha          5         4        4             13

David/Kym                Waltz            6         7        6             19

Denise/Maksim         Cha Cha          6         6        6             18

Melissa/Tony             Waltz            8         7       8              23
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on March 10, 2009, 10:26:23 AM
Bachelor’s Melissa Rycroft Dazzles in Dancing Debut

If Melissa Rycroft had an inkling of a doubt that she made the wrong decision to join the cast of Dancing with the Stars, it was erased the minute she stepped foot onto the stage Monday night.

“She was radiant. She owned the place,” judge Bruno Tonioli gushed to PEOPLE after the live show. “She embraced the whole feeling of the show.”

The Dallas beauty, whose engagement to The Bachelor’s Jason Mesnick ended unceremoniously on television just a week earlier, was embraced by the supportive crowd as she and partner Tony Dovolani took her mark during the commercial break before she performed.

After she and Dovolani danced an elegant Viennese waltz, the crowd leapt to their feet. The thunderous applause was much deserved, especially considering Rycroft had only two days to rehearse while her other fellow competitors had four weeks. With 48 hours of practice, Rycroft managed to earn one of the highest scores of the night: a 23 out of 30.

The warm response brought tears of joy to Rycroft’s eyes, and made the judges gush.

“You’re just a beautiful dancer,” an awestruck Carrie Ann Inaba said.

Perhaps head judge Len Goodman summed it up best, telling Rycroft, “The Bachelor’s loss is Dancing with the Stars’ gain.”

http://tvwatch.people.com/2009/03/10/bachelors-melissa-rycroft-dazzles-in-dancing-debut/
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on March 10, 2009, 10:50:12 AM
Dancing With the Stars Returns: Kim, Gilles & Shawn Sizzle; Holly Madison, Bachelor's Melissa Show Up

(http://i212.photobucket.com/albums/cc289/CuteboiWill/293adMelissaRycroftTonyDovolani0310.jpg)

Celebrity toes resumed twinkling tonight as Dancing With the Stars kicked off its eighth season and, despite the desperately random assortment of said stars, this has the makings of a good go-around.

This barely begun season has already witnessed the premature exit of two injured stars—Nancy O'Dell and Jewel—and the last-minute arrival of their replacements—Girls Next Door babe Holly Madison and extra-burned Bachelor castoff Melissa Rycroft. Not to mention half the pros are dancing on surgically repaired joints and Hollywood newcomer Gilles Marini has tendinitis in his groin.

The ballroom also welcomed two new pros, the show's youngest-ever contestant, its first already established star-pro couple and a pair of newly engaged DWTS veterans.

As Bruno Tonioli would say... Actually, he'd say something gross, so we're just going to recap tonight's performances:

Lil Kim: The raunchy rapper, who revealed that she first started watching DWTS while in prison, has rhythm and her cha-cha with defending champ Derek Hough got the night off to a very saucy—and technically sound—start. She needs polish but has major potential. "You can work wonders with that tushy!" Bruno offered, while head judge Len Goodman called the performance "first class."
Score: 21

Belinda Carlisle: The former Go-Go's frontwoman looked lovely, but, according to her debut waltz with Jonathan Roberts, she's missing the inherent grace possessed by past elder stateswomen such as Jane Seymour and Priscilla Presley. There certainly weren't any Cloris Leachman moments, as Bruno suggested, but the 50-year-old still needs to get that beat back, pronto.
Score: 17

Lawrence Taylor: He might have been wearing Emmit Smith's cha-cha outfit, but the 50-year-old NFL Hall of Famer isn't quite disco ball material yet. Not that he needed to be, what with Edyta Sliwinska returning in fine scantily clad form after last season's one-and-done appearance with Jeff Ross. But as Len noted, there's a "naturalness" about Taylor.
Score: 16

Steve-O: The former Jackass player didn't exactly stick his foot "up the waltz's butt," but he didn't suck too hard, either. Let's just say Lacey Schwimmer has her work cut out for her, but if anyone can cover up someone's rough edges with edgy choreography, she can.
Score: 17

Gilles Marini: Turns out Sex and the City's Samantha would have done well to visit her naked neighbor. The 33-year-old Frenchman, who quite literally flashed into American theaters last summer, is a frontrunner at this point, as far as raw talent is concerned. He's rough around the edges, but his cha-cha was the best of the bunch. And, for the record, Cheryl Burke looks great.
Score: 24

Chuck Wicks: The 29-year-old country singer is the first star to join the show having already seduced his pro partner. Julianne Hough's easy-on-the-eyes boyfriend showed a lot of potential, waltzing his girlfriend around the ballroom with relative ease, although his desire to impress her—and make her laugh during rehearsals—could make for a rough ride behind the scenes.
Score: 20

Denise Richards: She was the first to cry during rehearsal this season, but the actress rebounded nicely, minus that limp left arm. Going for Richards already are her flexibility, killer bod and fan-favorite partner, Maksim Chmerkovskiy. Not great are those nerves, which she needs to shake. "You've got it all, but you don't know what to do with it!" exclaimed Bruno.
Score: 18

Melissa Rycroft: OK, we'll say it... Suck it, Jason Mesnick. A week after being ceremoniously dumped on national TV (thanks, producers, for replaying the moment tonight), in a snazzy bit of ABC synergy the former Dallas Cowboys cheerleader made a triumphant return to prime time. Her promising waltz, combined with all the good will she's acquired (standing ovation, anyone?), means Tony Dovolani finally has a shot at the title.
Score: 23

Holly Madison: DWTS first-timer Dmitry Chaplin certainly didn't need to whip his Playboy Playmate partner into shape for the challenge. Holly's lovely limbs, spray-tanned to perfection, could serve her well eventually, but tonight's cha-cha proved that a week's practice just ain't enough.
Score: 18

Ty Murray: Well, Jewel wouldn't have had to worry about her hubby wrangling the title away from her. The rodeo cowboy gave his cha-cha a go, and his aw-shucks demeanor is very charming, but newcomer Chelsie Hightower is probably going to have a very short debut season.
Score: 14

Shawn Johnson: Girl knows how to compete. The Olympic gymnast, fresh off a four-medal performance in Beijing and the youngest-ever DWTS competitor at 17, has the potential to add a disco ball to her trophy case. Her waltz was graceful—"surprisingly refined," Bruno called it—and she partners well with the boyishly handsome Mark Ballas (who, after all, is only 22).
Score: 23

Steve Wozniak: It is possible for the billionaire entrepreneur to win this season. It would require free iPods suddenly appearing in mailboxes across the U.S., but still... Anyway, Karina Smirnoff had her man suited up to be the clown, trotting him out for the cha-cha in a pink boa, but unless Wozniak's minions find a way to hack the database, the likable Apple Computer cofounder probably won't last too long.
Score: 13

David Alan Grier: The comedian was likable but forgettable, his waltz—and his face—being neither here nor there. "One character will suffice," Bruno advised, referring to Grier's constantly shifting facial expressions. The In Living Color star couldn't even get a break from former Fly Girl Carrie Ann Inaba, who docked him a point for lifting both of Kym Johnson's feet off the ground.
Score: 19

Wow, so much to think about. The 13 contestants will dance again next Monday and this week's scores and votes will be combined with next week's before the season's first elimination show on Tuesday, March 17.

Here's a rundown of tonight's leaderboard:

Gilles and Cheryl: 24
Shawn and Mark: 23
Melissa and Tony: 23
Lil Kim and Derek: 21
Chuck and Julianne: 20
David and Kym: 19
Denise and Maksim: 18
Holly and Dmitry: 18
Belinda and Jonathan: 17
Steve-O and Lacey: 17
Lawrence and Edyta: 16
Ty and Chelsie: 14
Steve and Karina: 13

http://www.eonline.com/uberblog/b103568_dancing_with_stars_returns_kim_gilles.html
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on March 10, 2009, 11:08:29 AM
Dancing with the Stars Episode Recap: Monday, March 9, 2009

Has it been three months already? Season 8 of Dancing with the Stars kicks off with some very interesting renditions of the Viennese waltz and the cha-cha, along with two new (but not-so-new) faces.

No, your eyes are not deceiving you: Mickey is no longer around these Dancing parts, and so, I have inherited his quite large shoes to fill. I know, I'm mourning his absence too, but I hope you'll bear with me. My Dancing background: size 7 shoe, rhythmically challenged, and avid Olympic fan — thus, I only started watching when Apolo Anton Ohno killed it (random side note: I screamed his name when I was drunk a few years ago, but that's a story for another time). Kristi Yamaguchi made me squeal, but Misty May-Treanor made me cry. And so, I'm automatically partial to Shawn Johnson this season (join me in convincing her to go to London 2012), now more than ever with Nancy O'Dell out.

Speaking of, Nancy and Jewel, Season 8's first two casualties (Did I use that correctly, Jewel? Sorry, I don't have my Night Without Armor near to consult) are sporting pouts on the sidelines as we await the first dances of their heretofore unofficially announced replacements. But first — the healthy folks!

Lil Kim & Derek Hough: Cha-Cha
"Black Barbie" Kim tells us about discovering Dancing during her days behind bars and she dedicates her first dance to all the gals at the federal detention center. What up! They cha-cha to "Ms. Jackson" and "Nasty." Anyone else see the irony in Mormon boy getting "Nasty" with an ex-convict? It's fun and sexy, if a little shaky. Tom dedicates his hosting to everyone at Riker's Island. Len thinks it was first-class and a job well done. Bruno says she's nasty but tasty (and you would know?), but Kim needs some precision. Carrie Ann says she has great potential.
Score: 21

Belinda Carlisle & Jonathan Roberts: Viennese Waltz
Belinda told me she was uncomfortable with the waltz and that she was. They kick it off with some pretty spinning... and then it gets not-so pretty. She's a tad slow and tentative, and you can tell she's counting the steps in her head... or maybe just hoping her boobs don't pop out. Did ya see her shaking those things in the clip intro? Bruno says she looks like Julie Andrews, but then turned into Cloris Leachman, which I personally don't think so at all. If she reminded me of anyone, it's Priscilla Presley. Carrie Ann says it wasn't Cloris-esque, but Belinda needs to trust Jonathan. Len says there was grace and elegance. The curmudgeon hasn't reared his ugly head yet.
Score: 17

Lawrence Taylor & Edyta Sliwinska: Cha-Cha
Edyta gets another football giant (no pun intended), and LT wastes no time dissing Jason Taylor. He feels uncoordinated in rehearsal and doesn't wanna look like a fool. He doesn't, but he's no Jason Taylor either (that's a diss) — or any other Dancing football great. Their cha-cha is blah-blah. I'm over it after 15 seconds. Carrie Ann tells him he needs to get on the offense and down and dirty (you're single now, aren't you, CA?). Len says he has a naturalness about him. Bruno says it was very laid-back and LT needs to perform. Duh-duh-dun!
Score: 16

Steve-O & Lacey Schwimmer: Viennese Waltz
Johnny Knoxville and Wee-Man are in da house! Still on the mend, a clean-and-sober Steve-O tells us he's using Dancing to show that he didn't lose his mojo in his darker days. His biggest problem? He's very "Caucasian," but he wants to prove this Jackass can be a gentleman. Watching him waltz is like watching Britney & Kevin: Chaotic. It's weird and uneasy, yet you can't turn away. Unlike B&K, Steve-O is actually interesting and good. Let's face it: There will always be something odd about watching Steve-O do ballroom, but it's also slightly endearing. Now he just needs to get all the moves down pat. He gets a partial standing O. Len admires his commitment, but calls him out on some technicalities. He expected much worse. Bruno echoes the tecnique. Carrie Ann was oddly mesmerized by his beauty and awkwardness. "I wanna put my foot in the waltz's butt," Steve-O says afterwards.
Score: 17

Gilles Marini & Cheryl Burke: Cha-Cha
Side note: I met Gilles last year and he is quite dishy and hairless in person. The Sex-y star knows he's a nobody and hopes he doesn't succumb to the "model curse." Well, I think most people have something besides your dancing to remember you by. This is definitely the best dance, let alone cha-cha, by far — fast, sexy, lots and lots of hip action. Gilles is a natural in the vein of Brooke Burke. He looks like he's been there for weeks. Standing O. Samantha would be proud. Carrie Ann says he has great potential (isn't this what you told Albert Reed?). Bruno sounds jealous of Cheryl and expects "explosions." Len thinks it's the best of the night so far. Dirty exchange backstage:
Samantha: How hard was it really getting a sexy dance out of the guy known as the sexy, naked neighbor?
Cheryl: Well, all I can say is look at him! C'mon, it's not that hard!
Gilles: It's hard! Trust me! It was hard. Uh...
Score: 24

Chuck Wicks & Julianne Hough: Viennese Waltz
I can honestly say I had absolutely no idea who Chuck Wicks was until he hooked up with Julianne... and I still don't quite know who he is. They "baby" each other in rehearsal, reminiscent of Michael and Jan "babe"-ing each other. The grapefruit growing out of Julianne's ass is mildly distracting. The lovebirds ebb and flow. It looks like their first dance at their wedding — you know they rehearsed for it, but it's not without flaws. Bruno feels Chuck was chasing Julianne at times (aren't we all?). Len concurs and says he needs to refine his dancing (um, could you be more general?). Carrie Ann says he's one of the most graceful men, but she spotted an inadvertent lift. Ruh-oh.
Score: 20

Injury break! Jewel says she'll be back to sing for her hubby (next week!) since she can't dance. Nancy has matched her knee brace to her dress and she's jealous of Tony's new partner. She's disappointed — but the folks at Entertainment Tonight are happy, Tom says. Oh snap! And now for our first replacement...

Holly Madison & Dmitry Chaplin: Cha-Cha
They have one week to prepare, and so Dmitry has no time to teach her technique. And apparently no time to teach her words either. "Cha-cha-cha, walk, walk?" Holly's nervous about winging it in front of America. She's no worse than some of her predecessors tonight and is definitely more "offensive" than LT. But then again, is it surprising Holly has no problem shaking it? Tom prefaces the judges scores by telling us the trio isn't going to take the duo's lack of prep time into consideration. And so naturally, what's the first thing out of Len's mouth? It's not bad considering she had one week. Le sigh. Carrie Ann says she has charisma. Bruno says she's easy on the eyes (Jewel isn't?) and notes that there's hope for her. By the way, lay off the spray-tan, Holly.
Score: 18

Back from commercial, Tom tells us it is, indeed, Bachelor's No. 1 woman scorned, Melissa Rycroft, who has replaced Nancy. She will have 48 hours of rehearsal under her belt — the shortest in show history.

Ty Murray & Chelsie Hightower: Cha-Cha
Time to do Jewel proud. Ty looks like an older and taller Kevin Connolly. He's approaching the whole thing like bull-riding: You're never quite ready and then it's just your turn. And Ty is way more than not-quite ready. He's awkward and stiffer than my drink right now (Kidding! I haven't drunk... yet), which was exactly what I expect of a cowboy dancing. Bruno says it looks more like an army drill. Len likes that he tried... and then gives him a 4. Carrie Ann's hitting on Ty, too.
Score: 14

Shawn Johnson & Mark Ballas: Viennese Waltz
Glittering balance beam! Mark's got some sort of 5 o'clock shadow. Trying to be a man? Mark tells her to show emotion, which she is struggling with because it's a sign of weakness in gymnastics. Their waltz is sweet and graceful, a far cry from her powerful gymnastics self. It's definitely the best female dance of the night so far. Carrie Ann is truly moved and says Shawn has "dyna-na-namism." Bruno says it's surprisingly refined for someone so young and warns her of "gymnastics arms." Len finds it all very appealing and fantastic.
Score: 23

Steve Wozniak & Karina Smirnoff: Cha-Cha
Woz! Am I the only one who finds it amusing that the Woz is healthy in this, while Jewel and Nancy are not? Woz overthinks it in rehearsals (left-brained, analog, thinking breaks). He wants to prove nerds can dance. Pink boa! Who-a! Woz can move, y'all! But not exactly in step. He looks like he's half-seizing in places, but I give him props for shaking all his junk that's not just in his trunk. How adorkable is he?! Len likes that it held his attention and enjoyed the knee spin, but says overall it was a disaster. Bruno says it was a teletubbie gone mad. Carrie Ann likes that he makes us cheer for him. Karina calls him the nicest man alive. But what about Maks? Sexiest Man Alive?
Score: 13

David Alan Grier & Kym Johnson: Viennese Waltz
David's hoping to get sexual favors outta this. About time someone says it! Awkward first meeting between the two. Guess the humor was lost Down Under. Har har. Their waltz is controlled, light and there's not much to laugh about. He fudges the final extension a little. Bruno wants him to choose one character per dance. Fly Girl Carrie Ann warns him about his face, too. Len says his "bun" is sticking out because he's not doing something or other.
Score: 19

Denise Richards & Maksim Chmerkovskiy: Cha-Cha
I must preface this performance with this tidbit, only because I tell everyone this and I have an obsession with birthdays: Monday was Denise's daughter Sam's 5th birthday, as well as my dad's birthday. Dancing first premiered on June 1, 2005 — the day her second daughter, Lola, was born. June 1 is my birthday, though I'm not 3. OK, just had to get that off my chest. Denise was excited to get Maks because she loves bad boys (we know), but like all bad boys do, he's reduced her to tears. Why does Maks always make his partners cry (OK, not literally, but you know)? Denise is clearly nervous and seems to be rushing through everything. She's way too emotional for this. Don't worry, Denise: You're gonna beat Charlie in the ratings. Carrie Ann says she looks terrified and wants less shoulder action. Len says she needs to tone up. Bruno says she's got it, but she doesn't know what to do with it. It's like acting — you can't drop something after you commit. Can she really relate, Bruno?
Score: 18

Melissa Rycroft & Tony Dovolani: Viennese Waltz
It's America's Sweetheart! I know they use the term "stars" loosely on this, but really? Yeah, yeah, Trista Sutter was on it (though I know many want to forget that), but that was the first season with, like, half ABC vets. Her 11th-hour casting means another reason to show "Jason is a Douchebag" again. "Boo!" the crowd hisses. "People skills," Tom tells Jason. Melissa and Tony don't even have an intro piece. Well, who needs one when you're the most famous person in America not named Octo-Mom? Their waltz is fluid and serene. It's obvious her ballet background (and probably her cheerleading one too) has helped. Time for more Jason-hatin'. Len says Jason's loss is Dancing's gain. Bruno calls Jason a loser, hand-L and all. Carrie Ann says she's a beautiful dancer. She's overwhelmed... or maybe scared she'll get dumped again somehow.
Score: 23

And that's that! Gilles and Cheryl lead the pack with Woz and Karina bringing up the rear. What did you think? Which dance was your favorite? Are Holly and Melissa worthy replacements? Did Bruno wake up on the wrong side of the bed? Was Len actually nice? Can the Woz make a comeback?

http://www.tvguide.com/Episode-Recaps/Dancing-Stars/Dancing-Stars-Episode-1003853.aspx
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on March 10, 2009, 11:40:10 AM
'Dancing With the Stars' recap: Steppin' Out

Welcome to season 8 of Dancing with the Stars, the Little Reality Show That Could...add a Playboy Bunny and a Bachelor Dumpee at the very last minute and somehow play out rather normally. The Girls Next Door's Holly Madison and recent ABC darling Melissa Rycroft replaced former contestants Jewel and Nancy O'Dell, both of whom withdrew last week due to injuries. Apparently, Dancing With the Stars' primary goal for season 8 is to support the flailing industry of general surgery. All Cheryl has to do is fling Gilles Marini and his troubled groin into a spin fast enough, and she'll keep the dream alive! Don't you dare do it, Cheryl. Here's how the 13 couples — let's call 'em The Top 13, for Steve Wozniak's sake — ranked after either the waltz or the cha cha cha….

Gilles Marini and Cheryl: 24/30 Might as well face it: I'm addicted to Gilles' early adoption of DWTS' famed ''buttons ruin a shirt'' policy. Who cares if this guy was in Sex and the City? I'd be rooting for him if he was just some vagrant Cheryl found sleeping under the bleachers at her favorite theme park, Sea World. Usually the not-so-famous model type gets sent home first, but Gilles and Cheryl should clearly stick around after that bangin' red and black cha cha cha. Their shared slow, full-body wave was as sexy as an oversize dollop of Nutella smeared over the tip of a giant baguette. Plus, Gilles is already comfortable enough with his partner to not only grope her face, but trace one finger downward from her clavicle…and if you know anything about Dancing With the Stars, you know that's final-three material right there. Let's hope Gilles' bizarre rosary tee makes another appearance during rehearsals, and that he and Cheryl engage in more masculinity jokes, because it's annoying when the men in this competish get all hung up on how manly they look. Get a clue: We want you to dress like Gilles and the smarmy Russians who are hot, know it, and clap their hands. Embrace the character, y'all!

Shawn Johnson and Mark: 23/30 I was an Olympics fanatic this summer, so hearing Shawn's adorably squeaky, optimistic rambling on a reality show about ballroom dancing was a bit surreal after that voice had been etched into my brain from Shawn's post-gold medal-winning sofa chat in Beijing. (Was Samantha the Béla Károlyi or the Bob Costas in this analogy? Totes Béla.) Shawn surprised the judges with an elegant waltz — the only complaint Bruno and DANCMSTR had was with her gymnastics-esque arm extensions. It's true, I thought she was saluting for her second vault as she and Mark drifted into one corner. Carrie Ann was so moved by Shawn's dynamism that she teared up a little. She is so the Denise Richards of the judging panel. Side note: Scruffy rehearsal Mark was super hot. Who knew? I hereby restrict Mark Ballas' shaving privileges to once per week. He's definitely reading this and will eagerly obey.

Melissa Rycroft and Tony: 23/30 We missed out on this couple's rehearsal package, while Melissa and Tony missed out on, oh, multiple weeks of intense training. Turns out they didn't need it! Conveniently, Melissa's so good at dancing already that Tony just had to take ballet and ''throw some waltz around it.'' That was funny, and so were Tom and Bruno as they ruthlessly ripped on Bachelor star/highly functioning chimpanzee Jason Mesnick for dumping Melissa on national TV. (Hooray! ABC! You can't fight synergy, Lemon; it's bigger than all of us.) But I think my favorite part of this entire slapped-together segment was the ridiculous turquoise-spangled decal used to cover up Melissa's classy lower back tattoo. Keep that creativity up, for real, costume designers. I want flames for the samba, a curlicue mustache for the tango, and a giant bull's head for the paso doble. Fringe = optional.

Lil' Kim and Derek: 21/30 Sure, discussing one's jail time in the first episode seems a bit shocking, but Dancing with the Stars is ultimately a better television program for having featured Lil' Kim dedicating a cha cha cha set to Janet Jackson's ''Nasty Girls'' to all her girls in the Federal Detention Center. It simply does not get better than this. Actually, it did a little when Kim artfully and somewhat seductively brushed a sticky strand of hair from her mouth, mid-arm move. Bruno's right; she can ''work wonders with that tooshie,'' especially when it's swathed in silver fringe. I liked how Lil' Kim blatantly acknowledged her increasingly plasticine appearance with that ''I'm gonna look like Black Barbie and this is my Ken'' remark. Someone had to say it. Loved her. She better not go home soon.

Chuck Wicks and Julianne: 20/30 I wouldn't mind if this guy left, though. I barely remember him except that he was cheesily attractive and a perfect visual complement to Julianne. Oh, and I wanted them to stop arguing during rehearsals, whether it was for the cameras or in spite of them. That's going to get old pretty fast. DANCMSTR called their waltz ''a bit hectic,'' and Bruno claimed ''At times it felt to me like you were chasing a whirlwind...then you were going to strangle her.'' A logical progression; thanks, Bruno. It's hard to tell whether Chuck's fan base watches this show, whether Julianne's fans will keep them safe, or whether enough unaffiliated voters will keep the couple in because they happen to be exceedingly attractive and currently dating. Actually, if the judges keep scoring Chuck highly, the voting element might not matter for a while. Hmmm. Just realized the whole time I was writing that paragraph, I was picturing Jonathan Roberts instead of Chuck. Close enough.

David Alan Grier and Kym: 19/30 I'm not sure DAG's highly evolved sense of humor went over too well with the audience, but it didn't seem to go over smoothly with Kym. (That ''I came on the show for the free dance shoes and sexual favors'' line he delivered last night won't help.) The judges really scrutinized the technical parts of his performance, which to me suggests that it was generally pretty good. Bruno's relatively uncharacteristic snippiness (usually DANCMSTR's the crankier one) shone through in his critique of DAG's various performance faces: ''I know you're a multifaceted character. One will suffice.'' Like he should talk! The biggest takeaway from the judges' critique: Kym needs to rein in her partner's errant ass.

Holly Madison and Dmitry: 18/30 The Bunny whose nervous giggles haunt my nightmares danced a barely competent cha cha cha. Granted, after Holly stepped in for Jewel on Tuesday, she and So You Think You Can Dance alum Dmitry had less than a week to prepare to follow the orders of their song and ''Just Dance,'' so maybe I should cut them some slack. Nah. I got a Kim Kardashian vibe from Holly — not the porn star kind, just the going-through-the-motions, thinking-about-the-dance-too-hard kind. Holly does seem more jazzed in general than Kim was, so that might buy sheer-shirted Dmitry a few more weeks. Shame spiral time: Holly's orange fringed dress was easily my favorite of the night. I'd love to wear that frock while typing these recaps, if only because it'd be so uncomfortable that I'd finish way, way sooner. Speaking of Holly and fashion, those ratty tee/satin mesh shorts/high socks getups she sported during rehearsals reminded me of my own fashion sense during high school. No, I was not on crack during high school.

Denise Richards and Maks: 18/30 Well, that rehearsal segment was pretty brutal — the most endearing part about it was Maks imploring Denise to give him a ''high ten,'' while the worst of it involved Denise crying and apologizing for annoying Maks, which obviously is only going to annoy him further. Duh. This does not bode well. Denise exhibited an...interesting sense of rhythm during their cha cha cha, and only fully relaxed during the half second she was resting in a full splits, because damn, that s---'s impressive and she knew it. Bruno counseled Denise to think of dancing like acting: ''Once you get on top of a performance, you have to stay on it.'' Denise certainly followed that philosophy during that brief shot of her slyly turning around to the camera while clutching a disco ball. Channel the disco ball. It could be that simple.

Belinda Carlisle and Jonathan: 17/30 With her constant threat of "needing a bucket," Belinda seemed to be channeling her own inimitable 1988 single, ''I Get Weak.'' (How come she didn't mention her solo career instead of just The Go-Go's? That Heaven Is A Place On Earth cassette tape changed my life, man.) Backstage before taking her turn, Belinda looked like a cross between Jennie Garth — due to extreme nerves — and Priscilla Presley — due to the fact that she looks almost exactly like Priscilla Presley. DANCMSTR called Belinda and Jonathan's waltz performance ''an overall good job on an elegant dance,'' but crotchety Bruno had to go and compare Belinda to Cloris Leachman. Actually, I'm surprised Cloris wasn't planted in the audience along with Brooke, Maurice, and the other esteemed alums. Cloris and Marlee's combined enthusiasm would make a tremendous SuperFans section.

Steve-O and Lacey: 17/30 ''I've got disadvantages for days,'' warned the former Jackass star. ''I'm very Caucasian.'' Like Lil' Kim, Steve-O laid his past indiscretions on the line for America to harshly judge: He was out of control, using drugs and alcohol, and recently landed in rehab. The showrunners may wish to incorporate one of Steve-O's direct quotes into their next promotional campaign for luring in prospective ''high''-profile talent. ''Dancing with the Stars: A way to prove that even though you're sober, you haven't lost your mojo.'' Steve-O's waltz was a lot better than his and Lacey's scores would suggest — the orchestral Godfather theme sounded perfect, Steve-O grinned devilishly in character as he kissed Lacey's hand, the audience seemed consumed in a massive giggle fit...they even incorporated a handstand/walkover at the beginning. I'd say that qualifies as ''putting his foot in the waltz's butt,'' wouldn't you?

Lawrence Taylor and Edyta: 16/30 This could be the first season in which the football player doesn't make it to the finals, and don't think the intense pressure of living up to this proud football-playing tradition has escaped Mr. L.T. The two-time Super Bowl champion's cha cha cha was ''a little too small'' (said Carrie Ann), lacking in crispness (said DANCMSTR), and, according to Bruno, ''so bad that if you threw it away, I couldn't find it.'' Watch your back, you simile-loving Italian pipsqueak. At least Edyta did her part to help the couple's cause, by convulsing around LT while tangled in beige netting, and by feeling up her own breasts in the alluring visual for her mini-bio. ''I always bring seduction to the dance floor.'' We believe you. Come on, Lady Legwarmer, whip your latest hulk into shape!

Ty Murray and Chelsie: 14/30 The two contestants with the lowest scores last night were the ones I found most endearing, possibly because they were just so out of their elements. And in ''King of the Cowboys'' Ty Murray's case, I happen to be terribly amused that joining the cast was probably his wife Jewel's idea, and now she's not even a part of it. So there he is, just so cowboyish, quiet and alone. (And yes, Carrie Ann, CUTE!) Ty joined his partner, So You Think You Can Dance's Chelsie Hightower, for a cha cha cha appropriately set to ''Train In Vain'' by The Clash. Ty could have some potential; the most glaring problem with his performance to me was that he refused to stop looking at Chelsie for a second, even when they were supposed to be doing solo work. I loved Ty's unintentionally brilliant comparison of ballroom dancing to his own area of expertise, bull riding: ''You're never completely ready. It just becomes your turn.'' I'd like to see this cowboy do some cape work.

Steve Wozniak and Karina: 13/30 These two are so ridiculous together that they're kind of my favorite couple so far. Come on, Woz has to stick around until week 3, if only so that Karina can incorporate his Segway into a paso doble à la Adam Corolla on his unicycle. The Apple co-founder is an all-out geek, and if his shirts weren't all soaked in sweat in the exact same ''problem patches,'' I'd want to hug him for it. Karina's general impatience and ''WTF is this guy on about?'' face while Woz talked about how ''dancing is sort of analog'' were priceless, as was her delightfully awful Male Pattern Body Hair-themed cha cha cha costume. Plus, Woz kept speaking out of turn, eventually letting it slip to Tom (and the nation) that he was ''having so much fun they're testing me for drugs tomorrow.'' I love this man. His dance wasn't great, but the guy did knee spins! And Tom's clearly not out of Apple-centric jokes yet. I advise the viewing public to take a ''five-minute thinking break'' and mull this one over.

http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20264441_4,00.html
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on March 10, 2009, 12:17:25 PM
Melissa Rycroft on 'Dancing With the Stars': 'It'll show everybody I'm okay'

Wearing a sequined turquoise dress and dancing to a song that only days earlier was meant for Nancy O'Dell, Melissa Rycroft -- a.k.a. The Bachelor's most famous reject ever -- closed out the premiere of Dancing With the Stars Monday with a waltz to "show everybody I'm good, that I'm okay." Rycroft stepped in for O'Dell on the morning of March 7 after a knee injury forced the Access Hollywood host to quit the competition. Rycroft, who was dumped on national TV March 2 by Jason Mesnick, had already returned to Texas to resume her career as an event planner when she got the call about DWTS on the morning of March 6.

"I thought, 'What is going on now, I thought it was over!'" Rycroft told EW. She didn't appear frightened at the prospect of performing complicated steps on the ABC reality show, since she studied ballet in grade school before becoming a Dallas Cowboys cheerleader. "They said they had a dropout and they would love for me to come and be the replacement. I sat there going, 'What?' Did they know who they just asked?'"

It took about an hour for Rycroft to say yes. Twenty-four hours later, she began rehearsals in Los Angeles with Tony Dovolani. Rycroft spent all weekend learning O'Dell's routine to "Moon River"; costumers even had to fit Rycroft with O'Dell's floor-length dress while she was learning the steps. "I thought, you know what? Here I go again! Why not?" said Rycroft, who harbors no ill-will toward ABC. "I signed up for The Bachelor, and while it didn’t go quite as I had hoped, everything worked out. I'm fine, and this is definitely helping me to move on from everything."

After Monday's premiere, Rycroft got a hug (and a microphone in her face) from O'Dell, who was doing post-show interviews while sporting a blue-toned knee brace that matched her strapless mini-dress (O'Dell's injury, a torn meniscus, will require surgery). O'Dell described her decision to drop out as "traumatic" and said it's even been hard to hear the strains of her waltzing song. "I was here when they were doing camera blocking and when I heard "Moon River," I called up my ortho doctor and said, 'Are you sure I can't do this?' I'm like, 'I can run really quick and get the cortisone shot and get my knee drained!'"

O'Dell, 43, also joked that it took Rycroft, 25, only two days to learn what she toiled over for a good two weeks. Melissa and Tony waltzed off with a score of 23.

http://hollywoodinsider.ew.com/2009/03/melissa-rycroft.html?iid=top25-Melissa+Rycroft+on+%27Dancing+With+the+Stars%27%3A+%27It%27ll+show+everybody+I%27m+okay%27

Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on March 10, 2009, 12:40:38 PM
Monday’s Dancing: What You Didn’t See

(http://i212.photobucket.com/albums/cc289/CuteboiWill/lil_kim.jpg)

For Her Girls:  Rapper Lil’ Kim, the first performer of the night, dedicated her routine to the women at the Federal Detention Center in Philadelphia, where she served a sentence after being found guilty of committing perjury in 2005. “Yeah, my first dance was to my girls at FDC. They are representatin.’ I know they are,” she said. “We watched the show and I know they’ll be happy to hear that that’s where I first watched [Dancing with the Stars].

French Dressing: Before Monday night’s DWTS, he was known as “the naked guy” from the Sex and the City movie. But now, actor Gilles Marini is known as the sizzling hot Frenchman. You’d never know Marini, who is coping from tendonitis in his left shoulder and groin area, dancing through pain. His steamy cha-cha had the crowd in a tizzy and left his partner speechless. “I can’t believe this night. I felt like I was in another world with Gilles on the dance floor,” Burke gushed. “It was crazy tonight,” Marini told PEOPLE. “I felt so good. I am going to the doctor on Wednesday. But tonight, it felt really good to get that first dance out of the way.”

She’s Still Upbeat: The judges agreed that Go-Go’s Belinda Carlisle, this season’s oldest woman of the group, had a promising start that waned. Bruno Tonioli said her dancing started off like Julie Andrews but turned into Cloris Leachman, who was often criticized by the judges in season 7. Carlisle didn’t mind. “I love Cloris Leachman and Julie Andrews, too. So for me, it was a double compliment.”

(http://i212.photobucket.com/albums/cc289/CuteboiWill/jewel.jpg)

Pieces of Her:  Jewel, who was scheduled to appear this season but forced to withdraw from competition after suffering from stress fractures in both legs, admitted that it was hard watching her replacement Holly Madison cha-cha with dance partner Dmitry Chaplin. “It was hard seeing someone else in my dress, doing my routine with my partner. I was kind of territorial,” she joked. But Jewel plans to hobble on crutches to the studio each week to watch her rodeo-star hubby Ty Murray, who is also competing. Though Murray had a rough start, Jewel said, “This was so opposite for him and I’m just so proud.”

The Gown Off Her Back: Carrie Ann Inaba wore a custom Randolph Duke dress on Monday’s premiere, which will be up auctioned off at www.clothesoffourback.org, with proceeds going toward The Andrea Rizzo Foundation, an organization that provides dance therapy to children with cancer. The winner will be fitted for the dress, get a pair of shoes and diamond earrings to wear to the show’s finale. “What’s great about this dress is that we designed it so that it could be expanded or shrunk to actually fit whoever buys it,” Inaba said.

A Steve-O-Vation: At some point or other during the show, everyone joked that Steve-O was a Jackass, in reference to his antic-filled TV show of the same name. But the crowded cheered for the endearing stuntman who wowed the audience enough to bring them to their feet. “I heard we got a standing ovation and I didn't even know,” he said afterward. His partner Lacey Schwimmer added, “ He was so nervous. I think he just zoomed out.”

http://tvwatch.people.com/2009/03/10/mondays-dancing-what-you-didnt-see-17/
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on March 10, 2009, 01:25:13 PM
Melissa: 'I Accept Jason's Apology'

(http://i212.photobucket.com/albums/cc289/CuteboiWill/0310melissarycroftdwts.jpg)

Melissa Rycroft rebounded from her "Bachelor" heartbreak by waltzing onto "Dancing with the Stars" last night in an eye-popping outfit -- and she revealed to "Extra" that she's moving on from the Mesnick mess.

Jason has admitted that he was wrong to dump Melissa on national TV -- and sent her a message via "Extra" to say he was sorry. "You don't deserve what happened to you -- and I apologize from the bottom of my heart," said Jason, adding, "But I am very happy for you right now and I know you're in a place you want to be."

The 25-year-old former Dallas Cowboys cheerleader isn't holding a grudge. "I accept the apology -- forgive, forget. I'm moving on, and I'm away from that situation, in a new relationship and a new life really," Melissa revealed. That was quick!

Fellow "DWTS" replacement Holly Madison had nothing but praise for Rycroft -- and dished to "Extra" that Jason is missing out. "I think she's awesome, and the guy who dumped her is stupid," said the Playboy recently un-mansioned bunny.

Melissa's transition from "The Bachelor" to the ballroom didn't disappoint her fans -- or the judging panel! After only 3 days of rehearsal, Rycroft and partner Tony Dovolani scored a 23 -- the second best score of the night!

http://extratv.warnerbros.com/2009/03/melissa_i_accept_jasons_apolog.php
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on March 10, 2009, 07:58:56 PM
 :sucks

OVERNIGHT ABC RATINGS

ABC Press Release

ABC's Premiere Monday Lineup of "DWTS" and "Castle" Dominates, Producing the Net's Largest Monday Audience in Close to 3 Years

ABC's 8th Season Opener for "Dancing with the Stars" Marks its Most-Watched Premiere Ever and the Net's Largest Audience in the Time Slot Since May 2000

"DWTS" Wins Each of its Half-Hours to Outpace its Closest Competition In the Time Period by 10.8 Million Viewers and by 40% Among Adults 18-49
   
"Castle" Opens Strong, Greatly Improving its Time Slot for ABC and Generating The Network's Most-Watched 10pm Drama Telecast on the Night in 9 Years

Monday Night (8:00-11:00 p.m.)
With the eighth season premiere of "Dancing with the Stars" leading into the series debut of "Castle," ABC stood as the No. 1 TV network on Monday for the 2nd week in a row in Total Viewers (18.9 million) and Adults 18-49 (5.1/13), drawing its largest audience on the night in close to 3 years - since 5/15/06.   The Network outperformed second-place Fox on the night by 7.2 million viewers and by 21% in Adults 18-49 (11.7 million & 4.2/11).   

"Dancing with the Stars" (8:00-10:00 p.m.)
Despite airing opposite stiff all-original competition in its eighth season premiere, including CBS' 8:00-10:00 p.m. comedy block, NBC's "Heroes" and "Chuck" and Fox's "House" and "24," ABC's broad appealing "Dancing with the Stars" drew an average audience of 22.5 million viewers and a 5.9 rating, 15 share in Adults 18-49 to emerge as Monday's No. 1 TV program in viewers and young adults.  In fact, "Dancing with the Stars" won each of its half-hours and soared to the top of its time period, outdrawing second-place Fox by 10.8 million viewers and by 40% in Adults 18-49 (11.7 million & 4.2/11).   

* "DWTS" was up over its year-ago season opener by 1.3 million viewers and by 5% in Adults 18-49 (21.2 million & 5.6/15 on 3/17/08).  In fact, "Dancing" turned in its most-watched season open ever and second-highest ever in Adults 18-49.

* Excluding only the 2001 Rose Bowl, "Dancing with the Stars" produced ABC's biggest audience in the time slot in nearly 9 years - since 5/1/00.  Furthermore, excluding the "Academy Awards," the 8th season premiere represented ABC's most-watched telecast in over 1 year - since 11/27/07.   

"Castle" (10:00-11:00 p.m.)
ABC's series premiere of "Castle" drew 11.6 million viewers and a 3.3 rating, 9 share in Adults 18-49, placing second in the 10 o'clock hour to CBS' veteran "C.S.I.: Miami."  The ABC drama outdelivered NBC's "Medium" (7.1 million & 2.5/6) by 4.5 million viewers and by 32% in Adults 18-49.   

* Compared to the Net's average in the hour this season with series programming, "Castle" improved the time period for ABC by 2.9 million viewers and by 18% in Adults 18-49 (8.7 million and 2.8/7).

* Among Adults 18-49, "Castle" opened as ABC's highest-rated regular Monday 10:00 p.m. series telecast in almost 16 months - since 11/19/07.  In addition, the new ABC program produced ABC's largest audience for any 10 o'clock drama telecast on the night in 9 years - since 3/12/01 with "Gideon's Crossing."     
 
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on March 10, 2009, 09:12:32 PM
An interview with Gilles Marini:

DWTS's Gilles In Pain: "I Couldn't Move My Arm"

Gilles Marini is a man on a mission. He wants that Dancing With the Stars' disco ball trophy—no matter how much it may hurt for him to get it.

While the Sex and the City showering stud tells me the tendonitis in his groin is gone, he's still having trouble with his shoulders.

When he woke up yesterday, Gilles couldn't lift his left arm. Just a couple of hours before last night's DWTS premiere, Gilles thought, "I'm freaking done. This is not good."

So how did the French model-actor overcome the pain in order for him and partner Cheryl Burke to waltz into the lead with 24 points? I caught up with Gilles this morning just after he took his son, Georges, to school.

Last time we spoke, you had just been diagnosed with tendonitis in your groin and your shoulders. How are you feeling today?
The groin is much better. The problem is yesterday morning I couldn't move my left arm. It was completely stuck. I had a separation or something inside my shoulder. It was like, "OK, I'm freaking done. This is not good." I took 2,000 milligrams of ibuprofen, and it had no effect. It wasn't working. Cheryl was like, "Fix that now." They had to make someone come emergency. She was a magician. All the nerves were twisting in there. This lady twisted me all around the place, and finally there was cracking and popping, and she put it back in place.

Aren't you scared of permanent damage?
Right now, who cares! I mean, it's an amazing rush and passion. Nothing is a permanent injury. Everything is fixable except for some diseases in the world. I had the knee injury like Nancy O'Dell four years ago. My meniscus was completely torn. I had surgery, and now I am completely healed.

OK, let's talk about your performance. You came out on top!
I don't  know what happened. It's a big blur—but it's a very good big blur. It's once dance at a time. I feel very happy for Cheryl because she put so much time into me. I never danced before.

What does your family in France think about you on Dancing With the Stars?
My mom doesn't know what is going on. She doesn't really understand. She's thinking I'm doing the tap dance in a local show. But she's coming for my son's birthday on Wednesday. She booked the ticket eight months when I had no idea I was going to be on the show. I know for a fact she's going to get crazy. She's going to be like, "Oh my God, what is going on?" She is very emotional.

http://ca.eonline.com/uberblog/marc_malkin/b103704_dwtss_gilles_in_pain_i_couldnt_move_my.html (http://ca.eonline.com/uberblog/marc_malkin/b103704_dwtss_gilles_in_pain_i_couldnt_move_my.html)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on March 10, 2009, 09:19:35 PM
An interview with Nancy O'Dell:

Nancy O'Dell Jealous of Bachelor's — Er — Dancing's Melissa?

Crippled by a torn meniscus, Nancy O'Dell watched the Dancing with the Stars premiere from the sidelines instead of waltzing up a storm on the floor with Tony Dovolani. "That was tough because I so wanted to be a part of it," she tells TVGuide.com. O'Dell was replaced by The Bachelor's No. 2 gal, Melissa Rycroft, who netted a score of 23 with 48 hours of rehearsal. See what O'Dell has to say about her substitute, and get an update on her knee. We'll be checking in weekly with the Access Hollywood host and almost-contestant to get her take on Season 8, so be sure to come back next week.

TVGuide.com: How's your knee doing? Can you walk?
Nancy O'Dell: Yeah, I can walk fine. Walking and standing are no problem. The irony of it is that Jewel's in pain, but she doesn't have to have surgery. She's just resting. Mine doesn't hurt unless I go downstairs or I try to do twists and turns and I need surgery. ... The doctor said he could see it from three different views, which means it's a large tear and it will not heal itself, so I need surgery or it will totally mess up my knee in the future and I'll have long-term problems.

TVGuide.com: When are you having surgery?
O'Dell: Next week. Then I have rehab for six to eight weeks. I have an MDA [Muscular Dystrophy Association] bash that I'm hosting, which is another reason I'm bummed. My mom loved the show and she passed away from ALS and MDA was so instrumental in being there for us, and the Dancing cameras were gonna follow me. So I'm gonna go do that first. But it's driving me crazy. I'm so ready to get it done.

TVGuide.com: When did you tell Tony?
O'Dell: He was with me when I went to see the second doctor, which was the Dancing with the Stars doctor ... so Tony knew. He was very devastated because he thought he was out for the season too. I was so excited when I found out he had a new partner. I was so nervous when he stepped on the floor. He became, like, my family. Literally when he got into the position of how we start our routine, I was shaking.

TVGuide.com: Were you jealous of Melissa?
O'Dell: There was a part of me! [Laughs] I told Melissa after, "Oh my God! I totally know how you felt on The Bachelor. Here you are watching your man with another woman and I felt that!" I was more sad, but there was a part of me where I was like, you're doing my routine and you're wearing my dress. He didn't have time to choreograph anything else and wardrobe didn't have time to design another dress, so they just cut it about six inches for her. ... We were laughing because I was outside hosting Access earlier in the day and I heard "Moon River," which I would've danced to. So I knew they were rehearsing and I was like, "Oh my God, do not be a nerd and cry right now!" [Laughs] I have to admit I teared up because I put so much work into it.

TVGuide.com: Did you talk to her about this yet?
O'Dell: I talked to them after the show and she was so cute. I said, "You did it! Here you are with my man!" And she was like, "Thank you, thank you for everything!" I'm like, "Are you thanking me for getting injured?" [Laughs] She was like, "I feel like there's a reason for everything with everything I went through with The Bachelor, but now look at this!" We were just teasing each other, but I do think there's a reason for everything and for some reason I'm not supposed to be on this season. Maybe next season.

TVGuide.com: Are you going to come back next season?
O'Dell: That's what I'm hoping! [Laughs] The producers certainly can't commit yet, but they know that I'm definitely interested and Jewel said she's interested as well, so they know I'm pushing for it and the possibility is there.

TVGuide.com: They should do an injury season with you two and Misty May-Treanor.
O'Dell: I know! They need to have a comeback season. Jewel said she'll do it too.

TVGuide.com: Who was your favorite from Monday?
O'Dell: Well, of course Melissa and Tony. I thought Gilles [Marini] was great. He is the nicest, cutest person. I mean, not just talking about his looks, but his personality is so cute. I think women are gonna fall in love with him. He's kind of the one to watch. He was the first one to call me when he found out about my injury and he left the longest message about how he had a torn meniscus too and he told me how the surgery went and who his doctor is in L.A. "Please call me and I'll tell you all about it." It was really sweet. I think he could totally go all the way.

TVGuide.com: On our updated poll, Shawn [Johnson] is leading to win.
O'Dell: Oh, she did great, didn't she?! How am I doing on the updated poll?

TVGuide.com: Well you're not there anymore, unfortunately.
O'Dell: Darn it! [Laughs] Well, I guess Shawn does have a fanbase and she did so well last night. She's so freakin' cute. She's so little. You just wanna squeeze her. I was thinking, if ever at one point during the show, they had me, Lil Kim and Shawn, people would be like, "How tall is she? 6'5"?" They're both 4-feet something and I'm 5 feet 10. Lil Kim was good too and so sweet.

TVGuide.com: Do you think Melissa's going to get sympathy votes?
O'Dell: Oh, absolutely. I think her dancing deserves it, but she'll definitely get some sympathy votes because we're all mad at Jason! [Laughs] I said to her, "Now, look at you. You go danced like that after two days and you look tremendous. What do you want to say to Jason?" And she said, "Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha."

TVGuide.com: Would Jason ever be invited on?
O'Dell: I think it would be funny for Jason and Tony to do a dance-off. Wouldn't that be great? We could humiliate him.

TVGuide.com: You could train him for two days like Melissa.
O'Dell: Yeah and then make him do it and see how he does. This is a good idea we're having right now.

http://www.tvguide.com/Dancing-Stars/Nancy-ODell-Interview-1003904.aspx (http://www.tvguide.com/Dancing-Stars/Nancy-ODell-Interview-1003904.aspx)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on March 11, 2009, 01:56:27 AM
'Dancing with the Stars'' Julianne Hough and Chuck Wicks the Morning After

The morning after Julianne Hough and Chuck Wicks placed fifth on "Dancing with the Stars," the two were already hard at work on next week's dance -- the salsa -- and ET was there!

"I am so glad it is done and over," Chuck tells ET. "My first-day jitters are still around. As soon as we got our scores and got off stage, I said, 'We've got to go do the salsa.' Everybody is so great, so we have a lot of work ahead of us."

"Fifth out of 13 is great," Julianne adds. "If you are No. 1, you can only go down. We are toward the middle, so we can only progress."

Despite the long hours of rehearsal, Chuck says his body feels pretty good: "I have always been an athlete, but the first few weeks I was really sore."

"He has Twiggy legs. Now they are strong and muscular," Julianne reveals. Then she adds, "I like your skinny legs."

http://www.etonline.com/news/2009/03/71623/
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on March 11, 2009, 02:10:51 AM
'Dancing with the Stars'' Gilles Marini & Cheryl Burke are No. 1

The morning after making his "Dancing with the Stars" debut, Gilles Marini, the hot Frenchman who is famous for his shower scene in 'Sex and the City,' tells ET he feels like a million dollars.

Gilles and his partner Cheryl Burke were awarded 24 points last night for their cha cha cha, which put them in first place. But what viewers may not know is that on Monday afternoon, just hours before it was time to perform, Gilles couldn't lift his arm and a therapist had to be called in.She fixed him up and by performance time, he was good to go.

"Three weeks ago, I didn't know how to dance," he says. "Cheryl makes me commit to it.

After last night's winning performance, Cheryl admits she went out and partied with her boyfriend, but Gilles, who is the father of two, went home.

"I went home like a good daddy and tucked my kids in bed," he says.

Next week, Gilles and Cheryl will be dancing the quickstep.

"It is completely different," says Cheryl, who rates Shawn Johnson and Melissa Rycroft as their biggest competitors. "He has to throw everything out the window and start over."

http://www.etonline.com/news/2009/03/71621/
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on March 11, 2009, 11:23:42 AM
Maks Blog:

Maks’ Exclusive Blog: I Didn’t Make Denise Cry!

It has been crazy. I had to help Denise with the paparazzi yesterday. It’s a little nuts. I personally have never experienced it like this before–we’ve had paparazzi shoot us coming out of the clubs or whatever–but this…this is crazy. With Denise, it’s insane. Every time we leave the studio, there’s about 10, 20 photographers and they’re very…I didn’t know they were that pushy.

It’s actually scary because there’s no personal space, and then when they start driving after you, that becomes very bad, and that’s what happened yesterday. So I had to get Denise to her car and have her follow me when we left the studio to go to our wardrobe fitting for the next dance [the quick step] and cars were cutting each other off the whole way just to get a picture inside.

This is her life. With all the controversy she’s had in the past, sometimes things happen in life that make you a target for the paparazzi, your pictures rise in value, or sometimes it’s just that they make you into something else entirely.

It takes one false accusation or gossip to come out, and suddenly everybody’s taking your picture and they don’t even know why.

It’s pretty funny the way the whole thing works.

People keep asking me how my dancing with Denise puts pressure on my relationship with Karina—it doesn’t. I was brought up in a very family-oriented environment, with a lot of morals, but I’ve also been brought up as a person who doesn’t do anything unless it is exactly what you want. When I proposed to Karina, it wasn’t spur of the moment. If it was, I could have done it 10 years ago. The reason we started dating after all these years we’ve known each other is a testament to how true our relationship is.

I proposed now because this is the woman I want to spend the rest of my life with and I don’t feel like I’m missing out.

And then that picture of me and Denise came out last week in the tabloids, and people talk. Whatever. Karina and I are laughing at these things. But obviously it’s hard, because you have to completely trust the other person, which I hope we’ve established.

And it’s not going to shake us up. If you are smart, and true to yourself, it doesn’t matter what people say or how they portray you.

Take, for example, our package from the premiere. We come out to do cha cha, we say ‘Hi Maks, Hi Denise,’ and BAM…we get in a fight, and she cries.

But that’s not what it was. It was that there was so much pressure. There is enormous pressure that comes with doing this show.

And I didn’t make Denise cry! What made her cry was the situation we were put in. What made her cry is, ‘Oh my God, we are days away and we’re going crazy trying to finish our dance.’

Now what it was made into was…I had a fit, and she responded with tears. Look, if that were true, you could make a package like that about me every single day of every single season.

But why didn’t you see it with Mel B.? Because I’ll tell you, Mel cried too.

And you know what, I’m pretty sure even Warren Sapp wanted to cry at one point. He actually texted me yesterday and we speak all the time, so I’m not putting the big man on the spot, but if you ask any of the alumni of the show, they will testify to how hard it is, how much pressure it is, and how difficult it is to keep your cool and NOT burst into tears and cry!

Okay, now that we cleared that up, I have to run into wardrobe consultation!

I’ll write more soon when I get a break in this crazy schedule.

Maks

http://www.fancast.com/blogs/tv-news/maks-exclusive-blog-i-didnt-make-denise-cry/ (http://www.fancast.com/blogs/tv-news/maks-exclusive-blog-i-didnt-make-denise-cry/)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on March 11, 2009, 01:32:38 PM
Bachelor’s Melissa: The Ultimate Rebound

What a week it was for Melissa Rycroft! On March 2 viewers saw her get engaged to Jason Mesnick on The Bachelor, then, only minutes later, they saw her get dumped on the After the Final Rose special.

One week later to the day, Rycroft emerged smelling like a rose when she performed the Viennese waltz live on Dancing with the Stars. She had the support of not one, but two men — Dancing partner Tony Dovolani and new boyfriend, Ty, a former flame she started seeing after things went south with Mesnick. Rycroft calls Ty, a Dallas-based insurance agent, her “rock.”

In the latest issue of PEOPLE, Rycroft says all she wanted to do after the Bachelor drama was go back to her life in Dallas. But when she got a call on Friday, March 6, from Dancing producers asking her to fill in last-minute for injured Access Hollywood host Nancy O’Dell, she couldn’t resist.

“This is a reward, in a way, for what just happened,” Rycroft says, knowing that sore muscles and all, the opportunity was a no-brainer.

Even though doing the waltz made the former Dallas Cowboys cheerleader “feel like an elephant in high heels,” Rycroft says her objective was simple: “to go and have fun. That’s the best I can do.”

Rycroft received two standing ovations from Dancing’s March 9 audience –- when she took the floor for the first time and after she executed an admirable waltz with Dovolani.

The affection touched her heart. “I cannot think of a bigger word than overwhelming,” Rycroft said of her debut.


http://tvwatch.people.com/2009/03/11/bachelors-melissa-the-ultimate-rebound/
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on March 11, 2009, 02:02:31 PM
Love the caption!

A Letter from Woz "Post Dance"

(http://i389.photobucket.com/albums/oo334/marigoldrealityfanforum/stwosdw.jpg)

On Mar 10, 2009, at 1:29 AM, Steve Wozniak wrote:

I want to thank all the supporters and fans who are watching DWTS to see me. If enough people like me or relate to me and watch it, they will become a visible demographic and that will keep me on the show.

Tonight the judges were not in tune with what the public likes. The live audience applauded a judge's comment that what my partner and I did was what the show was about. The press people that we talked with for an hour or so afterwards all told me that they cheered our dance, from their quarters. The dancers gave total support and indicated that we did great after our post-interview, and they did so for none of the other dances.

I have hundreds of emails saying the same sort of thing, that people loved our dance.

Karina became aware of my playful joking nature some time ago. As she was supposed to do, she choreographed a dance around my personality. We didn't take it easy. This is a balls-out, sweating routine. We built in lots of comedy. At the start I have a pink boa (the 'softer' Woz) and I blow a kiss rather effeminately towards the audience. I keep my smile and eyes on the audience throughout. Early on I sway my hips out as I rotate, for comedy. At 3 points we swing our hips while ducking down together, again for comedy. I make one turn with a cat's paw move and, unknown to you, I yelled "meow" in my loudest voice. It couldn't carry over the orchestra but at least Karina heard it and maybe the nearby judges. Nobody knows that I had planned to shake my butt towards the judges at that turn but didn't do it. Later, after the knee walks, I shimmied and pretended to remove a dress. Well, the producers wouldn't let us cross-dress on this family show. Another funny point was when I took Karina on my right leg and smiled at the audience, then on my left thigh with an open mouthed look of shock, just for comedy. There was even a bit more.

Someone has to try things a bit out of the normal.

Well, the judges gave us the lowest score. But the audience applauded one of the judges saying that what we did was what the show was all about. I don't believe that they did much similar applauding for any of the other dances.

Afterward we spoke with press for an hour. They all said how in the press room they had cheered us only, loving our dance. One press person said she was getting lots of messages saying how much people loved our dance. She didn't get any such messages for any of the other dancers.

When Karina and I returned and finished our post-interview, the other dancers all told us how much they loved our dance and how fun it was. I have made a lot of good friends among the dancers and celebrities, and being nice helps.

Karina and I did exactly as we planned, so we came away extremely happy. I hit every beat. I didn't hear any specific comments about not leading with toes or having toes pointing wrong, or a hand upside down, or leaning forward, or having a foot miss even a single beat (it didn't happen). All I heard was some teletubby comment, which might be valid. I would say that there is a big mismatch between the judges' votes and the audience responses. That might be a matter for the producers.

I went into the dances deciding in advance how little the judges' scores mean. Through the dress rehearsal, it was easy to see two equal performances getting very different scores. I truly expect, from things I'm seeing and hearing, that I may even wind up winning last night's contest once the online voting ends.

I do love all my fans who actually vote for me, via phone or online. We can show the DWTS people that we represent a large demographic that is new to the show.

More tomorrow after I see the doctor.
floating, Woz -- -- tv is wake zone

http://www.woz.org/ (http://www.woz.org/)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on March 11, 2009, 02:11:37 PM
.... more on Steve

Apple's Wozniak Turns to Social Media for Dancing with Stars Support

Puts Social Media Marketing to the Real Test

Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak appeared on Dancing with the Stars last night and came in last place. Now he wants help getting votes.

Naturally he's turned to social media. There's a Tweet stream set up: http://twitter.com/votewoz (http://twitter.com/votewoz)

There are other sites dedicated solely to voting for Wozniak on Dancing with the Stars.  "With sites like VoteWoz.com and Woz.org supporting the Silicon Valley icon, he's hoping that he'll get enough viewer votes to push him past other Dancing contestants like Olympic gold medalist Shawn Johnson, rapper Lil' Kim and Bond girl Denise Richards," says Sharon Gaudin at ComputerWorld.  Wozniak  even says there's an iPhone app on the way.

With Apple's rabid fan following, this should be quite a test of just how effective social media marketing can be. On the other hand,  even a MacWorld reporter had this to say about it:

The rest of the article is here:  http://www.webpronews.com/topnews/2009/03/10/apples-wozniak-turns-to-social-media-for-dancing-with-stars-support (http://www.webpronews.com/topnews/2009/03/10/apples-wozniak-turns-to-social-media-for-dancing-with-stars-support)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on March 11, 2009, 02:21:53 PM
.... more of the same:

Geeks Rush To Boost Steve Wozniak's Dance Score

Apple cofounder Steve Wozniak delighted geeks by dancing with Karina Smirnoff Monday on TV's Dancing With the Stars. But not everyone appreciated the Woz's grace on the dance floor.

While his performance was strongly criticized and the judges gave him only 13 of a possible 30 points, the geek community rushed to Wozniak's defense. Viewer votes could push him past the other contestants. On Facebook, a Vote for Woz page already had more than 1,500 members Tuesday, and others are following Twitter's Votewoz.

On woz.org, Wozniak told his fans they can vote up to 13 times with a cell phone. And he said an iPhone app to vote for him should be on Apple's iTunes Store soon.

He added, "Your support has made a huge difference in my outlook and transition from fear to enjoyment, at least so far. So thank you very much for everything. I'd like to demonstrate, by viewers and voters, that people in the entertainment businesses (including professional sports) are not the only people in this world that count."

Attired in a pink boa over a black shirt and pants, Wozniak, according to judge Bruno Tonioli, was "like a Teletubby going mad in a gay pride parade." Judge Len Goodman liked the Woz's knee spin but not his cha-cha. And judge Carrie Ann Inaba called the smiling Wozniak's performance "heartwarming."

Smirnoff, a Russian ballerina, called Wozniak the "nicest man alive."

Wozniak is expected to dance on the show again next week.

http://tech.yahoo.com/news/nf/20090310/tc_nf/65200 (http://tech.yahoo.com/news/nf/20090310/tc_nf/65200)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: tory on March 11, 2009, 02:52:42 PM
omg the geek squad!!! love it ..

the season opener was ok something was missing for me?? i don't no what though i love this show so i will allways watch, i think it is awsome that melissa got chosen for the show and she did a great job.
i hope next week is better
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on March 11, 2009, 03:17:05 PM
Chuck Wicks Blog:

First Day On The Set Of DWTS!!

NERVOUS!!! I'm sitting in the Hair and make-up trailor with julianne right now and she said she just blogged.....now let me give you my bird eyes view on things!! haha 
 
just did the walk through of walking down the stairs for the opening of the show! piece of cake! lol...i wish dancing was as easy as walking!
 
did some camera blocking dismorning and ran the dance through a few times and the first 2 were pretty good....the last one was much better!
 
the girls get plenty of attention around here when it comes to hair and make up! julianne has been in hair and make up for like 3 hours!! she doesn't need it, but they do a great job! Ty Murray just sat down in the make up chair and told the lady this is as good as it gets! hahaha...love that guy jewel will be showing up later, to support Ty......LT is a Big Man! and very nice! Steve-O is very soft spoken but very unpredictable....cool guy. Derrick Hough and I have been hanging out a little today killing time and he's pretty amped about his album that comes out tommorow called "BALLAS HOUGH BAND"........
 
Talked with Steve WOZ, such a sweetheart of a guy and incredibly SMART! haha... He was showing us a special type of watch today that i won't even get into because i don't even know where to start....long story.
 
kinda been watching the other dancers and stars rehearse and they're all really good!!! i think this season will be alot of fun to watch!!
 
ALRIGHT...i'm being called for Hair and make-up! lol....who would of thought?
 
VOTE FOR US AND WISH ME LUCK!!!
 
CHUCK

http://www.chuckwicks.com/blog.html (http://www.chuckwicks.com/blog.html)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on March 11, 2009, 03:19:42 PM
Ty Murray's Blog:

March 10, 2009

‘I was definitely out of my comfort zone’

Well, what can I say, I'm a little bummed. We did so well in rehearsal today that I had a lot of confidence going into tonight, and then I saw a lot people getting nervous. I thought, "I'm not going to get nervous."

My whole career was riding in front of big crowds and on television. I mean, that's all I did for a living for a majority of my life. But I was definitely out of my comfort zone, trying to remember everything, trying to relax, trying to smile and trying not to think about my two best buddies sitting in the front row.

At that point, I was trying not to think about how hard I would have been laughing if it was one of them – not in a bad way – because it would be so funny to watch Cody Lambert or Jim Sharp doing what I was doing.

It's all still so new to me and, like I said, we were killing it in rehearsal, so we'll go back to work.

Jewel said it looked like I had the most trouble when Chelsie would turn loose on me, so the good news is that next week is the quick step. We kind of hold on to one another the whole time, so maybe that will help me out. I think getting the first show out of the way will help, and now I know a little more of what to expect.

I thought the judges were fair. Actually I thought they were more than fair. By far, I messed up the most tonight and it's a little embarrassing to think I got nerved-up on a dancing show.

I put a lot of work into it, and Chelsie put a lot of work into, and I was trying not to let her down. Then you have 20 million people watching me do something way out of my element and it's a heck of a lot tougher than it looked when I was sitting on the couch--I know that.

The good news is that no one gets voted off this week, and we have another week to train. It feels like the quick step is coming a little easier for me than, perhaps, what the Latin stuff did, and every day you just get a little more accustomed to it.

I'll just practice hard and try to do a bang-up job next Monday.

The thing about messing up tonight and getting bad marks from the judges is that it leaves us a lot of room for improvement next week.

http://www.pbrnow.com/blog/index.cfm/2009/3/10/I-was-definitely-out-of-my-comfort-zone (http://www.pbrnow.com/blog/index.cfm/2009/3/10/I-was-definitely-out-of-my-comfort-zone)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on March 11, 2009, 03:22:23 PM
.... another blog from Ty:

March 11, 2009

‘I can’t believe how much encouragement I’m getting’

I'm blown away by all the support that I have. So many people seem to be behind me on this deal that it makes me feel like I'm carrying a flag for all the cowboys and the western lifestyle. I never dreamed we would be getting this much support.

When we got done with the show Monday night, my phone was blowing up with like 60 text messages. In fact, I got so many texts that my battery was dead. I've looked through all the blog comments and the blog traffic is unbelievable!

The encouragement I've read is going on at all sorts of sites, from my daily blog to other blogs about "Dancing with the Stars." That kind of support is amazing to me, and it's something that can help me next week...I hope.

We got in about four hours of practice on Tuesday. It's like four hours is all your feet can take when you drill it and drill it and drill it. You get to the point after four hours where you're so tired and sore that you start to make mistakes, but we're going to try to work in five hours tomorrow. Our plan is to take a 10-minute break at the four-hour mark, regroup and then hit it hard again for another 50 minutes.

There was a big sign in the studio today that showed a guy stretching and sweating, and he had rosin all over his feet. In big letters, at the bottom of the poster, it said: DANCING IS WORK. I would not have known what that poster meant a month ago.

Like I said before, I can't believe how much encouragement I'm getting from all over the country. It's truly amazing and it does help.

Chelsie and I are working on the quick step now, and it's completely different from the cha-cha.

You can't say it's harder. Trying to compare the quick step to the cha-cha would be a lot like comparing bull riding to bronc riding. They're both really hard, but for really different reasons.

We're focused in on the task. Chelsie and I are still both vested in this, so we're going to give it all we have this week and see what happens Monday night.

http://www.pbrnow.com/blog/index.cfm/2009/3/11/I-cant-believe-how-much-encouragement-Im-getting (http://www.pbrnow.com/blog/index.cfm/2009/3/11/I-cant-believe-how-much-encouragement-Im-getting)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: tory on March 11, 2009, 06:52:51 PM
ty mg thoses blogs r cute from chuck and ty they even blog in country love love it...
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on March 12, 2009, 12:03:06 PM
'DWTS''s Gilles Marini Injury News

ET has new information about an injury suffered by French hunk Gilles Marini, who wowed viewers in his debut performance with Cheryl Burke on "Dancing with the Stars."


Gilles, who is famous for his sexy shower scene in 'Sex and the City,' suffered a separated shoulder but tells ET he still plans to come back for the next "Dancing with the Stars" on Monday.


Gilles and Burke were awarded 24 points Monday night for their cha cha routine, which put the pair in first place. It was later revealed that just hours before that performance, had Gilles complained that he couldn't lift his arm and a therapist had to be called in to fix him up before the show.

http://www.etonline.com/news/2009/03/71722/index.html
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on March 12, 2009, 12:16:07 PM
Injuries continue to plague ‘Dancing’ cast
Marini separates shoulder, bad back could force Steve-O out of competition

“Dancing With the Stars” has yet another casualty. “Sex and The City” actor Gilles Marini has suffered a shoulder injury, but he is not planning to drop out of the competition.

“Gilles Marini has separated his shoulder but still is dancing,” a rep for the actor told Access Hollywood.

The news comes just three days after the season 8 premiere of the reality TV hit, which saw Gilles and partner Cheryl Burke wow the judges with a sexy cha cha cha, netting a 24 out of 30 score from the judges — the highest total of the night.

Marini is the third contestant to suffer a serious injury since rehearsals began, with a possible two additional injured “Stars” out there as well.

Access Hollywood’s Nancy O’Dell had to pull out of the competition before the season premiere due to a torn meniscus in her knee and country singer Jewel had to bow out with a fractured tibia in both legs.

But Marini may not be the only wounded “Star” this week.

Photos surfaced early Thursday of computer wiz Steve Wozniak walking with a boot on his left foot. No details were immediately available on Wozniak’s injury.

Additionally, Steve O told AccessHollywood.com’s “Dish of Salt” Laura Saltman on Wednesday that he has a bad back that may force him out of the competition.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29658122/
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on March 12, 2009, 12:23:06 PM
Cheryl Burke to Dancing Fans: Let’s Make a Deal!

Some would call it naked ambition.

But two-time Dancing with the Stars champ Cheryl Burke prefers looking at it as an incentive program — one to get fans to get vote for her and her partner, French actor Gilles Marini.

“Every week we advance, he will lose one piece of clothing,” Burke says, giggling. “He’s the naked guy from the Sex and the City movie, and people know he has a great body. So he can pull it off.”

The pair have already pulled off a feat after Monday’s premiere: they are at the top of the leader board, scoring a 24 out of 30, after earning high marks from the judges for their cha cha.

Burke’s concern is that Marini, known for his “revealing” role as Samantha Jones’s neighbor, doesn’t have as big of a Stateside fan base as some of the other celebrities on the show.

Hence, the idea for the weekly strip tease.

Marini says he is game for the challenge.

“I will do whatever it takes,” he says. “Cheryl is the boss.”

http://tvwatch.people.com/2009/03/12/cheryl-burke-to-dancing-fans-lets-make-a-deal/
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on March 12, 2009, 01:35:40 PM
Steve Wozniak Struck by the 'Dancing with the Stars' Curse!

(http://i212.photobucket.com/albums/cc289/CuteboiWill/400_swozniak_090312_adrianvarnedoe_.jpg)

The injuries on "Dancing with the Stars" continue to mount -- and ET has the latest.

Jewel dropped out, Gilles Marini suffered a separated shoulder, and now Apple computer co-founder Steve Wozniak is snapped wearing a cast.

"The Dancing with the Stars" competitor, who is partnered with Karina Smirnoff, was spotted with a removable cast on his left leg due to a foot fracture.

The good news, according to CNET, is that Steve will still be able to compete. His doctor has advised caution and he is to wear his cast as much as possible.

Steve has vowed that next week's performance will be "wild and fast, and all-over and crazy and fun, just like the first one."

"Dancing with the Stars" returns Monday at 8 p.m. on FOX.

http://www.etonline.com/news/2009/03/71727/index.html
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on March 12, 2009, 03:29:08 PM

ABC Television Network

PRESS RELEASE 

DANCING WITH THE STARS THE RESULTS SHOW (3/17)
 
FIRST COUPLE ELIMINATED ON THE PREMIERE OF "DANCING WITH THE STARS THE RESULTS SHOW," TUESDAY, MARCH 17 ON ABC

Injured "Dancing with the Stars" Contestant and Singer/Songwriter Jewel Performs

Big Bad Voodoo Daddy Performs

Bottom Two Couples Compete in the First Live "Dance Off"

"Macy's Stars of Dance" Returns for a Fourth Season with Choreographer Michael Rooney

"Episode 802A" - After two exciting and impressive performance shows, the first couple to be eliminated will be announced on the Season Eight premiere of "Dancing with the Stars The Results Show" with its first ever "Dance Off," as well as a performance from injured former contestant Jewel, TUESDAY, MARCH 17 (9:00-10:02 p.m., ET) on the ABC Television Network.

After an injury sidelined her dancing, singer/songwriter and former Season Eight contestant, Jewel will take to the stage to perform the classic, "Somewhere Over the Rainbow," from her upcoming new album, "Lullaby." The three-time Grammy nominee, who has sold 27 million albums worldwide, will release the album on May 5, 2009. The 15-track acoustic album, featuring 10 self-penned songs and a few standards, is reminiscent of Jewel's 12-time platinum album, "Pieces of You." Last year she released her first country record, "Perfectly Clear," which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart. Jewel was originally paired with professional dancer Dimitry Chaplin, who is now dancing with her replacement, reality television star Holly Madison. Jewel's husband, World Champion bull-riding superstar Ty Murray, is teamed with professional dancer Chelsie Hightower.

The award-winning Big Bad Voodoo Daddy will bring the big band and swing back to the dance floor with a lively performance of "Calloway Boogie" from their soon to be released CD, "How Big Can You Get?: A Tribute to Cab Calloway." In stores April 21, 2009, this will be the first release in five years for the multi-platinum selling band.

In a thrilling new twist, the bottom two couples facing elimination, determined by the lowest combined viewer votes and judges' scores from the first two weeks of the competition, will "Dance Off" to determine who is dismissed in the first Results Show. The couples will select one of the two dances they have performed to dance for new scores from the judges for that specific dance. The judges' scores from the "Dance Off" performance will replace their scores from the first two weeks. A combination of just the new judges' scores from the "Dance Off" dance, along with viewers votes from both Mondays' shows, will be calculated following the "Dance Off" to determine the eliminated couple.

"Macy's Stars of Dance," which features some of the most renowned performers and choreographers of our time, will also be back for a fourth season on "Dancing with the Stars the Results Show." In the first performance of the season, "Macy's Stars of Dance" will bring world famous choreographer Michel Rooney to the dance floor for a spectacular Busby Berkeley-inspired performance to kick off the season.

By evening's end one couple will be eliminated, as determined by a combination of the judges' scores and viewers' votes. Who among the following 13 teams will leave the ballroom floor?

Belinda Carlisle (lead singer of the Go-Go's) and partner Jonathan Roberts
David Alan Grier (comedian and actor) and partner Kym Johnson
Shawn Johnson (Olympic gymnastics medalist) and partner Mark Ballas
Lil' Kim (Grammy Award winning rapper) and partner, reigning champion Derek Hough
Holly Madison (reality television star) and partner, newcomer Dmitry Chaplin
Gilles Marini (model and actor) and partner Cheryl Burke
Ty Murray ("King of Cowboys") and partner, newcomer Chelsie Hightower
Steve-O (star of "Jackass" and "Wildboyz") and partner Lacey Schwimmer
Denise Richards (actress) and partner Maksim Chmerkovskiy
Melissa Rycroft (from "The Bachelor") and partner Tony Dovolani
Lawrence Taylor (National Football League Hall of Famer, a.k.a. "LT") and partner Edyta Sliwinska
Chuck Wicks (country music star) and partner Julianne Hough
Steve Wozniak (co-founder of Apple, a.k.a. "The Woz) and partner Karina Smirnoff

Viewers may cast their votes for their favorite teams via phone on Monday night during and up to 30 minutes after the "Dancing with the Stars" performance shows. AT&T subscribers may also text message their votes by texting the word "VOTE" and entering the number that corresponds to the team they want to support (standard text message rates apply). Viewers may also vote online at www.abc.com starting from the opening of each episode on the East Coast and until 12:00 Noon, ET the following day.
 
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on March 12, 2009, 03:32:07 PM

ABC Television Network

PRESS RELEASE 

NEXT WEEK ON JIMMY KIMMEL LIVE

SCHEDULED GUESTS ON ABC'S "JIMMY KIMMEL LIVE," MARCH 16-20

Tuesday March 17 2009

Latest ("Dancing with the Stars") castoff

Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on March 12, 2009, 04:08:43 PM
An interesting article:

Steve-O's Salsa Injury: DWTS Curse Strikes Again?

If there's one contestant on Dancing With the Stars who can fancy-footwork his way through the pain, it's Jackass jokester Steve-O.

However, his pro partner, Lacey Schwimmer, tells me that Steve-O, 34, is off to see a fourth specialist today regarding a painful back injury believed to be related to their recent salsa rehearsals.

"They all say he has pulled a lot of sciatic nerves and that's pretty bad," Schwimmer says. "Everyone who has looked at him has said that it's not good. He's in pain."

Even so, Schwimmer says Steve-O is committed to staying in the show...

"It would really suck if he had to get out of the competition," she says. "But if it doesn't get better it is something the show and Steve-o are considering. His health is more important than a TV show. But Steve-O has also told me, 'There is no way I am going to get out of this.' He doesn't care. He's jumped off buildings. He'll dance through a few minutes of pain, I'm sure."

Steve-O can't pinpoint exactly when things started to go wrong with his back, according to Schwimmer, but the pain escalated during this week's salsa practice.

But for now, the Steve-O show will go on.

"We're not able to do a lot of the tricks and other plans we had hoped for," Schwimmer says. "Hopefully, if his back gets better we can put them back in. It's a very fun routine."

An ABC rep did not immediately comment on Steve-O.

As we all know, the Dancing With the Stars curse hit the eighth season of the hit show before it even began.

Jewel and Nancy O'Dell had to drop out just days before the season premiere on Monday. And just yesterday, computer guru Steve Wozniak was photographed leaving a dance studio with a cast on his left foot.

But he's staying in the game...for now.

An ABC spokesperson confirmed "Woz" has injured his foot but has decided to continue: "He has seen a doctor and is taking precautions and resting his foot whenever he can."

Link to the article: http://ca.eonline.com/uberblog/marc_malkin/b104110_steve-os_salsa_injury_dwts_curse.html (http://ca.eonline.com/uberblog/marc_malkin/b104110_steve-os_salsa_injury_dwts_curse.html)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on March 12, 2009, 10:40:53 PM
Ty Murray's Blog:

March 12, 2009

I’m a pretty determined guy and I love big challenges’

Chelsie and I practiced straight through from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. this afternoon. She was working on my technique and my frame. Actually she was working on everything, but mainly she was working on routine stuff and not things related to the performance.

We're just trying to get my frame right and my footwork down. With the quick step you're supposed to be together from your ribcage down to your knees and then above the ribcage you're supposed to be really far apart. It's hard to do, but it's important that your frame has to be just right, strong and it has to be open so she has room to dance, but yet you still have to stay really close together.

It's hard because you're doing it really fast and you're doing a lot of things with your feet at a fast pace –changing directions, sliding and spinning – and there are a lot of things going on.

After practice I had to get my tux and tails tailored. They went by the measurements from last week and today my pants were falling down so he said, "You've lost some weight." At this rate, I think, I'm going to be skin and bones before it's over.

While I was there I ran into David Alan Grier and Woz, the computer guy from Apple, and it's not just me--everybody's sore. Woz actually had a cast on his leg and David said he needs X-rays, but that he's afraid to go and get them. They also said that Steve-O's back is out and that Gilles' shoulder is bothering him.

We all kind of laughed.

The bottoms of my feet are actually purple. It's like a bruise. The shoes you wear for the quick step look like dress shoes, but there's not much to them. It's like a thin piece of suede underneath or something.

I just want you all to know that I'm still blown away by the amount of support that I'm getting.

I think that the Internet community is seeing firsthand that the rodeo and bull riding community is alive and well. I just never dreamed it would be like this and that's hopefully going to make it a lot easier for me to go back out there on Monday night.

I feel like we've been doing well in practice this week.

Chelsie's a go-getter and she doesn't want to just do an easy, fluff routine that she knows I can make it through. She wants to push me as much as she can so every time I start to get a part she adds in something else. If it looks like I start to get that then she'll add in something else.

She's really trying to push the choreography as much as she can.

Watching her and the other professional dancers do the choreography is amazing because they do it in their head in like 5 seconds just by listening to the song. If we can pull it off you'll be able to see how the dance really does match what the song is doing.

You'll also see a different emphasis on the music and where it changes depending on whether there is a big drum beat or a guitar part. The routine really follows to the beat and rhythm.

It's down to every little minute detail. Again, it's from head to toe and there's so much more to it than just figuring out where your feet go--changing how you hold your hand, moving your arms out, presentation, form, technique, posture and everything about it.

The judges are paying attention to where your head is, where your shoulders are and every single part of your body needs to be doing the right thing at the right time. That's why we have to practice so hard and so long, and I'm sure everyone is up against the same challenge.

After the first night, I think, everybody thinks that I'm not going to be able to figure it out, that I'm too stiff and that I'm not going to be a very good dancer, but I'm a pretty determined guy and I love big challenges.

Now I'm starting to learn what all my challenges are and I guarantee from now on I'll be watching dancing through a whole new set of eyes. It's the same way I think the guys who took part in my "Ty Murray Celebrity Bull Riding" show all watch the PBR in a completely different way.

I'm having that same experience...

http://www.pbrnow.com/blog/index.cfm/2009/3/12/Im-a-pretty-determined-guy-and-I-love-big-challenges#more (http://www.pbrnow.com/blog/index.cfm/2009/3/12/Im-a-pretty-determined-guy-and-I-love-big-challenges#more)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on March 12, 2009, 11:38:01 PM
Video:

Dancing With the Stars Season 8 Week 2 promo


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=02oGBbiIAqU (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=02oGBbiIAqU)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on March 13, 2009, 01:02:27 AM
Another 'DWTS' Celeb Suffers Injury

He may be best known as the wild-stunt performing daredevil on MTV's "Jackass," but now "Dancing With the Stars" contestant Steve-O has suffered an injury.

ET has obtained the following statement from the reality star:

"A physical therapist has told me that nerves are being pinched in my back and it is in spasms because of inflammation related to torn muscles. I'm doing everything I can to let it heal; icing it, taking Advil, drinking water, visiting a chiropractor, and continuing to be worked on by the physical therapist. I'm still rehearsing every day, but walking through my salsa routine, rather than practicing the physical stunts and tricks that are incorporated into it. It is going to be a risky routine that I hope to pull off."

He may be best known as the wild-stunt performing daredevil on MTV's "Jackass," but now "Dancing With the Stars" contestant Steve-O has suffered an injury.

ET has obtained the following statement from the reality star:

"A physical therapist has told me that nerves are being pinched in my back and it is in spasms because of inflammation related to torn muscles. I'm doing everything I can to let it heal; icing it, taking Advil, drinking water, visiting a chiropractor, and continuing to be worked on by the physical therapist. I'm still rehearsing every day, but walking through my salsa routine, rather than practicing the physical stunts and tricks that are incorporated into it. It is going to be a risky routine that I hope to pull off."
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on March 13, 2009, 01:07:54 AM
Maks: Dancing with Denise Richards Isn’t Complicated

She may have her own reality show titled Denise Richards: It’s Complicated, but Dancing With the Stars pro dancer Maksim Chmerkovskiy says working with the former Bond girl is anything but.

“She is so kind,” Chmerkovskiy tells PEOPLE. “I am not a morning person –- our rehearsals are early for me, at 9 a.m. Denise brings me a fresh cup of coffee to practice every day. Sometimes she’ll make a nice sandwich for me and bring it from home.”

In fact, her un-Hollywood manner made him “very surprised,” he says. “We’re always joking, laughing. Our conversations are very relaxed.”

That’s why Chmerkovskiy had to roll his eyes when video footage of rehearsals with Richards aired on the season 8 premiere Monday night. The clip showed the two at a rehearsal where Richards cried.

“Those video packages are edited for drama,” Chmerkovskiy explains. “The real thing is that the celebrities in season 6 and 7 and 8 put so much pressure on themselves. They feel like they have to outdo the celebrities from the season before.”

And Richards is no exception.

“Denise is so dedicated to this show,” says Chmerkovskiy. “I don’t see any difference between how hard she works compared to working with [past partners] Misty [May-Treanor] and Laila [Ali].”

Now that the nerves of the first show are gone, Chmerkovskiy says Richards is ready for her next dance: the quickstep.

“I definitely see a change in her now that the first show is over,” he says. “Now it’s like, ‘let’s compete.’”

http://tvwatch.people.com/2009/03/12/maks-dancing-with-denise-richards-isnt-complicated/
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on March 13, 2009, 02:15:30 PM
Video:

Shawn Johnson and Mark Ballas on Ellen 03/12/09


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Nj_vPBeISo (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Nj_vPBeISo)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on March 14, 2009, 12:14:56 AM
Ty Murray's Blog: awww poor guy he sure is trying

March 13, 2009

‘I’m gaining more confidence’

Today we worked hard. Chelsie and I practiced from 11 a.m. until 4 p.m. and, again, she's a great little teacher. Anytime she sees any improvement she keeps trying to step up our routine for Monday night by adding little things to the choreography that she thinks will make it better.

She doesn't want to take the easy route and she's trying to impress the judges. I think she has a good feel for what I can and can't do.

She drilled me on running through the whole quick step without her so I was just going through it over and over and over trying to figure everything out. It's a really fast dance and you can't get off the beat. If you fall off that beat for even a second you're all messed up.

By having me run though it myself I'm not relying on her as much to keep myself on the beat.

My feet are still really sore so, I think, I'm going to try and soak them tonight in some Epsom salts. They're not bad once I get warmed up and start dancing, but afterward – when I drive home it takes about 30 minutes because of the traffic – I can't hardly walk by the time I get out of the car.

But I'm gaining more confidence.

In some ways, it seems to me the standard ballroom dances' are a little easier because you don't have to have all that hip movement like you did last week with the Latin dance.

The quick step is about keeping a really strong frame that doesn't move and when I say doesn't move I mean it doesn't move a quarter of a quarter of an inch. Chelsie is really serious about that frame. If I move even a centimeter she's right there to say, "Nope, nope, nope. Do it again."

You're twisting and turning and your feet are going a thousand miles an hour, but that frame cannot move.

I'm working on it and we're just going to keep working at it. I've noticed that it's getting better every day and she seems to think it's getting better every day.

A crew from "Entertainment Tonight" stopped by our practice to do an interview and filmed a little snippet of our practice so you can be looking for that between now and Monday night.

Tonight I'll be on "E!'s Daily Ten" and, maybe, "E! News Daily." I'm seeing huge support on the ABC "Dancing with the Stars" message boards and they've even started an official Ty Murray page as well as an official Ty and Chelsie page.

I think all the support I'm getting from people will help me to get a grasp on this so that I can start kicking butt.

http://www.pbrnow.com/blog/index.cfm/2009/3/13/Im-gaining-more-confidence#more (http://www.pbrnow.com/blog/index.cfm/2009/3/13/Im-gaining-more-confidence#more)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on March 14, 2009, 12:39:06 AM
Get a First Look at Melissa Rycroft's New Boyfriend!

(http://i212.photobucket.com/albums/cc289/CuteboiWill/melissa-blog.jpg)

The Bachelor's Melissa Rycroft finally shows off her new man!

The 25-year-old -- who was proposed to, and then unceremoniously dumped for runner-up Molly Malaney six weeks later by Jason Mesnick on national TV -- showed up at a dance studio in West Hollywood with her insurance agent boyfriend, Ty.

He was wearing a Dallas Cowboys T-shirt -- she is a former cheerleader for the team!

Rycroft says in Us Weekly's newest issue that she has been quietly dating her new beau.

"We've been really good friends, but the timing was never right," she tells Us. "With all this going on, he's my support system. It's funny how things happen."

Rycroft recently joined Dancing With the Stars and wowed judges with a high-scoring routine. She has been attending daily dance rehearsals to keep the momentum going for this Monday's show.

Pick up the newest issue of Us Weekly, on newsstands now, to find out how how Ty and Melissa met, see what he looks like -- and learn what Melissa really thinks of Mesnick.

http://www.usmagazine.com/news/get-a-first-look-at-melissa-rycrofts-new-boyfriend-2009133

Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on March 14, 2009, 01:24:18 AM
Denise Richards Explains 'DWTS' Tears


ET talks to "Dancing With the Stars" contestant Denise Richards and her pro partner Maksim Chmerkovskiy about the actress' week-one tears -- and she reveals what her daughters and ex-husband Charlie Sheen thought of her "Dancing" debut.

Denise tells us that she and Maksim "get along very well," and that she has shed some weight since taking part in the competition.

Watch the video to hear why Denise cried in week one of rehearsals with Maksim, and what her family thought of her performance this week!

The next installment of "Dancing With The Stars" airs Monday night on ABC at 8 p.m.

http://www.etonline.com/news/2009/03/71781/
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on March 14, 2009, 01:27:52 PM
Video: he is doing better wtg

Ty Murray Chelsie Hightower DWTS Interview


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dK9VdYQ35xQ (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dK9VdYQ35xQ)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on March 14, 2009, 07:27:45 PM

Live with Regis and Kelly Scheduled Guests

Thursday March 19, 2009

The first couple to be voted off "DANCING WITH THE STARS" stops by
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on March 14, 2009, 07:38:10 PM

Edyta Sliwinska on the cover of FitnessRx

(http://i389.photobucket.com/albums/oo334/marigoldrealityfanforum/edytas1.jpg)

Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on March 14, 2009, 08:00:34 PM
Video:

E News Weekend with DWTS Chuck, Julianne, Holly & Dmitry 3-14-08


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cuWLIkVmXj8 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cuWLIkVmXj8)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on March 15, 2009, 12:43:33 AM
Ty Murray's Blog:

March 15, 2009

I’m not going to shave my legs’

I want to give a shout out to Flint Rasmussen. For those of you reading this, fans of "Dancing with the Stars" who might be new to bull riding, he's a gigantic part of the PBR family and he's friends with everybody involved with our sport. He's our entertainer at the live events and nobody does a better job than him.

I want to tell Flint that I'm not going to shave my legs like he suggested I do, but I am going to go out there on live television Monday night and bring it for him.

Today we had a chance to go to CBS Studios, where they film the show, and had an opportunity to run the routine on the actual stage we'll be using. That really helps because there are some stairs we're going to be using at the start of the routine and it's nice to be able to go use the actual stairs and see how the floor is set up.

I've probably been to 15 different practice studios and every one of them is a different size and a different shape. Some of them even have poles in the middle. They're so completely different that it helps to get a feel for it on the actual floor.

We spent about an hour there and then we went to one of the other practice studios. We trained for three hours today, but you have to understand that it's not about standing there and Chelsie showing me the technique or how to hold my hand or any of that stuff. It's strictly just running it.

When you get done with the quick step you're out of air.

We only rest for like 15 seconds and then run it again. Then we rest for like 15 or 20 seconds and run it again. We probably ran it like 25 times today and we would also stop and work on parts that aren't just right, that weren't on the beat.

The quick step is hard because not only are you moving really fast and changing directions a lot – sometimes you meet in the middle and sometimes you're on each other's side – but you're also trying to stay connected from your ribcage down to your knees throughout all this.

If you're not in perfect time it's a three-legged race gone really bad.

Chelsie seems to be pretty happy with where it's at, but it's still pretty hard to smile all the way through it. Some of it's really hard and then some of it you're concentrating so hard, but Chelsie's trying to teach me that my new look of concentration is a smiling face.

But you're trying to concentrate the whole time and stay on that beat because you're trying to do a lot and that beat, as I've said before, is really unforgiving. It felt like we had it going pretty good today and at the end of practice I told Chelsie that my feet were cooked. She said, "Mine are too."

We're both putting in the work and she's pretty sore.

Tomorrow we go back to the CBS Studios for some camera blocking so that all the cameramen can get a feel for our routine and they'll know where to film, which cameras will focus in on who and they'll know exactly what is going to happen.

From there we'll go back to our rehearsal studio and work on it some more and then Monday is it. If feel like we're ready and now it's just a matter of me overcoming my nervousness and being able to pull it off like I do in practice.

I'm feeling good about it.

Oh and, one more thing, I found out why all the women dancers on the show have spray on tans. When you become part of this show you're in a dance studio all day long so you never get to see sunshine. But that's all right with me because tonight I was able to get back home in time to watch the Birmingham event on Versus.

http://www.pbrnow.com/blog/index.cfm/2009/3/15/Im-not-going-to-shave-my-legs#more (http://www.pbrnow.com/blog/index.cfm/2009/3/15/Im-not-going-to-shave-my-legs#more)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on March 15, 2009, 10:03:38 PM
Ty Murray's Blog:

March 15, 2009

About two weeks ago I was doing an interview with "TV Guide" and they were asking me all about my experience and all about dancing. Then she asked me, "Do you know how to twitter?" I said, "Well, so far I've only learned the cha-cha and the quick step." She laughed and then she tried to explain to me what it was.

But, at that point, I had never of Twitter.

ABC has now talked to me about it because they want me to start twittering, so they set up an account where I send out short text messages that become instant blogs. It allows me to keep everybody instantly informed about whatever it is I'm doing.

The messages will be posted online at the "Dancing with the Stars" page on ABC.com as well as through Twitter (if you sign up for the service). I'll try and find out how you can receive my tweets and include that in my blog tomorrow.

I wish I knew more, but all this twitter deal is all still pretty new to me.

Today we got up and went to CBS Studios to work on camera blocking from 9:45 until 10:30 and then Chelsie and I did our final wardrobe fitting from 10:30 until 11.

I also called into the broadcast booth at the bull riding event in Birmingham and talked to Justin McKee, Justin McBride and Craig Hummer. They asked me all kinds of questions in order to get an update on how "Dancing with the Stars" is going. It was good to talk with those guys and it was great to finally have a chance to watch the bull riding on Versus last night.

This afternoon we went to practice again and just kept running our routine to try and polish it up some more before tomorrow night. Today I was focused on my technique and trying not to miss any steps.

We had a great practice. In fact, we had several runs that if I could have had any of those runs tomorrow night Chelsie and I would be really happy and, I think, the judges would be pretty happy with too.

Chelsie said that she feels like we're twice as prepared as we were last week. She feels good going into it and so do I. Trust me, it's a lot harder once it's show time, but I'm going to try and be really focused and ready to go.

http://www.pbrnow.com/blog/index.cfm/2009/3/15/Do-you-know-how-to-twitter#more (http://www.pbrnow.com/blog/index.cfm/2009/3/15/Do-you-know-how-to-twitter#more)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on March 15, 2009, 10:12:54 PM
An interview with Maks:

Maksim Dishes on Denise's Dancing, Melissa's "Unfair" Edge

Never one to mince words, Maksim Chmerkovskiy has a few choice ones about Melissa Rycroft as Nancy O'Dell's last-minute replacement on Dancing with the Stars. Find out what he thinks of her casting, as well as his upcoming wedding to Dancing pro Karina Smirnoff — and if he really made Denise Richards cry.

TVGuide.com: Your cha-cha got an 18. How do you think it went?
Maksim: I think she did great. I always dismiss the first dance because nobody really knows what it's like. She's not really the kind of celebrity that would get eliminated any time soon, so for us it was OK. We tried our best. She had a hard time relaxing, which was totally understandable. I know she's not an "18" kind of dancer. She can improve and she definitely puts in the hours to do so. I think [our quickstep] is gonna put us up there as one of the frontrunners, but it's a long, long, long season, so you never know what's gonna happen.

TVGuide.com: Just so we're clear — you did not make her cry in rehearsals.
Maksim: Of course not! It's a show and it's like eeny-meeny-miney-mo! Today's the day we're gonna show you crying. [Laughs] Everybody cries! To subject yourself publicly, it's a lot of pressure and I find nothing wrong with a little bit of tears. ... It's not the [fault of the] dancers, but the celebrities who are under so much pressure, stress and expectations that this is what comes out when it all boils over. But we're having a lot of fun. We're laughing a lot. We're serious a lot. I am kinda like a class clown.

TVGuide.com: You're a class clown? Do you pull pranks on her?
Maksim: [Laughs] No. She's now laughing at my inability to compliment, which is not true. I actually compliment! We were working on one step. I said, "That was perfect!" And she said, "Wait a minute! Did you guys hear he said it was perfect?" I was like, "Yeah, but that was five seconds of the routine!" It was, like, one of those backhanded compliments. So now she's like, "You know what? Don't compliment me." [Laughs] We're just having fun.

TVGuide.com: How does Denise compare to your past partners?
Maksim: She is just as good. My biggest worry was that she'd be a little too Hollywood, but she's definitely not. I've always said [my ideal partner] has to be a mix of Mel B.'s personality and Misty [May-Treanor]'s and Laila [Ali]'s ability to train for hours. I think I found that in Denise. She definitely puts in an insane amount of time in the studio. [On Thursday,] I ended rehearsals because her feet hurt, but she didn't want to stop.

TVGuide.com: You don't want her to get injured.
Maksim: Exactly. Each season is better than the one before, so celebrities work harder because they want to outdo their predecessors. We're coming on the heels of a very successful season with Brooke [Burke] doing an amazing job. They're pushing themselves harder now, so we as pros need to moderate that push.

TVGuide.com: After seeing everyone dance, who impressed you?
Maksim: I was very impressed with Lil Kim. I thought she did an amazing job. She got totally screwed with the score because she went first so they were conservative on her.

TVGuide.com: What do you think of Holly Madison and Melissa Rycroft?
Maksim: Do I have to answer that? [Laughs] It's very hard for me because Tony [Dovolani] is my best friend, but if we're gonna call it what it is, it's very unfair because Melissa's a dancer — she was a cheerleader and did ballet. That's what I would love to end. Holly — I thought she did a good job with no time to prepare. She looks very confident.

TVGuide.com: Karina's outfit was very revealing. Did you pick that out for her?
Maksim: [Laughs] I did not pick that out! But I thought her costume was amazing. Incredible. I was very proud of how good of a job she did with Steve [Wozniak]. I don't know what it's like to have somebody like that as your partner because I was kinda blessed with very good partners. To see that from her was very impressive.

TVGuide.com: She said Steve is the nicest guy in the world. Is she not counting you?
Maksim: We were laughing about that afterwards. He may be the nicest guy in the world and I'm totally fine with not being the nicest in the world. But I'm definitely something enough that she said yes. So I can't get upset at that! [Laughs]

TVGuide.com: The show's playing up the romance angle this season. Do you think it's fair Julianne and Chuck are competing together?
Maksim: Sweetie, I think there are a lot of things with the show that's unfair. But what I think is irrelevant. I'm doing my job with whoever I'm given. You know, Steve's an amazing guy and incredibly friendly. He's very entertaining, he's trying his best and I've never seen anyone work harder than Steve. Having said that, he probably won't be in the semifinal or final. I think Karina deserves to be partnered with someone she has a chance with.

TVGuide.com: How are wedding plans coming along?
Maksim: We're talking about it. It's obviously very difficult because we have no idea what we're doing tomorrow. But I want to be married by the end of the year. She agrees with it. It's just a matter of finding the right weekend or week or whatever's required. Also, I have no idea what goes into planning one.

TVGuide.com: What's gonna be your first dance?
Maksim: Well, we're professional dancers, so should we be dancing? [Laughs] I honestly believe we are just gonna do one of those cute back-and-forth things. ... But do you know what we do to relax? We don't dance! So I think we may do something else.

TVGuide.com: If you have kids, will they be dancers?
Maksim: I would definitely want kids. Would they be dancers? I dunno. That's up to them. If they show interest, I will push them do the best. I was not brought up in a dancer's family. I was brought up in a family where the mentality was whatever you do, you gotta try to be the best at it.

TVGuide.com: They could eventually be pros on Dancing.
Maksim: I am slightly hoping that wouldn't be the case. [Laughs]

http://www.tvguide.com/Dancing-Stars/Maksim-Chmerkovskiy-Denise-1004053.aspx (http://www.tvguide.com/Dancing-Stars/Maksim-Chmerkovskiy-Denise-1004053.aspx)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on March 16, 2009, 10:23:01 AM
An interesting article on Gilles:

'DWTS'' Gilles Marini on 'The Insider' Stage

Tonight, Gilles Marini will take to the ballroom floor for the quickstep on "Dancing with the Stars," but before the sexy Frenchman defends his first place position on the "Dancing" leader board, he is on "The Insider" stage with our Lara Spencer.
 

"I really want to show the judges I can be classical," he says of his struggle this week to learn the classical frame necessary to score well when dancing the quickstep. "As soon as you get it, you don't move the frame, just your feet. I got to get there. Not to move my frame is the hardest thing."

But it is also a lucky thing that he only needs to move his feet, because last week the 'Sex and the City: The Movie' hottie was dancing with a painful, separated shoulder. He says the quickstep will be easier on his arm -- once he gets it down.

"The doctor said anything can happen," Gilles tells Lara. To alleviate Gilles' condition, the doctor injected him with cortisone and the "DWTS" competitor says he is going to follow the doctor's advice -- as well as that of his professional partner, Cheryl Burke.

"Cheryl always tells me, 'Listen to your body,'" he explains. "We pushed a little bit too much."

Tonight, Gilles' mother will be in the audience for his performance, and he says he wants to surprise her with his new moves. He, also, would like to surprise his 'Sex and the City' co-star, Kim Cattrall, with his new talent.

"Hopefully, she will come to the show and I can show her some moves, because the moves on 'Sex and the City' were different."

"Dancing with the Stars" airs tonight at 8 p.m. on ABC.

Link includes a video interview you can see here: http://www.theinsider.com/news/1843471__DWTS_Gilles_Marini_on_The_Insider_Stage (http://www.theinsider.com/news/1843471__DWTS_Gilles_Marini_on_The_Insider_Stage)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on March 16, 2009, 10:50:44 AM
Lil' Kim & Derek Hough Interview Each Other!

http://
"Dancing with the Stars" partners Lil' Kim and Derek Hough are on the ET set! From first impressions and annoying habits to nicknames, music and more, the dance partners hit each other up in a no-holds-barred interview!

When asked what she thought about being paired up with last season's dance champ opposite Brooke Burke, she says, "I was thinking, 'Oh great, God answered my prayers.'"

"I'm not going to lie -- I was a little surprised," admits Derek about finding out Kim would be his pair-up, "because I've had kind of a very similar type of partner for the past three seasons, and you're definitely different: you're a musician, and when you walked in I was like, 'Wow, she is little. She is very small, and I was going through all these things in my head, like how I was going to teach you, because I'd have to teach a little differently. But I am very pleased that you're my partner."

So what is Kim's most annoying habit? "You're always late," says Derek, who doesn't seem too annoyed about it. "It gives me a chance to get there and chill out a little bit."

And the nickname that she can't stand? "Kimbo Slice," laughs Derek.

"I hate that stupid nickname," squeals Kim. "We need to find a new nickname!"

Catch Lil' Kim and Derek competing on tonight's "Dancing with the Stars" on ABC, and watch ET for more with their interview!

http://www.etonline.com/news/2009/03/71798/index.html
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on March 16, 2009, 10:56:25 AM
Behind the Scenes at Ty Murray's 'Dancing with the Stars' Rehearsal


Ty Murray and his professional partner Chelsie Hightower finished in next to last place on last week's "Dancing with the Stars," so they are busy rehearsing this week's quickstep routine -- but not too busy to take a break to talk to ET.

"Chelsie is like a drill sergeant," says Ty, who adds he is hoping to not to mess up this week.

Ty, a rodeo athlete famous for riding bulls, also tells ET that he has had to get his pants re-fitted for this week's performance, since he has lost so much weight on the "Dancing with the Stars" diet: long hours of strenuous rehearsal.

And even though she had to hang up her dancing shoes as a result of a fractured tibia in both legs, his wife Jewel is being supportive.

"Dancing with the Stars" airs tonight at 8 p.m. on ABC.

http://www.etonline.com/news/2009/03/71802/index.html
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on March 16, 2009, 01:58:46 PM

ABC Television Network

PRESS RELEASE 

ABC ANNOUNCES SEASON FINALE DATES AND THE RETURN OF "UGLY BETTY" AND "THE BACHELORETTE"
 
ABC announces season finale dates, which will conclude some of its most popular series, including "Brothers & Sisters," "Dancing with the Stars," "Desperate Housewives," "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition," "Grey's Anatomy" and "Lost," as well as the much anticipated return of "Ugly Betty" and "The Bachelorette."

Dates are as follows (all times are ET):

Tuesday, May 19

9:00-11:00 p.m.    "Dancing with the Stars"



Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on March 16, 2009, 02:35:10 PM

ALSO please note:

CORRECTION/UPDATE

As of MONDAY, MARCH 16, 2009 (all times ET unless noted)
 
MONDAY, MARCH 30
8:00 - 10:02 PM
SCHEDULED    Tonight's program is "DANCING WITH THE STARS: Episode 804" - (TV-PG,L) (HD/5.1; Spanish audio via SAP) (CC)


TUESDAY, MARCH 31
9:00 - 10:02 PM
SCHEDULED    Tonight's program is "DANCING WITH THE STARS THE RESULTS SHOW: Episode 804A" - (TV-PG,L) (HD/5.1; Spanish audio via SAP) (CC)
 
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on March 16, 2009, 02:39:43 PM

ABC Television Network

PRESS RELEASE 

REGIS AND KELLY SPRING FORWARD WITH GREAT GUESTS IN MARCH AND APRIL REGIS AND KELLY SPRING FORWARD WITH GREAT GUESTS IN MARCH AND APRIL, 2009

Julia Roberts to Make First-Ever Appearance on "Live";
Other Top Guests Include Jennifer Lopez, Drew Barrymore,
Jamie Foxx, Ben Affleck and Miley Cyrus

"American Idol" Finalists Perform and "Dancing with the Stars" Cast-offs Stop by Each Week

Kathie Lee Returns!

Popular morning talk show "Live with Regis and Kelly" heads into Spring 2009 with a stellar lineup. At the top of the list is Academy Award-winning actress JULIA ROBERTS, who will make her first-ever appearance on "Live with Regis and Kelly" on Wednesday, March 18. The luminous star of such films as "Steel Magnolias," "Pretty Woman," "Erin Brockovich" and "Ocean's Eleven" will chat with hosts Regis Philbin and Kelly Ripa about her new movie, "Duplicity."

"Live" is the place to be to catch the top performers from TV's most exciting reality competition shows. Beginning March 16, as the blockbuster hit "AMERICAN IDOL" amps up the competition, every Monday the finalists that have been voted off will perform on "Live." In addition, every Thursday the most recent cast-off couple from "DANCING WITH THE STARS" will stop by to spend some time with Regis and Kelly.
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on March 16, 2009, 05:13:35 PM

Steve Wozniak Blogs:

Woz' Dance Day Updates, Monday March 16

On Mar 16, 2009, at 12:22 PM, Steve Wozniak wrote:

I'm in my trailer again. I watched Ty Murray dance and then Lil' Kim. I really liked her dance too. After my own, I watched Lawrence Taylor. He's big and doesn't move a lot but there was a spectacular part where he swings her body in a circle along the floor for 2 or 3 revolutions and I just stared in awe with an open mouth.

I had my new All Star sneakers on. They put suede on the bottom so that they can slide. The first time through they slipped twice so I stepped in some goo that helps. The next time through they only slipped once and just barely.

My left foot and right knee are my bad spots and both are acting up a bit but we only have one dance in a dress rehearsal and one live to go. Wish me luck. I will wish you smiles and appreciation. stay tuned  to this channel! --Woz


On Mar 16, 2009, at 11:32 AM, Steve Wozniak wrote:

Got up smiling...went for a short Segway jaunt at 10:45 AM...awating an 11:00 AM limo pickup at my apartment...on that jaunt I came to feel happy that I get to share a dance I learned with a lot of people...a much happier thought than how am I going to do...I am confident

I'm in my trailer now. My live orchestra rehearsal is at 11:40 AM and it's almost 11:30 which is when they'll call me out of my trailer. A live orchestra always sounds a bit different than the music you've been practicing to so you have to work on the tempo and getting used to the new sound. Then I should have some down time but they will rehearse thing like walking down the stairs again and then we have a 2-hour live rehearsal for all of us, red room, fake judges with scores, essentially the entire show from 1 to 3 or something. Then we have time off until the real show at 5:00 PM PDT (8 PM EDT live).

I need your votes but even more just for you to be watching me on the show.

Thanks, and smiles to you all, --Woz -- tv is wake zone

http://www.woz.org/ (http://www.woz.org/)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on March 16, 2009, 08:59:31 PM
WEEK TWO SCORES:


TEAM              DANCE       CARRIE ANN  LEN  BRUNO     TOTAL  LAST WEEK  COMBINED           

Holly/Dmitry     Quickstep           6          6       6           18            18              36

David/Kym         Salsa               6          5       6           17            19              36   

Denise/Maksim  Quickstep           7          7       7           21            18              39   

Belinda/Jonathan  Salsa              6          6       6           18            17              35

Ty/Chelsie       Quickstep            7          6       7           20            14             34

Shawn/Mark        Salsa              8          8       8            24            23             47

Steve/Karina    Quickstep           6          5       6            17            13             30

Chuck/Julianne     Salsa             6           7       7            20            20             40       

Lawrence/Edyta  Quickstep        7           6       7            20            16             36

Steve-O/Lacey     Salsa            5           4       5            14             17            31       

Lil' Kim/Derek      Quickstep        8           7       8            23             21            44     
 
Melissa/Tony        Salsa            9           8       9            26             23            49     

Gilles/Cheryl       Quickstep        9           9       9            27             24             51   
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on March 16, 2009, 10:56:24 PM
Curse? or can we blame this on stupidity

Steve-O Sits Out of Dancing With the Stars Due to Back Injury

Steve-O was forced to sit out of Monday's Dancing With the Stars due to a back injury.

During dress rehearsal two hours before the show aired, he landed on his mic pack, host Tom Bergeron announced on the show.

He went to the hospital as a precaution and "hopes to be back next week," Bergeron added.

The judges ended up basing their scores on his dress rehearsal performance of the salsa -- and they weren't sympathetic.

"I feel terribly sorry for Steve," Len Goodman said as Steve-O's partner Lacey Schwimmer stood on stage alone. "What I saw, I didn't get it as a performance at all."

Added Bruno Tonioli, "He has an appealing streak of madness."

They earned a 14 out of 30.

Schwimmer said their number would have been higher if Steve-O were able to perform live.

"He was so bummed out going into the ambulance today," she said, adding that his injury looked "pretty bad."

"Nothing's broken," she said, "but there are plenty of other things that could be wrong."

Last Thursday, the MTV reality star, 34, announced he was suffering from pinched nerves and spasms in his back.

He said he was seeing both a chiropractor and a physical therapist and vowed not to drop out of the competition.

But Schwimmer told Us, "They all say he has pulled a lot of sciatic nerves and that's pretty bad. Everyone who has looked at him has said that it's not good."

Steve-O and Schwimmer scored a 17 for their waltz, their first performance last Monday.

Tonioli called their routine a "big pile of slapstick."

http://www.usmagazine.com/news/steve-o-sits-out-of-dancing-with-the-stars-due-to-back-injury-2009163 (http://www.usmagazine.com/news/steve-o-sits-out-of-dancing-with-the-stars-due-to-back-injury-2009163)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on March 16, 2009, 11:57:04 PM
Ty Murray Blogs: yay he did great

March 17, 2009

Tonight went quite a bit better for us. Chelsie and I improved our score from last week by six points. It felt a lot better, but it's still nerve-racking as heck when you go out there and you know 31 million people are watching and you're trying to nail something you've been working on all week.

But now I have a better understanding of the challenges in front of me and I love to compete.

I think, just having an understanding of that is a big help and hopefully every week I'm going to get more comfortable going out there and doing it.

I have a great coach and tonight, through her smile, she was telling me, "Come on Ty get your arm up. One, two, three." She was giving me counts that were critical and giving me little tips here and there that are critical, so it went a lot better for us.

We still have a lot more work in the weeks ahead.

Obviously quite a few people got a lot better scores than we did, but if we can keep improving at the rate we're going then we'll be doing a lot better in no time. There's a lot more that I'm starting to understand about all this and the challenge of it is fun for me.

The key was trying to figure out what the challenge really was. When we started practicing we were in Stephenville, Texas and I didn't have any idea of what to expect. Now that I have two shows under my belt I feel like I know what the challenge is that's in front of me. I understand the amount of work that has to go into it.

I also understand why it's important when Chelsie shows me what the judges are going to be critical of with my form and technique and posture and all the different things we put into our routine. She really tries to work on that with me.

I have a great coach and I get along with her, which is a good thing because we spend the majority of our day together. I'm around her, right now, more than my wife.

All those challenges are really tough and I know I keep saying that, but I hope it's sinking in with a lot of people.

I mean, look at the injuries: they said Steve-O's back looked like it had a fist coming out of it, Jewel has a broken leg and Nancy O'Dell has a torn meniscus. It's tough--not just physically, but everything about dancing is tough.

I think it really helped for us to come out have a good run because it helped Chelsie with her confidence in me too, so she's not thinking in the back of her mind, "We're busting our tails and he goes out there and just freaks out."

It's hard and I am dealing with that.

It really is a fun competition and being in the red room with everybody is a great time because every one of us is nervous and we're all cheering for each other and cracking jokes. You only dance for a minute-and-a-half and then the rest of the two hours you spend sitting in that red room.

Everybody here has been really nice to me and, I think, what can really help me is the amount of support I'm getting from the cowboys, the western lifestyle and the bull riding and rodeo fans.

I hope that really carries me along far enough that I can start to get this thing figured out. If I can lose a big part of the nerves that's going to help, but, like I said before, it is nerve-racking.

Last week, they had their biggest premiere in the history of "Dancing with the Stars." When they got the final numbers, they said 31 million people watched it! That was huge.

I know there are more cowboys watching this show then ever before and I'm just trying my hardest to fight the fight for them. I want to say thank you to everybody for the support. It really means a lot to me.

http://www.pbrnow.com/blog/index.cfm/2009/3/17/I-love-to-compete#more (http://www.pbrnow.com/blog/index.cfm/2009/3/17/I-love-to-compete#more)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on March 17, 2009, 08:19:31 AM
Dancing with the Stars Episode Recap: Monday, March 16, 2009

It's that time of the week again. The 13 couples take on the quickstep and salsa to tack on more points before the first elimination. It sounds simple, but it's not Dancing with the Stars without some type of complication. One star was injured, but is definitely not out yet.

Hey, y'all. Welcome back. I hope Maks didn't rile you up too much. I guess they've done away with the title intros this season, or maybe it's just because of the special circumstances these past two weeks. They're doing the stair intros again and Steve-O is conspicuously missing. But Lacey's all costumed up, so what does it all mean? Tom says Steve-O, who's already nursing pinched nerves and spasms in his back, was injured today and they'll tell us what's up with his dance later. But first, the healthy folks! Tom reminds us the new scores will be added to last week's scores for a total out of 60.

Holly Madison & Dmitry Chaplin: Quickstep
Holly's going for "Most Improved" this week, not to mention "Most Inquisitive." She plays 20 Questions with Dmitry so they can get to know each other better. He likes to stay up late, but Holly likes to goes to bed early. Guess Hef has an early bedtime? Looking dashing in purple, Holly flubs from the start, getting her feet caught in some rapid-fire movement. Her chest is very... protruded and this is not very... quick. She clearly needs more practice time. Dmitry looks like he's dragging her around. Len criticizes her upper body posture. "Your bust is forward." Bruno says she's running for the bus. Carrie Ann appreciates her eagerness and says Dmitry's dragging her around like Marie — er — a doll.
Score: 18 (this week) + 18 (last week) = 36

David Alan Grier & Kym Johnson: Salsa
DAG (who does a killer and equally incoherent Bruno) says it's time to show more of what Davey G. is all about. This salsa is gonna step it up three step levels. Except it doesn't. First off, what bird did Kym kill for that lining? Davey G.'s in character this week, but not really in step. Granted, I've never danced a salsa before, but where's the hip action? Do you need a new one, DAG? You're not that old, are ya? Bruno says character is on point, but hip needs work. There ya go! Carrie Ann says he's not driven from the musicality. Is this the first time "musicality" has been mentioned this season? Someone keep track. Len says too much Kym, too little David. "All sizzle and no sausage." No comment.
Score: 17 + 19 = 36

Tom reminds us Steve-O's not here tonight and says that the salsa has sent him to the hospital, but offers no more details. It's torture, I tell ya. Torture.

Denise Richards & Maksim Chmerkovskiy: Quickstep
Denise doesn't like being bent backwards. Again, no comment. There's no crying this time, so Denise has grown some balls, right? Maks told me their quickstep is much better than their cha-cha and that it was. Now this is a quickstep, Hol. It's fast and dynamic, and Denise is not rushing through this like she did with the cha-cha. Apparently there was a stumble in the middle, but my layman's eyes didn't catch it. Or maybe I was just typing. Carrie Ann says it's fantastic and elegant except for the slight misstep. Len says she's "much improved." Bruno likes to see her grab her toes? I think that's what he said. Whatever. They all liked it.
Score: 21 + 18 = 39

Belinda Carlisle & Jonathan Roberts: Salsa
Belinda's hurt by being likened to Cloris. Hrmph. I dunno if I would be. Would you? Maybe the Oscar is blindsiding me. Jonathan wants to inject more personality into their salsa, which Belinda told me she was very excited about. She starts off on the chair and shimmy-shimmies her assets. And then smacks them! Hey now! She ends with a handstand and almost doing No. 17 — the spread eagle (Chicago reference). I give her credit for doing all that, but it looked kind of awkward. Len says she needs more hip, but the performance was there. Bruno likes to see her shake it. Oh, I bet you do. He says she needs to be sharper with her hip action and proceeds to demonstrate. I need some brain bleach. Carrie Ann says it's lacking in grace and her legs were apart too much. CA wants you to keep your legs closed, y'all!
Score: 18 + 17 = 35

Ty Murray & Chelsie Hightower: Quickstep
Ty says his cha-cha was really a "cha" and now it's time for redemption. Chelsie's trying to change his "concentration face" into a quasi-creepy smiley face. Did they just completely miss their high-five?! I don't find this as quick as Denise and Maks', but they're way more in step than Holly and Dmitry were. Being stiff (no pun intended) is paying Ty off since the quickstep is all about the posture and the cowboy ain't budgin'. Ty's creepy concentration face is in full effect, too. Jewel doesn't bother with the standing O. Carrie Ann's "so, so" proud of him and his hold on Chelsie. Bruno says he was ridin' the quickstep. Len calls it an "absolute metamorphosis." And then Samantha basically tells them they may be in the bottom two tomorrow. Know when not to talk, Sam. Thanks.
Score: 20 + 14 = 34

Shawn Johnson & Mark Ballas: Salsa
The "rigid and powerful" Shawn is too worried about shaking her booty, forcing Mark to become a woman. With the steps, that is. If Lil Kim is "Black Barbie," Mark is Ken, or more like the Ken doll. Wax enough, Mark? The salsa's fun, flirty with lots o' sharp booty shakin'. Not much hip though. Taking advantage of Shawn's flexibility, they cap it off with two splits. If you've got it, flaunt it. Bruno says it was charming and precise, but she must work on the naughtiness. She's 17, Tom reminds him. Len agrees on the precision and wants her to not follow the book so much in the Latin dances. Carrie Ann echoes the sentiments and points out her ability to focus.
Score: 24 + 23 = 47

Steve Wozniak & Karina Smirnoff: Quickstep
Woz loves the quickstep! But he has a "special pain" in his left foot, which turns out to be a fracture... but his doc wants him to keep dancing. The boa's back! At least we know props aren't going to waste. The quickstep is positively adorable, if admittedly not technically proficient. Did they purposely have him follow Shawn? Watching Woz is like watching a wide-eyed toddler who hasn't quite mastered motor skills yet. And I mean that in the nicest way possible. Kathy Griffin's here! Len appreciates the entertainment value. Carrie Ann says he's a trooper. Bruno says he's Wall-E and he totally is! I'll be your Eve! (Don't judge me!)
Score: 17 + 13 = 30

Chuck Wicks & Julianne Hough: Salsa
Chuck feels awkward doing the salsa in front of his girlfriend. How long have you been together? He doesn't like to do girly moves and has no frame of reference. "Have you not seen Derek move his hips?" she asks. And so he's now ready to shake his hips like Derek. Julianne's wearing a Koosh ball. No, seriously, she is. This dance is atrocious. That's all that needs to be said. It's basically a showcase for Koosh ball Julianne. Did Chuck do anything? He's still afraid of being "girly," I take it. How many times can he stand there waiting for her to spin into his arms? I got at least four and I have no inclination to re-watch that, so feel free to let me know the grand total. Bruno says it was a wasted opportunity for him to show off his chops. Len doesn't want him to be embarrassed and wants him to come out and perform it. Carrie Ann says that wasn't a salsa. After all that caviling, the lovebirds walk away with a 20. Whaa?!
Score: 20 + 20 = 40

Lawrence Taylor & Edyta Sliwinska: Quickstep
Can LT get over his self-consciousness? It seems like he did. He's a lot more fluid and graceful this time around and he doesn't seem inhibited by anything like he did last week. He spins (sorry, I don't know these terms) Edyta — who's wearing some version of Halle Berry's 2002 Oscar dress — on the floor and I'm already thinking about the lift violation calls that may come. But alas, there will be none. Carrie Ann says it was smooth and powerful. Bruno gives him a way to go. Len likes the difficulty of the routine and gives him a well done.
Score: 20 + 16 = 36

Steve-O & Lacey Schwimmer: Salsa
During dress rehearsal, Steve-O landed on his mic pack, which exacerbated his back injury from last week, Tom tells us. He's not officially out yet, and so the Dancing rule book (seriously?) dictates that fans and the judges will grade his dress rehearsal. In the rehearsal footage, Steve-O says he wants to Jackass around and do the salsa Steve-O style, which in Lacey's mind means no salsa at all. It was fun and entertaining, but salsa it was not. Looks like "Rebel Lacey" is back! Seriously though, why can't these "pros" just teach the dance as is? Enough with "spicing" things up with flips and stuff, especially if that person A) may land on his mic pack and B) already has a bum back. Len acknowledges it's different performing in rehearsal than it is performance night, but it still sucked (my words, not his). Bruno says the salsa's missing. Carrie Ann agrees and hopes to see more of Steve-O. Backstage, Lacey says nothing's broken in Steve-O's back.
Score: 14 + 17 = 31

Lil Kim & Derek Hough: Quickstep
Kim's gotta be prim and proper, but she's nervous making the adjustment in rehearsal. The lady in red looks like she belongs in Dreamgirls and is prim and proper, alright. It's lovely and complicated — in a good way — nevermind the fact that it's kind of a hoot to see the Queen Bee pull off a genteel quickstep so wonderfully. Bruno says she does bling so well, but was a little bit too apart at times. Carrie Ann loves them together and finds Derek's choreography "fantastic" (I think we can all agree he is the best choreographer). Len begs to differ. There's no quality, he claims, and he wants more contact.
Score: 23 + 21 = 44

Melissa Rycroft & Tony Dovolani: Salsa
Melissa needs to lay off the spray tan and teeth whitener. Beware if you have HD. Tony needs to find some clothes not from the Amazon. But who cares about clothes when you've lucked out with a partner like Melissa? Dance experience or not, this girl can move. It's sultry, spicy and she shook her hips more times than I blinked in 90 seconds. That being said, I don't think it was worthy of two nines. It wasn't without flaws — she seemd a little off at times — and I think it's way too early for nines. Carrie Ann says it's slammin'. Len admits he was gyrating in his seat. Bruno calls it' "juicy." Ick. They're out of breath, so Samantha will let them take a "modiment." Is that like a modicum of a moment?
Score: 26 + 23 = 49

Gilles Marini & Cheryl Burke: Quickstep
Last but not least, it's the man of the night — quite literally. Cheryl doesn't want Gilles to be sexy for the quickstep. It's not that easy to turn it off, girl. Gilles uses his separated shoulder as an excuse to take off his shirt. Smart, dude, smart. Green is my favorite color, so these two are automatically in my top 3. The green's kryptonite though, so what does it mean?! Not much. The quickstep starts off a bit slow, but definitely picks up in the middle. It's light, vivacious and ends with a striptease, sort of. Superman Gilles pulls a Cameron Mathison to reveal a Super G logo. Heh. Len says it's great. Bruno says there are sparks out there. Carrie Ann thinks they're becoming the fan favorite since the ladies are already swooning.
Score: 27 + 24 = 51

What did you think? Did the judges play too loose with those 9 paddles at the end, or were Melissa and Gillles totally deserving of the high digits? Was it fair to judge Steve-O's dress rehearsal, or should they have just used his first dance scores and votes? Can he make a full recovery? And who's gonna get the boot?

http://www.tvguide.com/Episode-Recaps/dancing-stars/Dancing-Stars-Episode-1004110.aspx
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on March 17, 2009, 09:00:08 AM
Contestants Talk Strategy Backstage at 'Dancing With the Stars'


ET is behind the scenes with the contestants after week two of "Dancing With the Stars", find out how they felt about their performances and what they are planning to do to kick it up a notch in the weeks to come.

Julianne Hough tells ET about her plans to get Chuck Wicks more involved in their routine based on the judges' suggestions.


"The criticism is so harsh this year," Julianne says. "We're still fifth position which is still a good place to be, there's still room to grow. Next week they said they want to see more him dancing so I think I'm going to sit on a stool for the first half of the dance. I'm just gonna sit, he's going to dance and do his thing."

Rodeo star Ty Murray admits to some wear and tear from rehearsing but, talks to ET about his strategy with partner Chelsie Hightower.

"It's rough, it is a lot of hard work," Ty says. "I'm sore in a lot of places. My feet feel like every bone in them is broken. Me and Chelsie's strategy is to be the last two standing."

Watch the video to hear the stars' reactions to "Jackass" star Steve-O's injury, and be sure to tune into the "Dancing With the Stars" results show Tuesday night at 9 p.m. on ABC.

http://www.etonline.com/news/2009/03/71880/
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on March 17, 2009, 09:09:45 AM
Melissa's parents and boyfriend, Ty were in the audience last night cheering on for her...

(http://i212.photobucket.com/albums/cc289/CuteboiWill/11t8vg7.jpg)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: apskip on March 17, 2009, 09:46:08 AM
RealityFreakWill,

Nice job on your recap of last night's action. I will comment from an overall perspective. The first thing that jumps out at me is that the training regiimens are so difficult for this show that 2 women(Jewell and Nancy) are out, 1 man Steve-O) probably out and 2 more men (Steve with leg injuries and Gilles with a left shoulder injury) are. However it could be just the dynamics of pushing the envelope in practice to shien in competition. Steve O doing a front flip with a prior back injury and coming down on his mic pack is the height of the ridiculous. Tom quipped about the overall risks and asked Jewell if she has an extra crutch (that Steve-O can borrow).

Fortuantely, there are some teams that continue to lead the pack with their classy dancing. Tops on that list are Gilles/Cheryl, then Melissa/Tony and Shawn/Mark. They all did very well last week and this week. It looks to me that they are going to stay in front of the pack as it improves in future legs. It was also nice to see Ty get redemption with major improvement in dancing and Lawrence with his significant improvement.

The next question is who gets eliminated tonight? The 2 Steves are the prime candidates for the Dance-Off. Steve Wozniak has a lot of fans who are going to vote for him and not his dancing. Does Steve-O have such a following? It doesn't matter which one gets eliminated tonight as the other is likely to follow next week.
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on March 17, 2009, 09:58:11 AM
Gilles, Melissa look like ‘Dancing’ stars to beat
In week two, Steve-O and Woz both suffer new injuries


Injuries are fast becoming the theme of this season of “Dancing With The Stars,” and two new ones popped up this week. What didn’t pop up were new favorites, as many dancers improved, but the same strong performers from last week’s premiere continued to dominate.

The weaker of the last-minute replacements, former Hugh Hefner girlfriend Holly Madison, didn’t improve very much. Her quickstep looked, as judge Bruno Tonioli pointed out, like she was running to catch up with her partner, which brought to mind not so much elegance as tardiness. While she’s pleasant and game, Holly will suffer if she’s consistently a beat behind the music — a problem that’s perhaps more pronounced in the quickstep than in any other dance. Eighteen points gave Holly a total of 36 over two weeks.

David Alan Grier, who got in trouble last week for mugging like the comic he is, asked Kym Johnson to make this week's routine tougher so that he wouldn’t wind up standing there while she danced around. Unfortunately, when they performed, she still seemed to be doing the “wiggle around the uncoordinated celebrity” dance. The judges were hard on their slow salsa, bluntly pronouncing it pretty bad. David, clearly holding back frustration, scored 17 points, for a total of 36.

Last week, Denise Richards found herself on the receiving end of harsh criticism, in that she was stiff and looked nervous. During this week’s generically inoffensive quickstep, she still looked icily terrified, but perhaps slightly less so. Fortunately for her, the judges were kind and she received straight 7s.

Next up was Belinda Carlisle, whose waltz last week looked a bit ungainly. Unfortunately, her salsa was the same. It was more fun, but it is beginning to look like Belinda is simply one of those people who is not a dancer. When judge Carrie-Ann Inaba squirmed before flatly telling her the dance was “lacking in grace,” it was easy to sympathize with both of them, because the truth does, after all, hurt. Her 18 points this week, and 35 total, make her position tricky.

These boots were made for dancing?
The award for most improved was easy to hand out to rodeo champ Ty Murray, who had a disastrous first show and improved immensely this week, as if he’d shed a particularly uncomfortable pair of boots. He admitted that he forgot a good part of last week’s dance, but this week’s looked seamless. “I just don’t want to go out there and be horrible again,” he said during rehearsals, and he definitely wasn’t. He pulled 20 points for a total of 34 — still low on the scoreboard, but a full six points better than last week.

Do you remember being 17? One of the best signs that gymnast Shawn Johnson is a normally socialized teenager is that she found the idea of wiggling her hips for the salsa to be totally mortifying. Her dance was quite good, but the fact remains that a perfect salsa is about 50 percent dirty, and an appropriately socialized 17-year-old is no more than nine or 10 percent dirty, so she (fortunately) can’t do it precisely as a professional would. She earned straight 8s.

Although Steve Wozniak is another non-natural dancer, he was also much improved, despite a foot fracture. (“Uh … you’re crushing your foot,” the doctor told him.) He dropped a few steps on the Buddy Holly quickstep, which was very well conceptualized by his partner Karina Smirnoff. But all things considered, the 17 he earned this week — a four-point improvement — was a major sign of progress. He won’t win, but don’t be surprised if he has Jerry-Springer-like durability.

Country singer Chuck Wicks, confronted with the salsa, pronounced it too feminine for him. “Hip, hip, hip,” said his partner Julianne Hough, pointing out a move. “Like a girl?” he asked. While his attitude was tiresome, his salsa was mostly dull, the biggest question being whether they killed Big Bird to make Julianne’s pants. The judges found the dance aggressively ordinary, and they rightly faulted Chuck for letting girlfriend Julianne do all the work. He was lucky to escape with 20 points.

Last week was hard on NFL veteran Lawrence Taylor, but he was another who improved. He’s never going to be Emmitt Smith or Jason Taylor, but he has shed the aura of discomfort that lingers around guys with big frames as they get used to floating about. The judges were kind and noted his improvement, but he wound up with the same 20 points as the mostly criticized Chuck, reflecting perhaps the different expectations for musicians and football players.

At this point, it was revealed that only hours before the show, Steve-O fell on his microphone pack trying to do a flip, worsening an existing back injury and ending up in the hospital. In this situation, it turns out that viewers vote, and the judges score, based on tape of the dress rehearsal. The judges acknowledged the disadvantage of being judged on a rehearsal, but they still hated the routine, and complained to his partner Lacey that it wasn’t really a salsa. Carrie-Ann, in fact, seemingly blamed Lacey for throwing tricks into the dance that contributed to his injury. (Ouch.) A measly 14 points could mean big trouble, but it’s not clear yet whether he can return anyway.

Next up was the surprising Lil’ Kim, who sadly had nothing hilarious to say about prison this week. Still, her quickstep to “Diamonds Are A Girl’s Best Friend” was charming and light — “vivacious and uplifting,” Bruno called it. It was particularly nice on this evening to see such a well-matched dance, where the celebrity did exactly half of the work. Judge Len Goodman thought it lacked refinement, but Lil’ Kim is a contender when it comes to quality, and her 23 points (for a total of 44) put her in a good position.

Melissa Rycroft of “The Bachelor” couldn’t close the show two weeks in a row (sadly for ABC), so she danced second-to-last this week. After an introduction designed to downplay her extensive dance training, it was time to actually see her do the salsa. Once again, she was very good — she’s a natural performer, still glowing (or is it gloating?) about her participation in the Stuff It, Jason Mesnick Commemorative Tour And Victory Lap. Len confessed to “gyrating on the seat” (!), and Bruno called Melissa's salsa “juicy.” She earned 26 points for a total of 49 over two weeks.

Last week’s highest score went to Gilles Marini, who obligingly took his shirt off during this week’s rehearsals, the better to feed his fan base. The judges loved his Superman-themed quickstep, and Carrie-Ann rather absurdly pronounced Marini and partner Cheryl Burke “the fan favorites,” apparently not counting the wild shrieks that greet everything Melissa does. But Gilles got one point better than Melissa again, for a total of 51 — that’s first place, in the judges’ hearts if not really in the audience’s.

Tomorrow night, the first couple goes home. Belinda Carlisle or Steve-O seem like the obvious choices, but Holly Madison and David Alan Grier are also possible. But the big news from the first two weeks is that this shows every sign of being a Melissa/Gilles slugfest to the finish.


http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29727619/page/2/
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on March 17, 2009, 10:35:05 AM
The Bachelor: Melissa Pays Back with Class

(http://i212.photobucket.com/albums/cc289/CuteboiWill/Mellisa_Rycroft_130.jpg)

The Bachelor reality TV show as you all will recall ended in a very tacky way with Jason first picking Melissa Rycroft and then dumping her on national TV to profess his love for another, Molly.

Many have seen it all to be a major manipulation for ratings by the production staff of The Bachelor, but it 'matters not because at days end, Jason is dirt and Melissa is 'The Star' of 'Dancing with the Stars'.

Two weeks in a row Melissa and her partner have danced last or second last which has made audiences sit all the way through the show to see what they came to see, Melissa, the jilted one from The Bachelor.

For the premiere of Dancing with the Stars Melissa only had 2 days practice to get prepared to dance while the other celebrities had been officially practicing for a month.  Melissa came out and stunned the audience with the 2nd best performance of the night.

For the second episode of Dancing with the Stars, Melissa was better prepared and she came out dancing the salsa and my oh my what a performance!  It was the best performance of the night.

It is at this point we have to be very happy for Melissa Rycroft.  Getting dumped by The Bachelor Jason was not only the best thing that ever happened to her, but it also put her in a position where ABC for one reason or another opened the door for her to 'Dancing with the Stars'.  We can say right here and now Melissa will go on to a much more legitimate celebrity and probably a successful future while Jason and Molly will be forever doomed to the rain forests of the pacific north west in obscurity.

http://www.******.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=3406:the-bachelor-mellisa-pays-back-with-class&catid=66:the-bachelor-2009&Itemid=59
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on March 17, 2009, 02:12:20 PM
An interview with Nancy:

Nancy O'Dell: Melissa's Background Can "Work Against" Her

Maksim Chmerkovksiy thinks Melissa Rycroft's ballet and cheerleading experience gives her an "unfair" edge on Dancing with the Stars, but he may not be considering the other side of the coin, Nancy O'Dell says. Find out what else she has to say about the second week of Dancing and who she thinks might get the first heave-ho. We'll be checking in weekly with the Access Hollywood host and almost-contestant to get her take on Season 8, so be sure to come back next week.

TVGuide.com: Have you had your knee surgery yet?
Nancy O'Dell: I have it Friday. I just have all the work-up stuff now. I just told my husband I'm so ready to get it over with. I'm trying to pick up my little girl and going, "Oh my God! Now I've pinched something in my back!" It drives me crazy not being able to run either.

TVGuide.com: Were you at Monday's show or did you watch from home?
O'Dell: I was at home. I actually had a date night with my husband. It's funny because I get the e-mails from Access ahead of time because they're live on the East Coast, so I kinda know what's gonna take place. I'm, like, asking the producers: "How did so-and-so do?!" [Laughs] I just need to know! Tony [Dovolani] and Melissa, I have to talk about first! They were amazing!

TVGuide.com: Was that the salsa routine you were going to do?
O'Dell: It was a large percentage of it. A lot of the moves they did were some of the moves we were practicing! [Laughs] The pretzel move, which was really cool, was in there too. And they were amazing! Oh my God, I was like the biggest cheerleader!

TVGuide.com: I don't know anything about dancing, but the judges said that was the first real salsa. Do you agree with them?
O'Dell: There was a lot of hip action, which is so vital to the salsa. And that's also what did in my knee — [turning] my hip one way and my torso the other! [Laughs] She did that really, really well, so I think that's what they meant from my little dancing background that I had. I knew from Tony it's about keeping your torso straight and twisting your hips.

TVGuide.com: Maks said he thinks it's unfair Melissa's on because of her dance background. What do you think?
O'Dell: I have always debated that. First of all, for somebody to be able to come in and learn a routine in two days, they would have to have some sort of dance background, so I think you expect that of a last-minute fill-in. There's no way I could've learned that in two days with no background. But having a background can also work against you. I told Tony I have no background and he said that's a good thing because he doesn't have to un-teach things and break habits. The performing part works out, and so do some of the twists and spins, but, like, Shawn [Johnson], she has gymnastic habits, so that could hurt her a little bit. Same with Melissa, she was used to doing cheerleading with her feet apart, but with the salsa, you keep your feet together. I think there are pros and cons.

TVGuide.com: Who else did you like?
O'Dell: Gilles [Marini]. He is so freakin' sweet, that man! He's so nice and genuine and what an amazing dancer! Now, he doesn't have a dance background and he was tremendous. I think Shawn did great too.

TVGuide.com: They said Shawn needs to be more naughty, but she's 17.
O'Dell: I know! [Laughs] I don't want to see her being naughty! Her dad's in the audience.

TVGuide.com: Who was the most improved?
O'Dell: I think that's between Denise [Richards] and Ty [Murray]. She thought she messed up some, but to me, she looked really good. And Ty! Oh my God! You just wanna pull for him, don't you? He's not trying to be funny, but he's so funny because he's cute and funny. I was glad to see he improved because I'd like to see him stick around. I didn't think David [Alan Grier] did badly either and he was certainly entertaining.

TVGuide.com: Do you think it was fair to judge Steve-O's salsa based on his dress rehearsal?
O'Dell: I think they were left with no other choice since it's timed out and everything. [Judge Len Goodman] said you don't have the adrenaline in rehearsal and that's a really good point. The adrenaline really does make you wanna go that much more. But I don't think the producers were left with much choice. If he continues, you have to judge him somehow because it wouldn't be fair to give him a bye. I also think the judges had really good points — there wasn't a lot of salsa to judge, but just a lot of stunts. I felt bad for Lacey [Schwimmer] taking the criticism by herself.

TVGuide.com: Who do you think is gonna be in the bottom two?
O'Dell: I think it's gonna be Steve Wozniak. I'm so bummed about that because he's such a cute fellow, but he can't dance so well. [Laughs] But he's so nice and lovable! I hope it's not Ty because he improved. I think that's gonna help him. And his personality — I think people are gonna vote for that. My nanny said she voted for Ty and not Tony. [Laughs] I hope it's not Belinda [Carlisle]. She has a cute personality, but I think you haven't gotten to know her well enough yet to root for her. I hope she's not in there, but I am worried.

TVGuide.com: Do you think Steve-O might end up there?
O'Dell: I think his first performance might carry him through. I think the salsa is gonna hurt him, but maybe he got some sympathy votes. I think he did good the first night. I'm sure he has his Jackass fans. Wait, do Jackass fans vote on Dancing with the Stars? [Laughs]

TVGuide.com: Now they do.
O'Dell: Yes, exactly! [Laughs] I think they will now.

TVGuide.com: Do you like the idea of a dance-off?
O'Dell: It definitely lends to the drama. I remember thinking, "Oh God! How horrible!" [Laughs] But it's great TV because then you get to root that much harder. I think the producers are so incredibly smart because that just brings in audience participation that much more. But what pressure! You gotta dance and get kicked off!

http://www.tvguide.com/Dancing-Stars/Nancy-ODell-Melissas-1004131.aspx (http://www.tvguide.com/Dancing-Stars/Nancy-ODell-Melissas-1004131.aspx)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on March 17, 2009, 02:14:58 PM
Ratings:

Primetime Ratings: ABC Wins Big with ‘Dancing With the Stars’

Reality competition had average of 21.1 million viewers

ABC won the Monday night primetime ratings race easily thanks to a two-hour episode of Dancing With the Stars that drew the highest ratings and biggest total audiences on the night.
 
The first hour of Dancing at 8 p.m. earned a 4.9/14 and averaged 20 million viewers. Fox’s hit drama House was close behind in ratings (4.8/13) but well behind in total audience (12.8 million). CBS finished in third with The Big Bang Theory (3.7/11) and How I Met Your Mother (3.8/10) pulling a 3.8/10 on the hour. A re-run of NBC’s Chuck delivered a 1.3/4 for the network while the CW came in just behind at 1.1/3 with a new episode of Gossip Girl.
 
ABC distanced themselves from the rest of the field at 9 with the second hour of Dancing With the Stars delivering a 5.7/14 and 22 million average viewers. Two and a Half Men (4.8/12) and Rules of Engagement (4.0/10) on CBS moved the network up into second place for the hour. 24 on Fox was next at 3.7/9. The CW jumped into fourth place at 1.2/3 for One Tree Hill. NBC was fifth at 1.1/3 with a re-run of Heroes.
 
In the 10 p.m. hour CBS took the lead at 3.8/10 for CSI: Miami. Castle on ABC earned a 3.1/8. NBC finished off an all re-run night with Medium at 1.3/4.
 
Overall ABC earned a 4.6/12 and averaged 17.9 million viewers. Fox earned a 4.2/11 with 12 million viewers.  CBS finished third at 4.0/11 followed by NBC at 1.3/3.  The CW came in fifth with a 1.1/3. 

http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/190143-Primetime_Ratings_ABC_Wins_Big_with_Dancing_With_the_Stars_.php (http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/190143-Primetime_Ratings_ABC_Wins_Big_with_Dancing_With_the_Stars_.php)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on March 17, 2009, 02:46:45 PM
I predict that on tonight's results show, Steve-O will announce he's dropping out of the competition. I honestly don't see how he could continue with his back situation. It really does sound bad. If he does indeed drop out, that will count as the first elimination and the remaining twelve couples will return next week.

On the other hand, if he doesn't drop out, I think Steve/Karina will go. 
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on March 17, 2009, 04:49:12 PM
An interview with Gilles:

Dancing With Gilles: Stripping Down for the Samba?

Gilles Marini is trying hard not to think about Steve-O, Jewel and Nancy O'Dell. No, it's not because he doesn't care that they were seriously injured during their short time on Dancing With the Stars.

"I'm taking everything positive and fun," the Sex and the City naked guy told me earlier today in our exclusive weekly chat. "I don’t want anything to get spoiled. Like with Steve-O, Nancy O'Dell and Jewel, it's getting a little crazy in our mind. If you start to worry, that's when you usually get hurt because you stiffen up."

Right now, it's all a positive for Marini. For the second week in a row, he and Cheryl Burke quickstepped their way to the top with a whopping 27 points from the judges. Read on for more of Marini's thoughts on who should have taken first place, why he wants Steve-O to stick around and possible plans to shed some clothes for the samba.

You looked a little shocked when you got three 9's from the judges.
I wasn't shocked. I was super-shocked! I thought Melissa [Rycroft] did such a fantastic job that no one could beat her.

How's your shoulder injury doing?
I had the injection last Wednesday or Thursday. They gave me cortisone good enough that I don't have pain. I should be fine.

Were you there when Steve-O got injured?
I was. If Steve-O comes back and dances, it will be awesome. If not, it will not be the same. He's such an amazing pleasure to have around. He has such a strong threshold for pain. But if he's not there anymore, it would suck big, big, big time.

Last week, you told me your mom was coming from France to visit you and the family. Was she there last night?
Yes. She was sitting between my brother and my wife. She cried a lot. She's very sensitive and emotional. For her, it was like a dream come true. She always loved to dance. She was doing tap dancing and singing when she was like 6 and 7 years old…She was very proud. She said, "I always dreamed of one of my children acting and dancing," and there I was.

When do you start rehearsing your samba for next week?
Wednesday, but I wish we could today. Maybe I'm going to go to find Cheryl and say, "Show me a couple of moves." I'm so anxious.

I’m sure they'll put you in a lot less clothes for the samba.
[Laughs] I don't care. You know, I can open up and show things. It is not only about the dancing, but about how we dress and about our chemistry.

http://ca.eonline.com/uberblog/marc_malkin/b104839_dancing_with_gilles_stripping_down_samba.html (http://ca.eonline.com/uberblog/marc_malkin/b104839_dancing_with_gilles_stripping_down_samba.html)

Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on March 17, 2009, 05:32:02 PM
Steve-O Blogs:

The swell result of landing on a wireless mic on your lower back.

Hello Everyone,

Physically, I feel pretty good today. If I get the opportunity, I don’t see any reason why I shouldn’t be able to learn and perform a great “fox trot” routine. With 20/20 hindsight, I must admit that I exercised very poor judgment yesterday. Jumping flat onto a bad back with a microphone pack strapped to it was sensationally idiotic, especially after Lacey told me what a bad idea she thought it was. I was a real jerk to insist upon doing that. I really hope that I get the chance to stay in the competition and make it up Lacey and everyone else…

I love you all,

Steve-O

 :groan: Link to view a nasty picture of his injury http://www.jackassworld.com/blog/2009/03/17/news-an-update-from-steve-o-post-injury/ (http://www.jackassworld.com/blog/2009/03/17/news-an-update-from-steve-o-post-injury/)

Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on March 17, 2009, 06:25:22 PM
Video:

Dancing With The Stars: Julianne Hough & Chuck Wicks

DANCING WITH THE STARS pros Julianne Hough & Chuck Wicks visit Reality Chat,

and give us all the behind-the-scenes dish about competing on season 8 of DANCING WITH THE STARS.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6OW36JUhz0o (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6OW36JUhz0o)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on March 17, 2009, 06:39:01 PM
Video:

Several DWTS Pros and Stars call out Melissa Rycroft


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=riL8VXk7U1A (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=riL8VXk7U1A)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on March 18, 2009, 12:10:29 AM

SPOILER ALERT

Dancing with the Stars Episode Recap: Tuesday, March 17, 2009

After two weeks of performances, it's time to kick the first star to the curb! Who went home with the dubious honor?... Not so fast. We have a dance-off first.

OK, I've never watched a whole results show with undivided attention for more than two minutes (aka the last two minutes, which is all that matters), so this is a semi-new experience for all of us, I guess, with the introduction of the dance-off. It's amazing — yet not — that it's taken producers eight seasons to find a way to fill out the hour with something actually relevant to the results.

Yet, the first thing out of the gate isn't relevant at all. Big Bad Voodoo Daddy's swung by (hehe) with "Calloway Boogie" and we get our first pro dance of the season. Did Tony use all the sculpting cream or something? Someone get Derek some hairspray.

Steve-O's OK, guys. Dressed in his waltz outfit (would you want to try that "salsa" again?), he tells Samantha he was insistent on the flip (Not. Lacey's. Fault.) and he luckily has no fractures. Now he wants to make it up to Lacey. Aww. Sam ruins the moment by fudging the explanation for the dance-off.

Score recap time with confessional footage. Boring and time-wasting, right? Except for Karina not giving Steve the time of day while he's complimenting her. At least try to look like you care.

First four couples safe:
Lawrence & Edyta
Shawn & Mark
Chuck & Julianne
David & Kym

Back from commercial, we're treated to four more safe couples. I like this brisk pace.

Next four safe couples:
Denise & Maks
Melissa & Tony (did they purposely announce them after Maks?)
Lil Kim & Derek
Gilles & Cheryl

The original Dancing Superman, Cameron Mathison, is back with some Celebrity Survival Guide fluff. Way to spell the guy's last name wrong. I thought you were ABC. The Guide includes taunting Shawn, crying in the confessional (I support any excuse to see Shannon Elizabeth's histrionics again), a nude thong for Bruno, spray tan (I veto this) and not signing up at all to prevent injuries. Har har. After that, it's time to slow it down even more. Macy's Stars of Dance does an ode to glamorous movie musicals by "choreography Michael Rooney," according to Samantha. It gets a standing O from... Mickey Rooney (the "choreography's" pop). My life is officially complete. Not. Next is just more filler. Fallen star Jewel, resting her fragile frame against a stool, belts out "Somewhere Over the Rainbow." Um, why? I think 437 versions of it are enough. Can the hardwood not take the yodeling? Dmitry and Chelsie dance to Jewel's crooning. Chelsie's pulling a Lance — she's shoeless. Who will save her soles? Sorry, I had to.

Now it's time to introduce you to the cast. No one ever said they were good with timing. In case you're not aware, there are singers, actors, athletes and reality stars, the latter of which was created and is only populated by our replacements. Woz (the Computer Nerd) and Steve-O (the Jackass) get their own categories. Then it's time to talk some smack. I give Holly the win with her, uh, pictorial count. I lost track of the months, nor do I feel inclined to look them up.

Now down to business:
Holly & Dmitry are safe!
Ty & Chelsie are safe!
Steve-O & Lacey are safe!

That pits Woz & Karina vs. Belinda & Jonathan. They each repeat a routine to get new judges' scores that will be combined with votes from the past two weeks.

Belinda & Jonathan: Salsa
Hips don't lie! The two spend the morning working on her hip action and it's improved, but overall, I don't really see much of a difference in the performance. Then again, I barely remember hers from yesterday except for the spread eagle at the end. She's nervous and totally channeling Denise from last week. The judges all praise her new hip work, but note her sloppy footwork. She got an 18 Monday night.
Score: 17

Steve & Karina: Quickstep
The injured Woz fudged a step toward the end and is determined not to miss a beat this time around. His quickstep seems more peppy (if that's even possible) and sharp at first, but like Belinda's salsa, I don't really notice a drastic improvement. Can someone really improve that much in less than a day? I'd wager that they're all more nervous about this performance than the original one. Bruno admires his good spirit. Carrie Ann says he was smoother except for one spot in the middle. Len admires him too but doesn't see much improvement. Woz seems resigned to leaving backstage, while Karina just seems downright embarrassed. "We were lucky enough to get to do [the quickstep] twice." They got a 17 on Monday.
Score: 17 (or 11 with Bruno's flipped paddle)

And Season 8's first casualty is... Belinda & Jonathan. She knows, but it's alright, she tells Jonathan. "I had a great time ... and I wish I could've done better for Jonathan," she says. Jonathan wants to see more hip-shaking in her next Go-Go concert. I liked Belinda, but she was definitely unlucky No. 13 here, falling through the cracks with all the hoopla going on with the other contestants. She doesn't have Woz's adorkableness, so she had to come out and make a statement, which she didn't.

Conventional wisdom will say Woz, the worst dancer, should go, but I don't mind that he has another shot — not because he's fun to watch, but because he exemplifies what the show's supposed to be about: learning to dance with absolutely no experience.

http://www.tvguide.com/Episode-Recaps/dancing-stars/Dancing-Stars-Episode-1004149.aspx (http://www.tvguide.com/Episode-Recaps/dancing-stars/Dancing-Stars-Episode-1004149.aspx)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on March 18, 2009, 08:35:20 AM
 :yess: Carrie Ann is doing a weekly blog....here's her first one!

Carrie Ann Inaba blogs 'DWTS,' week 2

Tonight, despite the very sad departure of Belinda Carlisle (whose music I am a huge fan of -- I used to choreograph numbers in my dance class to "Circle in the Sand"), I have never laughed so hard. When Bruno held up his paddle backwards, it was so funny to me. I've held up the wrong paddle once before, for Tia Carrere when she danced with Maks. I had to hold up an "I’m sorry" paddle the next night. It was so embarrassing, but we laughed about it, and tonight, we laughed again. We are like family up there, the three of us.

Tonight was a new format. It was a first for Dancing With The Stars to have a dance-off between the lowest scoring couples. We had to judge them again -- their previous scores for that dance were tossed aside and the ones we gave tonight counted instead. However, despite the way it may have appeared, we judges do not have the final say. The audience's and the judges' votes are still split 50/50. What happens is that they replace our scores for the couple's original dance with the scores they get for their dance-off performance. So it’s an opportunity for them to do better and improve their judges' score -- or sometimes lower that score, depending on how they do.

I always wonder about the contestants who leave first. I think that’s a very difficult position to be in. No one wants to go first and I worry about their well-being. I sometimes wish I could call them so that they could tell me how they felt out there, what it was like, etc. I realize it must be difficult for them to go through this process. Bruno and I went through it with the contestants on Dance Wars. It's difficult to stand and be judged. I do empathize with these people -- they are so brave to do the show, to try something new like this. And although I must score them and judge them, I do care about them and always wish for them good things and many blessings. Belinda and Jonathan are such kind people from the looks of things, and I am hoping for great things in their future. I hope she enjoyed the road. :)

This week was a good week. There was a lot of improvement from Lawrence, Denise, Ty, and Lil' Kim. Ty’s megawatt smile was adorable, but his strength is incredible and his posture is quite nice. He’s quite athletic and that will help him in this competition. Denise seemed to find her new confidence. I love seeing them grow like that. I was so proud of her and her new sense of self that emerged on the dance floor this week. That is what I love most about this show, when people grow from the experience. I already see that growth in a few people. It’s incredible to watch.

Steve Wozniak was, once again, adorable on the dance floor. His second performance was much better than the first time he performed that Quickstep, but the mistakes in the middle took his score back to a 6 for me. But generally, it was smoother than the first time he did it. He is a trooper. He’s doing all this with a fractured foot. And I would bet that he doesn’t ever complain about it. He’s setting a good example to people out there about hard work and just enjoying where you are in life. I find that to be wonderful to watch. His dancing skills are still growing, but his life skills are quite admirable.

Gilles and Melissa were fantastic Monday night! Tony Dovolani did a great job with that salsa. It was really the only one that had a true salsa flavor. He had the basic and all the variations and the leg tricks and the underarm passes and it just had the right tone to it. It was driven by the music as all salsas should be, and it was such a pleasure to watch. Gilles is also a force to be reckoned with. He truly made Leeza Gibbons swoon (she was sitting in the front row)! He’s a fantastic performer with loads of charisma and a natural flair for dancing. He’s not a one-trick pony by any means, but we will have to see how it all pans out for him. It’s still early in the competition.

I think this season is so fun. It has a vibrancy to it. It feels alive. The performers are all so different and all so likeable. I think it’s going to be tough for America to choose the winner this season. I hope people will vote, vote and vote again for the ones they think deserve the trophy. I can’t wait to see what happens.

I have to wrap it up because even though it’s already late, I have a rehearsal tonight for the Kids' Choice Awards. I am choreographing a number in the show and I’m rehearsing from 10:30 p.m. to midnight because it’s the only time I have to do it. But every day, I count my blessings that I have a job -- and a job that I love. I am truly hoping that this season brings joy to people across the country. That they can sit with us all every Monday and Tuesday night, hang out with us in their living rooms and just enjoy the evening together with us and celebrate dance.

Until next week -- hope life treats you well.

See you Monday!!!

Xoxo,
Carrie Ann

http://popwatch.ew.com/popwatch/2009/03/carrie-ann-inab.html
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on March 18, 2009, 09:31:28 AM
Video:

DWTS Castoff Belinda Carlisle

Jimmy Kimmel Live - Jimmy interviews the first Dancing with the Stars castoff Belinda Carlisle


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jlu4m_w4aLQ (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jlu4m_w4aLQ)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on March 18, 2009, 09:38:40 AM
Ty Murray's Blog:

March 18, 2009

We know the cowboy nation is out there voting in full force and I'm proud to be doing the best I can to represent them. But, with 31 million people tuning in to the show and voting, you have so many different walks of life and people from so many different places that it plays a big part in how all this will turn out.

Chelsie and I were third from the bottom in total scores from the judges and tonight proved to everyone that the western lifestyle is coming out in full force. We have a chance to show everyone that it's not just a tiny little subculture and that this is a huge way of life and people are very proud to be part of it.

Now it's back to work.

Chelsie's excited that we got the foxtrot as our next dance. She says we're going to do good on this one and that it's one of her fortes.

I know I mentioned this before, but I really understand the challenge ahead of me a lot better than I did last week. I love a challenge and this is a competition. It's tough – mentally and physically – and all I can say is that I'm going to bear down.

I think Justin McBride is coming out next week to cheer me on along with Randy Bernard. I had my family here this week and that was great. My sisters are huge fans of "Dancing with the Stars" and they're also big fans of their baby brother.

The amount of support Chelsie and I are getting is just compounding by the day and I'm hearing from people from every corner of the world who I've met along the way throughout my riding career.

This show is a big deal and there are not many events that take place that have the power to attract 31 million viewers. All I know how to do is to bear down, give it everything I have, listen to my coach and keep working hard, so that's what I'm going to do.

http://www.pbrnow.com/blog/index.cfm/2009/3/18/Now-its-back-to-work#more (http://www.pbrnow.com/blog/index.cfm/2009/3/18/Now-its-back-to-work#more)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on March 18, 2009, 09:50:43 AM
Maksim & Karina Get Sexy Under the Covers!


ET is under the covers with Maksim Chmerkovskiy and Karina Smirnoff! The "Dancing with the Stars" pro dancers and real-life couple are among TV Guide magazine's sexiest stars on television, and we were there for their sexy photo shoot!

"I think it was a lot of fun," says Karina. "Definitely something we don't do everyday."

"Well, not in public, anyway," laughs Maksim.

The sultry pair strip down to their underwear for the playful shoot, and the newly engaged couple are happy to share what they find sexy about each other.

"I think Maks is just naturally sexy," says Karina, adding with a little bit of a blush, "He's got the confidence, the personality, the smile, and I think he's got a crazy beautiful body that I like."

"I really love everything about Karina," says Maksim. "If I were to be put on the spot and had to pick something, I would pick the eyes. It is such a cliché because everybody says it, but they're very meaningful. Her emotions always come out of her eyes and that is very sexy."

ET's Mark Steines teamed up with TV Guide magazine, on newsstands March 26, to unveil the 10 sexiest men and women on television, and some of the other stars that made the cut include "Desperate Housewives" diva Eva Longoria Parker, "The Mentalist" star Simon Baker, exotic "Top Chef" beauty Padma Lakshmi, "Bones" man David Boreanaz, "Private Practice" doc Kate Walsh, "Bromance" socialite Brody Jenner and "The Hills" reality vixen Audrina Patridge.

On "Dancing with the Stars," Maksim is partnered up with former Bond girl Denise Richards, while Karina is dancing with Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak. While many would consider having a relationship while on "DWTS" stressful, Maksim and Karina say it's no big deal.

"We love pressure; we're both very competitive," says Maks. "It's not an issue."

http://www.etonline.com/news/2009/03/71905/index.html
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on March 18, 2009, 11:51:54 AM
Tuesday’s Dancing: What You Didn’t See


Get Used to Seeing Him: Melissa Rycroft’s boyfriend Ty Strickland was spotted again in the audience Tuesday night. “His goal is to be here for all the shows,” Rycroft said about her boyfriend, who continues commuting back-and-forth from Dallas. Though he didn’t have to sweat it out Tuesday night since Rycroft was far from the bottom of the scoreboard, he did cheer when it was announced the Dallas beauty would be dancing again next week. After the show, Rycroft beelined for her beau while dance partner Tony Dovolani greeted Strickland with a man hug.

Another Man from Her Past: After the cameras stopped rolling Tuesday night, Bachelor host Chris Harrison walked onto the dance floor and greeted a surprised Rycroft with a huge hug. “The last time I saw him, I was storming off stage,” Rycroft tells PEOPLE. “This is a much better atmosphere to be reunited with him.”

Jump, Jive and Wail: At the top of the show when Mark Ballas performed with the other pro dancers to the sounds of Big Bad Voodoo Daddy — who performed live in the studio — Ballas was seen wincing in pain and rubbing his lower back midway through the performance. But in a season that has already seen a slew of injuries, Ballas isn’t the latest on the injured list. He assured us, “I just scratched it. I’m alright.”

Jewel of the Night: There were plenty of ovations throughout the night, but Jewel received the longest one after she performed “Over the Rainbow” from her upcoming “Lullaby” CD. Her former dance partner Dmitry Chaplin and Chelsie Hightower, whose partner is Jewel’s husband Ty Murray, wowed the audience with a performance while she sang. “That song had a lot of longing and a lot of passion, and I thought they brought it out well,” she said.

Getting Footloose: Before the final two couples were announced in the dance-off, Chelsie Hightower was keeping everyone’s spirits high with her youthful energy. During a commercial break, the 19-year-old rehearsed a super-quick quick step with partner Ty Murray. Then she turned around and started high-fiving and low-fiving Steve Wozniak.


http://tvwatch.people.com/2009/03/18/tuesdays-dancing-what-you-didnt-see-15/






Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: tory on March 18, 2009, 01:07:51 PM
ty for all the vids and up dates!!!!

so we finaly get to see melissa's parents..
they do exsist and look realy sweet. they realy made a great desion not going on the batchlor, they totaly dodged a bullett on that one, they look so proud as does her bf..

comment on the fair ness i think that they started out with more of a fair playing feild if nancy and jewel had of stayed in, i no that poor steve w, is way out of his leage, but rember mater p he stayed on for ever and he was horrable.
and the year george hamilton was one the older crowed reved up there phones and kept him on for a while..
there are all way ones who do better guys who were in boy bands, but who would have though jerry rice would have been that good??
if kerna goes next week she will have time to plan her wedding max...
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on March 18, 2009, 02:17:56 PM

ABC Television Network

PRESS RELEASE

OVERNIGHT ABC RATINGS (FOR 3/17)

Quick Take for Tuesday, March 17, 2009
 
On an Ultra-Competitive Night, ABC Draws Biggest Tuesday in 2 Months
 
Opener of "DWTS Results" Surges from its Lead-in, Outdrawing NBC's "Biggest Loser" by 3.8 Million Viewers and Beating CBS' "Mentalist" in the Younger Demos

Despite Facing Lower TV Usage Levels from St. Patrick's Day, ABC's Opener of "DWTS Results" Pulls ABC's Biggest Audience in the Time Slot in Nearly 4 Months

ABC News' "Primetime: What Would You Do?" Generates the Series' Biggest Audience this Season and Marks its Top Adult 25-54 Number Since Mid-January

Tuesday Night (8:00-11:00 p.m.)
On an ultra-competitive Tuesday night, facing Fox's expanded 2-hour installment of "American Idol," CBS' original drama lineup ("NCIS"/"The Mentalist"/"Without a Trace") and originals on NBC (2-hour "Biggest Loser"/"L&O: SVU"), ABC attracted its biggest audience (9.4 million) on the evening in 2 months - since 1/20/09.

Please note:  Due to the St. Patrick's Day holiday, overall primetime TV usage levels were down notably among Adults 18-49 from the prior Tuesday (36.2% vs. 37.6%). 

"Dancing with the Stars Results" (9:00-10:00 p.m.)
In the 9 o'clock hour opposite the second halves of Fox's "Idol" and NBC's "Loser" as well as CBS' "The Mentalist," ABC's "DWTS Results" surged from its lead-in by 4.3 million viewers and by 59% in Adults 18-49, while gaining audience throughout its telecast.  On its season opener, ABC's "Dancing with the Stars Results" outdrew the second hour of NBC's time-slot regular, "Biggest Loser," by 3.8 million viewers (12.4 million vs. 8.6 million) and defeated CBS' hit-drama "The Mentalist" across the younger demos: +5%  in Adults 18-34 (2.1/6 vs. 2.0/6), +21% in Women 18-34 (2.9/8 vs. 2.4/6) and +7% in Teens 12-17 (1.5/5 vs. 1.3/4).  With Kids 2-11 (1.5/6) ABC's broad-appealing unscripted dance competition beat out both "Biggest Loser" and "The Mentalist," trailing only Fox's "American Idol" in the time slot.  Singer Belinda Carlisle was the first celebrity dancer eliminated from the competition this season.

* "DWTS Results" generated ABC's biggest audience (12.4 million) in the slot with regular programming in nearly 4 months and its best Adult 18-49 number (2.7/7) in more than 2 months - since 11/25/08 and 1/6/09, respectively.
 
"Primetime: What Would You Do?" (10:00-11:00 p.m.)
During the 10 o'clock hour against NBC's "Law & Order: SVU" and CBS' "Without a Trace," ABC News' "Primetime: What Would You Do?" topped its CBS competitor by 21% among Adults 18-34 (1.7/5 vs. 1.4/4) and by 35% among Women 18-34 (2.3/7v s. 1.7/5). 

* "What Would You Do?" garnered the series' biggest audience (7.8 million) this season and hit its top Adult 25-54 number (2.8/7) since mid-January - since 1/13/09.

A note about increasing DVR penetration and year-to-year rating comparisons: Year-to-year rating comparisons based on the Live + Same Day data stream are distorted by the level of DVR penetration in the Nielsen sample, which has jumped up to 30% currently, from 23% at the same point in 2008. More viewers are watching shows on their own timetables, which may not be reflected in the overnight next day numbers. The only truly valid year-to-year comparison would be one based on the Live + 7 Day metric, once those stats are released by Nielsen.
 
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on March 18, 2009, 02:19:43 PM
From tvguide:

Maks Stands By "Unfair" Melissa Comment While Stars Chime In

Leave it to Maksim Chmerkovskiy to get everyone riled up again.

The unabashedly honest Dancing with the Stars pro told TVGuide.com that Melissa Rycroft's dancing background gives her an "unfair" advantage over the rest of the cast — and he's not backing down.

"Let me be that voice of everybody who thinks [it] but won't say it," Chmerkovskiy tells Access Hollywood.

Au, contraire, Maks. It turns out other people will say it too.

"I mean, I can't compete next to someone that's had a lot of dance training," said his partner, Denise Richards.

And while country singer Chuck Wicks jokes, "Melissa is a better dancer than I am," his gal pal/pro partner, Julianne Hough, admits that "compared to everybody else, there is a huge difference in ability."

Rycroft and partner Tony Dovolani, who've placed second in the standings the past two weeks, say they don't understand where the criticism is coming from, since Chmerkovskiy has had his share of experienced partners.

"Well, I would love to say to Maks, 'How about Mel?'" Dovolani said, referring to Spice Girl Mel B., who finished second with Chmerkovskiy in Season 5. "That's all I'm going to say."

Chmerkovskiy concedes that his opinion doesn't matter in the long run. "Does she have dance training? Of course. But it doesn't matter if the people love what she does," he says. "You know, Mazel Tov to her, as we say."

http://www.tvguide.com/Dancing-Stars/Maks-Stands-Unfair-1004162.aspx (http://www.tvguide.com/Dancing-Stars/Maks-Stands-Unfair-1004162.aspx)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on March 18, 2009, 04:49:41 PM
 :lol: Woz now you know discussing viewer votes is a no no  :knuckles:

Woz apologizes for calling Dancing “a lie” and “fake”

Steve Wozniak has apologized to the producers of Dancing with the Stars after calling the show “fake,” and “a lie,” and says that the show’s executive producer told Woz that Woz’s comments “injured the show and” the producer.

Tuesday night, just before the live results show, a message from Woz was posted his Facebook group (by Real World Miami star Joe Patane, who has worked with Woz), in which Woz said, “I wrote that the producers were liars, simply because I truly believed in that possibility, not because I had a shred of evidence. I hurt a lot of honest people.”

Woz wrote that those “responsible for counting audience votes and keeping them honest told me all the specific details of where their numbers came from. More than that, they explained how they can catch onto various forms of manipulation of the system by exactly the methods I had thought out in my head that would work. I was offered an opportunity to see the equipment they use also. You can tell when things are extremely on the level. You can also see why the exact totals cannot be released. That would make it harder to detect fraud.”

Woz added that executive producer Conrad Green “told me how horribly what I had said injured the show and himself. You can tell when someone is speaking in a way that they can’t possibly be a liar or trying to deceive you the least bit. Conrad and the other producers are not liars. They are extremely honest people in my mind.”

So what did Woz write before apologizing for writing it? The post has been deleted from Facebook, but CNET quotes the message in a story. Woz wrote that he was “challenging the truthfulness of reporting of our dance team positions. But I am who I am, and I speak my mind and hate these unethical twists. I’m not after any Hollywood existence.”

“I’m sure they want me in this dance-off to get higher Tuesday ratings, and they have preplanned it so that I win. If my leg acts up tomorrow, they will either have to announce another pair as being the lowest or send me home, and I don’t think they will give me up,” he wrote. “If [producers] disclosed the numbers, it would be less of a game, but still suspect. If tomorrow, they claim I’m in the bottom 2 dance teams, including viewer votes, I believe that it’s an outright lie.”

Woz also said that he was basically harassing producers with on-camera comments. “I called it fake about 20 times today on camera. Each time in the same sentence as whatever comment they wanted about doing a dance-off tomorrow. That way, they couldn’t edit it easily to say what they wanted. They kept trying to get me to say what I’d do if I was in the dance-off without using the word fake,” he wrote. “They will have some small video tomorrow of me saying things that I strongly told them I don’t believe. They will also shoot me in a one-hour rehearsal tomorrow with my partner, but I’ll keep calling the idea of my being in the bottom 2, after audience participation, a lie.”

http://www.realityblurred.com/realitytv/archives/dancing_with_the_stars_8/2009_Mar_18_woz_apologizes_accusations (http://www.realityblurred.com/realitytv/archives/dancing_with_the_stars_8/2009_Mar_18_woz_apologizes_accusations)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on March 18, 2009, 06:55:50 PM
Steve-O is good to go  :yess:  :lol:

Steve-O Talks ‘Dancing’ Injury: ‘I Have A Hematoma’

Despite falling on his microphone pack during Monday’s dress rehearsal for “Dancing With the Stars,” Steve-O is gearing up to hit the ballroom again next week.

“I’m gonna be fine,” he told Access Hollywood on Tuesday night when he was saved from elimination alongside professional partner Lacey Schwimmer. GoGo’s singer Belinda Carlisle was sent home.

The “Jackass” star was unable to put in a final performance on Monday after he was taken to the hospital following his fall and was judged on his dress rehearsal. And he explained to Access what is wrong with his back.

“I have a hematoma,” he said. “In laymen’s terms it means I grew a third butt cheek… A sprained vessel… I have a pinched nerve and my back is [sprained].”

http://www.accesshollywood.com/steve-o-talks-dancing-injury-i-have-a-hematoma_article_15742 (http://www.accesshollywood.com/steve-o-talks-dancing-injury-i-have-a-hematoma_article_15742)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on March 18, 2009, 11:48:42 PM
Ty Murray's Blog:

March 19, 2009

Today was a long and frustrating day for Chelsie and me both. I think we're tired from not getting enough rest the past couple of days. We filmed the show the Monday and Tuesday, and there's a huge commitment when it comes to all the rehearsal time, camera blocking, press interviews and photo shoots that go along with being on a hit television show.

The foxtrot is a new dance for us and the first day is always tough because, again, I have no idea what to expect--no clue, none whatsoever.

I've run into this before with teaching: when you take someone this far out of their element it's hard just teaching them the most basic fundamentals because it's almost like teaching someone how to breathe. You don't really know how you do it you just do it because that's what you've been doing your whole life.

I think that's how a lot of this is for Chelsie. The simplest, most basic stuff can get really hard because there's a certain way you have to do it and then, as a teacher, you're trying to break it down for the student, but it's such a basic thing for you that it's hard to teach because it's something you never really had to think it about.

From my experience, its part of the learning process and it's been that way each time I've had to learn a new dance. You always seem to go way backwards before you start gaining momentum going forward.

I've been through this process as a student and as a teacher so I know that after I get a good night sleep I'll go in tomorrow rested, fresh, my head will be clear and a lot of the stuff Chelsie was teaching me today will have had a chance to kind of sink in overnight.

This is all just part of it.

The main thing I need to do right now is to make sure I get that good night's rest so that I can wake up fresh and get back at it tomorrow.

It's already crunch time and that kind of makes it feel all the more frustrating. Wednesday's gone and once the weekend gets here it gets even tougher because you start doing all the camera blocking. At that point, it's not like you're free to spend all day in the studio.

Chelsie sent me a text when I got home that said, "You're a lot further along than you think so don't get frustrated."

Well, that's what I know for tonight.

http://www.pbrnow.com/blog/index.cfm/2009/3/19/The-first-day-is-always-tough#more (http://www.pbrnow.com/blog/index.cfm/2009/3/19/The-first-day-is-always-tough#more)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on March 19, 2009, 11:28:40 AM
Melissa & Tony's new promo pic to replace Nancy/Tony

Will post Holly/Dmitry's pic as soon I find it

(http://i212.photobucket.com/albums/cc289/CuteboiWill/l_90e7e432c931450e87217132d070acb5.jpg)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on March 19, 2009, 11:49:17 AM
FYI....

Melissa Rycroft will be on Jimmy Kimmel Live tomorrow (Fri, 3/20)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on March 19, 2009, 12:54:59 PM
Video:

Belinda and Johnathon GMA interview


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Eu3uQ98n44 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Eu3uQ98n44)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on March 19, 2009, 01:08:30 PM
Belinda on Jimmy Kimmel Live


credit to jimmykimmellive
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on March 19, 2009, 01:37:38 PM
.... more on Steve-O

OK! Exclusive: Steve-O's DWTS Future Uncertain

On Monday night, March 16, Steve-O had to sit out on Dancing With The Stars because of the injury he suffered during dance rehearsals earlier that day.

“He has [a] hematoma,” dancing partner Lacey Schwimmer tells OK! exclusively at the What Goes Around Comes Around store launch in Hollywood on Wednesday night.

The 34-year-old was already nursing a pinched nerve in his back, and is now dealing with internal bleeding because of the mishap.

“[This] morning he has a doctors appointment,” says Lacey. “If the doctor says, ‘It’s okay to dance,’ then we are in the studio.”

The next episode of Dancing With The Stars will air on Monday, March 23 on ABC.

http://www.ok-magazine.com/news/view/12643 (http://www.ok-magazine.com/news/view/12643)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on March 19, 2009, 02:01:07 PM

ABC Television Network

PRESS RELEASE 

MELISSA RYCROFT ON JIMMY KIMMEL LIVE (3/20)

IN HER FIRST LATE NIGHT TALK SHOW APPEARANCE, "JIMMY KIMMEL LIVE" WELCOMES MELISSA RYCROFT FROM ABC'S HIT SERIES "DANCING WITH THE STARS" AND "THE BACHELOR," FRIDAY, MARCH 20
 
Tune in to "Jimmy Kimmel Live" this Friday, March 20 to catch America's sweetheart and last-minute addition to ABC's "Dancing with the Stars," Melissa Rycroft. One week after the most shocking season finale of "The Bachelor," Melissa moved on with grace and courage to waltz her way onto the ballroom floor and into America's hearts. In heroic fashion, she stepped in with only 48 hours to train before the show's season premiere, filling in for fallen star Nancy O'Dell ("Access Hollywood"), who withdrew from competition citing a torn meniscus.

Make sure to also catch legendary rock band Mötley Crüe kicking-off their nationwide Crüe Tour 2 with an exclusive musical performance from the East Coast.

"Jimmy Kimmel Live" airs at 12:05 a.m. ET/PT on ABC.
 
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: TARAsia Fan on March 19, 2009, 03:30:00 PM
I'm calling curse!
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on March 19, 2009, 03:56:38 PM
Ty Murray's Blog: oh cool

A note from Jewel

Hey all,

I thought I would share a few pics with you from behind the scenes of the show on Tuesday night. It's really fun to be backstage and hang with everyone.

I showed up to Ty's trailer around 5 p.m. to find Ty all dressed and ready to dance! We took some pictures, because we were both dressed so formally. We felt like teenagers headed to prom!

(http://i389.photobucket.com/albums/oo334/marigoldrealityfanforum/tymur1.jpg)

Then Chelsie and Dmitry stopped by wearing fuzzy robes over their costumes. They had to shoot a quick shot in their competition clothes, and then would have to do a quick change into the outfits they would wear while they danced to me singing "Somewhere over the Rainbow."

I hope you guys enjoyed my performance as much as I enjoyed singing. I just love that song, and it will be on my new album called "Lullaby" that comes out on May 5th.

Dmitry and Chelsie got to hear me finish recording the song for the album, so they were familiar with it and it really showed in their beautiful dance.

Ty and I just love Dmitry and Chelsie. We all got to be great friends when they came to live with us in Texas. It's not every day you meet such sincere and humble people, and we just all get along so well! Even though I'm not on the show any more we still all hang!

Dmitry dances with Holly by day, but the four of us eat together afterward!

(http://i389.photobucket.com/albums/oo334/marigoldrealityfanforum/tymur2.jpg)

As some of you may know, I toured with Chuck Wicks and Julianne Hough this summer, so it's great to see them and get to hang with them. They are such nice folks that it's hard to hate them for being so freakin' pretty and talented! Haha!

Seriously, they are just as nice as can be and I have really enjoyed getting to spend more time around them. Here's a picture of all 4 of us before the show started.

(http://i389.photobucket.com/albums/oo334/marigoldrealityfanforum/tymur3.jpg)

Tom Bergeron, who hosts the show, is a hoot!

I think he does a great job and he came up to me to tell me he liked my skit where I kinda said the F word to him on the Jimmy Kimmel show! I knew he had a great sense of humor and was glad he approved! Haha!

(http://i389.photobucket.com/albums/oo334/marigoldrealityfanforum/tymur4.jpg)

Ty and Chelsie practiced a few poses back stage in case they were in the bottom two and had to participate in the dance off!

Luckily they didn't have to this week! I am so proud of my husband. He has been working so hard and is so committed, and I'm glad you all are getting to know the man I fell in love with a little better.

(http://i389.photobucket.com/albums/oo334/marigoldrealityfanforum/tymur5.jpg)

Ty's family came in for this week, which was great!

It's always nice to have the love and support of family! And Chelsie's mom came to support her and Ty, too.

Here's a picture of Ty's mom, Chelsie, Ty, me, Chelsie's mom, and Ty's dad that we took after the show.

(http://i389.photobucket.com/albums/oo334/marigoldrealityfanforum/tymur6.jpg)

After the show there is a press line we walk through. It takes about an hour and so I thought I'd add a few pictures of Ty and Chelsie working the line and me as well--with my fashion-ized crutch! I wrapped some scarves around it to dress it up!

(http://i389.photobucket.com/albums/oo334/marigoldrealityfanforum/tymur7.jpg)

And finally, on our way out of the building after the show, we ran into my friend Randy Jackson, who was filming "American Idol" across the hall from us. It was great to see him again. He is always so entertaining to talk to!

It was nice catching up with him.

(http://i389.photobucket.com/albums/oo334/marigoldrealityfanforum/tymur8.jpg)

And that's it!!

Ty spent all the next day right back in rehearsals. He put in 8 hours Wednesday!! I hope his hard work pays off and we make it another week!

Thank you for all your support. We've been just overwhelmed with everyone's well-wishes. We sure are having fun!

Hope you enjoyed the pictures!

Xx, Jewel

http://www.pbrnow.com/blog/index.cfm/2009/3/19/A-note-from-Jewel#more (http://www.pbrnow.com/blog/index.cfm/2009/3/19/A-note-from-Jewel#more)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on March 19, 2009, 08:36:23 PM
Videos:

DWTS: Ty Murray & Chelsie Hightower Interview

Nine-time Rodeo champ Ty Murray can ride a bull, lasso a calf, a buck and a bronco with ease.

But the Cha Cha? That's hard! Ty talks about DANCING WITH THE STARS

and brings along his partner Chelsie Hightower to back him up!


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S6nFrNYXVjk (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S6nFrNYXVjk)



DWTS: Gilles Marini Interview

DANCING WITH THE STARS contestant Gilles Marini visits Reality Chat

and dishes about his experience on the show!


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9XZtncvFNAI (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9XZtncvFNAI)

Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on March 19, 2009, 09:32:19 PM

steve-o’s one year sober anniversary

(http://i389.photobucket.com/albums/oo334/marigoldrealityfanforum/sosob.jpg)

Read the rest of this blog here: http://www.jackassworld.com/blog/2009/03/19/news-steve-os-one-year-sober-anniversary/#more-8914 (http://www.jackassworld.com/blog/2009/03/19/news-steve-os-one-year-sober-anniversary/#more-8914)


Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on March 19, 2009, 10:41:58 PM
An interview with Shawn:

Shawn Johnson "Shocked" By Judges' Naughty Request

If you cringed when the Dancing with the Stars judges' called for more naughtiness in 17-year-old Shawn Johnson's dances, imagine how she felt. Will she be more naughty now? Find out her answer, as well as her thoughts on the dance-off and what she and "sister" Lil Kim have planned off the dance floor.

TVGuide.com: I have to say it was really nice to see you in a dress instead of a leotard.
Johnson: I know! I love it! I mean, what girl wouldn't like those dresses? They're gorgeous. It's exciting and Mark [Ballas] designs my dress every week.

TVGuide.com: Do pros usually do that?
Johnson: Some of them do. Mark's very hands-on on the whole thing. He's got a vision and he wants it to be perfect. He'll sit down with the person and he'll be like, "This is exactly what I want. I like this fabric and this cut." I mean, it's impressive! I was very shocked.

TVGuide.com: You got good scores the first two weeks. How would you rate your performances?
Shawn Johnson: I thought I did pretty good. The waltz was fun and we worked really hard on that for a while and I just was ready to go out there and do it. That was harder because you have so much adrenaline and stuff and it's such a smooth dance that it's hard to contain yourself. Whereas the salsa, you can use that adrenaline to kinda go crazy. I have the foxtrot next, which is a slow dance.

TVGuide.com: The judges said they wanted you to be more naughty, which I thought was weird. What were you thinking?
Johnson: I was a little bit shocked. I mean, ever since I've gotten to the show, the one thing everybody has said is, "We want to keep you young and look your age." So when they said that, I was like, "Well, I don't think I'm allowed to!" [Laughs] But Mark said we're not gonna go for naughty.

TVGuide.com: Did they forget you're 17?
Johnson: I dunno! It was weird.

TVGuide.com: How were you feeling going into the first elimination?
Johnson: Oh, I was nervous! [Laughs] I mean, the scores have a little to do with it, but it's really about the votes. When you're under that red light, you get so nervous. I was just glad they called my name second. I really had no idea who it was gonna be. Some people could've gotten higher scores than others, but a lot of people have a following. Steve [Wozniak] and Belinda [Carlisle] were both so sweet and lovable that you really had no idea. You become a family. We've been together for five weeks and got to know each other. Belinda was working really hard and loving every minute of it, and it was really sad to see her go.

TVGuide.com: Do you like the addition of the dance-off?
Johnson: Uh... I think it could go both ways. It's a little harsh, you know, just kinda putting the bottom two through more than is necessary. But also, if you make a mistake in your dance the night before, it gives you a second chance to perfect it and higher your score, so it could go either way.

TVGuide.com: What do you think of everyone now after two performances?
Johnson: Gilles [Marini] and Melissa, of course, were amazing. Steve-O didn't get to dance [the salsa], which was disappointing, but we got to see him rehearse a few times and his dance was amazing. We all wish he could've performed it. Ty [Murray] — I was so excited for him! He made a few mistakes the first week and he was so nervous going out. He was like, "They don't give out zeroes, do they?" [Laughs] We were like, "Aww." He's just a sweetheart. I'm just really happy to see him get through. Holly [Madison] is so much fun to be around, and so is Melissa. They're just a bundle of energy. I love it.

TVGuide.com: There's a lot of talk about Melissa's dance experience and whether or not that's fair. Do you think it's unfair?
Johnson: I honestly don't think I can give an opinion, just because I'm not a cheerleader or a dancer or anything. I don't know how it would transfer over or what experience she has. I don't know. I'm a gymnast and all I know is I can flip and that doesn't help anything. [Laughs]

TVGuide.com: Are you comfortable in heels yet?
Johnson: [Laughs] I'm getting there! It was definitely hard to begin with and it's still hard.

TVGuide.com: Is that why you tripped on the stairs the first night?
Johnson: [Laughs] Yeah. I'm clumsy! I thought I was gonna fall. It was scary, but Mark caught me. Everybody trips on the stairs and I broke the ice this season. I'm the first one to trip so everyone's like, "Oh, thank God it's not me!" I'm like, "Oh, whatever. I got it, guys."

TVGuide.com: Did that rattle you at all for your performance?
Johnson: A little. When I got down, all I remember was the trip and I totally blanked on anything else. It's funny because Ty also tripped that night and now we have a little ongoing joke: "OK, if I trip, you have to trip." [Laughs] But I guess we should really try not to trip!

TVGuide.com: You said you and Lil Kim are really tight. What have you been doing?
Johnson: We're going out to lunch this week. We haven't really had time to do too much because we were getting ready for the show, but we talk a lot during the shows and during dress rehearsals. Who would've thought? [Laughs] She said we're gonna take the tall ones down!

http://www.tvguide.com/Dancing-Stars/Shawn-Johnson-Shocked-1004207.aspx (http://www.tvguide.com/Dancing-Stars/Shawn-Johnson-Shocked-1004207.aspx)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on March 19, 2009, 10:45:08 PM
I'm calling curse!

 :lol:  I agree
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on March 20, 2009, 12:48:56 AM
Julianne's blog post:

At Disney World without Chuck.... lol

Hey guys,
I just finished a show here at disney world for the childrens miracle network. it was such a cool experience to meet all the champion kids... makes you really appreciate what you have and what you can do to help raise awareness for them...

im just laying in bed with lexi, she is on my right arm asleep so it's taking me forever to type cause im doing it with my left hand...lol anyways i'm just laying here thinking about how hard it's gonna be to start teaching chuck our dance for next week tomorrow. we are so behind because we are both still touring. he is in new hampshire tonight i think...
i get on a flight at 5:50am to CT to meet him for his show. we should get a couple of hours of training in before he goes on... and then we both fly again the next morning at about 5am to Mississippi for a show i'm doing there... hopefully you guys will vote this week, i think we are really going to need it!!! lol

well im gonna go to bed so that i can get some good sleep in so that i can be my usual hard teaching julianne self that i am... i think i've been taking it easy on him without really noticing, so i really have to TRY to be hard on him ha ha wish me luck.. :)

by the way i have the funniest video of lexi tonight watching americas funniest home videos.. she literally couldn't take her eyes off the tv... i'll try and post it at some point this week... ha ha too dang cute!!!

all right, good night guys!
JH

http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=191068936&blogID=477855852
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on March 20, 2009, 10:55:01 AM
Still trying to find Holly/Dmitry's new promo pic, did see one but it was from the chest up, not a full head to toe pic like the others posted on here...still looking and will post once I find it.
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on March 20, 2009, 05:43:29 PM

ABC Television Network

PRESS RELEASE 

ON NEXT WEEK'S "DANCING" RESULTS SHOW (3/24) SECOND COUPLE ELIMINATED ON "DANCING WITH THE STARS THE RESULTS SHOW," TUESDAY, MARCH 24 ON ABC

Darryl Hall & John Oates Perform

Grammy Award Winner Adele Performs

Cloris Leachman and Corky Ballas Return     ....  :groan:  :groan:

Bottom Two Couples Compete in the Live "Dance Off"

"Episode 803A" - After a night of samba and foxtrot, the second couple to be eliminated from the competition will be announced on "Dancing with the Stars the Results Show," TUESDAY, MARCH 24 (9:00-10:02 p.m., ET) on the ABC Television Network.

Famed duo Daryl Hall & John Oates take the "Dancing with the Stars" stage by storm with their Billboard No. 1 single, "Maneater," from their 1982 album, "H2O," accompanied by professional dancers Karina Smirnoff, Maksim Chmerkovskiy, Tony Dovolani and Dmitry Chaplin. According to the R.I.A.A, Daryl Hall & John Oates are the No. 1 selling duo in music history with their seven R.I.A.A. platinum albums and six R.I.A.A. gold albums, along with 29 No. 1 hits.

British singer-songwriter Adele takes to the "Dancing with the Stars" stage with her single, "Chasing Pavements," from her first album, "19," which debuted at No. 1 on the UK album chart and has since been certified platinum with sales of more than 500,000 copies in the UK and over 1,200,000 worldwide. Adele took home two Grammys, including "Best New Artist," at this year's 51st Grammy Awards. She will be accompanied on the stage by professional dancers Edyta Sliwinska and Alec Mazo.

Former "Dancing with the Stars" favorite Cloris Leachman returns with her professional dance partner, Corky Ballas, to offer a sneak peek at how to perform next week's dances -- the argentine tango and the lindyhop.

This week the bottom two couples facing elimination, determined by the lowest combined viewer votes and judges' scores from Monday's performance, will "Dance Off" to determine who is dismissed. The couples will have a chance to perform Monday's dance for new scores from the judges. The judges' scores from the "Dance Off" performance will replace their Monday night scores. A combination of the new judges' scores from the "Dance Off" dance, along with viewers votes from Monday's show, will be calculated following the "Dance Off" to determine the eliminated couple.

By evening's end one couple will be eliminated, as determined by a combination of the judges' scores and viewers' votes. Who among the following 12 teams will leave the ballroom floor?

David Alan Grier (comedian and actor) and partner Kym Johnson
Shawn Johnson (Olympic gymnastics medalist) and partner Mark Ballas
Lil' Kim (Grammy Award winning rapper) and partner, reigning champion Derek Hough
Holly Madison (reality television star) and partner, newcomer Dmitry Chaplin
Gilles Marini (model and actor) and partner Cheryl Burke
Ty Murray ("King of Cowboys") and partner, newcomer Chelsie Hightower
Steve-O (star of "Jackass" and "Wildboyz") and partner Lacey Schwimmer
Denise Richards (actress) and partner Maksim Chmerkovskiy
Melissa Rycroft (from "The Bachelor") and partner Tony Dovolani
Lawrence Taylor (National Football League Hall of Famer, a.k.a. "LT") and partner Edyta Sliwinska
Chuck Wicks (country music star) and partner Julianne Hough
Steve Wozniak (co-founder of Apple, a.k.a. "The Woz) and partner Karina Smirnoff

Viewers may cast their votes for their favorite teams via phone on Monday night during and up to 30 minutes after the "Dancing with the Stars" performance shows. AT&T subscribers may also text message their votes by texting the word "VOTE" and entering the number that corresponds to the team they want to support (standard text message rates apply). Viewers may also vote online at www.abc.com starting from the opening of each episode on the East Coast and until 12:00 Noon, ET the following day.
 
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on March 20, 2009, 11:17:05 PM
Ty Murray's Blog:

Just do it

We put in another long day, which was mostly spent toying with the choreography. It always gets better when we do that, but it also makes it harder for me because the hours we spent learning all the parts of the old routine go out the window and I'm back to square one.

For Chelsie, she can say, "Now it's going to be this." And then she can just do it.

But, I think, we got settled in on a good routine and we have it locked in. Now it's just a matter of running it; however, we haven't got our song at the speed Chelsie wants it to fit the dance. They're actually going to slow it down for us, so tomorrow we should have that and then we can start running through it with the music.

So far we've been working on setting the routine and working on the technique. We have Saturday and Sunday to run it with the music and that will help get the technique better and get it to where I know every single move by heart. I'm still stumbling through it just a little bit.

It was definitely a long day for both of us.

I left the house at about 8:50 this morning and I got back about 7:30, so I was gone for most of the day. We had to kind of run around. We started at one studio and then we went to the CBS stage to run it there before finishing up at yet another studio.

So, yes, that makes for a long day, but Chelsie is tough and we're putting in the work it takes. You have to put in the work. I've said it before, but, it goes back to, each different dance has its challenges and every dance and every challenge is different, so it's just a matter of trying to get that ironed out.

http://www.pbrnow.com/blog/index.cfm/2009/3/21/Just-do-it#more (http://www.pbrnow.com/blog/index.cfm/2009/3/21/Just-do-it#more)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on March 21, 2009, 12:46:57 AM
For next weeks (3/23/09) dances, the couples are dancing the Samba and the Foxtrot.

The couples dancing the Foxtrot are:

David & Kym
Shawn & Mark
Ty & Chelsie
Steve-O & Lacey
Melissa & Tony
Chuck & Julianne

The foxtrot is described as:

    * a very smooth dance
    * There should be no jerkiness
    * Lots of forward or backward moving patterns which are straight and well aligned
    * The timing is everything. It needs to be: slow, quick, quick, slow.
    * The Weave - is six quick steps in a row, all on the toes.
    * The Feather Step - when the man steps outside the girl.
    * zig zag patterns that the dancers create on the floor.
    * Couples can break the "hold" allowing more open movements, including under arm turns.


________________________________________________________________

Those dancing the Samba are:

Lil' Kim & Derek
Gilles & Cheryl
Holly & Dmitry
Lawrence & Edyta
Denise & Maksim
Steve & Karina

The Samba is described as:

    * A very rhythmical dance with lots of hip action.
    * It has walking steps and side steps. Along with a vertical bounce action. Use of the ball of the foot is essential.
    * The Basic step is a crossing action in front of the body, where you step across with the bounce
    * It should include a rolling movement from the waist up. The upper body circles as you create a six-step turning group. (this is called a Samba Roll)
    * Another move is called a Botafogo, which is a traveling walk with a change of direction from left to right or right to left.
    * You will see lots of outstretched arms.
    * The dance ends with throwing of heads back and arms splayed out

credit with with thanks to tmpray
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on March 21, 2009, 10:48:18 AM
Melissa on Jimmy Kimmel Live 3/20


credit with thanks to dwtsseason8
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on March 21, 2009, 11:32:08 AM
Melissa Rycroft Critical of Her 'Dancing with the Stars' Success

"The Bachelor" heroine Melissa Rycroft has gotten off to a running start on "DWTS," but Friday night on "Jimmy Kimmel Live," she cast a critical eye on her success!

Asked by Kimmel if she feels like she and pro partner Tony Dovolani are improving as the competition goes on, Melissa said, "I feel like we take ten steps backward every time the show ends and we start again, because it's a new routine and it's something I haven't done before. So, I was really comfortable with that stupid salsa that we did, and now you've got to throw that out the window and … foxtrot?"

Melissa also spilled more details about the new man in her life, saying that "when everything kind of went south with Jason [Mesnick] and 'The Bachelor' stuff, he was there to kind of pick up my pieces."

http://www.etonline.com/news/2009/03/72043/index.html
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: TexasLady on March 21, 2009, 03:11:47 PM
I haven't been watching because of Idol. Is everyone fit now or still people injured?
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on March 21, 2009, 03:12:00 PM
Chris Harrison talks to the dancers after the elimination show for the TV Guide channel


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n1BkepNpPU0
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on March 21, 2009, 03:27:51 PM
I haven't been watching because of Idol. Is everyone fit now or still people injured?

Not really...Steve-O has a hematoma on his back and his future on the show remains shaky but at this point, he's still in for now

Gilles has a separated shoulder but appears to be doing okay, he's been getting shots for it

Steve Wozniak has a sprained ankle or something with his foot, but he's still in, he wears a brace on it all the times except for when he performs.

As for the others, they are still healthy at this point. 
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: TexasLady on March 21, 2009, 03:34:04 PM
I haven't been watching because of Idol. Is everyone fit now or still people injured?

Not really...Steve-O has a hematoma on his back and his future on the show remains shaky but at this point, he's still in for now

Gilles has a separated shoulder but appears to be doing okay, he's been getting shots for it

Steve Wozniak has a sprained ankle or something with his foot, but he's still in, he wears a brace on it all the times except for when he performs.

As for the others, they are still healthy at this point. 

WOW! I just saw a photo of Steve-O's back.  :ascared  I thought I read that Steve W has a stress fracture. This has been a cursed (kinda) season, I think I agree with Ken.
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on March 21, 2009, 03:44:41 PM
I haven't been watching because of Idol. Is everyone fit now or still people injured?

Not really...Steve-O has a hematoma on his back and his future on the show remains shaky but at this point, he's still in for now

Gilles has a separated shoulder but appears to be doing okay, he's been getting shots for it

Steve Wozniak has a sprained ankle or something with his foot, but he's still in, he wears a brace on it all the times except for when he performs.

As for the others, they are still healthy at this point. 

WOW! I just saw a photo of Steve-O's back.  :ascared  I thought I read that Steve W has a stress fracture. This has been a cursed (kinda) season, I think I agree with Ken.

Yeah it's cursed. The ambulance already had to make three trips this season and we are barely in week 3!
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: TARAsia Fan on March 21, 2009, 03:48:08 PM
I have a bad feeling more injuries are going to happen.
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on March 21, 2009, 03:51:58 PM
I have a bad feeling more injuries are going to happen.

Me, too but am praying it doesn't happen. It's still early in the season so it's bound to happen.
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: TexasLady on March 21, 2009, 04:11:47 PM
Same here, no more injuries. I like to watch DWTS, just wish it was on another couple of nights.
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: tory on March 21, 2009, 10:58:08 PM
i hope they r takeing it easyer on there stares. also did i here that mark ballace hurt him self also??
and ps tl now i no y u r not commenting on ai as much.. i have a dvr and can tape 2 things at one time thank god!!!
all though i would pick idol... ;D
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on March 22, 2009, 11:15:46 AM
Dancing's Gilles Marini "Not Trying to Be Sexy"

Not even tendonitis and a separated shoulder have stopped Gilles Marini from bringing his A game to the dance floor. Two weeks into Dancing with the Stars, the Sex and the City hunk is leading the pack and again making ladies swoon with his sexy moves — but he says it's not intentional. "I'm dancing and things come the way they are," Marini tells TVGuide.com. See what else the French-born star has to say about shedding the sexiness, his slightly inappropriate plans with Steve-O, and what else he has in store for Kim Cattrall.

TVGuide.com: Congratulations! How does it feel to be on top of the leader board?
Gilles Marini: Thank you! The only problem with that is there's only one thing to do — go down. It's a great place to be. It's so much pressure, especially on Cheryl [Burke]. Cheryl's a very tough professional and driven [so] it's difficult for her to go down. So we're gonna try our hardest.

TVGuide.com: You can still improve. You haven't gotten 10s yet.
Marini: [Laughs] Yes. I'm gonna do my best to get fitter. Every week I want to shock the judges so they say, "Oh my God, we didn't know you could pull this off." It's all very new to me. I'm doing the samba next. Before this, I had no idea what that is. I learned the foxtrot is a slower quickstep or something. I don't even know how to spell it! I thought rumba was big, fun and fast, and Cheryl told me it's a slow dance. I'm like, "Oh, I'm such an idiot!" I think if Americans can understand that I'm learning from A to Z, they might like it because they can actually picture themselves versus seeing someone who is actually very good at it already. If I can do it, everybody can.

TVGuide.com: Is Cheryl moderating how much you rehearse since everyone's getting injured, including you?
Marini: Cheryl has a tendency of making me go home and she's very smart. Every time I'm not doing a move, she asks me why — either I'm not remembering or I'm hurt. She's great. As soon as she's getting tough with me, I know it's because I'm starting to get it and she wants to keep it at the same level. For me, at the moment, I'm like, "Oh my God, I'm horrible." So I start paying more attention and doing more and then I can do it.

TVGuide.com: She has said she's gonna have you take off your clothes to win over fans, but then she didn't want you to be sexy for the quickstep.
Marini: Yeah, this is how she put it: When we dance the samba, the image is we're already dating a long and obviously went down to the bedroom. This is how the emotion has to be. So we're boyfriend and girlfriend for a while. When we dance the quickstep, it's our first date, so it's a bit of touching, but not too much. So I had to throw away the sexiness and whatnot from the cha-cha. It's a first date with a splash in the end.

TVGuide.com: Is it easy to throw the sexiness out?
Marini: [Laughs] Being sexy is not something I ever try to be. It's not like, "Oh, I'm sexy, let me look at the camera now. I'm not trying to be sexy. Throwing the sexiness away was just looking rigid and more sophisticated.

TVGuide.com: I know you guys are worried about your fan base, but you're one of our readers' favorites to win. How does that make you feel?
Marini: Wow, very surprised. I would say I'd be second [from the] bottom. Just because people do not understand why I'm on the show because I've never said it yet. It's pretty much paying respect because the country gave me so much. If I can put a smile on Americans' faces, then it's a little way of paying back. Down the line, I'll tell the story why I'm in love with this country and why I wanna be here the rest of my life.

TVGuide.com: Whose idea was it to have the Super G logo at the end of your Superman-inspired quickstep?
Marini: Oh yeah! It's because we couldn't have the S. I wasn't trying to be cocky or anything with the G. At first, I wanted to put Jewel and Nancy O'Dell on it. Somehow in America, news passes by fast and everyone forgets [they withdrew due to injury], so I really wanted to put them on there to remember them, but they wanted a G.

TVGuide.com: You're on top right now, but who do you think is catching up?
Marini: Obviously, Melissa [Rycroft]. She's a dancer. She's an amazing person. Beautiful. My brother said, "Help me. I'm dying for this woman." He didn't talk about me! [Laughs] So if my brother feels this way, I know America feels the same way. Shawn [Johnson] — every time you see her smile, it breaks your heart. She's an American hero. I saw and I'm like, "Oh my God! I'm next to you. I can't believe it."

TVGuide.com: Because you're so much taller than her?
Marini: [Laughs] Right? She's only 4'10". She's very sweet. She has so much strength so we can all look very bad [compared to her]. I hope Steve-O can keep going because he's a great human being with a great story for a lot of kids out there that think they're doomed. I want him to stay for that and for the friendship we have. So if he can be healthy and be here, I'll be the happiest man on earth because the competition without Steve-O would not be the same.

TVGuide.com: So you guys have gotten really close?
Marini: I would say so. Every week I vote for him. We're taping a sketch. We're trying to bug the other contestants with sketches and comedy and doing things a little inappropriate to make everyone smile.

TVGuide.com: Is the public ever gonna see that?
Marini: Maybe one day on YouTube. It's gonna be hilarious. It's gonna be written by Donal Logue. He's a great comedian. Believe it or not, it's gonna be one of those, like, Taxicab Confessions type of thing.

TVGuide.com: Have you heard from Kim Catrrall yet?
Marini: Oh, I want her to stop by. I haven't heard from her because I think she's overseas doing a movie, but we're setting that up. If she comes, I gotta get three 10s.

TVGuide.com: And you have to do the rumba or something sexy for her.
Marini: Yeah, I would do a rumba and then finish the dance with her. How about that? [Laughs] That would be actually really funny. I'm gonna plan this.

http://www.tvguide.com/Dancing-Stars/Gilles-Marini-Dancing-1004254.aspx
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: TexasLady on March 22, 2009, 12:35:50 PM
i hope they r takeing it easyer on there stares. also did i here that mark ballace hurt him self also??
and ps tl now i no y u r not commenting on ai as much.. i have a dvr and can tape 2 things at one time thank god!!!
all though i would pick idol... ;D

I reset the DRV to tape DWTS, although I need to get the DVR replaced since it seems to have a mind of its own.  :knuckles: 

(But AI comes first...)  ;)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on March 22, 2009, 11:10:48 PM
Looks like Melissa & Tony have gotten close and probably are best friends now...

(http://i212.photobucket.com/albums/cc289/CuteboiWill/l_913d1eef960e45c9a63dd6e01deeb350.jpg)

(http://i212.photobucket.com/albums/cc289/CuteboiWill/l_fd175317a1c24fe08084c1cfcc1c8cbd.jpg)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on March 23, 2009, 10:34:10 AM
Ty Murray's Blog:

Today it just seemed like it really clicked’

Today it felt like it really came together. We finally got our music and Chelsie slowed it down three percent because she said the routine didn't look like a foxtrot at normal speed.

The last two days have been so frustrating and then today it just seemed like it really clicked. We had a good practice and I don't feel like I'm as worn out. I'm tired and sore, but it's not as bad as it has been.

It seemed like today – with practice going well – we got quite a few runs in and we still have tomorrow to try and get the routine better, and just try to make sure it's burned into my brain so that when it's time for lights, camera, action that it's all instinct.

The more you can burn it into your brain the better off you are, so you're not having to think as much because there are things that can distract you.

I was ready for us to have a good day because it was starting to get really frustrating. You have the pressure of the show coming up on you at a fast rate and, as of yesterday, I didn't think I was even going to know the routine by Monday.

It just puts you a little more at ease when you're able to start running through it on time with the beat of the music. We laughed a lot more today and just had a much better practice.

The big thing that I think helped my practice today was that I got a great night of sleep, and then after I got up Jewel and I went and had a really nice lunch. I felt better today, whereas in the days before I would go to one studio to practice, fight the traffic to get over to CBS, and the fight some more traffic to get to another studio, and you're living on power bars all day.

I know it must sound funny, but it felt good to get a good lunch in me today and to be well rested before I went and hit it at practice. Chelsie and I practiced from 1 o'clock straight through until 5, we both felt great about what we accomplished, and now Jewel and I are off to see "Slumdog Millionaire."

When we get out of the movie we'll get home and I'll try to get another good night of sleep before I hit it hard again tomorrow.

http://www.pbrnow.com/blog/index.cfm/2009/3/21/Today-it-just-seemed-like-it-really-clicked#more (http://www.pbrnow.com/blog/index.cfm/2009/3/21/Today-it-just-seemed-like-it-really-clicked#more)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on March 23, 2009, 10:35:51 AM
Ty Murray's Blog:

‘Everybody’s in the same boat’

We went to the TV studio and did some camera blocking and I got a chance to see a couple of the other routines and, really, everybody's in the same boat.

Even though you're not on television you can feel your nerves when they do the countdown and then you hear the voice that says, "Next, doing the foxtrot, Ty Murray and his partner Chelsie Hightower."

Then the music starts and you go. I think we got to run through it three times at the TV studio and it went pretty good.

It's funny, but they had foot masseuses there for everyone and all the contestants and the pros took advantage of it because everybody's feet are just fried.

As soon as we were done with camera blocking we went to wardrobe and did one final fitting for some last minute adjustments and to make sure everything fits right.

It's amazing because they make our clothes from scratch every week and the tailors do such a great job. They're like the best fitting clothes you've ever had on in your life.

Right after that we went straight to practice.

Chelsie doesn't work on technique that much on the day before the show because then it gets in your head and you start that backward spiral that you have trouble pulling out of. It just seems to make everything go downhill, at times, so we try to hit the technique all during the week until you're beat over the head with it.

The day before she just likes to run it over and over and keeps her critiques to a minimum. That way you can get comfortable knowing all your moves like the back of your hand.

The foxtrot is a really graceful dance and when you do make a little mistake in practice it's really obvious. It requires a lot of balance and timing. Even bumping feet throws everything off, so you want to do your steps right.

That's the thing, the choreography sets it up to where if you do your steps right and your partner does their steps right then everything works out fine, but every now and then in practice you'll just bump your feet and it knocks you off-balance.

When that happens, it can go bad on you really fast.

We just ran it over and over and felt pretty good about it. I'll bet we probably ran it 50 times. I know it's hard to believe, but you don't hear the words, "that was perfect." Sometimes it's better than others, but there's always some little aspect of it that could have been a little bit better.

You're striving for perfection, but, I think, that's very seldom achieved in dancing.

http://www.pbrnow.com/blog/index.cfm/2009/3/23/Everybodys-in-the-same-boat#more (http://www.pbrnow.com/blog/index.cfm/2009/3/23/Everybodys-in-the-same-boat#more)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on March 23, 2009, 10:42:22 AM
An interesting article:

Nancy’s Notes: I’m Done With ‘Dancing’ Surgery!

Well, surgery on my knee is done and over with and it went well! I am so happy as I am ready to start rehabbing my knee and get it back to normal!

I had the surgery done Friday arthroscopically. The surgeon and anethesiologist gave me the choice of going under or getting a block from the waist down. I chose the block, so I was actually awake for the surgery and got to watch it on the monitor. I didn’t think I would like it as I can’t even watch blood getting drawn. But because it was on a monitor and I never looked down at my actual knee, it was pretty cool.

When the surgeon first went in and saw the inside of my knee on the monitor, he said and I quote, “You really SHREDDED your meniscus!” Shredded wasn’t the word I wanted to hear. I knew it was a large tear based on the doctor reading the MRI, but it was ripped up even more than the MRI depicted. I saw it myself… the meniscus was pretty torn up… kind of looked like a snow globe inside my knee. Can you belive it all started from a salsa move! The doctor cut the torn part away on both tears…. I had a small and large tear on different sides of the knee. And then before I knew it, the surgery was over. It only took about an hour. I spent several hours in recovery as the block wore off. And by afternoon, I was able to head home, albeit on crutches, but I was glad the procedure went so well and it was outpatient surgery. I was pretty woozy and sleepy yesterday from the anesthesia and pain medicine. I only had a little bit of pain yesterday and today, it hasn’t been bad at all. I can only walk using crutches right now and have to stay in bed mostly.

But I’ve already started leg exercises today per doctor’s orders and will see a physical therapist this week. After about 6 weeks of rehab, the doctor tells me my knee will be back to the way it was before the injury. All in all, not too bad. I had a great surgeon and everything went smoothly. I’m planning on my recovery being the same so I can dance again next season, I hope. I won’t be back at work Monday, but I’m hoping I will feel up to it by Tuesday. See you soon.

http://www.accesshollywood.com/nancys-notes-im-done-with-dancing-surgery_article_15853 (http://www.accesshollywood.com/nancys-notes-im-done-with-dancing-surgery_article_15853)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on March 23, 2009, 10:47:37 AM
Gilles & Cheryl: Ready to Reveal Skin on 'Dancing with the Stars'?


ET's in the "Dancing with the Stars" rehearsal studio with French 'Sex and the City' hunk Gilles Marini and pro dancer Cheryl Burke. The busy couple reveal which dance they're doing tonight -- and if they'll be showing some more skin!

"[We're doing] the very difficult, difficult, tricky, sexy samba," says Gilles. "I think the samba is the hardest Latin dance. I'm lost. I still don't know it yet."

"This is when you know who will actually be in the competition the longest," says Cheryl. "Who can handle the pressure, who can learn to dance in a short amount of time and still be able to perform, so this is a true test."

But she assures her sexy partner that despite being strict with him during rehearsal, he's doing well. "I'm really proud of him," she says. "Samba's all about shaking your butt out and having fun -- it's like a party dance -- and he knows how to shake his butt, obviously."

So, can we expect to see Gilles take something off this week during the dance?

"We've got something in play for you guys," he teases.

"[He's] not actually necessarily taking anything off, but you will be seeing lots of see-through action," reveals Cheryl. "We're in very, very tight clothing this week."

Cheryl, however, won't be showing any more skin, "Because I'm barely in the costume already."

As for Gilles' separated shoulder, he says, "It's all drugged up. I've got my x-ray in the house -- it's a beautiful separation. It looks like I have a little of Steve-O in me."

Gilles also pulled up his pant leg to reveal a knee brace, much to the surprise of Cheryl.

"He doesn't tell me about his injuries," she complains, telling him, "We made a deal to tell me and now you're breaking the deal!"

"I love to compete, no matter what," says Gilles. "Every week it's very different. Every weekend we learn it all over again. So it's very challenging, especially remembering choreography, but I love the process."

Watch ET for more with Gilles and Cheryl, performing tonight on "Dancing with the Stars" on ABC!

http://www.etonline.com/news/2009/03/72039/index.html
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on March 23, 2009, 10:51:24 AM
In the 'Dancing with the Stars' Studio with 'Team Shark': Shawn & Mark!


Olympic gymnast Shawn Johnson and pro dancer Mark Ballas are up there with the frontrunners of this season's "Dancing with the Stars," and we're with "Team SHARK" as they rehearse the foxtrot!

Sporting a "Vote for Shawn and Mark" T-shirt that says "Team SHARK" on the back (which incorporates SHawn and maRK), the 17-year-old Shawn says it feels good to be a frontrunner, but she doesn't take it for granted.

"Anything can happen," she says. "Every week's different. Just because you're kind of in front one week doesn't mean you'll be in front the next one."

"We're in a good spot," says Mark. "I'm happy where we're at right now."

The pair reveals to ET that they do a "secret handshake" before every dance, so keep an eye out for it right before they take the dance floor!

Of course, many stars have sustained injuries on the dance floor and in rehearsal during the show's intense competition, and both Shawn and Mark are susceptible.

"You've got to be careful when you're doing this," says Mark. "Some people don't realize how hard it really is. It does take its toll on the body. Some of the things we do are really demanding and if you don't pace yourself and you go in full throttle, you can get hurt."

"Anything can happen, but you just try to stay safe and keep your fingers crossed," says Shawn.

As for the other frontrunner competition, 'Sex and the City' movie star Gilles Marini and pro dancer Cheryl Burke, Shawn and Mark only have kind words to say:

"He's such a sweetheart," says Shawn, while Mark says, "I think he's doing a really good job. He's really great; we've had a lot of fun with him and I think he's dancing really well -- Cheryl's doing a great job with him -- and we wish them luck. But, you know, we'll be out there swinging as well."

Watch ET for more with Shawn and Mark on "Dancing with the Stars," airing tonight on ABC.

http://www.etonline.com/news/2009/03/72037/
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on March 23, 2009, 10:56:08 AM
Steve Wozniak's New 'Dancing' Injury

Another "Dancing With The Stars" contestant has been hit with an injury and ET has the latest.

Apple computer co-founder Steve Wozniak was previously nursing a foot injury but now ET has learned that the Woz has pulled his hamstring.

There is no word yet on whether or not Wozniak will perform on Monday night, but keep checking back on our website for more on this developing story.

http://www.etonline.com/news/2009/03/72065/index.html
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on March 23, 2009, 11:17:22 AM
An interesting article:

Wozniak may be out of ‘Dancing With The Stars’ due to disabling injury

(http://i389.photobucket.com/albums/oo334/marigoldrealityfanforum/wozam.jpg)

"Possible disabling injury happened to Woz on Friday, March 20, 2009 at 2:30 PM PST," Woz.org, Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak's website states.

"Might be a pulled hamstring or something like that. Paramedics just came and brought him to the hospital at 3:00PM. Woz says he is walking with a limp right now. It might take him out of the competition on "Dancing With The Stars" scheduled for Monday's show," MacDailyNews reader Adam W. tells us via email.

Here is the photo that was originally posted to the Woz.org website and has since been removed:

http://macdailynews.com/index.php/weblog/comments/20522/ (http://macdailynews.com/index.php/weblog/comments/20522/)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: TexasLady on March 23, 2009, 11:17:46 AM
Steve Wozniak's New 'Dancing' Injury

Another "Dancing With The Stars" contestant has been hit with an injury and ET has the latest.

Apple computer co-founder Steve Wozniak was previously nursing a foot injury but now ET has learned that the Woz has pulled his hamstring.

There is no word yet on whether or not Wozniak will perform on Monday night, but keep checking back on our website for more on this developing story.

http://www.etonline.com/news/2009/03/72065/index.html

Going from bad to worse!
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on March 23, 2009, 11:35:50 AM
Steve Wozniak's New 'Dancing' Injury

Another "Dancing With The Stars" contestant has been hit with an injury and ET has the latest.

Apple computer co-founder Steve Wozniak was previously nursing a foot injury but now ET has learned that the Woz has pulled his hamstring.

There is no word yet on whether or not Wozniak will perform on Monday night, but keep checking back on our website for more on this developing story.

http://www.etonline.com/news/2009/03/72065/index.html

Going from bad to worse!

Yeah, it sure is. Now Gilles is sporting a knee brace as well. The list of injuries just keep on growing.
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on March 23, 2009, 12:11:39 PM
An interesting article:

Will Steve-O beat his back injury and return to 'Dancing with the Stars'

Dancing with the Stars" fans voted to save him, but should Steve-O come back for another round of fancy footwork after last week's dangerous wipeout?

Professional dancers and pain specialists say he'll likely be hurting and could be putting himself at risk for a more serious injury if he returns Monday night as promised.

Stephen "Steve-O" Glover – half of one of the ABC show's 12 remaining couples - rose to fame as a daredevil on MTV's "Jackass" and seemed to thrive on pain-inflicting stunts.

But last week he was put out of commission after he flung himself into a failed front flip and ended up flat on his back on top of his microphone pack.

He suffered a grapefruit-sized hematoma - a swelling that results when a vessel or vein ruptures and blood seeps into the surrounding tissue.

Steve-O also aggravated an existing pinched nerve, but still managed to avoid being cut from the show.

"I'm just so happy that I don't have to end on a crappy note like that. I'm planning on doing much better next Monday, and thanks again for giving me that chance," he wrote on his blog after the incident.

Dr. Sekhar Upadhyayula, who specializes in treating spinal pain, says Steve-O could be at risk for some complications if he returns.

"Hematomas, depending on how big they are, could be subject to infection," he said, because the blood collected there is stagnant and therefore attracts bacteria.

And because "a hematoma is usually larger than it looks," and could be causing pressure, Steve-O could be in for painful muscle spasms if he attempts to hit the dance floor.

A professional dancer at Manhattan's Broadway Dance Center notes that dancing through an injury is not a good idea and that he is very careful never to do it.

"But I mean, he's the guy from 'Jackass' so I don't think being cautious is his thing," he said.

http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/tv/2009/03/23/2009-03-23_will_steveo_beat_his_back_injury_and_ret-1.html (http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/tv/2009/03/23/2009-03-23_will_steveo_beat_his_back_injury_and_ret-1.html)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: tory on March 23, 2009, 12:55:37 PM
wow steve's droping like fly's, i am glade nancy got her surgery and is doing well, i can't see steve w coming bk i have broken thing's in my feet befor and it is soooo painful and now his ham string, and the other steve no way would i dance with a bk problem i have blowen disk in my neck and bk and one time the bk disk sliped it was sooooo horrably painful i can't amagin moveing let alone dancing?
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on March 23, 2009, 01:08:06 PM
wow steve's droping like fly's, i am glade nancy got her surgery and is doing well, i can't see steve w coming bk i have broken thing's in my feet befor and it is soooo painful and now his ham string, and the other steve no way would i dance with a bk problem i have blowen disk in my neck and bk and one time the bk disk sliped it was sooooo horrably painful i can't amagin moveing let alone dancing?

Crazy, isn't it? Tonight's show should be interesting. I'll be surprised if all 12 couples are accounted for and perform their dances.
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: tory on March 23, 2009, 01:21:53 PM
i no right i don't think some r going to even get to rehersel. will they bring bk last weeks rejcet eesss??
well it is making for a realy great season who is going to get hurt next not who is danceing the best??
u r girl mellissa is going to go far i am sure will.. she is realy good.. :jumpy: :jumpy:
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on March 23, 2009, 01:29:12 PM
i no right i don't think some r going to even get to rehersel. will they bring bk last weeks rejcet eesss??
well it is making for a realy great season who is going to get hurt next not who is danceing the best??
u r girl mellissa is going to go far i am sure will.. she is realy good.. :jumpy: :jumpy:

Yes, she will go far as will Gilles, too. Those two are my faves so far. I love Julianne but don't think Chuck is that great at all unless he improves.
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on March 23, 2009, 01:34:39 PM
Monday, March 23, 2009
ABC Television Network
PRESS RELEASE - PRESS RELEASE - ENTERTAINMENT -
CORRECTION/UPDATE

As of MONDAY, MARCH 23, 2009 (all times ET unless noted)

MONDAY, APRIL 6
8:00 - 9:32 PM
SCHEDULED    Tonight's program is "DANCING WITH THE STARS: Episode 805" -
(TV-PG,L) (HD/5.1; Spanish audio via SAP) (CC)

9:00 - 10:02 PM
SCHEDULED    Tonight's program is "DANCING WITH THE STARS THE RESULTS SHOW: Episode 805A" - (TV-PG,L) (HD/5.1; Spanish audio via SAP) (CC)

http://www.abcmedianet.com/web/dnr/dispDNR.aspx?id=032309_21
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: TARAsia Fan on March 23, 2009, 02:39:23 PM
Steve Wozniak's New 'Dancing' Injury

Another "Dancing With The Stars" contestant has been hit with an injury and ET has the latest.

Apple computer co-founder Steve Wozniak was previously nursing a foot injury but now ET has learned that the Woz has pulled his hamstring.

There is no word yet on whether or not Wozniak will perform on Monday night, but keep checking back on our website for more on this developing story.

http://www.etonline.com/news/2009/03/72065/index.html

Going from bad to worse!

Yeah, it sure is. Now Gilles is sporting a knee brace as well. The list of injuries just keep on growing.
I called it first! Who else is going to go?
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on March 23, 2009, 03:02:43 PM
Steve Wozniak updates:

On Mar 23, 2009, at 1:53 AM, Steve Wozniak wrote:

Yesterday evening I was sure that I couldn't dance on Monday, due to so much pain that I would wince when I walked. It wasn't pretty.

My partner, Karina, is very familiar with such injuries and worse. She was of the opinion that if I withdrew from Dancing With The Stars, rumors would fly that I was using this injury as an excuse. She has danced with pulled hamstrings many times. I can tell you from how this one felt, that it's not the same for a 20 year old as it is for a 58 year old.

Karina modified our routine to keep it as good, but avoid a few maneuvers that caused me extreme pain. We practiced a few times last night on the real DWTS stage and I decided that I could do the dance, a Samba, on Monday (tomorrow).

We practiced today. I had very little problem with my pain in the dance but now had to learn different sequences of the whole routine, and connect them. You have heard of muscle memory. One step reminds your foot of the next step, and so on. But now we took chunks in the middle and rewrote them. Plus we lost nearly 2 days of rehearsal due to my inability to do anything, not to mention hospitals and MRI's and more over 2 days. So rehearsal-wise, we are behind everyone else, but we are feeling confident that we can do something of value tomorrow. You'll have to see.

I have much more to say to you all, but it's an incredibly tired time for me.

Please, keep email and phone calls to an absolute minimum. I will not necessarily be by either with any time at all tomorrow. I have to ask your help in minimizing this.

thanks,

Woz


On Mar 23, 2009, at 1:44 PM, Steve Wozniak wrote:

My leg is doing fine.

I will Samba tonight.

I am constrained in movement a bit so my hip shaking may be low for the Samba, but I'll push through. I assure you I am trying hard.

We did our camera blocking this morning. It was my first practice of the day and I could tell by the end that the leg was fine for dancing. As usual, Karina got me doing a few small improvements. As I like to say, there are literally thousands of small things for us newcomers to learn.

We then did our routine twice to the real orchestra. They sounded GREAT on our song. I even got to sign the MacBook Pro case of the singer!

I hope the world is not too shocked by my adding break dancing moves to the end of our routine, including the worm! It should get a lot of You Tube hits I'm told. I know nothing about break dancing so it's more like Woz attempting the worm, but all laughter is good, even when it's at you.

I need all the support possible. A lot of people say they are voting for me but it really matters that you do it. That is my ace in the hole in this dancing competition. When you look at the background of many of the others, I should be able to pull in lots of votes via phone, SMS and internet. But I care more that lots of people feel good watching me, regardless of the outcome.

Please, don't bog down my email on these 2 critical days. And if I'm ejected, I have a bunch of scheduled appearances on both coasts until Sunday, so please hold off until then. After that I should be extremely free to spend time with all of you.

To great enjoyment,

Woz


On Mar 23, 2009, at 2:41 PM, Steve Wozniak wrote:

http://abc.go.com/primetime/dancingwiththestars/index?pn=aboutthevote

If that URL doesn't work, go to <http://abc.com> - Dancing With The Stars - click the "Vote Now" tab.

I can't stress how important in my case the audience voting is. It can fairly easily make the difference between last place and first place. When you are in the dance-off, you have to take extra time preparing for it instead of your next dance, which gets you further behind for the next week's dance. It's unfortunately a case of positive feedback and votes can pull me out of that situation. If you pull me out, I will owe you and love you all forever, as I do people who attended my US Festivals.

best regards,

Woz

http://www.facebook.com/board.php?uid=49720779842 (http://www.facebook.com/board.php?uid=49720779842)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on March 23, 2009, 10:28:14 PM
From the Woz:

On Mar 23, 2009, at 6:46 PM, Steve Wozniak wrote:

Dress rehearsal had a wardrobe malfunction

My pants were falling down and I had to keep pulling them up!

Ha ha, everyone loved it.

Also, before heading to the stage, Karina was looking for me and the camera went down to me crawling on the floor with a hurt leg. They loved it so much they asked us to do it live tonight.

The pants are being repaired now. I can't tell you how it feels to have your pants falling off in a dance. I lost too much weight again.

The worm went great in dress rehearsal. Enjoy the show tonight.

best wishes to all,

Woz

http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?uid=49720779842&topic=7976 (http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?uid=49720779842&topic=7976)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on March 24, 2009, 12:21:01 AM
Ty Murray Blogs:

‘That’s what team work is all about’

Chelsie and I are really happy that our scores have continued to get better each week because that's half of it and we know we have the cowboy community behind us. The judges' scores are half of it and we're not killing them yet, but we have gone up from 14 to 20 and now tonight we were 23.

With Chelsie slipping tonight that was something we hadn't rehearsed, but, at the same time, she has prepared me for mishaps or mistakes. She always told me that if something happens just get back to her and she'll get us back to the right count.

When something like that does happen it breaks the chain of what we're doing and she has to put us on the right mark because every beat of the song is a count. You're supposed to be in a certain place doing a certain step and she got us right back on track.

All I could think about was that I needed to get her back up as fast as I could.

Unfortunately, the fall took out a really great part of the routine that Chelsie was really looking forward to, where we both spin around together. But the main thing is that we kept going.

I told Chelsie that we've been practicing several hundred hours together and I've made about 847,000 mistakes and that's only your second one. I think there might have been one time in practice where she forgot a step and the slip tonight was her second one.

I owed her that one.

She's a champ and she's a tough kid. It happened, but I thought she handled it good and she didn't freak out, got right back up and we went on with it. Afterwards in the press line she was a great sport about it.

That's just the thing, when she fell I just knew I had to keep hold of her to keep her from going all the way down and then get her back to her feet because that's what team work is all about.

It has to help us that our scores are going up.

Like I said, I really feel like we have the support from the western lifestyle – farmers and ranchers – so, I think, the fans are doing their part and we have to keep doing ours by improving our score every week.

Right now Jewel and I are going to have dinner with Justin McBride and Randy Bernard. They were both there tonight and in full support.

http://www.pbrnow.com/blog/index.cfm/2009/3/24/Thats-what-team-work-is-all-about (http://www.pbrnow.com/blog/index.cfm/2009/3/24/Thats-what-team-work-is-all-about)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on March 24, 2009, 02:11:41 AM
Tonight's results:

TEAM                    DANCE      CARRIE ANN  LEN  BRUNO  TOTAL

Denise/Maksim        Samba              5           6       5         16

Chuck/Julianne       Foxtrot              8           7       8         23

Holly/Dmitry           Samba               5           6       6         17   

Steve-O/Lacey      Foxtrot               5           5       5         15

Lawrence/Edyta     Samba               7           6        7         20

Shawn/Mark          Foxtrot              9           9        9         27

Gilles/Cheryl          Samba               9           9        9         27

David/Kym            Foxtrot              8           8         8        24

Steve/Karina         Samba              4            3         3        10   

Melissa/Tony        Foxtrot              9            9         9        27

Lil' Kim/Derek        Samba               8            8         9        25               

Ty/Chelsie           Foxtrot              8             8         7        23
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on March 24, 2009, 02:38:45 AM
Dancing With The Stars: Smoking Performances and One Ugly Woman

Hello, and welcome to Performance Night for Week Three of ABC' Dancing With The Stars.  This week the couples will tackle the samba and foxtrot. Wow, Chelsie's dress is gorgeous. It is so good to see both Steves back and competing on Dancing With The Stars despite their injuries.

The first couple up is Denise and Maks. OMG, him in his pink dress. I'm dying here! Her dress is cute, it kind of reminds me of the prom dress on Romy and Michelle's High School Reunion.  The music though? It seems more appropriate for a rumba than a samba. Despite that, the dance was pretty good.

Tom calls Maks one ugly woman.

Len thinks the routine needs more Latin and more hips, but thinks it was a good effort.

Bruno calls it more of a waffle than a samba and thinks she is going backwards.

Carrie Ann (who is rocking a cute new hair do!) wants her to work on her arms and pretty much agrees with Bruno.

Score: 16 (5,6,5)

Chuck and Julianne take the stage next with their foxtrot. They are determined to do better this week and get better scores.  Their song is cute, I like the country beat. They start and end sleeping and in the middle do a decent foxtrot that has a lift, but overall it is very good.

Bruno likes how Chuck is finally dancing with Julianne rather than chasing her or letting her overshadowing him.

Carrie Ann thinks he may be a contender.

Len says it was good overall, but not great--and to work on his legs.

Score: 23 (8,7,8)

After a commercial break, Holly and Dmitry take on the samba. She is very frustrated and is almost in tears trying to learn. However, she pulls off a sexy, fun samba that shows she did learn something!

Carrie Ann calls it rough. She appreciates her trying though.

Len wants to see better footwork and compares her to a match. Hot on top, wooden on the bottom.

Bruno thinks she needs to work on her feet.

Score: 17 (5,6,6)

Steve-O and Lacey are up next. I'm glad to see him back and recovering. He is determined to keep on going and not let anyone down. I have to respect him for doing this, but Lacey is right--he needs to stop stressing! Their foxtrot has a few missteps, but overall, I really like it. I think it is sweet that Tom and Carrie Ann asked if he was ok.

Len says the O in Steve-O stands for ovation and overall it was a proper foxtrot.

Bruno thinks it started well, but he lost it.

Carrie Ann is impressed and respects him for going out there.

Steve-O is upset because he felt he let Lacey down and wanted to do better.

Score: 15 (5,5,5)

Lawrence and Edyta tackle the  samba. He wants to do the best he can and give it as much practice as he can---even giving up his golf game to get in extra practice.  It looks like it paid off because it was easily the best samba so far.

Bruno loves it, but wants him to have more fun and be more confident.

Carrie Ann loves it as well, but wants him to go for it a bit more.

Len admires him for keeping up with Edyta but wants more hips.

Score: 20 (7,6,7)

After another commercial break, Shawn and Mark take on the foxtrot.  She is having trouble being elegant so Mark tries to pull it out of her.  I have to say, he did a really good job. It was beautiful to watch and she is just amazingly graceful.

Carrie Ann thinks she looked like a princess and squeals over how great she was.

Len calls it her best dance so far.

Bruno gushes over it and tells her she got it together.

Score: 27 (triple 9s)

Gilles and Cheryl perform next. His mom comes to visit and tearfully tells him how proud she is of him.  It is such a sweet moment. Their samba is on FIRE! Awesome footwork, nice hip movement and just oozing with sexy.

Len tells him he made a hard dance look easy.

Bruno says the samba is a party dance and everyone would want to party with him.

Carrie Ann tells him he shook things she didn't know guys could shake. (Mind.....slipping.......to......gutter) She also says HE brought out a lot in Cheryl that they haven't seen in a long time.

Score:  27 (9,9,9)

David Alan and Kym take the floor after yet another commercial break. Kym plans to showcase him more and he says this is the hardest he ever worked. Their foxtrot is very old Hollywood. It reminds me of something you would see in an old Fred Astaire/Ginger Rogers routine or on Broadway.

Bruno calls it very Broadway and thinks it is a great transformation.

Carrie Ann gives him two snaps up.

Len thinks it is his best dance.

Score: 24 (8,8,8)

After a musical bit by David, we get to Steve and Karina's routine. He gets hurt during his Friday rehearsal and ends up on crutches.  He says there is no way he is missing this and the show will go on. Despite the pain and missed rehearsals due to his pulled hamstring, he did a pretty good job. I love the worm at the end!

Carrie Ann says that as cute as he is the novelty is wearing off.  She compares him to an uncle at a party.

Len thinks it was terrible.

Bruno calls it the worst samba he ever saw.

Um, it may not be the best samba, but HE IS INJURED! I give him a lot of credit for trying.  I'm not saying give him 10s, but just give him a bit of a break. Same goes for Steve-O.

Score: 10 (4,3,3) (the audience is NOT happy.)

Melissa and Tony take the stage next. I love how her co-workers gave her a goodbye party. That is so sweet. Their foxtrot is very flowing and elegant, just beautiful! It is definitely up there for one of the best foxtrots  tonight!

Len thinks she has great musicality and that it was fantastic, but she needs to work on her feet.

Bruno thinks she is beautiful to look at and easy to love.

Carrie Ann says she likes it, but something is lacking and wants her to challenge herself more.

Score: 27 (9,9,9)

Lil' Kim and Derek are the last couple to do the samba tonight. Both of them are determined to really bring it tonight.  OK, I lied.  THIS is the best samba of the night.

Bruno says it was not perfect, but she sold it.

Carrie Ann gushes over how much she loved it.

Len says she has a bionic booty and wants Derek to add some more fundamental steps.

Samantha quips that she inspired an entire nation of booty shaking.

Score: 25 (8,8,9)

The last dance of the night belongs to Ty and Chelsie.  He is worried about putting it all together, but she tells him that he is getting there. All I can say is WOW, what a way to end the evening! He is really improving and really bringing out his elegant side tonight. Chelsie stumbled a bit, but it was barely noticeable because they covered so well.  (I had to rewind to make sure!)

Carrie Ann calls him the most improved dancer by far.

Len thinks the whole thing was fantastic and top notch!

Bruno thinks Chelsie is a miracle worker and Ty improved a lot.

Score: 23 (8,8,7)

The show ends with a recap of the dances and numbers to vote.

Who was your favorite tonight? Least favorite? Who is going to have to dance for their lives to stay in the competition tomorrow night? Comment and let us know!

Tune in to Dancing With The Stars tomorrow night for more musical guests, a dance off and an elimination.

http://www.tvgrapevine.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=3422:dancing-with-the-stars-smoking-performances-and-one-ugly-woman&catid=81:dancing-with-the-stars-2009

Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on March 24, 2009, 08:46:11 AM
Dancing Recap: It’s a Three-Way Tie for First!

When your competitors are already earning near-perfect scores on a regular basis, the remaining pairs knew they had to strategize. The Woz attempted to impress us with The Worm; a cowboy saved his partner (and himself) from a potential dancing disaster; and the Olympian became a “bejeweled hummingbird,” flying to the top of the leader’s board in a three-way tie on Monday’s DWTS.

Denise Richards couldn’t break her serious demeanor and started the night on a flat note. Her samba lacked the necessary Latin kick and was “full of holes,” judge Bruno Tonioli said. “It was more waffle than samba. We’re going backwards.” Another star going backwards in week 3: a frustrated Holly Madison. Len Goodman didn’t spare the Girls Next Door star, telling her after her samba, “You’re like a match — hot on the top, wooden on the bottom.”

On the other hand, Chuck Wicks showed why he could be a possible contender in the competition with a fox trot showcasing proper posture and comfort on the dancefloor. Once slammed by judges for letting partner Julianne Hough do all the work, the country singer was “finally in the driving seat,” Tonioli raved.

They share a namesake, they’re both on the injured list and both had a very rough night. First up, Steve-O hurt his ankle during his fox trot that started off on a high note but ended with the exhausted stuntman trying to catch his breath. The scorecards weren’t good news but the judges only had words of encouragement.

Fellow injury-prone contestant Steve Wozniak suffered a pulled hamstring during practice, but he wasn’t spared the judges’ harshest words or the lowest scores we’ve ever seen in recent memory. In typical Woz style, the computer whiz samba’d his way around the floor — even doing The Worm — with unconventional, uncoordinated moves that charmed the audience but failed to impress the judges. “On your knees and beg for forgiveness!” Tonioli exclaimed. “This was the worst I’ve ever seen. It was just bad.” He may find himself in the bottom two (once again) with a combined score of 10.

Lawrence Taylor gave up precious golf time to squeeze in some extra practice early in the morning. It paid off: the football champ not only had rhythm and “newfound confidence,” according to Inaba, but showed he could take on a more difficult number and challenge himself next week.

And climbing out of third place on the leader board, Shawn Johnson made her way to the top in a three-way tie with a lovely fox trot that had the judges raving. “Oh my goodness, that was so great,” gushed Inaba. For Tonioli, watching the gymnast’s fox trot “was like watching a bejeweled hummingbird!”

Adding a few more 9s to his own scorecard, Gilles Marini shook everything he got, and even dedicated his red-hot samba to Mom. The SATC actor made a “hard dance look easy,” Goodman noted. “You shook things I didn’t know guys could shake!” said Inaba. And while the Frenchman transformed into a Latin dancing pro, David Alan Grier went from comedian to Broadway star in a fox trot that nailed most of the fundamentals – extension and turns. “I didn’t know you were like a Rockette!” Inaba said, giving him two thumbs up. Added Tonioli, “What a transformation!”

Melissa Rycroft once again looked at ease. “Your body moves with the music,” said Tonioli. “It’s almost like the music plays from your body. You must have a seventh sense!” Inaba noted the Bachelor star was an “excellent dancer” but “there’s something that’s lacking and I can’t quite put my finger on it,” she said as the audience voiced their disagreement.

Lil’ Kim used frontrunners Gilles and Melissa as inspiration — it worked. The hip-hop artist scoring a pair of 8s for a sultry samba and “bionic booty” as described by (yes!) Goodman. While she may have upped her game, the week’s most improved honors went to Ty Murray, whose elegant and graceful fox trot went uninterrupted even when partner Chelsie Hightower slipped. “That,” Goodman said, “I thought was fantastic – the whole thing. You’re a hero. It was just top notch.” Last week he was a butterfly transformed from a caterpillar. But this week? The rodeo champ is “a mini Fred Astaire!” Tonioli proclaimed. –Eunice Oh

Here’s how the remaining 12 contestants stacked up after Monday’s dance:
Denise & Maksim: 16 out of 30 for their samba
Chuck & Julianne: 23 out or 30 for their fox trot
Holly & Dmitry: 17 out of 30 for their samba
Steve-O & Lacey: 15 out of 30 for their fox trot
Lawrence & Edyta: 20 out of 30 for their samba
Shawn & Mark: 27 out of 30 for their fox trot
Gilles & Cheryl: 27 out of 30 for their samba
David & Kym: 24 out of 30 for their fox trot
Steve & Karina: 10 out of 30 for their samba
Melissa & Tony: 27 out of 30 for their fox trot
Lil’ Kim & Derek: 25 out of 30 for their samba
Ty & Chelsie: 23 out of 30 for their fox trot

http://tvwatch.people.com/2009/03/24/dancing-recap-its-a-three-way-tie-for-first/

Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on March 24, 2009, 08:56:26 AM
Denise Richards on Charlie Sheen's Twins: 'They're Amazing'


ET was backstage at "Dancing with the Stars" as three couples tied for first place on Monday night. The contestants tell ET about their performances and Denise Richards tells us about her special visit with Charlie Sheen's twin boys.

"I went to see his babies -- my dad and I, last results show," Denise says. "They're amazing. Bob looks very similar to Sammy when she was an infant. It was very sweet."

Watch the video to hear the celebs and their professional partners talk about their performances and their strategies as the competition continues -- and Steve-O and Steve Wozniak open about continuing to perform while being injured.

http://www.etonline.com/news/2009/03/72108/index.html
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on March 24, 2009, 09:40:12 AM
'Dancing with the Stars' Inching Closer to 'Idol'

It's no news that American Idol has had a stranglehold on the ratings week in and week out for quite some time now.  In fact, it had been that way for five, six seasons already.  From a humble 9.9 million back in season one when Kelly Clarkson won, Idol's numbers have ballooned to over 30 mil from the fourth season onwards.  Recently, however, ABC's very own competitive reality show Dancing with the Stars had been giving American Idol some rare competition as it gets closer to overtaking the Fox golden boy in the weekly ratings.

According to Entertainment Weekly, Dancing with the Stars, which recently got a boost courtesy of a strong The Bachelor finale and the transition of Melissa Rycroft to it, is just around 3 million viewers shy of going past Idol – something that that wasn't even remotely imaginable in the past couple of years.

Idol's 25.8 and 25.5 million for its performance and results shows take the first two spots respectively while Dancing with the Stars reeled in a record 22.8 million eyeballs for third.  After CSI's 17.1 million, the rest trail heavily: Desperate Housewives with 14.6, Criminal Minds and The Mentalist with 14.3, CSI: Miami with 14.2, and Grey's Anatomy with 13.6 million viewers.

http://www.buddytv.com/articles/dancing-with-the-stars/dancing-with-the-stars-inching-27196.aspx?pollid=3002005&answer=3006991#poll3002005

Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on March 24, 2009, 09:44:58 AM
Dancing with the Stars: Gilles Surprised to be Favorite

After doing reasonably well on the last episode, Gilles Marini of Sex and the City the movie recently told TV Guide that he was surprised that he's one of the favorites to win Dancing with the Stars.  According to the 33-year-old French actor, he thought he would be somewhere in the bottom mainly because he's not American.  Soon, however, he said he hoped he can tell his story on the ABC reality show.

“Just because people do not understand why I'm on the show because I've never said it yet,” he said.  “It's pretty much paying respect because the country gave me so much.  If I can put a smile on Americans' faces, then it's a little way of paying back.  Down the line, I'll tell the story why I'm in love with this country and why I wanna be here the rest of my life.”

As for the other contestants, Gilles singled out The Bachelor alum Melissa Rycroft as another front-runner because of her dancing background.

“She's a dancer. She's an amazing person. Beautiful. My brother said, ‘Help me. I'm dying for this woman.'  He didn't talk about me!  So if my brother feels this way, I know America feels the same way.”
Marini's partner is two-time Dancing with the Stars champion Cheryl Burke.

http://www.buddytv.com/articles/dancing-with-the-stars/dancing-with-the-stars-gilles-27195.aspx
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on March 24, 2009, 10:16:32 AM
Dancing with the Stars Episode Recap: Monday, March 23, 2009

One down, 12 to go. The remaining 12 couples tackle the foxtrot and samba in Week 3 with less than one week of rehearsals. Who shook it? Who worm-ed it? And who just forgot their steps?

So I guess a week really can't go by without someone getting injured. At first, I thought it was just me. Literally me. I've pulled, strained, done something or the other to my left quadriceps from shopping — I surmise this is just from mere association with this show — but Steve Wozniak has, again, added himself to the injury report. He's pulled a hamstring, but he won't pull a Steve-O tonight. The writing's on the wall, isn't it? By the way, how creepy did Woz look in the opening credits? Yeesh.

For the first time this season, they're all on a level playing field because they all had the same amount of time to rehearse, Samantha tells us. Technically, that's not true. Ten of them still have at least three weeks more of dancing than two other couples, but who's counting?

Denise Richards & Maksim Chmerkovskiy: Samba
Maks thinks Denise is being way too serious, so he comes to rehearsal in dressed as a pink Chiquita Banana. Hot. Does he dress like this for Karina? Maks' ugly woman hasn't loosened up Denise at all though. This is just incredibly horrific and as stale as the chicken I'm gnawing on right now. Isn't a samba supposed to sizzle? She's not serious, but frightened, much like the first week. Way to regress. Len thought she did a good job on the first try. Whaa? Bruno thought it was flat. Carrie Ann "Hair Curler" Inaba agrees with Bruno and basically tells her she needs to be a better actress. Hey, if it ain't broke...
Score: 16

Chuck Wicks & Julianne Hough: Foxtrot
Er, did anyone think Chuck could dance because he's dating Julianne? Yeah. No excuses, buddy. Chuck gets to be a "man" here, so no worries about doing "girly" moves. He's definitely not just standing this time. They're in sync and he's looking very suave. But then again he's in pinstripes, which means he automatically looks good. And Julianne? She's perfect, as usual. I think she has the best costumes out of all the female pros. Gee, I wonder why. And the girl has a heart too: She's partnered with a non-profit to rate playgrounds. How sweet. I'm not sure if Chuck's actually bringing anything extra to the floor, but I suppose just dancing this week is a feat itself. Bruno's happy he's in the driver's seat using the stick shift. Carrie Ann thinks he's showing he's a contender. Len calls it good, but not great.
Score: 23

Holly Madison & Dmitry Chaplin: Samba
Holly makes no apologies for her bust. Show off the ladies, girl. She's not getting the samba. At all. And she thinks Dmitry wants Jewel back. He wants to kill himself. But hey, this ain't so bad — compared to Denise. She's still sloppy off the ground and her best by move was, what else, shaking the ladies. There are kids watching, Hol. I'm not sure what to make of this. She looks exactly the same as she did in the last two dances — weak, muddled and hesistant. What's worse, you can tell that she's counting. Sigh. Carrie Ann calls it rough and calls her out on her lift. Len says it was hot on the top and wooden on the bottom. No comment. Bruno says there's plenty to look at, but says the footwork's lacing as well. Dmitry does not deny he doesn't want Jewel back and more or less says Holly sucks. The man has no filter. Love it.
Score: 17

Steve-O & Lacey Schwimmer: Foxtrot
Steve-O's had to ease back into rehearsals, but he doesn't wanna rest, he wants to dance, dammit! Did Lacey put on her corset backwards? This is pretty and dainty. Steve-O dainty? Yes. It's refined and proper... and then he has a brain fart. All of the sudden, he's forgotten, like, five sequences and literally backs into the steps on the finish. Don't worry, he's not hurt. The dance, on the other hand, well... Len says the "O" in Steve-O stands for ovation, but notes his missteps. Bruno says he fell apart, but he's going in the right direction. Carrie Ann's impressed and knows he's learned from his mistakes. Now he just has to remember that.
Score: 15

Lawrence Taylor & Edyta Sliwinska: Samba
LT likes the samba, but laments the lack of time, so he drops golf for the parquet. It better be worth it. And it is. It's undoubtedly the best samba of the night so far, which I guess isn't hard, but it's miles better. He's still not as smooth as Emmitt Smith or Jason Taylor (perhaps a tinge of self-consciousness left?), but he's definitely comfortable shaking it now. OK, there's not that much shaking, but maye Bruno will tell him to be more naughty. Bruno says he has rhythm and tells him not to doubt his abilities. Carrie Ann likes it too and Len wants more hips.
Score: 20

Shawn Johnson & Mark Ballas: Foxtrot
Shawn video chats with her buddies back in Des Moines (how much of this is written?) before getting down with the foxtrot. Mark wants her to be fluid, but she can't because everything about her is sharp and powerful. Au contraire, Shawn. Dipped in peppermint green, the tiny powerhouse proves to be as graceful and delicate as ever. The only bad part? Her Oompa-Loompa-esque skin. Easy with the spray tan, kid. Carrie Ann calls her a beautiful, elegant princess. Len dubs it her best dance yet. Bruno likens her to a bejeweled Hamburg, er, hummingbird.
Score: 27

Gilles Marini & Cheryl Burke: Samba
Gilles' mama is in the house to see her son dance. She got chills and Gilles is dedicating the samba to her. Aww. So he's dressed from head-to-toe red because he's red-hot, right? Because I think this is as deep as Dancing gets. Between the opening booty shake, hip-shaking, shimmying, and the clashing red and pink costumes, I think I'm getting the shakes — but it's good, guys. The dance, that is, not the shakes. The whole routine appears to just be rocking and rattling lots of stuff, but boy knows how to shake what his mama gave him. Len says he made a hard dance look easy. Bruno tells him he raises the heat. Carrie Ann thinks he shook things she didn't think guys could shake. Duh! He's French, CA. I don't know what that means. Backstage, Samantha inquires about Gilles' mom and how proud she must be that her baby boy is making women swoon. Right. Because she didn't come to see him dance.
Score: 27

David Alan Grier & Kym Johnson: Foxtrot
Kym thinks the best of David is yet to come and they both hope this will be their breakthrough performance. I wouldn't call it a breakthrough breakthrough, but it puts his past two performances to shame — and I don't even think those were that bad. DAG's got the single emotion, albeit cheesy, face down and looks to be having the time of his life leaping, twirling and extending his arms. Hey, maybe he is. I hear Dancing does that to you. Bruno loves the transformation. Carrie Ann didn't realize DAG was a Rockette. Len thinks it's the best dance he's done.
Score: 24

Steve Wozniak & Karina Smirnoff: Samba
Woz needs to get loose and bouncy, but perhaps got too loose. He pulled his hamstring on Friday, but has powered through the pain. Bless his heart. Karina's in a prison dress. Because she feels trapped in this partnership. Hold on, does Dancing know what symoblism is? I'm prepared for Woz to keel over, but he doesn't. It's your typical Woz dance: wacky, goofy and dopey. This time there's a worm thrown in, or like a quasi-worm. Wait, I figured it out: Karina's Beetlejuice. Carrie Ann thinks his novelty is going to wear off soon. Len says it was consistently bad from start to finish. Bruno calls it the worst samba he's ever seen. Could they make it any more obvious they want him off? I wasn't sure if this was the lowest score in Dancing history, so I did some research to find that Woz is "bested" by Master P in that department, who got an 8. Personally, I don't think Woz was deserving of a 10, especially since they never once bestowed such a number for Cloris Leachman, and she was beyond abysmal. Double standard, people!
Score: 10

Melissa Rycroft & Tony Dovolani: Foxtrot
Melissa takes time out to go back to Dallas and clean out her desk at work. You realize you're not gonna be Dancing forever, right? They're dressed in a prunish purple, which makes me nauseous. There's a vomiting story involved that will be better not told. Why does wardrobe always bedazzle Melissa's tramp stamp? Is that too much for this family show? But Holly's boobage is not? Their foxtrot is fluid and lithe — basically what you've come to expect from her. I'm not gonna lie. It's kind of boring. Pretty, but a major snooze. The only thing that's keeping my attention is the fact that Melissa's and Tony's teeth match. This is a Crest Whitestrips commercial in the making. Len calls it fanstatic. Bruno says the music plays from her body, which is a beautiful intstrument. Carrie Ann thinks there's something that's lacking and wants her to challenge herself because this comes easy to her. Cue scaredy face from Melissa and Tony. Missed opportunity not cutting to Maks.
Score: 27

Lil Kim & Derek Hough: Samba
Kim's motivated by Gilles and Melissa, so she's gonna wow 'em with her booty. Or maybe blind them with Derek's shirt. Girl's definitely working her assets (did ya notice her double-sided tape popping out at the end? At least it's not a full breast...), but she seems to be concentrating way hard on the technique. Still, it's charismatic and aggressive. Vintage Kim. I think it will look even better with a faster beat. Bruno calls her a pocket-sized Venus with super-sized sex appeal. Carrie Ann calls it hot and makes some lion growl. Len likes her bionic booty, but doesn't like that the dance was missing some fundamental elements. Remember, guys, Len's stodgy.
Score: 25

Ty Murray & Chelsie Hightower: Foxtrot
Ty gets the pimp spot! He's adorably nervous, as usual, about the foxtrot because he has to play a character and he ain't no Robert De Niro. You don't say. But has Bob danced? It starts off gorgeous and stylish. Cowboys can be dapper, in case you had any doubts. Chelsie falls in the middle, but Ty doesn't flinch and catches her. Imagine how Denise would've handled that. He botches a step at the end, but it's still an overall good performance. I think his dance last week was better, but this is better than practically anything in the first half of the show. Carrie Ann calls him the most improved and loves the way he handled Chelsie when she fell. Len finds it stiff, but still finds it top-notch. Bruno calls Chelsie a miracle worker for carving out a Fred Astaire. "We didn't practice that!" Ty says backstage of Chelsie falling. And we all thought Shawn was the cute one. I think this is the first time I've ever been jealous of Jewel.
Score: 23

So that's that. We've got a three-way tie in first between the usual suspects. Should we just pencil them in for the finale now? What did you think of the dances? Did Denise regress? Did Woz deserve a three? Does Dmitry hate Holly? Who should go home tomorrow?

http://www.tvguide.com/Episode-Recaps/Dancing-Stars/Dancing-Stars-Episode-1004320.aspx
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on March 24, 2009, 11:31:51 AM
Jesse Csincsak, who won DeAnna's heart and eventually got dumped from The Bachelorette: DeAnna Pappas attended the  DWTS show last night and posted several pictures on his myspace:

Melissa Rycroft, Jesse Csincsak, Naomi Crespo & Holly Durst (Jesse's current gf)
(http://i212.photobucket.com/albums/cc289/CuteboiWill/l_f4a41a7c550a4e898beee0c4c1a07ce0.jpg)

Steve-O & Jesse
(http://i212.photobucket.com/albums/cc289/CuteboiWill/l_c29c6e21575a49a1a351f844c21e662d.jpg)

Lil' Kim & Jesse
(http://i212.photobucket.com/albums/cc289/CuteboiWill/l_df6c258be96043bfaf621538b6ecc2ce.jpg)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on March 24, 2009, 12:07:31 PM
Monday’s Dancing: What You Didn’t See

Waiting to Exhale: Chelsie Hightower and rodeo star Ty Murray scored great marks for their foxtrot and were labeled most-improved by the judges. But it was Murray’s wife Jewel who watched in real awe as her husband glided across the dancefloor. During a commercial break, after Murray’s performance, host Tom Bergeron looked over at the singer and said, “Not bad.” With an exaggerated exhale, Jewel replied, “I know.”

Sealed with a French Kiss: Dancing partners Cheryl Burke and Gilles Marini stood a few feet apart ready to perform their samba when the SATC heartthrob suddenly remembered something. He ran across the dancefloor to give his partner a peck on the cheek. Given the pair earned 9s across the board, is this a new tradition in the making? Nah, says Marini. “Did you see how hot she is,” the Frenchman asked. “I can get away with it at that moment so I went for it.” But just so no one gets the wrong idea, least of all Burke’s real partner, boyfriend Maxwell Zagorski, Marini gave him a shout-out: “Maxwell, I love you, bro!”

Smiling Through the Pain: It’s no secret, this season has been plagued with dancing injuries. Even the handful of stars who make dancing look effortless like Melissa Rycroft are quietly suffering. Rycroft and her partner Tony Dovolani may have scored all 9s for their foxtrot, but the former cheerleader’s feet are taking a beating. Said Rycroft: “Do you know how hard it is to dance in high heels? I underestimated it.” “I have a permanent band-aid back here,” she said, showing off her right foot.

How Low Can He Go? Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak, whose attempt at The Worm had the audience cheering (watch the clip), scored the evening’s lowest score — 3, 4, 3. But there is upside, sort of. It’s not the lowest score recorded in DWTS history. That dubious honor belongs to Master P in season 2. He once scored a total of eight points — a 3, 3, and 2– say the judges, who agreed that was the only 2 ever given.

All Together Now: Not only did Lil’ Kim and partner Derek Hough have control of their footwork, but they had the studio audience at their command. As a pre-taped segment of the pair’s week-long rehearsals aired and the couple waited for their routine to start, Hough kept the audience entertained. The energetic dancer would point to a balcony and sections of the audience would immediately erupt with applause. But when it came to the couple’s booty-shaking samba, the audience loudly cheered in unison.

http://tvwatch.people.com/2009/03/24/mondays-dancing-what-you-didnt-see-19/
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on March 24, 2009, 02:28:54 PM
DWTS Watch: It Ain't Easy Being a Stevie!


The two injured Steves earned the lowest scores on Dancing with the Stars on Monday night, while three other celebrities tied for first.

Jackass star Steve-O and computer guru Steve Wozniak first suffered injuries on the show — and then the judges’ drubbing. Steve-O, whose back got hurt during last week’s dress rehearsal, gave it his best but only received a 15 out of 30 for his foxtrot performance. Meanwhile, Woz, who has a pulled hamstring and foot injury, got the lowest score of the night, a 10, for his samba with partner Karina Smirnoff.

After the show, Steve-O, with partner Lacey Schwimmer by his side, told OK! “I’m a little bit disappointed, but I don’t want to have a pity party.”

Wozniak was his usual ebullient self, shrugging off the judges’ pans: "I don’t know if I could have scored myself so lowly. I would have thought, ‘it looks good to me.’ I do have real constraints on my movement. I could not walk out to my car right now in the parking lot. You would see I can’t walk. I would be limping so badly. The producers almost wouldn’t let me dance tonight but we worked the routine around what positions I could move my legs to without pain.”

Meanwhile, actor Gilles Marini, former Bachelor star Melissa Rycroft, and gymnast Shawn Johnson are looking like the three to beat, with all tying for first with top scores of 27. Shawn delivered a graceful foxtrot with her partner Mark Ballas.

Melissa, who glided effortlessly through the foxtrot with partner Tony Dovolani, told OK!, “I don’t remember the routine. I was nervous tonight.” Tony said he told Melissa they would be like Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, but Melissa laughed to OK! backstage, “I still don’t know who Ginger is. Sorry!”

As in the first two week, Gilles, who did the samba with pro Cheryl Burke, gave all the credit to her: “I’m thinking I have a very talented partner,” he said to OK! “Me? Whatever. I’m just running around like a chicken. I’ve been saying over and over I cannot believe it.”

While Denise Richards and pro Maksim Chmerkovskiy scored just 16 for their samba, with judge Carrie Ann Inaba saying the It’s Complicated star looked scared on the dance floor, Girl Next Door Holly Madison and her partner Dmitry Chaplin were happy with their score of 17 for the same dance. Holly said, “I’ve been trying to put on a good show. Hopefully I’ll be around next week; I definitely need to work on technique.”

Country singer Chuck Wicks, who is competing with his real-life girlfriend, Julianne Hough, was pleased about receiving 23 for their foxtrot. “It actually feels like we have a chance,” Chuck told OK! “Our goal is improve every week.”

David Alan Grier’s partner Kym Johnson told OK! how she was able to help the comedian get his solid score of 24 for foxtrot: “I put a bit of Broadway in there for him and I thought he felt very comfortable.”

Lil Kim shook her booty all the way to a 25 in the salsa. DWTS viewers got, er, a lil more than they expected Monday night when the top of Kim’s costume sagged and you could see the top of her breast pasty. Luckily, Samantha Harris put her arm in front of Kim in case it became more of a wardrobe malfunction. Backstage, Kim said her dance had “a lot of energy.” And how!

Ty Murray’s partner, Chelsie Hightower, slipped and fell during their foxtrot routine, which otherwise was judged well — they earned a 23. Chelsie told OK! “I fell on my dress. It’s a little embarrassing! But Ty recovered like a pro. It’s about him.”

http://www.okmagazine.com/news/view/12732
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on March 24, 2009, 02:47:47 PM
:lol: nice

'Dancing' Stars Exposed!

"Dancing with the Stars" pro Derek Hough -- bare-chested and buff!

The 23-year-old was shirtless outside of his dressing room with competitor Gilles Marini.

There really is no need for the elaborate costumes when you have bodies like theirs!

(http://i389.photobucket.com/albums/oo334/marigoldrealityfanforum/dst3.jpg)

http://extratv.warnerbros.com/2009/03/dancing_stars_exposed.php (http://extratv.warnerbros.com/2009/03/dancing_stars_exposed.php)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on March 24, 2009, 03:12:47 PM
An interview with Nancy:

Nancy O'Dell: Melissa's "Smitten" with New Beau

She's recovering from knee surgery, but Nancy O'Dell's still watching and hanging out with those Dancing stars. Find out why she thinks the once-jilted Melissa Rycroft is now in the perfect relationship and who she thinks will get the boot. We'll be checking in weekly with the Access Hollywood host and almost-contestant for more Season 8 thoughts and scoop, so be sure to come back next week.

TVGuide.com: What did you think? I thought Gilles Marini was great.
Nancy O'Dell: Wasn't he amazing? He came by Monday to see my knee. It was so sweet. My little girl fell in love with him. He gave her cookies, so she had a reason. Other than she's boy-crazy too! [Laughs] Shawn [Johnson] did really well. Her foxtrot was really fluid. Ty [Murray] too. I think he's gonna get a lot of votes because he just seems so darn sweet. ... He's going to be one of those ones that go really far that you didn't expect to go far.

TVGuide.com: Carrie Ann Inaba said Melissa needs to step it up because it was coming too easy for her. What did you think?
O'Dell: They always say they're judging everyone on equal ground to do it. The only thing would be: Do they expect more from her because she has some dance background? I thought it was an interesting comment. But she said it's all new. Maybe she makes it looks easy, but it's not easy.

TVGuide.com: Have you spent more time with her?
O'Dell: I went to a rehearsal before my surgery. [She and Tony Dovolani] were really excited and on their way to Dallas. I was telling them they look so much like brother and sister. She was like, "You mean I have his forehead?" [Laughs] I think they're great together now. You get to know your partner really well because you spend so much time with them. He gave Melissa approval on her new boyfriend.

TVGuide.com: Have you met him?
O'Dell: I have not, but I was asking about him. She seems to be quite smitten with him. She was blushing when she was talking about him. It's the best kind of relationship: They were friends first and then they became boyfriend and girlfriend. After Jason [Mesnick, who proposed to her and then broke up with her on The Bachelor] and all that. He's the white knight. He should come and she should do a romantic dance for him.

TVGuide.com: Who do you think is in the bottom two?
O'Dell: I guessed it right last time! Now I gotta keep it up. I'm gonna say Steve Wozniak. I'm thinking the other one might be Holly [Madison]. I just think maybe men don't vote as much as women. [Laughs] And I don't remember much of her dance. There was nothing that really stood out.

TVGuide.com: Will Holly go home though?
O'Dell: No, I think Steve will go. I'm bummed about that, for all the nerds in the world. He's so cute, but he did look quite awkward dancing. [Bruno Tonioli] said he looked like a Teletubby and I couldn't get that comment out of my head as I was watching him. [Laughs]

http://www.tvguide.com/Dancing-Stars/Nancy-ODell-Melissas-1004340.aspx (http://www.tvguide.com/Dancing-Stars/Nancy-ODell-Melissas-1004340.aspx)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on March 24, 2009, 03:44:22 PM

ABC Television Network
 
PRESS RELEASE

ABC OVERNIGHT RATINGS (FOR 3/23)

ABC's Monday is No. 1 in Viewers and Adults 18-49 for the 4th Week Running, with its Best Women 18-34 Winning Streak Since at Least 1991

"DWTS" Wins Each of its Half-Hours to Outperform the Second-Place Nets from 8-10pm by 11.2 Million Viewers and by 58% Among Adults 18-49

ABC's "Dancing with the Stars" is Monday's No. 1 Program in Viewers and Young Adults for the 3rd Consecutive Week

ABC's "Castle" Takes a Strong Second at 10pm, Defeating NBC's "Medium" by 3.2 Million Viewers and by 23% in Adults 18-49

Monday Night (8:00-11:00 p.m.)
ABC stood as the No. 1 Network on Monday for the 4th week in a row in Total Viewers (16.7 million) and Adults 18-49 (4.2/11).  The Network outperformed second-place CBS on the night by 6.4 million viewers and by 24% in Adults 18-49 (10.3 million & 3.4/9).  In addition, ABC won the night for the 7th consecutive week across all key Women demographics (W18-34 - 4.5/11, W18-49 - 5.9/14 and W25-54 - 7.2/16), including a 12 week stretch among Women 18-34.   

* Extending its winning run on the night, the Net is seeing its longest winning streak on the evening since at least 1991 with Women 18-34 - predating the start of Nielsen's electronic database.  In addition, it is the longest Monday winning streak among Women 18-34 for any net in over 5 years - since NBC from w/o 9/22/03 to w/o 12/15/03.

"Dancing with the Stars" (8:00-10:00 p.m.)
ABC's broad appealing "Dancing with the Stars" attracted 20.2 million viewers and a 4.9 rating, 13 share in Adults 18-49, qualifying as Monday's No. 1 TV program in viewers and young adults for the 3rd consecutive week.  In fact, "Dancing with the Stars" won each of its half-hours and soared to the top of its time period, beating the second-place networks by 11.2 million viewers (Fox - 9.0 million) and by 58% in Adults 18-49 (CBS - 3.1/8). 
   
"Castle" (10:00-11:00 p.m.)
ABC's "Castle" took a strong second in the 10 o'clock hour to CBS' C.S.I.: Miami," beating NBC's veteran drama, "Medium," by 3.2 million viewers (9.8 million vs. 6.6 million) and by 23% Adults 18-49 (2.7/7 vs. 2.2/6).
 
A note about increasing DVR penetration and year-to-year rating comparisons: Year-to-year rating comparisons based on the Live + Same Day data stream are distorted by the level of DVR penetration in the Nielsen sample, which has jumped up to 30% currently, from 23% at the same point in 2008. More viewers are watching shows on their own timetables, which may not be reflected in the overnight next day numbers. The only truly valid year-to-year comparison would be one based on the Live + 7 Day metric, once those stats are released by Nielsen.
 
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: TexasLady on March 24, 2009, 04:21:53 PM
Dancing with the Stars Episode Recap: Monday, March 23, 2009

http://www.tvguide.com/Episode-Recaps/Dancing-Stars/Dancing-Stars-Episode-1004320.aspx

Thanks for posting the recap Will, I'm trying to catch up!  :tup:
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on March 24, 2009, 04:25:58 PM
An interesting article:

DWTS' Melissa Rycroft: There Are No Catfights!

Melissa Rycroft continues to wow judges on Dancing With the Stars (on Monday, she earned a 27 for her foxtrot). But she says none of the other contestants -- including Holly Madison, who called Rycroft her "biggest threat" -- are jealous of her high scores.

"Everyone's main goal is to have fun, have a good time, make friends - and if there is a competition, it's a friendly competition," she told Usmagazine.com after the show. "There's nobody slashing other people's costumes backstage!"

Added partner Tony Dovolani, "It's not the world championship. This is the dancing show! Everyone's clapping for each other."

Maksim Chmerkovskiy fueled a mini DWTS feud earlier this season when he told TV Guide that "it's very unfair" that Rycroft, 25, is competing because "she was a cheerleader and did ballet."

Despite her background, Rycroft said her heart still races when she hits the dance floor.

"I came in so last minute, I think I was really naive to the pressure," said the Bachelor star, who replaced an injured Nancy O'Dell days before the show aired. "I came out like, 'I don't know what's out there!' And now that we've done this a few times, it's nerve-wracking! There's pressure to do better than you did the previous week."

On Monday's show, cameras followed Rycroft, a sales representative, as she returned to her Dallas hometown (with Dovolani) to say farewell to her co-workers.

"Just to see familiar faces, it was really nice!" she told Us. "They were a big part of my life ... and I don't ever want to lose them."

After the show finishes, "I'm going back to Dallas," she said. "I don't know what I'll do, but I'm going home, for sure!"

http://www.usmagazine.com/news/dwts-melissa-rycroft-there-are-no-catfights-2009243 (http://www.usmagazine.com/news/dwts-melissa-rycroft-there-are-no-catfights-2009243)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on March 24, 2009, 04:54:04 PM
An interesting article:

Ty Murray: Ballroom Dancing Is Like Bull Riding

Ballroom dancing is no different from getting into the ring with a bull — at least to season 8 Dancing with the Stars contender Ty Murray.

In a MySpace video posted Monday, the rodeo star, who is interviewed by wife Jewel, is asked who he thinks is his toughest competitor on the show. He says, “I look at [the competition] just like I did my bull riding career. I don’t have any control over the other competitors, I just gotta keep control of myself and make sure that I’m able to hopefully focus in and not get the jitters too bad.”

Murray certainly proved he could master both his nerves and the foxtrot on Monday’s show. He managed to save partner Chelsie Hightower’s slip-up and showed off elegant ballroom moves that had all the judges calling him most improved and Bruno Tonioli dubbing him “a mini Fred Astaire.”

And while Jewel, who was sidelined with a leg injury from the show, admits to not being much help to Murray with his Dancing. He begs to differ. “Jewel is my support system,” Murray says. “She’s there every night when I get home and she’s there every morning when I get up. She even gave me a foot rub the other night, which I needed desperately.”

Also view the video interview here: http://tvwatch.people.com/2009/03/24/ty-murray-ballroom-dancing-is-like-bull-riding/ (http://tvwatch.people.com/2009/03/24/ty-murray-ballroom-dancing-is-like-bull-riding/)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on March 24, 2009, 05:50:41 PM
An update from Woz:

On Mar 24, 2009, at 5:24 PM, Steve Wozniak wrote:

Hurried day.

Yesterday I handwrote personal 1-2 page letters to each of the stars, telling them why they were such good people. They were delivered with a letter expressing my desire to remain friends forever. I titled it "The Dance Goes On" or something like that. I also included my metal name card, a sheet of $2 bills, and a fun book. I shied away from nice flowers or expensive crystal, as those sorts of gifts don't represent me.

Today I finished the written letters to the dancing professionals on the show. They are equally outstanding and good of people. Their gifts will be delivered to their trailer by the end of the show tonight.

Ty Murray came to my trailer a few minutes ago and thanked me very directly and with the utmost of forthrightness. He spoke highly of my character. It's hardly needed since we have had so many good discussions so far anyway, and I said in my letter what I saw in him. I hope this gets me into a Jewel concert someday!

Many of the other stars commented on their gifts yesterday. I wanted them all to know that my feelings for them are genuine and not phony. To be truthful, each of us feels the same about all the others.

I'm going to dress rehearsal in a few minutes. It's just learning where to stand in the dumb "who's saved" moments. I do not like this Tuesday show, but watch my partner, Karina, dance with 3 guys to "Man Eater." This is an incredible perfermance. I hope it's the only dance she does today.

Whether we have to dance in a dance-off depends on how many audience votes I got. Ever if I got a lot of votes, tens of thousands is a drop in the bucket compared to millions, so it's always hard to tell how things fell out. But my fingers are crossed to have been spared from dancing what the judges call 'not dancing' again. I guess if my audience votes didn't save me from the dance-off, I'll probably be on Jimmy Kimmel live tonight.

Thanks to all my best friends and fans,

Woz ("The Flame" as Karina jokingly calls me)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on March 24, 2009, 05:57:57 PM
An interesting article:

Nancy O'Dell Recovering from Knee Surgery

(http://i389.photobucket.com/albums/oo334/marigoldrealityfanforum/nancdw.jpg)

She's not quite ready to hit the dance floor yet, but Nancy O'Dell is on the path to recovery!

The Access Hollywood co-host, who had to pull out of Dancing with the Stars before the season premiere earlier this month, is resting at home after knee surgery.

"I feel pretty good considering I just had surgery a few days ago!" O'Dell tells PEOPLE, revealing she had torn her meniscus in two places and had arthroscopic knee surgery March 20.

"When the surgeon saw the inside of my knee, it was worse than he expected," she explains. "To quote him, the meniscus in my knee was 'shredded'. It looked like a snow globe."

During the initial days after surgery, O'Dell was tired and needed help getting around. "My husband had to carry me up and down the stairs, even to the bathroom ... now, that's love!" she says.

Rehabilitation continues for six weeks, including exercising with a therapist three days a week. "I have to keep my leg elevated as much as possible," says O'Dell, who is getting ready to promote her new book, Full of Life, in bookstores April 14. "So I spend a lot of time in bed or on the couch."

Dancing Fan

All that downtimes gives her plenty of time to watch DWTS. "My baby girl claps loudly at the end of each dance," she says of daughter Ashby, who turns 2 in June. "She particularly seems to like Steve-O!"

As for who O'Dell is rooting for, her loyalties are split three ways. "Of course, I'm rooting for Tony [Dovolani] and Melissa [Rycroft] to do well," she says of her former partner and her replacement. "Tony practically became a member of my family, coming over for dinner, playing golf with my husband and teaching my baby girl how to dance."

O'Dell continues: "Denise [Richards] has been a friend of mine for a while so I'm pulling for her. And Gilles [Marini] is a sweetheart! He came by my home yesterday with a beautiful orchid. I think my little girl fell in love with him because he kept giving her cookies. Heck, I think my hubby even got a crush ... uh, oh, Tony is gonna be jealous."

Although she is sitting out this round, O'Dell is eager to get back to competing on DWTS next season. "I'd like to come back because I have unfinished business to do!" she says. "I also want to be on the show in honor of my mom, as it was her favorite show. She passed away from ALS this past June and I wanted to bring some awareness about ALS and the charity MDA from being on the show."

http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20267593,00.html (http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20267593,00.html)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: tory on March 24, 2009, 08:13:42 PM
wow ty for all the up dates and blogs and inteviews oh and the rankings.. i am so glade will's girl mellissa is doing d=so well and loved those pic's of jessy and naomi and his gf.. i like jessy he should have been a keep er deaina is sooo wrong in so many way. jmo. any way bk to dwts, i wish holly could dance she is so cute, love steve w he seams so nice i like nice ppl, ond hold me bk on giles omg that guy has eye to die for. i like that julieann got her bo to step it up, they r so adorable, and jewle has a jewle for a hubby no wonder steve w gets along with him so well two realy nice guys..i love derik i wish they would have paired him with some one else i am love them seperat they don't look like they go together..and i just cant get past that to think they r doing great..i think they r thouhg?? ok my take.
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: apskip on March 24, 2009, 10:30:43 PM
DWTS 8 had some fascinating dancing tonight, but it was the demos of the Lindy Hop and Argentinian Tango by Cloris Leachman and Corky Ballas. They get straight 10s for comedy.

The dance off between Holly Madison and Denise Richards was interesting. Denise clearly improved and had a boost to her score, but it was not enough to overcome what was clearly a popular vote in facor of Holly. So Denise is eliminated after a really good effort, much better than what has been done by either of the Steves.
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on March 25, 2009, 01:07:49 AM
'Dancing with the Stars' Elimination Showdown: Denise versus Holly

This week's "Dancing" duos with the lowest combined totals -- Denise Richards and Maksim Chmerkovskiy, and Holly Madison and Dmitry Chaplin -- competed against each other in a dance-off on Tuesday night, with the losing team going home!

Looking to improve on their 17-point samba that Len Goodman called "wooden" on Monday night, Holly and Dmitry danced first. And even Len had to concede: "You came out really hot tonight." Bruno Tonioli couldn't deny the hotness factor either, but added that Holly and Dmitry's "timing leaves a little bit to be desired." Carrie Ann Inaba added to Holly, "You kept your foot on the ground much better." The judges awarded the duo a total score of 18.

Reprising the salsa that on Monday night scored them a paltry 16, Denise and Maksim stormed the dance floor next, and the judges were impressed. "Denise, I cannot believe under these extremely difficult circumstances how much you have improved from last night -- leaps and bounds," Bruno enthused. "You were good under pressure," Carrie Ann agreed. And Len added, "In my opinion, tonight you do [deserve to stay]." The judges beamed upon them with 20 points total.

But after viewer votes were factored in, Denise and Maksim found themselves ousted from the ballroom! "Well, my daughters love my dancing," said Denise, who added that she will remain a fan of the show.

In a "DWTS" twist, Steve-O and Steve Wozniak -- the judges' least favorite stars this week -- were declared safe early on. Plus, Hall & Oates got the crowd swinging with their soulful classic "Maneater," and Adele performed her hit "Chasing Pavements."

http://www.etonline.com/news/2009/03/72140/index.html
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on March 25, 2009, 01:41:32 AM
Dancing with the Stars Episode Recap: Tuesday, March 24, 2009

Twelve gets trimmed to 11 as the second star gets auf-ed on Dancing with the Stars. Think you know who it is? Don't bet on it.

Time for a recap of last night. Sigh. The fan reaction reminded LT of the Super Bowl. I think this is sacrilegious to say, no? Denise thinks she's in the bottom two and Maks is not amused. Karina and Steve have a new move for next week: The Pillsbury dough boy laugh. Don't write him off yet, guys.

Before we get down to business, Tom tells us next week there'll be a double elimination. Hey now! Dramatic, yes. Did they finally realize they wasted the first week? Or is it a ploy to ensure Woz will be out if he's safe this week?

First four safe couples:
Melissa & Tony
Gilles & Cheryl
Shawn & Mark (smart to get these out of the way)
Steve & Karina (Revenge of the Nerds! Karina blows out my eadrums. It's kind of endearing. The judges golf-clap. At least Bruno's not rocking the bitchface again. Major mistake dusting off those 3 paddles. Guess they can shill out the dough boy next week.)

Did Sam just call Gilles "Joe"? She grills Melissa more on how easy it is for her to dance. We're gonna beat this dead horse, aren't we? And Sam, Tom's not the only one not listening to you.

Four more safe couples:
Lawrence & Edyta
David & Kym
Chuck & Julianne
Lil Kim & Derek

They'll be back next week to do one of two new dances: the Lindy hop or the Argentine tango. What are they, you ask? Well, they just so happened to have Cloris Leachman and Corky Ballas on standby to kill more time. I would pay to have all of the couples duplicate these two's routines. The Lindy hop is something about a young woman and swing. The Argentine tango is something about gauchos being seduced by grandmas. Cloris nearly kicks Corky in the crotch, and they make out. Somewhere, Mark is dying. As am I.

And now we have Hall & Oates (really, guys?) with "Maneater" — aka Karina (duh!) looking like a reject from Fame. She takes Maks' soul at the end. I mean, Eskimo-kiss. Adele follows with "Chasing Pavements." Nothing says making it stateside like appearing on Dancing. Edyta jumps out of nowhere wearing literally a washcloth to dance with her hubby, Alec Mazo... not to mention flash her va-jay-jay to the judges.

Because we have short-term memories, we are treated to an explanation of the dance-off. Again. America's not that dumb, guys. Apparently it's stressful, but it's about second chances. "You don't get many second chances in life," Gilles says. This is not life, babe. I think the dance-off is a good idea in theory, but not in practice, at least their practice. How much can you really improve in less than a day? And if the judges get to vote again, why can't the public? Or why don't you just not factor in the public vote? Oh, right, you guys don't want to take any responsibility for the outcome.

Two more safe couples:
Steve-O & Lacey
Ty & Chelsie

That means it's Holly and Dmitry vs. Denise and Maks. As painful it will be to watch them dance again, I have absolutely no problem with this bottom two. They were both bad. Denise regressed and Holly never improved. I do love the fact that Denise, and ergo Maks, may leave before Steve and Karina, especially since he told me he expects her to last long and his lovely Karina and Woz to get bounced first. Heh.

Holly & Dmitry: Samba
They got a 17 on Monday. She's concentrating on footwork and wants to keep her feet on the ground. Er, isn't that how you dance? Her feet are on the ground. Holly's attacking it this time, as opposed to just following Dmitry around like she usually does. She's still totally awkward from the waist down and is still counting. Len thinks she's hot. Or came out hot. Same thing. There was just one slip-up. Bruno says it outright: she's hot. Carrie Ann likes her feet and that she's a party. Well, it's always a party at the Playboy Mansion. Dmitry tries to make amends backstage for dissing Holly last night. He's proud of her for coming in so late. You mean you don't want to be eliminated.
Score: 18

Denise & Maks: Samba
They got a 16 on Monday. Maks is so beyond over it. Denise basically has to convince him to rehearse in case of the dance-off. He tells her to concentrate less on the steps and more on her facial expressions. Basically, do your day job and act. How ironic is it that a cowboy knows he must pull a DeNiro, but not a Bond girl? Nevermind, I just answered my own question. She's perkier this time and that's really about it. (I meant to ask this yesterday, but why are they samba-ing to Filter?) She still needs a lot of work; she's just so... artless. Robotic. Vapid. OK, that's enough. No, it's not. Don't you love it that the bottom two features two people who've made their name on their looks and sexuality, and yet look so uncomfortable moving in their own bodies? Bruno thinks Denise improved leaps and bounds, but she tends to disconnect in the middle of the performance. Carrie Ann thinks she rocked it under pressure. Len thinks she deserves to stay.
Score: 20 Carrie Ann flips a 6, but they flash a 7. There's an argument about math. Take this outside, guys. Sam stumbles over her words, as usual, and says they got a 23 before getting corrected. Can't speak and can't add either? Life's gonna be rough. Oh, wait...

And Season 8's second casualty is... Denise and Maks. Shock and aww? Not really. Denise never had a solid fanbase and her peronsa is, uh, divisive, to say the least. She improved four points, versus Holly's single point, and still got axed. Nevermind the fact that Woz overcame a friggin' score of 10.

What did you think? Can the Woz be stopped? Were you shocked by Denise's boot? What do you think about the double elimination next week? Are the judges going to tread more carefully knowing the size of the Woz's fanbase now? Who's your current pick to win?

http://www.tvguide.com/Episode-Recaps/Dancing-Stars/Dancing-Stars-Episode-1004350.aspx
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on March 25, 2009, 08:24:55 AM
Here's the list of what the stars/pros are performing next week:

Lindy Hop

    * David & Kym
    * Ty & Chelsie
    * Shawn & Mark
    * Steve-O & Lacey
    * Melissa & Tony
    * Chuck & Julianne




Argentine Tango

    * Lil' Kim & Derek
    * Holly & Dmitry
    * Gilles & Cheryl
    * Lawrence & Edyta
    * Steve & Karina




The Argentine Tango is described as:

    * Being based heavily on improvisation
    * a step can be smooth, pulsing, sharp
    * the dancers' chests are closer to each other than are their hips
    * embrace is not rigid, but relaxed, like a hug



The Lindy Hop is described as:

    * basic step, the swingout
    * connected hand-to-hand
    * or connected as though in an embrace
    * Turns and Spins, dips and lifts are common
    * Similiar to the jive

credit to tmpray
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on March 25, 2009, 08:54:01 AM
Carrie Ann Inaba blogs 'DWTS,' week 3

What a week it’s been. Whew!!!! Okay, where do I begin? First of all, thank you all for writing. I read your questions and will provide as many answers as I can for you all. I appreciate your comments greatly….and I love blogging!

Let’s start with a neutral area and progress from there…the musical guests. Adele was wonderful tonight performing with such an incredibly passionate and soulful voice. I was mesmerized by her vocal quality. And then, to top it off, having Edyta and Alec dance was just a fancy treat! They are so beautiful to watch together -- I don’t think I’ve ever seen a more beautiful couple than those two. I love those showcase numbers. They really display the talent of our professionals and remind everyone how talented and incredible our pros truly are. We also had Hall & Oates, and Karina starring as “THE MANEATER.” She was fantastic in that red outfit. It reminded me of Olivia Newton-John in Grease when she sang “You’re the One that I Want.” She worked the guys in that number and showcased her power on the dance floor. For those of you who are not familiar with Karina’s incredible dancing skills, you should YouTube her. Look out for Karina's performances with Slavic -- they were a fabulous partnership. The ending of tonight's number was cute when Karina kissed her fiancé, Maks. That’s another real-life couple on our dance floor…and that’s nice to see.

It was cute tonight -- during the Hall & Oates number, Dmitry asked me if he could kiss my hand. I like that he was so polite about it: good old-fashioned manners. On a side note, I think Dmitry and Chelsie are doing a great job this year as newcomers. We are grateful to SYTYCD for bringing up these great dancers -- it’s nice to see the synergy between our shows there. But back to this show....

After the jump: Carrie Ann explains how songs are chosen for the performances, and satisfies all your judge-centric foot-fetish needs with photos of the trio's shoes!

Monday night was a fun night…I have to say it again: I LOVE THIS SEASON! The cast is wonderful and really a delight for us judges. I think there is a warmth to this season that makes it fun and friendly -- and in times like this, that’s not a bad thing at all. I was very impressed with Shawn, Gilles, Melissa, Chuck and Ty. They really impressed me this week. Chuck and Ty are finding their way and surprised me with their performances. I will say though, that I find some of the comments by the celebs funny -- especially when Chuck said we might think he’s a dancer just because he’s going out with Julianne. Chuck, no -- we don’t expect you to be a ballroom dancer because you go out with Julianne. We are not unintelligent, my dear. Keep working on your dancing…you’ve got great potential.

Let’s move on to tonight. The dance-off is tough. It’s hard on the poor dancers -- I feel so terrible for them and commend them all for getting out there and not breaking down under pressure. I think Holly and Denise did a good job out there. I can’t tell you people who are not in the studio how much pressure is on the bottom two at the moment they have to do the dance-off. It’s a difficult situation to be in. I was impressed with Denise for her attack tonight. She really took our comments to heart and worked on some of the elements of her performance that were lacking. She seemed to be more confident and less self-aware tonight, which made her performance that much better. It’s a shame she still went home. This goes to show how powerful that audience vote is. She gained 4 points tonight in her score. Bruno went up from 5 to a 7. I went up fro a 6 to a 7, and Len gave her a 7 instead of a 6. So she really did much better in the eyes of the judges. But the audience voted on her other performance and when they were combined, it didn’t help her out of the bottom spot.

OH, speaking of the scores. There was a scoring mishap tonight. Let me explain what happened. We score on a piece of paper. All three judges write down their scores on a piece of paper and I hand it off to Rob, our stage manager, who takes it to the booth where the producers and graphics person are waiting for it so they can type it in -- so when we actually show our paddles, they have the piece of paper in hand (and the numbers are displayed on-screen). Tonight there was a mix-up between Bruno's score and my score. Bruno gave Denise and Maks a 7 and I gave them a 6. I think that most people figured it out just by looking at it. It was just a mix up that was not that big of a deal. Denise’s score was in fact a 20 and Bruno and I held up the correct paddles that represented our actual scores, the ones we'd written on the paper. So, there was no real problem. If you want all the nitty gritty details, let me know and I’ll post it.

Okay let’s move on….WOW….STEVE was safe! Good for him. I think the public loves him. And I can understand why. I do too. I just have a certain criteria by which I must judge all performers. My job is to give my critique and professional opinion -- but lucky you, you all get to vote anyway you please and can just follow your heart...and I encourage that! I think Steve W. gives a great show -- I admire him for his tenacity and I'm happy to see that we have created a dance fan! He is a true dance enthusiast now. You can see how this experience is changing his life. This is a beautiful thing to see. He’s a good egg, that Steve W. I’ve never seen so much joy in a newbie to dancing. I give him respect for that. I smile more watching him than I do some of the people who get great scores. I think we all need a bit of that right now.

Let's see, what else...Oh yes, let me answer a question. Someone asked about the music. I spoke to the producers today to get the accurate explanation. The dancers (pros) are given the opportunity to give the producers a list of songs that they might want to dance to for the season, before the season starts so that the producers can clear the music. However, according to the producers, the pros don’t all create a list. Also, the pros are asked again, once they've been paired with their celebrities, to create a list of songs they might like to dance to. Unfortunately, it seems that not everyone gives their input. And for television, the producers have to think ahead so that they can clear the music for the shows…it’s a long process. So, the answer is that the pros have the option of having input on the song selections, but sometimes, it doesn’t quite all work out.

The costumes are designed by a team led by Randall Christensen and Howard Sussman. Those dresses are incredible works of art. The amount of work it takes to create those outfits is mind-boggling. They are very expensive to create and are often repurposed for the Dancing With The Stars Tour so that they don’t go to waste…it’s a costume recycling that happens. This is good for everyone!

Well, I hope you enjoyed this week as much as I did. I think it was a great show on Monday, and Tuesdays will always be a bit tougher on everyone because of the elimination. But that’s how it goes.

One last thing…people are always asking me to tell you something about what you didn’t see so tonight I’ve included three pictures of some things you never see on the show.

(http://i212.photobucket.com/albums/cc289/CuteboiWill/ca_blog_shoes.jpg)
Len: Shoes by Kurt Geiger; Bruno: Shoes by R.M. Williams; Carrie Ann: Shoes by L.A.M.B.

Yes...that would be the judges' shoes. So, for all you people with a shoe fetish, in case you were wondering what we wear under that desk -- here are the shoes we wore on Tuesday night’s show. ; ) Enjoy.

And see you next week. They are doing the Argentine Tango and the Lindy Hop. I’m going to go easy on the lifts….You have to do a few tosses for the Lindy Hop to be a Lindy Hop! And next week, I’ll explain what a lift is as defined for our show.

Oh -- tune in to the Kids' Choice Awards on Saturday to see the number I choreographed. It’s going to be fun…Can’t tell you who the surprise guests are going to be but you might enjoy it! And for those of you who want to win two tickets to the season finale of our show, you can bid on my auction at Clothes Off Our Back. I’ve put together a great package for you to bid on if you feel the urge to. I’ll tell you all about it next week -- why I did it and who it benefits. I know some of you are die hard fans of our show -- check it out and see if it’s something you might want to bid on. The proceeds go to charity, to give pediatric cancer patients dance and movement therapy. It’s the most empowering thing you can give them besides a clean slate of health. It’s a beautiful thing…

Hugs to you all.
See you next Monday!

Carrie Ann

http://popwatch.ew.com/popwatch/2009/03/carrie-ann-in-1.html
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on March 25, 2009, 09:34:53 AM
click on the link below to view the video, it's not working here so had to delete it

New Video: ET With Surprised 'Dancing' Stars

ET was backstage Tuesday night as Denise Richards and Maksim Chmerkovskiy were eliminated from 'Dancing with the Stars' after a dance-off with Holly Madison and Dmitry Chaplin. Denise discusses her experience on the show and the contestants weigh in on the surprise of the night -- Steve Wozniak advancing to the next round!

"I was bummed," Denise admits. "I didn't expect that Steve Wozniak would be my competition, but I'm happy for him he has so much fun on the show and that was a big surprise of the night and I'm thrilled for him. I knew that this was my last shot and I had to do everything I could to stay and it wasn't enough but at least I had fun and I was really thrilled with the judges' response."

Country singer Chuck Wicks explains to ET that it gets harder to say goodbye to contestants each week because everyone becomes friends, and he reveals that he was shocked when he found out Steve Wozniak was safe despite receiving low scores from the judges.

"Wozniak had the lowest score since season two - in 'Dancing with the Stars' history and he still wasn't in the bottom two," Chuck says. "That goes to show you how important the votes are. We definitely need your votes, and it makes everyone nervous."

Watch the video for more of the backstage action and watch the remaining contestants take the floor Monday night at 8 p.m. on ABC.

http://www.etonline.com/news/2009/03/72149/index.html
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on March 25, 2009, 09:51:21 AM
Video:

Denise Richards Talks About DWTS


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s0TGwOWqCMA (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s0TGwOWqCMA)

Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on March 25, 2009, 10:07:23 AM
DWTS 8 had some fascinating dancing tonight, but it was the demos of the Lindy Hop and Argentinian Tango by Cloris Leachman and Corky Ballas. They get straight 10s for comedy.

The dance off between Holly Madison and Denise Richards was interesting. Denise clearly improved and had a boost to her score, but it was not enough to overcome what was clearly a popular vote in facor of Holly. So Denise is eliminated after a really good effort, much better than what has been done by either of the Steves.

It was very funny and it was nice to see her she has incredible strength

Woz's save from elimination what a shocker the same with Steve-O's

I must express your choice of not doing recaps this season is our loss  :'(   
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on March 25, 2009, 10:47:46 AM
Ty Murray's Blog:

'I feel very fortunate'

Well, we got by another week! It can be pretty nerve-wracking waiting up there, especially with the dance off. The comforting thing was that we felt we could improve on last night's dance, which is definitely a good thing. If you don't feel like you can improve on it then that would make it hard to do it again.

Chelsie and I felt like without the slip and without a couple steps I missed that our routine could be a lot better, but luckily we didn't have to find out.

What's nerve-wracking about the results night is that so much of the control of what happens is in America's hands. It's hard to say whose fan base is bigger, who the viewers like and who they don't.

I feel very fortunate that Chelsie and I have a lot of people behind us and supporting us. I think we have a lot of great fan-power behind us and that's definitely helping out.

Unfortunately, all but one couple is going to experience the elimination process so the thing I try to remember is this elimination isn't near as fast or as violent as the one I was used to as a bull rider.

This week we have the Lindy Hop and we're going to start on that early in the morning. We'll get some work done here in Los Angeles on Wednesday and Thursday.

Thursday night Chelsie and I will jump on a plane to Albuquerque so that we can go to the Ty Murray Invitational. I'm really excited about it this year because of it being in a new location. I think The Pit is going to be the most exciting venue that I can think of to watch a bull riding event, so I can't wait.

While we're in Albuquerque we'll practice there on Friday and Saturday and then Saturday night we have to fly back to L.A. to start getting ready for the show. We'll have all our camera blocking on Sunday and we'll practice some here on that day.

Then, hopefully, on Monday night we'll have a great Lindy Hop put together.

I don't know anything about any of the dances, but as soon as I find out what our next dance is I YouTube it and check it out. By looking at it I'm hoping it'll be beneficial to me that it looks like a real physical dance.

There are a lot of lifts so hopefully I'll be able to do some of that with Chelsie and I also hope the physicality of it will help me with my nerves, but I'm sure it'll be a lot like the quickstep in that the steps are coming really fast and furious.

Next week is going to be a double elimination so that means Chelsie and I will work twice as hard.

The really good news is that I feel as though my body and, perhaps, even my feet are starting to get in shape and become used to all of this.

I feel strong right now, I feel lean and my feet feel better than they have been since we started this so, right now, I'm ready to go back to work in the morning.

http://www.pbrnow.com/blog/index.cfm/2009/3/25/I-feel-very-fortunate (http://www.pbrnow.com/blog/index.cfm/2009/3/25/I-feel-very-fortunate)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on March 25, 2009, 10:53:00 AM
Woz Blogs:

Woz' post-results-show email is below. Your votes did it!!! THANK YOU!!!

On Mar 25, 2009, at 3:43 AM, Steve Wozniak wrote:

Here is what a friend wrote to me:

this competition is not about winning but your being a role model for everyone showing that you can accomplish so much if you try your best, have a positive attitude, overcome your fears and have the support of your friends.

I heartily agree with that assessment.

A lot of people are glad to see someone like myself having a chance.

A ton of you actually voted over and over and over to keep me in, and it worked. It could even work all the way to the victory. It isn't enough just to want me to win. It takes votes.

I almost dread this Tuesday show, with the dance-off. It's pretty boring for us dancers. We get called out on a few occasions and stand where marks on the floor have our names. We wait and stand and wait.

When we know our dance routines, we can be comfortable and go out and perform it. But on Tuesday, you never know if you are going to make it to the second and third selection. Then you have to portray a face-off and dance again. The 2 worst dances get repeated again on national TV. Each pair has to worry about going up or down a notch.

I had expected, from the lowest judges' scores in 6 years, to likely be in a dance-off. I had my knee pads under my costume. I had even thought ahead far enough to plan on repeating last week's quickstep with its fast footwork or this Samba with the work, on Regis & Kelly this Thursday, which is what happens to the one sent home.

During the first stand-off, where four partners would be 'saved' to dance again, I waited with high anticipation. After 3 couples were 'saved' they led up to the 4th announcement and then paused for what seemed forever. Like the other announced 'saves' I took a breath and held it and hoped, and hoped, and hoped to hear "Steve and Karina." When I heard it I couldn't believe it Karina screamed and I held her saying "Oh my god." I felt like everything including my nerves had been instantly sucked out of me. I was lightly crying for the rest of the show.

The audience cheered their approval and the other dancers made it obvious that they shared our joy.

I was also very glad when Steve O. got saved. We have to find a way to help him with votes if I ever get sent home. I know he'll do the same for me. And that sort of combined votes could make the total difference right to the finals.

Well, it's obvious that with the lowest judges' score in 6 years, friends and fans who voted over and over and over for us did save us, and prove their existence to the producers of Dancing With The Stars.

I am eternally grateful to so many of you who gathered groups of friends and got them to vote on all their phones as many times as allowed. I have to confess that I even let my wife vote on my phones. Karina voted for us on her phone and got the calls on video at our practice last night.

By the way, you saw Karina in a very hot "Man Eater" dance tonight.

It is late and we are starting a new dance tomorrow. So I have to get some sleep after a very long day. I will keep you informed. Please keep voting for me. We have to show that we are not insignificant. The producers did their best to get me to back out because of my injuries. But I was able to dance and proved it. They tried to get me to back out because of embarrassment, saying the judges might give me 2's. I said I don't get embarrassed. I'm not sure why the judges almost always have the same scores within a small range. How do they all know what level of lowness or highness to score? All three judges had scored me incredibly low, but they didn't daunt my enjoyment because I knew how many fans liked and believed in me.

With all of you, nothing can stop me.

Let me repeat what I believe this is all about. This came from my good friend, Bobbi Fisher Velazquez. I met Bobbi when she coordinated a program at Chapman College to save 9th graders in danger of dropping out of school after flunking English. Michael Anthony Hall helped these kids progress in reading and writing, and I did also, in that program. Here is what Bobbi said:

this competition is not about winning but your being a role model for everyone showing that you can accomplish so much if you try your best, have a positive attitude, overcome your fears and have the support of your friends.

http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?uid=49720779842&topic=8001 (http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?uid=49720779842&topic=8001)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on March 25, 2009, 11:04:57 AM
Steve-O's Blog: omg he is resilient to pain

steve-o – stayin’ alive on dancing with the stars

(http://i389.photobucket.com/albums/oo334/marigoldrealityfanforum/sto1.jpg)

Just a friendly neighborhood reminder to tune into ABC’s Dancing With The Stars tonight to see if your voting helped Steve-O and Lacey Schwimmer live to see another dancing day. If for whatever reason they slipped into the bottom two slots on the official leaderboard following last night’s performance and voting, Steve-O and Lacey will immediately be entered into a “dance off,” which just may decide their fate on the show…

http://www.jackassworld.com/blog/2009/03/24/steve-o-stayin-alive-on-dancing-with-the-stars/#more-9250 (http://www.jackassworld.com/blog/2009/03/24/steve-o-stayin-alive-on-dancing-with-the-stars/#more-9250)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on March 25, 2009, 11:18:42 AM

Tuesday’s Dancing: What You Didn’t See

I Woz Spared: Computer whiz Steve Wozniak was the surprise hit of Tuesday night’s show. The Woz got the shock of his life when he and partner Karina Smirnoff were declared safe from elimination — to the delight of the studio audience. When the show went to commercial following the announcement, the couple was surrounded by the cast of pro and celebrity dancers offering up congratulatory hugs. The crowd continued to applaud and Wozniak wiped away tears of joy from his eyes. “I watched the audience and there was a huge response and even the other dancers were so nice and responded so nicely,” Wozniak said after the show. “It was the biggest emotional shock I can remember. All the air comes out of you. I couldn’t believe it.”

Even after the show, the excitement of The Woz’s save was still in the air. “It just goes to show you that the fan votes really do matter,” Cheryl Burke told PEOPLE. “He’s pure entertainment. People love to watch him.” David Alan Grier says he’s a fan of Wozniak’s, too. “I’ll vote for him if he gives me a new Mac computer!” Grier quipped.

Support Group: Moments after pairs Holly Madison and Dmitry Chaplin and Denise Richards and Maksim Chmerkovskiy were announced to be in the bottom two, the show went to commercial. That’s when Smirnoff rushed out onto the stage to offer some words of wisdom to each of the couples. “I told Dmitry and Holly good luck and to Maks and Denise, I told them to dance like it’s your last dance because you have nothing to lose,” Smirnoff said. “Last week I was in the dance-off and for the first five minutes I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, we’re in the dance-off, what are we going to do?’ But then I thought what’s the worst thing at the end of the day — we have to go home?”

And according to Smirnoff, there is no downside being partnered with Wozniak–no matter how long the partnership lasts. “Steve finds the positive in everything and everything was so positive, I got to meet Steve, you know?” said Smirnoff. “So that’s why I came out and told them dance like it’s your last dance, you’re gorgeous and just enjoy yourself.”

The sentiment was not lost on Madison, who told PEOPLE after the show, “the support around here is so amazing, I don’t want to leave –- not because I want to win a trophy or earn money – because it’s fun to hang out with everybody every day. This is really an amazing place to be.” As for the dance-off, “it was scary,” Madison admitted. “But now that I’ve done it, it’s over and if I have to do it again some time it won’t be as scary.”

Paddle Battle: The final minutes of Tuesday’s Dancing got a little tense when host Samantha Harris received conflicting information on what the correct score was for Richards and Chmerkovskiy’s dance-off samba. A production staffer told Harris the total of the judges’ scores was 21. No slouch at basic math, Harris saw on the monitor that the sum of the scores on the judges’ paddles — a six and two sevens — added up to 20. As the show went to commercial host Tom Bergeron clarified what had happened: someone thought Inaba gave the couple a seven, but was holding up the number six paddle. “No, no, I wrote a six,” Inaba insisted.

The show went to commercial and a conference of sorts took place at the judges’ table between the judges, a production staffer, and the stage manager. The way the scoring process goes, as soon as the judges see a dance, they each scribble their respective score on paper. The three papers are then handed to a production staffer who rushes them to the control booth just outside the soundstage. That’s when the scores are tabulated and ready to appear on the screen. Somewhere in between a mix-up occurred and indeed, the final score was a 20. All during the conversation, Inaba held up the number six paddle. Fortunately, the situation was resolved and nobody received a spanking.

No Complaint Zone: As a minor, Olympic gymnast Shawn Johnson is restricted in the amount of time she can spend working on the show. “Because I’m only 17, I can only work six days instead of seven, and I can only practice six hours each day,” she told PEOPLE. But Johnson says she refuses to consider herself at a disadvantage, especially when she looks at her fellow competitors who are injured (Steve-O and The Woz) or came into the competition late (Melissa Rycroft and Holly Madison). “Everybody here has disadvantages they are dealing with so this really isn’t a big deal,” Johnson said. “It’s a challenge for us but we’re not going to stand here and whine,” Johnson’s partner Mark Ballas added. “We make the most of our time together. We take Wednesdays off and then we hit it hard the rest of the days straight through and that way she can remember better what I’m teaching her.”

http://tvwatch.people.com/2009/03/25/tuesdays-dancing-what-you-didnt-see-16/ (http://tvwatch.people.com/2009/03/25/tuesdays-dancing-what-you-didnt-see-16/)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on March 25, 2009, 11:26:03 AM
An interesting article:

DWTS' Denise Richards: "I Didn't Think I Was Going"

Denise Richards tells Usmagazine.com she wasn't expecting to be given the boot on Tuesday's Dancing With the Stars.

Due to their low scores Monday, Richards and Holly Madison ended up in the bottom two and were forced to take part in the new DWTS elimination format, the dance-off. (Viewer votes are what kept low-scoring Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak and his partner, Karina Smirnoff, on the show.)

After Richards and Madison both danced the salsa for the second time Tuesday, Richards scored two points higher from judges, but Madison had more viewer votes and got to stay on the show.

"I really didn't think I was going," Richards said on ABC's Jimmy Kimmel Live! "I wished I lasted longer."

But Richards told Us she is pleased with the way she went out.

"The audience response was so gracious and so great," she told Us. "Everyone was very, very supportive. I'm just so happy for everyone else who gets to continue, and who would've thought that Steve and Karina would be in? I'm so happy for them. He loves the show and is having fun."

Now that Richards is off the show, her partner Makism Chmerkovskiy, who is engaged to Smirnoff, has a message for fans.

"Vote Steve and Karina!" he told Us.

http://www.usmagazine.com/news/dwts-denise-richards-i-really-didnt-think-i-was-going-2009253 (http://www.usmagazine.com/news/dwts-denise-richards-i-really-didnt-think-i-was-going-2009253)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on March 25, 2009, 11:37:29 AM
DWTS Backstage: Denise Takes It in Stride; Woz Cries

Shock, relief and tears filled the backstage area of Dancing With the Stars tonight as Denise Richards' samba sent her packing.

"For a minute, I thought we had a shot at staying," Denise told E! News backstage after tonight's elimination show. "I’m really glad I got to do the dance over again and get better scores and a better reaction. It was better to go out on that note than last night."

Better scores indeed. Denise and her partner, Maksim Chmerkovskiy, earned five more points in her dance-off against bottom two-er Holly Madison. "I never imagined anybody could improve in a day by five points unless you flat-out fell on the floor," says Maksim.

Find out what Chuck Wicks whispered to Julianne Hough, what made Steve-O say "for crying out loud" and what Jewel still does for hubby Ty Murray...

Chuck Wicks on Preparing for the Worst: "Once they had the first four names and we weren't in there, I whispered in [Julianne Hough's] ear, 'We may want to start practicing the dance a little bit.' "

Holly Madison on the Dance-Off: "It was really scary. I thought for sure that we were gone, out of the competition. I was really freaking out, so hopefully I won't be so scared next time."

Ty Murray on Jewel: Ty tells us that his wife and ex-competitor, Jewel, might be gone from the competition, but she's showing her support...with foot rubs!

Steve-O on Perspective: "This taught me not to take myself too seriously. For crying out loud, this is a dance-off. If your biggest problem is that you screwed up a dance routine or that you’re not on a dance show, I think everything is pretty good."

Steve Wozniak on Being Safe: "That was the most incredible surprise. I was setting myself up to be so happy doing my dance again. When that came, my world turned in an instant...I was crying. I still have tears a little."

Gilles Marini on Woz: "It's not shocking. Remember one thing: Many, many people vote. Maybe [Woz] has 70 percent of the overall vote, so who knows? If people don't vote, we are gone. Even if we have three nines, they still need to vote."

Lil' Kim on Denise: "I've met a totally different person than what we read or see [in the media]. Sometimes that press bothers her—she talked to me [about it]. She’s really a sweet girl."

Are you as shocked as Woz and Steve-O that they didn't get eliminated? Did Denise Richards deserve to go? (Mind if we gloat? We called it last night!)

http://www.eonline.com/uberblog/watch_with_kristin/b105986_dwts_backstage_denise_takes_it_in.html
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on March 25, 2009, 01:06:23 PM
Mark Ballas and ex-Idol Joanna Pacitti:

Reality Lovebirds

"Dancing with the Stars" pro Mark Ballas performed with his band at the Grove in L.A. last night

-- and was cheered on by former "Idol" hopeful (and girlfriend) Joanna Pacitti!

(http://i389.photobucket.com/albums/oo334/marigoldrealityfanforum/ballgirl.jpg)

http://extratv.warnerbros.com/2009/03/reality_lovebirds.php (http://extratv.warnerbros.com/2009/03/reality_lovebirds.php)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on March 25, 2009, 01:13:31 PM

ABC Television Network

PRESS RELEASE 

OVERNIGHT ABC RATINGS

Growing Week to Week, ABC Marks its Strongest Tuesday in 4 Months
 
ABC's Broad-Appealing "DWTS Results" Takes Second in the 9pm Hour in Viewers and Adults 18-34, While Finishing No. 1 in its Slot with Key Women 

 "Dancing with the Stars Results" Jumps Over its Week-Ago Season Opener, Surging Week to Week by 3.0 Million Viewers and by 32% in Adults 18-49

For the 2nd Consecutive Week, ABC News' "Primetime:

What Would You Do?" Achieves a Season-High in Viewers

Tuesday Night (8:00-11:00 p.m.)
Excluding only Inauguration Night on 1/20/09, ABC marked its strongest Tuesday in 4 months in Total Viewers and Adults 18-49 - since 11/25/08.

"Dancing with the Stars Results" (9:00-10:00 p.m.)
Jumping from its week-earlier season premiere by wide margins in viewers and young adults, ABC's "Dancing with the Stars Results" was the second-most-watched show its highly-competitive 9 o'clock time period to CBS' "NCIS," outdrawing NBC's time-slot regular, "Biggest Loser," by 6.5 million viewers (15.7 million vs. 9.2 million).  The wide-appealing ABC unscripted series also earned second in the hour with Adults 18-34, beating "NCIS" by 13% (2.7/8 vs. 2.4/7), while finishing No. 1 in the slot with Women 18-49 (5.2/12) and Women 25-54 (6.7/14).    "DWTS Results" also registered as the night's No. 1 broadcast program with Teens 12-17 (1.7/6) and Kids 2-11 (1.7/7), beating out its network rivals by solid margins.  Actress Denise Richards was the second celebrity dancer eliminated from the competition this season.

* "DWTS Results" surged over its week-ago season opener by 3.0 million viewers (15.7 million vs. 12.7 million) and by 32% in Adults 18-49 (3.7/10 vs. 2.8/7).

* The dancing results program produced a season-high for ABC with regular programming in the time slot among Women 18-34 (3.7/10).
 
"Primetime: What Would You Do?" (10:00-11:00 p.m.)
During the 10 o'clock hour against the final hour of NBC's "Biggest Loser" and CBS' "The Mentalist," ABC News' "Primetime: What Would You Do?" achieved a season-high in Total Viewers (8.5 million) for the 2nd straight week.  "What Would You Do?" equaled a season-best with Adults 25-54 (3.2/8).

A note about increasing DVR penetration and year-to-year rating comparisons: Year-to-year rating comparisons based on the Live + Same Day data stream are distorted by the level of DVR penetration in the Nielsen sample, which has jumped up to 30% currently, from 23% at the same point in 2008. More viewers are watching shows on their own timetables, which may not be reflected in the overnight next day numbers. The only truly valid year-to-year comparison would be one based on the Live + 7 Day metric, once those stats are released by Nielsen.
 
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on March 25, 2009, 02:13:03 PM
An interesting article:

Denise Richards & Maksim Chmerkovskiy On Their Difficult ‘Dancing’ Relationship

Denise Richards said goodbye to “Dancing With the Stars” on Wednesday night, alongside professional partner Maksim Chmerkovskiy. But, after all the footage shown of the pair during their difficult rehearsals, is Denise relieved she no longer has to dance with Maks?

“Oh I love him,” Denise told Access Hollywood after she was voted off the show on Tuesday night.

While her parting words were kind, Access has learned that Denise and Maks’ partnership wasn’t always a love fest. From the very first episode, it appeared the two were having problems. But according to Access sources, things got worse, including claims that Maks was very harsh on Denise during the practice sessions. So bad, at times, their rehearsals would have to end.

“He’s a very tough teacher,” Denise told Billy Bush for Access and “The Billy Bush Show” on Wednesday morning. “He was working with someone who had absolutely no dance experience, so I’m sure at times, it’s gotta be hard for the pros to work with celebrities who don’t have any dancing background. But I had fun with him. He had a very funny side that a lot of people don’t get to see. This is his world and he’s a very disciplined dancer and I give him a lot of credit.”

Additionally, Denise denied claims that Maks was verbally abusive towards her.

“Oh Billy… no,” she said. “They have to be a little tough. He wants me to do well, he wants us to go out there and do well together.”

And Maks himself said he learned from his time with the actress.

“Certain things got in the way and we learned our lessons,” he told Access. “I can’t be one way with different people. I have to adapt and adjust to their personalities and all that and thank you [Denise] for teaching me that.”

http://www.accesshollywood.com/denise-richards-and-maksim-chmerkovskiy-on-their-difficult-dancing-relationship_article_15971 (http://www.accesshollywood.com/denise-richards-and-maksim-chmerkovskiy-on-their-difficult-dancing-relationship_article_15971)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on March 25, 2009, 02:35:46 PM
click on link below to view video

Julianne Hough Takes the Stage With Brother Derek's Band

Fresh off another "Dancing with the Stars" results show, Derek Hough and Mark Ballas give ET an exclusive look at an L.A. performance of their band, including a surprise appearance by Julianne Hough.

Julianne proved to be a crowd favorite when she decided to join the Ballas Hough Band onstage to perform one of her own songs.

Watch the video to hear Derek and Mark explain how the band was formed and find out why they love performing for their loyal "Dancing with the Stars" fans.

http://www.etonline.com/news/2009/03/72154/index.html

Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on March 25, 2009, 07:31:06 PM
 :ascared omg

Gun-Toting Shawn Johnson Fan Arrested

A man claiming he was "meant to be" with Shawn Johnson was arrested early Tuesday morning after trying to sneak on to the set of "Dancing With the Stars" -- and cops say he had two loaded guns and duct tape in his car.

Johnson's mother, Teri, has just filed a petition for a restraining order against the man, 34-year-old Robert O'Ryan. The restraining order seeks protection for 17-year-old Shawn, her mother, her father and her "Dancing" partner Mark Ballas.

According to documents filed by Johnson, "The LAPD searched [O'Ryan's] vehicle and located a loaded .45 handgun, a loaded shotgun, and materials classically used for kidnapping including duct tape, zip ties, a map to the victim. Also found were love letters, clippings and other information on the victim."

According to the documents, O'Ryan told police "He had packed all his belongings and permanently left Florida to drive out here to be with [Shawn Johnson], he believes that she speaks to him personally through the television set and through ESP and that they will have a child together, he stated he would be with her no matter what."

The documents also state O'Ryan "had two loaded guns and other incriminating items and made numerous statements which led LAPD to believe that he is dangerous."

According to the CBS incident report, the whole thing started Monday afternoon when a CBS employee noticed O'Ryan jumping a fence and entering a hallway in the East Studio. Private security confronted him and asked for ID -- and that's when O'Ryan produced an expired concealed weapons license. When guards asked if he had a weapon on him, O'Ryan admitted to having 2 guns in his car. At that point, the guards alerted the LAPD.

In the documents, Johnson claims she's "in fear for her life, she is extremely upset by this incident and her entire family and those around are all extremely concerned and fearful that [O'Ryan] might try to kidnap her or harm her in an effort to make good on his statements."

O'Ryan is currently in police custody. He was booked on suspicion of carrying a loaded firearm in public and is being held on $35,000 bail.

Story developing ...

http://www.tmz.com/2009/03/25/gun-toting-shawn-johnson-fan-arrested/ (http://www.tmz.com/2009/03/25/gun-toting-shawn-johnson-fan-arrested/)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on March 25, 2009, 07:32:53 PM
.... more of the same

Report: Police Arrest Man For Attempting To Break On To ‘Dancing With The Stars’ Set With Loaded Weapons

A 34-year-old man has been arrested after allegedly trying to break onto the “Dancing With the Stars” set, according to TMZ.

TMZ was first to report that Robert O’Ryan, an alleged fan of Olympic gymnastic champ Shawn Johnson, attempted to break onto the set of the hit reality competition early Tuesday morning. The Web site claims authorities discovered two loaded guns on his person when he was arrested Tuesday.

Access Hollywood has learned that O’Ryan, who is from Jacksonville, Florida, is still in the custody of the Los Angeles Police Department. He was booked on a felony charge and is being held on $35,000 bail.

A statement from the LAPD is expected shortly.

TMZ also reported that Teri, the mother of 17-year-old Shawn Johnson, has filed for a restraining order against the man.

http://www.accesshollywood.com/report-police-arrest-man-for-attempting-to-break-on-to-dancing-with-the-stars-set-with-loaded-weapons_article_15995 (http://www.accesshollywood.com/report-police-arrest-man-for-attempting-to-break-on-to-dancing-with-the-stars-set-with-loaded-weapons_article_15995)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on March 25, 2009, 07:43:13 PM
more

Armed man arrested at ‘Dancing’ studio

Man allegedly tried to break onto the set to meet Shawn Johnson

A restraining order has been issued against a man authorities say tried to break onto the set of “Dancing With the Stars” to meet Shawn Johnson.

Court records show an order was issued against Robert O’Ryan, who was arrested by Los Angeles police on Wednesday.

A court document states two guns and duct tape were found in O’Ryan’s vehicle.

A police spokeswoman said she did not have any more details about the arrest.

Johnson is a 17-year-old Olympic gold medalist in gymnastics, and one of the celebrity contestants on ABC’s “Dancing with the Stars.”

O’Ryan is being held on $35,000 bail on suspicion of carrying a loaded firearm in public. Court records do not indicate whether O’Ryan has a lawyer.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29885499/ (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29885499/)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on March 25, 2009, 08:01:47 PM
more details

Restraining order issued to protect Shawn Johnson after armed man arrested at 'DWTS' studio

A restraining order has been issued against a man authorities say tried to break onto the set of "Dancing With the Stars" to meet Shawn Johnson.

Court records show an order was issued against Robert O'Ryan, who was arrested by Los Angeles police on Tuesday. According to documents that accompanied the restraining order application, O'Ryan was stopped by security at CBS Studios, where "Dancing With the Stars" is produced, after he jumped on a fence on Monday afternoon.

Police later searched his car and found two guns and duct tape, according to the documents.

A police spokeswoman said she did not have any more details about the arrest.

Johnson, 17, is a gold medalist in gymnastics, and one of the celebrity contestants on ABC's "Dancing With the Stars."

She is "in fear of her life," her parent's attorney wrote in a restraining order application.

Her parents requested and were granted the restraining order on Wednesday. A hearing on whether to grant a lengthy restraining order will be held on April 14.

O'Ryan, 34, is being held on $35,000 bail on suspicion of carrying a loaded firearm in public. Court records do not indicate whether he has a lawyer.

The records state that he told security guards and police that he packed up all his belongings and traveled to California from Florida in the hopes of being with Johnson.

A report by security guards at CBS Studios states that O'Ryan was carrying an expired concealed weapons permit.

A call placed to an ABC spokeswoman was not immediately returned Wednesday evening.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/sns-ap-people-shawn-johnson,0,4976693.story?track=rss (http://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/sns-ap-people-shawn-johnson,0,4976693.story?track=rss)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on March 25, 2009, 08:16:04 PM
more on Shawn

Fan of 'Dancing with the Stars' Contestant Arrested

ET has obtained the booking sheet of a man who allegedly tried to crash the set of "Dancing with the Stars" to meet 17-year-old contestant Shawn Johnson.

The Associated Press says a restraining order has been issued against Robert O'Ryan, who was arrested in L.A. on Tuesday. O'Ryan, 34, is being held on $35,000 bail, according to his booking sheet.

Shawn Johnson's publicist tells ET: "The matter has been turned over to the Los Angeles Police Department and the Los Angeles District Attorney's office. It is currently an ongoing investigation and we are confident that it will be handled appropriately by all involved."

The AP says a court document states that two guns and duct tape were discovered in O'Ryan's vehicle.

http://www.etonline.com/news/2009/03/72187/index.html (http://www.etonline.com/news/2009/03/72187/index.html)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on March 25, 2009, 08:44:35 PM
more here

Armed Fan Tries to Break onto Set of 'Dancing With The Stars'

A man arrested for trying to break onto the set of ABC's Dancing with the Stars, was reportedly armed with guns and duct tape.

Court records show a restraining order was issued against 34-year old Robert O'Ryan after his arrest.

O'Ryan reportedly told police he was trying to meet 17-year old Olympic gymnast Shawn Johnson, a performer on the dance competition.

On Monday, O'Ryan was stopped by security after he jumped a fence at CBS Studios, were the show is produced.

Security records indicate O'Ryan said he had packed up all his belongings and moved to California from Florida to be with Johnson.

Police say a search of O'Ryan's car revealed two guns and duct tape.

The gold-medal-winning Olympic gymnast is "in fear for her life," according to court papers filed by Johnson's mother, Teri.

"He believes (Johnson) is speaking to him personally through the television and via ESP and that he will be with her no matter what," Johnson's court papers state.

"This incident has caused us severe emotional distress, we have been on the move ever since and have not been able to rest for fear that this disturbed person will attempt to make good on his statements and attempt to harm my daughter and possibly us as well," Teri Johnson wrote in the papers.

A hearing on whether to extend the order was set for April 14 in Los Angeles County Superior Court.

O'Ryan is being held on $35,000 bail on suspicion of carrying a loaded firearm in public.

http://www.ktla.com/landing/?blockID=249424&feedID=171 (http://www.ktla.com/landing/?blockID=249424&feedID=171)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on March 25, 2009, 08:52:13 PM
Updated from Entertainment tonight

'Dancing with the Stars'' Shawn Johnson Files Restraining Order

ET has obtained the restraining order filed on Shawn Johnson's behalf against a man who allegedly tried to crash the set of "Dancing with the Stars" on Tuesday to meet the 17-year-old contestant.

According to the temporary order filed by Johnson's mother, Robert O'Ryan, 34, must not harass Johnson in any way, contact her directly or indirectly, or try to determine her present whereabouts. The order also specifies that Johnson's mother, father and pro "Dancing" partner Mark Ballas seek protection from O'Ryan.

Johnson's publicist tells ET: "The matter has been turned over to the Los Angeles Police Department and the Los Angeles District Attorney's office. It is currently an ongoing investigation and we are confident that it will be handled appropriately by all involved."

According to the restraining order, O'Ryan was arrested while trespassing on CBS Studios in an attempt to contact the Olympic gymnast. At that time, he stated he had permanently left Florida to drive cross country to L.A. because he believes Johnson is "speaking to him personally through the television and via ESP and that he will be with her no matter what."

The order says O'Ryan's vehicle contained two loaded guns and "other incriminating items" such as duct tape. Police also discovered love letters to Johnson.

O'Ryan is being held on $35,000 bail, according to his booking sheet. His court hearing is scheduled for April 14.

http://www.etonline.com/news/2009/03/72187/index.html (http://www.etonline.com/news/2009/03/72187/index.html)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on March 25, 2009, 10:19:26 PM


More on Shawn from extratv:

Court documents here: http://extratv.warnerbros.com/images/news/0325johnsonpdf.pdf (http://extratv.warnerbros.com/images/news/0325johnsonpdf.pdf)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on March 25, 2009, 10:22:33 PM
Video:

GMA with DWTS Denise Richards & Maksim Chmerkovskiy


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cBqnfr3UMHs (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cBqnfr3UMHs)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: Kiwi Jay on March 25, 2009, 10:25:20 PM
Idiot!!!!!!
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on March 25, 2009, 10:26:56 PM
Video:

DWTS: Denise Richards with tvguide's Hollywood 411


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=seIQVCovDTg (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=seIQVCovDTg)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on March 25, 2009, 10:30:38 PM

Idiot!!!!!!


I know what a nut .... poor Shawn and her family it's so sad  :(

Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: TARAsia Fan on March 25, 2009, 10:56:48 PM
That is sick. I'm glad the guy was caught. I hope he goes to jail for a very long time.
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on March 25, 2009, 11:19:12 PM

That is sick. I'm glad the guy was caught. I hope he goes to jail for a very long time.


It is sick and disturbing I can't imagine how they must feel
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on March 25, 2009, 11:20:23 PM
Ty Murray Blogs:

Today was a tough day for Chelsie. The Lindy Hop is a lot of throws and flips. I have to flip her under my legs, over my shoulder, up over my head and around me so, as you can imagine, we both crashed a couple times today.

She got a few knots on her head and some of her hair pulled out, but Chelsie's a tough little cookie.

My neck kind of got wrenched today, but it's just a matter of figuring it all out. This is going to be an interesting dance because it's new to Chelsie too. We're trying to learn it by watching it on the Internet.

Obviously everything she knows about dance is going to work in her favor, but she's never done the Lindy Hop so it makes it kind of interesting and that's why we got in some wrecks today. We're both trying to do some pretty advanced things and neither one of us know the tricks of the trade yet.

It probably would have been funny for somebody to have been a fly on the wall and watched me get her up above my head and then slip and fall.

When you crash like that neither one of you are trying to do that, but it just happens. It's a good thing she's a tough kid, but you still feel horrible about it.

I'm hoping the physicality of this dance is going to help me to go out there and attack it, which might help with the nerves. But, at the end of the day, it's still dancing and it's still on a count to the music and it's going really fast.

Maybe it'll slow down for me, but right now the Lindy Hop makes the quickstep seem slow. There's a lot going on in a short amount of time so Chelsie is working her butt off.

Not only does she have to rehearse with me all day, but then, at night, she has to go and rehearse group dances the professionals do during the show, which, I guess, for the pros they pick it up real fast. It's just a matter of telling everybody what the choreography is and then they run it through a couple of times.

I still feel good and I think a lot of that has to do with the fact that Jewel and I have gotten a good night's sleep the past couple nights, but the next few days are going to be pretty rigorous and that much harder than they've been. As long as I know what's in front of me and I can prepare for it then it'll be no problem.

I'm so excited to have a chance to go to Albuquerque this weekend to see how the bull riding looks at The Pit. I can't wait.

In any case, I think Chelsie and I are going to get a good hold on this one. I feel more positive about this routine than I have about any of them so far, and we're both looking forward to Monday night.

http://www.pbrnow.com/blog/index.cfm/2009/3/25/Chelsies-a-tough-little-cookie (http://www.pbrnow.com/blog/index.cfm/2009/3/25/Chelsies-a-tough-little-cookie)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on March 25, 2009, 11:30:36 PM
Video:

Dancing With the Stars Ty Murray & Chelsie Hightower

Dancing With the Stars Ty Murray & Chelsie Hightower

talk about the upcoming double elimination among other things.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WObUGAW7kOI (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WObUGAW7kOI)

Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on March 25, 2009, 11:41:41 PM
more on Shawn Johnson:

Alleged Shawn Johnson Stalker Arrested Near DWTS Set

A man alleged to be a crazed fan of Olympian Shawn Johnson was arrested Tuesday near the set of Dancing with the Stars. Police later found two loaded guns in the man's car.

Robert O'Ryan, 34, allegedly jumped a fence at CBS Studios in L.A. where the show was filming, but was caught by security. Johnson's mother, Teri, requested and received a temporary restraining order from the L.A. Superior Court on Wednesday.

Approached by security while roaming the studio grounds, O'Ryan admitted he was attempting to meet Johnson, but after Johnson was contacted and said she didn't know O'Ryan, he changed his story and said he was there to meet Steve-O, according to court documents. No one in Steve-O's group knew O'Ryan, either.

O'Ryan allegedly told LAPD that he had "packed all his belongings and permanently left Florida to drive out here to be with [Johnson]," Teri Johnson wrote in the request for a restraining order.

Among the disturbing items allegedly found in the man's car: A loaded shotgun, a loaded Colt .45 handgun and Johnson memorabilia.

"This incident has caused us severe emotional distress, we have been on the move ever since and have not been able to rest at all for fear that this disturbed person will attempt to make good on his statements and attempt to harm my daughter and possibly us as well," Teri Johnson added in the papers.

O'Ryan remains in police custody as of Wednesday. He has been ordered to stay 100 yards away from Johnson, 17, not to communicate with her and not to harass her parents or dancing partner Mark Ballas. Bail has been set at $35,000.

Johnson's rep, Susan Madore, tells PEOPLE in a statement released Wednesday: "The matter has been turned over to the Los Angeles Police Department and the Los Angeles District Attorney's office. It is currently an ongoing investigation and we are confident that it will be handled appropriately by all involved."

Attempts to reach ABC were unsuccessful.

http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20267888,00.html (http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20267888,00.html)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on March 26, 2009, 12:33:57 AM
Posted on Lacey's site:

Thanks for voting for Lacey & Steve-O!

Hi everyone! I know you'd rather be hearing from Lacey but as you can imagine-she is extremely busy! So I'd figured I'd say a few things....

First, I just wanted to thank everyone who has been voting for Lacey & Steve-O this season! Your support has been amazing!

When I first found out that Lacey would be dancing with Steve-O, I had my doubts! Since he has been on the show I've grown to absolutely adore him! He has the most amazing smile and his laughter is contagious! I love his spirit and determination! I think Lacey has made a dancer out of this man already! It's unfortunate that he injured himself. That has really taken a toll on him as well as Lacey.... But even with all the setbacks they both are more determined than ever! Steve-O really wants to dance! 

Last week was very painful to watch! It was scary to see Steve-O taken away by ambulance! (Thank god he's ok now)! And then to have their dress rehearsal judged since he couldn't dance was just very nerve wracking! Of course their routine would have been fantastic if Steve-O would not have gotten injured! He was essentially walking through the routine in the dress rehearsal-saving all his energy for the live performance...Once the video tape was over and it was time to be judged-I felt absolutely horrible for Lacey as she stood there getting berated for something that was totally out of her control! It amazes me that she was able to hold it together after all that!!! She is a very strong young lady... 

Of course the pain continued to result night! I was so angry at the producers for making Lacey & Steve-O wait until the bitter end to find out that they were safe! I've never seen Lacey look so sad and upset before and I hope to never see that again! She didn't deserve that....

I'm so glad that this week was a much better week all around! I thought Lacey & Steve-O did an excellent job dancing the Fox Trot! Yes I know there were a couple of mistakes but believe me Steve-O knew his routine and even danced it perfectly in the dress rehearsal! I think he just got nervous when he came out on stage. Who can blame him when both he and Lacey get criticized for every little thing they do by the judges! But that's a whole other blog!!!

At least last nights result show was not as bad as last weeks but again they had to wait until the bitter end before being given the great news-they were SAFE!!!!!! Lacey was definitely shocked to hear that they'd made it through-that was quite evident by the look on her face. I think she thought they would be in the bottom two and have to be in the dance off-NOT!!!!!

Lacey & Steve-O have the most amazing fans in the world! You guys have rallied together and pulled them through this crisis!  We need to keep Lacey & Steve-O in the competition so that he can continue to grow as a dancer and show us just what he is capable of! With Lacey as his teacher-there will be no limit to what Steve-O can do! We have yet to see his best!

This week Lacey & Steve-O will be dancing the Lindy Hop and I simply can't wait to see what Lacey has in store for us! She has the most amazing choreography I've ever seen and I always look forward to seeing her perform. With the Lindy Hop being such a fun and high energy dance I think Steve-O will be fabulous!!!   

Also this week there will be a DOUBLE elimination so we REALLY need to vote as much and as often as we can!!! Let's show Lacey & Steve-O that we are behind them 100%!!! A few friends and I have been sending out reminders every Sunday night on myspace, facebook and twitter to make sure everyone's ready for Monday night! I would like to ask that you do the same-if you have a myspace, facebook, bebo, twitter or whatever please send out reminders to all of your friends!!! You may use our "vote for Lacey & Steve-O" banner or make your own!! Together we can keep our favorite couple in the competition!!!

(http://i389.photobucket.com/albums/oo334/marigoldrealityfanforum/lcyste.gif)

DON'T FORGET TO WATCH DANCING WITH THE STARS NEXT MONDAY NIGHT, MARCH 30TH AND THEN VOTE-VOTE-VOTE LIKE CRAZY FOR LACEY & STEVE-O!!!!

http://blog.laceymaeschwimmersworld.com/2009/03/25/thanks-for-voting-for-lacey--steveo.aspx (http://blog.laceymaeschwimmersworld.com/2009/03/25/thanks-for-voting-for-lacey--steveo.aspx)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on March 26, 2009, 12:41:03 AM
Posted on Julianne's site:

Julianne Hough Gets Tough With DWTS Judges at BLOGCRITICS.ORG

Only 20 years old and already a two-time dancing queen, Julianne Hough is now threatening to rule the country music kingdom. While the competition for a pretty princess in that realm might be much more fierce, at least she has found a Prince Charming to take her along for the ride.

The immediate goal for Hough, who's paired in Season 8 of Dancing With The Stars with country singer and real-life boyfriend Chuck Wicks, is to win her third mirrorball trophy as one of the show's most vibrant and vivacious performers.

If only the current powers that be will give the cute couple a break.

While teaming them up seemed like a natural — Julianne came back for another run this spring after she earlier had decided to take a hiatus to concentrate on her singing career — the duo hasn't exactly wooed DWTS judges Len Goodman, Bruno Tonioli and Carrie Ann Inaba.

Hough admits the harsh criticism has left her a little annoyed, and she expressed her dissatisfaction on her video blog this week (see below), when she defied the posted order to "KEEP OFF THE JUDGES TABLE AND PLATFORM."

But during a March 19 phone interview, when Hough became the latest participant in the Pop (Culture) Quiz, she appeared upbeat about the situation, though she believes the couple that is romantically involved has a couple of strikes against them.

Asked if the judges are tougher on them, Hough didn't hesitate to reply. "I definitely think so," she said with a laugh. "I think there's this hidden thing where everybody thinks he can dance because we're dating. And he never danced a lick. He grew up on a potato farm in Delaware. He's definitely just a normal guy. I think the disadvantage for us is that everybody thinks it's an advantage."

And the fact that she's won twice already (with speedskater Apolo Anton Ohno in spring 2007, her first appearance on the show, then with race car driver Helio Castroneves in fall 2007) doesn't help matters.

"I think there's an expectation for sure of what the judges want to see," Hough said. "I mean, it just makes us more motivated. We're really excited about this next week."

Despite the criticism, Hough likes her chances to become the show's first three-time winner and, with Wicks, the first real-life couple to share the throne. "You know, I think we're in a good place," she said. "We're about fifth out of 13 right now; I think that's great because the show is all about improving and showing progression and hopefully he'll progress each week and one week we can go like, 'Oh my gosh, he's in it to win it.' So I think we're in a good spot right now."

The blonde bombshell with the hot moves also has performed the Quickstep in making the transition to become a singer-songwriter and reside in Nashville, the country music capital. Signed in 2008 to Mercury Nashville (now part of Universal Music Nashville) , her self-titled debut reached No. 1 on the Billboard Country Album chart last May and also peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard 200 chart.

And when Hough leaves her dancing shoes behind to appear on the 44th Academy of Country Music Awards on April 5 (CBS, 8 p.m. EDT/PDT) at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, she'll already be a winner. On March 6, it was announced Hough had won the fan voting for the ACM's top new female vocalist, joining a heady group of past winners including Shania Twain, Faith Hill, Lee Ann Womack and Carrie Underwood. Her fellow nominees were Sarah Buxton and Ashton Shepherd.

That night she'll have a chance to win another award as top new artist, going up against top new male vocalist Jake Owen and the Zac Brown Band, which was named the top new vocal duo or group. Fan voting began March 16 and runs until the beginning of the show's live telecast.

"It's nerve-wracking, but it's fun," said the optimistic and radiant Hough, who performed March 19 in Orlando, Fla., before traveling to Connecticut then to Biloxi, Miss., to appear on a bill with former Trick Pony singer Heidi Newfield ("Johnny & June") on March 21. She's also looking forward to joining current country king George Strait on his summer tour that begins May 9 in Hidalgo, Texas.

On this rare afternoon off, though, Hough was enjoying a chance to spend some rare quiet time with the "love of my life." But don't jump to any conclusions. It wasn't Wicks she was cuddling with, but her 8-month-old Cavalier King Charles Spaniel named Lexi.

Wicks, 29, is also new to the country music business, having released his first album, Starting Now (RCA Nashville), in January 2008. The pair met that month while touring with Brad Paisley and soon became an item on the celebrity circuit.

And while falling in love and becoming a famous power country couple like Tim McGraw and Faith Hill might be on the agenda, there are other worlds to conquer at the moment. And some tough dance practices.

"It's so funny, we were just talking about this the other day," Hough said. "We were like, 'Wow, we really need a date night.' Because even though we're with each other all day, we miss each other. Because (while preparing for the show), we aren't really Chuck and Julianne, boyfriend/girlfriend. It's like total strictly business, professional ... it's all about work. So we're like, 'We miss each other,' even though we're with each other all day."

Besides, Hough joked, "It's kind of hard to do duets when you're on different labels."

1. Country music duo: Johnny and June, Tim McGraw and Faith Hill or Sugarland (although bandmates Jennifer Nettles and Kristian Bush work together on strictly a professional basis)?
"I would say Johnny and June. For me, I kind of have a special ... Chuck and I both do have a special kind of inkling toward them because we met on tour; we kind of felt like that was kind of our story (laughs). We remember watching Walk the Line with Reese Witherspoon and Joaquin Phoenix. ... And then Heidi Newfield's song came out. It was all kind of around the same time that we were dating and we were on tour together, so we were like, 'We love that.' "

2. American Idol, America's Got Talent or America's Next Top Model?
"I've never seen America's Got Talent. ... I sometimes watch America's Next Top Model because I'm getting ready in the morning. And American Idol I never really have gotten into it because it's one of those ones you really have to follow it and be invested in it. So I don't know. ... I'd probably say American Idol just because it's music and that's more of what I'm focused on."

3. Facebook, MySpace or Twitter?
"I'm still on MySpace. I haven't really crossed over to Facebook completely. I still use Facebook but I haven't completely crossed over. And I haven't started Twitter yet. I'm about to. My dad (Bruce) actually was the one who introduced Twitter to Chuck and I before it started getting really big. He introduced us to it like last year when a lot of the Presidential candidates were using it. So I haven't started it yet but I think I'm going to."


4. Grand Ole Opry, Ryman Auditorium or the Bluebird Cafe?
"Oh my goodness. I think the Ryman. My Opry debut was at the Ryman (on December 16, 2008). And it was really, really cool. I got to sing with Martina McBride and Carrie Underwood. It was a really big show. It was the Opry and it was at the Ryman. So I got to experience both. It was amazing. I've been a huge fan of Martina and looked up to her for a long time. And then I loved Carrie when she was on American Idol (in 2005); I think that was the only season that I really watched. I think I even voted for her. So that was cool. I'm a big fan of Carrie's as well. I think she's great, especially with what she's obviously done."

5. Bruno, Len or Carrie Ann?
"I would say Len. He knows more about the ballroom and the Latin and even though he's more tough, he's more constructive rather than just mean (laughs)."

http://juliannehough.com/ (http://juliannehough.com/)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on March 26, 2009, 01:51:34 AM
An update on Shawn:

Shawn Johnson 'in fear of her life' after 'Dancing with Stars' incident

West Des Moines gymnast and television star Shawn Johnson remains shaken by the arrest of a deranged fan who came to the set of “Dancing With the Stars” with loaded weapons in an attempt to find the Olympic gold medalist.

Details of a restraining order granted today in California outlined the arrest of Robert O’Ryan.

Documents allege O’Ryan, 34, jumped a fence Monday in an attempt to locate Johnson. A search of O’Ryan’s car revealed two loaded guns, duct tape, zip ties and the 17-year-old Johnson is “in fear of her life,” according to court records.

Johnson’s father, Doug, said his daughter was understandably disturbed by the incident.

“Well, yeah,” Doug Johnson told The Des Moines Register. “It would rattle anybody.”

Shawn Johnson spoke with WHO (TV-13) late tonight.

“We’re doing good. It’s been a little crazy,” said Shawn Johnson, who won Olympic gold in the balance beam at Beijing, China. “I’m so glad my parents are with me.”

Ryan was arrested Tuesday by Los Angeles police.

Court records indicated both guns in O’Ryan’s car were loaded. Duct tape and love letters also were in the car and Johnson’s mother, Teri, said police told her O’Ryan believed he was meant to have a child with her daughter.

Documents also alleged O’Ryan “believes that she speaks to him personally through the television set and through ESP."

Doug Johnson said there have been concerns with fans before, “but not to that extent.”

He indicated that the family could not comment on the situation, because they’ve been advised it involves an ongoing investigation. He said the family feels more comfortable, though, since the restraining order was granted.

“She’s doing fine — and everything seems to be under control right now,” Doug Johnson said.

In the brief interview with WHO, Shawn Johnson search for a bit of humor in the fact that she now employs a bodyguard.

“I have a new big brother who goes everywhere with me,” Johnson joked. “He weighs about 400 pounds.”

According to court documents, O’Ryan was stopped by security at CBS Studios, where “Dancing With the Stars” is produced, after he jumped on a fence.

A hearing on whether to grant a lengthy restraining order will be held on April 14. O’Ryan is in jail on $35,000 bail on suspicion of carrying a loaded firearm in public.

Records allege that O’Ryan told security guards and police that he packed up all his belongings and traveled to California from Florida in the hopes of being with Johnson.

A report by security guards at CBS Studios states that O’Ryan was carrying an expired concealed weapons permit.

http://www.desmoinesregister.com/article/20090325/NEWS/90325050/-1/ENT05 (http://www.desmoinesregister.com/article/20090325/NEWS/90325050/-1/ENT05)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on March 26, 2009, 02:01:50 AM
more on Shawn:

Shawn Johnson Under Tight Surveillance

Shawn Johnson is playing some serious defense in the wake of an obsessed and armed fan's arrest outside "Dancing With the Stars."

TMZ has learned the 17-year old has a new personal bodyguard, who's already been spotted shadowing her around town. Sources tell us Shawn's protector is an off-duty police officer.

Robert O'Ryan was arrested after trying to get into Monday night's taping of the show. Police found a loaded handgun and a loaded shotgun in his car. O'Ryan remains in police custody, held on $35,000 bail.

We're told Shawn, her "Dancing" partner Mark Ballas, and the rest of the cast weren't informed about O'Ryan's arrest until after Monday's show.

http://www.tmz.com/2009/03/26/shawn-johnson-under-tight-surveillance/ (http://www.tmz.com/2009/03/26/shawn-johnson-under-tight-surveillance/)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: TARAsia Fan on March 26, 2009, 08:30:47 AM
This season has gone from injuries to really serious with a stalker. Not to say surgery for Nancy O'Dell isn't serious, but I don't even know what to think anymore. This is beyond a curse.

This is like Nosferatu coming in and taking over.
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on March 26, 2009, 11:51:59 AM
An interesting article:

The Woz’s Dancing Fan Base Grows

Steve Wozniak has somehow wormed his way into America’s heart.

After receiving a drubbing from the judges — he scored a perfect 10…out of a possible 30 — after his samba performance (which featured a break-dance move, “the worm”) on Monday’s Dancing with the Stars, he landed in last place and was expected to face elimination.

Whether it was a judging backlash (the audience audibly booed the judges for their harsh comments, including Bruno Tonioli’s exclamation, “on your knees and beg for forgiveness!”) or pro Woz sites like VoteWoz.com (and its similarly named Twitter account) that is keeping the Apple co-founder in the competition, one thing is certain: The Woz survived and lives to dance another week.

Following Monday’s show, VoteWoz.com had more than 55,000 followers, according to CNN.com. Today, that number is just under 72,000. And the official Vote for Woz on ABC’s ‘Dancing With the Stars!’ Facebook group is mobilizing techies (so far 2,819 members) to keep their man in the competition.

So while Carrie Ann Inaba may have likened Wozniak’s worm move to that of a slug, it doesn’t look like The Woz is leaving the ballroom just yet.

http://tvwatch.people.com/2009/03/26/the-wozs-dancing-fan-base-grows%e2%80%a6and-grows/ (http://tvwatch.people.com/2009/03/26/the-wozs-dancing-fan-base-grows%e2%80%a6and-grows/)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on March 26, 2009, 12:00:11 PM
This season has gone from injuries to really serious with a stalker. Not to say surgery for Nancy O'Dell isn't serious, but I don't even know what to think anymore. This is beyond a curse.

This is like Nosferatu coming in and taking over.

More to come, I'm sure....we only just got past week 3! By the time the season ends, it'll probably be the most eventful and scandalous one ever!
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on March 26, 2009, 12:04:27 PM
Update on Shawn:

Shawn Johnson's Alleged Stalker Charged

Shawn Johnson's alleged stalker, Robert O'Ryan, has just been charged with one felony count of stalking and two misdemeanor counts of carrying a loaded firearm in a vehicle.

TMZ broke the story that O'Ryan was arrested Tuesday on the CBS lot -- during a "Dancing with the Stars" rehearsal -- after security confronted him and found out he had two loaded firearms in his car, along with duct tape and love letters to Shawn.

He is currently being held on $35,000 bail. With the charges just filed by the L.A. County District Attorney, prosecutors will ask that bail be upped to $220,000.

O'Ryan allegedly drove from his home in Florida to meet Johnson, with whom he felt a psychic connection.

http://www.tmz.com/2009/03/26/shawn-johnson-stalker-charged/ (http://www.tmz.com/2009/03/26/shawn-johnson-stalker-charged/)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on March 26, 2009, 12:27:04 PM
.... more

Man Charged with Stalking 'DWTS'' Shawn Johnson

A Florida man has been charged with stalking and carrying loaded guns after allegedly trying to crash the set of "Dancing with the Stars" Tuesday to meet contestant Shawn Johnson.

Robert O'Ryan, 34, is scheduled to be arraigned Thursday in Los Angeles and is charged with one felony count of stalking and two misdemeanor counts of carrying a loaded firearm in a vehicle, said a spokeswoman for the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office. He is currently being held on $35,000 bail, but prosecutors will ask that this be increased to $220,000, the spokeswoman said.

O'Ryan was arrested after allegedly trying to jump a security fence at CBS Studios in Los Angeles where the hit ABC show is filmed. Police allegedly found a loaded handgun and shotgun in his car, as well as love letters from O'Ryan to Johnson, who is a gold medal winning Olympic gymnast. If convicted, O'Ryan faces up to four years in prison.

O'Ryan allegedly stated that he had permanently left Florida to drive cross country to L.A. because he believes Johnson is "speaking to him personally through the television and via ESP and that he will be with her no matter what."

A temporary restraining order was filed on Johnson's behalf against O'Ryan and stated that he is not allowed to harass her in any way, contact her directly or indirectly, or try to determine her present whereabouts. Johnson's mother and father are also protected from O'Ryan under the order.

Commenting on the incident, a "Dancing with the Stars" spokesperson told ET: "The appropriate authorities are handling the matter."

http://www.etonline.com/news/2009/03/72204/index.html (http://www.etonline.com/news/2009/03/72204/index.html)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on March 26, 2009, 12:52:44 PM
more

Shawn Johnson’s Alleged ‘Dancing With The Stars’ Stalker Charged

A 34-year-old Florida man arrested Tuesday outside the “Dancing With the Stars” studio with two loaded guns in his possession was charged today with stalking and carrying loaded firearms, the Los Angeles District Attorney’s office announced.

Robert Michael O’Ryan is scheduled to be arraigned today after he allegedly tried to break onto the “Dancing” set to meet Olympic champ Shawn Johnson on Wednesday.

He was charged with one felony count of stalking and two misdemeanor counts of carrying a loaded firearm in a vehicle. He is being held on $35,000 bail, but prosecutors will ask bail be set at $220,000.

O’Ryan was arrested after allegedly trying to jump a security fence at CBS Studios in the Wilshire District where the ABC show is filmed.

He allegedly drove from Florida to meet 17-year-old Johnson, who is currently a contestant on the show.

Access has confirmed that a Los Angles court judge granted a temporary restraining order against O’Ryan, which was requested by Johnson’s mother, Teri, in court on Wednesday.

O’Ryan must also stay away from the gymnasta’s parents, Teri and Doug.

According to the restraining order request filed by Teri Johnson, O’Ryan stated that he “packed all his belongings, permanently left Florida to drive across the country because be believes [Shawn] is speaking to him personally through the television via ESP and that he will be with her no matter what,” the statement read.

Additionally the request noted that O’Ryan had “two loaded guns” – a 45mm handgun, a loaded shotgun “and materials classically used for kidnapping including duct tape, zip ties, a map to the victim,” the court filing read. “Also found were love letters, clippings and other information on the victim.”

On Wednesday evening, a rep for Johnson released a statement to Access.

“The matter has been turned over to the Los Angeles Police Department and the Los Angeles District Attorney’s office,” the statement read. “It is currently an ongoing investigation and we are confident that it will be handled appropriately by all involved.”

If convicted, Ryan faces up to four years in state prison.

http://www.tmz.com/2009/03/26/shawn-johnson-stalker-charged/ (http://www.tmz.com/2009/03/26/shawn-johnson-stalker-charged/)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on March 26, 2009, 12:54:50 PM

If convicted, Ryan faces up to four years in state prison.


Poor girl having to live with this I hope he leaves her alone once he's out
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on March 26, 2009, 01:31:28 PM
A blog from Woz:

On Mar 26, 2009

"I try very hard to respond to every email I receive, but lately that has taken time away from my learning a dance. I know you are behind me, and I very much appreciate your well-wishes through email, but I request that you save the those emails for after the DWTS show, so I can truly focus on learning the dances. I want to do better and surprise the judges and the world this time around. I want to challenge myself to reach new heights in my dancing. It's really hard."

...When you are on Dancing With The Stars, you have to practice and learn all day long. I have to put off my computer time for the entire day. After practice we have mandatory press interviews, DWTS "master" interviews, then dinner with family or friends, emergencies like phone replacements, etc.

By late evening, maybe 9 or 10 PM most nights, I can get down to my serious batch of computer work. If it's quick, I have time to work on my dance steps. Most nights, like last night, I take home my music and some videos of our practice and I can work for hours to perfect moves. Last night I had my dinner with a true compatriot, Steve O. He has an incredibly fan base that doesn't overlap mine and I consider him a strong ally. And vice-versa.

Yesterday, and the day before, I wound up with hundreds of emails, yes hundreds, from all of you, basically wishing me well...

...yesterday, I wound up done with email around 1 AM. I had to awaken at 5:30 AM for a major entertainment channel interview this morning (I'm a few minutes early)...

...Had I been sent home, I would have had even less time and I wouldn't have been able to read the massive email load for 2 or 3 days, due to the schedule we are contracted to upon being ejected. I might never be able to read them if I get something like 400 emails behind. I'd have to sack them all.

This is a sad reality of life in this busy time. You have to believe and trust me on this one. I will keep you informed, as long as I have bits of time. I will read all the email I receive, if I am able. That I still promise you. But keep in mind...there are only 24 hours in a day.

On the good note, we are started on our Argintine Waltz. This is Karina's favorite dance. Again, she is going for extremely dramatic dance moves that will surprise and stun you all. The music sounded very strange and dark to me the first time. I would tell you the artist but my iTunes totally failed last night and I have to make time today to get it fixed at the local Apple Store (it quits with horrible error messages...odd, since I'd had no crashes of any kind...I hope my MacBook Pro SSD is not losing bits). But I played this music as I slept last night, all 4 hours of it. By the time I awoke, I have to say that this is my favorite piece of music ever. This composer is so unique and original that I can't compare it to any piece, classical or pop, that I have ever heard in my life. Who would have known. It happens to be Karina's favorite dance composer. I'll get you the name when my iTunes gets fixed.

Karina and I are working hard to earn 8's and 9's from the judges. This time we don't want it to be our total score. The dance Karina worked out is so amazing that we actually have a chance of this, and we'll get twice as much time to practice as last week, save any injury. I will tell you that we don't slack off. I even spin Karina above me for a fill 360 ° rotation at one point, and flip her over my arm, a backwards flip, at another. We won't let you down...

Karina and I are determined to bring the appreciation of dance to a new height in America. It's not about us. It's about dance. I want to watch and enjoy dancing almost every waking hour now. It has taken over my life and is an extreme source of pleasure. I can't put it down for the rest of my life, show or no show. I run into countless people on the streets who express their gratitude. One couple yesterday told me that they were taking a ballroom dancing class and they were glad that you didn't have to feel that you are the world's best dancer to get out and do it for joy. These are the people who mean the most to me in the world, the ones who had a fun desire and didn't get scared away from it and actually found that they could do it and like it. I wish I'd taken a picture to share of this young couple.

Votes from fans that appreciate our positive energy have made a huge difference. I still can't say where in the standings we lie, but with enough internet organization we can win the whole thing and speak for a type of person who isn't well respected in this world of beautiful people getting all the attention and respect. When you vote 36 times for us, it means more than anything to me. But if you can convince 20 people to vote 36 times for us, that's what will take us over the top. I will do my best to serve as a role model for those who are often overlooked in society, but I need your support. Your numbers are probably already catching the eyes of the TV world. Let's not become forgotten by getting complacent and giving up watching and voting on Monday nights.

Let's keep this train rolling. Let's blaze new trails. Lets laugh and smile with each other.

Carry on,

Woz

http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?uid=49720779842&topic=8043 (http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?uid=49720779842&topic=8043)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on March 26, 2009, 02:37:53 PM
Update on Shawn:

Shawn Johnson's Alleged Stalker

TMZ has obtained photos of Robert O'Ryan -- the man accused of stalking Shawn Johnson. You will see him in court shortly, and he now looks more like Charles Manson than the clean cut dude you're looking at.

Link to view: http://www.tmz.com/2009/03/26/shawn-johnsons-alleged-stalker/ (http://www.tmz.com/2009/03/26/shawn-johnsons-alleged-stalker/)

*** note I will not post the stalker's image only provide a link
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on March 26, 2009, 06:10:20 PM
more on Shawn:

Johnson's Alleged Stalker Pleads Not Guilty

The man accused of stalking Shawn Johnson has just pled not guilty to all three charges -- one felony count of stalking and two misdemeanor counts of carrying a loaded firearm in a vehicle. Commissioner Kristi Lousteau ordered Robert O'Ryan to have no contact -- writing or electronic -- with Shawn. He must stay 500 yards away from her and from the CBS lot where "Dancing with the Stars" is taped.

O'Ryan's preliminary hearing is set for April 27 -- bail is set for $220,000.

FYI... O'Ryan's public defender objected to our camera in the courtroom -- to which the Commissioner replied, "What, are you worried about his hair not being combed, or something?"

Play Video provided here: http://www.tmz.com/2009/03/26/shawn-johnsons-alleged-stalker-pleads-not-guilty/ (http://www.tmz.com/2009/03/26/shawn-johnsons-alleged-stalker-pleads-not-guilty/)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on March 26, 2009, 07:20:03 PM

Regis & Kelly with DWTS Denise Richards & Maksim Chmerkovskiy


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-U91GsI7JTc (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-U91GsI7JTc)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on March 26, 2009, 07:22:06 PM
An interesting article on Ty and Jewel:

Dancing's Ty Murray Wants Two Kids for Him and Jewel

When leg injuries forced Jewel to drop out of this season's Dancing With the Stars, she promised she would be back one day.

But from the sound of it, her husband, fellow DWTS competitor Ty Murray, would like to start a family first.

"We'll see what the future holds, but it'll be hard to do [DWTS] if her belly is out to here," Murray says while stretching out his arms and hands to outline a big baby bump.

I caught up with the world champion rodeo cowboy yesterday at a West Hollywood dance studio, where he and pro partner Chelsie Hightower were practicing the Lindy Hop. Read on for more about Ty and Jewel's family plans, his new appreciation for musicals and his heartfelt message to the sports world.

"I think two," Murray says when asked about how many kids he wants. "In a perfect world, it would be great to have a little boy and a little girl, but you don't get to do it like that…We're trying not to focus on it too much. We're just trying to live our life and go about our life. When it should happen, it will happen."

For now, Murray is concentrating on learning his dance steps. It's something he never thought he'd be interested in. "I grew up watching John Wayne, Clint Eastwood and Robert De Niro and that sort of stuff," Murray says. "If ever I was watching TV and a musical broke out, I'd change the channel, but now I am seeing that with a complete different set of eyes."

And he's hoping his appearance on DWTS will open up a lot more eyes to the cowboy world. He not only agreed to compete this time around (producers had already asked two times) because it was something he could do with Jewel, but also, "It's a huge amount of exposure for the cowboy" and the Professional Bull Riders, an international organization that he cofounded and co-owns.

"For me, cowboys never get treated like viable athletes," he says, "and that's a hard thing to take when you dedicate yourself to a sport that is so difficult, is so technical and is so dangerous. The ESPY Awards don't even consider bull riding. I feel [professional cowboys] have every right to be amongst the greatest athletes in the world. So I feel like Dancing With the Stars is a chance to go represent the cowboys in a way that they're not normally represented."

http://ca.eonline.com/uberblog/marc_malkin/b106340_dancings_ty_murray_wants_two_kids_him.html (http://ca.eonline.com/uberblog/marc_malkin/b106340_dancings_ty_murray_wants_two_kids_him.html)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on March 26, 2009, 07:25:29 PM

Chuck Wicks Checks In from Dancing With The Stars


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1EweELO5t3s (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1EweELO5t3s)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on March 26, 2009, 08:04:53 PM

Lacey Schwimmer interview

DANCING WITH THE STARS pro Lacey Schwimmer talks about the injury-plagued Steve O,

judging controversies and gives her informed opinon of the remaining contestants.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=duqPkDdmJvs (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=duqPkDdmJvs)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on March 26, 2009, 10:23:45 PM
An interesting article: Holly's hurt

Holly Madison Takes Dancing Hit to the Ribs

Holly Madison may usually have a big smile on her face but that isn't a tickle she's feeling in her ribs.

"After experiencing pain in her rib area, Holly received medical attention," a rep for the former Girls Next Door roommate tells E! News. "While she is not suffering from a broken rib, she does continue to feel a great deal of discomfort and was prescribed pain medication."

"She is committed to the show and her partner, Dmitry, and will rest when she can," he continued. "She fully hopes and, at this time, expects to dance on Monday."

As if Tuesday's bottom-two appearance hadn't been enough of a gut check.

Publicist Steve Flynn said earlier today that Madison, a late addition to this season's cast after Jewel dropped out, first hurt herself last week while rehearsing the samba.

And when it came time to tango on this week, she just couldn't, and decided to hoof it to the doctor's office instead. ABC cameras followed her there, so we're sure to see some behind-the-scenes action on Monday's show.

In the meantime, Holly's in good company. Fellow contestants Gilles Marini, Steve-O, Steve Wozniak and probably everyone else (and we just don't know it yet) are dealing with injuries.

http://ca.eonline.com/uberblog/b106377_holly_madison_takes_dancing_hit_ribs.html (http://ca.eonline.com/uberblog/b106377_holly_madison_takes_dancing_hit_ribs.html)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on March 26, 2009, 10:26:09 PM
An interesting article:

Shawn Johnson $cores Big with "DWTS" Contract

Shawn Johnson is raking in the cash on "Dancing with the Stars" -- although she may not think it's worth the hassle of dealing with alleged stalker Robert O'Ryan.

We've obtained a copy of Shawn's "Dancing" contract -- a public document filed with the L.A. County Superior Court. A judge had to approve the deal because she's a minor. Under the contract, Shawn gets a guarantee of $125,000 for appearing on the show. By surviving the first elimination, she gets an additional $10,000 a week for weeks 3 and 4.

If Shawn survives the next eliminations, the rate doubles to $20,000 a week for weeks 5, 6 and 7. For weeks 8 and 9 she scores $30,000 a week.

And here's where it really gets sweet. In weeks 10 and 11, if Shawn makes it through, she gets $50,000 a week.

Total take if Shawn makes it to the final 2 -- $365,000.

Under the contract, Shawn must train approximately 20 hours a week. As for the all important issue of injuries ... the contract makes it clear that "Dancing" has no liability. It reads, "Artist releases Producer, Network ... from any and all claims ... arising from physical or other injury resulting from Artist's appearance in the Series..."

Nice work if you can get it.

http://www.tmz.com/2009/03/26/shawn-johnson-cores-big-with-dwts-contract/ (http://www.tmz.com/2009/03/26/shawn-johnson-cores-big-with-dwts-contract/)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on March 26, 2009, 10:35:14 PM
.... more on Shawn

Shawn Johnson Stalker Pleads Not Guilty

O'Ryan was arrested Tuesday at CBS studios, where authorities say they found loaded guns, duct tape and love letters in a car he drove from Florida to meet Johnson.

The 34-year-old was charged with one felony count of stalking and two misdemeanor counts of carrying a loaded gun in a vehicle. O'Ryan wore a red shirt and khaki pants with a scraggly beard and long brown hair down to his waist. During his arraignment in Los Angeles Superior Court, he attempted to hide behind his attorney, Public Defender Dwight Corum.

Bail was increased from $35,000 to $220,000, with a trial date set for April 27. If convicted, O'Ryan could face up to four years in prison.

After the arraignment, Johnson's attorney told press, "Shawn is 17, but she is mature and is feeling very comfortable and confident because she feels that everyone has handled this matter quickly and efficiently across the board."

A restraining order was issued Wednesday by request of Johnson's parents. It said she was "in fear of her life." Johnson's mother, Teri, says she was informed by police that O'Ryan believed he was meant to have a child with her daughter.

Miss Johnson is scheduled to continue competing on "Dancing with the Stars."

There is another video of the case in court here: http://extratv.warnerbros.com/2009/03/shawn_johnsons_stalker_appears.php (http://extratv.warnerbros.com/2009/03/shawn_johnsons_stalker_appears.php)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on March 26, 2009, 11:18:16 PM
Ty Murray's Blog: awww it can't be that bad

‘It really is like trying to teach a monkey’

We got in another long practice day before Chelsie and I had to film a segment with the entertainment news program "Extra" and do a photo shoot for "In Touch" magazine and some other press stuff for "Dancing with the Stars."

On "Extra" they had me take Chelsie and Mario Lopez over to the Saddle Ranch, which is on Sunset Boulevard, and teach them how to ride a mechanical bull. They both did pretty darn good.

Chelsie and I are gaining some ground with the Lindy Hop, but the both of us are pretty sore from some of the crashes we've taken in trying to figure out how to do these lifts right. But we're hanging in there and it's nothing serious. It's just a little soreness.

In a little bit we'll be on a flight to Albuquerque and we'll get in two more long rehearsal days while we're there. I have a real early radio tour tomorrow morning to promote the bull riding event and Chelsie will be doing some phone interviews.

I'll only be there for the first round of the event on Friday night and then we'll practice on Saturday in Albuquerque before we fly back.

We need to be in Los Angeles on Saturday night so that we can do camera blocking at the studio on Sunday. Once we do that we'll get one more long rehearsal in Sunday afternoon.

Chelsie polished up the choreography today so, I think, we're pretty set on what it's going to be. Now it's just a matter of trying to learn it, but it's a really fast dance so I'm still trying to learn all the footwork.

It really is like trying to teach a monkey. She's trying to get me to learn a pattern in a real short amount of time and it's hard for me to just make a change. It's like you cut a link the chain and then the monkey has to figure it all out again.

But, like I mentioned, we have pretty good handle on it.

http://www.pbrnow.com/blog/index.cfm/2009/3/26/It-really-is-like-trying-to-teach-a-monkey (http://www.pbrnow.com/blog/index.cfm/2009/3/26/It-really-is-like-trying-to-teach-a-monkey)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on March 26, 2009, 11:30:22 PM
more on Holly:

Holly Madison Examined for ‘Excruciating’ Pain from Injury

The Dancing With the Stars injury bug has bit another victim — this time Holly Madison.

A rep for the Girls Next Door star tells PEOPLE that Madison was taken to the doctor Thursday after a pain in her side became excruciating, preventing her from rehearsing.

“She hurt herself last week when she was rehearsing the Samba,” Steve Flynn, Madison’s rep, says. “(Thursday) she was practicing the tango and the pain was so bad that it made it basically impossible for her to move.”

ABC camera crews were with Madison at the doctor’s visit. “While she is not suffering a broken rib, she does continue to feel a great deal of discomfort and was prescribed pain medication,” Flynn says.

Madison “is committed to the show” and hopes to dance on Monday after getting rest, he says. “She was in a lot of pain last week,” the rep says. “But you know, Holly’s a gamer. She wants to do this so bad and she wants to do well. She really didn’t tell a lot of people how badly she was injured because she doesn’t want to give herself any excuses.”

Madison, who actually replaced Jewel when the singer got injured, told PEOPLE last weekend at Prive Las Vegas that she was using “positive thinking” to stay injury-free.

“I’m getting bruised up,” she said. “I’m thinking really positive. Physically it’s the most difficult thing I’ve done.”

http://tvwatch.people.com/2009/03/26/holly-madison-examined-for-excruciating-pain-from-injury/ (http://tvwatch.people.com/2009/03/26/holly-madison-examined-for-excruciating-pain-from-injury/)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on March 26, 2009, 11:33:45 PM
Video:

DWTS: Jewel Interview


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7GJrtSvvMJM (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7GJrtSvvMJM)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on March 27, 2009, 12:15:36 AM
More on Holly:

EXCLUSIVE: DWTS' Holly Madison Injured But Expected to Return Monday

Holly Madison is the latest Dancing With the Star competitor to get injured!

She was experiencing pain before performing on this week's show, and while rehearsing for the tango on Thursday, the pain got significantly worse. She received medical attention and a broken rib was ruled out.

"While she is not suffering from a broken rib, she does continue to feel a great deal of discomfort and was prescribed pain medication," Madison's rep tells Usmagazine.com exclusively. "She is committed to the show and her partner, Dmitry and will rest when she can. She fully hopes and, at this time, expects to dance on Monday."

Madison complained to Us of having bruised ribs this week and hoped that she wouldn't have to do the elimination round's dance-off. (Madison did end up competing in the dance-off against Denis Richards, who went home Tuesday.)

Madison signed on to compete in DWTS after replacing Jewel, who suffered a dancing-related injury before the show's premiere. Nancy O'Dell also dropped out of the competition before it even began due to injury. Other current contestants, including Steve-O and Steve Wozniak, have also suffered physical injuries this season.

http://www.usmagazine.com/news/idwtsi-holly-madison-injured-but-expected-return-monday-2009263 (http://www.usmagazine.com/news/idwtsi-holly-madison-injured-but-expected-return-monday-2009263)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on March 27, 2009, 12:43:20 AM
Video:

Shawn Johnson, Stalker and CBS Studio on GMA


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n1bSKKhdJq8 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n1bSKKhdJq8)


Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on March 27, 2009, 01:06:26 AM
New Photo: Shawn Johnson In Good Spirits

(http://i212.photobucket.com/albums/cc289/CuteboiWill/400_sjohnson_090326_inf_936585.jpg)

"Dancing with the Stars" contestant Shawn Johnson appeared in good spirits Thursday in Los Angeles.

The Olympic gymnast was seen leaving CBS Studios the same day her alleged stalker Robert O'Ryan appeared in court.

O'Ryan appeared in court in Los Angeles on Thursday and pleaded not guilty to all three counts against him.

http://www.etonline.com/news/2009/03/72235/index.html
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on March 27, 2009, 04:41:20 AM
Video: she looks great

Nancy O'Dell Talks To Us About Her Injured Knee


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L9dDN2MJJ3Y (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L9dDN2MJJ3Y)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on March 27, 2009, 04:44:35 AM
Video: a quick look at Shawn

Shawn Johnson Leaves Dance Studio In West Hollywood


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p2XWKAuzio8 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p2XWKAuzio8)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on March 27, 2009, 04:53:34 AM
Ty Murray talks about Shawn:

"Dancing" Star: Alleged Stalker's a "Kook!"

"DWTS" contestant Ty Murray is speaking out about Shawn Johnson's alleged stalker, by saying it's "unfortunate there are kooks in the world."

Video available here: http://www.tmz.com/2009/03/27/dancing-star-alleged-stalkers-a-kook/ (http://www.tmz.com/2009/03/27/dancing-star-alleged-stalkers-a-kook/)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: TexasLady on March 27, 2009, 07:33:15 AM
Wow! Shawn Johnson's stalker is really getting his 15 minutes of fame!  :lol3: Lock him up and throw away the key.  :whips


Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on March 27, 2009, 07:37:58 AM
Wow! Shawn Johnson is really getting his 15 minutes of fame!  :lol3: Lock him up and throw away the key.  :whips


 :duno:  huh, Shawn Johnson is a 17 year old GIRL
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: TexasLady on March 27, 2009, 07:58:50 AM
Wow! Shawn Johnson is really getting his 15 minutes of fame!  :lol3: Lock him up and throw away the key.  :whips


 :duno:  huh, Shawn Johnson is a 17 year old GIRL

Oppsie! I meant Shawn Johnson's stalker is really getting his 15 minutes of fame! Must. Drink. Coffee. Before . Posting!

Thank you for correcting me Marigold.
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on March 27, 2009, 08:04:48 AM
Just to give you an idea how much ABC is paying the celebrities to be on DWTS

Shawn Johnson $cores Big with "DWTS" Contract

Shawn Johnson is raking in the cash on "Dancing with the Stars" -- although she may not think it's worth the hassle of dealing with alleged stalker Robert O'Ryan.

We've obtained a copy of Shawn's "Dancing" contract -- a public document filed with the L.A. County Superior Court. A judge had to approve the deal because she's a minor. Under the contract, Shawn gets a guarantee of $125,000 for appearing on the show. By surviving the first elimination, she gets an additional $10,000 a week for weeks 3 and 4.

If Shawn survives the next eliminations, the rate doubles to $20,000 a week for weeks 5, 6 and 7. For weeks 8 and 9 she scores $30,000 a week.

And here's where it really gets sweet. In weeks 10 and 11, if Shawn makes it through, she gets $50,000 a week.

Total take if Shawn makes it to the final 2 -- $365,000.

Under the contract, Shawn must train approximately 20 hours a week. As for the all important issue of injuries ... the contract makes it clear that "Dancing" has no liability. It reads, "Artist releases Producer, Network ... from any and all claims ... arising from physical or other injury resulting from Artist's appearance in the Series..."

Nice work if you can get it.

http://www.tmz.com/2009/03/27/shawn-johnson-cores-big-with-dwts-contract/
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: TARAsia Fan on March 27, 2009, 08:08:52 AM
Because many of the celebrities are giving up other projects and time to do this so ABC has to come up with some cash to attract people. Some like Lisa Rinna have felt the effort was worthwhile because of the work she has received from the attention on DWTS, others don't see much of an effect. I know that Beth Ostrowski (Howard Stern's wife) turned down the offer to go on because of the time commitment and flying back and forth from the East coast to do the show.
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on March 27, 2009, 08:34:01 AM
I'm sure most of the celebrities that appear on the show donate their earnings to charity.
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on March 27, 2009, 10:54:46 AM
click on link below to view video

Julianne Hough & Chuck Wicks Blog: Who's in the Doghouse?


New video: A special treat just for ETonline.com! "Dancing" stars Julianne Hough and her boyfriend/dance partner Chuck Wicks are blogging from the ET set to reveal the latest on their progress in the competition.

"It's going really well," Julianne says. But, Chuck adds, "Steve Wozniak got a 10 and he still wasn't even in the bottom two ... fans, it is up to you -- and we need your votes."

What dance is the country couple doing next week -- and who's in the doghouse if they hit a low score? Watch the video to find out!

http://www.etonline.com/news/2009/03/72197/index.html
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on March 27, 2009, 01:35:50 PM
An interesting article:

Maks & Karina's Wedding Details

Engaged Dancing With the Stars pros Maksim Chermkovskiy and Karina Smirnoff are working out their wedding plans – and just like in the ballroom, he's taking the lead.

While Maks tells OK! he's letting Karina handle the details, she jokes, "He's leaving it up to me to do it his way!" And that means a big wedding.

"At the rate it's going, it will be huge," says Karina. "I'd rathr have a small party, but a huge honeymoon in Bora Bora."

But Karina, who accepted Maks' proposal in Las Vegas on New Year's Eve, insists, "I'm easy. If he wants a big wedding with a band, we'll do it."

Still, Maks and Karina must also consider their families' wishes. While both are half Jewish, Karina considers herself a Christian, so she says, "I think we'd have a priest and a rabbi [officiate]."

Stressful wedding decisions aside, Karina couldn't be happier that she's marrying Maks.

"I've had my share of frogs that I've had to kiss until I found my prince."

http://www.ok-magazine.com/news/view/12857 (http://www.ok-magazine.com/news/view/12857)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on March 27, 2009, 01:40:43 PM
Video:

Ty Murray interview on Big I 107.9 - Albuquerque NM


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6roU68I0Stk (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6roU68I0Stk)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on March 27, 2009, 02:01:26 PM
An interesting article:

DWTS' Melissa: Born to Dance!

Melissa Rycroft got her first taste of reality TV stardom long before getting dumped by Jason Mesnick on The Bachelor, then turning heads with partner Tony Dovolani on Dancing With The Stars.

Texas native Melissa, 26, strutted her stuff with pro football's famous Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders during 2006/2007, and appeared in that season of the CMT network series Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders: Making the Team.

But even before her reality TV debut, Melissa was the hottest hoofer at her high school. In fact, she was even First Lieutenant of the drill team during her 2001 senior year at Newman Smith High School in Carrollton, Texas. Check out Star's exclusive pics below!

(http://i389.photobucket.com/albums/oo334/marigoldrealityfanforum/mdws.jpg)

http://www.starmagazine.com/news/15394 (http://www.starmagazine.com/news/15394)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on March 27, 2009, 02:14:26 PM

Shawn Johnson Stalker Detained his neighbors talk


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_l0sYhqDQjE (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_l0sYhqDQjE)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on March 27, 2009, 03:26:48 PM
 :groan:   :lol:

Steve-O Blogs:

Getting Extreme With The Woz

Hello Everyone,

After seeing the way George W. Bush landed flat on his face while trying to ride one of these "Segway" contraptions, I must admit I have been terrified of them. They say the way to overcome fear is to face it and, fortunately, my good friend, Steve Wozniak, afforded me that opportunity tonight. We went out for dinner together and, afterwards, the Woz insisted that I learn how to ride the device that maimed the former President of the USA. The Woz has given me nothing but great advice since we met, so I willingly became his student. He taught me everything I needed to know for our journey to the nearest Apple Store, where we posed for photos. I think I can safely speak for my fellow Steve, by saying that we are both deeply touched and honored by the votes from all of you that have kept us alive in this dancing competition- despite the fact that the judges have deemed us to be the two worst dancers to have entered it. Thank you all, so very much.

I love you all,

Steve-O

Sent from my iPhone

(http://i389.photobucket.com/albums/oo334/marigoldrealityfanforum/sands1.jpg)

http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendId=2231003&blogId=479158730 (http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendId=2231003&blogId=479158730)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on March 27, 2009, 09:04:37 PM
Julianne Hough Featured in Las Vegas Magazine:

Las Vegas Magazine- Feature Interview 10 Things I Love About Vegas Hough Hits All the Right Notes

Best known as the darling of Dancing With the Stars, Julianne Hough waltzed onto the celebrity stage in 2007, taing home her first disco ball with partner, Olympic gold medal-winner Apollo Anton Ohno. A two-time professional dance champion on DWTS, actress and country music star, the blond beauty is a triple threat whose star is definitely on the rise. Recently voted the Academy of Country Music’s Top New Female Vocalist, Hough shared with LVM’s Leslie Frisbee some of her Vegas chart-toppers.

In-N-Out Burger. They have the most amazing burgers; I go every time I’m in Vegas because we don’t have one in Nashville.

Sahara’s roller coaster. It’s the best one I’ve been on; I went five times in a row when I was 14 years old.

Roxy’s Diner at the Stratosphere. I wanted to work there because they get to sing and wear cute outfits.

Palms Place. It’s close to everything you need, but you feel like you’re at a faraway resort. It’s so nice!

Noodle’s at Bellagio. It’s my favorite Thai restaurant in Las Vegas.

Entertainment. I saw Celine Dion in Vegas I was about 13 years old. I remember crying and saying to my mom, “That’s what I want to do!” And I loved Ronn Lucas when he was in Vegas.

ACM Awards at the MGM Grand. It’s always a good time and this year the fans voted me Top New Female Vocalist, which was really unexpected.

Country radio stations. KWNR and KCYE; I love them because they are supporters of my music.

George Strait. I am so honored that he asked me to go on tour with him this summer; he’s the King of Country. And I have a little bad crush on him.

Family. My mom lives in Las Vegas and I miss her!

http://juliannehough.com/ (http://juliannehough.com/)

Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on March 27, 2009, 10:16:11 PM
An interesting article: awww nice

Baby Time For Ty and Jewel!

Dancing With The Stars' Ty Murray will soon hear the pitter-patter of tiny feet.

"We'd like to have a family," his wife of eight months, Jewel, 34, tells OK!.

"We're going to start working on that."

It's about time too! The pair may only have been married since August 2008, but they'd already been together a whole ten years before that.

The singer, whose CD Lullaby is out May 5, expects their rodeo star hubby, 39, will be the perfect dad.

"He's such as sincere person. I feel lucky to have a guy who means what her says."

But first up for the the nine-time bull-riding champ is holding his own on the DWTS  dance-floor, where he is teamed up with So You Think You Can Dance? alum, Chelsie Hightower.

http://www.ok-magazine.com/news/view/12859 (http://www.ok-magazine.com/news/view/12859)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on March 27, 2009, 11:34:10 PM
:popcorn:

Behind the Scenes with Derek and Mark

Derek Hough and Mark Ballas behind the scenes at Dancing with the Stars


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8qz3-BHKkXg (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8qz3-BHKkXg)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on March 28, 2009, 12:43:26 AM
Ty Murray Blogs:

This is definitely the most physically demanding dance that I’ve done’

We got into Albuquerque about 11 o'clock last night and by the time I got to bed it 12:30 and I had to be up at 5 a.m. I went to about eight radio stations this morning to help promote my bull riding event and finished up with the radio and TV stuff that we did at about 11 a.m.

Then I went and had lunch at my favorite restaurant, Cervantes.

From there Chelsie and I went straight to practice from 12:30 until about 5 p.m. We had a good day and made some progress. She tweaked the choreography some more and every time she does that it gets better. I think that's just the process you go through when you do choreography. It's hard for me, but, in the end, it makes the routine so much better.

This is definitely the most physically demanding dance that I've done.

Today we got to where we could run the whole routine and we probably ran through it from start to finish three times. When you get done with it one time you feel as though you just sprinted around a high school track as fast as you can go--to the point that your heart is burning and your lungs feel like they're going to blow up.

You just have to catch your breath and go at it again.

It's coming along and we still have two more good days where we can get in the studio and really run it. We're going to try and get a good night of sleep and we don't start practice until 9 a.m. so we'll hit until 2 or 3 in the afternoon. Then we head back to Los Angeles and, I think, we have to go rehearse at the TV studio tomorrow evening.

We're both getting really tired from not getting enough sleep again. It just gets that way sometimes.

Chelsie had to be up early this morning too. She was doing a satellite radio tour for "Dancing with the Stars" while I was going from station to station to promote the PBR and the bull riding event. When we finally got done we both went to the Ty Murray Invitational at The Pit and it was awesome!

It was a sellout crowd and they were just jam-packed in there. I welcomed all the fans and when I asked how many people have been watching Chelsie and I on "Dancing with the Stars" the whole place erupted.

We went into the crowd, took a lot of pictures and signed some autographs.

It was so nice to see all the support and people were screaming, "We're voting for you. We're cheering for you." When you're around 11,000 fans and they're all yelling and screaming encouragement like that it was a nice experience for both of us.

Now we're going to try and get some sleep before we have to get up and get right back at it again tomorrow.

http://www.pbrnow.com/blog/index.cfm/2009/3/28/This-is-definitely-the-most-physically-demanding-dance-that-Ive-done (http://www.pbrnow.com/blog/index.cfm/2009/3/28/This-is-definitely-the-most-physically-demanding-dance-that-Ive-done)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on March 28, 2009, 12:49:58 AM
Holly Madison: Rib Injury Is ‘Nothing Serious’

Following a trip to the doctor Thursday for pain in her side, Holly Madison says she’s in pain but luckily it’s nothing serious.

“We went to the the doctor yesterday,” Madison told E!’s Daily 10, “I just have some inflamed muscles around my ribs. So it hurts, but I’m a lot more confident now i know it’s nothing serious.”

That’s good news since original reports suggested Madison may have cracked one of her ribs while rehearsing her upcoming tango with partner Dmitry Chaplin.

Chaplin adds, “Holly’s not a dancer. Her body’s not used to the kind of pressure, pulling of the rib cage or twisting or doing splits …So her body of course suffers from it.”

And while Madison says she’s banged up, she still plans on performing on Monday’s show.

“I’ve always wanted to do this show,” she says. “It’s super fun. I’m not going to stop!”

http://tvwatch.people.com/2009/03/27/holly-madison-rib-injury-is-nothing-serious/

Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on March 28, 2009, 09:09:50 AM
Team Melony  :yess:....love that cap and want one! (from myspace)

(http://i212.photobucket.com/albums/cc289/CuteboiWill/l_b162b709b091497d99f169c4a84b5092.jpg)

(http://i212.photobucket.com/albums/cc289/CuteboiWill/l_a4bef7e1b4e1438ba650f3e2cd2f8cb7.jpg)

(http://i212.photobucket.com/albums/cc289/CuteboiWill/l_4ab4d73e914849f88e4f5e0ffda3ce7c.jpg)

original source: www.ineedmyfix.com
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on March 28, 2009, 11:30:26 AM
Woz Blogs:

Mar 28, 2009

It's been an incredible week in my life.

Last week Karina and I received the lowest judges' total in 6 seasons of DWTS. We love dancing together and really laughed off the score. We did have a very short time to learn our dance after my hamstring injury and all of our steps were right on the beat. Then we were in shock when we were saved from even the horrid dance-off.

Both of us got the message from the judges to work harder at what they want. We also became aware of the importance of our many friends and fans. Whenever I meet someone who attended my US Festivals in 1982 and 1983 I give them a special handshake. For the rest of my life, that feeling of thanks will be extended to everyone who says they rooted for us or voted for us.

This is a new age, where ideas can be spread instantly around the internet. Even humor can spread like wildfire. Huge masses can organize this way and have more combined power than ever before. It makes me amazed at how things like the formation of this country (our revolution) occurred in times when it could take weeks to get written mail from one city to another.

I was so scared at learning to dance even a single number that I neglected to take time to use the internet to organize a movement. But friends filled in the gap, with Twitter, Facebook accounts, and email. National press and TV shows picked up on and played out the humor in our dances as well.

So Karina and I are serious about 2 things right now, our fans and the show judges. The fans seem to be more important than the judges so we won't compromise on our dance routines, seeking the most we can do in terms of entertainment. Just being myself is a big part of that. We both have the most positive thinking about the good of what we are bringing to the fans and, more importantly, we actually believe in ourselves.

But we are working harder than anything to improve our dances, in some technical sense. Being saved last week has given us such positive energy that I just want to dance all the time. Even doing fun interviews and other necessary things that come up on this show takes time from the dancing that I love so much. If we work for 6 hours of practice, I want to come back for another couple of hours in the evening. When I awaken, I want to dance my steps to the bathroom.

This Monday we will perform an Argentinian Tango. Ignore that I called it a Waltz in a prior blog to you. Anyone who knows me knows how I get names wrong all the time. Ha ha ha. Our dance music is taken from Astor Piazzolla's "Cite Tango" and this music has taken over my world. It is as unusual as the Stanford Laptop Orchestra that I heard a couple of times a year ago. This music has an orchestra sounding much different than I have ever heard before.

The Argentine Tango is based around a love-hate concept. The strong (cowboy) man is a bit secretive. He is pursuing a woman but he has some angst about her. She is trying to be sexy and attractive to get his attention. Karina said that I was to be 'stalking' her as we circled a chair at the start of our dance. I put on a stalking face, as though I'm chasing her and want to catch her, out of desire.

Yesterday, Karina told me that my face needed to be more hateful and full of spite toward her. I sat in the mirror and tried about 20 different facial expressions but couldn't get this hateful look. Karina told me to move my brows closer, move my head down, squint my eyes, everything. But I couldn't get the look she wanted. I told her I'd work at home in a mirror and try to find the right look, with a mysterious dislike.

In our evening practice I was having difficulty with one part, matching my movements to hers. I stopped as I do at least once a day, upset with the whole process and trying to figure out how to get past my block and find the solution. Karina asked if I wanted to go home, as this feeling sometimes makes me ready to quit. I said "no" as I enjoyed the progress we were making in the dance and I wanted to go through it many more times. But I stood there trying to think about what I was doing wrong. When like this, I am being very critical of myself on the inside.

Karina exclaimed "that's the look!" Sure enough, I could tell that my entire face had a look that I could not find in a mirror. I could remember my state of mind and bring this look back. We then danced a short sequence where I am staring straight at Karina's eyes to help keep our bodies and their positions as mirror images. Every time we tried this short 8-beat sequence Karina could not concentrate or would even laugh. She actually had trouble dancing with my looking at her this new way.

This look seemed so real and not merely acted or attempted. It was so good it reminded me of a time recently when I was auditioning, in my living room, for a movie part. My starting line for one part was "Can I use your phone." I got so deeply into the character that, after they told us that we could start (camera rolling), I asked the director as naturally as you could imagine if I could use his phone. The director was my opposite part for this reading. He got up from his chair and hurried across the room to get his real cell phone for me. He had actually believed my request so much that he didn't even realize that it was the line I was supposed to say in the audition.

So this is an example of finding the right motivation to get your look and posture and body communication right, for a dance or when acting. Acting is a great part of our dances on DWTS, actually.

It will be Saturday morning soon. I am hoping that this is a very good day and that our next dance becomes second nature from start to finish. Everything gets more relaxed when you get to the point that you can recover from any slips or lapses or misses in the routine. We haven't had significant examples of these sorts of slips yet but it's good to know that you can get past them and keep on dancing your number.

Please don't forget how important you and the votes are. There are a lot of good reasons to vote for us over the others. But I hope that you enjoy the entire show too, and treat this as more than a game. You are important to me forever but I won't pressure you to do things you don't want to. If you aren't smiling, find something to do that makes you smile.

Your friend,

Woz

http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?uid=49720779842&topic=8097 (http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?uid=49720779842&topic=8097)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on March 28, 2009, 03:39:05 PM
DWTS' Steve Wozniak to Walk Partner Karina Smirnoff Down the Aisle 

Steve Wozniak really has something to dance about!

The Apple billionaire and co-founder has gotten so close to his Dancing With the Stars partner, Karina Smirnoff, that he got an invitation to her upcoming wedding to fellow dancer Maksim Chmerkovskiy.

"She said I could walk her down the aisle, and it touched my heart," Wozniak told The Insider on Thursday.

But if Wozniak plans to take the that walk without pain, he will have to nurse his current injuries -- he has a fractured foot and a pulled hamstring.

"He's a little out of his element but has the biggest personality you'll ever meet," Smirnoff said about her dancing partner. "He's super funny and super charming."

The dancing couple have begun planning their wedding, which will take place before the year is up.

"We started talking about it and figuring out when and where we're going to have it," Smirnoff told Us last month. "But there's so many family members that have a say that we got to try to make sure that everyone will be happy. But we think it will be sometime before the end of this year. So, not so long."

Chmerkovskiy, who danced with Denise Richards, was ousted this week. Wozniak and Smirnoff, despite low scores from the judges, are still in the competition.

http://www.usmagazine.com/news/dwts-steve-wozniak-to-walk-partner-karina-smirnoff-down-the-aisle-2009263
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on March 28, 2009, 10:18:59 PM
Holly's Blog:

Ready for Week 4!

(http://i389.photobucket.com/albums/oo334/marigoldrealityfanforum/holmys.jpg)

just finished DWTS practice today . . . Dmitry and I are working on an Argentine tango! Practice was cut short yesterday . . .I had to go to the doctor's due to pain I was having in my ribcage, making it almost impossible to practice our routine.
Fourtunately, it's no big deal, I just have inflamed muscles around my ribcage which I hurt while practicing the samba last week.
I am having sooooo much fun on this show . . . it's tiring, but each week is a completely new and exciting experience!
Love-Holly

http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendId=29472248&blogId=479529730 (http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendId=29472248&blogId=479529730)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on March 28, 2009, 10:21:54 PM

From Gilles Marini's site:

(http://i389.photobucket.com/albums/oo334/marigoldrealityfanforum/gmsite.jpg)

Hello friends,
I've been working all day on the beautiful and sensual Argentine Tango. Cheryl has been creating the most intense full of emotion dance of all time, I hope I do her proud and I can pull it off on Monday.
Your support has been amazing and without you it would not be the same. Please continue to support and watch us next Monday on abc...
Love you guys, talk to you soon... And yes I do read all your messages and hope soon that I will be able to reply to all of your questions.
Much love,
Gilles

http://forum.gillesmarini.com/tool/post/gmadmin/show_single_post?pid=32764702&postcount=1 (http://forum.gillesmarini.com/tool/post/gmadmin/show_single_post?pid=32764702&postcount=1)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on March 28, 2009, 10:25:58 PM
David Alan Grier Blogs:

About Last Night

(http://i389.photobucket.com/albums/oo334/marigoldrealityfanforum/dagmys.jpg)

I woke up this morning and I felt like I'd been beat with a stick. Kym is getting over a bad sore throat, I had the stomach flu,
the baby was sick, and my wife had a cold...Damn, damn, damn!!!! But I
feel sooooooo good!!! We finally kicked properly last night! Got good
scores 24, and the judges don't know but we are bout to take you even
H-I-G-H-E-R next week with the Lyndey Hop. Today is Torture
Tuesday...We are not safe yet, but at least Kym and I feel confident
going into it. We are already thinking about next weeks routine, and I
will work even harder to make it happen captain!  Thanks for your votes!

http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendId=38074175&blogId=478815090 (http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendId=38074175&blogId=478815090)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on March 28, 2009, 10:27:00 PM

The Ellen DeGeneres Show Scheduled Guests

Monday, March 30th, 2009

Dancing With The Stars Gilles Marini and Cheryl Burke
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on March 28, 2009, 10:30:35 PM

THE BONNIE HUNT SHOW SCHEDULED GUESTS

Friday April 3, 2009

Dancing With The Stars Gilles Marini and Cheryl Burke

Cheryl Burke & Gilles Marini ("Dancing with the Stars"): Have you been watching this season of "Dancing?"

Gilles and dance partner Cheryl have been heating things up on the floor -- and they're pretty smokin' off the dance floor too!

Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on March 28, 2009, 11:05:42 PM
Julianne and Chuck: Dancing Changed Our Relationship

Blame it on the ballroom: For Julianne Hough and Chuck Wicks, being partners on Dancing with the Stars has put a new spin on being partners in real life.

“We’ve never experienced anything like this where I have to kind of be in charge and he has to listen to me,” says Hough, the dancing pro teaching her boyfriend the steps, in a MySpace Celebrity video. “We’re growing, we’re learning about each other in a different way.”

Since Hough, 20, and Wicks, 29, both country singers, are often apart because of their performing schedules, the show has meant more time together — even if that time has been spent sweating in the studio.

“We’ve had less date nights since we’ve started this show,” says Wicks. “It makes us appreciate everything more. I’ve found out a whole new side of her that I completely love.”

http://tvwatch.people.com/2009/03/28/julianne-and-chuck-dancing-changed-our-relationship/
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on March 28, 2009, 11:40:39 PM

Carrie-Ann Inaba at the Kids Choice Awards today

(http://i389.photobucket.com/albums/oo334/marigoldrealityfanforum/cakc.jpg)

Carrie Ann Inaba (in Alice + Olivia with Report shoes and necklace from Hawaii) shows off her legs on the orange carpet of the 2009 Kids’ Choice Awards, held at UCLA’s Pauley Pavilion on Saturday night (March 28) in Westwood, Calif.

http://justjared.buzznet.com/2009/03/28/carrie-anna-inaba-2009-kids-choice-awards/#more-279852 (http://justjared.buzznet.com/2009/03/28/carrie-anna-inaba-2009-kids-choice-awards/#more-279852)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on March 29, 2009, 12:52:15 AM
From Woz's site:

A photo of Woz in his trailer at, "Dancing with the Stars"reading and responding to fan e-mail.

Woz reads all the e-mail he gets.

(http://i389.photobucket.com/albums/oo334/marigoldrealityfanforum/wozthnks.jpg)

http://www.woz.org/ (http://www.woz.org/)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on March 29, 2009, 12:57:34 AM
 :ascared she's got curls

Karina at a tvguide party

(http://i389.photobucket.com/albums/oo334/marigoldrealityfanforum/kdwh.jpg)

Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: Kiwi Jay on March 29, 2009, 01:16:58 AM
I reckon she doesnt look good there!
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on March 29, 2009, 01:42:40 AM
 :popcorn: cool we can see their routine

Lil' Kim & Derek Hough DWTS Rehearsal: Lindy Hop


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XGuQfdy5ZfI (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XGuQfdy5ZfI)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on March 29, 2009, 02:04:35 AM
Steve Wozniak Blog:

It's been a couple of good long days, with daytime and nighttime practices.

We start some dance routines just knowing which type of dance it is. For example, if it's a cha-cha then Karina can begin by teaching me basic steps, and the timing, for some standard cha-cha moves. Then when our actual music arrives (from the DWTS production team) Karina listens to it and starts noting, on paper, the sections of the song and how many beats or groups of beats the song has. Next, she starts creating dance steps for herself across the empty studio. She gets a rough cut of what the dance might be in a short time.

Next, Karina starts teaching me what the parts of the dance are. In an early 6-hour session I might only be able to get a good idea of about a third of the whole dance. By then I can kind of walk through it and get a few steps correct. By the second day I might have a clearer idea of the entire routine. Some parts I get down quickly. Others take quite a bit of time and work.

I'll go through part of a short routine and Karina will complement me if I'm going in the right direction. We both know that her compliments are for my effort and learning, but not for getting very good for national TV yet. She will strongly correct me for other mistakes. When Karina rests and attends to viewing You Tube for dance ideas or texting DWTS people, etc. I will fore myself through a short sequence of maybe 8 to 10 steps, over and over until my body knows how to land each step with my balance ready for the next one. This sort of trying and trying does the best job of bringing a decent step to my muscle memory and brain memory.

I usually go home and play our short minute and 20-second piece all night long while I sleep. I am alone most of the week here in L.A. My wife, Janet, works for Apple back home and only makes it down for the shows on Monday and Tuesday. I might awaken at midnight and 2 AM and 4 AM. I usually spend about 20 minutes going through the steps in my head to the music. That woks better once I've had enough practice to relate steps to counts of the music. Sometimes I'll find that my thinking has gotten to the speed of the music. We have had very fast music for our dances so far. When I get to that point I'll start dancing in the dark and maybe I can't get the steps to the speed of the music yet. But by morning I can usually do it at full speed, at least for the sections I had been working on overnight.

So far, I have gone into every dance without nerves and happy and smiling and thinking of the audience. My joy is obvious and overflowing. I usually get a thought in the few seconds before we start about how lucky I am to be here doing this with Karina Smirnoff. In rehearsals I sometimes come up with a huge grin by remembering a funny incident or joke. The most recent joke that brings a grin is the one about the guy who checks into a hotel and asks for his porn channel to be disabled. The clerk tells him that their porn channel is normal and calls him a sick bastard.

This Monday I will dance an Argentine Tango. In this dance, it's more about the character than the dancing. I'm up on the dance but not so great at the character, for various reasons. Maks has been helping me a bit tonight on this, with some great ideas. Karina and I have some dramatic moves of strength. In one place I hold her above me and swirl her around. In another she jumps in the air and I catch her an a leg and then swing her back down. She does a complete backflip over my arm in onether spot.

Maks gave me a great idea. At one point I move my foot up her leg, bending at the knee, as we are together. It's like I'm lifting her dress with my foot. It only takes 4 beats but I'm standing right by the three judges so I look over at them with a big smile. It's way out of charcter for this dance, but I can't help it. I'm sort of treating the judges like voyeurs at a peep show, ha ha ha. You'll have to see it. I hope the camera angle does a good job. In my first dance, a cha-cha, there was a place where I even stick my tongue out at the judges but it wasn't caught well on TV.

Tonight we had time on the real DWTS stage and we worked out a few parts of our Argentine Tango that we couldn't do in practice. One part relies on the stairs down from the podium to the main stage. By the end of this evening session, we felt good and confident. Tonight I will sleep all night thinking about my body position and movements and especially my hands as being in character for this dance. I'm really trying to do a much better job in judging terms. But I'm still not expecting too high a score from the judges. I don't know why. After all, I still can't really explain why my other scores were as low as they were. I watch a lot of You Tube videos of DWTS dances from other years and see horrible dances getting much better scores.

I am so thankful for my many friends on the show. So many production people tell me that they are all for me. I can't explain this huge phenomenon.

Oh, this week we shot a couple of videos. One was for the DWTS package that plays before my dance on Monday. It has me leading a group of Segway riders to thank some fans and pass out leaflets to get votes. They make you say corny lines but I'm told that the package came out pretty good. The other video was for the Jimmy Kimmel show this Monday or Tuesday. He speaks of the actor backing out of the remake of Footloose and how they found tape of another unknown auditioning for the part. I do a bunch of funny corny dancing around to the music, sort of a spoof of the movie. It should be hilariously funny when it airs, and does include me doing a worm.

I'm on stage at 11:00 AM tomorrow for camera blocking. They get ready for all their TV shots, which cameras from which angles. Then I have a long practice time with Karina in a local dance studio, to get ready for our dance on Monday.

I'm ever thankful for the huge support of all you fans. I beg of you not to get complacent. Don't assume that everything will go fine without you. Only your continual effort throughout this show can take me right to the finish line. Please find the way to organize parties and tell people to see me on the show. If you can get 10 people to vote for me on their phones, that's incredible. And it might be less work than even the effort I'm sure you are making to dial 10 times for me yourself.

Onward and upward,

WOZ

http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?uid=49720779842&topic=8104 (http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?uid=49720779842&topic=8104)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on March 29, 2009, 12:26:32 PM
Ty Murray Blogs:

‘I’m really starting to get in shape’

Yesterday I got up in Albuquerque and went straight to practice right up until we had to catch our flight back to Los Angeles. Once we got back here we had a wardrobe fitting at 8 o'clock and then we had another practice on the main stage from 9 o'clock until 10, but we even pushed that to about 10:15 because we were the last to go for the night.

It was a pretty good day and the routine is starting to come along. Now it's back to that stage where we just have to polish it as best we can and then make sure we run it enough times to where if anything does happen you always know where you're at.

I'm really starting to get in shape. This dance will really do that for you. But, again, I'm just starting to get in shape and my cardio is getting better.

All my muscles are getting in shape and I can feel that I'm getting leaner. I can tell that my legs are a lot stronger. They're not strong in a bulky way, but in a good way--in the type of way that you would want as a bull rider.

We're doing the type of work that is just fast, twitch muscle strength and flexibility, and it's not just bulking up with weights.

I've had both of my knees reconstructed so my knees get to feeling better as I get in better shape. Even my shoulders feel better as I get in better shape. You start to have faster twitch muscles to help encapsulate those joints and really protect them.

I'm doing things and able to physically try things now that I wouldn't have been able to when the show first started because I would have been afraid of injury. I would have been nervous that I might tear a knee or something like that.

Today we're going to do some camera blocking, but first I'm going to go grab a nice breakfast with Jewel. We have a nice little café we like to go to so we'll go there. Then I'll head to the studio and I'll have another wardrobe fitting after that.

I had one last night and the tailor knows what he's doing so I don't know why, but the pants they made for me last night looked like they were painted on. I told him he needed to loosen them off a little. He said he'd fix it. So today – after Chelsie and I are done camera blocking – I'll get to see how those fit.

The one thing about this Lindy Hop routine is that I get to wear tennis shoes.

I get to practice in tennis shoes and then I'll even be doing the actual dance on Monday night in tennis shoes. That's been a nice break for my feet, especially for this dance because all you do is bounce up and down on your feet all day.

Chelsie will have an extra busy day because after the camera blocking we have some extra studio time booked so we can go do some more practicing, and then after we do all that she has to go do a group rehearsal for some group dance they'll have tomorrow night.

http://www.pbrnow.com/blog/index.cfm/2009/3/29/Im-really-starting-to-get-in-shape (http://www.pbrnow.com/blog/index.cfm/2009/3/29/Im-really-starting-to-get-in-shape)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on March 29, 2009, 12:49:28 PM
brief article in this week's tv guide, scanned....

(http://i212.photobucket.com/albums/cc289/CuteboiWill/l_cade59aa89594ed9b322f65d881dffb2.jpg)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on March 29, 2009, 04:14:02 PM
Daredevil Steve-o:

steve-o and jolene van vugt

If you thought Steve-O had a face full of consternation on Dancing With The Stars this past Monday, just wait until you see the grimace he pulled out for the Nitro Circus crew when they got him up and running on a motorbike for the first time. Jolene Van Vugt was kind enough to provide him with some remedial lessons (and kick-start his bike on most every stalled out occasion), but most of the time Steve-O just appeared to be nervously lost in the act of visualizing himself going off the launch ramp. Not surprising, though, seeing as he’d just agreed to appear on Dancing With The Stars and was now putting his soon-to-be waltzing ankles directly in harm’s way. It took a few laps—okay, a lot of laps—before Steve-O finally committed to the jump (and the two more he was goaded into afterward), but jump he did, the outcome of which can be seen tonight on an all-new episode of Nitro Circus on MTV.

(http://i389.photobucket.com/albums/oo334/marigoldrealityfanforum/stmot.jpg)

http://www.jackassworld.com/blog/2009/03/29/photo-of-the-day-steve-o-and-jolene-van-vugt/#more-9276 (http://www.jackassworld.com/blog/2009/03/29/photo-of-the-day-steve-o-and-jolene-van-vugt/#more-9276)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on March 29, 2009, 10:34:17 PM
An interview with Ty & Chelsie:

Dancing's Ty and Chelsie: Tearing Each Other's Hair Out

After scoring a 14 on the first week of Dancing with the Stars, rodeo star (and Jewel's husband) Ty Murray didn't seem like he'll be long for the show. But like any good bull rider, he's holding on for as long as he can. "I think the nature of being a bull rider and being a cowboy is you don't give up that easily," Murray tells TVGuide.com. "It's still really hard for me, but we just keep trying to put in the work." Murray and his partner, Chelsie Hightower, have the Lindy Hop next — a new dance on the show and took time out to chat about their progress and why Hightower may join Murray and Jewel on the farm one day.

TVGuide.com: How's the Lindy Hop going?
Ty Murray: It's tough. I thought I was sore and tired up to this point, but this dance so far is the hardest physically. There are a lot of lifts and me flipping her over my head. I have a really sore back right now. [There's] a move where she comes through my legs head first, so I went to reposition my foot and stepped on her hair and pulled a handful of hair out of her head! [Laughs] But she's tough as nails.
Chelsie Hightower: I had a ton of hair pulled out! I was also dropped on my head twice. I fell on my back twice, once with my mic pack on, Steve-O-style. I grew up with five brothers, so I was constantly thrown around and beat up a lot, so this is OK. But Ty hurt his shoulder a little bit, so that's payback.

TVGuide.com: Are you more worried because it's a new dance for the pros?
Hightower: I'm not worried. I've just been learning from the Internet. It's been an interesting start, so if it comes out a success, I will be super-proud of myself!

TVGuide.com: Ty, you're hosting your bull-riding invitational in Albuquerque. How's that going to affect rehearsals?
Murray: I don't think it will. We have a studio booked in Albuquerque. It has my name on the event. This is our 13th year having it, so I'd feel like a rat if I didn't go. We're moving into a new bigger, better venue, so I want to check it all out.

TVGuide.com: You guys have been the surprise of the season. You've been called "most improved" since the first week and fans are really rooting for you now. How does that feel?
Hightower: It's definitely a big step. It's cool to be able to beat the limits and help take Ty to that kind of level in a short amount of time. To see the reaction of everyone and the judges, it's fun.

TVGuide.com: Gilles Marini was worried about his lack of a built-in fan base. Were you too, not being a household name?
Murray: I don't know. I'm just trying to do the best job I can and I figure the voting will take care of itself. I'm not really one to campaign. That embarrasses me and I don't think that's how you ought to do it. If people like you, they'll vote for you. I feel like the cowboy, rodeo and bull-riding community are really behind me and that's probably a bigger fan base than people think. I really appreciate the fans. Obviously, the first week, I bombed. [Laughs] But it was the fans who got us to stick around this far.

TVGuide.com: Did the show approach you and Jewel together, or one of you first?
Murray: They approached me three seasons ago, but I didn't do it. They came to me and Jewel last season, [but] Jewel had a big tour with Brad Paisley. They came back to us this season. We thought it'd be a unique opportunity to do something as husband and wife. From my standpoint, it brings unbelievable recognition to cowboys and my sport.

TVGuide.com: Why didn't you do it three seasons ago?
Murray: Um, I don't know. I didn't really know much about it. And when you haven't heard of something, you're like, "No." After that, I looked into it and I saw the guys who've done the show — Jason Taylor, Emmitt Smith — and saw they got some really top-notch athletes from different sports. I guess that was that.

TVGuide.com: How's Jewel doing?
Murray: She's doing a little bit better. She'll probably be on crutches for another three weeks. Now it's a matter of staying off of it so it can heal.

TVGuide.com: Chelsie, this is your first season. What's surprised you about it?
Hightower: Just the scheduling is really overwhelming. We were just talking about this. You know, we wake up, do press, do practice, do more press. I feel like I don't stop for my friends. I don't talk to my mom even! But it's cool because you know it's going to pay off. It's not something where you wake up and go, "Oh crap! I've got to practice again." It feels good to work.

TVGuide.com: The judges have said you've been stiff, Ty, which was OK for the past two dances, but how are you going to loosen up for the Latin ones?
Murray: Well, there's not, like, a secret shortcut. Believe me, if there was, I would've taken it. I'm just going to get in there and focus on it and do what she tells me.
Hightower: I think the more he gets the feeling of the dances, the easier it's going to come. In the beginning, he, like, barely moved any body part!

TVGuide.com: How close are you to the rest of the cast?
Murray: We get along really well. We have lunch a lot. Actually Chelsie comes to dinner with me and Jewel a lot. Me and Jewel are gonna adopt her as our kid. [Laughs] She's a great kid. She's the type of person where you're around her, you think, if I have a daughter, I want my daughter to be like that. You can tell how she got to be such a great dancer at such a young age because she doesn't get distracted.
Hightower: We've talked about this many times! The only downfall is that I have to wake up at 7 and I have to feed the cows and I don't know if I can do that!

TVGuide.com: I know it's more about bull-fighting, but would you incorporate something from bull-riding in your paso doble costumes?
Hightower: We'll see about that one. We'll add in the cowboy get-up somewhere!

http://www.tvguide.com/Dancing-Stars/Ty-Murray-Chelsie-1004488.aspx (http://www.tvguide.com/Dancing-Stars/Ty-Murray-Chelsie-1004488.aspx)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on March 29, 2009, 10:37:15 PM
Ty Murray Blogs:

‘It makes you feel like you played an entire football game’

We came to the studio for camera blocking and ran through the Lindy Hop three times full out so the camera operators could figure out their positions. To run this routine three times in a row just kills you and it makes you feel like you played an entire football game.

This is the first time that I didn't really get nervous during the camera blocking.

When you come in here for that it's just like running the show. They have all the lights and the music just the way it's going to be on the show Monday night, and they run it just like that.

I didn't feel nervous, but I could feel my adrenaline.

That helps in this kind of dance because you're not trying to just glide around smoothly. This dance is more physical and feels more like bull riding, where you can attack something and let your adrenaline work for you.

I actually think you have to learn how to make your adrenaline work for you in all the dances. You have to learn how to channel that energy, but this one is definitely easier for me to channel my adrenaline to the physicality of the Lindy Hop.

Anyway, last night, we videotaped our rehearsal that we did here on the stage and Chelsie wants me to watch it over and over again tonight, which I'm going to do. This dance is so strenuous and it gases you so much that you have to find that balance because it's the day before the competition. It's about how much better can you get without killing yourself.

We ran it three times all out and then we went to a rehearsal studio and worked on a few key transitions. And, like I said, now she wants me to go home and watch that flip camera before I go to bed. It's just a little digital camera that's about the size of a billfold.

We stopped our practice at 3:30 because Chelsie had to come back over here to the TV studio and do a group rehearsal with the professionals because Tuesday night they're doing another group dance. I came over here to catch a little bit of that just because I want to see what that process is like for the pros.

Jewel is back at the apartment. She has a friend who won songwriter of the year in country music and he flew in so they've been writing songs together yesterday and today. When I get back there I'm going to get a good meal and good night of sleep, and then I'll be ready for tomorrow.

http://www.pbrnow.com/blog/index.cfm/2009/3/29/It-makes-you-feel-like-you-played-an-entire-football-game#more (http://www.pbrnow.com/blog/index.cfm/2009/3/29/It-makes-you-feel-like-you-played-an-entire-football-game#more)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on March 30, 2009, 10:05:45 AM
David Alan Grier Blogs:

Monday, March 30, 2009 

TONIGHT!!!!!!!!!

(http://i389.photobucket.com/albums/oo334/marigoldrealityfanforum/dagmys.jpg)

Tonight, Kym and I dance the Lindy Hop...This has got to be the most aerobic dance of the competition, AND the dances are getting longer! I rescheduled all of my road gigs for next few weeks so that Kym and I would have plenty of uninterrupted rehearsal time.  I have to make all of my new friends at the Lindy Groove proud by doin it, to it tonite !!!! Can't wait. I will have a lot of friends and supporters in the crowd cheering us on. I think we have a great dance, and Kym did a fantastic job! LET"S DANCE !!!
 
http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendId=38074175&blogId=480046175 (http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendId=38074175&blogId=480046175)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on March 30, 2009, 10:12:31 AM
The Woz Blogs:

March 30, 2009

Today is another BIG day for me.

I was tired yesterday, and our routine was in good enough shape that we cut our evening practice short. So yesterday was an early day.

My wife Janet had heard how Julie and I one day stumbled upon, while riding Segways, the Hollywood walk of stars so we took a Segway jaunt a few miles so that Janet would have a chance to see this famous thing that we all hear about. Really, taking a Segway glide in reasonable weather (it was great in L.A. yesterday) does a lot of good for my own soul and happiness.

I awoke fairly early this morning and, despite the importance of the day, I feel like a good airing out so Janet and I are off on another early Segway glide. Possibly we'll go to a 7-11 that has GREAT maple bars. They are soft and moist with lots of good maple. This is so strange because the 7-11's back home all have day-old crusty donuts.

I'm trying to think of any clever or funny idea for the short few-second jumper that we (myself and Karina) do just before walking onto the stage. I'm very weak at coming up with ideas for this. Last week I suggested the relatively dumb idea of Karina slapping my leg or kicking me and I'd go into agony. But she came up with the unbelievably funny idea of her searching for me with her eyes and the camera panning down to me dragging my injured legs to the stage. Hilarious. I'll have to think harder.

OH, I will be busy in my trailer all day trying to get notices like this sent. So please keep the email light. After the show airs (7 PM Pacific time) you are free to email me your feelings and suggestions. But try to keep it to about one email each. The reason I'm opening the door is that it's relatively easy through all of Tuesday. We mostly just wait around the whole time. If I have to dance in a dance-off, it's just a repeat of the dance from the day before. So email me Monday night or Tuesday but try not to email during the week when I have to practice full-time. Thanks.

I'm hoping that the internet organizing, which is taking place on many fronts, gets me enough audience votes to bypass another unpredictable dance-off.

Love to everyone,

Woz

http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?uid=49720779842&topic=8128 (http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?uid=49720779842&topic=8128)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on March 30, 2009, 10:17:12 AM
Steve-O Blogs:

Dancing with the Stars TONIGHT (3/30/09)

(http://i389.photobucket.com/albums/oo334/marigoldrealityfanforum/soblog.jpg)

Don't miss Steve-O and Lacey's fourth dance tonight at 8pm on ABC's Dancing with the Stars.

Please tune in and continue to show your support by casting your votes during the 30 minutes after the show. You can vote up to 11 times from each phone line.
You can also sign up online and cast 11 votes per email address until Tuesday at noon:

Phone: 800-VOTE4-04 (800-868-3404)
Text: VOTE to 3404
Online: ABC.com

http://bulletins.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=bulletin.read&authorID=2231003&messageID=6391690536&MyToken=a67bf0e7-15be-4dc0-9de9-e786393cbe59 (http://bulletins.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=bulletin.read&authorID=2231003&messageID=6391690536&MyToken=a67bf0e7-15be-4dc0-9de9-e786393cbe59)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on March 30, 2009, 10:36:15 AM
click on link below to view video

Paula Abdul's Heartfelt Words for Shawn Johnson

ET's Kevin Frazier spoke to "American Idol" judge Paula Abdul at the Kids' Choice Awards on Saturday night, and Paula weighed in on the alleged stalker controversy surrounding "Dancing with the Stars" contestant Shawn Johnson.

Watch the video to hear Paula's thoughts about fans who take their obsessions too far.

http://www.etonline.com/news/2009/03/72278/index.html

Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on March 30, 2009, 10:42:33 AM
click on link below to view video

Julianne Hough and Chuck Wicks on the ET Stage

Real-life couple and "Dancing with the Stars" team Julianne Hough and Chuck Wicks are on the ET stage -- and interviewing each other!

"When I first saw you, I thought you were hot," Julianne reveals of her first meeting with Chuck. And then she proves he is not Mr. Smooth Moves when she tells him that he talked about catering!

But Chuck is a romantic. He remembers what Julianne was wearing at that first meeting -- a little yellow jacket -- and says, "You are just as beautiful inside as out. That is why I fell in love with you."

The two "Dancing with the Stars" competitors may be together in real life, but taking on the role of teacher and student was a period of adjustment.

Chuck teases her, "You are so hard on me. I want to win this thing and make it to the end, but you are tough."

Chuck says the thing he has learned about her during this time is what a great teacher she is. And Julianne reveals, "I am not as hard on you [as previous partners]. I didn't want to hurt your feelings."

Julianne is busy working on her next album. She says she will have more time to work on this one, and she has begun writing for it. Chuck is touring on weekends in support of his single, "Man of the House."

But Julianne is also involved in a charity project that is close to her heart: building parks so children have a place to play in conjunction with kaboom.org.

"I want to raise money for parks. I love to play," she says. "I want to have somewhere to take my kids [when I have them]."

For more with Julianne and Chuck, tune in to tonight's ET. Then check out "Dancing with the Stars" next Monday at 8 p.m. on ABC when the competition continues.

http://www.etonline.com/news/2009/03/72223/
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on March 30, 2009, 11:02:33 AM
An interesting article:

Why DWTS Has Become ‘Limping with the Stars’?

Before season 8 of Dancing with the Stars kicked off three weeks ago, contestants Jewel and Nancy O’Dell dropped out due to leg injuries. Since then, Steve-O tweaked his back, Steve Wozniak fractured his foot, Gilles Marini has tendonitis in his shoulder and Holly Madison suffered pain in her side. And those are only the ones that have been reported.

Why so many injuries this season compared to previous ones?

“Everyone seems to be competing more aggressively this year, and I think that’s why were having all these injuries,” says DWTS judge Carrie Ann Inaba.

And while injuries in professional ballroom dancing are “virtually unknown,” says Peter Pover, president of USA Dance Inc., the national governing body for ballroom dancing. But he also notes that celebrity dancers are training in extreme conditions in a short time and for many, this is their first time doing anything like this.

“It shouldn’t surprise Steve Wozniak that he hurts himself trying to do some of the things he’s doing,” he says about the computer whiz, who wears a temporary cast when he’s not whirling across the dancefloor. “He must be in terrific pain.”

As for Wozniak, he says he didn’t realize how serious his injury was until his partner Karina Smirnoff saw his ankle and suggested they go see a doctor.

“For a couple of weeks, everything hurt. So you don’t notice one hurt being different from the other,” Wozniak says. “They all go away, right? Well, one of them didn’t go away.”

Each week, it seems another person is going to get something checked out by a doctor. Broadway performer and funnyman David Alan Grier has avoided injury (so far) the old-fashioned way.

“I try to warm up. I take a hot bath every morning and just stretch, stretch,” he says.

Pover, who has watched the show since it started eight seasons ago, says the level of difficulty continues to rise. “I think anybody who goes into this gets a surprise when they find out what’s expected of them,” he says.

Two-time Dancing champ Cheryl Burke agrees. “People who have never danced before don’t realize dancing is a sport,” says Burke. People are dancing four to six hours a day…Even if you’re in the best shape possible, with dancing you’ve never worked out these parts of your body.”

http://tvwatch.people.com/2009/03/30/why-dwts-has-become-limping-with-the-stars/ (http://tvwatch.people.com/2009/03/30/why-dwts-has-become-limping-with-the-stars/)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on March 30, 2009, 11:51:22 AM
Someone posted this on myspace...

Melissa hanging out with her parents in L.A.

(http://i212.photobucket.com/albums/cc289/CuteboiWill/l_ff91a2014128469ea5ef425150296f-2.jpg)

original source: www.infdaily.com
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on March 30, 2009, 11:59:30 AM
An interview with Gilles:

FRENCH ASTAIRE TOTAL 'DANCING' PACKAGE

Q: Most fans think you're a trained dancer judging from your performance.

A: Let me just say my partner [Cheryl Burke] is a magician. I was absolutely horrible when I first started out. I looked like a robot. [Burke] said I was very good looking, but that was it.

She put me through so many hard workouts.

Q: No way! You've had prior experience.

A: The truth is the only experience I had is when I was 18 years old, I went to some clubs in France. I thought I could move around a little, but nothing like what people are seeing on TV.

I'm hoping the American audience sees me and realizes that anyone can do it if they work hard at it.

Q: You look like you're on a collision course with Melissa Rycroft [from "The Bachelor"] for the championship. Can you take her out?

A: I love the compliments but she's very, very good. She didn't hide the fact she had ballet experience and most people don't know how hard it is to become a cheerleader for a professional team. It's like boot camp. It's a gruesome task. She's an unbelievable dancer.

I also think Shawn [Johnson] is out of this world.

Q: Last season, Warren Sapp told us it was absolute chaos backstage during the show.

A: Some people get very stressed out before they go out and dance, and you can see it when they perform. The professionals are loose and they try and calm their partners down. I just focus on what [Burke] and I worked on during the week -- I listen to her like a soldier, as I did back when I was in Army training.

Q: Does your wife, Carole, ever get jealous of Cheryl?

A: Never. I'm very lucky to have a wife that's so supportive and understanding. She loves the fact I'm getting so much attention. She can see how the exposure will help my career.

She's very funny about it, too. She'll wait in line with fans to take a picture with me. Even after the nude scene in 'Sex & the City,' where she could've been jealous, she wasn't. [Laughs] She was like, 'You look good.' "

Q:Are you sick of the whole full monty thing?

A: It would be unfair for me to say that because that part made a lot of things happen for me. It has opened a lot of doors. Of course, now I want the world to know there's so much more of who I am.

http://www.nypost.com/seven/03302009/tv/french_astaire_162064.htm (http://www.nypost.com/seven/03302009/tv/french_astaire_162064.htm)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on March 30, 2009, 01:43:28 PM
Cheryl Burke Makes Fitness Fashionable

Two-time "Dancing with the Stars" champion Cheryl Burke is trying her hand at making fitness clothing fabulous.

Cheryl teamed up with Fit Couture to start her signature line of workout wear. The line --called Cheryl Burke by Fit Couture -- will feature nine pieces of clothing available in four different colors.

"Comfort is so important to me when I am active," says the "DWTS" performer. "I like to wear pieces that move with my body and are flattering to my body type. I've always wanted to start my own clothing line and I've been a fan of Fit Couture's items for a while now so when they approached me about doing a line with them it just made sense."

http://www.etonline.com/news/2009/03/72295/index.html
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on March 30, 2009, 03:58:09 PM

An update from Woz:

I'm in my trailer. I had an orchestra rehearsal at 11:35 but it's running late.

Julie went over to visit Karina in her trailer and Karina was having makeup problems. Sometimes there are advantages to being a geek who never got into things like how you look in public and fashion and all that makeup stuff.

I just got notified by Lisl, one of the staff here, that my orchestra rehearsal got pushed to the end so I have time for this post. Lisl is the first DWTS staff person I met other than the producers who invited me to be on the show, and Karina and the film crew who first met me in Orlando. We came back to L.A. to tape some title shots for opening scenes and the first person to greet me was Lisl. Her name is unusual enough to remember and she's tall and blond and has the biggest nicest smile here. I'm so thankful that she is one of the ones assigned to take care of me here.

It's a big day. I'm looking at it as an adventure to experience. Whatever the outcome, I will do my best. I will be having a great time even though I'm not a smiling character in this Argentine Tango.

I can say that if you enjoy what I do the most about dancing, you will really have a great time watching the Lindy Hop dances tonight. I can't watch them and keep still in my seat. And there are some great ones, worthy of Olympic medals for gymnastics!

Oh, on the mirror in front of me, in my seat in the trailer, someone wrote, in brown lipstick, "I (heart) u Woz!" It could be from any of the staff here. Security is VERY tight and very good here now. I'm going to borrow another color of lipstick and scrawl under the writing "Thanks, Bruno" so that whoever did it will get a laugh.

The more laughs and smiles we create in this life, the better. That's my motto.

Until my next chance to inform you,

Woz

http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?uid=49720779842&topic=8136 (http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?uid=49720779842&topic=8136)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on March 30, 2009, 04:02:31 PM
From Chuck Wicks:

03.30.2009

VOTE FOR CHUCK!

FANS – YOU CAN VOTE MULTIPLE TIMES FOR CHUCK ON MONDAY 3/30.

PLEASE KEEP VOTING UNTIL YOU RECEIVE A MESSAGE THAT SAYS YOU REACHED THE LIMIT (the limit is approximately 13 votes).

Viewers can vote via phone, text message or online for their favorites ONLY on the night they perform.

Phone: call 800-868-3406 and cast your vote. When: from the start of the show on Monday 3/30 to 30 minutes after the show ends.

Text: Text the word “VOTE” to 3406 – When: from the start of the show on Monday 3/30 until 30 minutes after the show ends (in time zone of texter*). For AT&T subscribers only.

Online: click here (www.abc.com) to vote for Chuck. When: from the start of the show on Monday 3/30 to noon Eastern Time on Tuesday 3/31

http://www.chuckwicks.com/index.php?page=news&n_id=122 (http://www.chuckwicks.com/index.php?page=news&n_id=122)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on March 30, 2009, 04:15:53 PM
An interesting article:

Kristi Yamaguchi Not Surprised By Dancing Injuries

If there’s one person who knows how grueling an entire season of Dancing with the Stars can be, it’s season 6 champ Kristi Yamaguchi.

“The injuries aren’t surprising,” Yamaguchi says of season 8’s spate of injuries. “People don’t know how physical it gets. I think that’s one reason why athletes do well — they know how to listen to their bodies.”

Yamaguchi, who was in Los Angeles this weekend serving as an ambassador at the World Figure Skating Championships, sees one athlete from the current season who has a serious shot at the mirror-ball trophy: gymnast Shawn Johnson, who’s paired with Yamaguchi’s former partner Mark Ballas.

“Shawn is focused and as an athlete, she is used to taking direction and easily coachable,” says Yamaguchi. “Mark is having a great time working with her and she’s got great potential.”

But Yamaguchi also sees stiff competition in Gilles Marini and Melissa Rycroft, who shared first place on the leader board with Johnson after last Monday’s dance. “I think the front-runners are Melissa, Gilles and Shawn,” she says. “Lil’ Kim and Chuck [Wicks] are dark horses.”

http://tvwatch.people.com/2009/03/30/kristi-yamaguchi-not-surprised-by-dancing-injuries/ (http://tvwatch.people.com/2009/03/30/kristi-yamaguchi-not-surprised-by-dancing-injuries/)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on March 30, 2009, 04:33:38 PM
ABC Television Network

PRESS RELEASE

ON TOMORROW DANCING RESULTS SHOW (3/31) THIRD & FOURTH COUPLES ELIMINATED ON "DANCING WITH THE STARS THE RESULTS SHOW," TUESDAY, MARCH 31 ON ABC

Boyz II Men Perform

Kevin Rudolf Performs

"Episode 804A" - After a night of Argentine Tango and Lindyhop, a dramatic double elimination will send the third & fourth couples home from the competition on "Dancing with the Stars the Results Show," TUESDAY, MARCH 31 (9:00-10:02 p.m., ET) on the ABC Television Network.

In a special performance, the best-selling Motown  act of all time and Grammy-Award winning group Boyz II Men will sing a Motown Medley from their latest Decca CD, "Motown: A Journey Through Hitsville USA."   Boyz II Men consists of members Nathan Morris, Shawn Stockman and Wanya Morris; as a group they have sold over 60 million records to date and are currently in the studio recording a new disc set for release in Fall 2009. The trio will be accompanied by professional dancers Cheryl Burke, Dmitry Chaplin, Tony Dovolani and Kym Johnson. 

Chart topping newcomer Kevin Rudolf will take to the stage to perform the hit single, "Let it Rock," from his debut Cash Money Records CD, "In the City."  Joining Kevin will be professional dancers Julianne Hough, Derek Hough, Chelsie Hightower, Lacey Schwimmer and Artem Chigvintsev.  Kevin's musical style has been hailed by critics as a sublime blend of influences and he has been cited as one of hip hop's more impressive up and coming new talents. The song and album have emerged as a multi-platform phenomenon, becoming one of the top selling digital singles, logging 3 million downloads on iTunes and the video nearing a 2 million view milestone on YouTube. Kevin kicks off the Let It Rock Tour, his first headlining national run, April 3rd in Nashville.

A Viennese Waltz showcasing the professional dancers and choreographed by former "Dancing with the Stars" professional Louis van Amstel, will dazzle the ballroom along with professionals Jonathan Roberts, Anna Trebunskaya, Aliona Vilani and U.S. Standard Finalists Urs Geisenhainer & Agnes Kazmierczak.

By evening's end two couples will be eliminated, as determined by a combination of the judges' scores and viewers' votes. Who among the following 11 teams will leave the ballroom floor?

David Alan Grier (comedian and actor) and partner Kym Johnson
Shawn Johnson (Olympic gymnastics medalist) and partner Mark Ballas
Lil' Kim (Grammy Award winning rapper) and partner, reigning champion Derek Hough
Holly Madison (reality television star) and partner, newcomer Dmitry Chaplin
Gilles Marini (model and actor) and partner Cheryl Burke
Ty Murray ("King of Cowboys") and partner, newcomer Chelsie Hightower
Steve-O (star of "Jackass" and "Wildboyz") and partner Lacey Schwimmer
Melissa Rycroft (from "The Bachelor") and partner Tony Dovolani
Lawrence Taylor (National Football League Hall of Famer, a.k.a. "LT") and partner Edyta Sliwinska
Chuck Wicks (country music star) and partner Julianne Hough
Steve Wozniak (co-founder of Apple, a.k.a. "The Woz) and partner Karina Smirnoff

Viewers may cast their votes for their favorite teams via phone on Monday night during and up to 30 minutes after the "Dancing with the Stars" performance shows. AT&T subscribers may also text message their votes by texting the word "VOTE" and entering the number that corresponds to the team they want to support (standard text message rates apply). Viewers may also vote online at www.abc.com starting from the opening of each episode on the East Coast and until 12:00 Noon, ET the following day.
 
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on March 30, 2009, 05:17:57 PM
An interesting article:

Melissa on 'DWTS' Scare: I Freak Myself Out

Security at "Dancing with the Stars" has been tightened since the Shawn Johnson stalker scare last week, and since the commotion, contestant Melissa Rycroft is thankful she can get back to dancing.

"Thankfully, I haven't had to deal with anything like that," Melissa revealed of the stalker situation. "If that stuff is going on, I am very unaware of it, which is where I would like to be because I freak myself out pretty easily."

She adds, "You want to be accessible to your fans but at the same time you don't want to be too accessible. Three weeks ago, I was sitting at home and nobody knew who I was...So, I need to work on that now that I've been thrown into this world."

Robert O'Ryan is behind bars for stalking Olympian Shawn, but ABC isn't taking any chances. The set is on lockdown, security is heightened and the network is even forbidding any questions about the incident.

Tonight, the stars are heading back to the dance floor -- and Rycroft is neck-and-neck with Gilles Marini as a favorite to win, but she's just hoping to come out of the competition without sustaining an injury. "I wrap everything," Melissa dishes about avoiding a sprain on the injury-plagued season of "DWTS."

Melissa adds of her partner Tony Dovolani, "I know I frustrate him to death in practice because I have so many bad habits -- it's natural for me to be big and do my jazz hands and he's swatting me and hitting me going, 'no!'"

Find out how Melissa and her competitors fare when "Dancing with the Stars" airs tonight on ABC.

http://extratv.warnerbros.com/2009/03/melissa_on_dwts_scare_i_freak.php (http://extratv.warnerbros.com/2009/03/melissa_on_dwts_scare_i_freak.php)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on March 30, 2009, 06:06:57 PM

An update from Woz:

We just finished dress rehearsal.

I had major problems in 3 runs with the full orchestra this morning. I had worked on 4 homework assignments that Karina gave me but I didn't do my normal thing I do at home, which is to repeatedly, with the music playing or not, step through my entire dance from start to finish. I do this either in my head (like when in bed) or on my feet in the small apartment, making allowances for distances.

Going through the entire dance gets the linking between the small parts so well in my head that I don't have a worry. But this morning, while rehearsing to the orchestra, my mind and muscles were stalling to grasp for the link, for the next thing to do. I had been overconfident at having the whole routine down pretty well that way the day before.

Karina was worried. I knew what I needed to do to get back into it but Karina isn't me and she was worried. I felt so sorry for letting her down but feeling sorry is not a constructive step or solution. The constructive step was to go to my trailer and practice danceing all the way through from start to finish. I did it maybe 10 times during the break.

When I encountered Karina just now, before the dress rehearsal, I told her that I had it down, very confidently to reassure her. But the proof is in the pudding and our dance went the best ever. When we finished and I came back to the trailer, Julie told me that I looked much better in the confident character of the Argentine Tango than before.

I pulled my smile on the judges and the few who saw it liked it and laughed. I wish I could wink but I can't. So I try one of those smiles that they have in movies where the guy turns toward the camera, away from his 'partner' and gives a type of smile that is equal to a wink.

All our lift moves went well. I am going to keep practicing in my trailer though, so as not to pull any surprises on Karina for the real show tonight.

Shawn Johnson does some great gymnastic moves. I have to swear that the Lindy Hop is my favorite dance yet. I love fast foot motion, at the edge of physical ability, and all the funn 50's diner type feel of it. I love all the lifts and some are pretty spectacular. I'm not talking just about Shawn and Mark, her partner, but also about Ty and Chelsea, and Julianne and Chuck, David Allen Greer and Kym, and Melissa and Tony. I can't say that any one of them is more impressive than the other. In the red room, I was standing to each Lindy Hop dance on our screen and moving with it. I just love the music and dances so much.

The performance that actually brought me to tears was that of Holly and Dmitry. Holly was in doubt after last week's dance-off, so seeing such an incredible dance, from both of them, made me more than just happy. Others in the red room felt similarly. I hope that gets more acceptance for Holly, who is often left alone from conversations going on.

It's all good. It's all good. (that's a quote from my friend Joe Patane).

off to makeup....

Woz

http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?uid=49720779842&topic=8142 (http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?uid=49720779842&topic=8142)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: apskip on March 30, 2009, 10:47:16 PM
I leave it to RealityFreakWill to do the summary of what happened tonight. There was some great dancing by 2 of the top 3 couples and five 10s were issued, but that was not what really impressed me. Here is what did impress me:

Chelsie Hightower literally threw Ty onto the floor roughly 15 feet away. The arm strength needed to do that is serious.
Lacey Schwimmer showed off her leg power in one short part of her routine.
Steve Wozniak topped everyone in his taped  stroking of his awesome fans. He said "the geeks will inherit the earth." If you look at Bill Gates, Paul Allen, Steve Wozniak and Steven Jobs, I think they already have a good bit of its wealth.
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on March 31, 2009, 02:19:24 AM
Week 4 results

AT=Argentine Tango
LH=Lindy Hop

TEAM              DANCE     CARRIE ANN  LEN  BRUNO    TOTAL

David/Kym          LH                8          7       7           22

Lil' Kim/Derek      AT                9          8       10          27

Chuck/Julianne    LH                8          7        7          22 

Lawrence/Edyta  AT                7          5        7          19

Ty/Chelsie          LH                9          8        8          25

Steve/Karina      AT                 4         4        4          12

Melissa/Tony      LH                10         9       10         29

Holly/Dmitry       AT                 5          6        5         16

Steve-O/Lacey   LH                 5          5        5         15

Gilles/Cheryl       AT                10         10      10        30   

Shawn/Mark       LH                 8           8        9        25   
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on March 31, 2009, 02:28:39 AM
Dancing with the Stars Episode Recap: Monday, March 30, 2009

After eight seasons and three weeks, it's time to try some new moves on Dancing with the Stars, folks. In this case, it's the Lindy Hop and the Argentine Tango. So who got into the swing of things and who just flipped out? Find out below.

Who's not pumped for these two dances after witnessing Cloris Leachman's exceptionally (un)sexy demo last week? I'm not gonna lie, I am — mostly because these new dances will lead to a double elimination. I love sadistic producers. I meant to ask this last week: Is there a reason why we must go through the opening cast credits and a stair intro? And you wonder why your DVR cuts off. Let's just stick to the stairway intro. Better chance of seeing someone fall flat on their face.

Len describes the two dances for us. The Argentine Tango, unlike the regular tango, can be performed cheek-to-cheek, wide apart, or the girl can do intricate footwork (aka Julianne can dance around Chuck again). The Lindy Hop — or "jitterbug," according to Len — is all about fun and tricks.

David Alan Grier & Kym Johnson: Lindy Hop
DAG felt like Sally Field after scoring a 24. As in at the Oscars, not on Brothers & Sisters. Kym takes DAG to Lindy Groove so he can "connect to the essence" of the dance, and that was apparently enough to reassure him. DAG starts off a little slow and seems to have some trouble keeping up with the fast pace, but he gets hopping — and flippin' — by the end. His goofy grin is kind of distracting and I've found myself looking at his face more than his moves, but that kookiness is befitting the dance, so good job? Len says he captured the flavor, but lost the rhythm in some parts. Bruno — who's clearly hit up the spray tan booth for an hour or seven — agrees, while Carrie Ann admires his energy since he's no spring chicken.
Score: 22

Lil Kim & Derek Hough: Argentine Tango
Kim can't get serious in rehearsal because Derek's just so darn fun! And he calls her "baby"! Derek doesn't know much about the dance, so he's learning it as well, which, I've come to find out, is the case for a lot of these pros. Last week was all about the booty; this week is all about the legs for Kim. Check out those gams, y'all! I've always thought it was stupid to show off the stars' legs when they obviously sucked — ergo, you can see all the suckiness. Not the case here. Kim's sultry footwork is entrancing and her long lines are a sight to behold. Bruno calls it a tale of a fatal beauty. Carrie Ann loves the drama and beauty. Len wasn't impressed with the sensuality (um, were we watching the same dance?!). Whatevs. They get the first 10 of the season. Woz doesn't count, guys.
Score: 27

Chuck Wicks & Julianne Hough: Lindy Hop
Chuck doesn't want to flip over Julianne because he's scarred (literally and figuratively) from a childhood accident and he's now scared of landing on his head. Well, Chuckie, I don't think any of us wants to land on our heads. He's so traumatized that Jules must ax the bit. The dance is cute (do we expect any less of one involving Julianne?). Chuck's got the energy and is moving around well, but I'm still not that impressed. DAG's Lindy was better. He just sort of seems... there, like he's going through the motions. Attack it, dude. He's improved over the past two weeks, but he definitely needs to raise his game more. Carrie Ann likes it and wants to see him lose control. He's also cute. Her words, not mine. Len calls it competent, but wants him to come back stronger. Bruno wants pizza to go, but crispier. It's a metaphor. I think. Samantha's sick, FYI, so she's using her sexy voice, as Phoebe Buffay would say. This is a good time to not talk, Sam. Actually, she kind of sounds like Steve-O. Can't wait for that chat later.
Score: 22

Lawrence Taylor & Edyta Sliwinska: Argentine Tango
LT hopes he'll still be married after the tango. Hey, Edyta's still married after, like, 13,644 tangos. And speak of the devil. Alec Mazo pops up to teach LT how to toss his wife. They look sexy (well, who doesn't in black lace?), but the dance? Not so much. Edyta's rockin' it as usual, but LT looks like he's just leading her around the floor. He's either focusing on the steps way too much or is totally not turned on by Edyta. Is that possible? Len appreciates the acting, but says it lacked passion. Bruno thinks he was dangerous, or portrayed danger. Something like that. Carrie Ann likes the power, but thinks LT was afraid of Edyta's sensuality. Bingo.
Score: 19

Ty Murray & Chelsie Hightower: Lindy Hop
Ty and Chelsie (or Woz and Karina for a hot second, thanks to a technical glitch) are completely adorable. Chelsie wants to get physical with it since Ty's so strong. Not without problems, though. They told me Chelsie lost a patch of hair. But who needs hair when you look this good? It was fast, fun, animated, vivacious — like a killer bull ride. I can't get over the fact that the guy who barely synched up four steps three weeks ago can now kick, skip, hop, twist and lift in, like, 10 seconds. Say "dark horse." Seriously, say it. Bruno says he's coming up leaps and bounds. Carrie Ann calls him a "DANCER!" and can't wait to give him her score. Len says something about britches, but is completely besotted by the dance.
Score: 25

Steve Wozniak & Karina Smirnoff: Argentine Tango
Now it's time for the Woz. I'm not sure if I'm more disappointed that the Woz is not doing the fun and fabulous Lindy Hop or if I'm more scared that he's doing the passionate Argentine Tango. In his spare time, he does some Segway campaigning — fliers and all — because the geeks shall inherit the earth. Woz's sexy face is basically no smiling. He keeps up with the staccato pace, more or less, and cheekily grazes Karina's literally bare leg (that was a bikini she was wearing, right?), but we all know this blows. There's nothing there but a few steps. Carrie Ann says it felt too long and thinks the leg rub was hot. Len likes that he attempted a proper tango and that it was an improvement. Bruno loves him, but thinks it stunk. "I'm still standing," Woz tells him.
Score: 12

Melissa Rycroft & Tony Dovolani: Lindy Hop
Tony uses toilet paper to teach Melissa the Lindy Hop. She returns the favor later by sniffing at his crotch. They come out strong, of course, and have the pep and matching toothy grins to carry them into next week. It's poppy (or maybe I'm just blindsided by the pink and white polka dots) and she's all over the floor, in a good way. Looks like Tony took that criticism to heart. Len says she has the potential to go all the way, but notes a slip-up at the end. Bruno likes that the routine showed the full range of steps. Carrie Ann likes what she sees and thinks it's Tony's best choreography ever.
Score: 29

Holly Madison & Dmitry Chaplin: Argentine Tango
Holly wants to work hard this week (as opposed to the other weeks?), but is hampered by her rib injury. She strained the muscles around her rib (maybe from the excess boobage?), but can keep going. And keep going she does despite slipping off the stool, but falls to pieces. This is why I'm against props. Have I ever said I don't like props? No? Well, I don't. Big ones like chairs anyway. Besides that, Holly doesn't look that bad, but it's still not good and shows zero improvement, unless you count those crazy flips. She's still flimsy and wobbly for some unknown reason. I felt bad wondering what Jewel would've been like last week, but not anymore. If you can't improve at all after a month, you're just taking up space. Bruno says it kept getting worse after the flub. Carrie Ann doesn't think she's building strength. Len loves the routine and sees the light at the end of the tunnel.
Score: 16

Steve-O & Lacey Schwimmer: Lindy Hop
Steve-O's been stressed out, so Lacey tries to lighten the mood with a clown costume. He went to clown college, if you're not aware. Is Lacey wearing Crocs? That's what they look like. It bothers me that they're purple while the rest of their costume is pink, blue and black. Anyhow, Steve-O's got the pizzazz, while Lacey is channeling Katy Perry. This is basically a circus show. He's jumping and kicking everywhere, but looks completely crazy doing it, aka it doesn't look like it's part of the routine. The second-week mishap has really set him back, which is unfortunate because I do think he has a great dance in him. But let's face it, you can't bounce and flip around too much with a bum back. Carrie Ann's proud he got through the routine, but he's a little off on the musicality. Len echoes CA's sentiments. Bruno calls it hopping mad and wants him to stop overthinking it and listen to the music. Oh, and the chat with Sam is completely underwhelming. Though I am impressed that she flubs less when sick. Hmm...
Score: 15

Gilles Marini & Cheryl Burke: Argentine Tango
Cheryl's rubbing Gilles' butt with her leg. Way to rub it in. He's getting stressed out, so Cheryl tells him he needs to act in the dance. Shades of Denise Richards? Never! Gilles knows how to channel his inner lovah, even if it means he has to look like Antonio Banderas. Besides, he's French. The dance is tight, taut and tantalizingly seductive. Neither looks like he or she is leading the other; it looks like a passionate and lusty back-and-forth tug-of-war. It's just hot. Len loves all the different elements in the dance. Bruno calls him the quintessential Latin lover. Bravissimo! Carrie Ann can't feel her face and is jealous of Mrs. Gilles. They get the first perfect 30 of the season.
Score: 30

Shawn Johnson & Mark Ballas: Lindy Hop
Shawn + Lindy Hop = Score, right? She takes this opportunity to introduce Mark to her world, leotard and all. Shawn's feeling more in her element with this since she can literally be herself. Right off the bat, she reels off a series of high-flying flips and just keeps them coming. It's impressive and exuberant, but looks more like a workout routine than a dance routine. The dorky sport outfits aren't helping the cause. I know the dance is about tricks, but it shouldn't be all about them. One or two fewer flips here and there would've made all the difference. Looks like someone had a little too much fun on the floor exercise. That said, it still rocks my socks. Bruno loves the feast of gymnastics, but wants more dancing. Carrie Ann likes Mark's legs and wants her to be light on her feet. Len thought there were too many tricks.
Score: 25

And that's it for now. Gilles makes it four weeks straight atop the leader board with the first 30 so far. Woz, naturally, is bringing up the rear with a 12. What did you think? Did they deserve a 30 and 12, respectively? What did you think of the new dances? Does the Lindy remind you of the jitterbug or jive? Was it too early to break out the 10 paddles? Which two will get the boot?

http://www.tvguide.com/Episode-Recaps/dancing-stars/Dancing-Stars-Episode-1004537.aspx
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on March 31, 2009, 02:48:28 AM
'Dancing' Recap: From Hoppin' & Boppin' to Sultry and Sensual

On Monday night's fourth week of competition on "Dancing with the Stars," the scores were all over the map, with the high and low scores split by almost 20 points.

The couples danced two new dances -- either the boogie-woogie Lindy Hop or the sensual and fiery Argentine tango -- and, in a twist, two couples will go home tomorrow night.

Gilles Marini and Cheryl Burke led the competition. The pair brought the audience to their feet with their seductive and sultry Argentine tango, receiving a standing ovation and the first perfect score of the season: a 30. Judge Bruno Tonioli called Gilles "the quintessential Latin lover." Judge Carrie Ann Inaba fanned herself and said, "I can't feel my face. Am I still here? Holy cow! Jeez Louise!" She then went on to say, "In that number I could not tell who was the professional and who was the celebrity."

Melissa Rycroft and Tony Dovolani's fast-paced Lindy Hop was filled with flips and skips, and the judges' score of 29 landed them in second place. Bruno called their performance "truly eyepopping fun," while judge Len Goodman said Melissa has the potential to go all the way.

Lil' Kim and Derek Hough's Argentine tango scored a 27. Bruno commented, "That was more than a tango. That was the tale of a fatal beauty." Carrie Ann complimented Kim on her "incredible transformation" and called her "the real deal."

Shawn Johnson and Mark Ballas' Lindy Hop was bursting with energy and gymastics moves, and scored a 25. Len said, "For me there were too many tricks -- a little bit more dancing [was] needed." Carrie Ann thought Shawn needed to be a bit more light on her feet.

Ty Murray and Chelsie Hightower's Lindy Hop was also very well received by the judges, earning a 25. Bruno said, "Ty -- you were jumping kicking and skipping with the vitality of a young stallion."

David Alan Grier and his partner Kym Johnson were the first to take the floor with their Lindy Hop, and scored a solid score of 22. Len said to the pair of their performance, "Not your best but by no means your worst," while Carrie Ann complimented David Alan: "I actually thought it was great because you're not the youngest cookie in the bunch."

Chuck Wicks and Julianne Hough also scored a 22 for their Lindy Hop. Len critiqued Chuck: "It was competent and you are a competent dancer … competence will get so far, it won't get you all the way through."

Lawrence Taylor and Edyta Sliwinska's Argentine tango did not impress the judges, earning a 19. Carrie Ann said that while they had a "lack of chemistry" she appreciated the effort, saying, "Good job."

Holly Madison almost fell off the stool in the opening of her Argentine tango (which scored a 16) with partner Dmitry Chaplin, and the performance, as Bruno said, "kept getting worse." Carrie Ann offered some credit to Holly, however, saying, "You fell off the stool in the beginning, but you did hang in there."

Steve-O and Lacey Schwimmer took the floor with Steve-O's "Jackass" co-star Johnny Knoxville in the audience. Their Lindy Hop didn't impress the judges, sadly, garnering only a 15 out of 30. Bruno commented, "Steve-O, this was more hopping mad than Lindy Hop. All over the place."

Steve Wozniak and Karina Smirnoff found themselves at the bottom of the scoreboard again with their score of 12 for their Argentine tango, but they did improve from last week's series low score of a 10. Bruno was harsh in his judgment, telling the pair: "We all know that the tango originated in the gutters of Buenos Aires but the only thing you picked up from that is the stench because that really stunk."

No mention was made during the live broadcast of Shawn Johnson's alleged stalker, who was arrested last week after attempting to jump a fence at the studio where the ABC hit is filmed.

Tune in to "Dancing with the Stars" on Tuesday at 9 p.m. to find out which two celebs will not be back to dance next week!

http://www.etonline.com/news/2009/03/72317/
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on March 31, 2009, 02:57:45 AM
click on link below to view video

Shawn Johnson: 'This is the Hardest Week Yet'

"Dancing with the Stars" contestant Shawn Johnson was back on stage and ready to compete just one week after her alleged stalker Robert O'Ryan was arrested at CBS studios -- and the Olympic gold medalist opens up to ET about her difficult week.

Maksim Chmerkovskiy, ET's special "Dancing" correspondent talks to the 17-year-old about staying focused with all the extra stuff going on in her life.

"[It's] really difficult," she says. "This is the hardest week yet."

Despite the incident that unfolded last week Johnson and her partner Mark Ballas received a score of 25 from the judges for their Lindy Hop -- watch the video to hear more from the "Dancing" star.

http://www.etonline.com/news/2009/03/72323/
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on March 31, 2009, 10:07:14 AM
click on link below to view video

New Video: Maksim Takes the Mic at 'DWTS'

Maksim Chmerkovskiy took off his dancing shoes and grabbed a microphone on Monday night as ET's special "Dancing with the Stars" correspondent. The "Dancing" pro spoke to Gilles Marini and Cheryl Burke about their perfect score, and talked to the other couples about dealing with the judges' criticism, and learning to trust their partners.

Real life couple Julianne Hough and Chuck Wicks explain why they feel so comfortable together on the dance floor.

"He's so strong," Julianne says about Chuck. With my last partner Cody who's here tonight, I couldn't do all those flips because I would break him instead."

"She weighs like 103.5 pounds," Chuck says confidently. "So, we're good."

The couple that looked almost flawless on the dance floor Gilles and Cheryl, reveal to ET that they actually had doubts about the choreography and were stressed out about their routine.

"I was so stressed out this week more than ever," Cheryl tells Maksim. "I was so insecure about my choreography -- I stressed him out, I wanted to change it."

Gilles encouraged Cheryl not to change the routine, telling his partner; "Remember, I don't dance. Don't change what I just learned."

Despite their apprehension about their routine Gilles and Cheryl received a perfect score for their Argentine tango.

Watch the video for even more backstage action with Maksim!

http://www.etonline.com/news/2009/03/72326/index.html
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on March 31, 2009, 11:00:26 AM
'Dancing With the Stars' recap: Hop to It
As the dancers take on the Argentine Tango and the Lindy Hop, one pair scores the season's first perfect score

On last night's Dancing With the Stars performance show, another big twist! Samantha Harris's silly baby had made her ill. Not sure what the technical term for her condition was, but I'll go ahead and call it a particularly wretched case of the croaks. Don't worry, she didn't let that stop her from slobbering all over the contestants, wagging her germy microphone in their faces, and generally sounding like a monster whenever she spoke between demure sips of sparkly water. Still, Sam had some of her most precious hosting moments last night, particularly when, after Gilles called himself Cheryl's ''nightmare,'' she quipped right back, ''For many at home, a nightmare they wish was recurring.'' (Haha!) Then she hocked a loogie at the monitor. (Probably.)

For many at home this morning, a nightmare we endured just hours ago was a loop of Sam leaning in way too close to the camera to growl sweet nothings like ''In case yah MISSED any of the numbers...'' whilst dangling her bedazzled mic just above our non-pillow-safe ears. Throughout the night, Tom attempted to de-freak everyone out by jauntily comparing Samantha to pop culture figures so outdated that he became more and more faux-sickened by himself and by 10 p.m. was just generally defeated. I do not wish for Sam's condition to worsen, exactly — but I have to say, her predicament made the entire night a lot more unintentionally hilarious than usual.

I mean...Get well soon! Here's how the 11 remaining couples fared with either the Argentine Tango or the Lindy Hop:

Gilles Marini and Cheryl Burke: 30 out of possible 30 I can't feel my face! Am I still here? Holy cow. Jeez! Missus. Woo hoo! Oh, sorry, DANCMSTRs, just channeling Carrie Ann for a second there. Cheryl's tough-love training style is paying off: After ''Zheeeel'' (as Samantha pronounces it, except last night it was more like ''Hccaahhch'') was shown pacing the studio all by his lonesome, reminding himself how ''Stupid!'' he was, he and Cheryl turned out one of the best DWTS performances to date. The slicked-back hair, the black-and-purple palette, that one weightless lift that changed direction three times and then again once Cheryl hit the floor...happy sigh! The first 30 of the season! Even Tom (Gunn?) couldn't keep a hearty ''That was fierce!'' to himself after their final one-armed Cristian de la Fuente's ruptured bicep-inspired pose (clearly one of Cheryl's faves). My only complaint about Gilles' Argentine Tango was that once the music ''kicked in,'' by the time I got pumped up about the new lighting and quicker tempo, it was all over. Carrie Ann said she ''honestly couldn't tell who was the professional and who was the celebrity,'' which might have hurt Stacy Keibler in season 2 but shouldn't have the same effect on Gilles because his (lack of) past dance experience is not in question. If he keeps this up — and you know Cheryl will — Gilles will easily win. So basically he needs to live in a bubble whenever he's not rehearsing, so he won't get injured. Preferably a giant mirrorball. Lined with webcams.

Melissa Rycroft and Tony: 29/30 Okay, it's kind of working. I'm beginning to find Melissa Rycroft's rehearsal footage totally endearing. I blame myself for loving Tony too much. (''Stupid!'') According to Melissa, Tony has achieved the enviable status of her ''intstructor/brother/teacher/friend'' — take that, highly-functioning-chimpanzee-Mesnick! Tony and Melissa both appear to be having a blast, and Melissa's flutter-footed screech upon completing the full-twisting dip under Tony's legs during rehearsal is the stuff DWTS producers' dreams are made of. That and glitter. The pair earned nearly a perfect score for their Lindy Hop that, as difficult as it was, honestly didn't seem like such a big deal for Melissa to complete. Even Tony had to take a seat next to Tom before their critique, he was so out of breath. Of course, the pink-bowtied Phoenix eventually rose from the ashes to hear Carrie Ann call his brilliant choreography a personal best and — a bit more important — to pinch Tom's ass, acting as surrogate for his BFF Maks.

Lil' Kim and Derek: 27/30 They performed second, and I was so enthralled by the active/reactive qualities of their Argentine Tango (Derek described that perfectly) that I might have been content if this had been the only outstanding tango of the night. Kim and Derek's intuitive leg flicks were what made this dance amazing for me, especially at the beginning — for a few bars, they seemed to flow as one four-legged creature with a particularly bionic booty. Another high: that floating lift in which Kim seemed to somehow gain more height after her initial peak. (I'm clueless! Fire me!) You could tell Bruno awarded Kim a 10 to even out DANCMSTR's score of 8. But whoa, did anyone else notice DANCMSTR transform into Bruno for a few seconds during his critique of Kim? ''Buenos Aires. A bar. Smoke-filled Small room. Sensual. Quiet. Passionate. Then a quick fiery moment. And then BACK into the passion! That was lacking.'' He had the super-intense ''If I was any closer I might strangle you'' hand gestures and everything. All DANCMSTR needs is some overtly sexual metaphor and a reference to an upcoming Disney movie and he is ready to complete ''the change.''

Shawn Johnson and Mark: 25/30 DANCMSTR and Bruno complained that their Lindy Hop contained too many tricks and could have used more dancing, but I suspect that if Shawn and Mark had dressed in Melissa and Tony's costumes instead of showing up as American Gladiators rejects, the same performance might have come off as more technical and dance-y. But maybe not; there were way too many ''stops'' within the performance that we don't usually see with even the more challenged contestants. I didn't get that Shawn and Mark's ''SHARK'' warmup suits were part of their costumes and mistakenly marked down Shawn's backstage outfit as a potential Hidden Gem of the Week. ''Is she waiting for the floor exercise?'' I typed in my notes. Technically, yes, that's exactly what she and Mark ended up doing out there. She may have been underscored a bit, but at least she got to enjoy not having to be ''romantic'' (ewwwww gross boys!) and the routine allowed for a mesmerizing rehearsal segment of the couple at a local gymnastics center that I'll probably be rewinding tomorrow to watch the back-flips-on-a-trampoline part over and over and over....What's wrong with me? No, wait, I'm off the hook. It was Mark who designed those costumes.

Ty Murray and Chelsie: 25/30 First of all, I'm seriously admiring Ty's ability to hold eye contact with the camera even in the most desperate times, i.e. when the camera won't leave its subject alone during those usually heinous backstage parting shots. Ty's unflinching countenance may not be his biggest strength out on the dance floor, but his commitment to one specific gaze was almost hypnotic during that somewhat uncomfortable lingering shot he shared with Lawrence Taylor in the red room. As for his Lindy Hop last night, Ty seriously worked it out and I think most props should go to Chelsie. Some other pros have become frustrated with their partner's inability to ''just feel the dance'' early on, whereas Chelsie sat her ass on the floor and made sure Ty hammered down and understood all of his footwork before she put the two of them together for the rest of the routine. She's been teaching him the basics instead of whirling him around right away in temporary routines he'll never remember. It's just smart. I loved this couple and their crazy pink/navy plaid costumes. Sure, he didn't look too jazzed the whole time, but maybe Ty was just playing the role of the shy boy at the school's mandatory sock hop that's probably kind of lame anyway.

David Alan Grier and Kym: 22/30 Despite a total lack of negative critiques, DAG still can't quite break into the top 5. He and Kym had the disadvantage of dancing first, and I thought their performance was great but then proceeded to forget almost everything about it besides his bespangled lapels and her emitting a distinct Strawberry Shortcake Takes a Crappy Boat Cruise vibe (both of which, of course, I dug). That dual cartwheel was divine and I loved the quick-paced, multi-element finish. They deserve a better slot next week. My favorite part of their segment was probably DANCMSTR's unintentional redundancy: ''It was not your best but by no means not your worst.'' Whatever you say, man whose pink handkerchief by no means matches even one of the four other shades of pink in your ensemble.

Chuck Wicks and Julianne: 22/30 Exactly how many times did this dude fall on his head? Julianne decided to forego the dreaded back flip during the (REAL-LIFE) couple's Lindy Hop and instead went with a cute but safe routine that earned them typical semi-praises such as ''Competent'' (DANCMSTR), ''Sometimes you're borderline good'' (Carrie Ann), and ''Pizza to go, please! But can I have it crispier?'' (Wild guess). After their final pose, Julianne reached up to give her partner a high ten; too bad he was in the process of giving a virtual one to the audience. I'm surprised that when the couple were hopping around the judges' table, DANCMSTR didn't place an order for his favorite snack (a cheese roll and a cup o' tea) from the deranged wait staff of CHUCK and JULES, for whom there ain't no cure for the summertime blues of toiling away at an imaginary '50s diner within a cavernous television studio. I hear the tips are horrible.

Lawrence Taylor and Edyta: 19/30 Hooray for any excuse for us to see Alec again! After Lady Legwarmer showed uncharacteristic frustration with her partner, her quiet hubby, He of the Wondrous Hair, came in to demonstrate some of the footwork and lifts for the Argentine Tango for Lawrence. The couple's dance was pretty boring and the judges said it lacked chemistry, but that's not to say the entire segment was a bust. For one thing, Edyta looked positively chaste (in a nearly backless dress) with her classy, black-sparkly costume and sophisticated updo. Bizarro world! It continued; Samantha embarked on a dramatic monologue entitled ''I Lost My Voice But I'll Say This Anyway'': I'm going through puberty! I just want you all to know. Has the ballroom bug caught you? It's apparently caught me... And so on. This direct excerpt has not been brought to you by Sudafed. To top it all off, Tom called DANCMSTR ''Little Lenny Hardbutt.'' All of this is just terrific. That's what we wanna see, guys! Go LT!

Holly Madison and Dmitry: 16/30 ''The Argentine Tango is very sophisticated,'' began Dmitry during their rehearsal footage, and you could tell he wanted to continue, ''Just like your long-ass shiny fuchsia shorts.'' Okay, I wanted that. I find the shorts fascinating. Holly's having rib troubles, has taken over Denise Richards' ''crying lady'' slot since last week, and looks prettier without much makeup. I obviously loved Holly's black-and-white long fringed skirt and black feathered headdress, but the couple's Argentine Tango went downhill as soon as she somehow almost tumbled off one of their two prop stools. She got to execute her favorite part, the flip! But with tonight's double elimination, Holly's chances to ''Drop the Barbie; bring out the vixen'' (as prescribed by Bruno) are likely nil. [Nervous giggle]

Steve-O and Lacey: 15/30 Oh god, it's Katy Perry with purple Crocs! Nope, just Lacey in her ridiculous Lindy Hop costume. I feel for her — she and Steve-O don't even seem to be on the same show as everyone else, what with his enduring pain and their tendency to fall days or even weeks behind the other couples. I'm not sure why he doesn't just bow out, especially with two people having to leave tonight. At least half of their rehearsal segment was overlaid with Steve-O's obscenely loud grunts of unadulterated terror. Please stop! Nothing he's doing is benefitting everyone — and yes, I did see the sad-sack clown routine and fun, brightly striped Lindy Hop shirt. There's just something so eerie and contradictory about the poor-guy's low, drawn-out delivery of this week's cue card: ''If I can't get in touch with that clown character....gosh dang darnit what the hay. I'm here to have fun.'' Cringe! I'm either a bad person or a decent one for wanting Steve-O to work his issues out away from national television. Take a cue from Lacey, mid-training session: ''It shouldn't be this hard.''



Steve Wozniak and Karina: 12/30 While one Steve continued to deteriorate, the other pumped himself back up to the colorful, friendly inflatable dinosaur raft he always knew he could be. After leading a herd of Segways to a thicket of humans rife with his personal fans, Woz implored these same people to vote for him. Dude, they showed up for free at your extra-special geek rally. I think you've sealed the deal! Woz and Karina performed something resembling an Argentine Tango, with Karina wisely opting to wear an amount of costume material proportionate with her partner's dance talent. Bruno was especially harsh to the man incapable of making an angry face, telling Woz the only thing he picked up from Buenos Aires (did I fall asleep during that portion of the rehearsal segment when they traveled there?) was ''the stench,'' because ''that stunk.'' Woz fired back with an ''I'm Still Standing'' reference (that would be the Elton John music video Bruno danced in way back when). Bruno didn't care. Really, he could be a bit nicer and still make his point. Wozzup with the hostility?

Hey, speaking of rhetorical questions, what's almost as good as an EW.com Dancing with the Stars video series? Today's Idolatry, which features regrettable footage of me dancing in a sequined vest circa 1993, as well as a tepid discussion of fringe with host Michael Slezak. It's true, y'all!

Okay, DANCMSTRs — comment away on Mark's lamb shanks, Lil' Kim's leg flicks, and your best and worst DWTS nightmares. I have three words for you: Steve's Segway Stampede. [shudder]

http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20269001,00.html
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on March 31, 2009, 11:03:14 AM
An interesting article:

DWTS Watch: All Eyes on Shawn Johnson

On Monday night’s Dancing with the Stars, all eyes were on the show's youngest-ever contestant, gymnast Shawn Johnson , who proved to be unflappable after her terrifying stalker situation was revealed last week.

The Olympic medalist stuck all her landings on a Lindy Hop with partner Mark Ballas that was full of gymnastics tricks and earned a score of 25 out of 30.

"I had a great time," the always-smiling Shawn told OK! after performing her routine. “This is probably my favorite dance that we’ve done so far. I just went out there and took a chance and had a blast so that’s all that matters."

And in spite of the recent stalker drama, the 17-year-old declared, "I’m having the time of my life. My whole life has been gymnastics so this is the first opportunity I’ve had to do something else and I love it.”

Although the judges marked her down slightly, saying there were too many tricks and not enough dancing, Mark said people had been asking him and Shawn to throw in her signature gymnastics’ moves since the show began.

“They said, 'When are you going to do it, when are you going to do it?' And this is the only dance in which we could have done it," he explained. "I definitely feel like we danced enough. I don’t think she was heavy-footed at all. She didn’t miss a beat.”

Shawn and Mark might not have missed a beat, but it was actor Gilles Marini, with partner Cheryl Burke, who received the season's first perfect score of 30 for their dramatic Argentine Tango, while former Bachelor gal Melissa Rycroft and Tony Dovolani continued to impress with thei energetic Lindy Hop, earning a near-perfect 29.

“Wow. It’s so much work," Gilles told OK! after the show. "From Wednesday to Saturday, rehearsing was hard. It can be a beautiful dance, but I thought, can I do it?” The answer was a resounding "Yes!"

Meanwhile, Melissa talked to OK! about her high-scoring performance. “Every time we nailed a trick, I got more and more excited," she recalled. "To come out tonight and hit it 100%, it’s a really good feeling. I think my face kind of said it all — shock, excitement, relief.”

Melissa also revealed her post-show de-stressing routine. “I go eat with family and friends, go home early. I’ve done really well with my sleep this week. This is the most aerobic exercise I’ve had in years so I go home and conk out.”

Controversial rapper Lil Kim was pleased with her Argentine tango, which got a score of 27. “I was in my zone,” she said to OK! after the show.

On the optimistic front, rodeo champ Ty Murray told OK! he felt he and partner Chelsie Hightower are “getting better every week.” The pair danced away with an impressive 25 for their Lindy Hop.

Real-life lovebirds Chuck Wicks and Julianne Hough Lindy-Hopped their way to a 22. “Hopefully the fans will keep us in,” country singer Chuck said.

The boyfriend/girlfriend team isn’t engaged yet, but Julianne joked backstage about getting married, “Well, we’re going to Vegas this week…for the American Country Music Awards.”

In danger of elimination once more is computer guru Steve Wozniak, who only managed to eke out a score of 12 on Monday night for his Argentine tango with partner Karina Smirnoff. In one of his most brutal criticisms of the season, judge Bruno Tonioli said it “stunk,” but the Wizard of Woz said, “Karina told me about a book called The Secret. Where what you believe is where you’re going to get to. We’re always upbeat — and continuing!”

Holly Madison, whose Argentine Tango scored a measly 16 for her and pro partner Dmitry Chaplin, hopes she’s not in danger for the show’s double elimination tomorrow night. The former Girl Next Door has suffered inflamed muscles around her ribs and said, “It’s painful but the least of my worries right now.”

Tune in Tuesday night to see the entire cast worry and wonder which two stars must go home.

http://www.ok-magazine.com/news/view/12931 (http://www.ok-magazine.com/news/view/12931)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on March 31, 2009, 11:18:15 AM
Ty Murray's Blog:

‘We’re not going to weaken now’

After the first week, Chelsie said we have to get better every week and so far we've been able to do that. Now we're starting to get the type of scores where it's going to get even harder to keep getting better every week, but that's still going to be our intention.

The thing I liked about the Lindy Hop was that it's a physical dance.

I blew off the stage right from the beginning and that's how I like to go at things. I loved the fact that we just built the routine from that and that dance, if you try to run it over and over, just kills you. It just wipes you out.

But, tonight, with our adrenaline going you could feel it. You have this much vested in it, you've worked hard and you've put in hundreds of hours so it's not like you're going to take it lightly. You just bear down and try to do your best.

I didn't do it perfect, but I feel like I'm slowly making some progress.

It feels good to get better and it feels good to get better compliments from the judges. The amount of fan support is unbelievable and it just keeps increasing week by week.

There are no gimmicks and there are no shortcuts so the main thing that we're trying to do is to make sure we put in the effort and the work because I don't know what else to do. I don't know of any other way to go about it.

This week coming up, if we survive the elimination, we'll be doing the Pasodoble.

It's a dance they came up with when the King of England went to Spain and saw a bullfight for the first time. I don't know the whole story, but, I think, he came back and told his servants and they developed this dance, which they call the Pasodoble.

It's a serious and macho dance that would remind you a lot of Spanish bullfighters and even Spanish cowboys, for that matter, in the same way if you were to go to Mexico and watch the trick ropers. They all put a lot of time and attention toward their form and you see that come through with this dance.

From what Chelsie tells me, the technique is hard to get a grasp on. But, really, all these dances are hard to get a grasp on so it'll just be a matter of putting in the work. We would start that first thing Wednesday morning and go at like we have been.

It's all still a big challenge, but every day I have a better understanding of the challenge that's in front of me. "Dancing with the Stars" is a big show, and we're not going to weaken now.

http://www.pbrnow.com/blog/index.cfm/2009/3/31/Were-not-going-to-weaken-now (http://www.pbrnow.com/blog/index.cfm/2009/3/31/Were-not-going-to-weaken-now)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on March 31, 2009, 12:00:20 PM
An interesting article:

Monday’s Dancing: What You Didn’t See

Muscle Mania: Dance partners Melissa Rycroft and Tony Dovolani were filmed kissing their biceps and growling in their pre-taped segment. Before their near-perfect performance of the Lindy hop, the couple faced each other, kissed each bicep once and went “grrrr.” After their performance they repeated the routine. “It’s kiss the guns and then growl at each other,” Rycroft tells PEOPLE. “We like to get in a bubble before we go out and perform and that’s our way of saying, ‘It’s me and you out here right now.’”

Safety Dance: After an alleged stalker of Olympic gymnast Shawn Johnson was discovered and arrested outside of the Dancing with the Stars studio last week, it was evident security was heightened and tightened. Four employees surrounded the entrance to the lot, every bag was checked and guests needed wristbands and hand stamps to enter the studio. Normally, special guests of the dancers are allowed to mingle on the dancefloor after the show, but even they were asked to leave before returning through another security checkpoint.

Crowd Pleaser: The crowd roared when Warren Sapp, one of last season’s crowd favorites, walked toward his seat in the front row. Throughout the night, he waved to old friends, staff and the audience, which cheered with delight. Afterward, he mingled with his former partner Kym Johnson and he was also spotted giving dancer Karina Smirnoff a giant bear hug.

Country Corner: After the show ended and the press filed out, rodeo champion Ty Murray chatted up some friends seated near the stage. His wife Jewel sat next to her former partner Dmitry Chaplin. Murray’s pro partner Chelsie Hightower, still dressed in her Lindy hop costume, sat on Chaplin’s lap. “We became a tight-knit group,” said Jewel about the foursome who spent weeks rehearsing at the couple’s ranch in Stephenville, Texas. Meanwhile real-life couple and dance partners Julianne Hough and Chuck Wicks lingered and talked with the group as well.

Eye Spy a Tear?: Actor Gilles Marini was nearly moved to tears when the crowd extended their standing ovation for his and partner Cheryl Burke’s perfect tango. “It was such a long ovation that I felt like, ‘Don’t ask me any questions or I’m going to cry,’” he said after the show. The couple’s sultry performance scored the season’s first perfect score–a 30 out of 30. He thanked the crowd and looked toward his wife before leaving the stage. After the show, Marini’s wife and Burke hugged each other and celebrated the performance.

http://tvwatch.people.com/2009/03/31/mondays-dancing-what-you-didnt-see-20/ (http://tvwatch.people.com/2009/03/31/mondays-dancing-what-you-didnt-see-20/)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on March 31, 2009, 01:09:29 PM
Dancing With the Stars Contestant Loses 26 Pounds 

David Alan Grier has been working up quite a sweat on Dancing With the Stars.

"I've actually lost 26 pounds," the actor, 53, told Usmagazine.com after Monday's show. "The first day I came in, I was like, 'I'm not going to
lose weight - we're waltzing!'"

But he said his dancing routines with partner Kym Johnson involve "three hours of aerobics. You're dancing and you're using your core - which Kim was talking about."

Added Johnson, "You're burning a lot more calories because you're actually moving your whole body, as opposed to doing just weights."

Grier - who had been on a strict diet of egg whites, fruit, yogurt - said he now "can cheat a little bit because we are burning so much."

Two contestants go home on tonight's show - and Grier (who scored a 22 for his Lindy Hop on Monday's show) is hoping he is not one of them.

"I have to stay in to lose four more pounds," he told Us, "and then you can kick me off."

http://www.usmagazine.com/news/dancing-with-the-star-contestant-loses-26-pounds+-2009313
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on March 31, 2009, 02:19:03 PM
An interview with Gilles:

Dancing's Gilles: "I'm Helping Make Babies!"

Hey, Gilles Marini! You just scored a perfect 30 on Dancing With the Stars, so what are you going to do next?

Celebrate...at a hamburger joint?!

"My wife and my friends who were there all wanted to have burger and the only burger was Johnny Rockets next door [to the studio]," Gilles told me this morning. "We feasted on Johnny Rockets and milkshakes. I think I gained 18 pounds."

As if the naked guy from Sex and the City has anything to worry about in the body department!

Read on for my weekly exclusive chat with Marini. We talked about earning this season's first 30, how Shawn Johnson is holding up after her stalker scare and why Gilles and his partner, Cheryl Burke, may be the cause of a sudden baby boom about nine months from now.

You did amazing last night. You got three 10s!
We try our best. I was very insecure last night before we start dancing because I saw the dress rehearsals. Everyone was brilliant and I was like, "I'm done today."

How does it feel to hear Carrie Anne Inaba say she couldn't tell who was the celebrity and who was the professional dancer during your Argentine tango?
You know, it doesn't make me do anything. When she says that it means Cheryl is an accomplished teacher. Every week I'm starting from zero. We have the paso doble next, and I don't know what a paso doble is yet. I never seen a paso doble my entire life. I didn't even know how to spell it.

Maybe so, but you told me the same thing last week about the Argentine tango and look how well that turned out.
Even Cheryl was like, "This is the first time I ever compete with the Argentine tango. It's going to be my first time doing it in front of an audience." She was very scared. On Saturday, she wanted to change the choreography because she was not happy with it. I was like, "Baby, I don't know. I need at least four or five days to remember everything."

I'm sure you've been getting a lot more fan mail and attention.
We have much more people contacting us and saying they are really having a fun time. This morning, I was on a radio show and a listener called in saying, "My wife was really horny last night, so thank you!" I thought it was hilarious and a compliment. I'm helping make babies. That's the nicest thing I've heard this morning.

How has it been on set since that crazy fan was arrested trying to get to Shawn Johnson?
No one talked about anything because we don't really have to. No matter what, there are going to be crazy people around. But let me tell you, Shawn is the strongest person I ever met. She was completely fine, like nothing ever happened. She's got an amazing family and you see that—especially now.

http://ca.eonline.com/uberblog/marc_malkin/b106959_dancings_gilles_im_helping_make_babies.html (http://ca.eonline.com/uberblog/marc_malkin/b106959_dancings_gilles_im_helping_make_babies.html)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on March 31, 2009, 02:30:49 PM
Report: 'Dancing' bachelorette Melissa Rycroft offered $500k to pose

Dancing with the Stars apparently wasn't the only one interested in Melissa Rycroft after she was dumped by Jason Mesnick.

Playboy editor Hugh Hefner has offered the jilted bachelorette $500,000 to appear nude in the men's publication, Star magazine reported Monday.

"Hef really wants Melissa to do a pictorial because she's the ultimate girl next door," a source told Star. "He thinks she has it all: beauty, brains and spunk. And it doesn't hurt that she has a terrific figure."

Hefner has already sent Rycroft -- who is currently competing on Dancing with the Stars eighth season -- a personal letter asking her to pose naked for Playboy, according to Star, which added he has also invited her to his mansion to discuss a possible deal.

However Rycroft's hands are apparently tied as long as her feet are still moving on Dancing with the Stars.

"It states in her contract with ABC that she cannot pose nude while she's on Dancing," the source told Star. "And she won't even be able to until three months after her season ends!"

Rycroft was chosen by Mesnick over Molly Malaney during The Bachelor's thirteenth-season finale, however he decided to dump her on-air during the After the Final Rose special to instead have a second chance with Malaney.

Rycroft subsequently joined Dancing with the Stars' eighth-season cast as a last-minute replacement for injured Access Hollywood co-anchor Nancy O'Dell.

Somewhat ironically, The Girls Next Door star and former Hefner girlfriend Holly Madison also joined Dancing with the Stars eighth-season cast as a replacement for singer Jewel Kilcher.

http://www.realitytvworld.com/news/report-dancing-bachelorette-melissa-rycroft-offered-500k-pose-8694.php
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on March 31, 2009, 07:17:02 PM
ABC Television Network

PRESS RELEASE

ABC OVERNIGHT RATINGS (FOR 3/30)

ABC is the Most-Watched Network on Monday for the 4th Week in a Row and Across All Women Demos for the 8th Consecutive Week

"DWTS" Wins from 8-10pm to Top the Second-Place Nets by 8.5 Million Viewers and by 14% Among Adults 18-49

ABC's "Dancing with the Stars" is Monday's No. 1 Program in Viewers and Across All Key Women Demos for the 4th Week in a Row

ABC's "Castle" Takes a Strong Second at 10pm, Outperforming NBC's "Medium" by 2.5 Million Viewers and by 17% in Adults 18-34 
 
Monday Night (8:00-11:00 p.m.)
ABC Monday lineup drew 16.8 million viewers and a 4.0 rating 10 share in Adults 18-49, standing as the most-watched Network on the night for the 5th week running.  In addition, ABC won the night for the 8th straight week across all key Women demographics (W18-34 - 4.4/11, W18-49 - 5.6/14 and W25-54 - 7.0/16), including a 13-week stretch among Women 18-34.   

"Dancing with the Stars" (8:00-10:00 p.m.)
ABC's broad appealing "Dancing with the Stars" won its time period in Total Viewers (20.2 million) and Adults 18-49 (4.8/12) for the 4th straight week, topping the second-place networks by 8.5 million viewers (11.7 million - Fox) and by 14% in Adults 18-49 (4.2/11 - CBS and Fox tied).  "DWTS" also qualified as Monday's No. 1 TV program in viewers and among all key Women demos (W18-34 - 5.1/13, W18-49 - 6.7/16 and Women 25-54 - 8.3/18) for the 4th time in as many weeks.     
   
"Castle" (10:00-11:00 p.m.)
ABC's "Castle" took a strong second in the 10 o'clock hour to CBS' "C.S.I.: Miami," beating NBC's veteran drama, "Medium," by 2.5 million viewers (9.8 million vs. 7.3 million) and by 17% Adults 18-34 (2.1/6 vs. 1.8/5).
 
A note about increasing DVR penetration and year-to-year rating comparisons: Year-to-year rating comparisons based on the Live + Same Day data stream are distorted by the level of DVR penetration in the Nielsen sample, which has jumped up to 30% currently, from 23% at the same point in 2008.
More viewers are watching shows on their own timetables, which may not be reflected in the overnight
next day numbers. The only truly valid year-to-year comparison would be one based on the Live + 7 Day metric, once those stats are released by Nielsen.
 
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on March 31, 2009, 07:20:40 PM

An update from Woz:   good luck

I got a good sleep last night.

After the show and some press stuff, I headed to this great nearby restaurant, Wood Ranch BBQ & Grill. I had never heard of this chain before but I love barbecue food. I love their Beef ribs and BBQ Chicken Breast and BBQ half chicken and probably every entre. I also love the peanut cole slaw. It's a special touch to the cole slaw. Like many Chinese restaurants I love, they have plenty of sweet sauces. The problem with the baked beans is that it's actually too sweet. The garlic rolls here are to die for. It's my true feelings, not some caked up endorsement of the place. Many nights I, or one of the others here, picks up some of their food to take out.

Some friends from a young Orange County music group, Dusty Rhodes and the River Band, joined us. These are real nice people and Andrea is a special friend with a head that cares a lot about what's right and wrong with people and their actions. She made me a friendship bracelet when I met her after a free Music In The Park concert in San Jose once, and it's still on my right wrist. She also gave me a copy of the book Ishmeal right there at the concert and told me to give it to someone else after I read it. I loved this book so much that I bought a few copies on Amazon and gave them to my best friends, including my dance partner Karina.

A friend from the past, Michael Anthony Hall, joined us with his date, Leah, at the dinner. Anthony is one of the nicest people I've met in my life. He was the center of a literacy program to help Orange, California, high school kids who had reading and writing difficulties, and I was fortunate enough to have some participation in this group as well.

As for the actual dance last night, I watched the video of it this morning. I didn't do that for any of my prior dances. I was delighted with the job they did of me with my Segway group, thanking fans for their votes and encouraging them to vote for me. I was glad that this package turned out really great and not all phony. I loved when they briefly showed my dancing with a stranger. I had offered to give dance instruction to anyone who would vote for me as sort of a joke piece.

I look at my actual dance. Yes, it's not great, up there with the 8 and 9 and 10 scores. But it was a lot for me and, as usual, I didn't miss a beat. As in the quickstep I know of one half-beat that I missed (didn't turn my foot far enough) but other than that I did it as well as I could. We had lifts and flips and kept right together with our legs. No, I don't come on well as a strong overpowering guy. No, we didn't have a lot of intricate foot interlocking. So we played it a bit on the safe side. But what we did, we did fairly well.

The judges scored us a 12. In our confessional Karina and I pleaded with them to change it to a 10 just because 10 sounds like a better number. That's the geek thing to do. I have been saying that the judges love me but hate my dancing. I hope I'm right that they do love me.

I think after watching our dance that we deserved a score around 20. This is the first time I've said such a thing. It's just my opinion. I feel that the judges have turned up the contrast and award either 9's or 4's and there's not much middle ground.

I always try to keep a strong direction toward what I think is good, in terms of values. I have come to hear from so many inspired strangers who can even see themselves dancing and enjoying it, that I consider this a good thing about my participation in DWTS. A lot of average people, many sitting at their computer terminals all day, see me doing my best on the show and feel a kinship. Many probably even consider or actually do get out and dance a little or take lessons. I'm an example that you can enjoy it even if you have 2 left feet.

But the low scores from the judges pass a different message to these people whom I care so much about. The judges pass the message that if you are not close to perfection then you can be ridiculed and humiliated. This doesn't bother me but it probably bothers many of them.

When I agreed to do some things with Kathy Griffin and appear on her show, I told her right from the start, knowing that she was a comedienne, that she could embarrass or ridicule me all she wants, because the laughter is worth it. But other people may be so shy that the fear of ridicule would stop them from taking important steps in their lives.

I didn't even vote for myself at first. But with the message that accompanies these low judges' scares, I even voted and texted from my 2 cell phones last night, and this morning voted online from about 7 of my own email accounts. It's funny, but I even believe in and want to support myself on this show. It would be easy to back off and not risk knocking some incredible dancing couples off the show, but I'm hanging in there and fighting to overcome my handicaps.

Good news - my foot and hamstring are greatly recovered. This is the 3rd day that I'm not noticeably limp (take it as you will) and not taking aspirin.

Love to all,

Woz

http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?uid=49720779842&topic=8161 (http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?uid=49720779842&topic=8161)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on March 31, 2009, 08:18:44 PM

LAST CALL WITH CARSON DALY SCHEDULED GUEST

Monday, April 13 2009  Steve-O
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on April 01, 2009, 12:26:58 AM
Ty Murray Blogs:

‘There are no shortcuts’

Well, we got by another one. Now we're starting to get to where we're working in conjunction with all the fans that are voting to keep us on the show and we're starting to get some higher scores, which is going to help the cause as well.

It's been great to hear all the feedback from everybody and all the encouragement on the blogs.

There are even people saying they're addicted to the blogs and they're going to have to go through a 12-step program. It's also nice to hear from my sisters, who comment on all the blogs, and I hear from my aunts, family, friends and all kinds of support from all over the county--and that's really great.

You know when you sign on for this show that all but one couple is going to experience losing at this. Nobody really knows how the elimination show is going to turn out. I don't even think the couples who have the highest scores ever feel like they're a shoe-in for this because your scores are only half the deal and the fan vote is the other half.

It's just really hard to say what's going to happen because there's no telling how many millions of people are voting.

The season-premiere was the biggest premiere ever for "Dancing with the Stars." It had 31 million viewers and that's a lot of people. Then you look at people that are voting 30-some, 40-some, 50-some times, you're looking at astronomical numbers and figures coming in and nobody has any idea who's getting how many votes.

They keep it absolutely top-secret. But I don't worry about that stuff.

It's just like my riding career, you can't worry about all the things you can't control. I have to keep my focus on the things I can control and what I can control is how much time I put into this and how hard I work at it. Beyond that, the rest of it is out my control.

So, as I mentioned yesterday, this week Chelsie and I have the Pasodoble.

If you're waiting for an easy dance, well, it's not going to come. They're all really difficult for different reasons and I know exactly what to expect on Wednesday morning, so it'll be a matter of Chelsie starting to get it choreographed. Then she'll teach me the basics of it and we'll start working on all the form and technique.

That's the part where you feel like you're sliding backwards and it starts getting really tough, but you keep listening to your coach and you just do it over and over. She critiques it and you do it again, and you just keep repeating that time and again.

There are no shortcuts. That is the process.

We'll start on it and, I think, everybody is expecting something from me because the origin of this dance comes from bullfighting, which is kind of funny because I don't feel any more connected to this dance than I do any of them. But I'm ready to go at it full steam ahead.

This is a Latin dance and I bombed so bad on the first Latin dance that, I think, a lot of people are also thinking I'm not cut out to do the Latin dance. It's hard for me so I have something to prove this week, but I've learned so much through this process than what I knew when Chelsie and I first began.

It's still a big challenge. The whole idea behind this show is a big challenge.

We're going to go at first thing in the morning so I'll check back in tomorrow night and let everybody know how the first day of practice went.

http://www.pbrnow.com/blog/index.cfm/2009/4/1/There-are-no-shortcuts (http://www.pbrnow.com/blog/index.cfm/2009/4/1/There-are-no-shortcuts)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on April 01, 2009, 08:42:33 AM
Here is the list of what the dancers are performing next week and their descriptions.

Paso Doble

    * David & Kym
    * Gilles & Cheryl
    * Ty & Chelsie
    * Melissa & Tony
    * Chuck & Julianne


Viennese Waltz

    * Shawn & Mark
    * Steve-O & Lacey
    * Lil' Kim & Derek
    * Lawrence & Edyta


-----------------------------------------------------
Paso Doble

    * Creates a Spanish Bull Fighting atmosphere.
    * The woman takes the role of the matador's cape, the bull or even the matador at different times within the dance.
    * Characteristics include "Marching" and cape movements
    * The man uses the woman as the cape to bring her around.
    * The man stamps his foot



Viennese Waltz

    * Sweeping turns that gracefully move around the floor
    * no foot rise on the inner turns
    * rotary dance where the dancers are constantly turning either in a clockwise (natural) or anti-clockwise (reverse) direction

credit to tmpray
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on April 01, 2009, 09:07:17 AM
Dancing with the Stars Episode Recap: Tuesday, March, 31, 2009

Two new dances mean two celebrities get the boot this week on Dancing with the Stars, while Kevin Rudolf and Boyz II Men take the stage. So who, uh, reached the end of the road?

How is this going to work this week? Bottom four? Bottom three? Is there going to be a dance-off? I'm so confused. Anyhow, time for another recap of Monday night. Chuck will give Bruno a crispy pizza in exchange for an eight or a nine. It doesn't really work that way, hon. LT's disappointed and bitter. Holly apologizes for falling off the stool. Dmitry says it's OK... except that it's not... because he's lying. Cheryl's hitting on Gilles, or something to that effect.

And now for a nice treat: The encore is back — featuring, duh, Gilles and Cheryl. Does this mean there's no dance-off? Yes! Tom tells us there's no dance-off tonight since it's a double axing. Thank God. I don't need to see Holly fall and actually break a rib.

First two safe couples:
Gilles & Cheryl
Lawrence & Edyta

First couple in bottom 3:
Holly & Dmitry

After a rave featuring Kevin Rudolf and the pro gals in their best pleather dominatrix gear (it's either that or GLAD bags), Samantha grills LT on his frustration with the dances and scores. Apparently Edyta didn't get the dial-down-the-pep memo because if it weren't for her, you'd think he was in danger of leaving. Try to enjoy it, dude. Elsewhere, Bruno the Oompa Loompa does something naughty. Maybe he got his crispy pizza? I don't know what that means.

Another safe couple:
Shawn & Mark

Next week, half of the couples will dance the Viennese waltz, which apparently we need a refresher for (courtesy of Louis van Amstel) even though we've seen it for three straight seasons already. Hey, how about you show me the rumba you've featured since forever? At least Cloris is nowhere near the premises.

Another safe couple:
Chuck & Julianne

Second couple in bottom 3:
Steve-O & Lacey

Now is more fluff, but good fluff. Marshmallow fluff. Boyz II Men is here, hopefully to belt out "End of the Road." Heh. But it's Motown Philly that's back again, minus one, of course. Who do you think you are? American Idol? I kid. I don't even watch Idol. Shawn Stockman looks exactly the same as he did 20 years ago and is still skinny as hell. How do you do it, man? Steve-O seems completely resigned to going home at this point. Whatever happens is what's supposed to happen? Sure, but c'mon. Even Holly's faking it better. No pun intended. Sam wants to know how he'd feel "if tonight ended the rest of this competition for you." Like a champion, godammit! Steve-O's not used to dealing with pressure without drugs and alcohol... so this is a step in the right direction? Dancing: My Anti-Drug. By the way, what's with the judges praising everyone except Steve-O in that contestant package? I don't like ominous foreshadowing.

Two more safe couples:
Lil Kim & Derek
Melissa & Tony

Finally, after Percentage Conversion for Dummies/shameless plug for AT&T (a scoring package in laymen's terms), we learn Steve and Karina are in the bottom three, which means Ty and Chelsie, and David and Kym are safe.

So who's bouncing?
Holly & Dmitry... and... Steve & Karina. And they exit as "End of the Road" blares over the speaks. Oh, show. And to think I was going to go to bed disappointed.

America did good, no? The brains and the blond are gone. I have absolutely no objections. I liked Holly and her attitude, but she just never delivered. Woz was, well, 'nuff said. At least Karina and Maks can plan their wedding now.

http://www.tvguide.com/Episode-Recaps/dancing-stars/Dancing-Stars-Episode-1004588.aspx
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on April 01, 2009, 09:28:33 AM
click on link below to view video

'Dancing' Stars Say Goodbye to Holly and The Woz

It was a "Dancing with the Stars" first on Tuesday night as two couples were sent home, and ET is backstage with the contestants after partners Steve Wozniak and Karina Smirnoff, and Holly Madison and Dmitry Chaplin were eliminated from the competition.

Steve and Karina explain to ET that not only did they have a great time together, but they also learned a lot from one another.

"I've already told you, you've heard me say it -- you brought the love of this dancing to my life," Steve tells Karina. "You taught me something I never thought I could do. You always have those teachers in your life that you remember, you're the tops now."

Holly Madison tells ET that being a "Dancing" contestant was a dream come true.

"We had an amazing four weeks on the show, we had so much fun," Holly says. "All the cast members are so amazing. It was always a dream of mine to do the show so I'm really happy I got the opportunity to do it."

Watch the video to see the remaining contestants bid farewell to the eliminated couples, and former "Jackass" star Steve-O competing on the show while abstaining from drugs and alcohol.

http://www.etonline.com/news/2009/04/72371/
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on April 01, 2009, 09:32:04 AM
click on link below to view video

ET Parties with 'Dancing with the Stars''s Tom Bergeron

Tom Bergeron is best known for his witty banter as the host of "Dancing with the Stars" and "America's Funniest Home Videos." Now, he puts his words to paper -- and only ET is there for Tom's first book party.

I'm Hosting as Fast as I Can, in stores on Tuesday, April 7, offers a series of humorous and inspirational essays on surviving Hollywood, including behind-the-camera stories with A-list celebrities.

"I write about a number of times when I was fired, canceled, downsized, laid off, didn't know where the next job was coming from," Tom tells ET. The subtitle Zen and the Art of Staying Sane in Hollywood, speaks to how I dealt with those times. If there's anything in this book if because of how I share my experience it resonates with anyone who's going through some hard times now, then that's something I'd be very pleased with."

Tom, who appears calm, cool and collected in front of the camera, reveals the journey -- often humorous -- it took to get himself to this place. In his book, he relates funny stories about earlier jobs in his career, including stories about doing an episode of "Star Trek," ruffling feathers at "Miss America," and a bungling incident -- live on air -- at the Massachusetts state lottery drawing. He also talks about his zany years on the set of "Hollywood Squares," his friendship with Whoopi Goldberg, and his surprising Emmy win.

Watch the video to see Karina Smirnoff, Maksim Chmerkovskiy, Edyta Sliwinska and other "Dancing" stars reveal their favorite things about Tom as well as some interesting facts you may not know about the TV star!

http://www.etonline.com/news/2009/04/72357/
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on April 01, 2009, 09:47:19 AM
Karina Smirnoff: Steve Wozniak's "Definitely Going to Be in My Wedding" 

Steve Wozniak and Karina Smirnoff may have been booted off Tuesday's Dancing With the Stars, but their days together are hardly over.

"He definitely is going to be in my wedding," Smirnoff -- who is engaged to Maksim Chmerkovskiy-- told Usmagazine.com after the show.

Will he be on a Segway, perhaps? (Wozniak made Smirnoff ride the two-wheeled, stand-up scooter on a recent show).

"Possibly, but I won't be on a Segway!" she told Us. "I think I've Segway-ed my way out of this! But yeah, I definitely want him in the wedding."

She said she wasn't surprised when they were sent home. On Monday's show, they received the lowest score, a 12 out of 30, for their Argentine tango. The week before, they earned a 10 for their samba but managed to stay on the show thanks to viewer votes.

"I think Steve had a little more in him, as far as entertainment value, and could really please people at home," Smirnoff told Us. "We did much more than anyone even on the show expected from us."

Out of all the celebs, Wozniak was a challenge, she said.

"You can't compare Steve to Shawn Johnson," Smirnoff told Us. "Dance-wise, I had a little bit more work. But then personality-wise, I think he is top notch."

Even though she's been voted off, she says she'll be back on DWTS next week.

"We are dancing to 'At Last,' and Etta James is singing!" Smirnoff told Us. "She's a legend! You don't get many chances in life for something like that!"

Who will be Smirnoff's dancing partner?

"Maksim, of course!" she told Us. "There's a slight meaning to 'At Last' - we're together at last!"

http://www.usmagazine.com/news/karina-smirnoff-steve-wozniaks-definitely-going-to-be-in-my-wedding-200914
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on April 01, 2009, 09:55:46 AM
Melissa Rycroft Sets Record Straight On Rumored Playboy Offer

Melissa Rycroft wears some very revealing outfits on “Dancing With the Stars.” But is the reality beauty ready to bare all for Playboy?

According to a report by Star magazine, Playboy boss Hugh Hefner extended a $500,000 offer to Melissa to appear in the men’s magazine. The report even went on to say that Hef penned a personal letter to the brunette.

Following Monday night’s show, Access Hollywood caught up with Melissa to ask her to set the record straight.

“Is that true?” Access’ Tony Potts asked Melissa on the “Dancing” set.

“I don’t know where that started,” she scoffed.

“That’s for me! Hugh Hefner wants me as the centerfold,” her “Dancing” partner Tony Dovolani joked.

“No, no,” Melissa laughed.

http://www.accesshollywood.com/dancing-with-the-stars/melissa-rycroft-sets-record-straight-on-rumored-playboy-offer_articletab_16197
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on April 01, 2009, 10:00:06 AM
‘Dancing’s’ Gilles Marini Spills His Bedroom Secrets

Gilles Marini went from wooing Samantha Jones in “Sex and The City” to quickening the pulses of millions – including judges Bruno Tonioli and Carrie Ann Inaba – on “Dancing With the Stars.” But there’s only one woman for this hunky new star of the ballroom – his wife, Carole.

“We [have had] a very good relationship for 11 years,” Frenchman Gilles told Billy Bush for Access Hollywood and “The Billy Bush Show.” “I think the secret is to really keep it alive in the level of communication and I guess a lot of sex.”

While Gilles steams up the ballroom with partner Cheryl Burke – to the tune of the first perfect score of the season on Monday night – he steams up the bedroom at home with Carole.

“If we don’t do it, something is wrong. We just keep practicing,” he laughed.

But Gilles made sure to clarify to Billy he is not sex mad.

“It’s more like, how do I say it, um… it’s not like, ‘I want to do this!’ It’s like both of us are really happy to go home at night and have fun, you know?” he said.

While Gilles keeps the saucy details of his sex life private, he is gearing up to show more skin on “Dancing.” And, the actor said, he is in top physical condition thanks to the show.

“Because of dancing, I’m in the best shape of my life right now, because of all the cardio we go through and the moves,” he said. “I [have] got muscle where I didn’t have muscle before. It’s exciting because — I can’t say it too much — but next week is the best week I will have on ‘Dancing With the Stars.’ Next week is going to be so entertaining, and you’re going to see a lot of me.”

http://www.accesshollywood.com/dancing-with-the-stars/dancings-gilles-marini-spills-his-bedroom-secrets_articletab_16202
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on April 01, 2009, 10:09:13 AM
Holly Madison and Steve Wozniak on Jimmy Kimmel Live


credit with thanks to jimmykimmellive
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on April 01, 2009, 11:58:29 AM
An interesting article:

Melissa Rycroft’s Sweet Revenge: ‘Look at Me Now!’

(http://i389.photobucket.com/albums/oo334/marigoldrealityfanforum/pemel.jpg)

Melissa Rycroft is getting used to being hugged.

In the past few weeks, the former Bachelor contestant turned Dancing with the Stars front-runner has been embraced — literally — by everyone from waitresses to fellow shoppers at the mall, to American Idol’s top dawg, Randy Jackson.

Spotting the judge as she walked from her trailer on the lot where both DWTS and Idol tape, Rycroft couldn’t believe Jackson even knew who she was. “He was like, ‘Heeeeeeey, how are you?’ ” the 26-year-old Dallas beauty says. And, then, of course, it happened: Jackson pulled her into a big bear hug.

“Just three months ago I was on the other side,” Rycroft says in the latest issue of PEOPLE, on sale Friday. “I am so not a celebrity.”

Still Nursing Wounds
But ever since her six-week engagement to Jason Mesnick on The Bachelor ended when he dumped her on national TV for runner-up Molly Malaney, she has become just that. Seven days after the televised kiss-off, Rycroft was on DWTS, where public sympathy — and her natural dancing ability — has made her a fan favorite.

Yet despite her way with the waltz, fame was never part of Rycroft’s plan. Instead? The former Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader intended to spend the months after her Bachelor split nursing her wounds. “I go through stages,” Rycroft says of her grieving process. “I will shut down and lock myself in my room. And then I’ll get to the point where I can’t be by myself and I have to be around other people all the time. Otherwise I’ll drive myself nuts crying. I cry it out. Then one day I wake up and go, I’m okay.”

And if Rycroft sounds like an old pro at bouncing back after breakups, it’s because Mesnick wasn’t the first guy to let her get away.

http://tvwatch.people.com/2009/04/01/melissa-rycrofts-sweet-revenge-look-at-me-now/ (http://tvwatch.people.com/2009/04/01/melissa-rycrofts-sweet-revenge-look-at-me-now/)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on April 01, 2009, 12:00:21 PM
An intersting article:

Tuesday’s Dancing: What You Didn’t See

Oh, Snap!: During the show’s pre-taping, Julianne Hough suffered a wardrobe malfunction when the back of her top snapped while performing to the Kevin Rudolph Band. Hough, of course, never missed a beat. She charged through the rest of the performance with an arm across her chest, holding up her top, then went to get her top fixed before running through the performance again. Tom Bergeron grabbed the mic and told the crowd, “This time, we’re going to see if Julianne Hough’s top fully comes off.” It didn’t.

Stars Missing in Action: The dancers took their marks on stage following a commercial break, but two were noticeably missing. Kym Johnson could not find her partner David Alan Grier, and was seen asking, “Where’s David? Where’s David?” Seconds after the show started, Grier was seen slinking onto the floor. Moments later, Gilles Marini was also seen scurrying to his position behind his partner Cheryl Burke. Later, a guest asked Marini what he was doing. “I was eating a pizza!” he said.

An Ear-Splitting Bruno: At one point during the broadcast, Tom Bergeron told viewers that it was best they didn’t know what Bruno Tonioli was doing. So what was the judge doing? Tonioli pulled his left leg straight up and placed his foot toward his ear like a split — a sight that prompted at least one audience member to say, “It was very frightening.”

Feeling Frisky: Meanwhile, the usually reserved Len Goodman was shaking things as well. As soon as he walked to his chair at the judges’ table, he immediately turned to the audience and ripped open his blazer to show off his canary-yellow shirt. The audience cheered with approval. Goodman’s mood was equally sunny: He was seen dancing in his chair throughout the night.

http://tvwatch.people.com/2009/04/01/tuesdays-dancing-what-you-didnt-see-17/ (http://tvwatch.people.com/2009/04/01/tuesdays-dancing-what-you-didnt-see-17/)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on April 01, 2009, 12:05:59 PM

David Alan Grier Blogs:

DWTS -- Safe again!

(http://i389.photobucket.com/albums/oo334/marigoldrealityfanforum/dagmys.jpg)

I hate Tuesday's. As they whittled down the couples last night, we went from "I know we're safe" to "Let me get my farewell speech ready"...very nerve wracking.
But...We are S-A-F-E !!! ON to next week. Kym and I are dancing the Viennese Waltz.
Our song is "I Put A Spell On You". A mysterious, and moody arrangement. I'm really excited about it.
Kym is working on some beautiful choreography and I am eating my breakfast getting ready to head back into battle.
We have to step up our game every week now cause they are chopping heads, and it's no joke.
Thank you to everyone for all of your online support. We dance on...

http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendId=38074175&blogId=480496201 (http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendId=38074175&blogId=480496201)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: TARAsia Fan on April 01, 2009, 12:10:35 PM
An interesting article:

Melissa Rycroft’s Sweet Revenge: ‘Look at Me Now!’

(http://i389.photobucket.com/albums/oo334/marigoldrealityfanforum/pemel.jpg)


Here's Phil Collins doing "Against All Odds (Take A Look at Me Now!)"
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on April 01, 2009, 12:17:34 PM
click on link below to view video

HTV: The Woz Vows to Keep on Dancin'

Computer pioneer and "Dancing with the Stars" contestant Steve Wozniak tells Hollywood.tv his feet will not stop dancing despite his elimination from the show.

Wozniak greets fans and signs autographs outside the Jimmy Kimmel show with fellow booted dancer Holly Madison. The HTV cameras also caught up with Shawn Johnson, Gilles Marini, Maksim Chmerkovskiy, Karina Smirnoff and Tony Dovolani at ONE Sunset in West Hollywood.

http://www.etonline.com/news/2009/04/72381/index.html
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on April 01, 2009, 12:47:26 PM
Maksim, Karina, and Shawn Arrive at One Sunset


After a long and draining elimination, it's important that all of the Dancing with the Stars contestants unwind a little with some R and R.

Maksim and Karina arrived first at One Sunset in West Hollywood on Tuesday night. Although Karina said she was, "Sad," I'm sure having Maksim walk her hand in hand into the club made her feel better.

Shortly after the engaged couple's arrival, Olympic medalist Shawn Johnson showed up with nothing other than a smile ear to ear on her face. The teenaged cutie looked adorable in an all white outfit.

Although we will miss Karina and Woz, we are so happy that Shawn is still in it!

http://hollywoodtv.celebuzz.com/2009/04/maksim-karina-and-shawn-arrive-at-one-sunset.html
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on April 01, 2009, 01:44:19 PM
Holly Madison on Leaving DWTS: "I Can Heal Now" 

Being booted off Dancing With the Stars so early has its plusses, Holly Madison tells Usmagazine.com.

"I can heal now," says the Girls Next Door alum, 30, who suffered inflamed muscles around her ribs last week. "My body's really taken a beating."

After earning a low 16 out of 30 for her Argentine tango, she says she "expected" to go home.

"We've had an amazing four weeks," she tells Us, adding that her partner Dmitry Chaplin has been "a great trainer... we'll absolutely keep in touch."

Says Chaplin: "I've enjoyed every second. Without her, I wouldn't be here!"

Will Madison keep dancing?

"Not like this," she says. "But I sure learned a lot about dancing!"

Next up? A new reality show.

Although she can't reveal details, Madison tells Us: "I'm going to Vegas this weekend to film some of it. It's going to be really fun!"

http://www.usmagazine.com/news/holly-madison-on-leaving-dwts-i-can-heal-now-200914
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on April 01, 2009, 02:09:04 PM
Carrie Ann Inaba blogs 'DWTS,' week 4

First of all, I’m sorry for the late posting. My cat had to go to the hospital last night so I didn’t get to finish up the blog. He’s doing well but he’s quite aged -- 19 years old -- and he’s got a large growth in his lungs. So, we welcome prayers for his health. He’s a wonderful cat and has been a strong support system in my life. He’s the one with me in my PETA ad. His name is Shadow…and if you met him, you’d love him…but I know you are all are waiting to hear about this week and ready to share your thoughts.

Thank you again for your responses last week. Some of you were still confused about the voting but I think if you re-read what I wrote last week, it will make sense. This week, nothing went wrong with the voting or scoring from the judges, but I think most of you saw that when Tom announced a contestant, the wrong video package started -- that was a little mishap that happened. From what I hear, our technical director was sick -- and considering the state he was in, he made it through the show with flying colors. We had a lot of sick folks this week. Samantha was under the weather, although looked gorgeous as usual. Her voice was a few octaves lower than usual (and quite sexy I might add) but we give her props and congratulations for making it through what was quite a rough week on her. She’s on vocal rest this week, so if you happen to run into her, don’t tempt her to speak. It’s very bad for the vocal chords to whisper….so let’s wish Samantha well this week and a speedy recovery!

This week was an exciting week. There were performances that really shifted the dynamic of who is who in the top three contestants and why they are there. Lil' Kim really came out from behind and pushed her way past Shawn Johnson to secure a nice spot in the top three. She proved herself with that incredible routine choreographed by Derek Hough. Her sophisticated side came out in the Argentine Tango and I think she has found a new side of herself as a performer. With Lil’ Kim, I have to say that I am very curious to see where her career will go after this season. No matter where she ends up in our show, I do believe that she will have rejuvenated her career and will have many opportunities open up to her if she continues like this, unveiling layers and unearthing new facets of her performing persona.

Once again, the star of this week was Gilles. Yes, he is a sexy performer and exudes something very attractive on the dance floor; however, what made his performance this week was the minimalist approach to the routine. You see, performers who don’t have substance cannot do routines like that. The choreography was without flashy and distracting moves, it was instead filled with sustained simplicity that required real control and a sustained emotional connection to the dance and performance that cannot be faked. This is what made Gilles the star in my opinion. Yes, the “sexy” is great, but what is fantastic is the depth with which he performed that Argentine Tango. I think it may have been the most powerful and moving dance I’ve ever seen on our show. Congratulations to Gilles and Cheryl for creating real art on our television studio stage. It was not an easy accomplishment.

Another exciting moment for me was seeing Ty Murray and Chelsie’s Lindy hop. This guy is such a wonder to me. I have spent a lot of my career working with non-professional dancers, performers who are new to the idea of “performing.” I would put Ty into this category. Although he is a highly respected bull rider, I would not consider that a performance -- you are not trying to please the crowd with what you are doing. In fact, the crowd is there more to witness the “ride” and your ability. This is a different dynamic than creating a performance for the audience’s enjoyment. Usually, non-performers do not know how to use their arms very well. In general, if you look at society, a lot of people have terrible posture. Their upper bodies are lifeless and expressionless. They never learned how to use that part of their body. (Of course, Bruno is the opposite of what I am talking about.)

Because of this, I find it so great to see a non-performer with such strength and control and agility in his upper body. This is what makes him so fantastic to watch and has helped enable him to grow by leaps and bounds. This is also without a doubt because his partner Chelsie is a great teacher. They have wonderful chemistry together. Chemistry is not always sexual. They have a partnership that is filled with a mutual respect and understanding of each other that is apparent with every step they do on the dance floor. Real trust means that they can take real risks in rehearsal so that he can grow the way he is growing on the dance floor. Congratulations Ty and Chelsie! Great work this week. How will he do when he gets something like the Samba? I’m not sure how his hips will work but I’m sure he’s up for the challenge. Next week there are two dances that he should do well with -- the Paso Doble and the Viennese Waltz. Both of these dances have a structure to them and a posture that is more on the upright side of the scale of upright to sensuous and curvy. So, I expect that they will do well next week again.

BTW, did you see Jewel in the audience? She looked beautiful. I love that simple look of an easygoing hairstyle with very glamorous jewelry and a classic black dress. She’s adorable. I hope she ends up doing our show next season. It looks like her foot is slowly healing. I didn’t see her come in with crutches this week. I’m glad there wasn’t permanent damage.

Okay -- on to what you all want to talk about -- the double elimination. What did you think? I found it quite sad. I didn’t like losing two couples. Especially because the two couples we lost were obviously very nice people. Holly Madison -- I just have to share this: Because I’ve been working in television for over 20 years doing dance and choreography, I always watch people’s professionalism on stage when the camera’s are off. Let me tell you that some of the coolest people on screen are completely self-absorbed and rude off-screen.  I’m sure you all know this already. But what was so impressive about Holly was that she was usually the first one out on her mark when we’d come back from commercial break. The stage manager Rob also told me after she was eliminated that she was like that at rehearsals as well. We are not allowed in the building during their rehearsals but I think she should be commended for that. It is a nice quality to see in a person. From a choreographer’s point of view, that is an important quality to have. So, it was sad to see her go. I found her also to be an interesting person to get to know. I wish her well on her next adventure.

Now what about the WOZ? It was his time. I think had he lasted any longer, it would have been uncomfortable to watch. I know he pulls at your heartstrings. He pulled at mine too, and I am honored to have had the chance to meet such a genuine and sweet person. And it was a joy to see someone find such joy in what I have committed my own life to -- DANCE. That does not happen often and for that I will always hold a special place in my heart for THE WOZ.  Good luck Steve…I bet he continues in social dance classes…look for him on dance floors near you!

I would now like to share with you ladies out there something about the dress I was wearing on Monday. I get questions in my inbox about what I wear on the show. Designers loan me dresses to wear -- so far, I’ve worn dresses from Nikolaki, Randolph Duke and then this week I wore a dress from Jean Fares Couture and I have to say it was incredible. I have never seen a dress like this and since you all only get to see the top half of my dress, I wanted to share it with you. It will be posted on my website later today

Last but not least -- I thought Tuesday's performances were fantastic! I loved watching Artem dance. He was in the number that Derek choreographed to Kevin Rudolf’s performance. It was fantastic. That number was impactful! You didn’t see that Julianne’s top almost fell off during the first pre-tape. So they had to do it again. The performance by Boyz II Men was incredible. They are so talented and such crowd-pleasers. I haven’t seen such an energetic performance in a long time. I’d like to see Wanya Morris (the one in the middle last night) come on our show as a contestant. He’s got such a sweet face and can move like you wouldn’t believe unless you saw it in person. Well, for now, we’ll just stay focused on this season.

Until next week, thanks for being here and reading. Sorry I didn’t answer a lot of questions, but I will next week. This week was very busy -- I choreographed the finale of the Kids' Choice Awards with Dwayne Johnson and a special appearance of the Jonas Brothers, and then presented at the Genesis Awards, where they honor the media for various levels of exposure of inhumane treatment of animals. So, I’m a little pooped this week. Keep sending me your questions and I will answer more next week.

Have a great week. And thank you for watching our show. I LOVE THIS SEASON!

Best,
Carrie Ann

http://popwatch.ew.com/popwatch/2009/04/inaba-dwts-blog.html#more
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on April 01, 2009, 10:16:01 PM
Ratings:

ABC Television Network

PRESS RELEASE 

OVERNIGHT ABC RATINGS (FOR 3/31)

Leaping from its Lead-in Opposite "Idol" and Soaring from Start to Finish, ABC's "DWTS Results" Outdraws NBC's "Loser" at 9pm by 3.4 Million Viewers

"Dancing with the Stars Results" is Up from its Most Recent Airing Against "Idol" Greatly Improving the Time Period for ABC, "Cupid" Debuts with Solid Young Adult Lead-in Retention and Tops CBS' Veteran "Without a Trace" in Adults 18-34 

"Dancing with the Stars Results" (9:00-10:00 p.m.)
Leaping from its lead-in by (+9.9 million viewers and +222% in Adults 18-49) opposite an extended edition of "American Idol" and surging throughout its telecast, ABC's "Dancing with the Stars Results" outdrew its NBC unscripted competition during the 9 o'clock hour ("Biggest Loser") by 3.4 million viewers (13.0 million vs. 9.6 million).  Building throughout its broadcast, "DWTS Results" saw its audience soar by 4.2 million viewers and by 46% from start to finish. 

* Compared to two weeks earlier when the show most recently had to compete against an extended "Idol," "DWTS Results" was up in both Total Viewers (13.0 million vs. 12.7 million) and Adults 18-49 (2.9/7 vs. 2.8/7).
 
"Cupid" (10:00-11:00 p.m.)
Debuting in the 10 o'clock hour with solid young adult lead-in retention against established original dramas on NBC ("Law & Order: SVU") and CBS ("Without a Trace"), ABC's "Cupid" earned second place among Adults 18-34 (1.8/5 vs. 1.5/5) and Women 18-34 (2.4/7 vs. 1.8/5), beating its CBS competition by 20% and 33%, respectively.  "Cupid" retained a solid 85% of its "DWTS Results" lead-in among Adults 18-34 and 79% among Adults 18-49.

* "Cupid" greatly improved the time period for ABC, up by 23% in Total Viewers (7.6 million vs. 6.2 million) and by 35% in Adults 18-49 (2.3/6 vs. 1.7/5), over the Net's average with original drama programming in the hour this season ("Eli Stone").
 
A note about increasing DVR penetration and year-to-year rating comparisons: Year-to-year rating comparisons based on the Live + Same Day data stream are distorted by the level of DVR penetration in the Nielsen sample, which has jumped up to over 30% currently, from 23% at the same point in 2008. More viewers are watching shows on their own timetables, which may not be reflected in the overnight next-day numbers. The only truly valid year-to-year comparison would be one based on the Live + 7 Day metric, once those stats are released by Nielsen.
 
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on April 01, 2009, 10:18:19 PM
Video:

GMA with DWTS

Holly Madison & Dmitry Chaplin Steve Wozniak & Karina Smirnoff


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SzFg7fEMWLw (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SzFg7fEMWLw)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on April 01, 2009, 10:32:25 PM

Mark Ballas Blogs:

Keeping you updated........

(http://i389.photobucket.com/albums/oo334/marigoldrealityfanforum/mabalmy.jpg)

So its been a hectic couple of weeks, action packed and fun, but definitely hectic.
I have to say i am extremely proud of Shawns progress so far, and i really hope all of you have been enjoying our performances so far, i am really excited for the V Waltz next week.
The Ballas Hough Band shows have been getting better and better every week, and our live show is really developing and i couldnt be more excited, I am hoping that those of you who haven't been over to the grove shows yet can come and catch one very soon, we are going to be there every Tuesday at 8pm, on the Lawn at the grove till the end of the season, and we are gonna make the show different every week, different songs, special guests its going to be a blast.
Julianne Hough played with us a week ago and her and Derek did a duet which was really cool to play, and then she sang on our Song (Do you love me) which was fun,
This week, we had the lovely Joanna Pacitti sing a new song that she wrote called (Storm before the calm) and it was amazing to have her on stage with us her vocals were amazing and it was awesome to have Joanna sing on our song (Fall) which she co-wrote with us..........
I just want to say a huge thank you to all of you who have been supporting Shawn and I and of-course Ballas Hough Band, and i hope all of you who went out and picked up the record are loving it, and if you havent heard it yet grab a copy and let us know what you think.....
Well just wanted to keep you all updated, and i hope to see you at the grove.
Mark B

http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendId=13231243&blogId=480614907 (http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendId=13231243&blogId=480614907)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on April 01, 2009, 10:40:49 PM
Ty Murray Blogs:

(http://i389.photobucket.com/albums/oo334/marigoldrealityfanforum/tymurblog.jpg)

‘I like everything about the Pasodoble’

I feel like Chelsie and I are in better shape on this dance than any of other dances, simply for the fact that Chelsie is done with the choreography and we already have it set. We have the routine down and now it's just a matter of learning all the technique.

Most of the time we set the choreography and then we tweak it and then we change it some more. We've had weeks where we didn't even have the choreography completely done on Friday. Today's only Wednesday and we pretty much already have it set in stone.

I think Chelsie really likes the choreography and we were able to go through it enough today that I pretty much know the steps. Now it's about figuring out the count and the timing and the technique, but I feel like we're ahead of where we've been in past weeks.

I'm new to all of this and she's new to the show, but I think she's buckled down and figured out ways we can start to get ahead of the game. And it feels like we are.

Now that gives us Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday to work on all the technique because there's a lot of it involved with this dance and some of the timing and counts are a little tricky for me.

But I like everything about the Pasodoble.

I like how it's very masculine. I'll be honest, I don't know if this is the right description, but it's very dramatic in a real bullfighter way.

We didn't get the song we wanted, but the song we got was "Barracuda" by Heart. They gave us some options and out of those Chelsie liked this one the best.

She likes the count that goes with this song and there are no gimmicks with this routine. Our dance routine is a traditional Pasodoble. Hopefully the judges will like it because of that and because of the way that it is I think the audience will like it too--if I can do it right.

So don't get me wrong, yes, I am feeling really good about the dance and I was getting the steps, but then when you put in all the technique and it gets really hard and the ball starts rolling downhill on you really fast.

That's when you start to get stiff and mechanical.

Chelsie has a good feel for me now and she knows what makes me better as well as what makes me worse. She also has a feel for what it takes to make a dancer out of me--we have four days, not a lifetime.

It's like it would be with anything. If you have four days to get someone to do this one thing decent you're probably going to teach them differently than if they were trying to make a career out of it and that's strictly because of time restraints.

I think we're a good team and we're getting a feel for working with one another.

In the past every single thing we did she had to teach me how to do it.

For instance, if said that we were going to do pivots then she would have to explain what pivots are and how you do them. Then we'd have to practice pivots over and over.

Now we're getting to the point that there are still new things I have to learn each week, but we might come to a point in the routine where she wants me to do a pivot. Well, we've already done pivots in the foxtrot and the quickstep so that's something we've already spent a lot of time learning.

So when she wants to put in something I've already learned that's when you can really start to see that we're getting better at a faster pace.

We still have a lot of work ahead of us between now and Monday, but I just feel like we're ahead of the game.

http://www.pbrnow.com/blog/index.cfm/2009/4/1/I-like-everything-about-the-Pasodoble (http://www.pbrnow.com/blog/index.cfm/2009/4/1/I-like-everything-about-the-Pasodoble)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on April 02, 2009, 10:51:57 AM

Woz Blogs:

This morning, very early, I met a limo that took me to the DWTS stage for a satellite feed to Good Morning America. I don't remember specifics of that interview, with myself and with Holly, but they did include the greatly funny Jimmy Kimmel piece. Then it was back to my apartment where I rushed to clear as much internet stuff as I could.

I actually managed to sleep maybe 2 hours before meeting another limo that took me to LAX for a flight to NYC to appear on Regis and Kelly tomorrow morning (Thursday). Karina and Dmitry and Holly were also on this fight, and Holly's manager and my friends Joe and Zach.

It's 1 AM here now and I have to catch a morning limo, so I'm going to hold off on doing a full post of my DWTS thoughts. Thank you all for your patience.

I do plan to stay in NYC a couple of extra days and return to L.A. on Sunday to catch the DWTS show on Monday and Tuesday. I may drive home Wednesday for the first time in quite a while, so that's a big deal.

I am very bogged down due to a total lack of time right now.

best,

Woz

http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?uid=49720779842&topic=8189 (http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?uid=49720779842&topic=8189)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on April 02, 2009, 10:59:09 AM
An interesting article more on Shawn:

Johnson's Stalker Had Been Stopped by Ala. Police

Five days before Robert O'Ryan was arrested for allegedly stalking Olympic gymnast Shawn Johnson, a Loxley, Alabama police officer quizzed the 34-year-old during a traffic stop on Interstate 10. A police car dash cam recorded the conversation between O'Ryan and the officer.

O'Ryan was en route from his home in Florida to meet Johnson in California. The unkempt man told the officer he was meeting a friend. "Who is she," asked the officer. "Shawn Johnson," O'Ryan stuttered. "She's an Olympic gymnast. She's on TV now."

O'Ryan confessed, "I'm meeting her there. I've been communicating with her." He also told the policeman, "I'm going to try to get her to marry me."

During the 29-minute stop, the alleged stalker mentioned Johnson at least three times, and when asked if he'd ever spoken to the "Dancing with the Stars" contestant, O'Ryan said only in his dreams. O'Ryan admitted, "My intuition tells me that we're going to have a beautiful relationship together."

According to WKRG in Alabama, O'Ryan received two traffic tickets; one for driving without insurance and another expired plates.

Last Thursday, O'Ryan was charged with one felony count of stalking and two misdemeanor counts of carrying a loaded gun in a vehicle. He faces up to four years in prison.

http://extratv.warnerbros.com/2009/04/johnsons_stalker_had_been_stop.php (http://extratv.warnerbros.com/2009/04/johnsons_stalker_had_been_stop.php)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on April 02, 2009, 11:08:16 AM
More on Shawn: A video of the police traffic stop is below

Celebrity Stalker On Loxley Dash Cam

Loxley, Alabama may be a small town, but it sees more than its fair share of characters traveling Interstate 10.

"You'd be surprised at how many guys they encounter that are just crazy," said Loxely Police Chief Chip Cason.

It's no surprise then, that a police officer making an early morning traffic stop didn't think much of a guy claiming to be driving 2,400 miles to marry an Olympic gymnast.

In the dash cam video that recorded the stop, the officer asked 34-year-old Robert O'Ryan where he was headed.

"California," replied O'Ryan who went on to say he was meeting a friend. "Who is she," asked the officer. "Shawn Johnson," mumbled O'Ryan. "She's an Olympic gymnast. She's on TV now."

During the 29 minute stop, O'Ryan talked about Johnson at least three times, and when asked if he'd ever spoken to the gymnast and Dancing With The Stars contestant personally, he said only in his dreams.

"Today with Internet dating it's not uncommon to encounter people traveling miles across states to go meet people that they've met on the Internet for the first time," said Cason, who says the officer didn't even know who Johnson was when he gave O'Ryan two traffic tickets: one for having no insurance and the other for an expired license plate.

Cason insists there was no way for the officer to know the man standing in front of him would be arrested five days later with a pair of loaded guns, duct tape and love letters to his idol.

O'Ryan faces a felony stalking charge after he was spotted trying to sneak in to the CBS Studios during a Dancing With The Stars Rehearsal.

Link to view video: http://www.wkrg.com/crime/article/celebrity_stalker_caught_on_dash_cam/25020/ (http://www.wkrg.com/crime/article/celebrity_stalker_caught_on_dash_cam/25020/)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on April 02, 2009, 11:14:45 AM
Kim Kardashian: I "Had to Grab" Lil' Kim's Booty at DWTS 

(http://i212.photobucket.com/albums/cc289/CuteboiWill/kardashian-kim-b.jpg)

Kim Kardashian couldn't keep her hands off another famous behind at Tuesday's Dancing With the Stars: Lil' Kim's!

"Lil' Kim was mesmerizing to watch, and after the show I had to grab her booty!" the reality star, 28, blogged after meeting the rapper backstage after the show.

"She is so curvy," added Kardashian, who was the second contestant voted off during season 7.

"Melissa and Tony were so beautiful together but so much fun to watch...and Cheryl and Gilles -- I really couldn't tell the difference between who was the professional. They are so hot together!" Kardashian went on.

"I absolutely love Holly," she continued. "It was sad to see Woz and Holly go last night but that's the rules of the show and now it's being elevated to the next level."

"I am so glad I had the chance to catch up with my friends!" she added. "Ahhh, I miss dancing!"

Kardashian also posted another little surprise online: a brand new flower tattoo on her left arm under the title "I can't believe I got inked!"

Neither could her fans; she later admitted it was an April Fool's Joke.

http://www.usmagazine.com/news/kim-kardashian-i-had-to-grab-lil-kim-booty-at-dwts-200914
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on April 02, 2009, 11:57:54 AM
From Lacey's site:

Update on week 4 and cool news for next weeks result show!!!

Hi guys!

THANKS to everyone who voted for Lacey & Steve-O this week! Your support has truly been amazing! With there being a double elimination last night I knew it would be close-but not that close! I truly did not expect them to be in the bottom three. I have to admit I almost had a heart attack when that happened! I spent the entire show feeling like I was going to jump out of my skin-I can’t even imagine how Lacey & Steve-O were feeling!

When Samantha was talking to Lacey & Steve-O about being in the bottom three last night I have to say I was extremely proud of what Steve-O said! It took a lot of courage for him to tell people that he’s not used to dealing with stressful situations sober. Believe me, there’s already a tremendous amount of stress and pressure when trying to learn a new dance each week let alone being injured on top of that! The fact the he has not used is FANTASTIC!!! Steve-O has not given up on himself and neither should we!

Let’s not forget about Lacey-she’s been doing such an awesome job these past few weeks with Steve-O. She’s choreographed some absolutely amazing routines and has also designed most of her costumes. Lacey has looked stunning each week! There’s not much she can’t do that’s for sure! Lacey is such a talented young lady. Believe me, she’s not one to brag about herself so I’ll do that for her!

We do have a great chance to see Lacey dance in this year's Design a Dance! I hope everyone has been casting their votes!!! Click on the link below to be connected directly to the site where you can also VOTE-VOTE-VOTE!!!! 

So far the fans have selected the Quickstep as the dance. The song will be "It Don't Mean A Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing)" by Ross Mitchell. This week we can now choose the dancers we want,  and of course we want Lacey!!! You can choose any of the male pro's but I'm voting for Mark since he and Lacey are fantastic together!!!

Now, I have some good really good news and of course some bad news….

Let’s get the bad news out of the way… Unfortunately there’s not much support coming from the judges again this year for Lacey so this is where you guys come in. The competition is going to get tougher each week and Lacey & Steve-O are really going to need our support more than ever. There’s no way to know how Holly & The Woz’s votes are going to be split up. I’m asking that everyone please vote as much you can this Monday night! I’d also like to ask that you get your friends to do the same. My friends and I will be sending out reminders again on myspace, facebook, bebo, twitter and the message boards. The more people we can get to vote for Lacey & Steve-O the better!

Now for the really good news!!! Benji Schwimmer and Torri Smith will be dancing a West Coast Swing routine on next Tuesday nights result show!!!! I’m super excited to see him dance again-it’s been waaaay too long! As we all know, Benji is absolutely amazing and I’m sure the routine will bring the house down! Be sure to pass the word so no one will miss this terrific routine! Let’s hope the ballroom’s ready for this-I know I am!!!

In closing please remember to VOTE-VOTE-VOTE like crazy on Monday (April 6th) for Lacey & Steve-O and then tune in on Tuesday (April 7th) to watch Benji and Torri tear the roof off the ballroom-it may never be the same….

http://blog.laceymaeschwimmersworld.com/ (http://blog.laceymaeschwimmersworld.com/)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on April 02, 2009, 01:37:39 PM
‘Dancing’s’ Gilles defends Cheryl Burke’s figure

Tango titan Gilles Marini gives his “Dancing With the Stars” pro partner, Cheryl Burke, a perfect score when it comes to curves. It seems the show’s star takes exception with all the body-bashing Burke has endured.

“If women look like her, that would be the perfect world,” the smooth talker told E! News. “She doesn't need to change anything. Who likes stick-skinny girls? Where's the flavor? Whoever likes those stick-skinny girls never had sex before in their life.”

Marini’s not the first celebrity hoofer to defend Burke’s fuller figure (though he may be the first to lose the “stick-skinny girl” vote along the way). When naysayers nitpicked the two-time champ last season, her then-partner, retired Olympic sprinter Maurice Green, stood by his ballroom buddy.

“My family, my boys, everybody was calling her and telling her she looked great and don’t be worrying about that stuff,” Greene said at the time. “I think she looks great and you know what? As long as she feels good, that’s the only thing that matters really.”

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29996095/
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on April 02, 2009, 09:49:04 PM
Video:

Regis & Kelly with Holly & Dmitry and Steve & Karina


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WQ5c-xjPEz8 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WQ5c-xjPEz8)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on April 02, 2009, 09:52:23 PM
An interesting article:

Shawn Johnson Talks Focusing On ‘Dancing’ Following Alleged Stalker Incident

“Dancing With the Stars” standout Shawn Johnson has kept silent on the disturbing news that a man was arrested for allegedly stalking her, but now she is talking for the first time about it with Access Hollywood’s Maria Menounos.

“How do you keep all the outside stuff that goes on away and focus?” Maria asked the 17-year-old Olympic champ.

“I have no idea,” Shawn told Maria. “I think it just kind of comes with the sport. With gymnastics, if your mind wanders, you can get hurt or not do your best and stuff, so you learn it over time.

“It’s hard not to take the outside stuff and have it affect you during practice,” Shawn continued. “Of course there’s been a lot going on that you try not to think about — negative, negative things really get to me, ‘cause I’m always the one that’s like, ‘The glass is half full.’ I try to find the positive in everything, so if anybody is negative or down or upset and stuff, it really kind of affects me, but I try to fix it and get back to work.”

It’s an impressive attitude coming from the young star, who has somehow been able to put last week’s frightening incident behind her.

“You’re OK right now?” Maria asked.

“Yeah, very good,” Shawn said.

“You’re handling everything well?” Maria continued.

“Trying to, yes,” Shawn replied.

Putting her troubles to the back of her mind has helped Shawn remain a frontrunner for the “Dancing” mirrorball trophy. And through it all, Shawn’s parents have been her No. 1 supporters — they’re there every night in the ballroom.

Mom Teri even joined in the interview.

“Are you having fun watching her?” Maria asked.

“I’m loving it,” Teri said. “To this day, I cannot dance in public. I’m so afraid of people watching me, so I love this for her because I don’t want her to be an adult with inhibitions that are awful.”

http://www.accesshollywood.com/shawn-johnson-talks-focusing-on-dancing-following-alleged-stalker-incident_article_16282 (http://www.accesshollywood.com/shawn-johnson-talks-focusing-on-dancing-following-alleged-stalker-incident_article_16282)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on April 03, 2009, 12:06:00 AM
Ty Murray Blogs:

‘You just have to grind through it’

We left the apartment and put in a long day. By now you've probably seen some of the pre-packaged segments they film with all the different celebrities that don't have anything to do being in the practice studio.

Well, because Chelsie and I are doing the Pasodobles we went and got around some bulls. I guess, we'll have to wait and see how that works out with the show.

We did that until about noon, grabbed a quick lunch and then went straight to the studio. We probably got in about six or seven hours of practice and, like I know by now, it always takes a big step backward when you start going through the technique.

It's so funny when you watch somebody that can do this kind of dance. It looks simple, it looks effortless, it looks easy and it looks like all you have to do is look tough and strong, but there's a heck of a lot more to it than that.

A lot of it is really unnatural.

But it's just how the process goes. The second day is always a long, frustrating day with a lot of sweat and work, but you just have to grind through it. It does get better, but it's hard to tell when you're the one in the studio grinding it out for seven hours.

The progress is so slow that you don't feel it getting any better. It just comes a little bit at a time, but I think we're in pretty good shape. We still have three full days ahead of us.

This song has what they call dynamics, which means you'll hear it speed up and slow down and then almost stop. The pace of it changes a lot and, for me, that takes a little bit of getting used to. There's still a count and it doesn't change like the music--it stays the same.

Chelsie has taught me that the dynamics of the song is what makes the routine more interesting to watch.

We busted our butt and I'm sure that with a good night's sleep that it will be better tomorrow. It usually turns out where you see the big leap of improvement the next day. For whatever reason, it always seems like it takes a night for it all to sink in.

http://www.pbrnow.com/blog/index.cfm/2009/4/3/You-just-have-to-grind-through-it (http://www.pbrnow.com/blog/index.cfm/2009/4/3/You-just-have-to-grind-through-it)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on April 03, 2009, 12:23:33 AM

Shawn Johnson Blogs:

DWTS - week 4 “lindy hop”

Hey everyone ~ Well another week under my belt. What can i say, except i survived. Survived all of the media, survived all of the crazy stuff going on and survived the elimination round. All i can say is thank you thank you thank you for all of the votes and support. my next dance is the Vienese Waltz, Mark explained that it’s like the Waltz except faster. i’m learning it right now and having lots of fun with it. Mark and i have had the giggles alot here lately, maybe it’s just relief that things are kind of back to normal. It seems like i get the giggles alot when i’m learning new dances, he call it the “Iowa giggles”. I’m so lucky to have Mark for a partner, he lets me just be me. i’m going to the Hannah Montana premiere tonight, very excited about that. I just found out that i will be having some really cool guests at my next DWTS show, the entire cast of “Secret Life of the American Teenager”. I can’t wait to see them, I haven’t seen any of them since i was on the show. I’m sooo happy that they even want to come and watch me. Sorry, but i have to go for now. Will try to keep you all up to date when i can. Please vote. Love you guys. Peace SJ

http://www.shawnjohnson.dreamhosters.com/?p=101 (http://www.shawnjohnson.dreamhosters.com/?p=101)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on April 03, 2009, 01:21:20 AM
Lil' Kim & Derek Hough will be on The Ellen Degeneres Show today 4/3

Here's an article from the Ellen website:

LIL’ KIM & DEREK HOUGH (“Dancing with the Stars”): She may be lil’ but Kim’s got some very big dance moves! Gilles and Cheryl blew me away on Monday and now it’s Kim and her partner Derek Hough’s turn! They’ve got a tough act to follow, but the smart money has them pulling it off! You be the judge of who’s the best dancer of the week!

http://ellen.warnerbros.com/thisweek/ 
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on April 03, 2009, 09:13:01 AM
click on link below to view video

New Video: Shawn Johnson Comments on Her Safety

ET's Thea Andrews spoke to "Dancing with the Stars" contestant Shawn Johnson Thursday night at the 'Hannah Montana: The Movie' premiere. The 17-year old tells ET that despite the recent news of her alleged stalker, she feels safe and is trying to stay focused on the "Dancing" competition.

"They're doing their best job," Shawn says about the added security around her since the arrest of her alleged stalker Robert O'Ryan. "I'm doing really good. Keeping my mind set on the dancing, that's the most important thing for me right now."

Watch the video to hear more from the Olympic gold medalist.

http://www.etonline.com/news/2009/04/72461/index.html

Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on April 03, 2009, 02:47:51 PM

Holly Blogs:

Dancing

(http://i389.photobucket.com/albums/oo334/marigoldrealityfanforum/holmys.jpg)

Well, my days on Dancing Witht the Stars are over . . . but i had such a blast doing it! it was one of the most unique months of my life, that's for sure! I was completely absorbed in the experience 24-7 and will never forget it!
I am in Vegas now getting ready to shoot a pool party at the Palms for Girls Next Door to welcome Hef and his new girls to Vegas . . .It'll be my first time on the show as a single lady . . .we'll see how it goes! lol! Love-Holly

http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendId=29472248&blogId=480932484 (http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendId=29472248&blogId=480932484)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on April 03, 2009, 09:49:03 PM
Video:

A Tango By Lil' Kim and Derek Hough! on Ellen's Show

The Ellen DeGeneres Show (2009-04-03) A Tango By Lil' Kim and Derek Hough!

Lil' Kim first tells Ellen about the obstacles she had to overcome before landing a spot on "Dancing with the Stars".

Then she and partner Derek Hough stand up and perform an incredible Tango - Argentine style!


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L8pzS6qiniA (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L8pzS6qiniA)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on April 03, 2009, 10:26:07 PM
An interesting article:

DWTS' Gilles Marini on Steve-O: "We Have a Bromance"

Move over, Matthew and Lance.

Dancing With the Stars frontrunner Gilles Marini and Steve-O are the latest males to bond.

"We have a bromance," Marini said on Friday's The Bonnie Hunt Show. "I believe that Steve-O has an amazing story to tell. It's very inspiring for all those kids out there who are having trouble with drug additions. He made it happen. He's a year sober, and he's doing a fantastic show and a fantastic job turning it around.”

They two are inseparable on the set, said Marini's partner Cheryl Burke.

"Steve-O actually came up to me and said, 'Too bad Gilles is married,'" she tod Hunt. "I've got a big crush on him after seeing him perform [the tango].'"

http://www.usmagazine.com/news/dwts-gilles-marini-on-steve-o-we-have-a-bromance-200934-0 (http://www.usmagazine.com/news/dwts-gilles-marini-on-steve-o-we-have-a-bromance-200934-0)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on April 03, 2009, 10:28:13 PM
Video: nice interview

Barb backstage at Dancing With The Stars


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CE9N3qgA2AI (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CE9N3qgA2AI)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on April 03, 2009, 11:14:44 PM

Ty Murray Blogs:

‘Tomorrow it ought to start rolling along’

(http://i389.photobucket.com/albums/oo334/marigoldrealityfanforum/tymurblog.jpg)

When we got to practice today "Entertainment Tonight" was there and they had Jewel interview Chelsie and I, but I'm not sure when the segment will air. They also filmed a little bit of our practice and as soon as they left we got down to business.

We would run the routine a couple times with the music and then pick things out to work on.

The dynamics of this dance – it speeds up and slows down – is a little trickier to get a hold on. Professional dancers are able to count the music the whole way through very easily – like its second nature to them – and it feels impossible to me, especially because I'm trying to think about so many things.

This week's song is on an eight count, but in a few parts it's on a nine count. It just gets really confusing. I've talked with some of the other celebrities and I've asked them, "Are you getting this counting thing?" And every one of them said, "No."

For the professionals, it's like breathing.

You can identify any point of the dance and Chelsie knows exactly what the number is. She'll know, well, "that's three" or "that's three and four" or "that's eight and one." For me, "That's really tough."

I try to find key parts of the song – the stroke of a guitar or the hit of a drum or a certain word in the song – and that kind of gives me a landmark of where I'm at or where I need to be.

Tomorrow it ought to start rolling along. We'll start running the whole routine through with the music.

Again, like I've said since the beginning, it gets pretty tricky when you start doing that because the music doesn't wait on you for even a split second. You don't have time to think about anything. You have to just go. You can't be behind and you can't be ahead--you have to be right where the beat of the music is.

I do feel like we gained some ground on it today. Yesterday was one of those stone starts rolling back down the hill type of days, but today we started making some progress in getting it pushed back up the hill.

I really feel like Chelsie did a great job with the choreography so if I can do it the way I'm supposed to I think the judges are really going to like it. That's the part that is a heck of a lot easier said than done, but, I bet, by the end of tomorrow we'll start to have a lot better grasp on it.

http://www.pbrnow.com/blog/index.cfm/2009/4/4/Tomorrow-it-ought-to-start-rolling-along (http://www.pbrnow.com/blog/index.cfm/2009/4/4/Tomorrow-it-ought-to-start-rolling-along)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on April 04, 2009, 01:39:42 AM
Wow...just came across a tribute video for Melissa & Tony

Didn't think there would be any for DWTS couples but guess so...will post any others if I come across them!

Here it is...

Melissa & Tony

Song: Time of My Life by  David Cook, American Idol Season 7 Winner


credit with thanks to bach13fan
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on April 04, 2009, 02:02:03 AM
click on link below to view video

'Mommies' Say: Vote for Gilles Marini on 'Dancing with the Stars'

As the competition heats up on "DWTS," ET joins red-hot competitor Gilles Marini along with Jen and Barb of the Web site Mom Life -- two ladies who are urging fellow mothers everywhere to vote for Gilles on the show!

"He's a family guy and he's a dad," Barb says of Gilles, while Jen adds, "And he's a really, really good dancer."

"Oh wow, a lot of compliments in, like, ten seconds. I'm going to faint," Gilles jokes.

Tune into "Dancing with the Stars" Monday at 8 p.m. on ABC, and click here to check out the mommies' Web site, Mom Life

http://www.etonline.com/news/2009/04/72498/index.html
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on April 04, 2009, 01:57:12 PM

Tony Dovolani uses Utterli

(http://i389.photobucket.com/albums/oo334/marigoldrealityfanforum/tondov.jpg)

He said he reads message boards  :waves:   :lol:

Click here to hear his audio updates: http://www.utterli.com/Tony_Dovolani (http://www.utterli.com/Tony_Dovolani)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on April 04, 2009, 02:07:50 PM

Chelsie Hightower has a signature clothing line

(http://i389.photobucket.com/albums/oo334/marigoldrealityfanforum/chelclline.jpg)

Click here to see her line: http://www.chelsiehightowerdance.com/store/ (http://www.chelsiehightowerdance.com/store/)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on April 04, 2009, 02:13:13 PM

Chelsie and Ty at the tvguide party

(http://i389.photobucket.com/albums/oo334/marigoldrealityfanforum/chelty.jpg)

From her site: http://www.chelsiehightowerdance.com/ (http://www.chelsiehightowerdance.com/)


Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on April 04, 2009, 06:11:18 PM

Lacey Blogs:

Hey Guys!

Hey Everyone!
Finally, another blog from me! Sorry for not having time in the past weeks for blogging here. I've been busy as you probably already knew with practicing and all that good stuff.

Anyway, down to the serious stuff. Last week being in the bottom 3 was absolutely scary. I thought for sure that Steve-O and I were toast LOL! However, you awesome fans saved us, and we are so happy! Thank you guys for being there and voting for us. It means a lot. So now were back this week, and we are going to try to bring it! I really hope that we pull it off and are not in the bottom 2 this week. It's scary being in that position! It's also soo sad to see Holly and Steve go, they were both entertaining and yeah, it does really suck for anyone that goes home, we all become one big family.

Next thing. Coming up sometime in the near future hopefully, LOL, I would like to do something like a questions blog or something like that. Just for fun, I would love to answer all your guys' questions so let me know what you think about that in the comments section of this blog.

Well, I think that's everything for right now. Please leave comments here and don't forget to watch Dancing With The Stars and DON'T FORGET TO VOTE! Thanks you guys so much for voting and for letting me blog here LOL!

Big Love
<3 Lacey

http://blog.laceymaeschwimmersworld.com/2009/04/04/hey-guys.aspx (http://blog.laceymaeschwimmersworld.com/2009/04/04/hey-guys.aspx)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on April 04, 2009, 08:37:51 PM
:popcorn:

Cheryl Burke and Gilles Marini: The Bonnie Hunt Show 2009 04 03


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6YZK-1AffYg (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6YZK-1AffYg)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on April 04, 2009, 08:41:42 PM

ACM Awards On Sunday April 5, 2009


TOP NEW ARTIST (Nominees)
Julianne Hough
Jake Owen
Zac Brown Banad


TOP NEW FEMALE VOCALIST
Julianne Hough *WINNER*

http://www.acmcountry.com/home/index.php (http://www.acmcountry.com/home/index.php)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on April 04, 2009, 08:56:52 PM

Tony Blogs:

I'm going to be on the Radio Monday

(http://i389.photobucket.com/albums/oo334/marigoldrealityfanforum/tonmys.jpg)

Hello Everyone!

I'm going to be on the Radio Monday! See if I'm in your town!

Thank you for voting for Melissa and I we really do appreciate your votes!

Below is the schedule for the radio tour with Tony Dovolani on Monday, April 6, beginning at 9:00AM EST.

Thank you! 

 9:00     
WKGS             
Rochester         
Jesse


9:10     
WKCI             
Hartford           
Maze


9:20     
WLHT             
Grand Rapids   Barnaby & Friends * pre-existing
request


9:30     
WDDJ             
Paducah           AJ &
Mitch


9:40     
WXLO             
Boston             
Jenn & Steve


9:50     
WDRM           
Huntsville        Dan &
Dingo


10:00   
WSTO             
Evansville  E


10:10   
KZHT             
Salt Lake City  Frankie

http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendId=123419608&blogId=481183369 (http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendId=123419608&blogId=481183369)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on April 04, 2009, 11:49:20 PM

Ty Murray Blogs:

‘I think the Pasodobles is one of the cooler dances’

All week we've been in a little studio. It's really small, but we'll be in a bigger place tomorrow. Today we got to go run our routine on the CBS stage and it showed us a lot of what we need to prepare for.

Tomorrow we'll have a studio with a floor that's more the size of the television stage. It's pretty important where you start your routine and where big things happen and where you are when you end the dance.

On that little floor, especially with a dance that goes around the room, it's hard to get a feel for exactly where things are going to take place and where it's going to end.

We started running it over and over with music. Chelsie and I would run it and she would critique it and then we'd do it again and again. That's when I'm able to put things together. We practice all the different elements, but it's not until I start stringing it all together that it really starts working for me.

I think the Pasodobles is one of the cooler dances. It's a traditional dance and when you see two pros do it, it's a pretty cool looking dance. Chelsie and I have a straight up traditional routine and now it's just a matter of pulling it off, which I'm feeling a lot better about today.

Every Wednesday and Thursday you feel like you're not going to get there and then usually by the end of Saturday you're feeling pretty good. Hopefully by the end of tomorrow I'll be feeling even better.

I'm looking forward to having that bigger floor tomorrow so we can go all the way through the whole routine without getting bottlenecked into the corner.

http://www.pbrnow.com/blog/index.cfm/2009/4/5/I-think-the-Pasodobles-is-one-of-the-cooler-dances (http://www.pbrnow.com/blog/index.cfm/2009/4/5/I-think-the-Pasodobles-is-one-of-the-cooler-dances)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on April 05, 2009, 12:39:07 AM
DWTS Backstage: Gilles Marini Sounds Off on "Stick-Skinny Girls"

As if his dashing good looks and smooth dance moves weren't enough, Dancing With the Stars' hunky frontrunner Gilles Marini just gave us one more reason to adore him.

E! News caught up with the star backstage after tonight's elimination show and asked for his two cents on how Cheryl Burke's weight had been a topic of discussion in the press and on the fan boards.

Read on to find out what Gilles' fantastic response is...

"If women look like her," Gilles tells us, "that would be the perfect world. She doesn't need to change anything. Who likes stick-skinny girls? Where's the flavor? Whoever likes those stick-skinny girls never had sex before in their life."

Bravo, Gilles. Bravo.

Here's more backstage scoop from tonight's show, which saw Holly Madison and Steve Wozniak go home.

Derek Hough on Steve Wozniak's Goodbye Goodies: "For a guy who pretty much invented the computer, he handwrote us all letters, which is amazing. A little over two pages for each person," Derek says. Lil' Kim adds, "He gave us all gifts."

Holly Madison on the Upside: "I think I've learned a lot about dancing, and I'm going to keep working out definitely. We would rehearse like six hours every day, so I definitely toned up. I was able to eat whatever I wanted."

Steve Wozniak on His Dancing Future: "I will dance wherever I am. I will take ballroom lessons. I'll make it a part of my life. I hope there are a lot of other people like me that never danced their entire lives. [People] sitting at a computer terminal all day long, who are afraid to [dance]. You can actually go out there and dance and have fun."

Ty Murray on Rigging Votes: "[Steve Wozniak] is such a nice gentleman with such a great spirit. I think if he knew how to rig the vote, I don't think he'd do it."

Derek Hough on Lil' Kim: "I call her 'Gigantic Kim' sometimes."

Carrie Ann Inaba on the Frontrunners: "There are definitely frontrunners. Right now I would say Gilles, Melissa Rycroft and Lil' Kim. Lil' Kim's a little wild horse. She's not afraid to push the boundaries and I think that's going to be her power."

Melissa Rycroft on Elimination Night: "I don't think you can ever feel safe on this show because as you remember, [season 5 contender] Sabrina Bryan ended up going home early, even though she didn't deserve to go."

Woz on Marriage: "When you get married and have children, those are good experiences, too, but this is definitely the most fun."

http://www.eonline.com/uberblog/watch_with_kristin/b107079_dwts_backstage_gilles_marini_sounds_off.html

Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on April 05, 2009, 10:20:03 PM
Melissa & Tony will be on The Ellen Degeneres Show on Thursday, April 16th.
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on April 05, 2009, 11:22:46 PM
Julianne Hough Wins ACM Award, Rips Dress

(http://i212.photobucket.com/albums/cc289/CuteboiWill/400_jhough_040509_emiller_85814564.jpg)

Country music star and "Dancing with the Stars" performer Julianne Hough ripped her Zuhair Murad dress as she took the stage of the 44th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards -- but the excitement didn't stop there with Carrie Underwood taking home two awards!

"It's a good thing I ripped my dress because now I have something else to think about," an overwhelmed and tearful Julianne told the audience as she accepted her award for Top New Artist.

http://www.etonline.com/news/2009/04/72516/index.html
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on April 05, 2009, 11:28:12 PM
click on link below to view video

DWTS'' Steve-O & Lacey Schwimmer Grill Each Other

"Dancing with the Stars"' Steve-O and his pro partner Lacey Schwimmer leave the dancing stage to grill each other on the ET stage!

Watch the video to hear the duo ask each other the tough questions about dancing, being partnered up together, and what annoys them most about each other! Plus, find out which 'Dancing' co-star Steve-O has a crush on.

You can catch Steve-O and Lacey showing off their fancy footwork on the next installment of "DWTS," which airs Monday night at 8 p.m. on ABC.

http://www.etonline.com/news/2009/04/72494/
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on April 06, 2009, 03:47:00 AM
Video:

Julianne Hough Wins Best New Artist At ACM Awards 2009

Her rip in her dress was no big deal


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IALSki6B5UE (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IALSki6B5UE)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on April 06, 2009, 03:49:30 AM

Ty Murray Blogs:

This dance is about power’

(http://i389.photobucket.com/albums/oo334/marigoldrealityfanforum/tymurblog.jpg)

We just got done with practice where we polished a few things up this afternoon. I feel like it's going pretty well and tomorrow we'll get to do it one more time during dress rehearsal before we have to do it on live TV.

That last dress rehearsal is always a good time for Chelsie and me to treat our routine as if it were the performance, because they run through the whole show as if it was live. But we're at a point now where it's one thing to be able to pull it off in practice, and it's another thing to be able to do that on the stage during the show.

Today Chelsie had me work on a few little things that have been bugging her, and I feel like we got those better. We videotaped the routine with my little flip camera, so tonight I'll watch it a bunch of times and just get all my different little cues tattooed into my mind.

When you get nervous, that's when you start filling your brain with other thoughts, or you can get off-balance, so the more sure you are thinking about your steps, and the movements you're going to make in your steps, the easier it is.

It's funny, because this dance is about power, and watching Chelsie she almost explodes she gets so intense with it. She wants me to feed off of that, but that's what makes for a standout dance, because when she brings it, she really brings it.

She always explains to me that no one knows your exact steps. They just know how good your performance is, so you can even miss a step as long as you can get right back on and never let it show in your performance, your expression or your posture.

That's what this dance is about, and that's what the judges are looking for: the drama, so I need to be focused. That way I can come out and not have it look mechanical. I feel pretty decent about it and so does Chelsie.

http://www.pbrnow.com/blog/index.cfm/2009/4/5/This-dance-is-about-power#more (http://www.pbrnow.com/blog/index.cfm/2009/4/5/This-dance-is-about-power#more)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on April 06, 2009, 03:54:12 AM

A Blog From Cheryl Burke:

To my dear family, fans and friends,

Last Monday evening was one of the most powerful moments for me as I watched Gilles acknowledge the extended standing ovation of the audience, basking in the glory of a perfect performance, with deep emotions in his eyes. It was a snapshot to remember.

Our Argentine Tango story was of a passionate couple, who quarrels, parts and makes up, creating a romantic, trance-like movement of two bodies in love becoming one heart, one mind, one soul. Gilles went into character and executed the drama in the dance floor flawlessly. He is such a talented and committed actor.

On Monday, April 6th, Gilles and I will dance the Paso Doble. The movements of the Paso Doble are designed around those made by the matador as he gracefully works his way around the bull and eventually slays it. The emotion of the dance is powerful, intoxicating and intense. It requires fierce drama and captive energy, as well as composure and stealth. Get ready to tune in and vote because the first few seconds of the dance is really something worth watching for.

Your show of love and affection is overwhelming. Gilles joins me in thanking you from the bottom of our hearts.

With love always,

Cheryl

P.S.

To vote for Gilles and me, call 800-868-3405 or log on to www.abc.com. Phone lines, text votes (AT&T customers only) and online polls will open at the top of each performance show. Phone and text lines will stay open for 30 minutes after the end of the show. Online voting will remain open until noon (Eastern Time)/9:00am (Pacific Time) on the day of the results show.

http://www.strictlycheryl.com/ (http://www.strictlycheryl.com/)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on April 06, 2009, 04:01:08 AM

Carmen Electrica Appearance On Dancing With The Stars April 14, 2009

(http://i389.photobucket.com/albums/oo334/marigoldrealityfanforum/dwtsce.jpg)

Carmen & Cherry Boom Boom to perform Live on ABC's Dancing with the Stars, Tuesday April 14th!

Be sure to catch Carmen and Cherry Boom Boom as they tear up the dance floor LIVE on ABC's Dancing with the Stars on Tuesday, April 14th 2009.

http://www.carmenelectra.com/ (http://www.carmenelectra.com/)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on April 06, 2009, 04:22:27 AM
more on Carmen Electra:

Carmen Electra to appear on April 14 Dancing With the Stars

She already proved her dance floor daring as a guest star in the Pussycat Dolls burlesque troupe, and now Carmen Electra will strut her stuff on Dancing With the Stars. The brunette beauty is scheduled to perform with her group, Cherry Boom Boom, live on the April 14 episode of the hit ABC dance competition. “I’m very excited! I love to dance, and it’s so much fun,” Carmen told In Touch at the Vitaminwater10 launch in New York on April 2. Carmen has been slower to set another date — for her wedding to her fiancé, guitarist Rob Patterson. “It takes so much of your time," Carmen confided. "But we’re in a good place right now!”

http://www.intouchweekly.com/2009/04/carmen_electra_to_appear_on_ap.php (http://www.intouchweekly.com/2009/04/carmen_electra_to_appear_on_ap.php)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on April 06, 2009, 11:06:34 AM
Gilles Marini Says Wife Loves His Sexy Dancing

Dancing with the Stars heartthrob and front-runner Gilles Marini says his steamy moves on the show aren’t a problem for his wife, Carole—in fact, “she loves to see that sexiness.”

The French actor/model, who made a splash last year as Samantha’s outdoor-showering neighbor in the Sex and the City movie, says he wouldn’t be able to perform his high-energy dance routines without his wife’s support.

“Imagine if you do that job and you have a wife in the house or a husband in the house who is very kind of jealous and possessive, things would collapse,” he said in an interview with the website jenandbarbmomlife.com. “If I don’t have my wife at my side I have nothing. And so she is there pushing me and always kissing me and saying, ‘I am so proud of you.’”

Marini, 33, has been married to Carole for 11 years—they have a son, George, 10, and a daughter, Julianna, almost three. When Marini got the call to do DWTS early one morning, he was in bed watching Julianna bounce around in a pink tutu. “I’m on the phone with my manager, who’s asking, ‘Do you want to do this?’” he recalls. “And [Julianna] was dancing around, twirling around, and I said, ‘This is a sign, I have to do this.’”

But week in and week out, how is it that his wife can be so accepting of his smoldering routines with partner Cheryl Burke? “She’s French,” explains Marini. “The more sexy it is [on the show] the better it is for her. Tonight she told me, ‘I saw that shaking booty stuff, you’re going to have to show it to me [at home].”

http://tvwatch.people.com/2009/04/06/gilles-marini-says-wife-loves-his-sexy-dancing/
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on April 06, 2009, 02:36:42 PM

ABC Television Network

PRESS RELEASE
 
ON TOMORROW'S DANCING RESULTS SHOW (4/7)
 
FIFTH COUPLE ELIMINATED ON "DANCING WITH THE STARS THE RESULTS SHOW," TUESDAY, APRIL 7 ON ABC

Grammy® Award Winner Etta James Performs

Disney Channel Star Demi Lovato Performs

Macy's Stars of Dance Brings Las Vegas' Le Reve to the Ballroom

Bottom Two Couples Compete in a Live "Dance-Off"
 

"Episode 805A" - After a night of Viennese Waltz and Paso Doble, the fifth couple to be eliminated from the competition is revealed on "Dancing with the Stars the Results Show," TUESDAY, APRIL 7 (9:00-10:02 p.m., ET) on the ABC Television Network.

Grammy Award winner Etta James performs her Grammy Hall of Fame rendition of the popular song, "At Last," accompanied by professional dancers Maksim Chmerkovskiy and Karina Smirnoff.  James is the winner of four Grammy® Awards and seventeen Blues Music Awards.  She was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1993, the Blues Hall of Fame in 2001, and the Grammy® Hall of Fame in both 1999 and 2008.

Hollywood Records artist and Disney Channel star Demi Lovato takes to the "Dancing with the Stars" stage with her hit, "La La Land," from her first studio album, "Don't Forget," recently released on Hollywood Records (a deluxe version was re-released on March 31, 2009 with bonus features).  Joining Lovato on the "Dancing" stage will be professional dancers Benji Schwimmer and Torri Smith.  Currently starring in the Disney Channel hit, "Sonny With a Chance," Lovato shot to stardom when she appeared alongside the Jonas Brothers in the Disney Channel Original Movie, "Camp Rock." Her concert tickets go on sale April 25, 2009. 

In the second Macy's Stars of Dance performance of the season, the mesmerizing Las Vegas show Le Reve transforms the "Dancing with the Stars" stage with a captivating performance.  Le Reve features spectacular feats of strength and state-of-the-art special effects.  The production was created by Franco Dragone, the man behind the O, La Nouba, Mystere, Alegria and Quidam shows.

This week the bottom two couples facing elimination, determined by the lowest combined viewer votes and judges' scores from Monday's performance, will "Dance Off" to determine who is dismissed. The couples will have a chance to perform Monday's dance for new scores from the judges. The judges' scores from the "Dance Off" performance will replace their Monday night scores. A combination of the new judges' scores from the "Dance Off" dance, along with viewers votes from Monday's show, will be calculated following the "Dance Off" to determine the eliminated couple.

By evening's end one couple will be eliminated. Who among the following nine teams will leave the ballroom floor?

David Alan Grier (comedian and actor) and partner Kym Johnson
Shawn Johnson (Olympic gymnastics medalist) and partner Mark Ballas


Lil' Kim (Grammy Award winning rapper) and partner, reigning champion Derek Hough
Gilles Marini (model and actor) and partner Cheryl Burke
Ty Murray ("King of Cowboys") and partner, newcomer Chelsie Hightower
Steve-O (star of "Jackass" and "Wildboyz") and partner Lacey Schwimmer
Melissa Rycroft (from "The Bachelor") and partner Tony Dovolani
Lawrence Taylor (National Football League Hall of Famer, a.k.a. "LT") and partner Edyta Sliwinska
Chuck Wicks (country music star) and partner Julianne Hough

Viewers may cast their votes for their favorite teams via phone on Monday night during and up to 30 minutes after the "Dancing with the Stars" performance shows. AT&T subscribers may also text message their votes by texting the word "VOTE" and entering the number that corresponds to the team they want to support (standard text message rates apply). Viewers may also vote online at www.abc.com starting from the opening of each episode on the East Coast and until 12:00 Noon, ET the following day.
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on April 06, 2009, 02:38:41 PM

David Alan Grier Blogs:

TONIGHT'S DANCE

(http://i389.photobucket.com/albums/oo334/marigoldrealityfanforum/dagmys.jpg)

Tonight, Kym and I are performing what I think is our most complete dance so far. By that I mean, we tried to create a dark, moody, and sexy, story told all within the confines of the Viennese Waltz. I love the song we are dancing to "I Put A Spell On You" arranged by Nina Simone !!! Kym's choreography is BANGIN as always !!! We want to take you places! Can't wait...

Next week is the Rhumba, but we have to get there first.VOTE-VOTE-VOTE !!!!
 
http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendId=38074175&blogId=481507780 (http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendId=38074175&blogId=481507780)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on April 07, 2009, 02:03:20 AM
Tonight's Dancing Results

VW=Viennese Waltz
PD=Paso Doble

TEAM                       DANCE    CARRIE ANN  LEN  BRUNO  TOTAL

Chuck/Julianne              VW              7         8       8          23

Lawrence/Edyta             PD              6         7       7          20

Shawn/Mark                 VW              9         8       9          26

Melissa/Tony                 PD              8         8       9          25

David/Kym                    VW             7         8       7          22

Gilles/Cheryl                  PD             10        9       10         29       

Steve-O/Lacey             VW              6         6       6          18

Ty/Chelsie                    PD              7         7       7           21     

Lil' Kim/Derek                VW             9          8       9          26 
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on April 07, 2009, 02:31:26 AM
Dancing with the Stars Episode Recap: Monday, April 6, 2009

After last week's double elimination, the Top 9 get down to business with the Viennese Waltz and paso doble. Did anyone put up a good fight? Find out below.

Granted, my exposure to ballroom dancing is limited to this show, but I think my favorite dance is the paso doble, so I'm actually excited for this week. The paso just looks so... awesome. Maybe I have underlying aspirations to be a matador, but who doesn't want to dance with a "bull"? Chelsie told me she might incorporate some cowboy-ness in her and Ty's costumes for the paso (in homage to his related, bull-riding sport), but it doesn't look like they did. Lies!

Chuck Wicks & Julianne Hough: Viennese Waltz
Julianne wants to push Chuck out of his comfort zone. More girly moves then! Oh, look, it's Barbie and Ken again. I have to say their standard dances kinda make me wanna vomit because of the cuteness. (I'm not jealous.) It's just... overwhelming. The dance is pretty and he's fluid with the sweeping arm extensions, but his footwork's not there. He still just looks good, but not great. This ain't gonna get you into the top 3, man. But if anything, Chuck's costume is perfectly tailored, aka tight as hell. He kinda looks like a gray Gumby. Len thinks he came out of hibernation, but he needs to work on the finesse. Bruno says he's emerging from Julianne's shadow and needs to keep up the confidence. Carrie Ann is gonna be the party pooper, calling out a "questionable lift," and his lack of focus.
Score: 23

Lawrence Taylor & Edyta Sliwinska: Paso Doble
LT equates the paso to watching TV with the sound off. Then turn on closed captioning, duh! I would think the slower pace of the paso would be more of bulky LT's speed, but apparently not so — at least, in rehearsals. On the floor, he's got the dramatic mood down (no surprise), but looks kind of wooden. His footwork's very mechanical, which I think has been his problem all along. Stop thinking about it and just do it! Bruno dubs him the Prince of Darkness (Dracula? Ozzy?), but was disappointed he wasn't into the dance from beginning to end. Carrie Ann thinks he has a limited range of motion, but thinks he used it well. Len was frightened — in a good way. He says it's his best dance yet, even if his skills aren't there.
Score: 20

Shawn Johnson & Mark Ballas: Viennese Waltz
Mark wants to mold Shawn into a mini-Kristi. There will only be one Guch, Ballas! The top of Shawn's dress reminds me of Michael Knight's coffee-filter frock from Project Runway. Anyhow, they look gorgeous. Shawn really rocks the standards. It's lyrical, expressive and just so darn sweet. Except for that (scandalous!) almost-kiss. Hey now! Carrie Ann thinks it was beautiful and lets a lift go because it was part of an "artistic finish." Playing favorites? Len doesn't think she stepped forward on her heels as dictated by the dance. Bruno tells her not to worry because she's pretty as a picture, but wants her to keep her shoulders down.
Score: 26

Melissa Rycroft & Tony Dovolani: Paso Doble
Melissa can't get into the intensity of the paso. She's a nice and happy person, you know. Either she's really perky too or they're both really good actors because they come across a little, uh, fake with their practice frustrations. I'm not saying it is fake; it just can appear fake. I know all this is hard, goddammit! Are they seriously paso doble-ing to "Poker Face"? I'm sorry, I can't get over this. There's also centipede growing on Tony's back. Their routine is very fast and she looks like she's having trouble keeping up with the steps. Or maybe she's distracted by the fact that she and Tony look like brother and sister. Seriously — the outfits, the teeth, the spray tan. Overall, the dance is decent, if only because she survived it and has rhythm. Len says there was a blunder in the pivot (PIVOT! PIVOT! Sorry, Friends shout-out). Bruno thinks she went for it in a very difficult routine, but there were mistakes. Carrie Ann concurs. And there was a "questionable lift." Psst... go for the "artistic finish," guys.
Score: 25

David Alan Grier & Kym Johnson: Viennese Waltz
DAG is determined to bribe the judges. He's gonna do it with wine or something. Not whine. But maybe cheese. Did Kym get the PC version of Karina's outfit from last week? Or maybe Karina just slashed off, like, 90 percent of that thing. The routine is nice, but like Chuck's, there's nothing amazing about it. DAG looks serviceable for the most part, but his frame does not. His extensions aren't, uh, extended. Plus, there's like zero chemistry between these two for this dance of romance. Bruno is under DAG's spell, but wants less gimmicks. Carrie Ann tells DAG's nostrils that she doesn't think they're moving in unison. Len loves the routine and is very pleased.
Score: 22

Gilles Marini & Cheryl Burke: Paso Doble
Gilles is pumped about the paso because he's studied martial arts... and he's brought his son along to watch. Do you hear that? It's the sound of ovaries exploding. Especially now that Gilles is topless... and shaved? Waxed? Let's go with waxed. Cheryl didn't lie about the less clothing week-to-week! I appreciate that they're not clothed in the typical red for the paso. I take back what I said about Chuck's tight clothes because dayum. Their routine is theatrical, passionate and totally striking. Someone just needs to give him the trophy now. He also gets a mini solo toward the end too, which is nice. Carrie Ann is almost reduced to tears. Len thought it was hectic and was unsure about the shirtlessness (jealous, much?). Bruno says "Jill" is going for the kill.
Score: 29

Steve-O & Lacey Schwimmer: Viennese Waltz
Steve-O gets a visit from his Jackass jackasses for some moral support, and a dance with Wee-Man. Hot! They waste some time in the beginning with some mime set-up. Sneaky, sneaky. This is actually very adorable and precious. There's something inherently endearing about Steve-O and I think that comes across best in his standards. He's more calm this week and seems in step. Len thinks it's his best dance, but doesn't want him to get too excited. Thanks. Bruno thinks his timing was on. Carrie Ann thinks the acting worked in this case and would like him to work on his posture.
Score: 18

Ty Murray & Chelsie Hightower: Paso Doble
Ty's excited for the paso because it's a man's dance and he knows how to deal with bulls, like Chelsie. Like Melissa's, I think the music's too fast for the movement, but unlike Melissa, Ty's not trying to pick up the pace and hit the steps. He's very methodical and deliberate. I think if the tempo was slowed down, it would look a lot better. That and if he's less stiff. Poor Ty. I think everyone, including him, had high expectations for the paso, and he just didn't deliver. Maybe the pressure got to him. Bruno thought it was too robotic. Carrie Ann wants her little dancer back. Len doesn't think it's up to par with his past two dances, but it's still miles better than his first one. And in other news, the sky is blue.
Score: 21

Lil Kim & Derek Hough: Viennese Waltz
Kim's worried because this is her busiest week ever and she has no time to practice. Which means it's gonna be good. Edwin McCain, notwithstanding. Kim's waltz is up there with Shawn's. It's lithe and completely bewitching. She looks more Disney princess than Shawn does, in fact. I always have a good laugh every other week or so that this graceful creature is the same person who asked, "How Many Licks." Carrie Ann feels like her mom. Do you want CA to be your mom? Len played podiatrist and found plenty (OK, some) wrong with her footwork. Bruno can't believe she made the Viennese Waltz "sassy" and loves the harmony between her and Derek.
Score: 26

So what did you think? Does Len have pec-envy? Is that why he robbed Gilles of a perfect 30? Did Melissa and Ty fall out of form? Will Chuck, LT and DAG ever make a breakthrough? Who's going to get the boot?

http://www.tvguide.com/Episode-Recaps/dancing-stars/Dancing-Stars-Episode-1004774.aspx
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on April 07, 2009, 08:48:31 AM
click on link below to view video

New Video: Gilles Marini on His Tough 'Dancing' Partner

Gilles Marini and Cheryl Burke topped the "Dancing" scoreboard with their passionate paso doble on Monday night, but Gilles reveals to ET that during rehearsal Cheryl definitely means business.

"She made the choreography a nightmare, and she doesn't understand," Gilles tells ET's special "Dancing" correspondent Maksim Chmerkovskiy. "She always wants to raise the bar higher and higher and it's like, I'm not a dancer."

Cheryl's tough choreography paid off as the couple earned a high score of 29 and received praise from the judges -- and the other contestants tell ET that they are now feeling added pressure due to Gilles' impressive performances.

Check out the backstage video for more with your favorite "Dancing" stars.

http://www.etonline.com/news/2009/04/72574/index.html
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on April 07, 2009, 09:00:27 AM
Ty's latest blog post:

‘I got a little mechanical’



Tonight we got a 21 and we didn't get great comments from the judges, but at least we remembered the routine and we didn't fall down.

In that dance, I think, it's hard for an amateur to find the line between the strength and power of how you're supposed to present the Paso Doble and, at the same time, not being too stiff--evidentially I didn't find that line.

It's one of those things where if you're too fluid without being dramatic it could become a situation where the judges say you didn't portray what the dance is about.

I know I got a little mechanical, but that's because I was thinking too hard with each step--where are my hands, lunge but don't lunge too much, your front toe has to be turned out, your back toe has to be turned out and some of the steps come quick and some of them come slow.

It's same as with anything you learn – just like when I'm teaching guys how to ride – when it's mechanical that's when you see guys get stiff and they don't have any flow with the bull. When you watch the guys in the PBR who are good, at that level, and can flow that's because it's not mechanical.

Their bodies know the movement and it's just a matter of finding the groove with each individual bull.

If we survive this elimination the main thing we have to do is to go back and work on looking more fluid in the next dance because, I think, when the judges give you a critique it's your job to come back the next week having fixed the thing or things they told you to work on.

Chelsie and I both listened to what the judges had to stay and we'll try to make it better next time. All you can do is to keep on trying and neither Chelsie nor I are short on try.

http://www.pbrnow.com/blog/index.cfm/2009/4/7/I-got-a-little-mechanical#more
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on April 07, 2009, 09:19:13 AM
DWTS Watch: Gilles Marini's Secret Injury

One week after scoring a perfect 30, French hottie Gilles Marini lost his shirt on Monday night's Dancing with the Stars — and that's a good thing! The hunky star, who shot to fame when he bared all in last year's Sex and the City film, showed off his chest and got the crowd on its feet with a dramatic paso doble that earned a 29 — the highest score of the night.

But what viewers didn’t know was that Gilles is yet another victim of DWTS’ most injury-plagued season. Backstage after the show, he revealed to OK! backstage that his shoulder is killing him—and will require surgery after the season is done!

“We never talked about it on the show tonight. I hurt so bad—my shoulder—that I need surgery,” Gilles said. “I have a separated shoulder. My best friend is Advil.”

And, with Gilles now this season’s clear leader, the show must go on. His devoted pro partner Cheryl Burke explained, “The doctor said he’ll be fine until the show’s over.”

Of his intense performance Monday night, Gilles could only say, “It was a big blur.” For her part, Cheryl remembered “the audience screaming so loud — louder than any of the seasons I’ve been on. They were crazy.”

Meanwhile, the show’s other frontrunner, former Bachelor babe Melissa Rycroft, faltered when a wardrobe malfunction caused her to lose her footing while performing the paso doble with partner Tony Dovolani.

Pointing to the bottom of her red skirt, she said, “There’s a hole that my heel got caught in during one of the parts. Thankfully, I didn’t fall.” However, they got an uncharacteristically low score of 25.

Tony said, “I know she’s angry with herself right now.”

And Melissa herself told OK!, “We got through it. It wasn’t with the flying colors I was hoping for.”

Shawn Johnson and partner Mark Ballas fared a little better, scoring a 26 on their Viennese waltz. The gymnast told OK! about her glamorous, grown-up ballroom look, “I love it. I look in the mirror and go, ‘that’s not me.’ But this is the new Shawn Johnson!”

Lil Kim and her partner Derek Hough, who have been slowly but surely inching up in the competition, also earned a 26 for their Viennese waltz. “I wasn’t expecting the scores I got," Lil admitted to OK!. "I felt very good!”

Comedian David Alan Grier, who earned a 22 for his Viennese waltz with partner Kym Johnson, told OK! he’s lost 28 pounds during DWTS. “I think I’m stalled at the 28 pounds but I have to get over 30. I’m panicking. I need to stay on the show a few more weeks. It’s like being in rehab, Celebrity Sober House. I’m not ready. We want to dance some more.”

Bringing up the rear once again, Steve-O received the lowest score of the night, an 18, for his Viennese waltz with partner Lacey Schwimmer. But on the positive side, he finally got some kind words from the judges for his mime-inspired dance.

“I relaxed a lot more," he admitted. "I wasn’t so nervous and intense.”

Meanwhile, Lacey, well known for her Goth-style black hair, has lightened it to more of a chestnut brown “I kind of felt like in a weird way since I lost weight, I had a new confidence in myself and [wanted it to be] a little more natural,” she told OK!

Cowboy Ty Murray and partner Chelsie Hightower only roped in a 21 for their paso doble. “We didn’t do as good as we could have,” Ty said. “But we didn’t fall down and forget the dance.” Judges bashed him as robotic and Ty admitted his “heart was beating really fast” during the performance. “Tonight, my fluidity got left out.”

Tune in Tuesday night to see who makes the cut!

http://www.okmagazine.com/news/view/13135
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: TexasLady on April 07, 2009, 09:30:55 AM
Quote
“We never talked about it on the show tonight. I hurt so bad—my shoulder—that I need surgery,” Gilles said. “I have a separated shoulder. My best friend is Advil.”

GOOD GRIEF! This season really is cursed!  :ascared
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on April 07, 2009, 09:38:25 AM
Melissa Rycroft Drops Out of the Top Three on DWTS 

Bachelor star Melissa Rycroft didn't win over the judges on Monday's Dancing With the Stars.

She and partner Tony Dovolani earned one of their lowest scores of the season, a 25 out of 30, for their Paso Doble, dropping them out of the top three.

Although judge Bruno Tonioli called her a "molting heartbreaker," Len Goodman said she had some "blunders" and Carrie Ann Inaba noted that she "needed more curve"

Sex and the City movie star Gilles Marini and partner Cheryl Burke maintained the top spot, with a score of 29 for their Paso Doble.

Marini said he wasn't bummed he didn't nab another perfect 30 score, adding that he got lost a bit during his dance.

"I had to follow Cheryl's movement completely because I couldn't hear a single note," he said.

Added Burke, "The girls screaming were so loud!"

Shawn Johnson and partner Mark Ballas got a 26 for their waltz, landing them in second place for the night.

"I felt very Marilyn Monroe-ish in this dress. A lot older," the Olympic gymnast, 17, told Us. "But I feel great. I had a great time doing the dance. I thought it was better than last week -- which was good."

Tying Johnson and Ballas: Lil' Kim and Derek Hough, who also nabbed a 26 for their waltz.

"We felt awesome tonight," Hough told Us. "It's hard to go last because you're sitting there waiting, but she was so good. This dance was not an easy one."

Although they improved slightly from last week, Steve-O and his partner Lacey Schwimmer still ended up at the bottom with only 18 points.

"I'm okay," he told Us after the show. "I am just calculating in my head how much we have to improve our dance and get votes to stay in the competition."

http://www.usmagazine.com/news/dwts-melissa-rycroft-drops-out-of-the-top-three-200974
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on April 07, 2009, 10:05:30 AM
'Dancing With the Stars' Recap: That's Bull!

Greetings, DANCMSTRs! Inspired by Lil' Kim (as I am every day), I tried to write this recap on my Buddha Board, but it kept disappearing. What a bust! You'll have to settle for the non-relaxing, text-based version instead. While I attempt to wrap my head around just how Bob Saget and Cynthia Stevenson managed to travel from a liiiiiiiiiiiiiiive! studio audience to a cozy sofa in a matter of seconds, why not take a trippy trip (emphasis on trippy) down the sequin-encrusted Mammary Lane of last night's Dancing With the Stars week 5 performance show? Here's how the nine remaining couples ranked after performing either the paso doble or the Viennese waltz...

Gilles Marini and Cheryl: 29 out of possible 30 He's shirtless! He does martial arts! He has an adorable son who calls him ''pah-PAH''! The man can do no wrong. Well, according to DANCMSTR, Gilles' and Cheryl's paso doble was ''a bit hectic,'' but Tom and Bruno just chalked that up to pec-envy and I think it's probably just that two 30s in a row for Gilles would seem pretty ridiculous. And this show is never ridiculous. The three-item combo platter of Gilles' ripply upper half, its burnt sienna hue, and the illusion of heavily applied eyeliner caused me to zone out in one of my typical DWTS-induced hazes wherein all I can see is the vomiting-kaleidoscope graphic again and again and again — so I was actually glad when Cheryl swooped in to barely cloak Gilles in a snug, bedazzled bolero. He eventually got her back for this possibly misguided decision by ''nailing her'' in a dramatic final floor-based flourish. ''Gilles for the kill!'' He and his multi-faceted triceps are amazing.

Shawn Johnson and Mark: 26/30 We all know what was responsible for ''Shmark's'' lovely Viennese waltz...Mark's facial scruff! The magical powers of Mark Ballas' facial scruff (a new season 8 development) range from ''choreographing beautiful yet simplistic routines,'' to ''getting away with illegal lifts,'' to a feat near and dear to DWTS' heart: ''looking hot.'' DANCMSTR complimented the pair for the romantic feel of their dance, and I think that had a lot to do with the changing pace of the routine, especially near the end with that slow, drawn-out finish. Mark's solution to that one-foot-on-the-ground ''It's not a lift!'' move that most couples end up bungling was brilliant: He sort of placed Shawn on the ground so her feet were in a half split, then spun her. Those high heels look insane on such a little person. I loved how, during rehearsal, Shawn spun out of control and fell over on the same double-pirouette move she can easily pull off on a four-inch-wide balance beam, just because she was wearing those heels.

Lil' Kim and Derek: 26/30 Swathed in a long, peach-hued gown almost too reminiscent of Brooke and Derek's Viennese waltz in season 7 (right down to the rosette hairpiece), Lil' Kim floated through her dance in what Bruno called ''total harmony with your partner.'' The judges all raved about the pair's chemistry, but DANCMSTR couldn't quite get on board with some of Kim's footwork. (Anyone know the word for ''podiatrist'' in British?) Derek's choreography and smart decisions to cut out some of the moves Kim had trouble with during rehearsal really paid off this week. If Kim had been unsure of her steps (like Melissa was, at times), it's unlikely she would have been able to make a Viennese waltz look ''sassy'' — something Bruno claims to have never seen in his life. But back to that rehearsal segment for a sec: Did I just see a beige scrunchie holding back Lil' Kim's mane? Anyone remember Kate's inexplicable red scrunchie on last Wednesday's Lost? ABC, stop trying to make scrunchies happen again! They're not going to happen again. Much to my mom's eternal dismay....



Melissa Rycroft and Tony: 25/30 Melissa's outfit — the face jewels, the poufy red hair clip, the hot red skirt, the possibly-tacky-in-any-other-setting gold-based belt — could be one of my favorite DWTS ensembles to date. Sadly, Melissa couldn't execute the dance or the necessary character to match her killer look. But even to a know-nothing like me, that choreography Tony gave her was hard, and at least she kept her puh-puh-puh-''Poker Face'' on for most of the paso doble. Some of the angles in that dance were intriguingly strange, and to be honest I didn't notice Melissa messed up that badly until my second watch, on a much better HD screen. The crowd went nuts over this dance, and that speaks for itself. Speaking of the crowd, is anyone else getting increasingly annoyed at how the live audience has become as immature as the largely teen-based ones for So You Think You Can Dance and American Idol? Come on, people, this isn't Fox! There are rules! Tom was spot-on with his serious-for-once admonition to the jeering masses: ''You know, sometimes, criticism is a good thing.'' He's absolutely right. Enough with the booing already. Grow up and let the crotchety foreign man speak.

Chuck Wicks and Julianne: 23/30 Speaking of immaturity (how convenient), Chuck's ballroom-mocking attitude during rehearsal segments is wearing thin. The more times Julianne compliments him for his last-resort, exaggerated, I'll-do-this-so-she-shuts-up dance moves (''When you're making fun of it, that's what it should be!''), the sadder it becomes. I did like the clever segment editor's inclusion of a tiny clip of Chuck counting out the beat — he actually sang it out, arbitrarily choosing ''2'' as the song's high note. During the Viennese waltz, Chuck's big, sweeping arm moves came off almost as exaggerated and jerky as his signature full-body ''slap that ass good'' gesture, which Chuck executed after DANCMSTR complimented his ''higher performance level.'' Later on, it was admittedly weird that Samantha brought up the engagement question backstage, but isn't it weirder that Julianne choreographed the bent-on-one-knee move in the first place when she could have used basically anything else? I mean, Sam asks only the really obvious questions, and that was a really obvious move. What do you expect?

David Alan Grier and Kym: 22/30 This poor guy. I can't quite figure out why no one (including yours truly) can bring themselves to care about his plight in the competition. He tries valiantly in practice. He does ''impressive'' lower-body work such as high kicks and arabesques. This week, with that red tie/bib, he was even dressed like a real-life matador! Oh wait — DAG and Kym performed the Viennese waltz? Weird...his hyper-intense facial expressions and the couple's red-and-black theme screamed paso doble to me, but luckily I've been watching DWTS for eight seasons and know the difference. (If the announcer guy says ''Dancing the Viennese Waltz!'' then the couple in question is totally about to attempt a Viennese Waltz.) The smooth, sultry nature of ''I Put A Spell On You'' almost had me spellbound until DAG pulled off another of his pissing-dog leg lifts. He must feel pretty helpless after all the critiques about he and Kym's disconnectedness...were I to be greeted with such indifference from the judges and audience each week, I'd want out of there! One last thing: It was a nice touch that DAG's segment focused on him being ''in the middle'' of the pack, and there he was performing fifth out of nine contestants.

Ty Murray and Chelsie: 21/30 Oh no! A bullfighter and a bull rider are two different things! Ty and Chelsie's paso doble, set to a horrifying rendition of Heart's ''Barracuda,'' had a disappointing ''dance-by-numbers'' quality to it. (What am I, a judge?) Instead of embodying the character of the dance, Ty concentrated on following Chelsie's every move to the point at which he didn't extend most of his own moves as a result. I wouldn't go so far as to call Ty a ''Transformer'' like Bruno did, but I will take a sip of DANCMSTR's strange brew and call Ty's dance ''not my cup of tea.'' He's ill-suited to anything Latin, i.e. any dance in which stiffness is not a virtue. Luckily, the hypnotizing effects of Chelsie's animal-print, red-lined skirt could have distracted voters long enough to miss anything Ty did. His charisma and endless supply of understated yet hilarious one-liners should keep him around. When asked by Samantha if his bull riding experience gave him any advantage, Ty quickly replied, ''No, that'd be like saying 'We got a bull named Dancer. I think all the dancers will have a good go at this.''' Does he have any clue how funny he is? I can't tell!

Lawrence Taylor and Edyta: 20/30 I immediately identified with Lawrence when he complained that ''the paso doble is like watching TV with the sound off,'' because you have no idea how many times I've re-watched paso dobles on this very show on mute because the music was that atrocious. His and Edyta's paso last night wasn't exactly one of those times, because I did sort of appreciate the completely random, stop-and-go orchestral number for what it was, but come on, song selectors, this is bordering on sabotage for someone who only feels comfortable dancing ''when I know the words to the song.'' LT and Edyta's bizarre music would have fit better as accompaniment to a scary forest scene in a Disney movie, or some incredibly challenging pro demonstration performed by two intimidating Spaniards during a Tuesday night results show. It did not work for the rhythm-challenged football player who's already dissatisfied that he has yet to achieve the typical DWTS football-player favoritism he may have expected. The judges admired LT's intensity last night, but their overall response was tepid. Anyone else recognize that full-twisting floor fling from Edyta's season 5 paso with Superman Cameron Mathison?

Steve-O and Lacey: 18/30 Steve-O's Jackass gang — Johnny Knoxville, Wee Man, and Jeff Tremaine — showed up at his and Lacey's rehearsal to morally support and/or make fun of him. Either way, ''It's a win-win for them,'' Steve-O explained to Samantha. He was pretty much beggin' for it in that striped top, neckerchief, and beret, but Steve-O's enthusiastic commitment to the Viennese waltz earned him his highest score yet: straight 6s from the judges. Former mime Tom Bergeron (yes, really), earnestly awarded Steve-O his own perfect score: ''a definite 10 on the mime front.'' DANCMSTR immediately followed up with an ever-encouraging opener: ''I've always been negative about you so don't get excited.'' That's what they wanna hear! Carrie Ann admired Steve-O's acting abilities, even though shtick doesn't usually work on her. I was thoroughly convinced by Steve-O myself, but could not shake a distinct Lenny in Of Mice and Men vibe from the part of the dance where he swiveled Lacey's neck with his bare hands. (Sorry.)

http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20270538,00.html
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on April 07, 2009, 11:09:45 AM

David Alan Grier Blogs:

Ye of little faith...

(http://i389.photobucket.com/albums/oo334/marigoldrealityfanforum/dagmys.jpg)

The consensus in the blogosphere seems to be that we won't survive the next results show. We are more optimistic but we DO really need your help this week more than ever.

Please vote here:

http://ll.abc.go.com/primetime/dancingwiththestars/index?pn=vote09&v5&cmp=09_DWS_Vote_SS1

and call 1-800-868-3411 to vote for us! You can call 9 times and it registers the vote the moment it picks up, it really couldn't be any easier!

The more friends you tell via your Twitter and Facebook posts the better chance we have!

http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendId=38074175&blogId=481576131 (http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendId=38074175&blogId=481576131)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on April 07, 2009, 12:42:59 PM
Monday’s Dancing: What You Didn’t See

Baby-Geared Tush: The seamstresses on Dancing have grown accustomed to repairing a snapped strap on one of Julianne Hough’s dresses, but this time all eyes, er, needles, were pointed at her dancing partner and boyfriend Chuck Wicks. “My shirt wouldn’t stay tucked in during the rehearsals, so they sewed my shirt to my boxers,” he told PEOPLE. “It’s like wearing a onesie. No big deal.”

Dancing Freestyle: Before the show begins, it’s commonplace for audience members get out of their seat and shake their booty on the dancefloor. First up the gents, then the ladies. This time, the ladies received a lucky surprise when Gilles Marini and Tony Dovolani joined the delighted group for a quick jig.

Honey-Voiced Host: Yes, a spoonful (or two) of sugar was just what the Dancing doctor order for host Samantha Harris, whose voice was nearly gone last week while she fought a cold. She was spotted taking two spoonfuls of honey before the start of the show. Her voice made it all the way through the show in tact.


DWTS Alumni Reunion: Dancing alum Heather Mills — sporting a new shorter do — was in the ballroom audience along with a mystery guy for Monday night’s performance. As soon as the show ended, pro dancer Kym Johnson waltzed over and gave Mills a huge hug. “She’s a got a new look going on,” says Johnson, who called Mills makeover hot. “It’s always nice to have people come back, sitting in the audience. It really is a big family when you’re on DWTS.” Also on hand: Steve “The Woz” Wozniak, who stood and cheered for friend Steve-O after he danced the Viennese waltz.

Here, There, Everywhere: A lucky audience member received an advanced copy of Tom Bergeron’s new book, I’m Hosting as Fast as I Can: Zen and the Art of Staying Sane in Hollywood, which hits stores Tuesday. Perhaps the host, who started his career at age 17 as a radio host, should re-read his own book: Following Tuesday’s results show, the busy host is scheduled to hop a red-eye to Washington, D.C., where his former gig, America’s Funniest Home Videos, will be added to the Smithsonian collection.

http://tvwatch.people.com/2009/04/07/mondays-dancing-what-you-didnt-see-21/#more-11021
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on April 07, 2009, 02:26:16 PM
Julianne Hough Won't Let Chuck Wicks Slide

There have been a handful of romances formed on Dancing With the Stars, but the start of this season brought the first actual couple to the stage together in the form of country singer Chuck Wicks and two-time DWTS pro champ (and rising country star in her own right) Julianne Hough.

And while the real-life lovebirds have managed to make it through this injury-plagued season without busting a knee or busting up their relationship, they admit to OK! it's not always easy.

“I get frustrated because I want to live up to her standards," Chuck confessed to OK! after Monday night's performance show, where they earned a respectable 23 for their Viennese waltz. "She’s obviously won the show twice and she’s had her partners in the past who have been probably better dancers than me. I want to make her I think I’m one of those dancers. She’s there to kick a boot in my butt and get me rocking.”

And Julianne even admitted that there was a bit of tension in the rehearsal studio this week. “I got upset," she told OK!. "I wasn’t letting him slide.”

Another source of the tension could have been the lead-up to Sunday night's Academy of Country Music Awards, where Julianne brought home the Best New Artist award.

http://www.okmagazine.com/news/view/13136
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on April 07, 2009, 03:36:13 PM
Video:

Chuck and Julianne at Dancing With The Stars

Keep voting for Chuck and Julianne on Dancing With The Stars


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JCZtiWbQ54Q (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JCZtiWbQ54Q)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on April 07, 2009, 03:39:19 PM

Julianne Hough Leaving 'Dancing With the Stars'

Here is something that is going to disappoint the millions of males who watch "Dancing With the Stars" every week just to get a sneak peak at the stunning swinger/singer — she’s stepping away.

"I wasn't planning to come back this season because I wanted to focus on my music," Hough told us backstage after taking out the Top New Artist category. "But I went back and it’s been so much fun to dance with my good friend who happens to be my boyfriend." (She then motioned to her personal and professional partner, Chuck Wicks, who was patiently waiting to congratulate his leading lady.)

So are Hough's "Dancing" days done with for good now?

"I will be taking next season off," she confirmed, adding that she'll be busy touring and bringing out the "real" Julianne Hough.
Julianne Hough stole the Academy of Country Music Awards show in Sin City on Sunday night by showing off her flawless figure in a form-fitting gold gown by Zuhair Murad, but the super-svelte star insisted that she has no restrictions when it comes to diet.

"Apparently Us Weekly says I don't eat carbs except for orange juice," she told Tarts, referring to last week's cover of the weekly magazine. "But trust me, I eat what I want. (The story) was very random. So young girls - don’t let OJ be your only carbs!"

So what is the real recipe behind the ballroom babe’s itty bitty body?

"Eat until you’re just full and keep working out," Hough responded.

But the 20-year-old almost revealed a little too much of herself earlier in the evening when her zipper came undone during her acceptance speech. Hough let out a surprised squeal mid-sentence when Jack Ingram was laid his hands on her; well we think he was "trying" to fix the wardrobe malfunction.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,512977,00.html (http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,512977,00.html)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: TARAsia Fan on April 07, 2009, 03:56:54 PM
Yeah, I don't see her coming back anytime soon. When she won the award on Sunday, I felt in her mind, that validated her as a country singer. Julianne will not come back next season, not the season after that and probably she won't be ever coming back.
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on April 07, 2009, 05:15:13 PM
Ratings:

ABC Television Network

PRESS RELEASE

Quick Take for Monday, April 6, 2009

ABC is the Most-Watched Net on Monday for the 5th Week in a Row and is No. 1 Among Women 18-49 for the 12th Straight Week, the Net's Best Monday Winning Streak in Women 18-49 Since at Least 1991

"DWTS" Is Monday's No. 1 Program in Viewers the 5th Week Running, Topping CBS' "NCAA Basketball Championships" for the 2nd Straight Year

ABC's "Surviving Suburbia" is TV's Most-Watched Comedy Launch in 1-1/2 Years 

ABC's "Castle" Beats NBC's "Medium" by 2.0 Million Viewers and 9% in Adults 18-49   

Monday Night (8:00-11:00 p.m.)
ABC's Monday lineup attracted 14.9 million viewers and a 3.6 rating 9 share in Adults 18-49, standing as the most-watched Network on the night for the 6th consecutive week.  In addition, ABC won the night among Women18-49 (5.1/12) and Women 25-54 (6.4/14), including a 12-week stretch among Women 18-49.   

* Extending its winning run on the night, the Net is seeing its longest winning streak on the evening since at least 1991 with Women 18-49 - predating the start of Nielsen's electronic database.   

"Dancing with the Stars" (8:00-9:30 p.m.)
ABC's broad appealing "Dancing with the Stars" registered 19.6 million viewers and a 4.5 rating, 10 share in Adults 18-49, leading its time period in viewers for the 5th straight week.  In addition, "DWTS" stood as Monday's No. 1 TV program, topping CBS' telecast of the "2009 NCAA Basketball Championships" for the second year in a row.   

"Surviving Suburbia" (9:30-10:00 p.m.)
The series premiere of ABC's "Surviving Suburbia" drew 12.2 million, qualifying as television's most-watched comedy launch of the season.  In fact, it was the most-watched comedy series debut in 1 1/2 years - since the series premiere of ABC's "Samantha Who?" on 10/15/07.  "Surviving Suburbia" finished second in its half-hour in Total Viewers, Women 18-34 (3.4/8) and Women 18-49 (4.6/11), while ranking No. 1 among Women 25-54 (5.8/12). 

* Airing against the "NCAA Championship Game" on CBS, "Surviving Suburbia" retained a respectable 71% of its "DWTS" lead-in in Adults 18-49, 73% in Adults 18-34 and 74% in Adults 25-54.   

"Castle" (10:00-11:00 p.m.)
ABC's "Castle" finished second in the 10 o'clock hour, beating NBC's veteran drama, "Medium," by 2.0 million viewers (9.2 million vs. 7.2 million) and by 9% Adults 18-49 (2.4/6 vs. 2.2/5).

* Despite airing opposite the "NCAA Championship Game" on CBS, "Castle" saw week-to-week increases among Total Viewers, Women 18-49, Adults 25-54 and Women 25-54, while holding 100% retention among Adults 18-49.   

A note about increasing DVR penetration and year-to-year rating comparisons: Year-to-year rating comparisons based on the Live + Same Day data stream are distorted by the level of DVR penetration in the Nielsen sample, which has jumped up to 30% currently, from 23% at the same point in 2008.
More viewers are watching shows on their own timetables, which may not be reflected in the overnight
next day numbers. The only truly valid year-to-year comparison would be one based on the Live + 7 Day metric, once those stats are released by Nielsen.
 
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on April 07, 2009, 11:51:41 PM

Dancing with the Stars Episode Recap: Tuesday, April 7, 2009

The top nine gets trimmed to eight on Season 8 this week as the dance-off returns after a one-week break. Who battled until the end? And were the results complete, uh, bull?

So I guess the encore is back for good? This is historic, guys. An encore and a dance-off. In the same episode. I don't know if I'm ready for this. We're potentially seeing the best and worst of both worlds. Too bad Demi Lovato's on this week and not Miley Cyrus. This is a missed opportunity for some Hannah Montana promotion. What happened to synergy? (Yes, I know Demi's also a Disney puppet.) Anyhow, Derek and Kim get the honors this time. It would be rather unfair to have Gilles do it each week. I kid, I kid. Kim was awesome Monday. Not awesome? Whoever singing's "I'll Be." Jeez. Find a key.

Recap time! LT thinks he had aggression and was scary. Edyta was scared too. Maybe for real. She's never been relaxed with him, like she's afraid he may blow a gasket in front of her one day. I think I'd be too. I'm sure LT's a nice guy... just maybe too serious. Ty learns there's an actual robot dance. Cuteness! DAG feels like the judges treat him like an ignored stepchild. Hey, get them to marry Gisele. Melissa ripped her dress during the dance. At least she didn't use that as an excuse Monday night. Shawn's still seeking perfection. Gilles is still shirtless. Same ol', same ol'.

First two safe couples:
Shawn & Mark
Lil Kim & Derek

Etta James is here. "At Last." Could Beyonce not make it? Wink. And now we get to watch Maks and Karina rehearse their first dance... and flash the front row her sparkly crotch. Etta sounds hot as hell. Follow this up, Demi.

Sam throws a twist and corners two unsafe couples backstage: Ty and Chelsie, and Steve-O and Lacey. Ty wants to loosen up... which in Sam's mind means he's going to be a "tiny dancer." Duh! Steve-O's dad can do math. Sam is wearing one of my old Barbie doll's dresses, by the way. I don't think it could be any more florescent if it tried.

Next four safe couples:
Gilles & Cheryl
Steve-O & Lacey (Johnny Knoxville's thrilled!)
Chuck & Julianne
Melissa & Tony

If you haven't heard, the stars' lives have changed since they started Dancing. You don't say. Ty wears makeup now. Melissa's no longer worrying about PowerPoint presentations at work (again, I must ask: You know you're not Dancing forever, right?). Gilles trots out his toddler daughter this time, which means double the ovary explosion. Kim's worried her music's suffering. Show day, Shawn reports, starts very early. Because everyone averages, like, an hour in the spray tan booth, right?

This is the filler portion, so we get Macy's Stars of Dance featuring La Reve, followed by Demi Lovato. I can safely say I have never seen or heard Demi in anything... and I wished that were still the case. I also could've done without the gigantic pink bow over Torri Smith's ass.

Backstage, Sam tries to address Derek. Who ignores her. Amazing. Meanwhile, Chuck channels his best Carrie Ann. So he's afraid of girly moves, but he's not afraid of mocking a girl. Good to know.

Last safe couple:
Ty & Chelsie

This means it's a Battle of the Initials: DAG vs. LT. Who's gonna have the last laugh?

David Alan Grier & Kym Johnson: Viennese Waltz
I didn't think they were that bad last night, but I'm not surprised they are here. DAG definitely looks like he's putting his all into it — just look at his face. His extensions look better and they're both trying to get some chemistry going on. Mission: quasi-accomplished. Len enjoyed it on Monday and thinks this was better. Bruno likes the extra edge he's got going on. Carrie Ann felt the connection. They got a 22 on Monday.
Score: 24

Lawrence Taylor & Edyta Sliwinska: Paso Doble
Are his eyes closed? They look like they are. LT's still got the intensity and aggression down again, but there's still something lacking in his step. He still can't let himself go and just dance, which is a shame. Or maybe not? Maybe he does want out? It looks more or the less the same to me compared to Monday's. Bruno thinks he has potential, but needs to perform. Carrie Ann loves his power. Len likes that he improved with difficult music. Asked if he thinks he improved backstage, LT pauses for forever and a half before going with, "Actually... I'll say yes." I guess that says it all. They got a 20 on Monday.
Score: 20

So who's saying bye-bye? David and Kym. The crowd boos, kind of. Everyone has tears in their eyes. Shocker? Yes and no. I think DAG has overall been better than LT and at least he looks like he wants it. I'd prefer to stare up his nostrils than look at LT's sourpuss again. But I don't think anyone would deny LT has the bigger fan base. It's gotta suck knowing you improved, but you're victim to an apathetic nation. This is the second time the person with the higher and improved dance-off score left. DAG says he wanted to make Kym proud. Kym blames herself for not getting his sense of humor at first and says he did make her proud. Tears, for reals.

http://www.tvguide.com/Episode-Recaps/dancing-stars/Dancing-Stars-Episode-1004847.aspx (http://www.tvguide.com/Episode-Recaps/dancing-stars/Dancing-Stars-Episode-1004847.aspx)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on April 08, 2009, 12:26:26 AM
An interesting article:

DWTS' Julianne Hough: "Exhausted" & "Overworked"

Fresh from her Academy of Country Music Awards' win for Top New Artist, Dancing With the Stars' Julianne Hough tells E! News that it's been hard juggling her two careers.

We caught up with her backstage at Dancing's elimination show tonight (bye bye David Alan Grier) and this is what she spilled about her career plans…

"I wasn't supposed to come back this season, but then [boyfriend Chuck Wicks] got on the show," she explains. "I'm going to take the next one off. It's hard for us to keep going and going and going and then of course with two different things you're trying to do you get exhausted and overworked."

The hyphenated talent continues, "I had such a great weekend at the ACMs and taking home those awards was all because of the fans and I want to prove to them that I deserve those. So I want to make the best record I can possible and show everyone I'm committed and that's where my heart is. It's hard to do both and there's a step you have to take."

But, don't worry, fans. Julianne says it's only a "break" she needs and that "I'm sure next season I'll come do guest things on the show."

http://www.eonline.com/uberblog/watch_with_kristin/b117558_dwts_julianne_exhausted_overworked.html (http://www.eonline.com/uberblog/watch_with_kristin/b117558_dwts_julianne_exhausted_overworked.html)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: TARAsia Fan on April 08, 2009, 07:54:34 AM
Please, I'm tired of hearing Julianne say, "I wasn't supposed to come back this season." You did. Dance. Sing. Jeepers.  :res: :res: :res:
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on April 08, 2009, 10:22:26 AM
Ty's latest blog:

‘Everyone’s put a lot of effort into this’

Going into tonight Chelsie just told me to loosen up, but as it goes along and you're waiting to find out if you're in the bottom two or not you feel yourself tightening up again, especially when we were the last one's to be saved.

It's a challenge and everyone's put a lot of effort into this to rise up that challenge.

You hate to see anybody go. I really hated to see David Alan Grier go because I got to know him real well. We hit off and he's a real nice guy. I think he was enjoying the process and he was working hard at it. I thought he was getting better every week.

But the thing is when you sign up for this deal you know that every couple except one is going to experience that, so Chelsie and I are just going to keep working as hard as we can and try to enjoy the process for however long it may last.

We know that our fan support is coming in. I don't mean to sound like a broken record, but it makes it a lot easier when you're trying this hard for Chelsie and I know we have so many people behind us. We're vested in this and we're giving it everything we have.

Hopefully we'll have a better week. I certainly think we can.

It's just a matter of getting the work put in and, I think, the Jive is going to be another one of those real tiring dances. This week we have a song that Chelsie handpicked. It's a Travis Tritt song called "The Girl's Gone Wild."

You don't have a lot of time to clear songs and we don't find out until Sunday night which dance you'll get if you survive, so she went to work and got the song she wanted and she seems really excited about it.

The Jive is her specialty.

All I know about it is that it's a lot of steps and really fast paced. It's also a Latin dance along with the Lindy Hop, which I didn't know. Out of the 10 dances, 5 of them are called standard and 5 of them are Latin dances. We've had two standards, which were the Foxtrot and the quickstep, and this will be our fourth Latin dance.

I'm going to YouTube it so I can see it beforehand, but what it really comes down to is, me learning our routine from Chelsie. When you watch professionals do these dances it can be very misleading about what you're in for.

Now it's back to my main job and that's getting some rest so that I can be ready to do the work when we get to practice.

But the fan support is half the deal and it's just as important. It's just like in bull riding: you can make the best ride in the world, but if you don't have a great bull it doesn't matter.

I've made a few decent rides and I've made a few questionable rides, but, I think, I've had a good bull every time.

http://www.pbrnow.com/blog/index.cfm/ty-murray
   
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on April 08, 2009, 10:39:43 AM
Tuesday’s Dancing: What You Didn’t See

Steve-O’s Got Fans, Yo: The charming and sometimes bashful Steve-O knows his fans are saving him from elimination. Before the results show kicked off, he walked out to greet his guest and former Jackass co-star Johnny Knoxville. The minute he appeared from behind the curtain, a swell of applause and cheers for Steve-O took over the room. Surprised, he waved to fans and ran backstage.

Thank-You Note: Disney cutie Demi Lovato, who tweeted about her performance leading up to the show, sang her hit “La La Land,” who received a standing ovation. During a break, she grabbed the mic and told the audience: “Thank you so much for having me. I just wanted to say thank you.”

Musical Stairs: At the end of the show, it’s customary for the dancers and their partners to line up along the staircase while the elimination is announced. But the dancers and their partners did a sudden switcheroo. Melissa Rycroft stood next to Chuck Wicks, Derek Hough was by Shawn Johnson’s side, Mark Ballas and Lil’ Kim paired up, and Tony Dovolani and Julianne Hough stood side-by-side. “It was Derek’s idea,” Mark Ballas revealed. “All Derek’s idea and Tony’s.” Shawn, dressed in her sweet white ball gown, added innocently, “Not us. We’re angels.”

Ballroom Buss Stop: Everyone was sad to see David Alan Grier eliminated from the competition. The dancers took turns wishing him luck and telling him he did a good job. Grier’s fellow competitor and dance-off contestant Lawrence Taylor managed to wade through the crowd and give him a big man hug and kiss on the cheek before leaving the show.

Now That’s a Performance: Etta James’s velvety voice and soulful rendition of her hit “At Last” stopped everyone, including the dancers, in their tracks. The pros, who normally mill about during the pre-taped performances, all looked for a monitor to watch the replay. Even the audience members quietly watched the performance again. That was after they gave her not one or two, but three standing ovations.

http://tvwatch.people.com/2009/04/08/tuesdays-dancing-what-you-didnt-see-18/
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on April 08, 2009, 10:42:14 AM
click on link below to view video

David Alan Grier: 'We Laughed, We Cried, We Tried Our Best'

ET was backstage Tuesday night as David Alan Grier and Kym Johnson were eliminated from "Dancing with the Stars." David admits that he worked hard and has no regrets, and the remaining couples weigh in on the high standards for this season of the competition.

"I had fun while I was here," David says. "It was frustrating, exciting it was everything. I didn't think it would be this intense across the board. It sounds corny but we laughed, we cried, we did our best. There's not one minute of the day that I wasn't trying to do my best."

"This is a very tough season the standards are very high," David's partner Kym Johnson tells ET. "I'm upset that we've gone because I feel we had so much more to give but when your number is up it's up."

Watch the video to hear the other contestants bid farewell to David and reveal what they will miss about having him on the show.

http://www.etonline.com/news/2009/04/72618/index.html
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on April 08, 2009, 10:52:27 AM
David Alan Grier Waltzes Off Dancing


Actor and comedian David Alan Grier won’t be singing for the judges or dancing for the fans anymore.

The audience gasped in shock when they learned Grier and his partner Kym Johnson were eliminated on Tuesday’s DWTS results show.

The pair landed in the bottom two against Super Bowl legend Lawrence Taylor and his partner Edyta Sliwinska. In the dance-off, Grier and Johnson managed to improve their score from Monday night by four points, earning them a 24 out of 30 for their Viennese waltz. Taylor and Sliwinska, on the other hand, did no better or worse than Monday, earning a 20 out of 30 for their paso doble. But in the end, the dance-off score made no difference in the final tally.

“I think the show is about much more than who dances the best or who dances better than someone else. It’s a reality show. It’s entertainment,” Grier told PEOPLE following his elimination. “It’s been fun. It’s been crazy. And I’ve lost a lot of weight.”

For weeks, Grier said he sweated off the weight inside the studio. The result: He’s lost more than 20 lbs. and says, “I’m in great shape now and I want to keep it up.”

Another thing the Broadway actor managed to keep up were the spirits of his fellow dancers, whom he kept laughing backstage during his time on the show.

Lil’ Kim said she wanted to cry when she heard Grier’s name announced. Her partner Derek Hough, who was seen giving Grier a heartfelt hug onstage as the show credits rolled, says performance night won’t be the same without Grier. “He brought a lot of joy and laughter backstage,” says Hough. “It’s going to be a lot quieter back there.”

But perhaps the one person who will miss him the most is his teacher and partner Kym Johnson. “I’m disappointed because I was already thinking of our next dance,” Johnson told PEOPLE. “I think David had so much more to give.”

While he gave it his all, Grier, it seems, never quite won over the judges. He says, “I just don’t think we ever got onboard with the judges.”

http://tvwatch.people.com/2009/04/08/spoiler-alert-find-out-who-was-voted-off-dancing/
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on April 08, 2009, 11:08:19 AM
Ty Murray Blogs:

Everyone’s put a lot of effort into this’

Going into tonight Chelsie just told me to loosen up, but as it goes along and you're waiting to find out if you're in the bottom two or not you feel yourself tightening up again, especially when we were the last one's to be saved.

It's a challenge and everyone's put a lot of effort into this to rise up that challenge.

You hate to see anybody go. I really hated to see David Alan Grier go because I got to know him real well. We hit off and he's a real nice guy. I think he was enjoying the process and he was working hard at it. I thought he was getting better every week.

But the thing is when you sign up for this deal you know that every couple except one is going to experience that, so Chelsie and I are just going to keep working as hard as we can and try to enjoy the process for however long it may last.

We know that our fan support is coming in. I don't mean to sound like a broken record, but it makes it a lot easier when you're trying this hard for Chelsie and I know we have so many people behind us. We're vested in this and we're giving it everything we have.

Hopefully we'll have a better week. I certainly think we can.

It's just a matter of getting the work put in and, I think, the Jive is going to be another one of those real tiring dances. This week we have a song that Chelsie handpicked. It's a Travis Tritt song called "The Girl's Gone Wild."

You don't have a lot of time to clear songs and we don't find out until Sunday night which dance you'll get if you survive, so she went to work and got the song she wanted and she seems really excited about it.

The Jive is her specialty.

All I know about it is that it's a lot of steps and really fast paced. It's also a Latin dance along with the Lindy Hop, which I didn't know. Out of the 10 dances, 5 of them are called standard and 5 of them are Latin dances. We've had two standards, which were the Foxtrot and the quickstep, and this will be our fourth Latin dance.

I'm going to YouTube it so I can see it beforehand, but what it really comes down to is, me learning our routine from Chelsie. When you watch professionals do these dances it can be very misleading about what you're in for.

Now it's back to my main job and that's getting some rest so that I can be ready to do the work when we get to practice.

But the fan support is half the deal and it's just as important. It's just like in bull riding: you can make the best ride in the world, but if you don't have a great bull it doesn't matter.

I've made a few decent rides and I've made a few questionable rides, but, I think, I've had a good bull every time.

http://www.pbrnow.com/blog/index.cfm/ty-murray (http://www.pbrnow.com/blog/index.cfm/ty-murray)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on April 08, 2009, 11:12:52 AM
click on link below to view video

HTV: Ballas Hough Band Groove at The Grove

HTV was with the boys of "Dancing with the Stars," Mark Ballas and Derek Hough, as they performed at an outdoor concert at Los Angeles' The Grove!

A pregnant Nicole Richie was all smiles as she chatted it up at a dinner party. Rapper Eve was also spotted at the party.

Samantha Ronson was seen driving out of the Chateau Marmont without Lindsay Lohan.

Lastly, former "Laguna Beach" reality star Kristen Cavallari thanked photographers as she got into her car.

http://www.etonline.com/news/2009/04/72627/
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on April 08, 2009, 11:17:25 AM
An interesting article:

DWTS: Eliminated Star Rips into Carrie Ann

In the early '90s, David Alan Grier and Dancing with the Stars judge Carrie Ann Inaba worked together on Fox sketch comedy show In Living Color. But after the actor and comedian was eliminated from DWTS on Tuesday night, he had some tough words for his former Fly Girl.

“She better not come within ten feet of me because she’s getting a foot in her ass," David told OK! after getting the bad news. "I feel like we never got the respect of the judges. Never!”

But David added, “I don’t regret anything. It’s a crazy show, a wonderful show. I don’t want to talk too much.”

David's ouster came as a bit of a surprise because he had bested football star Lawrence Taylor in this week’s “dance-off” between the two lowest scoring competitors. While David earned a 24 for his redo of the Viennese waltz routine, improving on his score of 22 the night before, Lawrence got the same mark, a 20, for his second version of the paso doble.

Still, it was David and his partner Kym Johnson who said their goodbyes. He told OK! he felt “kind of disappointed. I really felt like we had more to give — but it’s a dance show. We’re not going to cure cancer and I don’t think we’ll heal any babies with this show. It is what it is but you put a lot into it.”

When asked what he’d do next, David gave OK! a display of his trademark wit: “Seek counseling, go back to my therapist, get back on the meds and stop harassing Kym. I used to show up at all hours, ‘Kym, can you rehearse?’ ‘David, go away!’ You never want to hear that — ‘You’re frightening me.’”

But seriously, David is writing a book about his life called Barack like Me, which will be published in the fall. “It’s mainly about this last year leading up to Barack Obama’s election and the changes America went through and my thoughts on all of that and it ends with Dancing with the Stars. I’ve been keeping a diary and so I’ll talk about this experience.”

His big-screen comedy, appropriately titled Dance Flick, will be released May 22. “It’s a spoof on Step it Up and those kinds of movies that the Wayans Brothers did. I play the evil 1,000-pound henchman but I do this huge dance number at the end. I had to wear 60 pounds of padding.”

But in real life, thanks to DWTS, David lost 28 pounds and has never felt better. “My biggest disappointment is I did not lose 30,” he said. “I was going to power through and chew some gum and smoke some cigarettes to get those pounds down.”

Pro Kym sighed about their elimination, “That’s the way it goes. I think we were in the middle of the pack and maybe the fans felt we were okay and voted for the ones on the bottom. Comedians have not really had a good track record on Dancing with the Stars.”

The other competitors, relieved to have made it through, move on to next week. Ty Murray, who was in the bottom three this week with partner Chelsie Hightower, admitted to OK! he has some work to do. The rodeo cowboy said he and wife Jewel watched the replay of his stiff performance of the paso doble from Monday night, and “she laughed at me. It was funny.”

http://www.ok-magazine.com/news/view/13224 (http://www.ok-magazine.com/news/view/13224)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on April 08, 2009, 12:27:07 PM

Tuesday’s Dancing: What You Didn’t See

Steve-O’s Got Fans, Yo: The charming and sometimes bashful Steve-O knows his fans are saving him from elimination. Before the results show kicked off, he walked out to greet his guest and former Jackass co-star Johnny Knoxville. The minute he appeared from behind the curtain, a swell of applause and cheers for Steve-O took over the room. Surprised, he waved to fans and ran backstage.

Thank-You Note: Disney cutie Demi Lovato, who tweeted about her performance leading up to the show, sang her hit “La La Land,” who received a standing ovation. During a break, she grabbed the mic and told the audience: “Thank you so much for having me. I just wanted to say thank you.”

Musical Stairs: At the end of the show, it’s customary for the dancers and their partners to line up along the staircase while the elimination is announced. But the dancers and their partners did a sudden switcheroo. Melissa Rycroft stood next to Chuck Wicks, Derek Hough was by Shawn Johnson’s side, Mark Ballas and Lil’ Kim paired up, and Tony Dovolani and Julianne Hough stood side-by-side. “It was Derek’s idea,” Mark Ballas revealed. “All Derek’s idea and Tony’s.” Shawn, dressed in her sweet white ball gown, added innocently, “Not us. We’re angels.”

Ballroom Buss Stop: Everyone was sad to see David Alan Grier eliminated from the competition. The dancers took turns wishing him luck and telling him he did a good job. Grier’s fellow competitor and dance-off contestant Lawrence Taylor managed to wade through the crowd and give him a big man hug and kiss on the cheek before leaving the show.

Now That’s a Performance: Etta James’s velvety voice and soulful rendition of her hit “At Last” stopped everyone, including the dancers, in their tracks. The pros, who normally mill about during the pre-taped performances, all looked for a monitor to watch the replay. Even the audience members quietly watched the performance again. That was after they gave her not one or two, but three standing ovations.

http://tvwatch.people.com/2009/04/08/tuesdays-dancing-what-you-didnt-see-18/ (http://tvwatch.people.com/2009/04/08/tuesdays-dancing-what-you-didnt-see-18/)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on April 08, 2009, 12:30:43 PM
Inaba's Blog:

'Dancing with the Stars': Carrie Ann Inaba blogs week 5

Hello again...

First of all, I wanted to thank you for the well wishes for my cat Shadow. I do want to share with you that this week he had an exceptionally good week with his health. I think the love and support you sent him really had a positive effect. His energy was better this week than it's been in a while and his appetite is great..I think he may have even gained a few ounces. So once again, I thank you.

Okay, now, on to what you are all here for! Week 5 was quite a week!!! Another OUTSTANDING performance by Gilles and Cheryl. I think that Gilles does his homework with the movement and the character. And Cheryl does her work with him in the studio. His movements are powerful yet graceful. He really is quite a sight out there on the dance floor. It is a joy to watch someone bring out the authenticity of the dance the way he does. He is not afraid to immerse himself completely into the dance and the essence of it. There is pure commitment and there is a real connection between his dance performance and his passion. Yes, unfortunately, some of you heard his injury is acting up again and you are correct. I have heard the same thing. So, I hope that you will all send him your healing thoughts so that he will also have a speedy recovery and will not do further damage to his body. (This is a grueling process for these performers, both the dancers and their celebrity partners.)

Shawn Johnson was also wonderful this week with her partner Mark Ballas. Her VW was so sweet and pure. She looked like a little princess out there. I was noticing that Shawn really listens with an open ear to hear what the judges are saying. It's so wonderful to see when the couples are really listening to our critiques. I'll tell you that you can tell when they are listening and you can tell when they just want to take off their shoe and throw it at us. Shawn is of the first type. She really listens to us and graciously tries to take our notes back into the studio with Mark. I think this may come from her gymnastics background. All gymnasts are used to performing in front of judges. So they understand that feeling. Shawn is no stranger to being judged and I think that will help her go far in this competition.

Melissa and Tony did a really nice and dynamic routine this week also, but she lost her footing and stepped into her dress and ripped it. It was unfortunate to see because this could have been a stellar performance if she had found her footing and not lost her balance in the routine. However, it was quite good and she should be very proud of herself for what she did bring to the dance floor and how she handled the misstep.

What an special routine created by Derek for himself and Lil' Kim. They were very good this week. Lil' Kim was referring to something during the comments that was confusing everyone. Before the season starts, I try to find a gift to give everyone of the contestants as a well wish because I know how hard it is to do this (but of course, the rewards of doing DWTS are also great both emotionally and physically). I don't actually give it to them in person, because we aren't allowed much interaction with them and our schedules are so different from theirs, but i write them each a little "Good Luck card"
and my assistant puts it in their trailers at the start of the season. This year, I gave everyone Buddha Boards, which are these little rice paper-like canvases that you can do calligraphy on, or paint pictures on with water. But they dry up and the board goes back to neutral and blank every time. It's a stress reliever and a wonderful creative tool. So I thought with all the time they have in their trailers it could be a nice notepad and or stress reliever. Anyway, that is what she was referring to when I commented to her. I couldn't hear her in the studio because it's so loud in there with the audience cheering and booing the way they do. I had to ask Tom during commercial break what she said. I think she was saying that she was using it in reference to her developing grace. I think Samantha thought she said, "Voodoo" and was talking about dolls. That just goes to show you that it's very exciting in the studio and it's also
difficult to hear things because of all that energy swirling around! Anyway, Kim's performance was quite ethereal...it wasn't quite perfection, but she's on her way, it seems. We'll have to see how she does next week with the dance she gets.

Okay, I finally wanted to comment on Steve-O. He has this wonderful ability to touch the audience. Tonight when he was announced as safe, the audience went crazy -- in a good way. It seems he has become quite the fan favorite. He is so endearing with his performances. There is an innocence that comes across in his performance that resonates much more than does the fake, "shiny on the outside, nothing on the inside" performances.

Chuck and Julianne had a mixed review and then tonight he said he wanted to make me get up and shout...it was a strange impression of me but okay -- let's hope they can do it!

Lawrence Taylor and Edyta had a very difficult week with their Paso Doble. There is improvement according to Len and Bruno's scores, but I would like to see a bit more from him as far as content goes. Since he's back next week -- which was a shocker (with no disrespect intended) -- I hope he puts a bit more content into his performance. With the two-dance weeks coming up, it should be easy for them to do exactly that and add a bit more flair.

Ty fell back this week -- but as he said tonight, let's hope he brings back my little dancer!!! But let's move on to the biggest shocker of this week. David Alan Grier was eliminated.

What???!!! Oh and by the way, I know some of you were very happy to have the "dance off" removed but as you can see, it was not forever. Last week we had a double elimination so we didn't have the dance-off. This week we had a judges' encore and a dance-off. So, I think the producers are listening to the feedback and are really trying to find the right balance for our loyal viewers. Trust me, our producers work very hard at trying to keep the show fresh while keeping it familiar to our loyal audience. It is quite difficult to please everyone all the time. But they are trying to make good choices that will keep our show fun and enjoyable to watch while remaining compelling with the competitive elements. I do go back and share with them your thoughts as well, but the picture is big picture and they are the ones in charge. ; ) And they are doing a great job.

So, back to DAG. Well once again, we prove that DWTS is also a democracy. You all have a say and you spoke last night. But I wanted to remind people, especially David, that our audience -- all of you who vote -- don't vote people off, they just vote different people to stay on. It's not an "I want this person off" choice. It is rather that people sometimes can't vote for everyone they want to vote for, or maybe they just didn't think the person needed the votes. This is when you start to realize that no one is safe...this is when it starts to get even more exciting. It was sad to see my old, In Living Color alumni go so quickly. I think he was just finding his stride with the show...unfortunately, the stride came maybe too late. Anyway, DAG is a brilliant comedian. I've watched him in action and he is fabulous. He is also an incredible thespian. And now we know he's got great extension. And has a beautiful arabesque. : )

Now, onto the question that has been raised many times. By the way, thank you for your questions. I love them. The pairings of the celebrities with their partners. The answer is quite simple. The pairing is left up to the producers' discretion. It seems to me that the producers pair them up based on what they think will be the most compelling partnership -- with two people who will complement and challenge each other and will have the right balance. I think they do a great job. Of course, they are also partnered up by height as well for the reasons of the hold. I'm going to ask around though and see if I can get more answers for you.

Demi Lovato did a nice performance with Benji Schwimmer dancing with a new partner...and doing his own choreography for his performance. He's such a great talent out there with such fun energy -- and for those of you who didn't know, he is Lacey's brother.

Le Reve was so poetic. My friend and old friend from my Madonna's Girlie Show Tour days, Christopher Childers, is the director of artistic coordination for the production -- and was there supporting the wonderful performance. The shaved heads of the performers added something ominous to the performance that was so intriguing!

But -- what about Etta James. STANDING OVATION one more time!! WOW. That was a special moment. I call that an "I can't believe this is my job" moment. I am so grateful for having a job that allows me these moments to see these incredible performers live and up close the way we do. This performance by Etta James was an honor to witness. What an incredible voice she has.

Okay, a quick wrap up -- I was at the USA Dance Nationals this weekend giving out the Carrie Ann Inaba "Star Quality" Award -- for those who have that special something extra when they dance. Sometimes, it was a grace that seemed to be unmatched by any other -- or that they had incredible charisma and charm, and sometimes, they just took my breath away. Judging by the way the audience reacted, we were often on the same page with our choices. The category was created to give encouragement to those who many not take home the medals based on the normal standards of judging, but who had something that deserved some sort of accolade. And it was my honor to give out that award. My category was outside the normal standards of judging and was quite difficult to choose at times since I could only choose one winner in each of the categories I judged. I saw some familiar faces -- some of the kids who competed in the junior dance competitions we had in seasons past and Valentin Chmerkovskiy -- Maksim's brother who you might remember from the "Billie Jean" performance a few seasons ago where they danced in red, and when the Chmerkovskiy brothers danced together in that incredible "dance-off" performance. He won the adult Latin competition with a new partner and will be competing for the U.S. in the international competition. The competition was wonderful and exciting and for all of you who haven't seen a competition in person, you should try to get to one.

And on one final note, my mom was in the audience on Monday and Tuesday this week. It was special for me to have her there.

Well, that's all for now and I hope you all have a wonderful week -- have a safe and happy Easter as well...Thank you for writing your thoughts...

See you next Monday ---- LIVE!!!!!

Take Care,
Carrie Ann

http://popwatch.ew.com/popwatch/2009/04/carrie-ann-inab.html (http://popwatch.ew.com/popwatch/2009/04/carrie-ann-inab.html)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on April 08, 2009, 01:01:20 PM
from Steve-O's site:

photo of the day – lacey schwimmer

(http://i389.photobucket.com/albums/oo334/marigoldrealityfanforum/lacjack.jpg)

Just when we were wondering how to go about promoting Steve-O’s appearance on ABC’s Dancing With The Stars tonight, Steve-O himself sends us this photo of Lacey Schwimmer representing the skull and crutches. That said, tune in this evening to see which ill-fated celebrity couple fails to boogie beyond the reach of the grim reaper of the dance floor…

http://www.jackassworld.com/blog/2009/04/07/photo-of-the-day-lacey-schwimmer/ (http://www.jackassworld.com/blog/2009/04/07/photo-of-the-day-lacey-schwimmer/)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on April 08, 2009, 01:05:00 PM
Video:

Shawn Johnson interview


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G01zGvQfN4A (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G01zGvQfN4A)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on April 08, 2009, 01:11:57 PM
'Dancing With the Stars' recap: Leave, On the Doble
Etta James sang, Demi Lovato screeched, Tom slightly winced, ''Le Reve'' lunged, and finally, David Alan Grier waltzed out of the competition

Despite a much-improved dance-off performance, higher judges' scores, and the glaring fact that he's a much better dancer than most of the remaining men, David Alan Grier left the Dancing With the Stars ballroom last night in what we can only hope was a slow shuffle peppered with his signature ''peeing dog''-style high kicks and arabesques. I never quite warmed up to the guy in the past few weeks — I've enjoyed his comedic acting whenever I've seen it, but his stern, non-effusive manner in real life was simply not a good fit for this bright and shiny show. Talent-wise, Chuck, Steve-O, or DAG's dance-off opponent Lawrence Taylor should have gone home first, but to be honest I'm not surprised it was DAG instead. I think he (unintentionally) made people uncomfortable. I'm sad for the self-proclaimed ''old, wet food stamp'' of the season, because he was clearly one of the hardest-working contestants. Looking forward, we can only hope that DAG's elimination will go down in history as The Night The Powers That Be Finally Realized The Dreaded Dance-Off Was So...Incredibly...Abysmally...POINTLESS!

Aggghhh! So much tension last night! Backstage with Samantha right after their paso doble, Lawrence took huge, ambiguous pauses before straining to answer two questions in the upbeat, positive way he's supposed to on live TV. I'm guessing he acted so weird right then because he thought (as I did) that his Tuesday night performance was no better (not even any different, really) than Monday's, and that the judges only raved about it for dramatic effect. Put simply, he felt played. At this point, I think LT is supremely fed up with the contrast between a grueling week of dance practice and the meager payoff of a set of judges' comments that basically amount to ''meh'' each week. Of course, that's the name of the game on DWTS, especially if you're not that talented and stick around anyway due to the popular vote. He kept himself in check this week, but LT might snap pretty soon — that is, if the normally serene Lady Legwarmer doesn't snap first. LT seems like he's dying to fly back to Florida to play golf...and engage in possible lap dances with his buddies. Golf never demands that he don a bolero (though his lap-dance customers might splurge for that, as an ''upgrade''). The Giant just misses his golf! This probably explains his watery eyes (!!!) during the final group hug.

The legendary Etta James showed up to sing a very different version of ''At Last'' than the one we're used to hearing in restaurants (or, in my case, on a playlist entitled ''Calm The **** Down''). You may recall how not happy Etta was that Beyoncé had performed her signature song for President and First Lady Obama at ABC's Neighborhood Ball in January. (Ever the bedazzled patriot, I went ahead and critiqued the First Couple's inaugural waltz as if they were DWTS contestants in this ridiculous PopWatch item. Looking back, the feathers on Michelle's gown significantly upped her performance value.) Accompanying the seated Etta were Maks and Karina, the recently inaugurated First Couple of Dancing With the Stars. Sorry, Alec/Edyta and Jonathan/Anna, but work on becoming a bit more Flashy/Polarizing and you'll all have a decent shot at the next term! Some of Maks and Karina's lifts were incredible, especially the ''Allow me to introduce my fianceé's crotch to your face'' one they did early in the dance for one lucky corner of the crowd. I also loved how excited Samantha was to announce that Etta was performing ''live!'' At first I had love/hate issues with Sam's screechingly pink Ballroom Barbie gown, but after a few lingering shots of her, I realized the color perfectly matched the rest of the crazy set, not to mention she looked amazing in that thing. Could anyone else not stop staring at her lightly beaded ''belt''?

Speaking of things that are screeching, Disney darling Demi Lovato, a.k.a. the teenager my colleague Michael Slezak once referred to as ''something called a Demi Lovato'' as if she were a gross side dish he refused to let the rest of his higher-quality food touch, murdered our ears with a half-growling, half-caterwauling performance of something called ''La La Land.'' Luckily, Benji Schwimmer and Tori Smith were in da ballroom to distract from the audio element of this segment with an outpour of horrifying tongue wags from Benji and the giant pink bow on Tori's butt. Perhaps that costume was a ''subtle'' nod to this tragic Ugly Betty outfit from early March. At least none of ''our pros'' had to dance to this monstrosity — in fact, I'll put a positive spin on this and say the frantic nature of both song and dance complemented each other quite nicely. Don't put nicely in quotes. Don't put nicely in quotes. Did I say nicely? I meant ''nicely.'' If you get the chance, go back and watch the way poor Tom slightly winced right after delivering the awesome news that ''Tickets for Demi's summer tour go on sale April 25th.''

http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20270864,00.html
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on April 08, 2009, 01:17:59 PM
click on link below to view video

Julianne Hough on her 'DWTS' Future

Is Julianne Hough leaving "Dancing with the Stars" to pursue her music career?

Julianne spoke to ET backstage after Tuesday night's show and the "Dancing" pro opened up about her plans for the future.

Watch the video for the details.

http://www.etonline.com/news/2009/04/72622/index.html
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on April 08, 2009, 01:52:29 PM

THE VIEW SCHEDULED GUEST

THURSDAY, APRIL 16, 2009

Tom Bergeron Host Dancing with the Stars

Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on April 09, 2009, 12:52:59 AM
Next week's dances:

 
Rumba

    * Shawn & Mark
    * Melissa & Tony
    * Chuck & Julianne
    * Steve-O & Lacey



Jive

    * Lil' Kim & Derek
    * Gilles & Cheryl
    * Ty & Chelsie
    * Lawrence & Edyta




--------------------------------------------
JIVE

    * Its's a type of swing
    * You will see lots of kicks and flicks and twirling of the woman.
    * The feet/legs should actually be under the body and the knees should always be close together.
    * Jive doesn't move around the dance floor like other dances.
    * Watch movements where they will stand on one foot and kick down at the same time.
    * Look for kicking where toes are always pointed



Rumba

    * A story of love
    * It's about the lady trying to get the man by using her womanly charms. Should see use of teasing and withdrawal
    * It is the most sensual of the Latin dances.
    * You should see romance
    * The emphasis is on the body. Hip actions are produced by controlled transfer of weight from foot to foot.
    * Look out for figure-eight hip rolls - this is a hip roll where the hips alternate in a forward movement.
    * There are lots of slow stylish body shapes in the Rumba.
    * When it comes to the footwork, look for a straightening of legs, and swiveling action in the feet.
    * The walks should be strong and direct.
    * The body never stops changing its shape.
    * No heel leads - the dancers must not walk on the heels of their feet; they are on the balls of feet only.
    * Look out for the Cucaracha step - rock to the right or the left, then replace and close.
    * Look out for the Fan position - the woman goes on the man's left side at arms length and at 90 degrees to the man

credit with thanks to tmpray
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on April 09, 2009, 01:05:53 AM
Jewel ‘So Thought’ Husband Ty Murray Was Leaving Dancing

Tuesday’s Dancing with the Stars results show was a nail-biter for one studio audience member in particular: Jewel.

“When they said Steve-O was safe, I so thought you were going home,” Jewel says to her husband, rodeo star Ty Murray, in a new video the couple posted Wednesday on MySpace.

Asked if he was scared, Murray responds, “I wouldn’t say I was scared, but I thought there was a good chance we might have a dance-off last night.”

And the prospect of repeating his paso doble wasn’t a welcome one, says Murray, who notes, “The main thing I needed to do was loosen up, and as it’s getting towards the end there, you start tightening up.”

It was that uptightness that led the judges to label Murray’s paso doble “stiff” following Monday’s performance. Jewel, however, liked what she saw — especially what she calls Murray’s “paso face”: furrowed brows and an exaggerated frown that Murray recreates for the camera.

But it turned out Murray and partner Chelsie Hightower had nothing to worry about — at least not for another week since David Alan Grier was sent home after a dance-off against Lawrence Taylor.

As for Grier’s ouster, Murray says it came as a surprise. “He was really enjoying the show and getting into it,” says Murray of the funnyman. “I thought he was doing better every week.

http://tvwatch.people.com/2009/04/08/jewel-so-thought-husband-ty-murray-was-leaving-dancing/
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on April 09, 2009, 04:45:00 AM
Video:

DWTS Eliminee: David Alan Grier

Night six of DANCING WITH THE STARS sent David Alan Grier and partner Kym Johnson home.

He got the boot on Tuesday's show, and we caught his post-show sadness in leaving with fighting words for the judges!


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ONBjn0giW1k (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ONBjn0giW1k)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on April 09, 2009, 04:47:13 AM
An interesting article:

Chuck Wicks Says ‘Dancing’ With Julianne Hough Is Good Wedding Day Prep

Chuck Wicks and Julianne Hough aren’t engaged, but the country singer admits that performing with his girlfriend on “Dancing With The Stars” could be good preparation for a wedding day dance.

Wicks and Hough have been dating for nine months and are paired together on the show. On Tuesday’s episode, after the pair finished their dance, he got down on one knee, sparking a bit of engagement buzz — show host Samantha Harris even asked Wicks if he had anything to announce to the audience (he said no).

While the two might not be planning a wedding, when asked in a recent interview if he considered “Dancing With the Stars” good training for a nuptial dance, he said: “I don’t need to go on a show to train with her, but I don’t fight that question at all.”

Wicks said before the ABC competition, the only wedding dance staple he knew was the electric slide.

“When you go to weddings, and you hear ‘It’s Electric,’ I’m that guy. I go out there. I start it off,” he said.

But not anymore.

Wicks has now performed a waltz, a salsa, a foxtrot, a lindy hop and a Viennese waltz on the show with Hough.

The singer calls himself “a total goof ball,” but said both he and Hough are taking this competition very seriously. Hough has already won “Dancing With The Stars” twice with other celebrity partners.

“This time it’s a little more personal,” Wicks said. “We’ve got a lot riding on this. I want to prove to her that I can do this, and I think, vice versa.”

And Wicks admits that the exposure he’s getting on the show is a huge opportunity to win over new fans.

“Let’s face it, a lot of people have no idea who I am,” said Wicks. “So this is a great way to say, ‘Hey, this is what I do. I hope you like my music, and I hope you like the way I can try to dance.’”

http://www.accesshollywood.com/chuck-wicks-says-dancing-with-julianne-hough-is-good-wedding-day-prep_article_16483 (http://www.accesshollywood.com/chuck-wicks-says-dancing-with-julianne-hough-is-good-wedding-day-prep_article_16483)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on April 09, 2009, 04:56:27 AM
An interview with David Alan Grier:

No more DWTS for DAG

With five weeks of competition behind them, funnyman David Alan Grier, and his partner, Kym Johnson, punched their final dance card on last night’s episode of Dancing With the Stars. After finding themselves in the bottom two, along with Lawrence Taylor and Edyta Sliwinska, the couple danced off against their competition and received a 24 for their Viennese waltz (two points better than the previous night). But it wasn’t enough to save them after the judges’ scores, combined with viewer votes, placed L.T. and Edyta above them. “It’s okay,” David told In Touch after being eliminated. “It’s about who dances the best and I understand that.” Last night’s show also saw engaged couple Karina Smirnoff and Maksim Chmerkovskiy dance to “At Last,” performed by the legendary Etta James, a dream come true for Karina. The night also proved a high for Maksim, whose ballroom choreography was featured in a guest performance by the dance troupe Le Reve, currently appearing at Las Vegas’ Wynn hotel. “It’s the first time they have incorporated ballroom dance into their aquatic show,” Maksim tells In Touch adding, “I am so proud to be a part of it and the show is doing so well. I thought they did a great job tonight.”

“I did not think I would be sweating blood everyday.”

How are you feeling about being eliminated?
David: It’s okay. Tony Dovolani actually saved me tonight. He stopped me and said “you are really into this? It’s a dance show not the Olympics!” If I’m not having fun no one is going to have fun watching me. I did catch myself at a gas station a few weeks ago going, ‘How am I doing? The scores are nuts!’ You have to have fun and Tony really helped me though tonight.

Did you enjoy the experience overall?
David: I had a ball but did not think it would be this crazy. I have the highest respect for the professionals and what they do. I tried to show that every week and dancing is hard! You get paid less than everyone and you never get famous.
Kym: It’s true. We are lucky working on this show but all these dancers on Broadway are the best at what they do David: I really didn’t want to come in and be the clown and comedy guy and really tried to respect the process.

So with no money to be made, dancing is not in your future?
David: Well I perform on stage and do musicals, but don’t consider myself a dancer, I just move a little.

What did you learn about yourself during the show?
David: Well here’s the deal, it wasn’t just about me it was Kim too. In the most frustrating moments there was laughter and tears – I am telling you. I kept telling Kim, ‘I am visiting, you live here, is this the way it always is?’ But it was both of us. I didn’t think this show would challenge me the way it did, I really thought it’s be two step, two step, drink some champagne and hang out with hot chicks. I did not think I would be sweating blood everyday.
Kym: And loosing 28 pounds!

So that was the final weigh in?
David: It was 22 pounds and then 26 and finally 28 pounds.
Kym: After the Lindy Hop!
David: Oh that Lindy Hop, I almost took out a kidney. Oh my gosh, it was incredible.

What will you miss most about the show?
David: I’m going to miss the fact that I can’t tell my wife I am going to dance with a really beautiful woman. I never got a rise out of her the whole time. I told her there were a lot of hook-ups on the show and she was like whatever. It was awesome. She just wanted me home at five with a paycheck.
Kym: I’ll miss so much about David. We had fun in rehearsals and we won’t get to hang out.
David: But it’s all good- it’s about who dances the best and I understand that. That is the show I signed up for and I take it.
Kym: But I’ll be back doing group dances, and we’ll both be back for the finale.

http://www.intouchweekly.com/2009/04/no_more_dwts_for_dag.php (http://www.intouchweekly.com/2009/04/no_more_dwts_for_dag.php)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on April 09, 2009, 04:58:27 AM
An interesting article:

Lil' Kim Injured
 
In a season where injuries took a toll before the first episode even aired, rapper Lil' Kim has joined list of this season’s hurt Dancing With The Stars hopefuls. Though she put on a brave face April 7, she injured her rib in rehearsals last week. "It was fun but a little nerve wracking," Lil' Kim tells In Touch about doing the encore dance. "I have a small injury, well it's not small, but I popped my rip out earlier this week and ripped one of the muscles under my rib. I didn't know." At first the Grammy winner thought she was just sore from dancing but a visit to the show’s masseuse proved otherwise. "She said, 'honey you have a rib out, and you tore one of your muscles," reveals Kim. "She had to push it back in and it hurt so bad." I was dancing through the pain."

The star was advised to ice and rest the injury, but next week’s scheduled jive dance probably won’t allow for it. "There is no time to relax," she says. "We have to learn the jive and it's really energetic - what do I do?" Lucky for Kim, her partner Derek Hough is understanding and willing to make allowances for her injuries. "He'll use a plan B when it comes to the choreography," she says. "And whether I am comfortable or not I have to do it. I'm excited for the dance, but the injury has me a little nervous."

http://www.intouchweekly.com/2009/04/lil_kim_injured.php (http://www.intouchweekly.com/2009/04/lil_kim_injured.php)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on April 09, 2009, 05:28:01 AM
Video:

a special backstage message from steve-o

So you’ve already seen where Johnny Knoxville had expressed his fears about Steve-O’s future on ABC’s Dancing With The Stars (and if you haven’t then click here), but now hear from the dancing man himself about the doubts he had this past week going into Monday night’s performance.

Link to view the video: http://www.jackassworld.com/blog/2009/04/08/a-special-backstage-message-from-steve-o/#more-10105 (http://www.jackassworld.com/blog/2009/04/08/a-special-backstage-message-from-steve-o/#more-10105)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on April 09, 2009, 05:35:46 AM
Chuck Wick Blogs:

Chuck Wicks  #2 Among MySpace’s Hottest Country Artists as He Dances into Week 6 of ABC’s Dancing with the Stars....
 
– RCA Nashville recording artist and Dancing with the Stars celebrity contestant Chuck Wicks is doing more than heating up the dance floor, he’s also hot online, where for the second week in a row he ranks as the #2 country artist on MySpace.  According to Yuzio, Wicks has amassed more than one-half million profile views in each of the past two weeks, second only to country superstar Carrie Underwood.

A gifted songwriter and vocalist, Chuck made a compelling impression with his Top 5 smash, “Stealing Cinderella,” the fastest-rising single by a debut country act in 2007.  By the time his first album, Starting Now, was released in January 2008, he had begun a year-long 750,000 fan-packed tour opening for superstar Brad Paisley.  Chuck co-wrote all but one of the songs on his debut CD, including his second hit, “All I Ever Wanted,” and the current single, “Man of the House,” a touching story-song about a boy taking on beyond-his-years responsibilities as his father is on military assignment.

Watch for Chuck on the dance floor once again as the next new episode of Dancing with the Stars airs this coming Monday, April 13, at 8 PM ET, on ABC.

http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendId=66446994&blogId=481994538 (http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendId=66446994&blogId=481994538)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on April 09, 2009, 06:25:01 AM
like the t-shirt   :lol:

Lil Kim

(http://i389.photobucket.com/albums/oo334/marigoldrealityfanforum/lilkimart2.jpg)

http://www.theinsider.com/photos/1987255_Celebs_shake_off_R_rated_reputations_on_Dancing (http://www.theinsider.com/photos/1987255_Celebs_shake_off_R_rated_reputations_on_Dancing)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: TARAsia Fan on April 09, 2009, 08:55:14 AM
David Alan Grier was funny, but it was time. Thanks for posting his blog, marigold. :tup:
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on April 09, 2009, 10:30:57 AM
Melissa leaving rehearsal and stopping by to sign autographs in the parking lot yesterday

(http://i212.photobucket.com/albums/cc289/CuteboiWill/full_melissa_rycroft_07_wenn5275815.jpg)


http://www.ineedmyfix.com/2009/04/08/dwts-melissa-rycroft-leaves-rehearsals/full_melissa_rycroft_07_wenn5275815/
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on April 09, 2009, 11:38:37 AM

Cheryl Burke Blogs:

(http://i389.photobucket.com/albums/oo334/marigoldrealityfanforum/cherbu.jpg)

Cheryl Burke by Fit Couture

Hi everyone - I'm so excited about my new clothing line.  Please check out the press release and the website and tell me what you think.

CHERYL BURKE TEAMS WITH ....

FIT COUTURE FOR SIGNATURE ....

CLOTHING LINE....

Houston, TX – March 23, 2009 - Cheryl Burke, a two-time
champion on Dancing with the Stars, has joined forces with online based
clothier Fit Couture for Burke’s first foray into the apparel world.  The signature line of active and workout wear
is called Cheryl Burke by Fit Couture.  Founded in 2003 by Amy and Mike Cerny, with the belief that
workout attire should be flattering, comfortable and stylish, ....Houston.., ..TX....
based Fit Couture is one of the leading online boutique retailers. 

“Comfort is so important to me when I am active,” says
Burke. “I like to wear pieces that move with my body and
are flattering to my body type.  I’ve
always wanted to start my own clothing line and I’ve been a fan of Fit
Couture’s items for a while now so when they approached me about doing a line
with them it just made sense.” ....

“At Fit Couture we believe that
exercise clothing should be functional, flattering, stylish and comfortable –
all philosophies that we share with Cheryl.
We feel like Cheryl Burke by Fit Couture really captures her personality
and sense of style.  The pieces can be
worn around the house, running errands and definitely can tolerate any workout,
be it the gym or in the dance studio,” states Amy Cerny of Fit Couture.

The debut collection for Cheryl Burke by Fit Couture features
9 pieces; 4 styles of pants, 3 styles of tops and 2 jacket styles all available
in 4 different colors and color combinations.
As with Fit Couture’s original line, Burke’s line offers a wide variety
of sizes and pants inseams to fit and suit every body type.  With prices ranging from $44-$88 all items,
which are made in the ....United
States...., are available exclusively through
www.Fitcouture.com. 

http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendId=35094071&blogId=482152358 (http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendId=35094071&blogId=482152358)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on April 09, 2009, 11:40:53 AM
An interesting article:

The secret of Tom's angry past

(http://i389.photobucket.com/albums/oo334/marigoldrealityfanforum/tombart.jpg)

He seems to never lose his cool, but Tom Bergeron, of Dancing with the Stars and America's Funniest Home Videos, was once famous for his temper tantrums. “I had a pretty hot temper,” Tom tells In Touch. “But it wasn’t directed at other people, it was always at myself, and apartment walls!” Eventually, Tom discovered meditation, which he says helped him calm the beast within. "I am not that kind of man anymore, and haven’t been for years,” he says today. Tom hoping to teach others how to find their own inner peace with his new book, I’m Hosting as Fast as I Can!: Zen and the Art of Staying Sane in Hollywood.

The star is also happy with the 8th season of Dancing with the Stars. “This season there are a couple of front-runners, but those who are not the strongest dancers have the power of personality," Tom says. "All of that creates a much more fascinating season than we have had in a while!”

http://www.intouchweekly.com/2009/04/the_secret_of_toms_angry_past.php (http://www.intouchweekly.com/2009/04/the_secret_of_toms_angry_past.php)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on April 09, 2009, 11:45:50 AM
Ty Murray Blogs:

‘Hopefully this is going to be a good one for us’

(http://i389.photobucket.com/albums/oo334/marigoldrealityfanforum/tymurblog.jpg)

We put in about six hours of practice on Wednesday and Chelsie got the whole routine choreographed so we started working on quite a few of the steps already.

Chelsie and I both really like the song. It's a lot easier to hear the music and feel the beat of the song than it was for us last week with the Paso Doble. "Barracuda" was a tough song--actually it was a tough dance to a really tough piece of music.

Unlike last week, Chelsie wanted the song we're using and it didn't get picked for us.

The Jive is a really athletic dance and it's really fast-paced--sort of like the Lindy Hop was, but it's really different. However, it is along those same lines a little bit.

As always, we're putting in the work.

We feel like we took a little step backward last week and that we got knocked down a little bit, but if there's one thing that bull riding teaches you is that you get right back up and you keep trying and no matter what you bear-down. That's something I know how to do and it's what I'm going to do.

Hopefully this is going to be a good one for us.

The way the music is and the way the choreography goes along with that music it seems like it's going to be a lot easier to just get into it and roll with it.

Chelsie and I will keep working hard and it's time for all of us to cowboy up.

http://www.pbrnow.com/blog/index.cfm/2009/4/9/Hopefully-this-is-going-to-be-a-good-one-for-us (http://www.pbrnow.com/blog/index.cfm/2009/4/9/Hopefully-this-is-going-to-be-a-good-one-for-us)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on April 09, 2009, 12:14:31 PM

David Alan Grier Blogs:

DWTS: Thanks for the support!

(http://i389.photobucket.com/albums/oo334/marigoldrealityfanforum/dagmy.jpg)

Well,

I have been voted off of the island. This morning I threw my dance
shoes in the dumpster, and it's back to the salt mine for me. I would
like to thank all of the people that voted for us and supported Kym and
I on the show.  That being said, I wish all of the remaining
competitors luck. It was great to meet them and get to know them, and I
will see them all at the finale...if the producers and ABC actually let
me back into the building.

http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendId=38074175&blogId=482158767 (http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendId=38074175&blogId=482158767)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on April 09, 2009, 01:04:26 PM
Celebs rehab R-rated reputations on ‘Dancing’
Lil' Kim just the latest star to seek Total Image Overhaul on family show

Not so long ago, rapper Lil' Kim perpetuated an X-rated public image that could make even the baddest girls blush.

Her raunchy roster of songs include the hit "Magic Stick" and lyrics much too graphic to repeat and she has jail creds, serving 10 months in prison for lying to a federal grand jury about a 2001 gun battle outside a New York radio station.

But now — nearly two years out of jail — Kim haunts the PG-rated pastures of "Dancing With the Stars." Watching her twirl like a princess in floaty chiffon and weep with joy after her successful Argentine tango, it's easy to forget the wild woman who wore a purple pasty on an exposed breast on national TV.

Viewers are rooting for Kim, along with more wholesome contestants like Olympic gymnast Shawn Johnson. After her well reviewed performance Monday, the rapper said the ABC dance competition was "bringing out the sensitive side of Little Kim."

Which begs the question: Is "Dancing With the Stars" the new rehab? With each season, celebrity dancers of varying degrees of infamy seek redemption on the family show through a Total Image Overhaul. But witnessing, say, a formerly jailed rapper shake her bon-bon (and ex-con status) might be part of the cheeky fun.

"The strange thing is a lot of people have been on the show who do come from a more slightly edgy background or who have got a reputation possibly for being more edgy — when they get on the show, tend to be very likable," says executive producer Conrad Green.

"There's something about the rosy glow of ‘Dancing With the Stars.’ It's kind of hard (to resist) even if you're ... a bad boy, you start wearing sequins and playing the game."

The eighth season of the top-rated series recruited some other bawdy contestants: "Jackass" daredevil Steve-O, who recently completed rehab after battling drug addiction; Denise Richards, whose messy divorce from Charlie Sheen branded her a tabloid target; and possibly Holly Madison, former Playboy playmate and girlfriend of Hugh Hefner.

The show, which debuted in 2005, has a history of extending the spotlight and second chances to Hollywood oddballs, outcasts and others with sordid backstories. Some examples: actress Tatum O'Neal, who recounted her drug addiction recovery in a memoir; Heather Mills, who went through a nasty divorce from Paul McCartney; E! reality star Kim Kardashian, who rose to fame because of a sex tape featuring her and reality star Ray J; and Jerry Springer, the impresario of trash TV.

Green says the show had a "breakthrough" in the third season by casting Springer, an unexpected fan favorite, loving father and good sport.

"Everyone expected ‘Jerry Springer: King of Schlock' and all that kind of stuff for the show," says Green. "He showed a completely different side of himself, and he's a very likable, charming guy. And a really good story. And he really got into the spirit of the show. I think it's completely rejuvenated the public perception of him — and I think it was really nice for him and it was really nice for a lot of our other celebrities to say, `You know what? You can see me much more as I am.'"

That certainly strikes a nerve with Kardashian.

The curvy beauty, who co-stars with her family on the E! reality hit "Keeping Up With the Kardashians," was eliminated early on last season but appreciated the chance to reveal her true self on "Dancing."

"Lil' Kim and I were talking about that: We were saying that we felt like there was this different identity out there of us ... but the show was a great opportunity to show who we really are," she says.

Kardashian, who was approached by producers to do the show, says millions of viewers "were able to see that I'm a lot more shy and reserved than people would probably assume. ... I'm not a performer. I'm so used to hiding behind my sisters."

Producers seek out celebs with interesting stories and build the rest of the cast around them, Green says. The challenge is to pick a variety of likable contestants who "you want to spend some time" with over the course of each season, he says. The bigger the fan base, the higher the ratings.

Green had considered Steve-O (real name: Stephen Glover) since the beginning but didn't approach him until "he entered rehab and sorted his life out." The "Jackass" star, who received decent marks this week from the judges for his Viennese waltz, recently joked on the show that he's not used to coping with high-pressure situations "without the help of drugs and alcohol."

Green says it might have been "too dangerous on a family show (casting) Steve-O like he was before. ... Perhaps I'm being unfair there but I'm rather risk averse, given the size of our audience and how easy it would be to offend them. But then when we met with Steve-O, he's a really lovely bloke."

Truth be told, fans of the kitschy ballroom dance show are probably not judging the contestants' moral character as much as how well they move on the floor. Sex appeal can lead to success on the show. Season-eight stud Gilles Marini exudes it. So does Lil' Kim. See also: the crackling combination of past partners Mario Lopez and professional dancer Karina Smirnoff.

Who'd complete Green's dream cast? Former President Bill Clinton and Michael Jackson, who have both weathered sex scandals far more humiliating than Lil' Kim's prison stint.

"Karina and Bill Clinton, now that would be dynamite," Green says, considering possible pairings. "I actually think he'd be quite a good mover."

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30135121/
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on April 09, 2009, 10:59:38 PM
An interesting article:  Nice

Gilles aids Haitian youth

Gilles Marini is more than just a handsome face — he also has a big heart! The dashing Dancing With the Stars contestant will be in New York on April 11 to support the Setanta Cup, an all-day soccer festival benefiting nonprofit organizations Hollywood Unites for Haiti and the Chelsea Piers Scholarship Fund. “It’s for an amazing cause. Proceeds will help underprivileged youth in Haiti. You have to help,” Gilles tells In Touch. The Sex and the City star, alongside fellow hunks Marc Consuelos and Brandon Routh, will start the event with a match with the Hollywood United Football Club. And Gilles admits fans might see some skin. “I have to change at halftime,” he admits with a laugh. “And I will be in my shorts, too!”

For more information about the Setanta Cup, visit http://www.hollywoodutd.com/news/35

http://www.intouchweekly.com/2009/04/gille_aids_haitian_youth.php (http://www.intouchweekly.com/2009/04/gille_aids_haitian_youth.php)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on April 09, 2009, 11:02:10 PM
Video:

Dancing With The Stars: Steve Wozniak

The Woz is bringing his angry face to Reality Chat

but we get the nitty gritty about his positive attitude, injuries and working through it all.

He talks about his great relationship with Karina, his lack of experience and more!


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nguR7_fTcwE (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nguR7_fTcwE)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on April 09, 2009, 11:04:30 PM

The Woz Bogs:

It's not over, for sure!

I'm going back and forth, attending the show every week to support my new good friends.

Plus, I'll be dancing in the finale. I have never watched the show, as I don't watch TV. I don't know if we plan and perform a new dance for the finale, but what else could it be? I guess we have to wait until they give us our song to perform to. Otherwise, I'd love to get in the studio now and start preparing an incredible performance.

I drove home yesterday, for the first time in nearly 2 months. My dogs just acted like it was another normal "daddy comes home" evening. They didn't yelp and jump all over me and cry. They didn't uncontrollably pee on me either. Perhaps they understood when Janet this week had brought home some of my unwashed clothes for them to smell, and told them that daddy was coming home soon. We took them for a night walk after going out to the Old Spaghetti Factory, one of my favorite places.

I was in the audience for this Monday's and Tuesday's shows. I asked to be seated 'off camera' because I just want to enjoy the great privilege of watching the show live, and I don't want or need exposure. Oddly, I found that you see a better artistic presentation on TV.

I was as happy as anyone in the audience when Steve O was saved from the [horrible] dance-off. Many in the audience expressed happiness when he was saved. He has a lot of fans and he is on a good road in life too. He smiles and laughs like I did at the rudest comments by the judges or others. I can see through him how infectious and good this positive attitude is.

For those of you who admired this in me, and the bravery and the hard work and being totally out of a comfort zone, Steve O is the one to support with your votes. The way the judges are after him for his dancing, he needs our support the most. I get my best feelings when an underdog is saved. Plus, Steve O and I became very close friends and we both would do anything we could to help the other. It's hard to explain, because going in I imagined, from what I had heard, that he would be the only one that I wouldn't even befriend at all.

By the way, Steve O's dancing partner, Lacy, admired my nixie tube watch the way a true geeeeek would, so I gave her one as a gift and she was wearing it Tuesday morning at an interview for the TV Guide channel (we were both there for interviews).

As for the dances this week, Gilles truly amazed me as much as anyone. But I also thought that Lil' Kim and Derek brought the wonderful feeling of watching a couple truly doing a waltz together, as one, to us all. I would have given them 10's as well. Everyone comes to love Lil' Kim. She is the most wonderful person in real life. I truly love her as well, about as much as I 'love' Steve O. But in the case of Lil' Kim, I'm not alone.

I'm sorry to see David Allen Greer leave. He has a style of comedy that I love. A bit like Kathy Griffin, but not so outward, he carries comedy in his body movements, facial expressions, and subtle comments. I love the sort of comedy that is so clever you almost don't recognize it as comedy, and David is a master at that, at saying things just the right way. Anyone knows how comedy is so important to me. I hope very much that David gets back to watch more shows, so I can see him and talk with him.

I'll drive back to L.A. on Sunday or Monday to see the next show live. Then it's off to San Antonio, Texas, for a speech to apartment owners. I'm going to love this one. After that I could have gotten out to Atlanta for the championships of the FIRST robotics competition, which is always the best thing I do in life, but I would have only been able to make it for 1 day. When you are so behind in life after DWTS, it's hard to travel so much for just 1 day there, so instead I'll come back to L.A. for the next DWTS show, and then home again.

I'm really hoping that there will be some Segway polo match I can play in this [Easter] Sunday! I missed that a lot, but at least I was on my Segway for many miles every day in L.A.

I hope to arrange a dinner or something with the San Jose Mercury columnist Gary Richards, who writes the Roadshow column, my favorite. He went out on a limb and said some very nice things while I was on DWTS. When you are doing something like this TV show, every friend in the world means so much to you.

best wishes,

Woz

http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?uid=49720779842&topic=8340 (http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?uid=49720779842&topic=8340)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on April 09, 2009, 11:08:44 PM
Video:

Dancing With The Stars: Lacey Schwimmer

DANCING WITH THE STARS is known for it's sexy pros. Lacey Schwimmer,

a Swing Dance champion, is becoming a fan favorite while coaxing along partner Steve-O.

She brings her brand of sass to Reality Chat to dish with Rosanna Tavarez.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pukaODx6H8E&feature=channel_page (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pukaODx6H8E&feature=channel_page)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on April 09, 2009, 11:11:18 PM
An interesting article:

‘Dancing’ Feud: Bruno Defends Carrie Ann After David Alan Grier’s Attack

“Dancing With the Stars” judge Bruno Tonioli has come to the defense of his fellow panelist, Carrie Ann Inaba, after a raunchy rant by booted contestant David Alan Grier.

“Carrie Ann has to do her job,” Bruno told Billy Bush for Access Hollywood and “The Billy Bush Show.” “I think getting to that level of language is a bit inappropriate. I don’t think it’s classy.”

On Wednesday night after Grier was eliminated from “Dancing,” the star slammed all of the judges in an interview with Access, but said he took particular offense at the criticism from the former “In Living Color” Fly Girl, Carrie Ann.

“There’s several people that can kiss my a**, but she’s definitely the first in line…” he said (Click HERE to watch David’s rant in full). “To stand up week after week and be humiliated by people who have no right to talk to me [like that]… I am proudest that I didn’t climb across that table and slap the s*** out of every one of those judges and that’s my proudest accomplishment.”

And keeping his actions in check might have truly been Grier’s greatest accomplishment this season as Bruno told Billy the actor/comedian wasn’t a dance floor twinkle toes.

“He wasn’t terrible but he wasn’t that good [at dancing],” Bruno said. “We all have opinions ourselves, but to push it to that level…it’s not nice.”

http://www.accesshollywood.com/dancing-feud-bruno-defends-carrie-ann-after-david-alan-griers-attack_article_16547 (http://www.accesshollywood.com/dancing-feud-bruno-defends-carrie-ann-after-david-alan-griers-attack_article_16547)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on April 09, 2009, 11:38:51 PM

Edyta Blogs:

Result Show

(http://i389.photobucket.com/albums/oo334/marigoldrealityfanforum/edmy.jpg)

Being in a bottom two was very stressful, and dance off is definitely not a pleasant experience. We are grateful for your votes. Without them we would not stay in the competition. Thank you for you support!

This week we are dancing jive. We want to make it fun and show our positive energy. We dedicate this dance to all the fans that voted us through this week. Thank you so much!

Edyta

http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendId=65352412&blogId=482279436 (http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendId=65352412&blogId=482279436)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on April 09, 2009, 11:57:37 PM
Ty Murray Blogs:

'You have to believe in the process’

(http://i389.photobucket.com/albums/oo334/marigoldrealityfanforum/tymurblog.jpg)

We put in about a six-hour day today and we got through the routine with music several times. Chelsie is still making small tweaks to the choreography and she told me to expect a long day tomorrow because that's when she's going to be working on technique.

Those always make for long days, but that's part of the process and I'm used to it.

Every week it always feels like an insurmountable mountain, but you have to believe in that process and keep putting in the work. Every Wednesday and Thursday it feels like that, but you just have to trust the process.

All you can do it keep working at it and just do what your coach tells you, and trust that it's going to get better.

This dance is pretty fast-paced and it's a lot of really fast footwork that all has to be on the count. It all has to be synched up.

That's the thing about the technique because when you and your partner are supposed to be doing the exact same things it has to look like you're doing the exact same things otherwise it looks off. It almost ought to look like mirror images.

That's the part we're working on so, at the point, when we're supposed to be doing the same thing it has to be timed right.

The Jive is a real high-energy, high-speed dance so we'll just keep working and it ought to look good.

One more thing, starting Friday afternoon, please take the time to log onto WWW.PBR.TV and listen to my new Podcast, in which I answer your questions about my experience on "Dancing with the Stars."

http://www.pbrnow.com/blog/index.cfm/2009/4/9/You-have-to-believe-in-the-process (http://www.pbrnow.com/blog/index.cfm/2009/4/9/You-have-to-believe-in-the-process)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on April 10, 2009, 01:21:03 AM
Tony, Mark & Derek Tear It Up at the Grove


credit to hollywoodtv
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on April 10, 2009, 12:32:15 PM
click on link below to view video

Stars Reveal Favorite Things Besides 'Dancing'

ET's Kevin Frazier gets the sexy cast of "Dancing with the Stars" to share some of their favorite things -- from movies and TV to comfort foods and exercise routines.

Real-life couple Julianne Hough and Chuck Wicks divulge their guilty pleasure comfort foods and it's revealed they share the same favorite TV show as some other "DWTS" stars.

There's an obvious bit of peer pressure as Shawn Johnson is asked to name her favorite iPod song, when her dancing partner Mark Ballas has his own band.

When it comes to the stars' favorite ways to stay in shape, Melissa Rycroft says she doesn't have much choice at the moment but to dance her way to better health, thanks to help from her partner, Tony Dovolani. In keeping with his steamy image, Gilles Marini says his favorite exercise takes place in the bedroom.

Click the video to find out which couple revealed their favorite movie is 'Walk the Line' because they feel it mimics their own life story.

http://www.etonline.com/news/2009/04/72698/index.html
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on April 10, 2009, 03:55:40 PM
Friday, April 10, 2009
ABC Television Network
PRESS RELEASE ON NEXT WEEK'S DANCING RESULTS SHOW ON ABC (4/14)

SIXTH COUPLE ELIMINATED ON
"DANCING WITH THE STARS THE RESULTS SHOW,"
TUESDAY, APRIL 14 ON ABC

Seven-time Academy of Country Music "Vocal Group of the Year" Artists
Rascal Flatts Perform

The Cast of West Side Story Performs

Macy's Stars of Dance Brings Carmen Electra to the Stage


"Episode 806A" - After a night of Rumba and Jive, the sixth couple to be eliminated from the competition is revealed on "Dancing with the Stars the Results Show," TUESDAY, APRIL 14(9:00-10:02 p.m., ET) on the ABC Television Network.

Seven-time Academy of Country Music "Vocal Group of the Year" artists Rascal Flatts return to the "Dancing with the Stars" stage with their hit, "Here Comes Goodbye," from their new album, "Unstoppable," released on April 7, 2009. Joining them on stage are professional dancers Tony Dovolani and Julianne Hough. Also performing The Beatles' hit, "Revolution," the Grammy Award-winning country artists put a new spin on a favorite for their second performance of the night, along with professional dancers Mark Ballas, Chelsie, Hightower Aliona Vilani and Artem Chigvintsev.

From one of the most memorable musicals and love stories of all time, the cast of the Broadway revival "West Side Story" transforms the ballroom with a spectacular performance of "America." With original music by Leonard Bernstein and lyrics by Steven Sondheim, the Tony Award-winning "West Side Story" was written by Arthur Laurents and is based off of William Shakespeare's Romeo & Juliet.

In a special Macy's Stars of Dance performance, choreographer Lindsley Allen brings a classic cabaret performance starring actress and dancer Carmen Electra to the "Dancing with the Stars" stage alongside the dance troupe Cherry Boom Boom. The Los Angeles based Cherry Boom Boom was created by Lindsley Allen, formerly of the burlesque Pussy Cat Dolls, and is a return to vintage Hollywood glamour and traditional cabaret.

By evening's end one couple will be eliminated. Who among the following eight teams will leave the ballroom floor?

Shawn Johnson (Olympic gymnastics medalist) and partner Mark Ballas
Lil' Kim (Grammy Award winning rapper) and partner, reigning champion Derek Hough
Gilles Marini (model and actor) and partner Cheryl Burke
Ty Murray ("King of Cowboys") and partner, newcomer Chelsie Hightower
Steve-O (star of "Jackass" and "Wildboyz") and partner Lacey Schwimmer
Melissa Rycroft (from "The Bachelor") and partner Tony Dovolani
Lawrence Taylor (National Football League Hall of Famer, a.k.a. "LT") and partner Edyta Sliwinska
Chuck Wicks (country music star) and partner Julianne Hough


http://www.abcmedianet.com/web/dnr/dispDNR.aspx?id=041009_02
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: apskip on April 10, 2009, 06:03:59 PM
So if you analyze the current contestants for the disco ball, you have 4 who are top-notch:

Melissa
Gilles
Shawn
Lil' Kim

and you have 4 who will be eliminated in the next 4 weeks:

Steve-O
Lawrence
Ty
Chuck (although he sometimes is quite good)


Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on April 10, 2009, 06:07:21 PM
So if you analyze the current contestants for the disco ball, you have 4 who aer top-notch:

Melissa
Gilles
Shawn
Lil' Kim

and you have 4 who will b e eliminated in the next 4 weeks:

Steve-O
Lawrence
Ty
Chuck (although he sometimes is quite good)




They are my picks too. I picked the top four on the first week and knew it would be them. I think either Steve-O or Lawrence will be toast next.
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: TARAsia Fan on April 10, 2009, 07:40:11 PM
Because 24 conflicts with DWTS, I haven't seen any of the episodes this season, I'm depending on you all for the dancing updates. Thanks to everyone for their hard work. :tup:
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on April 10, 2009, 08:16:14 PM
Melissa and Tony leaving rehearsal

(http://i212.photobucket.com/albums/cc289/CuteboiWill/l_ae99dbd8863a49b692d8b91f7cf9d7f1.jpg)

(http://i212.photobucket.com/albums/cc289/CuteboiWill/l_9c3eeb3a8d6e442382aecfff951abb52.jpg)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on April 10, 2009, 08:47:35 PM
 :popcorn: Bruno's gay I'm shocked funny interview  :lol:
 
Chelsea with DWTS Bruno Tonioli


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LgZ5-2UZkXM (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LgZ5-2UZkXM)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on April 10, 2009, 08:49:25 PM
An interview with Shawn:

What Has Shawn Johnson "Scared to Death"?

More than ever now, Shawn Johnson's focus is on Dancing with the Stars and more importantly, just dancing. After weathering critique for her style-over-substance Lindy Hop, Johnson showed her Olympic mettle, rising to the occasion with a lyrical Viennese waltz. See what else the 17-year-old had to say about her comeback, David Alan Grier's elimination and what has her completely terrified.

TVGuide.com: What did you think of your Viennese waltz?
Shawn Johnson: I felt pretty good about the waltz. I had worked really hard all week to come back from our Lindy Hop, which the judges didn't enjoy as much as we thought they would.

TVGuide.com: Did you feel pressure to do well after their comments about your Lindy Hop?
Johnson: I felt like there was a little more pressure because I was so excited to show them what we had [only to] be disappointed to find out they didn't enjoy it. With the waltz, I felt like it was a second chance to entertain them again. I know I made a few mistakes, but I thought it was a great comeback from what had happened.

TVGuide.com: Was it easier to learn the Viennese waltz having already done the waltz?
Johnson: Not at all. This dance seemed to be the hardest one yet and it was the hardest to learn. It is a slow and elegant dance like the first one, but seemed to have a lot more footwork and details that had to be addressed, which made the dance so much more challenging for me.

TVGuide.com: After their comments about having too many gymnastic tricks in your hop, are you wary of incorporating them in future dances?
Johnson: After the Lindy Hop, I feel like we are going to be keeping the gymnastics to a minimum and the dance to a max. The Lindy Hop gave us a chance to remind everybody who the real Shawn Johnson is and where I came from, but from now on it's all dancing and not much else.

TVGuide.com: Chelsie has slipped on her dress and Melissa stepped on her dress this week. Are you worried the same thing might happen to you?
Johnson: Mark designs all of my dresses and so far — cross your fingers — things have gone good, so I believe whatever he designs is great.

TVGuide.com: I thought you looked really at-ease in heels this week. Are you finally comfortable with them now?
Johnson: [Laughs] I'm slowly getting better with the heels every week. I started out being so shaky and scared on them, but now I am able to make it through a dance without falling over! I still get caught walking around the set barefoot all the time. But at the end of the day it seems like Mark always gets me back in the killer heels.

TVGuide.com: A lot of people seemed upset and near tears when David Alan Grier left. Were you surprised by his elimination?
Johnson: I was very surprised. He was such a nice guy and knew how to entertain the entire cast. Everybody would smile when he entered a room and nobody wanted to see him leave, so everybody was sad this week.

TVGuide.com: Gilles has said he and Steve-O are taping some behind-the-scenes videos. Have you participated?
Johnson: I don't know [much about that]. I haven't really seen anything yet! 

TVGuide.com: What's your next dance?
Johnson: Our next dance is the rumba and I don't know anything except that it's the most romantic and sensual dance, and I'm only 17 so I'm scared to death!

http://www.tvguide.com/Dancing-Stars/Shawn-Johnson-Comeback-1004979.aspx (http://www.tvguide.com/Dancing-Stars/Shawn-Johnson-Comeback-1004979.aspx)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on April 10, 2009, 08:53:15 PM

THE RACHAEL RAY SHOW SCHEDULED GUEST

April 13, 2009

Gilles Marini

Dancing with the Stars hunk Gilles Marini has our staff swooning
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on April 10, 2009, 09:01:09 PM
Ty Murray Blogs:

Another note from Jewel

Hi all, its Jewel here, and I thought I'd stop by and check in with you all... So, here we are at week six! Ty has the Jive and is working hard at the dance studio, while I am sipping ice tea and writing this!

We're both amazed every week at how intricate and difficult each new dance is.

Poor Ty can hardly recover because each dance uses specific muscle groups that change each time. His ankles hurt with the foxtrot. His lower back hurt with the Lindy Hop. His feet hurt with the Paso Doble and now the Jive is intense for his knees!

Not to mention that seven days a week of six hours a day working out is nuts, but everyone on the show is in the same boat. I can't believe how difficult and how much each contestant is giving--it's pretty inspiring. Everyone is really giving it their all!

Thursday's and Friday's are always frustrating for Ty as it is the steepest learning curve and it seems as though he will never grasp the all new techniques and intricate foot work, but my cowboy is no quitter and he's putting in the work.

I have to say, I was a wee-bit nervous that Ty was going to participate in the "dance-off" this past Tuesday.

When they announced Steve-O was safe, Ty and I looked at each other and on the commercial break he started to go over moves with Chelsie! But luckily he was saved and lives to dance another dance!

Both of us have been so touched by the support from all my fans and all Ty's fans. We feel so fortunate to have such real and supportive folks around us, who have his back and are voting!

The western lifestyle is such a great way of life – its one I grew up with in Alaska on my family's beautiful ranch, (well Homestead technically, but that's another story) – and we both feel so proud to represent the lifestyle on such a popular show, and share it with so many folks.

I hear the key in the door, which means my cowpoke is home, so I'm going to get his dinner ready and hear all about the Jive.

We love reading your blog comments every morning, so keep it up!

Talk soon, xxjewel

Blog and some pic's here: http://www.pbrnow.com/blog/index.cfm/2009/4/10/Another-note-from-Jewel (http://www.pbrnow.com/blog/index.cfm/2009/4/10/Another-note-from-Jewel)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on April 10, 2009, 09:28:27 PM
Chelsie arrives at rehearsal

(http://i212.photobucket.com/albums/cc289/CuteboiWill/full_chelsie_hightower_06_wenn52763.jpg)


http://www.ineedmyfix.com/2009/04/09/dwts-chelsie-hightower-arrives-at-the-studio/full_chelsie_hightower_06_wenn5276305/
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on April 11, 2009, 05:58:21 AM

Shawn Johnson Blogs:

DWTS - week 5 “Viennese Waltz”

Hey guys!!!

So… Its been a crazy crazy week but a good one at that. This was one of the hardest weeks yet but i made it through alive, and I couldn’t be anymore relieved. After the Lindy Hop, Mark and I knew that we were going to have to work hard and bring it this week and we did that, i think. We moved our way back up to second place and will hopefully work our way up from there. The rehearsals last week were killer. I struggled a lot on getting the Viennese Waltz down. Even though it was another slow and elegant dance it had a lot of crazy footwork and the music was really challenging to count to. Let me just say that by the time the show came around i still felt unsure and afraid of the routine. When our time to take stage came up i said a prayer and just went. I did make a few mistakes but thankfully Mark saved me… BIG TIME… and we pulled it off. It just taught me that this week im going to have to work a lot harder! Anyway a few fun things that i have gotten to do recently…
I shot a video for Taylor Swifts new tour, which by the way has been the coolest thing ever.
I was given the honor to be apart of Emeril Lagasse’s new commercial! It was so much fun. I just got to be crazy and i put on this fun chef’s coat and tried to act like him… haha it was cute.
I also went to the Hannah Montana Premiere with my good friend Mitchel Musso, where i had a blast and got to spend some fun time with the whole Musso family. The movie was really cute and it was, of course, awesome to walk the red carpet with all the disney channel stars. I did want to say, “Thank You” though to Mitchel for inviting me and sharing that experience with me. His whole family was great to be with and I had great time.
Last week on the show I had quite a few people in the audience watching that i was thrilled to see. My cousin got the opportunity to come out and watch me, which meant the world to me because she has been there for me since day one and is like my best friend, and also many cast members from the hit show The Secret Life of The American Teenager came to watch and it was so exciting to see them there. I absolutely loved being on that show with all of them and loved spending the little time i could on monday talking and having fun. They are the sweetest bunch i have ever met and it was an honor to have them there.
Besides that things are getting heated up this week with the Rumba but of course not too much. Mark and I are having a great time and working really hard to make sure that we deliver a great routine this week and hopefully entertain all of you. I tried on my costume today too, and OMG is it gorgeous! I hope you all like it and tune it to see the final thing! Thank you all again so much for your support… I couldn’t of gotten this far without you. Im still not ready to go home though so make sure to vote and keep me here! Im having the time of my life and am not ready to have it end 
XoXo -SJ-

http://www.shawnjohnson.dreamhosters.com/?p=102 (http://www.shawnjohnson.dreamhosters.com/?p=102)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: marigold on April 11, 2009, 08:08:56 AM
Video:

Tom Bergeron on Good Morning America




http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LEvjuxIZkRI (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LEvjuxIZkRI)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on April 11, 2009, 03:24:56 PM
Tony, Chelsie & Ty arriving at rehearsal this morning and Jewel tagged along,too!

(http://i212.photobucket.com/albums/cc289/CuteboiWill/full_dancing_with_the_stars_7_wenn2.jpg)

(http://i212.photobucket.com/albums/cc289/CuteboiWill/full_dancing_with_the_stars_6_wenn2.jpg)

(http://i212.photobucket.com/albums/cc289/CuteboiWill/full_jewel_ty_murray_1_wenn2366618.jpg)

www.ineedmyfix.com
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on April 11, 2009, 10:18:09 PM
Ty's blog:

`It’s like learning a new language’



Today we had our wardrobe fitting and, this week, I'm probably going to look a little bit more like me. We got that done and then Chelsie and I went to the CBS stage and got to practice for about 2 hours, and 45 minutes.

It was a good day of practice. Well, it was a good day for me because it's back to where we start stringing it together and I can start to learn all my little cues that I need to have in order to hit all my marks.

I really like running the routine at CBS where there aren't any mirrors. It's funny--sometimes at the practice studio you get to cuing off things you see in the mirror and when you get to the live performance you don't have those mirrors, so it can kind of mess you up.

It was nice to go over there today and that's the most work we've gotten to do on the CBS stage because there are a lot less contestants. When we first started there were 13 of us so you were lucky if you got to be in there for an hour.

Now, like I said, we had well over two hours, but most of that was because Lil' Kim was about 40 minutes late so we just kept going until she got there.

I felt like I had a good day – at least, to me, we did – and we still have tomorrow to polish it up, but it's like learning a new language.

First you learn all these different words and then you learn phrases. That's what yesterday felt like to me: we spent all this time on phrases, but you don't know how to make them all go together because you're still not sure what the transitions are.

Today I got to work on all the transitions in our routine and I got to work on the cues – it might be something I see or something that I hear in the music – but they're all the little things you notice once you start stringing the whole routine together.

But today was a good day...

http://www.pbrnow.com/blog/index.cfm/2009/4/11/Its-like-learning-a-new-language#more

Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on April 12, 2009, 06:39:49 PM
DWTS’ Gilles Marini & Cheryl Burke @ Sentana Cup

Dancing With The Stars’ Cheryl Burke & Gilles Marini took some time out from dance rehearsals to attend the Sentana Cup Hollywood United Football Club Exhibition held at Chelsea Piers in New York.  WHAT??? Gilles was within stalking distance?  No wonder I was in such a great mood all weekend. ;)

Also at the games were Anthony LaPaglia, Costas Mandylor, Jimmy Jean-Louis, Donal Logue, and Ethan Zohn.

(http://i212.photobucket.com/albums/cc289/CuteboiWill/full_setanta_cup_11_wenn5276866-1.jpg)

Ethan Zohn, winner of Season 3, Survivor:Africa
(http://i212.photobucket.com/albums/cc289/CuteboiWill/full_setanta_cup_15_wenn5276875-1.jpg)

http://www.ineedmyfix.com/2009/04/12/dwts-gilles-marini-cheryl-burke-sentana-cup/
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on April 13, 2009, 08:20:28 AM
Ty's blog:

‘We’re as ready as we’re going to get’



Chelsie and I went over to CBS Studios again for some more camera blocking and we got to run it through three full times while they practiced how they're going to shoot it with their cameras.

I didn't do a great job so we went to the practice studio afterward and I got to feeling a little better.

We were trying to polish up where my hands go, where I'm going to be looking, remembering to smile at the crowd, which camera am I going to look at, and all that kind of stuff.

The practice went good and we got to feeling pretty good about it. We'll get to run it a couple more times tomorrow before the show.

We're as ready as we're going to get and, like I said, the good thing is we'll get to run it on the stage without the mirrors, which I like.

Tomorrow night we'll go out there and do the best we can and, I think, that's the main thing anyway.

For me, taking part in "Dancing with the Stars" is about enjoying the process, having a good time and making sure you put in the work, but – above all – it's about always making sure you enjoy the trip.

But, right now, Jewel and I are going to spend the rest of Easter Sunday together. We're going to a movie and then just the two of us are going to have a nice dinner, and then we plan to just relax.

http://www.pbrnow.com/blog/index.cfm/2009/4/12/Were-as-ready-as-were-going-to-get#more
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on April 13, 2009, 08:56:58 AM
Is Gilles Marini The Best?

Dancing with the Stars has come up with some very good celebrity dancers this season and none appear to be better than Gilles Marini.  Gilles may in fact be the best celebrity dancer to have ever graced Dancing with the stars.

Gilles Marini exploded onto the scene as Dante, the Casa Nova living in the beach house next door to Kim Cattrall's Samantha in the "Sex and the City" movie, a role which has earned him International recognition. Though people went to the theatres to see Carrie, Samantha, Miranda and Charlotte, they left with one thing on their mind....Gilles's shower scene.

At this point in Gilles career it is necessary to use a term not often heard much any more, Matinee Idol.  Gilles is that and much more.  It is hard not to find good things to say about the man.

One of the most interesting aspects of watching Gilles Marini on Dancing with the Stars is watching his wife, Carole.  Each time Gilles dances the camera pans to Carol and the expression on her face is pure pride.  I sometimes think behind that beautiful smile of hers she is thinking 'Eat your heart out bitches, he is all mine'.

To be honest, I doubt there is much to stand in the way of Gilles taking the Dancing with the Stars title this season.  Gilles is not only handsome with a huge female fan base, he brings immense talent to the dance floor which gives him all the credibility in the world.  Having said that I only have to remember the number of injuries this season and hope the same doesn't befall Gilles.

I would like to delude myself into believing it is a 3 way battle between Gilles, Mellisa and Lil'Kim but in reality it is likely only a two way battle between Lil'kim and Mellisa for second place.

Tune in Monday night at 8/7c on ABC to catch the next round of Dancing with the Stars.

http://www.tvgrapevine.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=3465:dancing-with-the-stars-is-gilles-marini-the-best&catid=81:dancing-with-the-stars-2009
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on April 13, 2009, 09:49:58 AM
Chuck Wicks Says Marriage "Definitely in the Future"

Chuck Wicks ended last week's Viennese waltz down on his knees in front of galpal Julianne Hough on Dancing with the Stars, but that's just all for show — for now. The country singer tells TVGuide.com that marriage is definitely in the cards and that he already knows how he's not going to pop the question. Find out what he's got planned and why he thinks this week will be his big breakthrough.

TVGuide.com: How are rehearsals going?
Chuck Wicks: Good. I'm actually heading to Best Buy right now to get some movies. We're kind of bored, you know, after we practice, and we're running out of things to watch, so I'm going to go stock up on movies.

TVGuide.com: For a date night?
Wicks: Oh my gosh! We need a date night. We spend literally 24/7 together, but I bet you 23 of those hours are working. The other day, we had five hours together so we went to the mall, saw a movie, had dinner together. It's the simplest things in the world that people take for granted and when you have them back, you're like, "We're lucky."

TVGuide.com: Is it hard for you to draw a line between being partners on the show and boyfriend/girlfriend?
Wicks: No, but I'd be lying if I said we didn't have our moments where we argue about things. The first two days of every week when I learn a new dance are really tough for me because I get really frustrated. So she gets really frustrated. Sometimes we'll just have one of those moments where I just walk away to collect my thoughts to come back with a clear head and a better attitude. Sometimes that carries over after we're done, but we've been really good about catching ourselves and realizing that at the end of the day it's just a show and we're having fun. You're an amazing dancer and I'm horrible [Laughs].

TVGuide.com: Now that's not true.
Wicks: You have no idea! I have so much pressure since we're dating and she's won it twice! I'm going to feel horrible if I can't at least have a decent showing and I'm the one that actually has chemistry with her.

TVGuide.com: You have the rumba next?
Wicks: Yes. It's the dance of love. It's actually been a lot of fun for me because I get to get up close and personal with her and we already have that chemistry locked in, so I think that's an advantage of us. What's not an advantage is that I still have to learn the steps! But that's what I'm gonna try to bring this week — not trying to think too much about the dance steps, but just being out there with Julianne and trying to bring that passion through. When I get out there, I think a lot, I get nervous and this week I think I might have a chance to put that aside and show raw emotion. ... As each week goes by, I just get more comfortable with the setting, with the nerves, and I feel like I'm finally getting to a place where I need to let it all go and see what happens.

TVGuide.com: Speaking of, I think some of your dances have looked like the first dance at your wedding. Then last week there was all the hoopla about you ending the dance on your knees. Is there something we should know?
Wicks: I will tell you that we have a great, great relationship. We definitely talk about it. It's definitely in the future. It's one of those things where it's supposed to be a surprise! I'll tell you this — I'm not going to do it on the show, but it's not like we don't talk about it or think about it or we don't know that that's the next step. All in due time. Right now we love where we are and we definitely want to grow from where we are. That's like the safest answer in the world, huh? [Laughs]

TVGuide.com: You already have a few dances in your pocket for your first dance.
Wicks: That's true. I can't wait. Here's the cool thing: When most people learn to dance, they learn with someone they're not with. I'm already with mine, so the minute we're invited to a ballroom party, we're going to tear it up.

TVGuide.com: Are you OK with girly moves now?
Wicks: I've gotten past the girly moves, yes. [Laughs] I figured: You know what, if I'm doing girly moves, there's not a better way to do it than next to her.

TVGuide.com: In the dance-off, do you think it's fair the judges get to score again, but fans don't get to vote again?
Wicks: I've never been a fan of the dance-off. Here's the deal: At the end of the day, you can be the worst dancer in the world, but if you have the fans in your back pocket and you're going up against someone who doesn't have a big fan base but is a better dancer than you, it's not even going to matter. It's nice to get re-scored, but the fans should be able to re-vote. I wish it was done that way. If the judges are the only ones that can [have an opinion on it], then let just the judges' scores count. Don't factor in the fans. Let the dance count. Any time you do something for the first time like this, there are going to be holes they have to work through, but it's unfortunate that we're the season that has to work through it!

TVGuide.com: Does this affect who you see as your biggest competition?
Wicks: After watching Gilles, you feel like everybody's fighting for second place. Obviously he's the one to beat because he's consistently doing really well, but at the same time, it's anybody's game. There are three people who are continuously getting 9s and 10s, but there have been two weeks where the lowest scorers haven't been in the bottom two. The hardest person to beat is myself. I can only control myself and how I do.

http://www.tvguide.com/Dancing-Stars/Dancings-Chuck-Wicks-1004991.aspx   
 
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on April 13, 2009, 01:45:29 PM
ABC Press Release:

Monday, April 13, 2009
ABC Television Network
PRESS RELEASE - PRESS RELEASE - ENTERTAINMENT -
CORRECTION/UPDATE

As of MONDAY, APRIL 13, 2009 (all times ET unless noted)
MONDAY, APRIL 27
8:00 - 9:32 PM
SCHEDULED    Tonight's program is "DANCING WITH THE STARS: Episode 808" -
(TV-PG,L) (HD/5.1; Spanish audio via SAP) (CC)


TUESDAY, APRIL 28
9:00 - 10:02 PM
SCHEDULED    Tonight's program is "DANCING WITH THE STARS THE RESULTS SHOW: Episode 808A" - (TV-PG,L) (HD/5.1; Spanish audio via SAP) (CC)

http://www.abcmedianet.com/web/dnr/dispDNR.aspx?id=041309_19
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on April 13, 2009, 03:34:40 PM
click on link below to view video

New Video: 'Dancing with the Stars' Duo Gets Pedicures

After weeks of hotfooting it on "Dancing"'s firm ballroom floor, Shawn Johnson and Mark Ballas' feet deserve some sweet relief, and ET is there as the "DWTS" duo gets pedicures!

Click the video to watch Shawn enjoy the grade-A treatment at L.A.'s Pampered Hands Nail Spa, while her pro partner Mark feels a bit unsure about getting his first-ever pedicure -- and his season six partner, "DWTS" champ Kristi Yamaguchi, calls in to joke with him about it!

See Mark and Shawn perform the rumba tonight at 8 p.m. on "Dancing with the Stars," only on ABC.

http://www.etonline.com/news/2009/04/72707/index.html
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on April 13, 2009, 06:00:12 PM
Steve-O's myspace bulletin post:

Steve-O on Dancing with the Stars TONIGHT!

It's Week 6 and Steve-O & Lacey are still on Dancing with the Stars! Don't miss their next dance LIVE tonight (April 13th) at 8pm on ABC! To keep them on the show, you can text or phone in your votes for 30 minutes after the show airs in your time zone. You can vote 8 times from each line. You can also sign up online and vote until noon the following day.
You get up to 8 online votes from each email address as well:

Phone: 800-VOTE4-04 (800-868-3404)
Text: VOTE to 3404
Online: ABC.com

http://bulletins.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=bulletin.read&authorID=2231003&messageID=6408293786
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on April 13, 2009, 08:31:08 PM
Week 6 Dancing Scoreboard:

J=Jive
R=Rumba

TEAM                     DANCE  CARRIE ANN  LEN  BRUNO    TOTAL

Ty/Chelsie                  J               6         6       6            18

Shawn/Mark               R               8         9       9             26             

Lawrence/Edyta          J               7         7       8             22

Melissa/Tony              R               9         9       9             27

Lil' Kim/Derek              J               10        8       10           28

Steve-O/Lacey           R                7        4        5            16

Gilles/Cheryl               J                9         8        9            26   

Chuck/Julianne           R                8         7        8            23             
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: apskip on April 13, 2009, 09:44:59 PM
The fight to avoid the last place elimination appears to be between SteveO and Ty. Lawrence and Chuck did well enough that they should not be involved in tomorrow's night's dance-off, but you never how what the audience will vote.

The judges have continued to rate the 4 top teams highly and they deserve it. The most interesting elimination will be the one going from 4 celebrities left to 3 celebrities left when one of them will have to be eliminated.
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on April 13, 2009, 09:54:48 PM
Even though Steve-O got the lowest score again tonight, I think he will escape the dance-off again. I think it will be Lawrence and Ty. I think it's Ty's swan song this week.

Lawrence next week

Followed by Steve-O

and then Chuck

FINAL FOUR:

Gilles/Cheryl
Melissa/Tony
Lil' Kim/Derek
Shawn/Mark

FINAL THREE:

Gilles/Cheryl
Melissa/Tony
Lil' Kim/Derek

FINAL TWO:

Gilles/Cheryl
Melissa/Tony

CHAMPIONS:

too close to call
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on April 13, 2009, 10:43:59 PM
Dancing with the Stars Episode Recap: Monday, April 13, 2009

t's time to get romantic and jubilant as The top 8 tackle the rumba and the jive on this week's Dancing with the Stars. Who had the chemistry down and who fell flat? Find out below.

This is the halfway point in the competition, which means less clothing! For the ladies! Is Julianne going to work the street corner after this? Damn. Well, Gilles can't have all the attention, right? This is the last week of one-dance-per-dancer, so let's relish it.

Ty Murray & Chelsie Hightower: Jive
Chelsie's trying to unwind Ty, but he doesn't know what part to loosen up, so she brings in a trampoline. I have never seen a person look more lost with a trampoline. Just jump, dude. Don't ask how high. They've finally brought out the cowboy get-up! This is gonna rock already. Except it doesn't. Ty looks like he's about three speeds behind Chelsie and just learned how to walk, much less dance. He is still beyond charming and so aw-shucks that you can forgive him for any misstep. Or 20. Len appreciates that he tries, but it wasn't that good. Bruno says he's a wild animal and also a gentleman. You don't find those a lot. Carrie Ann thinks it was exciting, but tough to watch.
Score: 18

Shawn Johnson & Mark Ballas: Rumba
Shawn told me she's "scared to death" about this, but I feel like she's going to rock it. She feels self-conscious and out of her comfort zone with the romantic rumba. Mark being a tool probably doesn't help. He eventually decides to throw her a prom since a) she's missing it this year and b) it will help her get into character. Aww. I need an insulin shot to deal with all this sweetness. Shawn's giving Lil Kim a run for her money with her gamely gams. The faux prom helped a little bit because you can tell she's trying to stick with the character. Her extensions, though, are gorgeous and the dance, while not sensual, is romantic in a Jonas Brothers-song kind of way. I'd usually say that's a bad thing, but it's good in this case. I think this is a totally age-appropriate yet mature routine for her, so big ups to Mark. Bruno loves the innocence and the hint of the devil and wants more hip movement (I think her Grecian-style dress was designed to hide the lack thereof). Carrie Ann understands that it's difficult for her but thinks they came alive in the middle. Len thinks they got it just right.
Score: 26

Lawrence Taylor & Edyta Sliwinska: Jive
LT said the dance-off was a nightmare. This is his way of showing he cares. He can't get into the jive now and can't fake the smile on his face. Um, has he ever had a smile? Along comes Warren Sapp to lighten the mood. Edyta has no idea WTF is going. I think her legs are more covered than the upper half of her body. Nothing new, I guess. Plus, we all know leg-warmers are anything but new. What is new? LT can move. Somewhat. His footwork's still a little heavy, but he's moving more than Ty was, so that's something. But more importantly, he actually looks like he's enjoying this. I never thought we'd see the day. Blame Warren. Carrie Ann says he's got his groove back. Len appreciates the different side in his personality. Bruno wants Warren attached to him from now on. Backstage, LT admits Warren reminded him to have fun. And what have you been doing the past few weeks, Edyta?
Score: 22

Melissa Rycroft & Tony Dovolani: Rumba
Tony wants her to pretend there's a 10-karat diamond on her ring finger. Except it's empty. Good job, Tony. As punishment, he has to wear a tie-dyed version of Mark's see-through bedazzled shirt. Tramp-stamp cover-up sequin this week is a flower. And there's also one in her hair! That's planning, people. Anyhow, Melissa looks like she's trying way hard to get into character and yet still can't feign love for Tony. They look really steamy, but I don't really feel any chemistry between them. It's basically how I feel about any Sarah Jessica Parker on-screen coupling. The movements look really hard and sharp for a rumba. Unlike last week, though, she's pulling them off cleanly. It was a decent effort, but I still feel like something's lacking. Len likes the choreography, but wants it more earthy and less balletic. Bruno likes her contortionist body, or something. He wants Melissa the Maneater next. Carrie Ann loves the emotional quality, but wants her hips moving.
Score: 27

Lil Kim & Derek Hough: Jive
Derek thinks Kim can overtake Gilles with her "edge" this week, meaning '50s-style cars. I suddenly have a craving for Johnny Rockets. Ms. Federal Detention Center is rockin' a jailhouse theme (get it?). Love! The routine is snappy, snazzy, dynamic and so full of life that you'd think Kim really did have this much fun behind bars. I don't really see that many jive steps here, however. It kind of looks more like a freestyle. Where are all those kicks and stuff (yeah, stuff!)? They seem to be performing just for the sake of performing. I have to say Kim has the perfect personality for this show. She gets a rowdy standing O from the audience, which includes Queen Latifah, aka Mama Morton herself. Coincidence? I think not. Bruno wants her to arrest him and frisk him. Save it for after the show. Carrie Ann lost jewelry in her jubilance. Calm down, guys. Len finds it too theatrical and not really a jive. And the wind just left their sails.
Score: 28

Steve-O & Lacey Schwimmer: Rumba
Steve-O's going to give his fans all the love he's got. And himself. But not Lacey. His farts smell like mildew, by the way. Steve-O can't be romantic with Lacey, so she brings in his pup, Boogie. So he has to picture Lacey as a bitch. I mean, dog. I thought Lacey was wearing workout shorts, but it's actually granny panty lingerie. Lacey in lace would be too obvious, people! This is... what it is. There still isn't much improvement, but Steve-O's a trooper and there is something endearing and, dare I say, romantic about this dance. The most cringe-worthy parts, however, are when he's standing still and takes one awkward step off-beat. Sigh. "A" for effort, right? Carrie Ann thinks he's oddly mesmerizing and admires his commitment. Len can't be kind and says it's no good. Bruno loves racy Lacey, but not puppy-eyed Steve-O.
Score: 16

Gilles Marini & Cheryl Burke: Jive
No more sexy time for Gilles. He has to show his teeth now and look cool. But he's not cool. No, just sexy... and a soccer stud. He's clothed this week, a little bit. How much does a leather vest count? This is incredibly goth for a jive... and a little too fast. Gilles wasn't kidding when he said Cheryl stuffed this with 400 or so moves. If this is Cheryl's way of upping the ante, it's not a good idea. I'm getting a headache watching this, or maybe it's from the lighting. He's still rockin' and attacking the dance, though, and I appreciate the little solos Cheryl always puts in for Gilles every week. Len thinks it's too frantic and noticed a misstep. Bruno thinks he's close to reaching the speed of light as a mad squirrel. Carrie Ann calls him out on the awkward arm movements. It's his shoulder injury, he says.
Score: 26

Chuck Wicks & Julianne Hough: Rumba
Chuck told me he thinks this will be his breakthrough dance because the love's already there, ya know. Things got too heated and unromantic in rehearsals, so Julianne takes him back to the site of their first date at the Santa Monica pier and they re-kiss their first kiss. "It's so good to be your girl right now." Who writes this stuff? After the schmaltz, they're ready to dance, lace and all. Chuck's got the black lace version of Mark's shirt. Julianne just borrowed something from Heidi Fleiss. I hate the frantic head-turning and hair-tussling combo that's supposed to constitute sensuality. It's a turn-off, if nothing else. Unfortunately for Chuckie boy, this is not going to be his breakout dance. Cognizant of the chemistry talk on the line, they both seem to be trying really hard with the "raw emotion" and it's coming off artificial. I'm sure they do have chemistry when the cameras are off, but I'm not sure that's ever going to make it to the dance floor at this point. And if that's Chuck's sexy face, I definitely don't want to be his girl. Yeesh. He's kind of on and off throughout the whole thing, and he's bringing the "emotion" at the expense of his technique. Bruno loves the raunch factor, but wants him to work on his footwork. Carrie Ann's getting hot flashes. But it could also be menopause. Len thinks the dance was better suited for the bedroom. Oh, uptight Brits!
Score: 23

What do you think? Did any rumbas leave you hot and bothered? Did you jump for joy for any jives? Did Bruno and Carrie Ann go overboard with their Lil Kim love? Is Len PMS-ing like whoa this week? Who do you think will leave Tuesday?

http://www.tvguide.com/Episode-Recaps/dancing-stars/Dancing-Stars-Episode-1005020.aspx   
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on April 14, 2009, 09:04:32 AM
click on link below to view video

Maksim Gets Personal with 'Dancing' Stars


After the jumping jives and sexy rumbas on Monday's "Dancing with the Stars," the contestants opened up to ET about their strategies, wardrobe malfunctions, surprise proms, and first dates!

ET's "Dancing" correspondent Maksim Chmerkovskiy spoke with partners and real life couple Julianne Hough and Chuck Wicks about heating things up on the dance floor.

"I thought we did exactly what we were supposed to do," Chuck Wicks tells ET about the couple's sensual rumba. "Bring passion, make it feel like it was in a bedroom like Len [Goodman] said."

Watch the video to hear about Lil' Kim's wardrobe malfunction, the prom Mark Ballas recreated for his partner Shawn Johnson -- and Julianne and Chuck share details about their first date and first kiss!

http://www.etonline.com/news/2009/04/72767/index.html
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on April 14, 2009, 09:11:24 AM
Gilles Marini: I Need Surgery

He’s been ailing since last February, but Gilles Marini is hanging in thanks to his partner Cheryl Burke’s “trick” choreography.

“I used only my right arm [for the jive]. Go check it out,” Marini says of Monday night’s high-energy jive. “She makes sure I only do what I can do. I didn’t use my left arm. I need surgery because the bones [in the left shoulder] have separated. So after the show I will get surgery and that will take a day and about three weeks to recover and I’ll move on with life.”

Two seasons ago Burke’s partner Christian de la Fuente tore a tendon in his left bicep while performing the samba. De la Fuenta had surgery last May and tells PEOPLE, “I’m one hundred percent better now.”

Marini is confident he will be fine, too, and says the injury may have been avoidable if he’d only listened to Burke.

“I tell you, I did not listen to her. I did not pose my arm, I just yanked at it when we did the cha cha because I did not know better and I completely separated it,” Marini says. “Now I know better and it will be fine.”

http://tvwatch.people.com/2009/04/14/gilles-marini-i-need-surgery/
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on April 14, 2009, 09:23:32 AM
Dancing Recap: Lil’ Kim Wows the Crowd

Contenders or pretenders? This week marked the halfway point in the competition and the dancers showed who’s really it in for the win. A new leader emerged with Lil’ Kim’s jumping jive and Shawn got a rousing standing ovation for her rumba. But Steve-O and Ty just couldn’t nail down their routines and fell flat with the judges.

Ty Murray literally kicked off the night with a jive that incorporated touch line dancing that allowed the rodeo champ to show off some fancy footwork. Looking a bit stiff throughout the routine, Murray then “went for the jive like a wild animal,” Bruno Tonioli said. “You did about 20,000 kicks and flicks and none of them were right.” He was applauded for his charm and effort but that still wasn’t enough to get him more points. “Unfortunately tonight it took a long while to get started and once you did start it wasn’t that good,” said Len Goodman.

Slow dances seem to be Shawn Johnson’s forte. The gymnast, who’s gotten rave reviews for her waltzes, got the crowd on its feet with a sensual, romantic – and “age appropriate” (as pointed out by partner Mark Ballas) – rumba. Carrie Ann Inaba could “see the discomfort in your eyes at the beginning” but once relaxed she “came to life.” “The rumba is a bit like a fire,” Goodman explained. “It can be warm and it could burn. I think you got this just right.”

Edyta Sliwinska got some teaching aid from former Dancing star Warren Sapp, who paid a visit to one of Lawrence Taylor’s practices. The football champs goofed around but got down to business with Taylor highlighting his lighter footsteps and not-so-serious personality. “You brought your groove back!” Inaba exclaimed about his jive. “You were having a good time. You were on it all the way,” added Tonioli. “You never lost timing.”

Melissa Rycroft mirrored Shawn’s elegance in a rumba that Goodman praised was both clean and precise but could also be “a bit more earthy.” While the Bachelor star may be one of this season’s breakout stars, the judges agreed she’ll have to let go and not hold back to improve. “What I want to see in the future is Melissa the maneater,” Tonioli said. “Go for it, girl, because you’ve got everything to gain.”

Lil’ Kim proved why she’s tough competition for the early front runners, jiving her way to the top of the leader board with an energy-packed number. Dancing along to “Jailhouse Rock,” the hip-hop star and partner Derek Hough had almost all the judges squealing and jumping from their seats. “Guilty! Arrest me! Frisk me!” Tonioli joked. “That was amazing, I don’t know how you do it!” said Inaba. One person who wasn’t as thrilled: Goodman, who slammed the pair for being too “theatrical” and neglecting to put on a “formal jive.”

As for Steve-O, who had the misfortune of following Lil’ Kim’s electric jive, the judges criticized his rumba for lacking hip action and coordinated footwork. The Jackass stuntman was also hit with some harsh comparisons to a “confused puppy.” His awkward moments and hesitancy throughout the dance had people responding but for all the wrong reasons, according to Tonioli, who simply described the dancing as “bad.”

The Italian judge also had some choice words for Gilles Marini. “You looked like a mad squirrel,” he told the actor about his fast-paced jive. Goodman echoed the same thoughts, telling him and partner Cheryl Burke that the whole dance looked “a bit frantic.” The head judge, however, did give props to the duo for “very nice footwork.”

Described as one of the most passionate and sexy numbers this week, Chuck Wicks’s rumba wrapped up the night and had most of the judges begging for more. While the chemistry was there with girlfriend and partner Julianne Hough, the country singer was advised to work on technique –- and to keep everything PG rated. “For me, parts of that was more suitable for the bedroom than the ballroom,” said Goodman. “This was for me too much in the face, a little too raunchy!” –Eunice Oh

Here’s how the remaining eight contestants stacked up after Monday’s dance:
Ty & Chelsie: 18 out of 30 for their jive
Shawn & Mark: 26 out of 30 for their rumba
Lawrence & Edyta: 22 out of 30 for their jive
Melissa & Tony: 27 out of 30 for their rumba
Lil’ Kim & Derek: 28 out of 30 for their jive
Steve-O & Lacey: 16 out of 30 for their rumba (7, 4 5,
Gilles & Cheryl: 26 out of 30 for their jive
Chuck & Julianne: 23 out of 30 for their rumba

Tell us: Can you believe Lil’ Kim has taken the lead? Did the judges score Gilles & Cheryl too harshly? And who will be in tonight’s dreaded dance-off?

http://tvwatch.people.com/2009/04/14/dancing-recap-lil-kim-wows-the-crowd/
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on April 14, 2009, 10:04:52 AM
DWTS' Derek Hough Teases Lil' Kim About Wardrobe Malfunction 

Derek Hough can't stop laughing about partner Lil' Kim's wardrobe malfunction on Monday's Dancing With the Stars.

"She desperately tried to pull a Janet Jackson!" he told Usmagazine.com after she had some trouble with her top at the end of a jive. (The blip was edited out by the time the show was rebroadcast on the West Coast.)

"Don't say that!" Kim interrupted. "That's a whole other show! I'd have to get paid a lot a lot of money!"

Hough added that host Tom Bergeron "covered up the girls, that is for sure."

The malfunction didn't seem to bother the judges: Kim and Hough earned the night's best score, a 28 out of a 30.

Hough still can't get over how good she looked.

"When she came out, I'm not going to say what I said, but...." he began.

"No, say it - I like to hear it!!!" Kim interjected.

"I was like, 'Yeah, I'd hit that!'" he teased.

Joked Kim, "I saw him checking me out!"

Kidding aside, Hough is still dating former contestant Shannon Elizabeth.

"Shannon, Derek's girlfriend, is so amazing," Kim told Us. "She keeps him calm at practice, so that is a good thing for me!"

Said Hough, "Shannon is always on hand, taking lots of pictures, bringing snacks and keeping our spirits up in rehearsals! She's the best."

http://www.usmagazine.com/news/dwts-derek-hough-jokes-about-lil-kims-wardrobe-malfunction+-2009144
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on April 14, 2009, 10:32:42 AM
'Dancing With the Stars' Recap: A Rumba in the Jungle

Last night's Dancing With the Stars halftime show featured plenty of bizarre stunts. Namely: Frantic rumbas with liberty and whiplash for all. Somber, all-black jive costumes. A self-proclaimed ''man's man'' cloaked in a form-fitting sequined lace shirt. Tom Bergeron detecting, protecting, and correcting an exposed Lil' Kim nipple guard. The long-lost Tasty Chilean Sea Bass of a Man winking his way back into our hearts because he'll be on Brothers & Sisters this Sunday! It was all crazy and nonsensical, DANCMSTRs, which is to say it was business as usual on our favorite televised quest for a hardened knob of glitter. Here's how the eight remaining couples ranked after dancing either the jive or the rumba on week 6....

Lil' Kim and Derek: 28 out of possible 30 points Their jive, cheekily set to ''Jailhouse Rock,'' easily could have served as the couple's final-three freestyle routine instead. DANCMSTR complained about the excessive theatrics, while Bruno and Carrie Ann flipped the eff out over the jive's brilliance. ''I am guilty of love in the first degree!'' wailed a begging-to-be-handcuffed Bruno, while C.A. executed one of her trademark Standing Whoops. You know Carrie Ann truly thought a performance was amazing if the next sentence out of her mouth is ''Where'd my diamonds go?'' Personally, I caught some mistakes by Lil' Kim on my first watch and couldn't understand the 10s, but on my second try, I was pretty much in awe of Derek's clever choreography and completely ridiculous hair. Considering this was Lil' Kim, the theme was ''prison,'' and the rehearsal segment featured fried food, this couple's ''jive'' might be one of my favorite DWTS performances, ever. But was it worthy of 10s? Nah. Did anyone else nearly taste those chocolate shakes through their TVs and then die a little inside upon the realization that there's about a 2% chance Lil' Kim and Derek actually drank them?

Melissa Rycroft and Tony: 27/30 I love Easter (candy), but even I could not get behind this couple's Easter Bunny pink-and-yellow ''gradient effect'' costumes. I kept expecting them to ditch the rumba and hunt for eggs in the nooks and crannies of the judges' desk. (In your dreams, Bruno!) Their rumba was technically precise, but DANCMSTR hit it on the head (bopped Little Bunny Foo Foo on the head? Okay, enough) with his suggestion that Melissa ''could be a bit more earthy.'' Despite the progress in emotional depth that Tony insisted she'd made over the weeks, Melissa's performance felt pretty flat to me. Maybe I was too focused on the half-baked Beyoncé impression assaulting my ears. ''If I Was a Boy'' did seem lyrically appropriate for Melissa, at least. I kept imagining how she might improvise the lines: ''If I Was a Boy...they probably wouldn't enhance my classy lower back tattoo with purple sparkles…'' and so on. How funny was Tony with that engagement ring analogy during rehearsal? I also loved his quintessential Sappy Days compliment to Melissa: ''The beauty's coming through you like a beam!'' Awwwwww. That's so Tony!

Shawn Johnson and Mark: 26/30 Uh oh! The rumba's the ''bedroom dance,'' and Shawn's a 17-year-old girl, so clearly a fabulous balloon-heavy prom-for-two to emphasize the fact that no one is taking her precious innocence lightly! was in order. I cracked up when Mark presented her with that sequined prom gown...what if it'd been fringed prom pants?! Shawn's was easily my favorite rumba of the night, and DANCMSTR's ''simplicity is the way to go'' advice rang true again for Team Shark. Instead of thrashing around and simulating various sexual acts (ahem, Julianne), Shawn showed control and a slight, though restrained, sultriness throughout, and Mark really ramped it up with the light cheek grazing. (This gushing text message just in from EW.com's Mandi Bierly: ''I love, love, love the way Mark kept putting his face right into Shawn's. Such a good way to keep the connection. It's the cold meds. I'm way too obsessed.'') No such thing, my dear colleague. DANCMSTR paid Team Shark a Goldilocks-inspired compliment: that the rumba can be warm or it can burn, but these two ''got it exactly right.'' He probably just had porridge on the mind, because it goes well with his favorite snack of a cheese roll and a cup o' tea. Ready for the least likely sentence of this recap? I didn't even realize Mark was wearing a sheer shirt with clear sequins until the dance was nearly over, because Shawn looked so beautiful and I was watching her instead. Which is the point of this television program! Success!

Gilles Marini and Cheryl: 26/30 Is it just me, or would Gilles' sporty soccer outfit (yellow knee socks, I'm looking at you) have made a much more appropriate jive costume than those strange leather getups? Neither the pair's costumes nor their song choice — Fall Out Boy's ''Dance, Dance'' — jibed with the jive last night. The song, especially, was so frantic and unsettling that its dramatics may have worked for a paso doble, but even that's a stretch. Gilles could definitely keep up with the beat, but it was almost like he and Cheryl were ''winning'' the ''race'' against the music, and as the song was imploring its live accompaniment to ''dance, dance'' anyway, it made for a rather confusing conflict that never should have existed in the first place. At least the set designers didn't decide this would be Astro Turf Week for the ballroom floor, because then Gilles would have been writhing around in delight the entire time. And then Steve-O's dog Boogie would take a poop mid-field. And then Steve-O would fart in everyone's face. (Only one of those three scenarios did not occur last night.) Season 6's Latin Lover extraordinaire Cristián de la Fuente looked gorgeous, but my sister and I detected a slight air of defeat, as if he could feel his ''foreign deliciousness'' status melting away as fast as papaya chutney might slide off of a tasty sea bass filet. Never, Cristián! Never. ''Zheeeeel'' doesn't even have a protein assigned to him yet!

Chuck Wicks and Julianne: 23/30 The couple with very little discernible chemistry got scared that no one would believe they had any chemistry. So they decided to recreate their first date at the Santa Monica Pier, which featured churros, the ferris wheel, and inexplicable dialogue like ''I'm so glad to be your girl right now.'' (Who says that?) If they were aiming for consistency between what we saw during that segment and what we saw in the ballroom, perhaps Chuck and Julianne's fabricated first date should have taken place on a run-down street corner at 2 a.m. Julianne's thigh-high lace fishnets certainly distracted from whatever Chuck was doing during that dance. We shall never know exactly what that was. The jerks! The whipping spins! The thrashing of Julianne's hooker hair! It was all way, way too frantic for a rumba. ''A bit too rawwwwwnchy,'' said DANCMSTR.

Lawrence Taylor and Lady Legwarmer: 22/30 ''Where's the NFL diva?'' Why, he's pouting right here, waiting for you, season 7 runner-up Warren Sapp! Warren swooped down on L.T.'s rehearsal, mostly to make him smile for once, and for some mild (to NFL divas, at least) physical contact. Watch Lady L.'s facial expressions throughout all of this, if you get the chance. She's slightly amused, but you can tell her thoughts have meandered down a legwarmer-lined sparkly brick road and she's really wondering, ''Can I pull off neon melon boot-cut legwarmers that are supposed to match my partner's costume but will end up clashing with it instead?'' The answer was obvious: Not really! Even so, LT was able to bring his groove back a bit for their week 6 jive. I do consider it an improvement that he smiled a few times and bent his knees and sort of swiveled a bit. But for such a large guy, I'm getting pretty fed up with his limited range of movement.

Ty Murray and Chelsie: 18/30 Seriously, what was with the weird trend of mostly black jive costumes last night? I can't imagine anything less suited to complement a jive (or a sparkly American Flag tube top, for that matter) than a spooky witch skirt and a prince of darkness getup for our Cute Cowboy, Ty. He was kicking that hula hoop's ass during rehearsal footage, but his hip action failed to move the judges to whoop through joyful tears (Weepy), grin smugly (Grumpy), or contort themselves into giant indiscriminate balloon animals (Dopey). Instead, they complimented Ty's gentlemanly nature, said he wasn't suited for the jive, and gave him straight 6s. I didn't think he was that bad. He got that ''slide'' part right! Ty may be as ''bewildered'' as DANCMSTR thinks he is, but people think he's adorable and I say he stays tonight over LT, Chuck, or Steve-O.

Steve-O and a Victoria's Secret Angel: 16/30 Lacey decided to wear her negligible jammies to the ballroom last night, as if in defiant response to her partner's treatment of the rehearsal studio like another shared room in their house, the bathroom. Dude would not stop farting, and it smelled like mildew. Ewwwwwww.com. The segment did produce an invaluable and quintessential Dancing With the Stars mantra, though — ''The passion that you have with your dog right now? That's exactly what you need with your rumba.'' Timeless wisdom right there. After Steve-O and Lacey's rudimentary rumba and a fun cut to Wee Man (no Wee Girl behind him this time), Weepy broke free of Grumpy and Dopey's ''you're no good!'' vibe and claimed to have been ''totally taken in'' by Steve-O's ''oddly mesmerizing'' performance. I see her point, but wonder if she caught one too many of Steve-O's magical trance-inducing gas fumes. Still. A freakin' 4, DANCMSTR? Really? Worse than Woz? I think not!

http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20272208,00.html
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on April 14, 2009, 11:38:38 AM
Monday’s Dancing: What You Didn’t See

Take a Number, Man: It’s no secret he’s a hit with the ladies, but actor Gilles Marini is acquiring quite a male fan base. “That’s my bromance for the season,” pro hoofer Tony Dovolani declared to PEOPLE. “We get along so well. We’re both Europeans, we both like soccer, we like a lot of the same things.” For Marini, the feeling is mutual. “Steve-O I love. Tony I love,” Marini declared. “Everyone of us has a little something to tell and to show and to share and it’s like a big bonding.”

Even actor Cristian de la Fuente, who took time out from guest starring in USA Network’s In Plain Sight to root for his former partner Cheryl Burke, is smitten. “I just met him two hours ago and I’m falling in love with him,” de la Fuente said of Marini. “If he had longer hair… I may date him. But he’s married and I’m married and, oh well. But he is cute and he’s got that French accent, you know?” Oh, we know…

Royal Gesture: Lil’ Kim and Derek Hough ignited the studio audience with their high energy “Jailhouse Rock” jive. Kim’s biggest fan Monday night? Pal Queen Latifah, who sprang to her feet and applauded wildly the minute the dance ended. “She’s like my big sister and she is so busy, but she called me and she said, ‘I am coming, I am coming!’” Kim recounted minutes after the show ended. “She said she was in tears she was so proud of me.”

Kim’s partner, Hough, was proud of her, too. “She came up with half the choreography,” Hough revealed. “That routine was choreographed in about two and a half hours. Some routines take days but that one came together so fast. It was such a great team effort.” While their jive brought the house down, it was not without two simultaneous wardrobe malfunctions. The fast-paced routine coupled with Kim’s skimpy outfit caused the hook on her top to come undone while she and Hough were being scored by the judges. At the same time, judge Carrie Ann Inaba was so blown away the duo’s performance, the bracelet she was wearing flew off her right wrist and into the audience. “That was sweet,” Hough said. “I thought she was giving us diamonds. Like here, take this $10,000 bracelet, please.” Alas, no such luck. Inaba retrieved the bauble and affixed it firmly back onto her wrist.

Going Over to the Dark Side: Season 8 is at the halfway mark, but the spray tans may have already gone well over the line. Take good old country boy Chuck Wicks, who readily admits he’s willing to do whatever it takes to be a dancer. “I’m addicted to the spray tans,” Wicks told PEOPLE, much to the chagrin of his girlfriend and dance partner Julianne Hough. “He gets his before I get mine,” Hough jokingly huffed. “I look forward to every Sunday,” continued Wicks. “I love Sundays because Sunday is spray tan day. I wear pants and a towel so they don’t get the spray tan on my pants. I shaved my chest. I did it all this week.”

And the couple managed to look — and dance — the part of the rumba. Wicks and Hough’s mutual passion oozed throughout their dance, which had Inaba and Bruno Tonioli squirming in their seats and fanning themselves. “That’s exactly what we wanted to do,” Wicks said. “We were happy with the Carrie Ann, but a little awkward with the Bruno,” Hough joked, acknowledging that their performance was a departure from what fans have come to expect from them. “We’ve always been the sweet, romantic couple, and now we got to be the sexy couple,” Hough said. “I got to have some fun. I got to show that I’ve been on the show for two years and I’ve grown up!”

Rumba Secrets: Sultry, steamy, seductive are all words to describe a properly executed rumba. But dancing cheek to cheek isn’t the only requirement of the dance. “Breath mints –- about nine or 10 of them before we go out there,” Dovolani joked after the show. He and partner Melissa Rycroft performed the rhythmic dance much to the delight of the audience. But as for her parents sitting in the front row, Rycroft confessed, “I didn’t look at them at all before, during or after we danced. I know they can appreciate it as art and not as this romantic-ness going on on-stage so it’s okay.”

The same thing was true for Mark Ballas and Shawn Johnson, whose rumba managed to be sultry without crossing the line. “My parents knew the dance was going to come up, and they knew what we were doing,” said Johnson. “They loved it. They thought it was a beautiful dance.” As for Johnson’s peach-toned, delicately sequined frock, she says the credit all goes to Ballas for designing it. “It’s my proudest season 8 outfit. I love it,” Ballas said.

http://tvwatch.people.com/2009/04/14/mondays-dancing-what-you-didnt-see-22/
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on April 14, 2009, 12:04:52 PM
Ty's blog:

‘We can’t have anyone lose faith on us’



Obviously we didn't get as good of scores as we would have liked to last night. The Jive is such a fast song that if you miss one little step your behind and then it's a chain reaction, and you can have a mess on your hands pretty quick.

But I thought we were doing a good job on the part before I missed the step. Then, once we recovered, I thought we finished out OK so, I guess, that's the bright side of it.

If we make it past tonight we have the waltz next week.

We can't have anyone lose faith on us. We have actually gotten a nine before and, I think, we can do that again.

Maybe the waltz will be a good one for us. The quickstep and foxtrot went pretty good for us and, I think, the waltz is somewhat similar to the foxtrot.

I still think we have a really strong fan base and that's a good thing because that's what Chelsie and I have to rely on when we don't get great scores, but we'll find all that out tonight on the results show.

It's just like my riding career: you take it one day at a time and try to give it your best every day so that's what I'm going to keep doing. I know that I'm not the best dancer, but we have so much room to improve that if we can get better we can, perhaps, surprise some folks.

I got a good night's sleep. Now we're just going to bare-down and see how it goes tonight.

http://www.pbrnow.com/blog/index.cfm/2009/4/14/We-cant-have-anyone-lose-faith-on-us#more
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on April 14, 2009, 12:28:32 PM
DWTS’ Ty Murray & Jewel To Start Making Babies

(http://i212.photobucket.com/albums/cc289/CuteboiWill/full_jewel_4_wenn2368418.jpg)

Dancing With the Stars’ Ty Murray and Jewel announced after diner at Il Sole that they are going to be starting a family!!  This already cute family will become even cuter.  Unless of course they are just playing with the pappers heads!

http://www.ineedmyfix.com/
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on April 14, 2009, 01:22:32 PM
Restraining Order Extended for Shawn Johnson's Alleged Stalker

The parents of "Dancing with the Stars" participant and Olympic gold medalist Shawn Johnson arrived in court today with her lawyer to seek an extension for the restraining order against Shawn's alleged stalker, Robert O'Ryan.

The restraining order has now been lengthened to an additional three years. The 34-year-old O'Ryan was arrested last month at a CBS studio facility after reportedly carrying loaded guns and attempting to crash the set of "Dancing" in order to meet Shawn.

O'Ryan has pleaded not guilty to all three counts against him in the Shawn Johnson case -- one felony count of stalking and two misdemeanor counts of carrying a loaded firearm in a vehicle.

http://www.etonline.com/news/2009/04/72779/index.html

Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on April 15, 2009, 01:13:34 AM
Dancing with the Stars Episode Recap: Tuesday, April 14, 2009

Dancing with the Stars' Top 8 morphs into the lucky 7 in a revamped results show. What changed? And who got the boot? Find out below.

It's official: Lil Kim's the Queen Bee of this thing. Two encores in a row — except this choice wasn't announced by the judges. Could Len not be swayed? Anyhow, the ladies at the Federal Detention Center must be proud. I don't think I would've picked differently. The only other performance I liked was Shawn's, but definitely not more than Kim's.

Monday night recap time! Ty's spirit is not broken. I need someone that positive in my life. Are cowboys always so happy-go-lucky? Wait, I just thought of Brokeback Mountain. Steve-O doesn't understand Len. It's OK. We don't either. He got a 5 when he forgot his steps, yet gets a 4 for a whole routine and a 7, too. LT is lovin' his 8. Chuck is turned on (TMI) and will take either Carrie Ann or Bruno. Don't forget the pizza.

No results just yet. Instead we get "America" from West Side Story, featuring the Broadway cast. Shucks. I wanted Rita Moreno. Did you know the film version lost only one of its 11 Oscar nominations? It lost screenplay to Judgment at Nuremberg. (I love the Oscars.) Anyhow, back to the — say whaa??! No dance-off?! Like, for good? What the hell is going on? Quit playing games with my heart. I hate when shows talk something up a storm — or rather force everyone to incessantly harangue about something. In this case, the oh-my-god stressfulness of the dance-off — only to randomly do away with it with no explanation.

The lack of a dance-off means a new format. Two couples at a time are called down from the stairs to learn their fate... I think.

Lil Kim & Derek... are safe!
Lawrence & Edyta... are also safe! See what turning a frown upside down can do, LT?

Rascal Flatts are here. I'm sorry, they don't do anything for me. Maybe it's Gary LeVox's nasal crooning or the fact that their songs all sound the same, except for, you know, that "Life Is a Highway" cover. Julianne takes a break from being Chuck's girl to being Tony's. And she's actually clothed... but is that the same dress from her waltz? I know they like to reuse and recycle, but c'mon.

Costume segment. Apparently it's Dancing on Project Runway now. Without the Weinsteins. The pros usually design the costumes and now it's time to switch it up for next week. You crazy kids! Steve-O wants lots of cheetah prints. Ty thinks his denim choice is Ty-rific. Derek doesn't want Kim's pasties. Um, who does? Chuck wants less clothing (I guess he's still turned on?). LT wants more clothing for him and Edyta, even though he knows Edyta is allergic to clothing. Is that a sense of humor I hear?

More results:
Shawn & Mark... are safe!
Melissa & Tony... are also safe!

The Macy's Stars of Dance cabaret performance comes courtesy of the Pussycat Dolls choreographer, Lindsley Allen, and features Carmen Electra, bringing us some "Stuff Like That There." If you know what I mean. Len's completely not amused... until Carmen puts her stuff like that there in his face. Men — so easy to please. So I guess I'm getting punished. Rascal Flatts again? And he butchers the first line of "Revolution." I'm over this.

More time-wasting: body-language expose from Dr. Lillian Glass, who majored in "stating the obvious" with a concentraion in "sounding like a tool." People are nervous? Tense? Unsure? I'm rolling my eyes now. That means you need to shut the hell up.

Next safe couple:
Gilles & Cheryl

Ever notice how they always keep Ty waiting until the last possible minute before declaring him safe? This was true even during his good couple of weeks. I wouldn't be surprised if they do it again... but they don't.

Chuck & Julianne... are safe!

Tom notes that the last two couples standing are not necessarily the bottom two, which, in my mind, just seals Steve-O's fate. Ty's pretty popular with America, I believe, and we know America trumps Jackass. After some final words from the judges, it is in fact Steve-O the man-struate-r & Lacey who are bouncing. That means no cheetah print! And a broken heart for Gilles. Can he carry on without this bromance? "What Hurts the Most" indeed.

http://www.tvguide.com/Episode-Recaps/dancing-stars/Dancing-Stars-Episode-1005069.aspx
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on April 15, 2009, 01:20:12 AM
Ty's blog post: (he's thankful!)

`The fans got us through’

Woohoo! The fans got us through. Chelsie and I were happy to make it and we darn sure wanted a chance to redeem ourselves. We think we'll be able to do it with a slow waltz.

I just got home from the show. After it was done I went to eat dinner with Cody Lambert and his wife Leanne, Keith Ryan Cartwright and Jewel.

We had a nice dinner, but I'm going to hurry up and get in bed because tomorrow I have to get up and go practice our first group dance. Then I'm going to go do the "Chelsea Lately" show on E! and then I'm going to go to practice.

Thanks again for all the support we're getting. I know that it's the power of the fans that is helping to keep us in there.

It's a long day tomorrow so I better make this one short and sweet because I need to get my butt to sleep and make some big improvements.

http://www.pbrnow.com/blog/index.cfm/2009/4/15/The-fans-got-us-through#more
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on April 15, 2009, 10:30:57 AM
David Alan Grier on Jimmy Kimmel Live


credit to jimmykimmellive
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on April 15, 2009, 10:34:32 AM
Steve-O & Lacey on Jimmy Kimmel Live


credit to jimmykimmellive
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on April 15, 2009, 10:47:34 AM
DWTS' Gilles Marini Explains Memory Loss

Dancing With the Stars frontrunner Gilles Marini has a good excuse for why he didn't remember his Monday night jive routine until the 11th hour. It was the Cortisone shot!

We'll let Gilles explain...

"They shot Cortisone and then after two weeks I have to take a lot of medicine," Gilles tells E! News backstage after tonight's elimination show (bye bye Steve-O). Of course, Gilles is talking about his shoulder injury, which he will undergo surgery for once the show ends. "[Cortisone] makes me a little drowsy, so I can't remember the steps."

That might just explain how the fan and judge favorite and his partner Cheryl Burke slipped from first place down to third this week. Cheryl, meanwhile, offers up a possible explanation for the hunky dancer's separated shoulder and why past partners have been injured: "I think they just don't listen to me. I say not to overextend their arms and they don't listen to me."

As for tonight's booted boogier, Steve-O couldn't have taken the bad news better. "It was awesome," he tells us. "I got to stick around as long as Cloris Leachman. Who's the real champion? I got cookies at the end."

He adds, "It's been an experience that allowed me to grow, it actually forced me to grow and I feel like a better person than I was when I first started."

Awww. Dance on Steve-O. Dance on.

http://www.eonline.com/uberblog/watch_with_kristin/b118755_dwts_gilles_marini_explains_memory_loss.html
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on April 15, 2009, 11:07:21 AM
Steve-O Takes His Final Dancing Bow

He was far from the most elegant of dancers, but Jackass star Steve-O handled his departure from Dancing with the Stars with a grace that touched everyone in the ballroom.

“It’s so good to be the worst dancer and keep staying in,” Steve-O told PEOPLE following his elimination. “We lasted as long as Cloris Leachman over here.”

It was an apt reference: despite his poor performances, the stuntman had incredible staying power, much like season 7’s Dancing stalwart Leachman. “I don’t know, man, maybe some of those farts cost me some votes,” he added.

That self-deprecating humor won over plenty of ballroom fans, including Dancing judge Carrie Ann Inaba.

“He’s the most kindest and uplifting and dedicated person. I just fell in love with the person behind the dancer,” she said, adding that she was sad to see him leave the competition.

And though he never mastered the waltz or the rumba, the dance he performed on Monday’s show, Steve-O says he’s grateful for the experience.

“I don’t have anything to be bummed out about,” he said. “Last night was the first time I can say that my performance on television was better than any of the rehearsals leading up to it.”

http://tvwatch.people.com/2009/04/15/spoiler-alert-find-out-who-bid-farewell-on-dancing/#more-11320
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on April 15, 2009, 11:11:16 AM
click on link below to view video

'Dancing' Stars Say Farewell to Steve-O

Steve-O and Lacey Schwimmer were eliminated from the competition on Tuesday night's "Dancing with the Stars" and ET is backstage after the show with the couple and their dancing co-stars.

"I think it was a really positive thing," Steve-O says about his time on the show. "Let's face it, it was a dancing competition - I wasn't going to win it. Maybe I've got some curve balls coming up but I'm going to stay focused on staying sober for now."

Steve-O's partner Lacey Schwimmer tells ET that she actually learned quite a bit from the former "Jackass" star.

"You taught me a lot, it's never really been a dull moment working with you ever," she says. "I have to say thank you for that, and the fact that I actually got to get to know you as a person."

Watch the video to hear the other contestants say goodbye to Steve-O, and the celebrity dancers reveal their plans for next week when they will be designing costumes for their professional partners!

http://www.etonline.com/news/2009/04/72815/index.html
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on April 15, 2009, 11:55:35 AM
Tuesday’s Dancing: What You Didn’t See

Taking the Show on the Road: How did Lil’ Kim and Derek Hough celebrate following Tuesday’s results show? They had a jam session! The rapper joined the Ballas Hough Band and performed “It’s All About the Benjamins” at The Grove in Los Angeles. While Chuck Wicks signed autographs for fans and sweethearts Maksim Chmerkovskiy and Karina Smirnoff huddled nearby, Lil’ Kim rocked the stage with her dance partner and fellow pro and BHB bandmate Mark Ballas. The crowd cheered wildly for Lil’ Kim, who thanked her Dancing with the Stars family for showing up and supporting them. Ballas, who showcased his rap skills on part of the song, said afterward, “It was an honor performing with Lil’ Kim.”

Carb Loading: Gilles Marini, who’s known for burning it up on the dancefloor, was fueling up behind the scenes. Dressed casually in a black T-shirt and pants, the French actor was spotted quickly chowing down on a bowl of pasta and chatting with friends and colleagues before Tuesday’s show.


Go, Team!: Ballroom pros Mark Ballas and Chelsie Hightower gave each other a supporting hand after their dance performance to Rascal Flatts by high-fiving each other after their energetic number.

Spread the Dancing ‘Love’: Before every show, the studio plays music to give the guest audience a chance to shake their booty. Tuesday night, the spotlight was on the balcony. As guests danced to Dr. Dre’s “California Love,” Lacey Schwimmer and Gilles Marini made a surprise appearance on the second level to dance with the studio audience members to the roar of the crowd’s approval.

http://tvwatch.people.com/2009/04/15/tuesdays-dancing-what-you-didnt-see-19/#more-11331

Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on April 15, 2009, 12:42:00 PM
This is a Dancing With The Stars’ After Hours Party Post

Lil Kim joins Dancing With The Stars’ partner Derek Hough and Mark Ballas on stage for a concert by The Bolts and the Ballas Hough band performed at The Grove.

Dancing With The Stars’ peeps attending in support of Derek and Mark:  Derek’s girl Shannon Elizabeth, Tom Bergeron, Kim Kardashian, Maksim Chmerkovskiy, Karina Smirnoff, Julianne Hough, Chuck Wicks and Lance Bass

Lance and friend (bf?)
(http://i212.photobucket.com/albums/cc289/CuteboiWill/full_dancing_with_the_stars_the_gro.jpg)

Chuck & Julianne
(http://i212.photobucket.com/albums/cc289/CuteboiWill/full_dancing_with_the_stars_the_-1.jpg)

Maksim & Karina
(http://i212.photobucket.com/albums/cc289/CuteboiWill/full_dancing_with_the_stars_the_-2.jpg)

Tom
(http://i212.photobucket.com/albums/cc289/CuteboiWill/full_dancing_with_the_stars_the_-3.jpg)

Derek & Shannon
(http://i212.photobucket.com/albums/cc289/CuteboiWill/full_dancing_with_the_stars_the_-4.jpg)

Lil' Kim
(http://i212.photobucket.com/albums/cc289/CuteboiWill/full_hough_ballas_band_09_wenn23699.jpg)

http://www.ineedmyfix.com/2009/04/15/this-is-a-dancing-with-the-stars-after-hours-party-post/
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on April 15, 2009, 01:00:59 PM
In addition to the group dance, here's the list of confirmed assigned dances for 4/20....

Waltz

    * Ty & Chelsie
    * Lawrence & Edyta


Viennese Waltz

    * Gilles & Cheryl


Samba

    * Chuck & Julianne


Argentine Tango

    * Melissa & Tony


Rumba

    * Lil' Kim & Derek


Cha Cha

    * Shawn & Mark

credit with thanks to tmpray
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on April 15, 2009, 01:58:47 PM
'Dancing With the Stars': Carrie Ann Inaba blogs week 6

Hi Everyone – Woohoo! Week 6!

Can I just start out by congratulating Tony and Julianne on one of the most beautiful performances we’ve had on the show in all eight seasons??!! WOW! They performed to Rascal Flatts and did an incredible job. It was indeed poetry in motion. Dances like that are not easy to come by. What a beautiful number indeed and a great way for everyone to be reminded of the artistry of dance at its best. The number choreographed by Mark and Artem was also great. I liked the theme of revolution, and the costumes brought a different flavor to the ballroom, as well. Rascal Flatts were incredible as usual. They are such nice people -- they came over to the judges to say hello and they're some of the most personable performers, talented and so grounded. It’s nice to see them doing so well and have such great success.

This week was an interesting week. There were lots of changes in the leader board. For the first time Gilles was not in first place. Lil’ Kim and Derek took top honors, and a well-deserved 1st-place rank for them indeed. Their jive was so much fun -- I’m sure it read well on camera, but if only you all could have been there to see it LIVE! It was FABULOUS! They did it again last night and it was even better. They have the momentum right now and I’m curious to see how things will evolve over the next few weeks. We are at the halfway point and I still think it’s between four couples. Shawn and Mark, Melissa and Tony, Gilles and Cheryl, & Lil’ Kim and Derek. These four bring such different qualities to the dance floor and are all doing really well so far. Gilles came up to me last night before the show -- in between all the pretapes we had -- and apologized for what he thought was speaking back to me. It was very sweet, but I told him it was okay and that I didn’t think he was speaking back; rather, that he was just explaining something about his situation that he didn’t know if I knew. He was saying he couldn’t sleep last night. It’s nice to see how much the competition matters to the contestants. They take it so seriously and it’s a beautiful thing to see these people fall in love with dance the way I have. Dance is such an expressive tool and such a wonderful medium to connect with an audience -- and these contestants are in the thick of it, living it, and you can see the satisfaction on their faces when they do a great job. It’s wonderful!!!!!

Okay, this week I’m not going to go over everyone’s dances, since you all saw them and I encourage all of your own opinions about it to be what they are…but I wanted to answer some of the questions you have been asking. So, here is my response to the question about how we judges vote:

A lot goes into the judges voting. We judge them on numerous criteria. Some of the things we look at are posture, timing, line, hold, form, pose, togetherness, musicality, expression, presentation, power, foot and leg action, shape, illegal lifts, lead and follow, connection to the audience, and of course the intangibles and X factors. Now, remember that a dance is usually about a minute to a minute and a half. And there’s a lot to look at and to take in. We judges have about 5-7 seconds to calculate our own score and mark it and come up with our comments. It is not a lot of time. Also, I have to pass off the scores to the stage manager in that time so I even have less time than the other two. We are not allowed to score until the dance is finished and they start to walk over to us and talk to Tom. Although it is difficult to describe what gives a person a score of 10, I can say this. Each performer's perfect 10 will look slightly different than the next person's. No 10 would look a-like because each of our contestants comes to the dance floor with different assets and styles, and different strengths and weaknesses. And of course, each professional dancer has a different style of choreography, which will affect their performances. Take for example, Lil' Kim and Derek vs. Cheryl and Gilles. Their 10s looked completely different. And they were awarded those 10s for different reasons. But both dances felt like they were that person’s perfection in motion. I usually look for that extra magic for it to be a 10. Dance is moving energy and sometimes that energy gets moving in a way that feels like a wave, and that is special. So far, the 10s have done exactly that in the ballroom and it’s been exciting for everyone.

One last thought about scoring and judges comments: Remember that we are three people with different backgrounds (except that we are all ex-dancers and performers and understand dance from an insider’s point of view), and we each come to the table with our own opinions. Judging is always going to be partially subjective. Much is based on objectivity, of course, but there is the little something extra that is based on our own creative and aesthetic taste. That is what keeps an open dialogue and keeps it interesting. Remember, there is no absolutely correct score. Len gives his score. I give my score. Bruno gives his score. And you all then get to vote. This is what keeps it very fair. As you can see, the audience can keep people in the competition even if the judges score them lowest on the leader board. And that is a wonderful thing about our show.

Another question was why sometimes the comments don’t seem to reflect the scores. I think this is a great question. As I stated earlier, we have a very limited time to give our critique of the performance. Sometimes, a great performance will get a critique with constructive comments, pointing out where to improve and what was lacking but get a score of 9. (Like Melissa and Tony this week). Or sometimes, someone will get a critique with positive notes but a lower score. This happens because we are limited in our time to speak. Often the judges are allotted 20 seconds or so to give the whole critique. I always try to give encouragement and comments that the performers can actually work on when they go back to the studio. I believe that they are all there to do their best…and like a coach, it is my job to help them improve. Some people need gentle encouragement, and some people can handle more a more direct approach.  Everyone out there is at a different level and we have to keep that in mind as we give our critiques. Sometimes, though, we just don’t have enough time to say all that we want to say and justify our scores and give constructive criticisms and positive reinforcement. Tom keeps us aware of whether or not we have time during commercial breaks. Our show is a live show and we have to be very mindful of keeping the show "on time." So sometimes, it’s just a time issue and we don’t get a chance to say everything we want to about a person. We say what we can in the allotted time.

Now, before we wrap it up, we must say good bye to Steve-O and Lacey. He was such an interesting contestant. I would agree with Tom that he was a lot like Jerry Springer and won the hearts of the audience. It was a great platform for him to showcase another side of him to the American audience. I appreciate his earnest approach and dedication to learning how to become a ballroom dancer. But we’ll see him again on the finale. Now it’s getting down to the end and it’s going to get exciting. Hold on, everyone -- they start to do two dances next week and that’s when the strong survive and the weak will fall to the wayside. Should be interesting!!!!

Stay tuned! Thanks for reading -- and I’ll back next week. Thanks for all your great posts.

Take Care,
Carrie Ann 

http://popwatch.ew.com/popwatch/2009/04/carrie-ann-in-1.html
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on April 16, 2009, 08:49:46 AM
Ty's blog post:

‘We had our first practice for the group dance’



I had about a 12 hour day today.

I got up and first thing this morning I had to drive about an hour away to a studio where we had our first practice for the group dance that is going to be this Monday. All the celebrities and their partners need to learn a routine where all of us get out there together.

They brought in a choreographer and we worked at that from about 9 a.m. until 1:30 and while I was there I got my eye cut open.

It might end up being a black eye, but I'm not sure. I was doing this thing with Chelsie where I spin her around up above my head and her mic-pack came loose, swung around and hit me in the eye.

It was actually really funny having all of us train and practice together and the choreography was cracking me up. I was watching Lawrence Taylor do some of it and he was watching me and we were both laughing pretty hard.

Then at 1:30 p.m. they picked me up and took me a taping of the TV show "Chelsea Lately" and I was her guest earlier tonight.

As soon as I was done there I went to another studio and met up with Chelsie and we worked on the waltz for about four hours. It's coming along pretty good.

We have most of it choreographed.

I think, it's about a minute and a half and we have about a minute and 20 seconds of it choreographed and I pretty much remember the steps already.

We're off to a good start and I'm thinking it's kind of nice to have a slower song and I'm going to try and get this to where there isn't any thinking involved. The waltz has a really nice feel to it if I can just get past thinking about it.

I'm looking forward to a good week and I appreciate everybody following along for the ride.

http://www.pbrnow.com/blog/index.cfm/2009/4/16/We-had-our-first-practice-for-the-group-dance#more
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: tory on April 16, 2009, 11:09:42 AM
ty will for all the blogs and up dates, my dvr messed up and i did not get to see any dancing at all this week..
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on April 16, 2009, 11:18:30 AM
Today on The Ellen Degeneres Show 4/16

MELISSA RYCROFT & TONY DOVOLANI (“Dancing with the Stars”): Could Melissa be the last one standing on two reality shows in the same year? After Jason Mesnick gave her the final rose on “The Bachelor,” she’s halfway there! When you watch her dancing skills with her partner Tony, I promise you’ll see why she’s a favorite to do it again!
 
http://ellen.warnerbros.com/thisweek/
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on April 16, 2009, 11:20:25 AM
ty will for all the blogs and up dates, my dvr messed up and i did not get to see any dancing at all this week..

No problem, Tory! You are very welcome.
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on April 16, 2009, 11:28:06 AM
Posted on Chuck's twitter...

Group Practice

Julianne, Melissa, Tony, Gilles, Cheryl & Mark (and camera guy)
(http://i212.photobucket.com/albums/cc289/CuteboiWill/5648700d4ac3990d19a86bb.jpg)

Chuck & Julianne
(http://i212.photobucket.com/albums/cc289/CuteboiWill/5651502.jpg)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on April 17, 2009, 01:17:11 AM
Melissa & Tony on The Ellen Show

credit to DWTSSeason8

Dancing

credit to Roseee18
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on April 17, 2009, 01:25:00 AM
Steve-O & Lacey on Live with Regis & Kelly

credit to DWTSSeason8
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on April 17, 2009, 01:35:24 AM
Ty Murray Injured During Dancing Rehearsal

Tough guy Ty Murray took a hit to the eye Wednesday but said it’s nothing he has hasn’t seen before.

As the seven remaining couples in this season of Dancing with the Stars practiced a group routine, Murray, 39, threw his partner Chelsie Hightower, 19, in the air, but her microphone pack fell off and struck Murray in the eye.

“It was bleeding for a little while,” Murray tells PEOPLE, “and is slightly back and blue but I kept ice on it. It’s not a big deal to me because in bull riding you see that from time to time, but I guess people aren’t used to seeing a little blood in the ballroom.”

Pro dancer Derek Hough says Murray shook it off, despite the bleeding. “He’s a cowboy, so he’s used to that kind of stuff,” Hough says. “You know Ty, he’s like, ‘It’s alright. No problem. Don’t worry about me.’”

For the last couple of weeks, Murray has struggled to please the judges with his jive and paso doble. But compared to where he started, Murray has come a long way since he botched the cha-cha-cha in his opening performance.

Murray, who is a seven-time rodeo champ, says his secret weapon is that he knows how to compete. “I like the challenge of it,” he says. “The challenge of the show is fun and it’s interesting as a competitor. It’s 10,000 times harder that you could ever imagine.”

http://tvwatch.people.com/2009/04/16/ty-murray-injured-during-dancing-rehearsal/
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on April 17, 2009, 01:45:46 AM
Ty's blog post:

‘My eye is doing pretty good’



So far the waltz seems to be going really good.

Every week each team on the show has to film what you call your "wides" and that's where your producer who films you in practice every day shoots your routine from one end of the studio and then he goes to the opposite end and shoots the whole routine from there.

So you run through it twice and he shoots it from both ends and the reason you do this is so the director can look at everybody's "wides" and begin putting a game plan together for how they're going to film the dance.

We generally haven't gotten our "wides" done until Friday and, in some cases, we haven't gotten to it until Saturday. We were able to do that today so that tells me that it is coming together pretty fast compared to some of the other routines.

We are getting to the point that a lot of things that are in the waltz are things I learned before; like the frame, the shaping, the pivots and few other things so it's not as time consuming.

Now it's about making sure we get it to where it starts feeling natural to me so I can do less thinking and just go with the music. And not have any questions about, "Hey, where am I at?"

Today we were able to run the routine several times with music and that's way ahead of the game. Like I said, most of the time we're not getting that done until Friday night or even Saturday. Now mind you, tomorrow we'll start working on technique.

But, I think, what helps me is to have the routine down pretty good in my head before I start working on the technique because it's hard to work on both at the same time. It's hard to think about your technique while you're trying to remember the routine.

If I'm able to get the footwork down of where we're going and how we're going there and at what tempo then, I think, it becomes easier later on to polish up the technique.

They can be really critical and what I mean is you can remember the whole routine, rise and fall at the right part, but if you take one wrong heel lead and they'll point it out by saying, "You weren't supposed to take a heel lead."

There are times you take a heel lead and times you don't so you have to be real clear on when and where.

We also filmed my long interview today, which is something we do every week, and that's where they pull out all the comments you see in the pre-taped packages right before Chelsie and I dance. It's an hour-long interview and they ask you a million questions about what's going on.

Speaking of which, my eye is doing pretty good.

I think some of the press wanted to make a big deal out of it, but it's not that big of a deal. It turned slightly black-and-blue, but it's not real bad. The cut's already scabbed over and on its way healing. Everything is fine with that and, I think, hopefully by Monday it should pretty much be back to normal.

But I feel like we're ahead of the game on this one. I'm just trying to stay focused in and put in the work every day. Our scores have been going back down the wrong way so we need to get 'em up!

http://www.pbrnow.com/blog/index.cfm/2009/4/17/My-eye-is-doing-pretty-good#more
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on April 17, 2009, 08:20:43 AM
Ty on Chelsea Lately

credit to DWTSSeason8
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on April 17, 2009, 01:26:29 PM
someone found this on melissa's facebook...


Melissa behind Rascal Flatts and Randy Jackson

(http://i212.photobucket.com/albums/cc289/CuteboiWill/n754140367_6521335_8127250jpg.jpg)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on April 17, 2009, 01:30:20 PM
Dancing's Tony Dovolani Keeps Tabs on Fam Via Video

Although he's making a strong bid for the mirror-ball trophy with his season-eight partner Melissa Rycroft, veteran Dancing with the Stars pro Tony Dovolani says the prize he's most focused on is his family.

"I find myself crying at a commercial if it's got kids in it," says Dovolani, whose wife Lina, daughter Luana, 3, and newborn twins Adrian and Ariana, live in Connecticut while he films DWTS in California. "I'll watch a movie that has to do with children and I find myself tearing up. I'm a family guy and every season I've had my whole family out here and this is the first time where the entire season I don't have my family out here."

With children too young to travel often, Dovolani's wife Lina keeps Tony up-to-date on the twins by sending him videos so he can watch them grow. "She's my hero," he gushes to PEOPLE.

Like Mother, Like Daughter
As for the twins, they are now 7 months old, a whopping 28 inches in length, and they sleep through the night for "12 to 13 hours" as they also develop personalities of their own, Dovolani says.

"My boy, we keep calling him a boxer because he's got these big hands and he just makes fists," Dovolani says. "He's very active. The girl takes completely after Lina, the way she looks and the attitude she has."

Dovolani says Lina and Luana do try to visit every three weeks "so I can get that loneliness out of my system." During those visits, Luana will tell her dad how she's helping Mom take care of the babies while he's dancing. "She does not have ounce of jealousy in her [about the twins]," he adds.

Luana "is very attentive, especially when they cry or need something," Dovolani says. "She handles things as if she's the mom. When they notice her, they smile right away. It's amazing to see at such a young age that they are developing the brother-sister thing. She is a little helper to Lina, too. She brings her the diapers, the wet-naps, when she needs them. When you see a three-and-a-half-year-old doing things like that, then we adults, we have no excuse whatsoever."

Although he readily helps out as much as he can while he is at home, Dovolani refers to an old adage to describe his family. "You know they say behind every great man there is a greater woman?" he asks. "In my case that is completely true, because my wife makes me who I am today. The way she handles the home front, that's the only way I can be out here to do what I do. If I didn't have her I don't know that I could have done what I've done so far."

Lina, Tony & Luana
(http://i212.photobucket.com/albums/cc289/CuteboiWill/tony_dovolani.jpg)

Adrian & Ariana
(http://i212.photobucket.com/albums/cc289/CuteboiWill/tony_dovolani2.jpg)

http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20273101,00.html
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on April 17, 2009, 01:39:40 PM
click on link to view video

New Video: Ty Murray Opens Up about Eye Injury

"Dancing with the Stars" contestant Ty Murray is talking to ET about his eye injury.

Watch as Ty and partner Chelsie Hightower talk about the incident that caused blood to drip down Ty's face! Also, the pair counts down all the injuries they've suffered in the competition, and Ty answers the question -- what's more dangerous, dancing or the rodeo?

http://www.etonline.com/news/2009/04/72910/index.html
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on April 17, 2009, 02:49:21 PM
The Truth About Regis & Lil' Kim

On Live With Regis & Kelly, co-host Regis Philbin makes no secret of his crush on rapper and Dancing With the Stars contestant Lil’ Kim. And according to his on-screen partner-in-crime Kelly Ripa, Regis' heart truly does beat faster whenever he thinks of the petite 34-year-old.

“If anybody can get Regis to do the samba or the pasa doble, it is Lil’ Kim,” Kelly told OK! when we caught up with her at the Electrolux launch of Kelly Green washers. “He is really in love with her. He’s been in love with her since before Dancing With The Stars. He’s predicted that she’s going to go all the way. He really loves her.”

And in the issue of OK! that's on newsstands everywhere now, Lil’ Kim reveals to OK! that she has a surprise planned for the 77-year-old chatterbox! What could it be?
 
“I can’t imagine what it is. Maybe she got a tattoo of his name?" Kelly guessed. "Oh my gosh, that would be incredible. I’m hoping that’s what it is, but I have no idea.”

More importantly, what would make Regis happy?

“What would make him really happy is if she came on our show and maybe if she dedicated a song to him,” Kelly said. “Maybe if she incorporated his named into a song? Or maybe if she tattooed his face somewhere on her person.”

In fact, Kelly tells OK! she might even commerorate Regis and Kim's lovefest with a new tattoo of her own!  “Maybe something that says Lil’ Kim loves Regis,” she laughs.

http://www.okmagazine.com/news/view/13490
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on April 18, 2009, 12:36:07 AM
ABC Television Network
PRESS RELEASE - PRESS RELEASE - ENTERTAINMENT -
ON TUESDAY'S DANCING RESULTS SHOW ON ABC (4/21)

SEVENTH COUPLE ELIMINATED ON
"DANCING WITH THE STARS THE RESULTS SHOW,"
TUESDAY, APRIL 21 ON ABC

Grammy® Nominated Natasha Bedingfield Performs

Irish Ensemble Celtic Woman Performs

Dance Company Burn the Floor Performs an Original Number

Professional Dancer Competition Begins

"Episode 807A" - After tallying the judges' and viewers' votes, the seventh couple to be eliminated from the competition is revealed on "Dancing with the Stars the Results Show," TUESDAY, APRIL 21 (9:00-10:02 p.m., ET) on the ABC Television Network.

Natasha Bedingfield will perform her current hit single, "Soulmate," off her sophomore album "Pocketful of Sunshine," released by Epic Records in early 2008. Joining her on the dance floor are professional dancers Dmitry Chaplin and Lacey Schwimmer. The Grammy®-nominated singer/songwriter has had an incredible four Top-10 singles since the release of her debut album, "Unwritten," and has sold over 10 million singles and albums worldwide.

International musical ensemble Celtic Woman will perform the favorite, "You Raise Me Up," alongside a six-person choir and three-time World Cabaret Champion professional dancers Eric Luna and Georgia Ambarian. Celtic Woman features the wonderful voices of Chlo‘ Agnew, Lynn Hilary, Lisa Kelly, Alex Sharpe and the energetic musical inventiveness of Celtic violinist Mairead Nesbitt. With their heavenly renditions of Irish standards, classical favorites and contemporary hits, Celtic Woman has captivated millions worldwide. They have inspired audiences of all ages with their TV specials, popular concert tours and their latest album, "The Greatest Journey." Celtic Woman's brand-new "Isle of Hope" tour features a blend of fan favorites and enchanting original music from composer David Downes.

The cast of international dance sensation Burn the Floor will perform an original number by world champion Ballroom dancer and Burn the Floor creator and choreographer Jason Gilkison. Burn the Floor has thrilled audiences in more than 30 countries worldwide, taking audiences on a toe-tapping journey through the passion and history of Ballroom dance. They are currently performing at San Francisco's Post St. Theatre and will close on April 26, 2009.

"Dancing with the Stars" announces the first professional dancer competition where one lucky dancer, determined by viewers' votes, will become a part of Season Nine's cast. Six professional dancers, three men and three women, will compete live in a weekly dance competition for a guaranteed spot as a professional dancer to be paired with a celebrity on next season's "Dancing with the Stars." This week the six professionals will be paired into three couples and compete in the first round with their chosen style of dance, either Latin or Ballroom. One couple (two professional dancers) will be eliminated based on viewer votes.

By evening's end one couple will be eliminated. Who among the following seven teams will leave the ballroom floor?

Shawn Johnson (Olympic gymnastics medalist) and partner Mark Ballas
Lil' Kim (Grammy Award winning rapper) and partner, reigning champion Derek Hough
Gilles Marini (model and actor) and partner Cheryl Burke
Ty Murray ("King of Cowboys") and partner, newcomer Chelsie Hightower
Melissa Rycroft (from "The Bachelor") and partner Tony Dovolani
Lawrence Taylor (National Football League Hall of Famer, a.k.a. "LT") and partner Edyta Sliwinska
Chuck Wicks (country music star) and partner Julianne Hough

http://www.abcmedianet.com/web/dnr/dispDNR.aspx?id=041709_01
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on April 18, 2009, 01:12:23 AM
Ty's blog:

‘It feels like we’re getting a little army together’



First, I really want to thank everyone who has been following my blog and posting comments here and reposting my blog on other sites. I did notice the increase in comments the other day, so I wanted to make sure to let you know I appreciate all your effort in helping get Chelsie and I this far.

It feels like we're getting a little army together.

Chelsie and I had another good day at practice and we worked on technique for quite awhile. In fact, we actually ran our routine with the music and, more importantly, with some pretty decent technique – for me.

At the end of the day Chelsie and I worked on our part of the group dance. She was just going over my parts of it with me and then tomorrow, I think, we're going to rehearse with the whole group.

In any case, I think, the waltz is coming along pretty good for us and I would say that I feel more comfortable with this one than I have with any of them so far.

Now it's just a matter of making it all go right on Monday when we have to do it live on national TV, but if practice is any indication everything is going good and we're ahead of schedule.

Again, I really appreciate all the support.

http://www.pbrnow.com/blog/index.cfm/2009/4/17/It-feels-like-were-getting-a-little-army-together
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on April 18, 2009, 11:07:16 PM
Ty's blog:

‘I like the waltz’



Hello army. Chelsie and I had another good day. We got to rehearse on the CBS stage this morning and then we went to a movie premiere for a new Walt Disney film called "Earth."

It was kind of a spinoff from that TV series called "Planet Earth" and there was amazing wildlife footage, oceans, mountains and Antarctica. So that was kind of fun and a nice, relaxing break from practice.

When the movie was over we went back to our regular practice studio and worked for several more hours. It's coming along pretty good.

I like the waltz.

It feels like the way a man and a woman should dance. I wouldn't say it's any easier than any of the other dances. It's just different and I haven't found an easy one yet. They're all pretty tough for different reasons and I know I said that before, but they really are.

After the fast dances you would think, "Wow. It'll be easy to have a slow one." But it's not. It's just as hard.

I do feel like we had a good start on this week's routine and we'll be ready to go.

I thought we were going to practice the group dance today, but I was wrong. We're going to practice that routine for quite a while tomorrow.

So we'll work on both dances and we'll spend most of the day at the CBS studio doing camera blocking. That's always my favorite time to practice because it feels like the show and that's how I like to practice it anyway.

And tomorrow night I'll be talking with the guys about "Dancing with the Stars" live on Versus during the telecast from The NILE Invitational.

Chelsie and I are going to try and knock it out of the park Monday night. We need to. With our scores sliding backwards we need to get our scores back up there so we can help out our army of voters.

As always, I appreciate everyone continuing to lend their support.

http://www.pbrnow.com/blog/index.cfm/2009/4/18/I-like-the-waltz#more
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on April 19, 2009, 09:29:37 PM
On lunch break from group practice

Melissa, Gilles, Tony, Cheryl, Chuck & Julianne
(http://i212.photobucket.com/albums/cc289/CuteboiWill/l_e87b1c11bee541f5a8da3349638ca7b6.jpg)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on April 19, 2009, 10:46:30 PM
Attending the premiere of "Earth"

Ty & Chelsie
(http://i212.photobucket.com/albums/cc289/CuteboiWill/full_earth_11_wenn2376825.jpg)

Tony
(http://i212.photobucket.com/albums/cc289/CuteboiWill/full_earth_01_wenn2376826.jpg)

Carrie Ann
(http://i212.photobucket.com/albums/cc289/CuteboiWill/full_earth_16_wenn2376849.jpg)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on April 20, 2009, 10:09:24 AM
Ty's blog post:

‘Keep on marching’



I've been cracking up reading all the replies to my blogs and obviously the army is in full force.

We had a long day, but it was a fun day. We were at the CBS Studio the whole time. First, Chelsie and I practiced our routine with the camera blocking and we ran through it three really good times.

It's amazing because I rode bulls and bucking horses my whole life and it never made me nervous. Even doing the camera blocking my heart gets to beating so hard that it's hard for me to stay steady, but all three times we ran through the routine it went well.

I think the waltz is going to be a good one for us.

The reason we had to be at the studio for so long is because we were also rehearsing the camera blocking for our first group dance this week.

I guess they call it a '60s mod dance and, yes, it's going to be funny. We were cracking up so hard while rehearsing so I think it'll make for good viewing.

We also had to be there longer than normal because this week we are designing the wardrobes so I had to take care of that and then we had our fittings for the costumes we'll wear during the group dance.

We're feeling good about the waltz and I really appreciate all the comments and support. That's all I have for today soldiers so, I guess, we'll keep on marching.

Well, you guys can keep marching. The judges already got on me about that so I better make sure I glide.

http://www.pbrnow.com/blog/index.cfm/2009/4/19/Keep-on-marching#more
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: tory on April 20, 2009, 10:11:32 AM
I LOVE NATASA BETINGFEILD!!!!!  :hearts: :hearts:
ty will for the up date and allso the pic's they r great!!!
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on April 20, 2009, 01:27:58 PM
click on link below to view video

'Dancing' Partners Cheryl & Gilles Prepare for Ellen Degeneres

ET was with "Dancing with the Stars" standouts Cheryl Burke and Gilles Marini as they prepared for an appearance on "Ellen: The Ellen DeGeneres Show"

Cheryl explains that she and Gilles had to rush over to "Ellen" straight from dancing practice, so she just grabbed some possible outfits and didn't decide which one to wear until right before showtime.

For his part, Gilles appeared relaxed for the show, on which the couple showcased their samba skills for Ellen.

http://www.etonline.com/news/2009/04/72972/index.html


Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on April 21, 2009, 01:37:45 AM
Dancing Scores & Results

TEAM                   DANCE               CARRIE ANN  LEN  BRUNO  TOTAL

Melissa/Tony     Argentine Tango              10        9        10      29

Lawrence/Edyta      Waltz                        7         7         7      21       

Lil' Kim/Derek           Rumba                      9         8         9      26

Chuck/Julianne        Samba                      9         9         9      27

Ty/Chelsie              Waltz                       8         8         8      24

Shawn/Mark          Cha Cha                     9         9        10      28

Gilles/Cheryl        Viennese Waltz              9         9         9       27                                 
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on April 21, 2009, 02:09:37 AM
Ty's blog post:

‘We just tried to have fun with it’



We had a pretty good night. The last couple of weeks we were getting a little dry in the compliment department from the judges, so it was nice to turn things around a little bit and get some positive feedback.

We even got decent scores – all three judges each gave us an eight – and our total of 24 was only one point lower than our highest score so far. Chelsie and I were really happy about that.

This whole week we tried not to think about all the technical stuff, but it just gets so hard because you get to a point where you're thinking about so many things. This week we got our main bases covered and then we just tried to have fun with it instead of knit-picking every little detail.

That approach seemed to work a little bit better for us.

Next week, if we make it, Chelsie and I will have the salsa. I know everybody's worried about me with the Latin dances, but don't give up. We may prove them wrong.

We'll put in the work and, again, try not to get so technical where I just get so bogged down because that's when I become real mechanical.

In any case, I can't wait to watch the replay and see how funny the group dance looked.

It was hilarious when we all got to practice that together. I laughed through the whole thing, so it'll be interesting to see it. I know they have so many cameras and so many angles they shot the routine from that it'll be funny to see what it looked like on television.

I was wondering if any of the soldiers picked up on the salute that I gave tonight. That was my way of throwing a shout out to the army and let you all know I really appreciate the support.

I'll talk you guys tomorrow and, in the meantime, we'll see how the results show goes. Again, I appreciate everything you're doing soldiers.

http://www.pbrnow.com/blog/index.cfm/2009/4/21/We-just-tried-to-have-fun-with-it#more
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on April 21, 2009, 02:21:31 AM
Dancing with the Stars Episode Recap: Monday, April 20, 2009

Week 7 of Dancing with the Stars brings us unlearned numbers and a groovy 1960s group dance. Who made a comeback and who finally had a breakthrough? Find out below.

We're over the hump, y'all! I don't know about you, but I'm relieved. It's down to the wire now. This week, we have unlearned dances, and because we need to pad time to fill up 90 minutes, we also have a group dance. I actually like the group dance (though I've only seen two: Season 4's group swing and Season 5's group rock 'n' roll, in which Marie Osmond ran around searching for Jonathan Roberts like the lost little girl she is), so I am looking forward to this 1960s number. But who cares about dance when we know it's all about the clothes... which the celebrities designed this week. And uh, no, LT was not kidding when he said he wanted to cover up Edyta. She looks like a Siberian ice queen with that faux fur.

Melissa Rycroft & Tony Dovolani: Argentine Tango
Melissa needs to be a maneater, but doesn't know how to. What does Tony do? Take her to Wisteria Lane, naturally! Synergy! Too bad Edie's dead. They meet up with Teri Hatcher... whom Melissa calls a really great actress. No comment. Costume-wise, Melissa clearly concentrated more on herself than she did on Tony. What's with the red line on the stockings? Is that where we're supposed to peel? It looks like one of those perforated lines on packaged gum. Anyway, this song is giving me a sonic headache, but it doesn't seem to be affecting them. Melissa's legs look awesome, red line and all, with its sharp and acute lines. I don't really feel the maneater-ness, just like how I didn't feel any chemistry in their rumba last week. It's a good performance, but not a great one. Len loves the lifts, but saw a blunder. Bruno calls it the revenge of the maneater. Carrie Ann calls it by far the best Argentine tango she's ever seen. Uh, what?!? Do the names Gilles and Cheryl mean anything to you? How soon we forget.
Score: 29

Lawrence Taylor & Edyta Sliwinska: Waltz
LT's not all doom-and-gloom anymore, but he still ain't no dancing machine. He's got the waltz and needs to "get his smooth on." And that he does. I guess Warren did dislodge something from his you-know-what last week. He's graceful and is exuding an ocean of calm with this waltz. Can it be? LT has finally, finally let his inhibitions go? Looks like it. Even Steve-O and the Woz are impressed (Steve-O outed Woz's weekly visits). Unfortunately, LT stumbles in the middle and Edyta's dress gets caught over her face. See, guys. This is why she wears nothing — clothes can be dangerous! Speaking of the dress, it is gorgeous. LT has a new career if he ever gets sick of golf. Bruno says he got the romance right, but calls him out on his fall. Carrie Ann loves his easiness on the floor and is majorly jealous of the dress. Len lists, like, 11 things wrong with the dance, but still loves it. Backstage, Sam wants to know how his performance last week "eltered" his attitude.
Score: 21

Lil Kim & Derek Hough: Rumba
Kim's aiming for the perfect 30. That may be a problem because she associates the rumba with "ay caramba." Derek needs to tone down the sexiness for Len and come up with the perfect choreography. He's such a great fake crier! The dance looks nice, but it doesn't feel like a rumba to me. This looks too sweet, even sweeter than Shawn's. Go figure. The moves also look strained and rather awkward at times. Kim still brings it with the leg extensions, but where's the heat? The sensuality? I guess in Chuck and Julianne's room. Carrie Ann finds it too understated and underwhelming. Len doesn't want them to try to please him, but still adores it. Bruno misses the roach, I mean, raunch, in Lil Kim because then it's like a margarita without tequila. I need a drink too. Sigh.
Score: 26

Chuck Wicks & Julianne Hough: Samba
Chuck knows at this point it's all about the fans since his scores aren't reflecting the generous comments he's getting, so he goes schmoozing in Alabama. It's a Dancing swing state, I guess. There's too much red going on here. Chuck, trying to look like a red-hot tamale doesn't mean you are one. Wearing The Hef's silk PJs don't help either. And the dance?  It's actually not bad, if you try to get the image of him grabbing Julianne's boobs at the beginning out of your head (or maybe you shouldn't). Chuck's hips are a helluva lot looser and he's way more in sync with Jules than he's ever been before. However, the samba itself does seem a beat slower. Don't cheat, man. Len likes it a lot and thinks it's his best dance to date. Bruno thinks he wants it so badly. And how badly do you want it, Bruno? Carrie Ann can't sit down. Sam loves "Schtuck."
Score:27

Ty Murray & Chelsie Hightower: Waltz
Ty's excited for a ballroom dance because he gets to hold on again and he kicks ass at that. But he can't get romantic with Chelsie, so Jewel comes in to tell some romantic stories, like how Ty randomly picked and gave her wildflowers. Swoon! Ty dedicates the dance to his wife — and what a good one it is. Ty's back, guys! He is the perfect gentleman for the ballroom. He's got the wonderful holds, the straight posture, the light steps and the completely winsome personality. Think back to last week and how brutal that jive was. And now look at this affectionate waltz. Night vs. day. He just needs to stay away from Latin, that's all. Bruno thinks this a bigger comeback than Mickey Rourke's. The cowboy trumps The Wrestler! Ty stares blankly. You know the only Mickey he knows is the mouse... and Rooney, only because he was there a few weeks ago. Carrie Ann loves the posture and is glad her dancer's back. Len says it has more rises and falls than a bride's nightie.
Score: 24

Shawn Johnson & Mark Ballas: Cha-cha
Shawn spent the past week picking up awards and has missed rehearsal for the group dance. She and Mark have to practice at night, with Mark's scruff, and she's not picking up steps as quickly as she used to. You could never tell with this. Shawn's cha-cha isn't as flashy as past ones (aka the approximately 14 cha-chas I've seen in my life), but it's fun and lively — a playful romp, if you will. Her lines are, of course, neat and tidy. Mark's Jacko costume, by the way, is the best example of proper use of a Bedazzler. Carrie Ann thinks she came alive! She has been for 17 years. Len thinks she mixed rhythm and sharpness perfectly. Bruno confuses Shawn with the devil. (It's a good thing.)
Score: 28

Gilles Marini & Cheryl Burke: Viennese Waltz
No more frenetic dances for Gilles. He's got to get calm for this, so he does some synchronized swimming in someone's backyard. And a cannonball. Gilles looks like he just took an Ambien and is not into this at all. Don't turn it completely off, man! The dance is exquisite and definitely quiet. Gilles' technique is still there, but I think it's missing some oomph, kind of like Lil Kim's. Or maybe I'm just too used to his frenzied numbers. Or maybe he's still trying to cope with Steve-O's absence. Len loves the romance and rotation. Bruno thinks he's watching Gigi. Carrie Ann says he's the most graceful dancer she's seen, but wants him to watch his posture.
Score: 27

It's time for the group rehearsal footage — sans Shawn, but plus a cardboard cutout Shawn! Even better! Choreographer Christian Perry's turned back time to the '60s, and Ty went with him... all the way to Woodstock. Groovy, indeed. Did anyone mistake him for Ozzy Osbourne at first? C'mon, raise your hand. LT can't get into the clown move and wants Steve-O's number. For the first time, the celebs are going to get some solo time in the spotlight without the pros. Each pair must also come up with their own '60s moves. What's next? Choreograph the routine yourself next season? Ty and Chelsie play to their, or more like his, strengths to create "the groove rider." Think about it.

We have to fade to black and white for this number at first. Because just dressing in black and white is not enough — especially not for wigged-out Chuck. As Bruno says, "First it starts out with a wig, next is a frock." Heh. And I, too, have the urge to watch Scooby Doo now, Tom. This is kind of boring. Ty's a bit slow and there are way too many swimming moves. I'm having visions of That Thing You Do!. They also need to stop with the flipping the girl and having her hold onto the guy's legs move. (Yes, that is the best I can describe it.) Overall, it's silly, frilly and jolly, which is what the '60s were, right? Part of them, at least. I only have two other group dances to which I can measure this one, and I'll place this second, behind the aforementioned swing and about 43 pegs ahead of the Osmond-ized rock 'n' roll.

What did you think? Was Melissa the best of the night? Did Chuck deserve a trio of 9s? Does LT have a future in fashion design? Is Ty back in the game? Did you groove to the group dance? Who's getting the boot Tuesday?

http://www.tvguide.com/Episode-Recaps/dancing-stars/Dancing-Stars-Episode-1005223.aspx
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on April 21, 2009, 10:09:11 AM
Dancing Recap: Chuck Surprises with His Samba

Monday’s Dancing was a night of firsts. Shawn earned a 10, Melissa tangoed her way to the top (and didn’t have to share the leader’s spot), Edyta’s wardrobe covered her from the neck down and Chuck finally got his coveted 9 – from all three judges.

Melissa Rycroft started the show and immediately set the bar with a sharp Argentine tango that showed off intricate footwork and coordination. “Your legs were like magic tools in the hands of a master!” Bruno Tonioli exclaimed, adding that she captured the passion of the dance. The highest props came from Carrie Ann Inaba – her sharp eyes never let a flawed lift go unnoticed – who hailed the Bachelor star and partner Tony Dovolani as the “king and queen of legal lifts!”

He avoided looking clumsy and heavy, as partner Edyta Sliwinska dreaded, but Lawrence Taylor still had a “not terrible but…not brilliant” dance, according to Tonioli. Len Goodman thought otherwise, telling the football champ he “captured the grace of the dance” that had elegance. His only concern? Edyta’s unusually conservative gown (designed by Taylor himself) that had too much flowing fabric it got caught in her face. Now we know why Edyta sticks to bikinis and legwarmers.

Lil’ Kim got the crowd on its feet for the second week in a row and pleased one judge – but disappointed two others. The rapper toned down her moves this week in romantic rumba that Inaba said was too safe. “You need to bring your best game forward…I want to see you just let it rip on the dancefloor.” A smiling Goodman looked satisfied with the PG-rated routine but agreed with his fellow judges that she should do what she does best. Because, as described by Tonioli, “taking the raunch out of Lil’ Kim is like having a margarita without tequila!”

He didn’t reach the top of the leader’s board but the night still belonged to a red-hot Chuck Wicks. The country singer, once slammed for letting partner Julianne Hough do all the work, appeared confident in his high-energy samba that was “by far your best dance to date,” according to Goodman. “You were working that butt and those hips like I’ve never seen before!” exclaimed Tonioli. Inaba didn’t say a word. She jumped from her seat, raised both hands in the air, did a celebratory dance and gave Wicks a high-five and a kiss.

Call him the comeback kid: Ty Murray came back from last week’s bottom two with an elegant waltz that put him back in the game. “You were just such a beautiful frame for your partner to dance with,” said Inaba. The rodeo champ got a “well done” from Goodman, who said the dance had “good holds, had more rises and falls than a bride’s nightie.”

Despite her hectic traveling schedule last week, Shawn Johnson managed to pull off a nearly flawless cha cha cha. “That’s the way to go my darling,” Tonioli told her. “It was like watching a young Debbie Reynolds or Mitzi Gaynor.” Inaba “loved” the dance and said she “came alive” again this week. After receiving her first 10 of the season, the ecstatic gymnast hugged partner Mark Ballas and said getting that score felt “amazing.”

Once again looking like a pro, Gilles Marini got back on track with an elegant Viennese waltz that Goodman raved had “romance [and] lovely rotation.” The head judge advised the SATC actor to work on his footwork and Inaba told him to keep in mind his posture but she still said he’s “the most graceful male dancer I’ve seen.” The chemistry was there, too. “So glamorous you too,” Tonioli said. “You still managed to put some sex into it. You couldn’t help yourselves!”

The night ended on a high – and somewhat comedic note – with the dancers performing the season’s first group dance, a 60s-inspired routine. The ladies donned wigs (as did Chuck!), knee-high boots and mod dresses for a fun performance that didn’t get scores from the judges. While Tonioli thought it the boys produced a “performance of sublime silliness,” Inaba said their partners brought their A-game. “I thought the girls nailed it!” --Eunice Oh

Here’s how the remaining seven contestants stacked up after Monday’s dance:
Melissa & Tony: 29 out of 30 for their Argentine tango
Lawrence & Edyta: 21 out of 30 for their waltz
Lil’ Kim & Derek: 26 out of 30 for their rumba
Chuck & Julianne: 27 out 30 for their tango
Ty & Chelsie: 24 out of 30 for their waltz
Shawn & Mark: 28 out of 30 for their cha cha cha
Gilles & Cheryl: 27 out of 30 for their Viennese waltz

http://tvwatch.people.com/2009/04/21/dancing-recap-chuck-surprises-with-his-samba/
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on April 21, 2009, 10:41:57 AM
click on link below to view video

'Dancing' Stars Let Loose & Have Fun

The contestants had an opportunity to let loose and have a little fun during their 60's themed group dance on Monday's "Dancing with the Stars," and ET was backstage after the show to find out what it felt like to dance a number without being judged.

"The group dance is not really about technique," Derek Hough tells ET. "It's really about having fun."

"I had a great time," Derek's partner 'Lil Kim says. "My favorite time of the whole dance was watching the boys. They are hilarious."

Watch the video to find out how the other couples felt about letting loose on the dance floor and Melissa Rycroft gives us an update on her "Dancing" injury.

http://www.etonline.com/news/2009/04/73017/index.html
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on April 21, 2009, 11:08:48 AM
'Dancing With the Stars' recap: Control Group

First, DANCMSTRs, a confession. As ridiculous and right-up-my-alley as week 7's group dance finale was, my absolute favorite part of last night's performance show was actually the incredibly lame teaser for it that popped up right after Lawrence and Edyta's waltz. The low-rent, pastel-hued graphics that just said ''Group Dance'' and ''60's Tribute'' had me convulsing in giggles. I don't know what's wrong with me. (Well, I kind of do: I'm way too easily amused and that's why I recap Dancing With the Stars.) I just couldn't get enough of the over-the-top cheesy composite shots of the stars and then the pros. I'm a moron and thought ''Oh, how clever, they used a still image of Shawn because the Brady Bunch logo doesn't move on the screen. Neither does Alice, I guess, for the split second she's in that middle square.'' Not one of my finest trains of thought. You can just go ahead and consider this entire intro a parallel to that awful teaser. Minus the laughter!

Anyway, the '60s tribute triumphed over last season's painful group hip-hop, except in one glaring way: The backdrop for this season's rehearsal was not emblazoned by an enormous ''GROUP DANCE'' logo like it was last fall. To be honest, I barely knew what was going on. Hey, man, that's the '60s for ya! I'm not sure who earned more pot brownie points during this segment: Mark for propping up a cardboard cutout of the Traveling Shawn so ''she'' could learn the steps, Ty for donning hippie garb so that everyone surely assumed he was some drifter who'd wandered in to sell them some kind bud, or Chuck, who bravely wore a floppy yellow Derek wig for the performance itself, prompting Bruno to warn him: ''It starts with a wig and ends up with a frock. Be careful.'' Oh, he will. Aside from some prepared sequences, the dance itself was basically an unregulated free-for-all, pretty much your basic Macy's Stars of Dance B.S. but with about 20 million percent more human interest because we actually knew the dear fools involved. I loved the black-and-white opening shots, Shawn and Lil' Kim's headband material (please send me some), and most of all Chuck's coy, one-finger-on-the-lips lingering shot when it was all over. (Everyone was in the same pose, but the camera guy intentionally zoomed-in on his. You know it.) My friend Kristian (not Perry) sent me a lovely text during the liiiiiiiiiiive! show: ''You must be crapping in your pants over this group dance.'' Something like that. Instead of getting into it, let's run down how the remaining seven couples ranked in week 7...

Melissa Rycroft and Tony: 29 out of possible 30 Carrie Ann called their routine the best Argentine tango of the season, even though week 4 saw a perfect-30 tango from Gilles and another flick-tastic one from Lil' Kim. My eyes were focused on Melissa's lower half the entire time, so the combination of her legs, Tony's choreography, and that perfect song (''Mi Confesion'' by Gotan Project, which I also loved for Chelsie and Mark's Argentine tango on SYTYCD) really made me dig Melissa's dance. It also helped that her black-and-red-sequined dress, cinched at the hip with a kicky red rosette, is exactly what I'd want to wear to the DWTS Through The Ages cocktail party that exists only in my dreams. (You're all invited!) Lots of drawn-out lifts in Tony's choreo this week, but I thought they fit perfectly with Melissa's abilities and especially with the music. I'm not sure how much impact the Desperate Housewives set visit from friendly tour guide Teri Hatcher brought out Melissa's ''maneater'' vibe, but it did make me very excited for some potential DWTS/DH crossover action. Melissa can guest-star as Gaby's alcoholic half-sister who refuses to wear anything but sparkly ballroomwear while pouting around the house reminiscing about her ''glory year,'' and Tony can pop up as something random — new mailman, perhaps, or door-to-door life coach. Whoa, is that Maks as Wisteria Lane's new chimney sweep? Weird!

Shawn Johnson and Mark: 28/30 Shawn was easily my favorite star this week. It's no surprise that an Olympic gymnast could pull off Mark's cha cha cha choreography despite having to spend much of the week picking up prestigious awards in multiple states. What's so endearing about Shawn is that she's truly shoving at what she previously assumed were her ''limits'' in terms of performance and personality, and it's totally working for her. In last week's rumba and this week's cha cha, she just looked so cool and confident, slightly sassy without overdoing it in any way. In fact, I don't think she's capable of ''overdoing'' anything and I love her for that. ''Pretty Young Thing'' was a brilliant song choice, I thought, and one that Mark probably chose earlier in the season...maybe at the same time he started practicing his Michael Jackson moves and hand-sewing his sparkly Jacko socks. Were they white fabric? Were they sequined? Only those with HD screens and/or barely adequate vision know for sure. Aside from the blink-and-you'll-miss-it moment at the beginning at which Mark cheekily faux-slapped Shawn's ass, the pair's side-by-side steps were the best parts of the dance, and Shawn really worked out that hip action — some of the best amateur H.A. we've seen this season. Way to go, fringe!

Gilles Marini and Cheryl: 27/30 First of all, does anyone else get super distracted whenever Cheryl wears such blatant hair extensions? We know you have short hair, lady! Gilles seemed a bit too powerful and paso-esque in his Viennese waltz, which might have been due to a song almost as overly loud and fast-paced as last week's. Once I replayed the dance on mute, Gilles looked much more graceful, but I definitely see what Cheryl was complaining about during rehearsal — his arms might be ''still too Latin'' and he might have approached the softer dance too aggressively. Those are nit-picks, though, because talent-wise, Gilles consistently deserves to be at or near the top. I emitted a tiny Carrie Ann-ish squeak after Bruno compared Gilles to French actor Louis Jourdan in Gigi — Gilles was so thrilled I had to rewind a few times to relive his jaunty little hand clap of recognition. This was almost as cute as when Gilles casually strolled out in that awesome red one-piece and swim cap, claiming nonchalantly that he thought he'd wear ''a bathing suit from the Viennese waltz era.'' Oh, writers. You slay me. I'd like to find one person who wasn't examining the contours of Mr. Naked Guy's now-famous package as he stood by the pool. I don't know what exactly I'd do with this person. Probably place him or her poolside as Gilles executed another sloppy cannonball, because his or her pants would be on fire.

Chuck Wicks and Julianne: 27/30 It seems a bit preposterous that Chuck received the same score as the much more talented Gilles this week, but I'm fine with it, because the judges influence has been sort of nil all season and because this was the first week I really got a kick out of Chuck. Everything about his performance quality was different this week, starting with those crazy-hypnotic red swirls across the entire floor at the beginning of their samba. (Happy 4/20, Annie!) Everything about the dance, and Chuck, seemed livelier and more harmonious than usual — he finally embraced the extra cheese, the sequins, the magenta-tinted silk pajamas that slightly clashed with Julianne's red fringed leotard, etc. and just went for it. What a relief, seriously! It's like he flipped a switch and decided to just let loose. Before, I remember Chuck ''going for it'' with either a forced facial expression or a forced movement but never both simultaneously; this time, everything just flowed together. Maybe that ''switch'' occurred right as Chuck erringly (or not?) grabbed Julianne's boobs to support her in a half-dip at the beginning of the dance. Annnnnd...you're on! Go! Bruno would like you to work that butt!

Lil' Kim and Derek: 26/30 Looks like Derek played things too safe with his obsessed-over rumba choreography, which is a shame because of the three women left, Kim could have done the most sensual bedroom dance by far. Derek wanted to please DANCMSTR, who ended up giving them the same score as last week and this confusing critique: ''I love [raunchiness]; I just don't mark it very high.'' Bruno claimed that Lil' Kim without the raunch was ''like a margarita without the tequila,'' at which point Lil' Kim let out one of her trademarked Lil' Kim Seal Wails and all became right in the world. Seriously, I need to just capture the audio from a variation of her shrieks of delight and play them for people when they come by to ''break news'' to me in the office. (Not real news...more like ''Yo, promotional cupcakes from The Cougar in the half-kitchen.'' My kind of news.) Lil' Kim and Derek's facial tendencies stuck with me the most from their rumba. Derek wouldn't stop mouthing the words to Robin Thicke's ''Lost Without You,'' most notably during an extreme close-up for the line, ''I'm sexy, baby,'' and Kim's mouth was sort of hanging open for most of the dance. She's running out of licks. Someone change the battery!

Ty Murray and Chelsie: 24/30 Back in his comfort zone with a dance based upon Ty's favorite ballroom principle of ''holding on,'' Cowboy Chong was able to make ''a bigger comeback than Mickey Rourke,'' according to Bruno. Suddenly, DANCMSTR swooped in out of nowhere to metaphorically whomp Bruno on the head with a simile! Ty's waltz had ''more rise and fall than a bride's nightie,'' said the head judge, as we viewers sat there, a little perplexed that maybe Bruno's flowering imagery, as ludicrous and seemingly scripted as it always is, might have the edge over Len's. (I can't believe I just typed out L-e-n. Never again. Hold me.) Anyway, Ty's waltz was solid once I was able to recover from that crazy camera swirl and a fixation on what the hell was going on with Chelsie's floral-patterned pink gown. Ty's super-relaxed grin (with teeth!) at the end of the routine, as Chelsie held him from behind, reminded me of Shawn's new comfort level on the show. It's hard to tell because he's otherwise so understated, but I believe Ty is still very much enjoying this.

Lawrence Taylor and Edyta: 21/30 Lawrence is definitely more vocal than Ty when he isn't enjoying something (namely: everything), but I have nothing but love for him this week. Why's that? You know why. Come on, I'm so shallow, it could only be one thing. That's correct. THE COSTUMES. We didn't hear much from the other couples about how the stars designed the outfits for their pros, but L.T.'s Fancy Chaperone on the Polar Express design for Edyta had to be highlighted on-air for obvious reasons. Once he flung her solar system coat to the side during their waltz, Edyta's gorgeous long blue-gradient gown ultimately got caught over her head, prompting Tom to later crack, ''We've only been putting Edyta in these costumes, prior to tonight, for her own safety!'' Ha, ha. But back to Lawrence. Everyone was so busy rehashing old jokes about Edyta that no one bothered to laud L.T. for his ABSOLUTELY SPIFFY and hopefully very much self-designed suit. Those crazy patterned lapels! The indigo tie! The turquoise pocket square! Awww. Okay, I know I'm making a big deal about this, but that's only because nobody really went into detail about any of the costumes last night. I thought it'd be a bigger deal. LT's waltz exhibited a little more freedom in his movement than usual, so Edyta's wishful thinking in using Journey's ''Open Arms'' must have worked. Still, he's probably going home tonight. FORE!

http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20273848,00.html
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on April 21, 2009, 11:27:41 AM
Monday’s Dancing: What You Didn’t See

The Big Cover-Up:  To freshen things up, the celebrity contestants got to design their partners’ outfits this week. As a result, in a DWTS first, fans barely got a glimpse of Edyta Sliwinska. And that’s just what her partner Lawrence Taylor set out to do. “I told Randall [Christensen, Dancing’s costumer extraordinaire] we need something flowing and longer. I thought the coat was a nice change. You know, she always seems to be spared of clothes,” Taylor joked to PEOPLE.

Despite some wardrobe malfunctions — the fabric wrapped around Sliwinska at one point during their waltz, leaving her barely able to see — Taylor is proud of what he accomplished. “That’s the most clothes she’s worn in all the eight seasons together,” Taylor said, laughing. Cheryl Burke wore a similarly conservative, yet dance appropriate gown, much to her partner Gilles Marini’s chagrin. “I had a lot of input,” Marini insisted, while Burke rolled her eyes. “He didn’t design anything,” she said. “He wanted to put a little strap here and here and I thought, Hey, maybe we should put the straps ON my shoulders.”

As for Julianne Hough’s red fringe samba outfit, her partner/boyfriend Chuck Wicks admitted to PEOPLE: “The truth is — and I’m okay admitting this — before I went in and designed the costume, I said, ‘Honey, what do you want to wear?’ I tell you, it will get you places. It will get you nines” — referencing the high score he and Julianne received for their saucy samba. “Seriously, I’m not a designer,” Wicks confessed. “She did it. I want to keep some of my talents private. I don’t want people think, Wow, is there anything Chuck can’t do? I don’t want to be THAT guy.”


Back in the Saddle: Ty Murray joined partner Chelsie Hightower for a waltz that knocked the judges’ socks off. What’s more, Murray felt confident. “For the first time after we danced I didn’t go, ‘Dang, I forgot to do this, dang I forgot that,’’ said Murray. “I felt like we pretty much did what we were supposed to do.” Murray’s wife, singer Jewel, found her hubby’s waltz and ’60s number worthy of documenting. She whipped out her digital camera during the show and snapped away. “Isn’t that illegal?” Murray asked. On a serious note, the cowboy-turned-dancer couldn’t be more grateful to his beloved. “I just appreciate how supportive she’s been. She had a concert in Florida last night. She got about three hours’ sleep and flew all day to get here,” he said. “It means a lot to Chelsie and me.”

Injury Update: Ty Murray wasn’t the only one nursing an injury this week. Both Melissa Rycroft and Cheryl Burke suffered through discomfort the past several days. “I had food poisoning a couple days ago, and then with rehearsing the lift for the Argentine tango over and over, I think I bruised my ribs,” Rycroft explained, while pressing an ice pack to the left side of her rib cage. “We’re going to give it a few days and if it’s not gone, then we go the doctor and get it checked out.” Burke, meanwhile, was slowed down by a recurring cyst located near her tailbone. “It keeps coming back every season and I think it’s stress-related. It got so big last week that I couldn’t sit comfortably or walk comfortably,” Burke says. “So this whole week it really got big and it was very uncomfortable. Finally it’s going down, but I couldn’t really dance. I had to teach Gilles by himself. He did very well.”

Dance-A-Go-Go: Fans at Monday’s show did a double take when Chuck Wicks and Derek Hough took to the stage before the big show-ending ’60s-themed group number. Getting into that decade’s frame of mind, Wicks donned a shaggy blond wig that made him look a lot like…Derek, girlfriend Julianne’s brother. Funky wigs aside, all of the dancers — pro and celebrity — had a great time going back in time. “The outfit is sooooo cute. I would wear it out,” Lil’ Kim exclaimed. The mini dresses, knee-length vinyl boots and the girls’ hairdos? “Bring this look back for the girls because it is hot!” Derek Hough added.

Twice as Tough: In keeping with the spirit of the ’60s, rehearsals for the groovy group boogie “was a lot of laughs,” Murray said. “We were goofing off and having fun, and Lawrence Taylor wasn’t having any part of it, and I thought that was funny. He does that every week: he says, ‘No, no,’ and then he brings it every week.” Taylor shook his head and said, “Fun is not even relevant. I was really against the group number because I have enough trouble learning my own dance. But actually, after rehearsal yesterday and today, I actually learned every step and it was nice.”

http://tvwatch.people.com/2009/04/21/mondays-dancing-what-you-didnt-see-23/
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on April 21, 2009, 11:56:09 AM
Melissa Rycroft: Teri Hatcher Taught Me How to Be a "Man Eater"

Melissa Rycroft tells Usmagazine.com her trip to Wisteria Lane "was unbelievable" on Monday's Dancing With the Stars.

Judge Bruno Tonioli told the 26-year-old Rycroft -- who was famously dumped by Jason Mesnick on the shocking Bachelor finale -- that he wanted her to learn how to be more of a "man eater" on the dance floor.

So, her partner Tony Dovolani figured, there is no better place to learn that than the set of Desperate Housewives, where they got tips from Teri Hatcher, who plays the man magnet Susan.

"We were both like kids in a candy store!" Dovolani told Us of their on-set visit. "We were so excited!"

Added Rycroft, "I didn't want to get overly excited, but it was so cool!"

Dovolani told Us, "I have to take my hat off for Teri Hatcher - she really did help [Rycroft] get into the character. She's a class act."

Rycroft is still reeling: "Who gets advice from Teri Hatcher? I hope it worked, and I hope we made her proud!"

They must have: Their Argentine Tango took the night's highest score - a near perfect 29 out of 30.

"I was happy," Rycroft told Us. "It was one of those routines where, in dress rehearsal, we were stepping all over each other. But when we got out here, we had that way of not paying attention to anything else and just doing it, and it became just us out there."

http://www.usmagazine.com/news/melissa-rycroft-teri-hatcher-taught-me-how-to-be-a-man-eater-2009214
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: razor18 on April 21, 2009, 08:34:45 PM
not here buddy!
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on April 22, 2009, 01:46:53 AM
I have lots of stuff to post but will do them tomorrow but I'll post this one now... the team assignments have been determined and it will be scored in additional to their individual performance...

TEAM TANGO:

Gilles/Cheryl
Lil' Kim/Derek
Ty/Chelsie

TEAM MAMBO:

Melissa/Tony
Shawn/Mark
Chuck/Julianne

As far as what dances the individual teams will be doing, those confirmed so far are...

Melissa/Tony.....Jive

Gilles/Cheryl......Lindy Hop

Ty/Chelsie........Salsa

Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on April 22, 2009, 03:05:23 AM
Ty's latest blog:

‘This week I have to learn the tango and the salsa’

How about the army we have? The NFL has, maybe, the world's biggest fan base and, to make it past Lawrence Taylor, I think, that says a lot about the troops we have supporting me and Chelsie.

When you just look at how many people in this country love the NFL and that guy is definitely a legend in the game and a benchmark for defensive players. To outlast that kind of support is impressive.

We're committed to working hard and this week they're adding a new twist.

There are six couples remaining and they broke us up into two teams of three couples each. So besides our regular dance, which will be the salsa, the team dances will be the tango and mambo.

Our team, which consists of me and Chelsie, Derek and Lil' Kim along with Gilles and Cheryl, drew the tango. We're on our way to practice right now because our three pros will have to choreograph a group routine and it will be judged in addition to our regular dance.

That's right, this week I have to learn the tango and the salsa.

It's a little after 8 o'clock here in Los Angeles. We just got done with the press line we do after the show and we're about to start a three-hour group practice tonight, so I'll fill you guys in with more information tomorrow.

I really appreciate the troops. I know we have a powerful army and I don't think anybody understands how powerful it is.

http://www.pbrnow.com/blog/index.cfm/2009/4/21/This-week-I-have-to-learn-the-tango-and-the-salsa
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: apskip on April 22, 2009, 07:40:32 AM
Since this hasn't appeared yet in this thread, the elimination decision was between Ty/Chelsie and Lawrence/Edyta. LT and Edyta were elminated, no surprise since they had recently been on the bottom of the judges results consistently and Ty apparently has as much of a fan base as LT does. I don't think it's because of the persistent blogging Ty is doing. However, I will say tha Edyta made an effort to attract her team's fan base but LT made none that I know I aware of. Ty danced better and cultivated his fan base better and deserved to stay in for one week more.

Next week the elimination decision should be between Ty and Chuck, but who cares since in the following week they will both be gone, leaving the 4 best celebrity dancers still in the competition. That woould be Gilles, Melissa, Shawn and Lil' Kim.
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on April 22, 2009, 11:06:34 AM
Tuesday’s Dancing: What You Didn’t See

Lip Service: Thirty minutes before show time Gilles Marini strode across the ballroom floor and walked over to where his wife Carole and some friends were sitting. The crowd erupted into applause for the Frenchman, who was solely focused on greeting his guests. Especially Carole, who received a soulful kiss on the lips from her hubby of eleven years. It’s a pre-show ritual that seems to be bringing Marini a lot of luck. “I always kiss my wife before every show,” Marini told PEOPLE. But last week, Marini kissed Carole after he and Cheryl Burke completed the jive. Why the on-camera buss? “It’s very simple. 19 million messages about ‘something is going on with Cheryl. You always kiss her and not your wife. What’s going on?’” said Marini, rolling his eyes. “They don’t understand, I kiss my wife before the show and when it’s on and after. Guys, look, I do kiss my wife A LOT!”

Bye-Bye Dance-Off?: For the second week in a row, there was no dance-off on the results show. Is it gone for good? Nobody knows, but everybody is hoping so. “When Lawrence and I had to do the dance-off with David [Alan Grier] we did not like it at all,” Edyta Sliwinska said. “It was unfair. David got higher scores from the judges and he still went home. We didn’t understand why we had to do that.” Gilles Marini, who’s never had to do a dance-off with his partner, Cheryl Burke, has his fingers cross it’s a thing of the past. “I hope it’s gone. In the end it did not make too much sense,” he said.


Saying a Little Prayer: It’s great to survive results night, but Ty Murray and Cheslie Hightower are grateful for every night that they have on the show. “We pray every night before the show,” Hightower said. “We pray to God that we do well, to dance to the best of our ability and have fun.” Said Murray, “I committed to [Dancing] from day one…I don’t want to let Chelsie down. We’re going to continue to work hard and give it everything we’ve got until they send us home.”

The Daily Grind: Generally on results night the dancers get to take a break, grab a relaxing dinner and enjoy visiting with family and friends. But immediately after Tuesday’s show the couples were in a frenzy to change out of costume and head straight to the dance studio for rehearsal. That’s because next week each couple will have to dance two dances — one with their partner and one with a team (made up of three couples) that will also be scored by the judges. “We are going back to work immediately,” said Lil Kim. “I mean immediately. Tonight we have to prepare for the team dance so we’ll get no rest at all.” Still ailing from a bruised ribcage, Melissa Rycroft had no complaints. “We have two dances to learn so we have to get to it,” she said, adding, “That’s just how it is.” “Yes,” chimed in Ty Murray. “That’s all we do. Dance, eat, sleep.”

http://tvwatch.people.com/2009/04/22/tuesdays-dancing-what-you-didnt-see-20/
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on April 22, 2009, 11:31:53 AM
Lawrence & Edyta on Jimmy Kimmel Live


credit with thanks to dwtsseason8
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on April 22, 2009, 11:37:16 AM
click on link below to view video

Lawrence Taylor: 'Proud To Be a Member Of The 'DWTS' Team'

ET was backstage with the "Dancing" stars and their professional partners Tuesday night after football star Lawrence Taylor and his partner Edyta Sliwinska were eliminated from the competition.

Lawrence tells ET that he exceeded his own expectations by making it this far into the competition.

"I did pretty well," he says. "I definitely went past my expectations. I am very happy, I can hold my head up and be proud to be a member of the 'Dancing with the Stars' team."

Ty Murray tells ET that he was very excited about the opportunity to meet an NFL star.

"It was great getting to know him," Ty says. "Of course I grew up watching him play my whole life. He's a legend in the game and you could see how far out of his element he was here. But that competitor would come out in him every night."

Watch the video to see what the other contestants had to say about Lawrence being sent home, and find out what the "Dancing" couples have in store for next week!

http://www.etonline.com/news/2009/04/73074/index.html
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on April 22, 2009, 01:41:09 PM
click on link below to view video

Steve Wozniak Predicts 'Dancing' Champ

HTV was there as Apple co-founder and former 'Dancing with the Stars' contestant Steve Wozniak reveals his favorite to win the hit reality show.

While on a leisurely stroll at a Los Angeles shopping center, the computer engineer tells the cameras it will be difficult for the judges to choose a winner because the votes are so close.

Watch the video to hear what has changed for "The Woz" since his appearance on the hit ABC dancing competition and why he is always rooting for the underdog.

http://www.etonline.com/news/2009/04/73091/index.html
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on April 22, 2009, 02:27:45 PM
Carrie Ann Inaba blogs 'DWTS,' week 7

What a week! All the tables turned, new leaders emerged, and the whole leader board got "a shaking up." And that is why I LOVE THIS SEASON! I knew it! I had a feeling all along that the season was going to be very interesting and highly competitive as we approached the end of the season. Let’s start with Chuck and Julianne. I am so happy for them that they finally had a breakthrough. I always felt that he had an ease of movement that if he engaged his spirit and confidence behind it -- along with the training and technique he could tackle if he set his mind to it -- that he could do well. It was as if he finally decided that he was just going to go for it -- no excuses. That is such a wonderful thing to watch. A real breakthough. And we got to experience it right there with him. Congratulations Chuck and Julianne!

I would have to say Tony and Melissa had wonderful night as well -- and Shawn Johnson and Mark Ballas too!. Melissa’s Argentine Tango was really something special. That was a VERY difficult routine. It was filled to the brim with steps and there was no room for error. With all the leg flicks and weight changes and intricate movements, if they had missed one step or weight change, there would have been a problem and there was no space to catch up. But what I was impressed with were Tony’s lifts. I knew that he really specializes in lifts, but that was a really nice showcase of lifts (which are acceptable in the Argentine Tango). I also want to add that Melissa was stunning in that outfit. She really took on a strong persona and pulled it off wonderfully.

Shawn Johnson and Mark did a fantastic cha-cha-cha. I read a lot of your comments and I see that a lot of you really get upset when she doesn’t get great scores. It's nice to see your support for her. But I think you don’t have to worry about that anymore. She also had a breakthrough. Until Monday night, she was having a bit of trouble really getting the characters of the dance and letting go and finding her freedom in the dance to express herself. I saw it on Monday night and I was so proud of her. I’m sure most of you out there must also feel like a proud parent when Shawn does well. It’s like she is growing up in front of our eyes. She is such a special person -- so professional, so mature, so focused, so strong, and so pure. Her precision is her best asset, but it has also held her back a bit from adding that level of performance. Shawn and Chuck both really stepped it up, and I bet we see even more of it as weeks go by. And she got her first 10! Congratulations Shawn!!! She said it was her first 10 ever -- even in gymnastics!

Gilles and Cheryl performed a Viennese Waltz and did a nice job with it -- but at this level we can see that the contestants' success will definitely depend on the dances they get to perform. We have great performers left, but they all have different styles of performing. I gave Gilles a correction about his posture that I hope he will work on, because at this point everyone has to really put their best foot forward. With this sort of competition and the level that everyone is performing at, there is no room for error. Those little things will separate the winner from the runner up, because we have some great contenders left.

Don’t worry, I’m not forgetting about Ty and Lil' Kim. Lil' Kim and Derek proved a really interesting point in this competition on Monday night, and I think they sent out a good message to everyone in general. They tried to impress Len -- or what they thought Len wanted -- by toning down her performance. But in doing so, Kim lost some of her special spark. This is a good lesson -- it is important to do what you do best and follow your own heart when making choices. It worked out well and I’m glad they survived -- this week Kim and Derek dropped quite far down the leader board and I was worried about them. But they are still in it and I think she’ll be back to herself next week, bringing back her inner tiger!

And Ty had a good week. But I think he was a bit intimidated after Chuck did so well. Sometimes it is so difficult to come after someone who really changes the energy in the room. I felt that he was a bit nervous. But he is still such a nice surprise in how far he has come with his dancing. His scores have been all over the place and they started out very low. He definitely specializes in the ballroom dances, where he can “hold on” as he said. Now that LT is gone, we’ll see who ends up on the bottom next week. It's going to be sad next week when someone goes home.

Lawrence was happy to go home, it seemed, so I’m happy for him. I guess he’s back to golf now. Good luck, LT!

Last night’s result show was filled with dancing. I am excited to see how the new dancers who are vying for a spot on the show will do as the weeks progress. We don’t have any voting power as judges -- this is all up to the audience vote. It’s really nice to see these kids having this opportunity. They all seemed like nice people and had different strengths, but on this show it takes a lot to be a professional. First of all, you have to be a great teacher -- you must be able to teach the steps and technique and then choreograph your numbers in a way that best displays your partner's talent and assets. You must be able to perform in a way that doesn’t outshine your celebrity partner but helps complement what he or she brings to the dance floor, and you need to be a strong guide and partner on the journey to the mirror ball. You also have to have your own star quality because, as we have seen, our dancers become stars in their own right. What it takes to make these celebrities shine is a lot more than just being a good dancer. It takes a certain type of person. You have to be strong and patient, creative and intelligent, and I really applaud our dancers for all that they do. Being a DWTS professional dancer is an incredible opportunity. Look at Julianne and Mark and Derek, who have gone on to record albums and are doing quite well. Our show is a wonderful opportunity for both dancers and celebrities to create even better futures for themselves and open doors in their careers that are quite amazing.

Also, NATASHA BEDDINGFIELD!  She performed the most incredible version of "Soulmate," which is my personal favorite song. I LOVE THAT SONG.  She is one heck of a singer. I loved the way she changed it up and the performance of Dimitri and Lacey was quite good. Lacey gets better and better with each performance. I loved watching her. And Dimitry is such a fine performer -- he's a bit shy, but a good partner for Lacey.

Our results show this week was jam-packed, but my favorite performance was the BURN THE FLOOR performance. I am in discussions to be a producer on that show as it heads to Broadway this summer. I saw the show in San Francisco a few weeks ago and loved it. (They are playing until next week, before they head on tour and then come to Broadway in the summer, so keep your eyes open and I hope you will all come out and support their show.) The dancers are beautiful and grew up all over the world. You'll see some fantastic dancing if you go. It will help you get through your summer without DWTS!

Finally, I just wanted to remind everyone that the auction for my "DWTS Experience" package at Clothes Off Our Back is coming to a close on May 1. So if you are interesting in coming to the show’s finale, you can bid on those tickets and the whole package. All the proceeds go to The Andrea Rizzo Foundation, which provides dance therapy for pediatric cancer patients and children with special needs. It’s a wonderful cause -- very dear to my heart -- and I just wanted to remind you that if you want to come to the show and get a beautiful dress and a diamond necklace, and some cute shoes, the auction is still going on.

Thanks for tuning in -- it’s getting exciting, isn’t it?!

Thanks for your comments as well.

Oh -- behind the scenes -- Sheila E. was there last night and came over and gave me a hug -- and it was a very exciting moment. I have been a fan of hers for a long time. She is an incredible percussionist and performer and the first star I met when I was young. She signed me an autograph on a piece of glass. She wrote backwards and I kept that glass for a long time…until one day, I had someone clean my house and she cleaned the glass and the autograph was gone when I got home. ; (

But I still have the memory. ;)

Have a great day -- summer is coming!!

Enjoy,
Carrie Ann

http://popwatch.ew.com/popwatch/2009/04/carrie-ann-in-2.html
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on April 23, 2009, 02:11:09 AM
UPDATE....

Dances for 4/27

TEAM TANGO:

Gilles/Cheryl
Lil' Kim/Derek
Ty/Chelsie

TEAM MAMBO:

Melissa/Tony
Shawn/Mark
Chuck/Julianne

INDIVIDUAL TEAM DANCE:

Melissa/Tony....Jive

Gilles/Cheryl.....Lindy Hop

Shawn/Mark.....Samba

Lil' Kim/Derek....Paso Doble

Ty/Chelsie.......Salsa

Chuck/Julianne.....still unknown at this time
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on April 23, 2009, 10:06:22 AM
click on link below to view pictures

Jewel posted this on Ty's blog:

'I have always said he is the real John Wayne'

Hi everyone!

Thought I would come and say hi to the Cowboy Army! This sure has turned out to be a fun and unexpected part of doing the show – how it has brought us all closer together and how this is really a team effort.

Ty has to deliver on his dances, but the scores only mean so much and you are all literally his team mates. It's up to you to keep him in the running--a team sport!

Usually fans only get to be spectators in a sport, but with this you guys actually participate and that's cool!

As for me, I'm SO PROUD of Ty and I'm so glad America is getting to know the man I fell in love with and was lucky enough to marry. I have always said he is the real John Wayne--a stand up guy in a world of flakes...

He is at once strong and masculine, but at the same time vulnerable and humble. I am the biggest fan of who he is as a person, not just who he is as a cowboy.

A man with character is rare these days and I'm glad all the folks who aren't familiar with the western lifestyle are getting to see an athlete and fierce competitor can be all the better by being a genuine and gracious man.

There's nothing phony about him.

But I could go on all day talking about him!! What else?

Oh, some of you were asking who was sitting next to me Monday. That was my dad Atz (pronounced Otts). He came all the way from Alaska on some business and I'm so glad I got to see him!

He's here on behalf of the Alaskan Cattleman's Association about some grazing rights for their cattle up in Alaska. There are some "range wars" up there where my family graze their cattle in the open country of Fox River Valley. No fences – just open range in big wide, wild country.

I grew up riding horses, going on cattle drives, pushing the herd across swollen glacial rivers where they graze for the summer on wild land, and letting our fields back home all grow hay for the short growing season we have up there.

Here are some of my family photos of where I was raised. These pics are of my dad and his parents when they settled in Alaska before it was a state, in the 1950's.

They were Homesteaders, who settled and cleared about 900 acres by hand, and lived in a tiny log cabin – which is also where I was raised – and they got to town using a horse and wagon because there were no roads and no cars up there! As a result these pics look like they are from the 1800's and not from this century! I hope you enjoy seeing how and where I was raised.

Gosh, Alaska is like going back in time. It's just like you see in movies--mountains, bears, wolves and cattle grazing with no fences. It's just thousands of acres of untouched country.

Some of you may have noticed I held a cap up on Monday. The hat I held up was my dad's Vietnam Veterans hat. They made him take it off during taping because it was a baseball cap and they have a dress code, but I wanted to hold it up so all his Veteran buddies could see.

He served in Nam and was part of the Tet offensive of 68' – famously gory battle – and he recently was able to have a reunion with the guys he served with. He said it was an amazing experience to see everyone again all these years later.

It was nice having him here and he heads back to Alaska tomorrow morning. It's sure nice how Ty's family and mine have come to support him.

I thought Ty did great on Monday! And I thought he and Chelsie looked so sweet together. The waltz was perfect for them and the group dance had me cracking up!! I snuck some pics you can see here.

I have read all the fuss over his biceps and I gotta agree!! Haha--

After the show they chose teammates for team mambo and team tango, and Ty got picked last! He said it was like the nerdy kid in school who gets picked last for dodge ball!

Well, he ended up on team tango and I know they will be thrilled with him. Everyone underestimates him and he isn't a mouthy guy either, who will telegraph what he intends to do. But, make no mistake, he always finds a way to win and they will learn that!

I think you guys will like their tango routine very much. There's sort of a shocking surprise in the first part of it!

I'm on twitter now and welcome you all to follow along at jeweljk. On Monday and Tuesday nights I twitter live "blow-by-blow" updates from inside the show so we can all share the suspense together in real time! :)

Guess that's all for now. Hope this wasn't too long. As always, we enjoy reading your blog COMMENTS so keep it up!

Xxjewel

http://www.pbrnow.com/blog/index.cfm/2009/4/23/I-have-always-said-he-is-the-real-John-Wayne#more
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on April 24, 2009, 10:16:32 AM
Ty's blog:

‘It’s almost like you have to peak at the right time’



Hello troops. I just got back to the apartment after a long day of practicing. I also had to my hour-long interview that they use to pull out quotes for the packages they show before I dance.

Chelsie and I were at the practice studio all day and it's coming along, but it's a slower process now because we're learning two dances. Yesterday we worked on the salsa for most of the day and today we worked on the tango.

It's tough!

We brought Dmitry in for a little bit of help with the salsa. For me, the thing of it is, only having Chelsie for my coach it's hard to figure out a lot of the stuff because I'm only seeing her do it and I don't know how else to say it, but she does it in such a girlie way that it really helped to have Dmitry there.

He was able to show me what it's supposed to look it because, that's just it, I don't even know what it's supposed to look like when we start these dances.

But, like I said, it's coming along and we have all the choreography done. Well, I say we, but Chelsie got all the choreography done on the two dances and it's just a matter of going through the process.

We trust the process. We're quite a ways behind where we were last week, but it's not anything to panic about. I think, it's almost like you have to peak at the right time and I still think we're on track to peak on Monday night. We still have Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

First thing tomorrow morning we'll be rehearsing as a team for the team tango and that'll be good.

Tuesday night, after the show, we worked until midnight on the opening and the ending of that dance. Then we left out the middle portion of the routine because that's where we have our individual part of the routine. That's where Chelsie and I will dance, Kim and Derek will dance and then Gilles and Cheryl will do the same.

Today we worked on our individual parts and then tomorrow we'll reconvene as a group and figure out how to put it all together.

It was a long day and every week it's pretty much back to square one. You have to stay positive and put your trust in the process and that's what we're doing.

The amount of support I'm getting is amazing.

Every night I come home, I'm tired and my feet are sore so I put my feet up and look through the comments you leave on my blogs. I'm still amazed at the amount of support that continues to grow from one week to the next.

It really is a team effort and it really is an army the way everybody is getting behind me.

We're even starting to see some of the fans of contestants that have went home who are joining the army, and that's good to see.

We have a couple privates – Private Jiggy and Private Ladyhawk – who we need to bump up to corporals because they have really stayed right on top of this. It kind of seems like they're in charge of the army.

Thanks again to everybody. It's nice when you come home sweaty, beat and tired with sore feet to see all the support I'm getting on the Internet.

Keep the faith, and we'll talk to you tomorrow.

http://www.pbrnow.com/blog/index.cfm/2009/4/24/Its-almost-like-you-have-to-peak-at-the-right-time#more
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on April 24, 2009, 10:49:57 AM
US Weekly 2009 Hot Hollywood Party

Mark Ballas and his girlfriend, Joanna Pacitti
(http://i212.photobucket.com/albums/cc289/CuteboiWill/90422A1_BALLAS_M_B-GR_01_full-2.jpg)

Holly Madison
(http://i212.photobucket.com/albums/cc289/CuteboiWill/90422A1_MADISON_H_B-GR_02_full-1.jpg)

Karina Smirnoff
(http://i212.photobucket.com/albums/cc289/CuteboiWill/90422A1_SMIRNOFF_B-GR_02_full-1.jpg)

Tony Dovolani and his wife, Luna
(http://i212.photobucket.com/albums/cc289/CuteboiWill/90422A1_DOVOLANI_B-GR_02_full-1.jpg)

Cheryl Burke
(http://i212.photobucket.com/albums/cc289/CuteboiWill/90422A1_BURKE_S_B-GR_02_full-1.jpg)

Gilles Marini
(http://i212.photobucket.com/albums/cc289/CuteboiWill/90422A1_MARINI_G_B-GR_full-1.jpg)

Melissa Rycroft and her boyfriend, Ty Strickland
(http://i212.photobucket.com/albums/cc289/CuteboiWill/90422A1_RYCROFT_B-GR_09_full-1.jpg)

Luna, Tony, Melissa & Ty
(http://i212.photobucket.com/albums/cc289/CuteboiWill/l_49e6107b5d03432eb2fe3784c0a8aff9.jpg)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on April 24, 2009, 12:53:13 PM
ABC Press Release:

EIGHTH COUPLE ELIMINATED ON
"DANCING WITH THE STARS THE RESULTS SHOW,"
TUESDAY, APRIL 28 ON ABC

Multiplatinum Artist Robin Thicke Perfoms

Professional Dancer Competition Continues


"Episode 808A" - After tallying the judges' and viewer votes, the eighth couple to be eliminated from the competition is revealed on "Dancing with the Stars the Results Show," TUESDAY, APRIL 28 (9:00-10:02 p.m., ET) on the ABC Television Network.

Grammy Award-winning multi-platinum singer-songwriter Robin Thicke performs his debut single, "When I Get You Alone" (from his first studio album, 2003's "A Beautiful World").  Joining him on the dance floor are "Dancing with the Stars" professional dancers Cheryl Burke, Dmitry Chaplin, Tony Dovolani, Kym Johnson, Alec Mazo and Edyta Sliwinska in a group Samba.  He will also perform his current hit "Sidestep" from his recently released third studio album, "Something Else."  Accompanying him on the stage are professional dancers Pasha Kovalev and Anya Garnis.

The first "Dancing with the Stars" professional dancer competition continues.  After two of the six professional dancers are eliminated based on last week's viewer votes, the four remaining dancers will dance the Jive and the Quickstep.  By the end of this season, one lucky dancer, determined by viewers' votes, will be selected as a member of next season's "Dancing with the Stars" cast to be paired with a celebrity.  Full details and bios are available at www.abc.com.

By evening's end one couple will be eliminated. Who among the following six teams will leave the ballroom floor?

Shawn Johnson (Olympic gymnastics medalist) and partner Mark Ballas
Lil' Kim (Grammy Award winning rapper) and partner, reigning champion Derek Hough
Gilles Marini (model and actor) and partner Cheryl Burke
Ty Murray ("King of Cowboys") and partner, newcomer Chelsie Hightower
Melissa Rycroft (from "The Bachelor") and partner Tony Dovolani
Chuck Wicks (country music star) and partner Julianne Hough

http://www.abcmedianet.com/web/dnr/dispDNR.aspx?id=042309_10
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on April 25, 2009, 01:43:53 AM
Carrie Ann Inaba Loses It Watching Gilles Dance on DWTS 

What's it like watching Gilles Marini up close on the dance floor?

"Exactly as you think it might be," DWTS judge Carrie Ann Inaba said on Friday's Bonnie Hunt Show. "It's like, 'Oh, menopause!' It gets very hot!"

Overall, Inaba said, "This is my favorite season ever because you don't know who is going to stay on top."

Of Lil' Kim, she said, "I just love her. She just gets out there and is so unexpected. She's so effervescent. She's fun. She's vibrant."

The Bachelor's Melissa Rycroft is "a really good dancer and watching her and Tony [Dovolani], Tony is sort of blossoming."

"Tony is really shining this year and I think that is because he's working with an excellent dance partner. Normally Tony and I fight at least once a season ... and this year it's not happening," she went on. "So I am very happy he is with Melissa because he's not on my back."

Inaba also revealed that she is dating again after splitting with a dancer -- but she wouldn't reveal how she met her new mate.

"It's a funny story," she said. "I don't know if I am ready to share that one yet. It will be in the book."

"His name is Jesse -- he's an accountant and he's a normal guy," she dished.
"He's wonderful. I keep going, 'When is this going to stop?'"

http://www.usmagazine.com/news/dwts-carrie-ann-inaba-loses-it-watching-gilles-dance+-2009244
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on April 25, 2009, 01:29:12 PM
'Dancing with the Stars' Duo Toast to Their Success at Disneyland!

(http://i212.photobucket.com/albums/cc289/CuteboiWill/400_nrycroft_tdovolani_1_090425_phi.jpg)

(http://i212.photobucket.com/albums/cc289/CuteboiWill/l_4ffb31b857c541e2b16ece1cd896e6cf.jpg)

Melissa Rycroft and her pro partner Tony Dovolani toast to their "DWTS" success on the first day of Disney's California Food & Wine Festival at the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, Calif., on Friday.

The six-week festival showcases California's rich fusion of flavors and runs daily through June 7. Click here for more details.

Catch Melissa and Tony in action on "DWTS" Monday at 8 p.m. on ABC.

http://www.etonline.com/news/2009/04/73208/index.html
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on April 25, 2009, 07:05:36 PM
Carrie Ann Inaba on The Bonnie Hunt Show


credit to DWTSSeason8
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on April 25, 2009, 10:01:16 PM
Tony's myspace blog:

About Melissa

she is ok we just got done with practice on stage she is hurting but she is a trooper she gave me everything she had today as she put it to me she is not going to let a rib sideline her i don't what else i can say about this woman i am so proud of her Tony D

thank you all for your support and sorry for the scare but as she put it to me ( melissa : I always want to give you 100% and i will fight through the pain to give you that ) i feel like she always gives 150% even today during stage rehearsal pain or no pain i guess thats why we have all grown to love and respect her for the great person that she is TONY D

http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendId=123419608&blogId=485479332
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on April 26, 2009, 10:24:20 AM
Ty's blog:

‘We had a great day’



Hello to everyone out there in the foxholes.

We had a great day! Chelsie and I went to the studio and Jewel came along. She took some pictures and filmed us. We worked there on both songs to the music and got both of them going pretty well. Chelsie and I are doing the salsa together and she picked out a song called "Vehicle." Our Team Tango routine is choreographed to "Womanizer."

I also had to film something for the results show they're doing on Tuesday. I guess, it's supposed to be funny but it's hard to even tell what it is by what they filmed. I was doing different things with a green screen as the background and all I know it's supposed to be a parody of commercials, but, like I said, it's hard to tell what they're doing.

After that the three of us – Chelsie, Jewel and I – had a nice lunch. I think we both felt good knowing we had a good start to the day so we had a chance to relax. All three of us were really hungry.

Most days we're just grabbing stuff for lunch because we're usually frantically running around trying to get in as much practice time as we can, but we actually got to enjoy this one.

Then Chelsie and I went to the studio and ran both dances again with the music. I think we were both really happy with how they were coming along, which made it a fun day.

We laughed a lot, joked a lot and got to where we were cracking each other up. We're probably the only two people who think we're funny, but at least we each think the other is funny anyway.

Tomorrow we'll get to practice again with our whole Team Tango.

That'll be nice because the last time we practiced together it was still kind of skittish for all six of us, but when we reconvene tomorrow I think it'll come together.

That's all I have to report on today.

I just finished eating some dinner here at the apartment and it was nice to just have a relaxing evening instead of scrambling around out here in L.A.

It's funny: out here there are a lot of horns honking and back home in Stephenville if you hear a horn honking it's because they're a friend of yours who wants to wave at you. In L.A., they're not honking because they know you.

Anyway, troops, I appreciate it, I think I have the best fans in the world and on Monday night Chelsie and I will try to make you proud.

http://www.pbrnow.com/blog/index.cfm/2009/4/25/We-had-a-great-day#more
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on April 27, 2009, 08:55:42 AM
Finally found out what Chuck/Julianne are dancing tonight and to refresh you all of all the dances for tonight...


TEAM TANGO:

Gilles/Cheryl
Lil' Kim/Derek
Ty/Chelsie

TEAM MAMBO:

Melissa/Tony
Shawn/Mark
Chuck/Julianne

INDIVIDUAL TEAM DANCE:

Melissa/Tony....Jive

Gilles/Cheryl.....Lindy Hop

Shawn/Mark.....Samba

Lil' Kim/Derek....Paso Doble

Ty/Chelsie.......Salsa

Chuck/Julianne...Cha Cha
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on April 27, 2009, 08:59:39 AM
Ty's blog:

‘Chelsie made me get a spray tan’



I got back to the apartment at about 9 o'clock tonight and we had another good day, actually we had a great day. We got to reconvene with our Team Tango and work on that during camera blocking.

I felt that Chelsie and I performed real strong in that today and our individual dance felt good during the camera blocking as well.

It's funny because normally dancing is a little bit like bull riding in that you're kind of on your own, but this week will be more like the World Cup in the fact that we have a team and we all have to rely on each other. We all have to come through and do our respective part right.

It's fun getting to train together as a team and helping each other out--pointing out things that could work better or pointing out things that don't look as good or whatever. I think we're sitting in pretty good shape.

I feel really confident this week and I feel good about it.

I don't feel like I'm struggling to remember a lot with the dance routines. I feel like I've got them down pretty good and it's funny because I had to learn two dances this week, but maybe it helps because you don't have as much time to break it down and knit-pick at so much.

It's like you just have to get it as good as you can as soon as you can because it's double-time.

Like I said, I feel pretty good about everything. The camera blocking feels pretty much like the show feels and I felt pretty good during that.

Mine and Jewel's good friend Michael Gaffney and his wife Robin are coming out to support me tomorrow night.

Well, Chelsie made me get a spray tan!

You'll have to wait and watch Monday night to see why I got a spray tan, but, I have to say, this is the first tan I've ever had in my entire life. G-Man said he's going to get a spray tan too – just to show his support.

But don't let this fool you: I'm still 100 percent cowboy under all this brown.

http://www.pbrnow.com/blog/index.cfm/2009/4/27/Chelsie-made-me-get-a-spray-tan#more
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on April 27, 2009, 02:25:34 PM
Bruno Tonioli: Dancing Trophy Up for Grabs

Think Olympic gymnast Shawn Johnson could take home the crown on Dancing with the Stars? So does judge Bruno Tonioli.

Is the Bachelor’s Melissa Rycroft a favorite? Tonioli thinks so too.

And if you’re rooting for French actor Gilles Marini or hip-hop star Lil’ Kim, odds are you’re betting on a potential winner, says the judge.

“The four [top] couples have all the cards in their hands,” Tonioli told PEOPLE Thursday at the Champagne Launch of BritWeek at the Consul General’s official residence in Los Angeles. “It depends how they will play their aces.”

He insisted it’s any of the top four couples’ prize to win — unlike in past years.

“It’s usually down to one or two who could win,” he said. “This season it could be all four. Last year, you had Brooke [Burke], who was so amazing. She was getting those 10s all the time.”

So what factors will help determine the ultimate winner? “This season it depends on so many things, said Tonioli: “[The couple] could have the wrong choreography; they could be nervous. It really will come down to what they do on a given night; anything could happen. Every one of them has a strong chance.”

http://tvwatch.people.com/2009/04/27/bruno-tonioli-dancing-trophy-up-for-grabs/
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on April 28, 2009, 02:02:51 AM
Will follow up with posts about Melissa's injury...she had to bow out from the competition tonight but was judged on a previously taped rehearsal performance...Lacey filled in for her for the team performance


Dancing Scoring Results

Gilles/Cheryl    Lindy Hop    9     9    9      27

Lil' Kim/Derek   Paso Doble  9     9    10     28       

Chuck/Julianne   Cha Cha   9     9     8     26

Shawn/Mark       Samba    10    8     9     27

Melissa/Tony        Jive       7    7      7    21 (that was painful to watch and Tony made me cry!)

Ty/Chelsie          Salsa      9    7      8    24


TEAM MAMBO
Shawn/Mark
Lacey/Tony
Chuck/Julianne                 8     8     9     25

TEAM TANGO
Gilles/Cheryl
Lil' Kim/Derek
Ty/Chelsie                      9     9     10    28   
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on April 28, 2009, 02:16:04 AM
Tony's latest status on myspace...

Thanks for all your support. Melissa is raring to go for next week, help us stay in, please! Vote at abc.com until noon EST.
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on April 28, 2009, 02:24:09 AM
Ty's blog:

‘Chelsie and I were thrilled with how everything went’



Well troops, I think we had a great night!

Chelsie and I were thrilled with how everything went. We thought we danced to the best of our ability so don't get too uptight about Len's comments. At this point, we can't let that bother us.

It's just like in bull riding: you can't control the scores so you just have to keep your focus on what you can control. And those things are how hard Chelsie and I are going to continue working in practice and how hard we're going to try on Monday night.

Let's keep all of our energy going in that direction.

I feel as though every week Chelsie and I get a better feel for each other, especially for her knowing how to coach me better.

At the midway point, when our scores started dropping, I think we started getting overly technical and tried to put too much teaching in too short of a time.

She always used to make me worry about the count and now she quit worrying about that and started telling me about key words or key drum beats or key guitar strums or something else in the song to focus on.

It just seems like every week that we go we just get a better feel for how to go about that. Now I'm more aware of the obstacle in front of me and I almost liked having two dances tonight because it felt like when I was rodeoing. I always did three events and it's kind of nice not to have to sit there and over think any one thing too much.

Just knowing I had two dances tonight made me feel more relaxed and I didn't over think either of them. I just went out there.

I know we have a powerful army behind us.

Not only do I think I have the best partner in Chelsie, but I also think I have the best fan base. I know you're all really passionate about your support so we're going to bear-down, keep trying hard and continue to put the work in.

Jewel and I just got to our favorite Mexican restaurant where she and I are fixing to enjoy a nice dinner together.

It was also nice having Michael Gaffney and his wife Robyn here supporting me tonight. I really appreciate that and I'll see if Jewel can help me get some pictures up tomorrow.

Thanks a lot troops and I'll talk to you tomorrow.

http://www.pbrnow.com/blog/index.cfm/2009/4/28/Chelsie-and-I-were-thrilled-with-how-everything-went#more
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on April 28, 2009, 02:53:32 AM
Dancing with the Stars Episode Recap: Monday, April 27, 2009

Week 8 of Dancing with the Stars brings us the team dances and yet another injury. Which team rocked it out? And who's sidelined — for now or for good? Find out below.

This is new territory for me, guys. I've never seen a team dance before, so I'm not sure what to expect. Speaking of unexpected things, Melissa is MIA, leaving a forlorn Tony all by his lonesome on the floor. Tom tells us Melissa's suffered an injury, but will tell us more later. Naturally. I love when he gets all newscaster on us: "You may die tomorrow. More at 11." I'm guessing she exacerbated her rib injury and will be out for the night. I do not think (or maybe am hoping she's not) she's out. They'll probably pull the Steve-O rule on her and air her dress rehearsal footage if they have any.

Gilles Marini & Cheryl Burke: Lindy Hop
Everyone's falling apart. Gilles re-aggravated his shoulder injury and has to get a cortisone shot in his collarbone to get through. He's still having trouble with the lifts and Cheryl's a total tough-ass on him in rehearsals. Love it! Julianne, take some notes. Gilles makes it through the lifts — and then some. This is incredibly peppy and vibrant, but that could be due to their blue-and-lime get-ups. Nevermind Gilles' 10-foot-tall pompadour. There's a lot going on, but he's keeping pace and has high energy as well. Despite the plethora of steps, it's not as frenetic as their past dances. Maybe they only do that when Gilles dances sexy. This is fun Gilles. Len thinks the French can stake claim to the Lindy hop. Bruno loves the happy side despite a tiny slip-up, as does Carrie Ann, who's sporting some highlights, or a weave.
Score: 27

Lil' Kim & Derek Hough: Paso Doble
I must say Kim is the most adorable person on the planet. So sweet and nice. She told me she and Derek are completely focused this week — even with negative hips in the paso. But she can still be aggressive and passionate, and that she is. This is a rockin' paso. It's tense, taut, bold and you can feel the resistance between the two of them. Derek's choreography is also back on point. Even Lance Bass is impressed. Bruno says the bitch is back — literally. Carrie Ann loves her refined shape. Len says she came out with fire and passion, aka he loves it. And Kim loves them, bussing all three judges.
Score: 28

Chuck Wicks & Julianne Hough: Cha-cha
Why fix what's not broken? Chuck's still going for the silk PJ look (with Jules dipped in fringe), except this time blue's the color of choice. Does that mean they're cooling off? I see it now: It'll be white next week. There's a lot of crotch- and booty-thrustin' here. Kids, you're not in the bedroom. All joking aside, Chuckie boy's proving he's not a one-dance wonder. His hips are still loose and his feet are flying... sometimes well. His posture could still use work and no amount of hip-swiveling can hide that. Or can it? Carrie Ann thinks he's in the game, but wants him to watch his chin. Len says he's getting stronger and wants him to de-wooden his arms. Bruno loves the "bum action" and points out the wooden arms as well.
Score: 28

Shawn Johnson & Mark Ballas: Samba
Mark tries to be a girl, but he sucks, Shawn says. In comes Mama Ballas — aka three-time Latin champ, Shirley Ballas — who shows Shawn how to shimmy. Hey, just watch "Baby One More Time." That's how I learned. Fringe is the look of the night, apparently, since Shawn's wearing a version of Julianne's Koosh Ball outfit from her salsa. Shawn's precise and technically perfect as usual, but does the dance feel a little bit slow? She still needs to do something about the hips — time's winding down, girl. You can't expect to get a perfect 30 without them. Overall, it was a good effort, but something I'd expect from earlier in the competition, not in the final weeks. It's kind of a bummer since she had so much spark last week. Len didn't like the lack of hip action. Bruno is aware Shawn's not Lady Gaga, but likes the dance. Carrie Ann doesn't want to find the next Lady Gaga (who does?) and finds the dance flawless.
Score: 27

Finally! An update on Melissa. She has a hairline fracture in her rib, an injury first sustained last week during rehearsals for the group number. She won't perform her jive, but is expected to continue on. Taking a page from the Steve-O incident, Melissa and Tony's dress rehearsal jive will be judged instead.

Melissa Rycroft & Tony Dovolani: Jive
What can you say? It's a rehearsal. It's for formality's sake. They're probably going, at most, 70 percent here, half-assing extensions and kicks. Probably the most intriguing thing about the performance is the fact that Melissa's very low-cut jeans managed to stay on. I'm surprised Tony didn't injure himself with, uh, that in front of him. The judges acknowledge the problems with "marking," when dancers go through the motions in rehearsals instead of going full-out. Tony's heartbroken. I've always been indifferent to Tony, but you have to feel for the guy here. He lost his original partner days before the premiere and thought he was out for the season. Then Melissa comes to the rescue at the last minute and they may finally win it all with him, and now she's down. Cue the sympathy votes.
Score: 21

Ty Murray & Chelsie Hightower: Salsa
Yeah, fringe is definitely the theme of the night. Chelsie's got the gold fringe going on. Ty's showing off his killer arms — and even more in that kid-sized shirt in rehearsals. Chelsie gets him to take it all off to get a spray tan. Using the bod to get the vote. Smart. The spray tan doesn't look that bad... compared to others. Of course Ty would be the only one with the most sense not to go for the Oompa Loompa look. Maybe it's the extra color, but Ty's bringing it — the best that he could. He's actually moving. In a Latin dance. I honestly didn't think he had this in him. It's spirited, vivacious and at times flirty. Who ever thought we'd see any flexibility in his back or legs? But lo and behold, here it is. Ty's still lacking in the hip department, like Shawn, though. Is there a correlation between being aw-shucks adorable and not being able to shake your hips? Carrie Ann can't stop screaming. Len admires him for hanging on, but thinks he needs to get going if he doesn't deliver in the team tango. Harsh much? I think everyone was expecting a lot worse from him and he defied expectations. Bruno starts beating... something and shows Ty how to really swivel the hips. Yowza!
Score: 24

Time for team dances! The scores will be added to their individual scores. Melissa will get the same score her teammates get added to hers.

Team Mambo: Shawn, Lacey (filling in for Melissa) and Chuck
Chuck thinks they can take it because they've got an Olympic champ and a scorned woman. You do not mess with scorned women! They are determined to one-up the Gilles toplessness. Hmm. I'm curious. Er, wow. I'm dizzy already. I don't have enough eyes for this. Nor do I really have the patience to listen to "Single Ladies" again. I know Lacey and Tony aren't getting judged, but they look hot. Shawn and Mark are next, and Shawn actually gives us some hip action, however small it may have been. Chuck is not shirtless. He does keep the loose hips, but his footwork looks pedestrian even by his standards. And then comes the clincher: All three guys strip the skirt off the single ladies (heh) and then proceed to unclothe themselves to reveal their own "Single Ladies" leotards on top of the judges' table — complete with white tights. I guess they're Saturday Night Live fans. "We're the daaancers!" That was entertaining, but (don't hate me) an unnecessary gimmick. How much rehearsal time do you think they lost plotting that? I felt for Shawn in the last sequence. Dancing the flirty mambo next to two pros didn't really help her. She did the moves, but was out of sync at points and hesitant during some movements. Len loves the solos. Bruno loves men who shop in the women's department. Paula, is that you? Carrie Ann thought the striptease was a bit much and preferred Beyonce to everyone else. Did she see Obsessed?
Score: 25

Team Tango: Kim, Gilles and Ty
Derek thinks they're the underdogs. I guess, if by underdogs, you mean Ty. Gilles wants everyone to be san-chronized. Ty talks some smack to the "sissies" in Team Mambo. Did he know about the tights? Team Tango knows to play to their strengths — both Gilles and Ty are shirtless as they cradle Kim the "Womanizer." Her solo with Derek reminded me of their paso earlier. But that could also be because I can't distinguish the two well. Or I'm probably distracted by the pleather skirt. It's a passable routine — only because she fudges the steps at the end. Ty finds a shirt to bring some solid heat and footwork. Dude is really stepping it up! Gilles, of course, brings back the sexy we've been missing the past two weeks, but he seems a bit off somehow. All in all, this is actually a pretty hot dance. It's dramatic and the end sequence is completely thrilling. Bruno calls them raptors and says they were all in sync. Carrie Ann thinks Team Tango takes it. Len thinks Ty deserves to stay. How does that foot taste, Len?
Score: 28

What did you think? Can Melissa overcome her dress-rehearsal score? More importantly, can she overcome her injury? Did the team dances live up to the hype? Can Ty finally do Latin? Who do you think will get the boot Tuesday?

http://www.tvguide.com/Episode-Recaps/dancing-stars/Dancing-Stars-Episode-1005510.aspx
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: pledge on April 28, 2009, 09:43:33 AM
Tony's latest status on myspace...

Thanks for all your support. Melissa is raring to go for next week, help us stay in, please! Vote at abc.com until noon EST.

Thanks for the update.  I felt so bad for them last night   :'(      I usually don't vote but last night I did   :-[
I voted as many times and different ways that I could for Melissa and Tony.
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on April 28, 2009, 10:42:31 AM
Melissa broke 3 ribs?


credit to hollywoodtv
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on April 28, 2009, 11:02:06 AM
click on link below to view video

Tony Dovolani on Melissa's Injury: 'She Has Nothing to be Sorry About'

Shortly before "Dancing with the Stars" aired on Monday night it was revealed that Melissa Rycroft would not dance due to a rib injury. Melissa's partner Tony Dovolani tells ET that he is still very proud of his partner.

"I know how frustrated she was, she was in tears the entire time" Tony says about Melissa trying to persevere through rehearsals. "The entire time she wanted to dance; she was going to work through it. . The fact that she still tried to dance for me, my heart goes out to her. She keeps sending me text messages saying 'I'm sorry,' she has nothing to be sorry about. I still think she's one of the most wonderful people I've ever met. That enthusiasm has never left."

Julianne Hough and Chuck Wicks tell ET about the leotard Chuck wore on Monday's show, and Chuck apologizes to Julianne's dad for his hand placement during last week's performance.

Watch the video for more backstage action at "Dancing with the Stars."

http://www.etonline.com/news/2009/04/73308/index.html
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on April 28, 2009, 12:28:17 PM
click on link below to view video

Video: Are Ty Murray & Jewel Starting a Family?

Jewel and Ty Murray opened up to ET after Monday night's "Dancing with the Stars" and the couple reveals what they have planned for the future!

"Me and Jewel, we want to have kids and we feel like we're right on track," Ty says. "We're at that point in our life where we both are really looking forward to it and really want one."

Watch the video to hear Jewel dish on her new album and find out if she's still planning to take a turn on the ballroom floor for the next season of "Dancing with the Stars."

http://www.etonline.com/news/2009/04/73306/index.html
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on April 28, 2009, 12:36:11 PM
click on link below to view video

Is Chuck Wicks Planning a 'DWTS' Proposal?

Country star and "Dancing with the Stars" contestant Chuck Wicks set the record straight on Monday night as to whether or not he will propose to his girlfriend and partner Julianne Hough on live television.

"The ballroom proposal will not happen," Chuck assures ET. "Of course I want to, I just don't want to do it on 'Dancing with the Stars.'"

Julianne admits to ET that she feels a television proposal is "tacky," and is glad Chuck has decided not to propose on the show.

Watch the video for more with the "Dancing" couple!

http://www.etonline.com/news/2009/04/73302/index.html

Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on April 28, 2009, 01:57:48 PM
Monday’s Dancing: What You Didn’t See

 Real Men Wear Tights:  During the first half of Monday’s show, Mark Ballas promised there would be a big surprise in the group mambo number. Who knew that meant the men – Chuck Wicks, Tony Dovolani and Ballas — would tear away their black suits to reveal white tights underneath? “My poor wife and children. I hope to God they never refer to this video ever in their life!” Dovolani joked. “This is not one of our proudest moments. We thought we had to do something funny. This was a spoof off of Saturday Night Live Justin Timberlake.” The brainchild behind the on-air strip down gag was Ballas. “It’s about a TV show and entertaining the audience and owning it,” he explained. “We did a traditional mambo for the first three minutes and the last 10-15 seconds were a lot of fun.” Even though judge Carrie Ann Inaba called the stunt “distracting,” the fans responded nicely to it with a rousing standing ovation. “It’s all about the fans,” Chuck Wicks said jokingly, confessing that the outfits made him “feel weird. I still have the leotard on. I can feel it on my body, and it just feels weird.”

Disabled List: The rib injury that bothered Melissa Rycroft during last week’s Argentine tango intensified during rehearsals the past several days. Despite trying to plow ahead, her partner Tony Dovolani tells PEOPLE because she was in discomfort and had difficulty breathing, she had to miss Monday night’s show. “All week long we were treating the injury, but it was affecting her breathing so she couldn’t dance tonight,” a dejected Dovolani said minutes after the show. Rycroft sought medical attention and is expected to return to Tuesday’s results show. But because she wasn’t able to dance, the judges had to score her based on a rehearsal she and Dovolani had earlier in the day. “On a performance show we would dance that ten times better than that,” Dovolani said. “We didn’t go full tilt and you know, I felt bad for the judges tonight because they had to base their comments on that, and we weren’t really even performing. It’s unfortunate.” Upon hearing that they received their lowest score of the season (21 out of 30), Rycroft “texted me five times,” Dovolani said. “She feels like she let me down. She did not at all. Health always comes first.”


It’s a Love Match: Before she and partner Derek Hough slayed the paso doble, Lil’ Kim expressed her love to Monday night’s audience. Acknowledging the crowd’s support when she took the stage, Lil’ Kim blew kisses to the right, left and center sections of the ballroom. A few minutes later, after hearing the judges’ praise, Kim expressed equal gratitude by planting a peck on each of their cheeks. So what was behind all of the unabashed affection? “If it wasn’t for the fans and the judges rooting for me and wanting me to make it and be on top, where would I be? I have to show them some love back because they show me so much love,” said Kim, whose mother, Ruby, and brother, Chris, were visiting from New York. Did having family in the audience make her nervous? “Yes, it does! And I get nervous even when they’re not here,” Kim said, giggling. “I’m glad they were here for a great show.” Ruby was glad, too. “I am so proud of her,” Mom gushed.

Taking One for the Team: This week Ty Murray upped his game more than ever before, getting a spray tan and going sleeveless for his salsa with partner Chelsie Hightower. He then went shirtless alongside Gilles Marini, albeit briefly, for the group tango. To the audience’s surprise –- and delight –- Murray’s physique proved he has every right to, ahem, bare arms. “Ty has been riding bulls his whole life,” Murray’s wife, singer Jewel, told PEOPLE. “He has had this amazing body his whole life. When we met 10 years ago I was like, Oh my gosh! He has muscles on muscles. I can’t even tell you just how fiercely ripped that man is. It’s been my dirty little secret and now America is getting to know it.” Murray, for his part, said he did it all “to be a team player.” Well, the tan-and-shirtless cowboy combo helped Team Tango score a 28 out of 30 and the win, but “seeing Ty with his shirt off was priceless,” said a giggling Cheryl Burke.

http://tvwatch.people.com/2009/04/28/mondays-dancing-what-you-didnt-see-24/
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on April 28, 2009, 02:20:11 PM
DWTS' Tony Dovolani "Heartbroken" Over Melissa Rycroft's Rib Injury

Tony Dovolani tells Usmagazine.com he feels "heartbroken" about partner Melissa Rycroft's  rib injury.

"Up until a half hour before the show, she was still trying to dance for me and she was in complete pain," he told Us after Monday's show. "She has a high threshold for pain - and she still came onstage and tried to dance for me and that says a lot about her."

About 15 seconds into her jive routine, Dovolani recalled, "she couldn't breathe. So I picked her up, as I would pick up my own daughter. I brought her backstage and tried to calm her down and help her rest."

"I have to tell you," he continued, "I don't think any other celebrity would have done that - she still tried to dance. That says a lot about a person."

Thanks to her treatments, he said Rycroft should be better "in 12 hours. But unfortunately she just had complications today."

He said it was tough having the judges make their critiques based on the rehearsal performance.

"My heart went out to the judges because they had to base their comments on us making a routine!" he said. "It wasn't even dress rehearsal, it was orchestra rehearsal! And we had already done it three times, so I told her to take it easy on that one. I mean, talk about bad luck! But, you know, I never question what God puts in front of me. So if this is what I have to go through, then this is what I have to go through. God always picks strong people to go through these situations, so I guess I'm the one."

The whole DWTS crew missed Rycroft on Monday' show.

Said Cheryl Bruke, "I was scared because I had no idea what happened. I knew she was having some kind of problem, but I didn't know it was serious. Scary!"

http://www.usmagazine.com/news/tony-dovolani-heartbroken-over-melissa-rycrofts-rib-injury-2009284
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on April 28, 2009, 03:30:26 PM
The Latest on Injured 'Dancing' Star Melissa Rycroft

Will Melissa Rycroft appear on "Dancing with the Stars" tonight? ET has the answer!

"DWTS" producers tell ET that Melissa will indeed take the stage on tonight's results show, and she'll be addressing the injury that sidelined her last night -- three broken ribs.

http://www.etonline.com/news/2009/04/73331/index.html
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on April 28, 2009, 09:29:02 PM
Elimination Show Results:

In order being announced safe were:

Lil' Kim/Derek

Ty/Chelsie

Gilles/Cheryl

Shawn/Mark

Bottom 2:

Melissa/Tony

Chuck/Julianne

ELIMINATED WERE CHUCK WICKS AND JULIANNE HOUGH
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on April 28, 2009, 10:21:14 PM
Dancing with the Stars Episode Recap: Tuesday, April 28, 2009

The final six get cut down to five as the pro competition continues. Did Melissa overcome her injury and low score? Or was there a shocker of an elimination? Find out below!

Team Tango gets the coveted encore slot, which means Lil' Kim's dancing the encore for the fourth week in a row. Yes, only two of them were solo and one was with, uh, everyone else, but still. In keeping with the minimal-clothing theme, we get to see Melissa's near-moonage again — I mean, her rehearsal jive. (She's still undergoing treatment... which includes three more layers of spray tan.) Ty gets our minds off it with some awesome smack talk to Len, saying he's better at dancing than how Len'd be at bull-riding. Oh, snap! Len on a bull? When (let's face it, it's not going to be "if") Ty gets eliminated, can he stick around just for the wit alone? If they can string along Kenny Mayne, they should snap Ty up ASAP. In other Ty news, did anyone else catch Bruno sniffing Ty's shirt in the Team Tango replay? Fetish?

Apparently no experts were available this week, so instead of more calorie-counting, we get celebrities trading in their day jobs for Dancing — "Ballroom Dancers of Genius." The only thing hardcore about Lil' Kim now is her paso doble. Really? Shawn needs a Mirrorball trophy to match her Olympic gold. Ty wants to be King of the Conga line. Gilles must represent his country... and baguettes. Notice how Melissa and Chuck are conspicuously absent from this. Because they have no careers?

Robin Thicke is in the house and is sweating beyond profusely. I can't help it, but he just makes me think of Alan, and thus, makes me want to watch Growing Pains and/or go here.

First safe couple:
Lil' Kim & Derek

The Perfect Partner segment... reminds me of Perfect Body, that 1997 gymnastics TV movie with Amy Jo Johnson in which she has an eating disorder. Anyone? No? Well, according to the three stooges, Chuck has the mental attitude. If by "mental attitude," you mean whining, then, yes. Gilles has arms. Ty has the core strength. Duh! Melissa's got the legs. Shawn has the best feet and Kim has the face. She's the Queen Bee, that's why!

Next safe couple:
Ty & Chelsie (Are pigs flying? Ty is not waiting until the last minute for once?)

And now, celebrity endorsements: Dance Match featuring first couple Chuck and Julianne, paired by Melissa. Of course the Bachelor reject would help others find true love! Did Julianne just spell out O-M-G? S-T-F-U. Lindsay Lohan wants her bit back, guys. What are you going to tell me next? Dance Match is not a match-making service, but a match-finding service? I can find spiritual completeness and attain a sense of wholeness in this cold, cruel world? I don't frequent these sites, I swear. Now the next one was kind of inspired — People for the Ethical Treatment of Dancers. Getting naked in the name of the "senselessly" injured celebrity + the use of strategically placed, uh, mirrorballs (no pun intended) = win! And, if I do say so myself, Mark looked pretty dishy in that black-and-white silhouette... kind of like Novak Djokovic, another tennis player. Seriously, where are my fellow tennis fans?

Next safe couple:
Gilles & Cheryl (go Team Tango!)

Pick a Pro
I kind of forgot about this. We're down to four: Genya Mazo, Afton DelGrosso, Mayo Alanen and Anna Demidova. Nepotism is still intact!

Genya & Afton: Quickstep
First of all, that dress is gorgeous on Afton. This is very peppy, but I'm not really feeling it. There is something "off" about each of them.

Mayo & Anna: Jive
Why are they paired again? Isn't this an unfair advantage? Oh, wait, this is Dancing. Who cares about unfair advantages? They don't really seem in sync here, but Mayo is all over this shiznit. Anna's working it too, so much so that I can't even remember who danced what 10 minutes ago.

Next safe couple:
Shawn & Mark (how cute was her reaction?)

That leaves Chuck and Julianne, and Melissa and Tony. I'm not surprised they're both here. Melissa's only here for the "dramatic" effect. She's got the sympathy vote. So it must be bye-bye Chuck... and it... is!

The first couple of the ballroom is gone. Chuck blames the team dance. Uh, OK. Way to make Melissa feel worse than she already is. Now go back to your potato farm.

What did you think? Was Chuck's axing as "dramatic" as advertised? How much filler do you think there was in this episode?

http://www.tvguide.com/Episode-Recaps/dancing-stars/Dancing-Stars-Episode-1005542.aspx
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on April 29, 2009, 01:43:04 AM
What an exciting show last night!

Hi there, it's Jewel,

Just wanted to touch base and say howdy. What an exciting show last night!

I thought everyone brought their A-game and it was definitely stiff competition! Being a rodeo and bull riding fan it's hard for me to get used to someone who is injured still getting a score.

I think the rule about "judging a rehearsal if the person is too injured to perform" was weird both times they have used it.

As bad as I felt for Melissa, who I hope feels better and comes back, I'm used to our cowboy athletes that live by the rule: "ride hurt or don't get a score." It may seem harsh, but it seems like the only way to keep things honest.

If you're too hurt to compete then you can't compete.

But if I were to be on the show I might change my mind. Hahah!

I know there are all kinds of ways to doing things and it sure is out of my control – that's for sure – so I'm happy to follow along as it is, but I have to say I think the PBR has kept a lot of integrity in sports by using this rule.

Other sports, like boxing for example, pay the guys who loose so there isn't anything on the line to make them try their hardest. And football awards contracts to guys who get played weather they decide to "bring it" any given Sunday or not.

I like that the bull riders and cowboys have to win to get paid.

They get paid based on their performance and not on their reputation. That, to me, seems like the way it should be in the real world. All of us get fired if we don't do any good at our jobs.

OK, I know, I'm probably too opinionated, but there it is...

Needless to say, I know who my favorite dancer on the show is... :) I was so proud of how Ty dug deep and really did his best two performances to date, in my opinion.

He is really being such a good sport about this whole show – tanning and clothes (or lack thereof!) – and all...

I really think he embodies the spirit of what the show is all about--a non dancer learning how to dance so win, lose or draw I'm sure proud of him. He's come a long way since the ChaCha!

And I thought Team Tango rocked it!

I know they picked him last, but I think he proved himself to be a great asset. Never under estimate a cowboy--boo yah! Haha...
It was great to see Michael Gaffney at the show last night. He flew in from New Mexico just to support Ty and brought his family, including his daughter Destyn, who sat next to me last night as my date!

Here are some pics of last night and the last few days...

(http://i212.photobucket.com/albums/cc289/CuteboiWill/dwts6.jpg)
(http://i212.photobucket.com/albums/cc289/CuteboiWill/dwts7.jpg)

Here are some pics of Ty with a couple children from the Make-A-Wish Foundation. They were so cute and Ty even danced with one of them. She was a dancing dynamo!

(http://i212.photobucket.com/albums/cc289/CuteboiWill/dwts8.jpg)
(http://i212.photobucket.com/albums/cc289/CuteboiWill/dwts9.jpg)

So, I guess, tonight we'll see if Ty is going to be around for another week.

I wish no one had to go home. I'm really enjoying this group and they're all working so hard. I hate to see any of them go! It will be nail-biting tonight!

Here are some pics for you of the last week and last night.

(http://i212.photobucket.com/albums/cc289/CuteboiWill/dwts10.jpg)
(http://i212.photobucket.com/albums/cc289/CuteboiWill/dwts11.jpg)
(http://i212.photobucket.com/albums/cc289/CuteboiWill/dwts12.jpg)



Enjoy and I will be seeing you soon!

For more frequent updates feel free to follow along on twitter at @jeweljk or my website www.jeweljk.com. Thanx for all your love and support and letting us get to know all of you through your comments you leave at the end of Ty's blogs.

http://www.pbrnow.com/blog/index.cfm/2009/4/28/What-an-exciting-show-last-night#more


Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on April 29, 2009, 09:43:53 AM
Chuck and Julianne on Jimmy Kimmel Live


Credit with thanks to DWTSSeason8
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on April 29, 2009, 09:59:11 AM
The final five will do two dances on Monday 5/4, a ballroom and a latin dance and their assigned routines are...

Melissa & Tony....Viennese Waltz & Samba

Gilles & Cheryl.....Foxtrot & Rumba

Shawn & Mark....Quickstep & Paso Doble

Ty & Chelsie.......Argentine Tango & Rumba

Lil' Kim & Derek....Waltz & Salsa
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: apskip on April 29, 2009, 10:43:14 AM
I am pleased to see Melissa not out. It is an impact of the scoring system that Chuck who danced very well and scored a 26 with the judges lost out to Ty who had only a 24. I guess says that either there are more rodeo fams out there than you might have thought or that Chuck is little known and does not have a strong fan base.
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on April 29, 2009, 10:55:18 AM
Tuesday’s Dancing: What You Didn’t See

Emotional Roller Coaster: While Bachelor star Melissa Rycroft stood in the spotlight with partner Tony Dovolani and nervously waited to find out if she was going home, her mother could hardly breathe as she waited for the results. Rycroft ran to her family and hugged her mother as soon as the show ended. Afterward, Rycroft said this elimination night was very emotional. “We were backstage and I was apologizing to [Tony],” she said. “I felt a lot of responsibility as to why we were up there.”

Country Quartet: Throughout the season, country stars Chuck Wicks and Julianne Hough were often spotted chatting it up with rodeo champ Ty Murray and wife Jewel. In fact, Wicks tweeted about their recent brunch date and even posted a pic. Turns out, the foursome go way back. “Jewel and Chuck and Julianne and Brad Paisley did 60 concert dates together. We became friends before this show started,” said Murray. So what is he going to miss most now that his fellow down-home pal was sent home? “Chuck’s a funny guy and he’s got a funny sense of humor,” said Murray. “[We’re going to] miss him cracking jokes in the red room every night.”



Mr. Congeniality: If applause and squeals are any indication of popularity, Gilles Marini is winning the contest. Before the show started, ladies crowded around the Sex and the City hottie and cheered loudly. Gilles emerged from the crowd and headed toward an empty chair. “Where’s my wife,” he asked. He left without finding her, but he didn’t stay away for long. Following the show, he returned to announce details about the Ballas Hough Band performance and Tom Bergeron’s book signing. Then he told the crowd he needed to go kiss his wife. The audience roared with approval.

Out with the Claws: As Lil’ Kim stood on the judges’ table waiting for Team Tango to give an encore performance, the judges couldn’t resist clawing at her. Literally. All three judges playfully teased the rapper, pawing at her flowing gown. But as soon as the music started, Lil’ Kim was all business.

Snap Happy: Jewel pulled out her camera phone and took pictures of host Tom Bergeron, who stopped by to say hello during a commercial break. Later, she took a photo of husband Ty Murray before Bergeron announced he was safe for another week. But there were no snapshots of judge Len Goodman, who quipped that the rodeo champ should’ve hit the trail after Monday night’s performance. But to the judge’s credit, he said he was wrong and asked, “What do I know?” Jewel emphatically responded, “That’s right!”

http://tvwatch.people.com/2009/04/29/tuesdays-dancing-what-you-didnt-see-21/
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on April 29, 2009, 11:56:32 AM
click on link below to view video

Chuck & Julianne: We Want To Duet

Julianne Hough and Chuck Wicks may have time to duet now that they're off "Dancing with the Stars."

The cute couple told HTV cameras outside Jimmy Kimmel last night that they plan to make beautiful music together.

Chuck says he is going to go back to country singing and added that he and Julianne have "been writing a bunch together" and may even do a song together.

http://www.etonline.com/news/2009/04/73367/index.html
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on April 29, 2009, 01:49:12 PM
DWTS' Chuck Wicks: "I'll Miss the Leotards and Spray Tans"

What will Chuck Wicks miss the most about Dancing With the Stars?

"I will miss the costumes," he told Usmagazine.com shortly after his elimination. "I will miss the leotards and the spray tans."

Added his partner (and real-life girlfriend) Julianne Hough: "Oh yeah, the spray tans! No, I think the camaraderie backstage."

Wicks, 29, concurred: "Everyone here is friends and that is the most important thing."

Wicks earned praises from judges for his cha-cha Monday, but his low viewer votes sent him home.

"We're sad to leave, but we had a great time," said Wicks, who improved steadily throughout the season. "I had an amazing teacher in Julianne. Not only is she an amazing talent at anything she does, but teaching your boyfriend is not the easiest task!"

Through the show, he said he and Hough grew closer.

"Being a couple and doing this, it was so many ups and downs throughout this process and the fact that our relationship was holding up through all of that was a true testament to who we are as a couple," he told Us. "I think that the main thing in this competition was that we found out a lot about each other and now we're looking forward to rooting for Derek [Hough, Julianne's brother] from home!"

http://www.usmagazine.com/news/dwts-chuck-wicks-ill-miss-the-leotards-and-spray-tans-2009294
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on April 29, 2009, 02:38:51 PM
A funny clip about Melissa and the doctor on Jimmy Kimmel last night...


Credit to JimmyKimmelLive
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on April 30, 2009, 08:57:34 AM
Ty's blog:

‘It was kind of a long, tough day’



Hello to the army!

It's about nine o'clock at night and I just got home to the apartment after rehearsing all day. It was kind of a long, tough day with the choreography – we have the Argentine Tango and the Rumba.

The Rumba is a really hard dance for me, but it's one that I need to do good at because it's really Latin with a lot of hip movements, which doesn't come very easy to me.

But to do well on this routine will go a long way in showing the judges just how far I really have come from week one to now.

I feel like we've got a good start on it and I think Chelsie and I keep getting better and better as a team.

Like I said, we have to do two dances this week so tomorrow we're going to work on the Argentine Tango. The good thing about that dance is that lifts are allowed and, this past week, we did pretty good on the regular tango.

Along with having double the work this week, an extra challenge in the Rumba is that I have to do 15 to 20 seconds of it solo, but I have all the faith in the world in Chelsie and I trust in the process so it's just a matter of putting the time and effort in.

I want to thank everybody for helping to get us through another week!

I know that was because of the army and the amount of support that I'm getting from all this continues to blow me away. It just seems to be growing day-by-day and week-by-week.

It sure helps when you're sweating your butt off in the practice studio to know that you have such a big group of supporters pulling for you.

http://www.pbrnow.com/blog/index.cfm/2009/4/30/It-was-kind-of-a-long-tough-day#more
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on April 30, 2009, 10:11:25 AM
Tony's myspace blog:

Thank You!

Hey Everyone,

Thanks for your support! It means so much to us.   Melissa is feeling better, we have the Viennese Waltz and samba this week.

Tony D

http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendId=123419608&blogId=486360580
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on April 30, 2009, 11:19:13 AM
Carrie Ann's weekly blog:

Carrie Ann Inaba blogs 'DWTS,' week 8

Week 8 has come to a close on Dancing With the Stars and Chuck and Julianne have gone home. I think from here on out it is going to be very difficult to watch people leave, because this season has had a very special feeling to it. I’ve never seen the competition so close before and because of that competitiveness, we are watching these celebrities who aren’t professional dancers come out and do things that are amazing. There are breakthroughs and breakdowns. We are seeing more injuries this season than ever in the past and I do think it is because it is so competitive out there. It’s an exciting season on so many levels and I can’t wait for next week when they start doing two dances on their own.

I wanted to comment on Chuck and Julianne….I  found their journey to be particularly interesting because they were and still are a real-life couple. Their training video packages always had a different feeling to them and sometimes were uncomfortable to watch because unlike with the other pairs, it was their personal life that we were watching. When they argued or when Julianne was tough on Chuck, you couldn’t help but wonder what their real relationship was. And I think that made it difficult to watch. Of course, as judges, we only judge what we see on the dance floor -- but the audience votes on what ever they want. I don’t think they (Chuck and Julianne) realized how much of a toll this show would take on their real-life romance. I was happy to hear that they are still together -- but Chuck didn’t thank Julianne tonight, which I found a bit strange. I am sure he meant to -- and in that last minute I’m sure they have so many things to say, so much to express. But he didn’t thank her for her love and her support. Most partners always express their affection for their partners.

I think that it took them some time to negotiate how to separate “real life” from the dance competition. The roles we play in our own personal life may not be the roles we need to play on the dance floor. Ballroom and Latin dancing is all about role playing and taking on these “personas” that are heightened and highly theatrical versions of parts of ourselves. When you are dancing with someone for the sole purpose of winning a dance competition it is one thing, but when you are actually dancing and acting with the one you love and go home to, it is a bit more complicated. Many of us dancers have danced with our significant others and many of us will tell you that it is not easy. It puts a strain on the relationship. When one person gets more attention, when one person doesn’t do the moves right, when one person is off counts or forgets the choreography, it is something you can talk about when you get home. Your partner can be sympathetic to you and your needs, but when that person is also your partner, it is difficult to “leave it on the dance floor.” I think that in the end, even though Chuck and Julianne had a very different journey than any other couple has in the history of the show, they ended up doing a brilliant job of overcoming their personal obstacles and that is what this show is truly about. It is about overcoming things -- growing up and expanding who you are. I wish them both the best in their country careers and hope that they will have fond memories of their time together on DWTS as the only real-life couple to dance together. It took courage on some levels for them to put themselves out there the way they did.

I’m glad they left on a high note, with a great performance and a breakthrough under their belt. But mostly, I’m glad that they left together with a smile and still holding on to each other.

Now, the dancing -- there were great performances, but you all saw that yourselves. That Team Tango was brilliant when they danced in unison. We’ve seen many different approaches in the team dance and doing unison can always be risky if you are not clean and dancing as a team. They did exactly that and it was a beauty to see!

It was too bad about Melissa not being able to dance. She was the captain of her team and wasn’t able to help them with the scores. I do think that had an effect on the outcome of the performance. I think Lacey did an INCREDIBLE JOB out there with Tony -- with little to no time to learn the dance -- but in the end I think that her performance in the number hurt the celebrities who came after her. She almost outshone the others…we didn’t judge Tony and Lacey, but their performance affected the dynamic of the number as a complete showcase of teamwork. It threw off the balance of the performance, I think. Also, the end of the group mambo was a bit odd. I did laugh and found it cute and enjoyable, but at this stage when the competition is SO TIGHT, you would think they would have put forth their absolute best effort to do a great performance and not go for camp. But this is what makes the competition so fascinating.

The professional dancers surprised me last night. I was particularly impressed with Mayo. His height could have been a hindrance but instead it only made his high-octane jive larger than life! He really showed us that he could do both Latin and Ballroom and do both very well! Len made that comment but we all thought it -- that we didn’t think he could do Latin. But he proved us all wrong and I congratulate him for it. Afton did a great job working with Genya on the quickstep -- he was up to par, but Afton stood out to me in that number. She is polished and a great teacher -- it was proven in that performance. Anna is a beautiful girl and a really well-rounded and entertaining dancer. This is going to be a tough one to call…Next week will be the real test. They will have to dance with a celebrity partner and create the choreography. I think that is when the real judging begins. Just because you can dance well does not mean you will make a good partner on our show. You must be able to lead but know when to fall into the background so your star can shine. You must know how to choreograph performances that will highlight your celebrity’s talent and hide their flaws. You must be their support system and friend through all of the ups and downs. You must coach them on their performance and be the shoulder for them to cry on when the judges are tough…It is not easy on this show. The professional dancers have it rough and are the unsung heroes of our show. They work so hard to make their celebrities look good. And yet they will never be the "stars" of "dancing with the stars" -- they will always be the professional dancers. But that is an honor that is really worth applauding. Here’s to the pros! I salute you all.

Okay, one last thing before I go. The auction closes today for my DWTS Experience Package on www.clothesoffourback.org, and I wanted to thank everyone who bid on the package. The money raised will be going to the Andrea Rizzo Foundation to help children with Cancer and special needs have access to Dance and Movement Therapy to help them regain their sense of self and control over their bodies. It is a wonderful charity and I want to thank my mom for inspiring me to get more involved in charity and giving back.

Remember to have fun in life and enjoy.

And don’t take things too seriously -- remember, we are a reality show whose trophy is a small disco mirror ball. It was always meant to make people smile and to be fun, not to make people upset and be cruel. So, smile and stay positive. We are going through rough times, but it doesn’t help to be negative with each other. We can disagree without being disagreeable.

Have a beautiful week and we’ll see you Monday!

Until then, take care of yourselves.
Carrie Ann

http://popwatch.ew.com/popwatch/2009/04/carrie-ann-in-3.html
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on April 30, 2009, 02:07:16 PM
Julianne Hough Not Returning to Dancing Next Season

Chuck Wicks and Julianne Hough’s elimination Tuesday from Dancing with the Stars came as something of a surprise. What’s not so shocking is the fact that Hough won’t be coming back to the ballroom, at least not for season 9.

“I’m not doing next season,” Hough told Access Hollywood following the couple’s ouster. “I’m gonna take one off.”

Hough, 20, hadn’t planned on returning to Dancing for season 8 — until the show’s producers enticed her back by pairing her up with her real-life boyfriend Wicks, 29.

Though the couple was disappointed to leave the show, Hough is already looking forward.

“We definitely went further than anticipated. I think he could have made it a little bit further,” she told Access. “But you know what? It’s the name of the game and it’s about fan base and hopefully our country fans will follow us into music.”

In fact, Hough is wasting no time in getting back to the music. She hits the road to perform in Hidalgo, Texas, May 9, and has tour dates throughout the rest of the summer.

http://tvwatch.people.com/2009/04/30/julianne-hough-not-returning-to-dancing-next-season/
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: tory on April 30, 2009, 04:12:01 PM
will what is the latest on u r girl mellisa?? i can't amagin dancing with broken any thing let alone ribs.omg..she must have quite the folling though i am so glade they r in another week, but 2 dances omg how is she going to do it , i guess the waltz she won't have to move to much upper body, but the rumba well tony is a great coreigrofer sp sry. so he will get her trew this if any one can and yes he looked sooo sad on monday night..i hope he doesn't feel responsable for 2 fallen contestants..
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: apskip on April 30, 2009, 04:25:02 PM
Reality Freak Will,

I think you have confused "8th celebrity to be voted off" with "8th place finish" in your caption above. Chuck Wicks was the 8th Celebrity to be voted off and he finished in 6th place! You might want to fix the caption for accuracy.
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on April 30, 2009, 06:47:51 PM
Reality Freak Will,

I think you have confused "8th celebrity to be voted off" with "8th place finish" in your caption above. Cuck Wicks was the 8th Celebrity to be voted off and he finished in 6th place! You might want to fix the caption for accuracy.

I did not type that. I just copied and pasted it from the original article. Which post was that. I didn't notice the error. Let me know and I'll glady modify it. Yes, Chuck is the eighth celebrity to get eliminated.

1. Belinda
2. Denise
3. Holly
4. Steve W.
5. David
6. Steve-O
7. Lawrence
8. Chuck
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on April 30, 2009, 08:30:28 PM
Jewel to Melissa Rycroft: Dance While Injured or Leave

Jewel has a simple message for injured contestants on Dancing with the Stars: “If you’re too hurt to compete then you can’t compete.”

“I think the rule about ‘judging a rehearsal if the person is too injured to perform’ was weird both times they have used it,” the singer, who backed out of season 8 of the competition due to a knee injury, writes on husband Ty Murray’s MySpace blog.

The rule — which states that a contestant too injured to compete on the live show will be judged on their rehearsal footage — was put into practice when Steve-O hurt his back and on Monday when Melissa Rycroft suffered a rib injury.

“As bad as I felt for Melissa, who I hope feels better and comes back, I’m used to our cowboy athletes that live by the rule: ‘ride hurt or don’t get a score,’” Jewel writes. “It may seem harsh, but it seems like the only way to keep things honest.”

“But,” she adds, “if I were to be on the show I might change my mind. Hahah!”

http://tvwatch.people.com/2009/04/30/jewel-to-dwts-melissa-rycroft-compete-or-dont-get-scored/
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on May 01, 2009, 01:39:35 AM
Ty's blog:

‘It’s so much easier than it was nine weeks ago’



I'm checking back in with all the soldiers, infantries, paratroopers, commandos and the Special Forces.

Chelsie and I had another good day. We spent the whole time working on the Rumba and we haven't even started the Argentine Tango yet, but we'll work on that tomorrow.

First thing today we got up and went over to "Good Day L.A." – both Chelsie and I and Jewel was even in on it a little bit too – and did a live interview. After that Jewel and I went and ate and then Chelsie and I put in about a six and a half hour day at the practice studio.

We pretty much have the Rumba down to music.

It's not real polished yet, but Chelsie wanted to carryover the focus we had from yesterday when we were working on it and didn't want to go from the Rumba to the Argentine Tango and then back to the Rumba.

It feels like it's coming along pretty good. Like I've said before, that darn sure is a Latin dance but we're feeling pretty good about it.

It's still pretty hard for me, but it's so much easier than it was nine weeks ago just because I know the process so much better now. I know what has to happen, what takes place and so I'm able to learn things a little bit faster because I'm familiar with that process.

Right now Jewel and I are going to grab some Indian food. Then I'm going to get to bed as early as I can because we have a really long day tomorrow.

I start off early in the morning with radio phoners, where I call in live to stations all across the country, and then Chelsie and I are going to visit some local stations here in Los Angeles. Then we're going to rehearse all day long because we have to get the choreography set, but she feels more of a sense of urgency with the Rumba than she does the Argentine Tango.

So that's the plan: get some food in me and get a good night's sleep followed by another long, hard day of work tomorrow.

http://www.pbrnow.com/blog/index.cfm/2009/4/30/Its-so-much-easier-than-it-was-nine-weeks-ago#more
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on May 01, 2009, 01:15:45 PM
Jewel posted this blog on her website:

Setting the record straight

Wow! I can't believe my comment on Ty's website got so mangled- and now gossip columns hijacked it and put words in my mouth! Go back to my original blog- I like Melissa and think she's gifted (and a real Texas sweetheart), and I adore Steve-O. My comment had nothing to do with either of them. My comment was on a sports website about a rule I have never seen in any type of competition before. Name another sport where if you can’t compete, they use your score from practice. Can you imagine an Olympic diver who can’t compete for any reason, and so they let them use their practice dives from that day? Or a chess match, for that matter. If Ty were in the same position, I'd still ask the same thing. I am not a mean-spirited person, and I think all my fans know that. Ty and I have fallen in love with all the contestants, and are in awe of how hard they all work. I can tell you that whoever wins this competition will have earned it, as I see firsthand how incredibly hard they all work. So please don't believe what the gossip columns are trying to turn this into. This isn't a catty girl versus girl thing they are trying to make it into- neither I nor Melissa are like that.

http://www.jeweljk.com/?em1=900_-1__0_~0_-1_5_2009_0_0&content=jewels_blog
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on May 01, 2009, 02:05:05 PM
Dancing's Cheryl Burke: Gilles Will Stay Clothed... For Now

With Julianne Hough out of the picture, Cheryl Burke now has a better chance of making Dancing with the Stars history as the first pro to win three Mirrorball trophies. But don't think she was excited to see her fellow two-time winner eliminated. "We're all really close and we're sad to see her leave," Burke tells TVGuide.com. Spoken like a true champ. See what else Burke, who will dance the foxtrot and rumba Monday with Gilles Marini, has to say about her competition, her new projects and when Marini will strip down again.

TVGuide.com: Is it harder preparing for two individual dances than it is preparing for an individual dance and a group number, like you did for the past two weeks?
Burke: Oh yeah, absolutely! It's a lot harder because the songs are longer and you have to focus on two complete ones — as opposed to part of a second one — and you have to learn the steps faster. I have to start with steps first and get his technique right. Gilles has problems memorizing stuff so it's a really slow process to get the steps. [Laughs] But when he gets it, he gets it.

TVGuide.com: How's his shoulder?
Burke: He says it's fine and he had his cortisone shot. He's going to need surgery after the show, but the cortisone shot is really helping him for now. I'm really trying to choreograph around it. I don't want him to injure it and not be able to continue. Like last week with the Lindy Hop, I made sure the lifts were around his shoulder and doesn't cause too much strain on it.

TVGuide.com: You remain the only couple to have received a perfect 30. What does that say about you guys and/or the season that no one else has done it yet?
Burke: I think this season's tough because there's no clear front-runner. It's exciting because it can be anyone's game and we're all putting in a lot of work. At the end, I think it'll really be a true victory for any of these celebrities. He and I work a lot of hours during the day, so we're trying our hardest to come out there and do the best we can.

TVGuide.com: You said Gilles will be in less clothing as the season goes on, to elicit votes. He's been topless twice. How much more is he going to strip down? We know he doesn't have a problem with nudity.
Burke: [Laughs] I think we're going to cool it for a little bit. If we make it to the finale, then maybe we'll do it one more time. But I think it's working so far!

TVGuide.com: Which celebrity has impressed you the most this season?
Burke: Ty. He has improved so much since the season started. Every week, Ty just shocks me. I'm rooting for him. I was so excited when I found out were going to be on the same team [for the team dance].

TVGuide.com: You have a lot going on — you're opening your third dance studio next week.
Burke: Yup, in Orange County in Laguna Niguel. My second one opened in February and my first one opened last April. I'm opening them slowly but surely. My goal is obviously to make it nationwide. I want to make sure I spend enough time there as well. Having three right now is enough on my plate. I teach a lot of master classes. As soon as I'm done with the show, I'm going to take a week vacation and then go right back to my studio.

TVGuide.com: And you have a clothing line.
Burke: Yeah, it's called Cheryl Burke by Fit Couture. It's all the stuff you see in my packages and it's all about comfort for me. I love looking cute and my clothes are really fit and I like jackets and layering. I've always wanted to start a line. The last few seasons, everyone's asking about what I wear, so I thought why not try something new and create something for everyone.

TVGuide.com: Your birthday is on Sunday. Do you have any plans?
Burke: I'll be rehearsing probably. No party. I'll celebrate it after.

TVGuide.com: After you win?
Burke: [Laughs] Hopefully!

http://www.tvguide.com/Dancing-Stars/Dancings-Cheryl-Burke-1005663.aspx
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on May 01, 2009, 05:53:45 PM
click on link below to view video

'DWTS'' Gilles Marini Gets Grilled by Cheryl Burke

"Dancing with the Stars"' hunky contestant and top contender Gilles Marini and his pro "Dancing" partner Cheryl Burke get a chance to interview each other on the ET stage - and they're asking the tough questions! Find out what Gilles' most annoying habit is and what he says is his most guilty pleasure!

"You're always very supportive no matter what people think...," Gilles compliments Cheryl. "You're an angel to me."

But after the compliments, the answers get juicy!

Watch the video to hear Gilles and Cheryl's candid answers, including what Cheryl wants from Gilles for her birthday, what annoys her most about him, and what qualities he likes most about her.

The next installment of ABC's "Dancing with the Stars" airs Monday night at 8 p.m.

http://www.etonline.com/news/2009/05/73465/
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on May 01, 2009, 11:43:21 PM
Ty's blog:

‘Today was like boot camp’

At ease troops, today was like boot camp--

We had a good day again, but it's been another long day. I got up and started doing phone interviews at 6 o'clock this morning. I did that for two hours and then, at 8 o'clock, Chelsie and I had to drive from Hollywood to Burbank to visit a couple of radio stations. We did those interviews from 9 to 10 and then we went to practice at 10:30.

Chelsie got our entire Argentine Tango choreographed and we got through it pretty decent for one day's worth of practice.

We worked on that until 3 o'clock and then Jewel, Chelsie and I did an interview with "Extra." That took about an hour and after "Extra" left Chelsie and I shot our wides for the Rumba. When got down with the wides we went back to working on our routine for the Argentine Tango.

The song we're using this week for that dance is a Spanish song and, unfortunately, I don't recall the name of it, but for the Rumba we're using "Free Fallin" by Tom Petty.

We worked on the Argentine Tango until after 6 and we put some lifts in it so we were just working on the timing of the lifts. We were also working on some of the harder steps because there's that whole thing where you intermingle your legs and the timing of that is kind of crucial, so you don't end up kicking each other or get your legs all tangled up.

It's coming along.

Now that there are only five couples left on the show the media requests for all the press coverage is really starting to double up too so it's getting to be a lot longer days--like tomorrow, we're doing a long photo shoot with "TV Guide." I think that might be for a cover.

It just makes it tough. You're trying to work every minute you can work, but you're still trying to get all the press stuff done because that's important for the success of the show. Not only that, but because it's a show that America plays a part in – with all the voting – it's pretty important for me to get all the interviews done too.

I'm just now leaving practice and I'm headed to a wardrobe fitting.

When I get done with that I have to go to my apartment because the producers of the show want to film some stuff for Monday night's package. After that I'm meeting a friend of Chelsie's who is a big bull riding fan. Then I'm going to finally eat something and go straight to bed.

It was a long day, but it was a good day.

http://www.pbrnow.com/blog/index.cfm/2009/5/1/Today-was-like-boot-camp#more
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on May 02, 2009, 12:06:30 PM
ABC Press Release...

NINTH COUPLE ELIMINATED ON
"DANCING WITH THE STARS THE RESULTS SHOW,"
TUESDAY, MAY 5 ON ABC


Jamie Cullum Performs

Macy's Stars of Dance Brings Choreographers
Marty Kudelka & Dee Caspary to the Stage

DanceCenter Returns with Kenny Mayne and Jerry Rice

Professional Dancer Competition Continues with the Return of
Three Former "Dancing with the Stars" Celebrity Competitors

"Episode 809A" - After tallying the judges' and viewer votes, the ninth couple to be eliminated from the competition is revealed on "Dancing with the Stars the Results Show," TUESDAY, MAY 5 (9:00-10:02 p.m., ET) on the ABC Television Network.

Jamie Cullum performs the Cole Porter classic "I Get a Kick Out of You," joined on the "Dancing with the Stars" stage by International Grand Ball Champions Agnieszka Kazmierczak and Urs Gaisenhainer. Cullum is a worldwide star noted for his raw energy, insatiable musical creativity and fearlessly engaging live performances. He's been called a "one man British invasion" and, with sales of over 5 million albums worldwide, has been hailed as the UK's most successful jazz artist. Most recently Cullum was nominated along with Clint Eastwood for a Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song for their composition, "Gran Torino," to go along with Cullum's previous Grammy and Golden Globe nominations.

Macy's Stars of Dance brings a special collaboration between hip hop choreographer Marty Kudelka and contemporary choreographer Dee Caspary to the "Dancing with the Stars" stage in a fusion of styles that transform the dance floor with one of the largest set pieces ever brought to the stage - in the shape of a star.

Former "Dancing with the Stars" celebrities Kenny Mane and Jerry Rice return to the ballroom with head judge Len Goodman for another critical analysis of the remaining competitors in a special edition of DanceCenter.

The first "Dancing with the Stars" professional dancer competition continues with three dancers remaining. After one more of the six professional dancers is eliminated based on last week's viewer votes, the three remaining dancers are paired with former "Dancing with the Stars" celebrity competitors from previous seasons. By the end of this season, one lucky dancer, determined by viewers' votes, will be selected as a member of next season's "Dancing with the Stars" cast to be paired with a celebrity. Full details and bios are available at www.abc.com.

By evening's end one couple will be eliminated. Who among the following five teams will leave the ballroom floor?

Shawn Johnson (Olympic gymnastics medalist) and partner Mark Ballas
Lil' Kim (Grammy Award-winning rapper) and partner, reigning champion Derek Hough
Gilles Marini (model and actor) and partner Cheryl Burke
Ty Murray ("King of Cowboys") and partner, newcomer Chelsie Hightower
Melissa Rycroft (from "The Bachelor") and partner Tony Dovolani

Viewers may cast their votes for their favorite teams via phone on Monday night during and up to 30 minutes after the "Dancing with the Stars" performance shows. AT&T subscribers may also text message their votes by texting the word "VOTE" and entering the number that corresponds to the team they want to support (standard text message rates apply). Viewers may also vote online at www.abc.com starting from the opening of each episode on the East Coast and until 12:00 Noon, ET the following day.

Hosted by Tom Bergeron ("America's Funniest Home Videos") and Samantha Harris ("The Insider"), the celebrities will perform choreographed dance routines which will be judged by renowned Ballroom judge Len Goodman and dancer/choreographers Bruno Tonioli and Carrie Ann Inaba.

http://www.abcmedianet.com/web/dnr/dispDNR.aspx?id=050109_03
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on May 03, 2009, 10:16:33 AM
Ty's blog:

‘We have both dances going pretty good’



Well troops, it's right at nine o'clock and I just got done. We had a really long day because right in the middle of the day we had a four-hour photo shoot for "TV Guide."

That kind of broke the practice up.

We have both dances going pretty good to the songs. We got our wides shot for the Rumba yesterday and today we shot the wides for the Argentine Tango.

I really like the Argentine Tango. Right now it's probably my favorite dance so far, but the Rumba, well, that's a different story. That's a tough one for me.

We have it coming along pretty good, but it's hard to find the groove in the Rumba because it speeds up then slows down, some parts are quick then slow and some parts are quick and slow--it's just tough and there are a lot of hips and all that.

Every week the first thing that has to happen is that I have to get to where I know the steps so I don't have to think about them anymore. That's the first thing I have to get down.

Once I get to that point then it's easier to start cleaning up the technique and the clumpiness.

Even with the two dances I feel like we're right on track and even with the busier schedule we're equivalent to where we've been with the other dances on Saturday night.

Well, all right, I'm drenched in sweat so it'll feel good to take a nice hot shower and then I'm going to get in bed.

Tomorrow we have some camera blocking and I'll let you all know how that goes.

http://www.pbrnow.com/blog/index.cfm/2009/5/3/We-have-both-dances-going-pretty-good#more

Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on May 03, 2009, 10:26:50 AM
FYI....

It was posted on another forum that Derek tweeted on his twitter yesterday that he injured his knee so bad and he could barely walk....

No other information was given but I will be following up on it. Keep checking for any updates I post on him.
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on May 03, 2009, 02:05:08 PM
I've signed up on twitter...it's pretty cool.

Derek just tweeted that his knee is pretty swollen and injured it practicing the salsa yesterday. I guess he's still good to go for tomorrow. Probably just badly bruised knee would be my guess. Will follow up if there's any new updates on him.
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on May 04, 2009, 08:50:56 AM
Ty's blog:

‘I have to do a 15 second solo during the Rumba’



Hello troops,

It's about 5 o'clock here and I just got back to the apartment. We had a good day that started off with Chelsie and me practicing for three hours and then we went to camera blocking, which went well.

So far, out of all the dances I've learned, the Argentine Tango is my favorite, but they both went pretty good during the camera blocking.

I really like both of our songs. The Argentine Tango is a really traditional song and then "Free Fallin" by Tom Petty, I really like that too. So everything is coming along pretty good.

I have to do a 15 second solo during the Rumba and we've been working on that and it's coming right along as well.

We do have quite a few lifts in the Argentine Tango, so I'm pretty sore with having had both my shoulders operated on and a plate put in my neck. I get a little sore up in the shoulder area from doing all the lifts. It's no big deal and they're just knots, so I have a sports therapist coming over in about 30 minutes to work on that.

I'll be feeling good by tomorrow and we'll be ready to go.

I just want to say that I have first class fans, who don't get into all the hog wash and garbage slinging or trash talking. It's nice to see that my fans have enough class and dignity to remember that it's just television show.

Everybody's trying their hardest and bearing-down and trying to do a good job of entertaining the viewers.

Keep up the good work and I will talk to you tomorrow, bye.

http://www.pbrnow.com/blog/index.cfm/2009/5/3/I-have-to-do-a-15-second-solo-during-the-Rumba#more
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on May 04, 2009, 09:03:33 AM
'Dancing''s Melissa Rycroft 'Working Through the Pain'

click on link below to view video

Melissa Rycroft exclusively gives ET the latest update on her injured ribs, and she reveals her secrets to working through the pain while rehearsing not one, but two dances for tonight's "DWTS"!

As Melissa and pro partner Tony Dovolani practice their two new routines, the Viennese waltz and the samba, Melissa admits to ET that she's still hurting from the hairline fractures to her ribs. But, she says, nothing is cracked or broken and the fractures will gradually heal on their own.

"This week, the difference with practice is that we can do things, and if it hurts a little bit, it's okay," Melissa says. "I mean, it's fine -- grit your teeth and move on."

Aside from her determined mindset, the former "Bachelor" contestant has a second ace up her sleeve: a numbing patch that takes the edge off the pain. "It makes it tolerable, manageable," she says.

"The cool thing is that we haven't had to shorten any of our rehearsal," Tony adds, noting that Melissa is handling the workouts and pressure "like a trooper. She's really given me more than I expected this week."

But Tony confesses that they both feared they would get ousted from the competition last Tuesday. "We were looking at each other going, 'Oh no, we don't want to leave like this.'"

"I was in tears," Melissa says of her disappointment over not being able to compete last week. When she and Tony take the dancefloor tonight, though, "we'll be able to do everything," she says.

Catch Melissa and Tony performing two new dances on "DWTS," tonight at 8 p.m. on ABC!

http://www.etonline.com/news/2009/05/73483/index.html
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on May 04, 2009, 11:06:49 AM
Shawn Johnson Ready to Be Aggressive, Says Bruno Will Never Sniff Her Clothes

She's guest-starred on The Secret Life of the American Teenager, but Shawn Johnson's acting skills will really be put to the test on Dancing with the Stars Monday when she tackles the intense paso doble. "I'm a little nervous because I'm not a very angry person," Johnson tells TVGuide.com. Her work doesn't stop there as she also has the perky quickstep on her plate. See what else the Olympic champ has to say about her progress, who she's in a Twitter war with and what she thinks about injured stars getting judged on their rehearsals.

TVGuide.com: We have to talk about Tuesday night because you looked completely petrified.
Shawn Johnson: I was so nervous! Nobody knew what was going to happen. They said it was going to be the "most shocking elimination of the season," so everybody thought it could've been them. I wasn't ready to go yet, and I was scared. I've never felt that way before. But something about standing up there and waiting for your name to be called is scary. We were all standing up there practicing our goodbye speeches.

TVGuide.com: You have the quickstep and the paso doble next, which are polar opposites. Will it be a good showcase for you to be happy in one and dramatic in the other?
Johnson: I think so. I've never had the opportunity to be angry and aggressive, so hopefully I'll be able to pull that off. But getting into character is always fun. Mark is thinking of different ways to help me. He's still acting like a girl! [Laughs] I think the quickstep will be fine since it's just smiley and happy and lighthearted. The samba last week felt a little weird. They say it's kind of an awkward dance to begin with because of the movement and stuff — I didn't know how to act.

TVGuide.com: You said you have to work fewer hours because you're a minor. Were you worried about how that was going to affect you learning two dances?
Johnson: Yeah, I was. We're goofballs in the studio, but we use our time well, and we're really productive in practice. We don't really have a choice. I think we're good under pressure, and I don't think we're going to let it affect us. [Rehearsals] are good. We started with the paso and got most of that down before moving to the quickstep. Sunday is when we try to make everything perfect.

TVGuide.com: What do you think you still have to work on?
Johnson: I say the personality is the most important. It's hard for me to show the personality in every dance. I'm usually such a smiley and bubbly person, so I feel like if I can get through this week, I can overcome it all. We're working really hard and trying to make things perfect with the overall impression of the dance. We're working on getting three 10s and hopefully that'll come soon.

TVGuide.com: Last week was also tough because you lost Melissa in your team dance. Jewel said she thinks injured contestants should dance or pull out completely instead of being judged on a rehearsal. What do you think?
Johnson: It was such a last-minute thing. Melissa was fine up until right before we went on. Of course, it's not something you want to see happen, but if you're trying to compete the next week, I see it as being fair to give them a second chance. We're just glad Melissa's back and feeling better.

TVGuide.com: Whose idea was it to put the guys in leotards in your team dance?
Johnson: Everyone keeps blaming Mark, but it wasn't him! [Laughs] It was more something everybody wanted to do. We were throwing out ideas. I think it was actually Julianne who came up with it. I thought our team dance was amazing. Even though we didn't get the best scores for it, the crowd loved it and we just wanted to go out there and entertain them. That's what the whole competition is about.

TVGuide.com: I don't know if you saw or not, but during the team tango, Bruno sniffed Ty's sleeve that he threw on the judges' table.
Johnson: [Laughs] I saw it! Bruno's just a goofball and he does strange things, so you just have to laugh. I'm never going to be taking my outfits off, so I don't think it'll ever be an issue that he tries to smell something of mine!

TVGuide.com: I hear you're in a Twitter war with Chuck to get the most followers. Do you know you're losing by, like, a thousand right now?
Johnson: Oh yeah, he's beating me pretty good! [Laughs] It's a lighthearted thing we've got going on. Nothing real serious. You never know, hopefully I'll get to beat him. I'll get bragging rights — and that's it!

http://www.tvguide.com/Dancing-Stars/Dancing-Shawn-Johnson-1005705.aspx
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: TARAsia Fan on May 04, 2009, 11:14:56 AM
Bruno is creepy. No two words about it.
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on May 04, 2009, 09:01:11 PM
Dancing Score Results

ROUND ONE: (Ballroom)

Shawn/Mark   Quickstep           9        9        9         27

Ty/Chelsie  Argentine Tango      8        9        8        25

Lil' Kim/Derek     Waltz              9        8        9        25   

Gilles/Cheryl      Foxtrot           10       9        10       29   

Melissa/Tony Viennese Waltz    9         9        9        27

ROUND TWO: (Latin)

Shawn/Mark    Paso Doble        10       9        10       29

Ty/Chelsie          Rumba           7        7         7       21   

Lil' Kim/Derek        Salsa           9        9         9       27     

Gilles/Cheryl         Rumba         9        9          9       27 
   
Melissa/Tony        Samba        10      10         10      30

COMBINED SCORES:

Shawn/Mark         56

Ty/Chelsie           46

Lil' Kim/Derek        52

Gilles/Cheryl         56   

Melissa/Tony        57
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on May 04, 2009, 11:21:06 PM
Dancing with the Stars Episode Recap: Monday, May 4, 2009

The fab five double up on dances this week on Dancing with the Stars as they vie for a semifinal spot. Who excelled at both and who came up short? Find out below!

This episode is going to be amazing. How do I know that? The Powers That Be felt it incumbent to replay Chuck's vomit-tocious line, "It feels good to be your man" in the opening seconds. A show after my own heart, I mean, snark. But then they go blow the wind out of my sails with some filler dance. No offense to the pros, but let's get this show on the road.

BALLROOM
The Ballroom Round will kick things off, but not before the three stooges give their two cents. Melissa needs to work on her feet. Gilles needs to be a wave in the foxtrot. Lil' Kim needs to be soft. Shawn can't hunch over and Ty needs some flair. Can he borrow some from Jennifer Aniston?

Shawn Johnson & Mark Ballas: Quickstep
Mark borrowed Matt Giraud's headgear this week. And he's still dancing like a girl. Shawn's stressing out in rehearsals, but I think she'll be fine. I don't think I've ever seen her move around so quickly before. This is so jovial and Shawn's moving through the choreography with such ease — and most importantly, synchronicity. There's the extra pep in her step (as there should be) that was conspicuously MIA in her samba last week. Plus, they're dancing to the Aladdin song, which gives them an automatic thumbs up ("Friend Like Me" trumps "A Whole New World" any day of the week.) Len thinks we've seen her personality for the first time, but calls them out for breaking hold in the middle of the routine. Bruno says she's Sporty Spice, but notes the rule-breaking as well. Carrie Ann calls it her best dance ever and also jumps on the party line. Get with it, Mark!
Score: 27

Ty Murray & Chelsie Hightower: Argentine Tango
What animal did Ty kill to get that robe? To get this routine down pat, the cowboy's been studying video instead of sleeping with Jewel in his downtime. Can't say I would choose differently. Ty's got the brute strength to capture the feel of the Argentine Tango, but perhaps too much. Some of those kicks look overly aggressive and impetuous. It also looks like he messes up one of them. Other than that, it was a good showing, but I don't think Ty will ever be as suave as he needs to be. Bruno calls him a Power Ranger as a compliment, but wishes he were smoother. Carrie Ann thinks he needs some breadth in his motions. Len loves it and thinks it's his best yet. Officially on the bandwagon, huh?
Score: 25

Lil' Kim & Derek Hough: Waltz
Ballroom's too slow and quiet for the Queen Bee, but she knows she needs to bang this out. The dance is delicate and quaint, but definitely not one of Kim's best. She looks hesitant at some parts and something was off with that one-footed twirl (sorry, I don't know these terms). It's OK, Kim. The salsa's next. Carrie Ann found some stumbles and wants her to extend her hands. Len agrees with the errors, but was shocked by the quality of the dance. Uh, what happened to my crusty curmudgeon? Bruno knows Kim's a tramp and not a lady.
Score: 25

Gilles Marini & Cheryl Burke: Foxtrot
Gilles is determined to reclaim the top spot this week... and he brings a hat with him. The sexy, smoldering Gilles is back, and this routine is sexy and smoldering. I don't know if I've ever said that about a foxtrot, but this one is. It's so titillating that I'm not really paying attention to his steps. Oops. But I guess that's the point, right? There's nothing egregiously wrong (where is there ever with him?) and this will easily launch him back to the top. Len loves the feel and interpretation, but wants him to stretch his legs. Bruno loves the sophistication of the performance. Carrie Ann says he's heading straight for the semis.
Score: 29

Melissa Rycroft & Tony Dovolani: Viennese Waltz
Melissa's on a new treatment and is ready to dance. And to make sure we know she's injured, we get a shot of her rib getting taped. Does the costume department know that Melissa's skirt is totally see-through? It's majorly distracting. And this is a week after her gravity-defying, seemingly painted-on jeans. That said, she does look angelic, as she asked in rehearsal. If she has issues with her feet, then her strengths are definitely her arms. She knows how to extend those bad boys like crazy. Her footwork is off a little bit, like she was catching herself, trying to go on her heels. It's still a decent number, if slightly underwhelming. Bruno calls her lighter than air, but very balletic. Carrie Ann agrees, but wants her to stop dancing up and down. Len likes everything but her feet.
Score: 27

Pick a Pro
Genya Mazo was eliminated, leaving three pros left, who will be paired with a Dancing alum to perform Tuesday. Afton DelGrosso gets Cody Linley. Anna Demidova is paired with Maurice Greene. Mayo Alanen has the one, the only... Lisa Rinna. A Dancing spot is just as good as a gig on Melrose 2.0, if not better.

LATIN
After another introductory pro dance (because we've never seen these dances before), it's time to get down to the booty-shaking. What's more: The stars must perform a 15-second solo in the routines, too. Melissa needs to work her booty. Gilles needs to stop being hectic. Shawn can't be cute. Len has a conniption over the words "Ty" and "Latin," but gets some hot flashes with "Lil' Kim" and "salsa." Down, boy.

Shawn Johnson & Mark Ballas: Paso Doble
I'm glad Shawn's getting a solo here because if she pulls the whole thing off, it'll be the breakthrough dance for her. She told me she's trying to be aggressive... which apparently calls for pursed, Renee Zellweger lips. Hey, the girl is trying. Shawn's definitely attacking the dance, and her angles and technique look sharp. It's not as intense as past Pasos, but still dramatic and bold, which is a nice change in demeanor for her. Carrie Ann says she nailed it. Len loves the solo and her twists, but says it wasn't exciting for him. Bruno calls her a missile and gets a hug and a kiss.
Score: 29

Ty Murray & Chelsie Hightower: Rumba
Watching Ty trying to unscrew his hips is the cutest thing ever. If it were anyone else, I'd be laughing my ass off. He has a few stumbles right off the bat and there's a (gasp!) lift. The hips? They're unscrewed, a notch or so. He's trying and it's adorable, but adorable's not enough -- not even if you finish the dance by kissing your wife. Besides, the rumba's not supposed to be adorable. Len loves the ending with Jewel, but calls Ty a feather-duster. Bruno calls him Kenny Mayne. So does that mean Ty will join DanceCenter one day? Carrie Ann agrees with the boys and calls out the lift. Ty doesn't care because he hopes his hip solo for Jewel will pay dividends later. So no more video camera? Oh, wait...
Score: 21

Lil' Kim & Derek Hough: Salsa
Kim's pumped to bring back the bionic booty... like, way pumped. Derek wants to raise the bar, so he's adding some tricks. Kim's shakin' it alright, so much so that things are flying off her dress. I think she needs to take heed to some of those "hectic" comments Gilles has been getting because this thing is completely out of control, in more ways than one. Part of it is probably adrenaline, but girl needs to dial it back just a touch. She was flailing wildly at certain parts. Kim needs to find a happy medium here. She's too hesitant in the standards, but too crazy in the Latin ones. Bruno serenades her with "You Spin Me Round," but calls her out on a misstep. Kim curses. Carrie Ann thinks she lost control at some points, and Len agrees, but not without calling her a Spotted Dick. It's a dessert. Crazy Brits!
Score: 27

Gilles Marini & Cheryl Burke: Rumba
Gilles once thought the rumba was big, fast and fun. Can you blame him? He also wanted Kim Cattrall to be there, but something tells me she's not. She can come for the finale, right? They're dancing to "Sexual Healing," and there are no words. Nevermind the fact that he is wearing a see-through shirt and did some sort of sideways moonwalk in his solo. Only Mark can be MJ, Gilles! This is steamy and almost a bit carnal, but I don't think it's totally impressive on the whole. It seems like it's more for show than for dance. The floor-roll at the end cements that. He's trying way too hard here, a la Kim before him. Carrie Ann loved it, but didn't like the "self-indulgent" solo. Len didn't like the solo either and rolling across the floor. Of course you didn't. Bruno references Showgirls, but finds it uneven.
Score: 27

Melissa Rycroft & Tony Dovolani: Samba
Melissa wants out of the solo on a technicality because she's not a celebrity. Oh, self-deprecation! Melissa has the perfect personality for this dance — bubbly, flirty and total party girl. She shimmies like it's her job (because it actually is... for now) and can rival Kim in the booty-shakin' department. Her samba rolls look great, but I think there's still something shaky with her footwork. They end up on the judges' table and Melissa's boob pops out. Just trying to be like Kim every way tonight, huh? Butt last week (almost), boobs this week. What's going to happen next week? Len thinks she deserves to be in the semis. Bruno thinks it's beautifully executed. Carrie Ann wants to point out the flaws, but it's flawless.
Score: 30

What did you think? Did the strain of two dances show? Was Kim too wild in her samba, Gilles too desperate in his rumba? Did Mark cost Shawn a perfect 30? Did Melissa deserve her perfect 30? Who will get the heave-ho Tuesday?

http://www.tvguide.com/Episode-Recaps/dancing-stars/Dancing-Stars-Episode-1005735.aspx
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on May 05, 2009, 01:14:44 AM
Ty's blog:

‘We’ll just have to wait and see how it goes tomorrow night’



Hey troops, we just got done eating after the show. Me, Jewel and Chelsie went and had a nice dinner together.

I'm just checking in with you.

We got some good comments from Len, which was nice. That's really the first time we got a good comment from him along with a nine, so that wasn't too bad and we tied our highest score with a 25 in the Argentine Tango.

And our Rumba, although it wasn't great, maybe it wasn't as bad as they were expecting. After all, I know Jewel like my Rumba, especially the solo!

I was really glad to have my sisters – Kimber and Kerri – there supporting me tonight.

We'll just have to wait and see how it goes tomorrow night, but I feel like we have the biggest army going behind us and that's really going to help. Chelsie and I both appreciate all the support and I hope everyone caught the salute tonight.

I'll check back in with you tomorrow.

http://www.pbrnow.com/blog/index.cfm/2009/5/5/Well-just-have-to-wait-and-see-how-it-goes-tomorrow-night#more
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on May 05, 2009, 11:03:53 AM
click on link below to view video

'Dancing' Stars Get Candid with Maksim

Maksim Chmerkovskiy is back as ET's "Dancing with the Stars" special correspondent, and he's getting the dish from all of the "Dancing" contestants -- plus Jewel opens up about the injury comment she made that caused controversy last week!

"In my blog I was talking about the [rodeo] rule," Jewel says. "It was not about Melissa at all."

"I read the comment and we talked, and I never took it as a dig on me or anything like that," Melissa Rycroft says. "I understand when you say something and it gets misconstrued. I get that, I didn't take offense to it, I get her point."

The contestants also opened up about the mounting pressure they are feeling as the numbers get smaller and the competition gets more intense.

"You can't play it safe anymore," Derek Hough tells ET. "You can do that in the earlier stages but now you've got to go all out and take the risks."

Watch the video for more backstage action with the "Dancing" stars -- and don't miss tonight's "Dancing with the Stars" results show at 9 p.m. on ABC.

http://www.etonline.com/news/2009/05/73581/index.html
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on May 05, 2009, 11:47:35 AM
Monday’s Dancing: What You Didn’t See

Lap Dance: Every week, Jewel can usually be spotted on the same side of the stage cheering on husband Ty Murray. But on Monday night, the singer was seen scurrying to the other side of the stage and taking a seat there before Murray’s performance. Turns out, she needed to sit there so Murray could direct his swiveling hips toward her. “Jewel knew she needed to be in that seat for the rumba,” Murray told PEOPLE about the seating switcheroo, but she had no idea what was in store for her. “I kind of made the solo up as I went.”

Finder’s Keepers: Last week, the women squealed when Gilles Marini shed his shirt and threw it into the audience during the Team Tango dance. Monday night was no different when Marini threw his hat at the start of his foxtrot. “I like throwing things,” he said afterward. Oh yeah? Well, the ladies like catching them, too. In fact, the woman who caught the hat didn’t want to give it up when a crew member stopped by afterward and asked for it. It took some polite words, but she finally gave it up.

The Calgon Fix: Lil’ Kim, who was at the top of the leader board last week, took a few barbs from the judges Monday evening. So how does she deal with the criticism? “I take baths on Monday nights,” said Kim, whose usual bubbly attitude was more subdued. “I love candles. And I just relax.”

Olympic-Sized Hugs: After the judges gushed over Shawn Johnson’s paso doble, the pint-sized Olympic gymnast could hardly contain herself. She rushed to the judges’ table and gave the three judges hugs and kisses, to the crowd’s delight. But this isn’t exactly in character for her. “I never would’ve even approached a judge at the Olympics,” she said after the show. “I just loved their comments. I worked so hard. I struggled so hard on that dance, I felt they deserved it.”

Crowded House: With the semi-finals a week away, an interesting assortment of celebrity audience members cropped up to watch the show. Singer Tyrese sat ringside and clapped thunderously for pal Lil’ Kim. Even Gilles Marini couldn’t resist the opportunity to stop by and shake his hand at the start of the show. Also in attendance: Joe Piscopo and DWTS alum Marlee Matlin.

http://tvwatch.people.com/2009/05/05/mondays-dancing-what-you-didnt-see-25/
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on May 05, 2009, 09:02:23 PM
Dancing Elimination Results

First to be announced safe were:

Gilles & Cheryl

Second safe were:

Melissa & Tony

Third safe were:

Shawn & Mark

Bottom Two are:

Lil' Kim & Derek
Ty & Chelsie

Eliminated from the competition and finishing at 5th place are:

LIL' KIM & DEREK HOUGH
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on May 05, 2009, 11:09:16 PM
Dancing with the Stars Episode Recap: Tuesday, May 5, 2009

Four couples lock up spots in the semifinals as one more celebrity is eliminated on Dancing with the Stars. Think you know who it is? Find out below!

I don't know about you, but I've been looking forward to this episode all season. Why? DanceCenter is back! I'll admit I haven't seen all of them, but the ones I have seen have microscopically enriched my life in a way I didn't know I needed. Can we just have an all DanceCenter episode? Because I can do without the guests and encore. Speaking of encore, the streak is broken! Melissa gets the encore slot with her samba. She's stocked up on the double-sided tape this time. No more under-boob.

Recap time: Oh, Ty! I'm going to miss you when you're gone. "I could tell by the look on her face mommy like," he snickers of his hip-swiveling solo for Jewel. Get him on DanceCenter. Seriously. Lil' Kim say she's happy with her performances, but Derek looks completely peeved. If the bubbly Houghs are deflated, you know it ain't good. Melissa doesn't think there's a dance out there that wasn't flawless? You're too kind. No wonder you weren't a good match for Jason.

DanceCenter
It's back! Seriously, how amazing would it be if Ty joined the panel? Anyhow, he's first up:

Ty, who's apparently made of wood and nearly eight feet tall on a bull, is defying mathematical odds by committing more than 100 percent. Bedazzled and dipped in pink, Kenny appreciates that the show is rewarding poor dancing, which Len calls robotic. Cue Terminator-esque bot.

Next is Kim, she of the lil' height, weight and shoe size and owner of 800 wigs. She does have one huge asset, Kenny points out, as opposed to college-aged Lil' Jerry Rice. Ouch. (By the way, "rear" is not appropriate for this family show, in Kenny's eyes, but Jaime Cullum crooning about cocaine is.)

"Lil'"-er than Lil' Kim is, of course, Shawn, who's beyond adorable as we all know, but is stuck with nutso Mark. They're nuts for each other, of course, like chipmunks! Shawn actually does look like a chipmunk. Her voice is also, like, a nozzle of helium away from chipmunk-nese.

Melissa, at pretty height and weight, has endured so much pain and mistreatment on TV... from Tony. Bastard laughed at her injury! But who cares when she put on, clearly, the best performance yet with her jive. "Excellent use of denim," Jerry says. You mean, lack thereof. There was a missed opportunity here not to call out the Crest Whitestrips twins out on their resemblance.

Last but not least, Gilles, who will get naked at the drop of a hat, gets grilled. Kenny hates the French and the fact that Gilles is prostituting himself, you know, flaunting what he doesn't have. Which is pasty, ghost-white skin and/or a cobra chest tattoo. We all can't be perfect.

First safe couple:
Gilles & Cheryl (He shrieks... and the hairs on Mark's head stand up.)

Pick a Pro
Afton DelGrosso & Cody Linley: Samba
Cody says Afton is like Julianne. (You mean you wish she was Julianne!) I don't really remember much of Cody from last season, but he's looking pretty awesome here. There's still something not-a boy, not-yet-a-man about him, but he's no longer looking like a teen Ellen DeGeneres, so that's a good thing, right? He's rocking the moves and has energy to spare. Surprise, surprise. The choreography is also pretty awesome and Afton's definitely not like Julianne. Why? She's not doing all the dancing. Len thinks she's a good teacher. Bruno likes that she made Cody sell himself. Carrie Ann loves her youthful energy.

Mayo Alanen & Lisa Rinna: Quickstep
Mayo's never worked with a celebrity before, while Lisa's got to get used to Mayo's tall body. I've never seen Lisa dance before, but she looks somewhat decent here, especially for someone who hasn't been on the show for a few years. Mayo's definitely showcasing her, uh, assets. Raise your hand if you haven't picked up Playboy. They seem off in a couple of places, but it's a fun little number. Bruno likes that he made the most out of what he had in Lisa. No comment. Carrie Ann thinks they got out of control a little. Len loves the ambition.

Anna Demidova & Maurice Greene: Tango
Maurice picked a dance he'd never done before to see how Anna would teach someone who's never been exposed to it. I like the way he thinks. That's why he's an Olympic champ. Maurice looks pretty good here and maybe even better than when he was with Cheryl. I remember him being inconsistent last season, never quite getting there. (Obviously, since he was eliminated.) But now he looks really suave and the moves are nice and crisp. She definitely accomplished what Maurice challenged her to do and for that, I think she should get the pro spot. Carrie Ann loves the beautiful lines. Len thinks she was the best of the night. Bruno calls her a miracle worker. I would say Cheryl's offended, but Gilles has already taken her somewhere Maurice never did. Backstage, Sam asks the million-dollar question: "What did you find it went with — how'd you find it went with your first chance?" Say wha?!?

Next two safe couples:
Melissa & Tony
Shawn & Mark

That leaves Lil' Kim and Derek, and Ty and Chelsie, who are in fact the bottom two. The obvious choice is Ty, but I'm kind of holding out hope his fan base pulls him through — only because we haven't had a shock elimination yet this season... And we do! Lil' Kim and Derek are out! She's shocked, the audience is shocked. Who isn't, really? Kim should be in the semis because let's face it, Ty has no business being there on dance ability — and he knew it. I think the people most shocked were Ty and Chelsie. She was near tears and Ty looks like he just realized he's still in this thing. And cowboys will inherit the earth.

Kim says she loved the experience and thinks that she brought in different viewers. Derek says he loves the girl and Tom loved watching her dance. Bye, bye, bionic booty!

What did you think? Was Kim robbed? Who can stop Ty? Can he actually make it to the finals? Did DanceCenter live up to those in the past? Which pro did you like? Were you relieved the house band wasn't tasked with butchering Coldplay for the Macy's Stars of Dance performance? Who's your current pick to win?

http://www.tvguide.com/Episode-Recaps/dancing-stars/Dancing-Stars-Episode-1005791.aspx
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on May 05, 2009, 11:32:05 PM
I am quickly becoming addicted to twitter, lol

Chuck posted this tweet and included a picture....

Melissa and I are still friends! I promise! Haha...backstage at DWTS!

(http://i212.photobucket.com/albums/cc289/CuteboiWill/xz7.jpg)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on May 06, 2009, 12:27:48 AM
'Dancing' Shocker: Lil' Kim Voted Off!

In the first major surprise elimination of the season, rapper Lil' Kim was ousted from "Dancing with the Stars" one week shy of the semi-finals.

Lil' Kim gracefully said her goodbyes to a standing ovation, after her name was announced to a smattering of boos from the crowd. Rodeo cowboy Ty Murray, who scored the least on Monday night's performance show, joined her in the bottom two.

"I think this is one of the greatest experiences I've ever [had] in my life," she said upon hearing the news.

"I think I've brought a different audience [to the show]," she pointed out. "I know people who've never watched the show and they watch the show [now]."

Throughout the season, mild-mannered Lil' Kim consistently ranked among the top scorers, and when it was announced that she would be going home, even host Tom Bergeron called it a "shock." He also told her, "I love to watch you dance."

Her professional partner, last season's champion Derek Hough, said of his partner, "I love this girl so much, and she has been one of my favorites." He also called her "an amazing soul."

The night also included numbers by three pro dancer hopefuls who are auditioning for a spot on next season's roster. In a twist, this week they took the floor with celeb competitors from past seasons. Afton DelGrosso danced a samba with former contestant Cody Linley, Mayo Alanen joined Lisa Rinna for a quickstep, and Anna Demidova performed an Argentine tango with Maurice Greene.

Other highlights of the evening included a performance by British singer-songwriter Jamie Cullum, as well as a number by the Macy's Stars of Dance.

http://www.etonline.com/news/2009/05/73631/index.html
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on May 06, 2009, 01:44:50 AM
Ty's blog:

‘We’ll bear-down and see how far this goes’


Woo-hoo troops, we're in the semi-finals!

What's amazing with this show is that all the couples have a team behind them in America and nobody knows how big their team is or where they stand, but obviously the cowboy army must be pretty big because it's pretty obvious that I'm not the best dancer.

Chelsie and I were behind pretty far in the scores from the judges, but I think people have underestimated the cowboy nation.

It was a bummer to see Lil' Kim eliminated. She's a great dancer, worked hard every week and I would watch her in dress rehearsal before the shows and she and Derek would be working on moves that could be a disaster.

They would be working on some gutsy moves that wouldn't even be that smooth, but on Monday night she would go out there with all the confidence in the world and that gave me a lot of respect for her to see how gutsy she was and how tough she was and what a performer she was.

But, at this point, it's a bummer to see anybody go.

We've all become friends and everybody on the show – celebrities and pros – have all worked so hard and put so much time and effort into it. But people need to remember it's not just a dancing contest or else they wouldn't have America vote on it – they'd just have the judges decide it.

I feel like I have a great team in Chelsie and in the cowboy army. Everybody's behind us and everyone is trying their hardest, and that's me included.

We have two more dances to learn this week – Viennese Waltz and Samba – which, again, are at opposite ends of the spectrum.

Chelsie and I know the process inside and out. I just have to try and get my nerves under control Monday night. It's just so hard because none of it comes natural. I can't rely on anything to be natural because my brain still has to tell me every move for every part of my body to make.

It's hard because when one little extra thought creeps into your brain you're going to miss something.

I know we can get it during the week, but I have to try and work on my focus and see if I can get that under control so that hopefully I'll be more relaxed on Monday night.

It's 10,000 times tougher than I thought it would be. When I took on this show I thought if I really put my mind to it I could do this. It can be really frustrating when you're giving everything you have and you're not getting that great at it, but Chelsie and I are never going to weaken.

Not only have we put a lot of work into this, but I think the cowboy army has put a lot of work into it too so we'll bear-down and see how far this goes.

http://www.pbrnow.com/blog/index.cfm/2009/5/6/Well-beardown-and-see-how-far-this-goes#more
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on May 06, 2009, 10:58:51 AM
Lil' Kim & Derek on Jimmy Kimmel Show


credit to jimmykimmellive
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on May 06, 2009, 11:13:22 AM
Tuesday’s Dancing: What You Didn’t See

May I Have This Dance: The friendship between Lil’ Kim and Derek Hough was obvious to everyone in the ballroom. During the show’s first commercial break on Tuesday’s results show, the pair shared a slow dance off to the side while the other couples chatted. Hough called Kim one of his favorite partners. “I’m going to miss her everything,” he said to PEOPLE after their elimination. “She’s so beautiful, so special and she really is a ball of light. Whenever she walks into a room, everybody feels her energy.”

Say Twitter Opp!: Jewel, who is always taking pictures from her seat, found the perfect photo subject Tuesday night: Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak, who was seated next to her in the ballroom. She took a picture using her iPhone of the computer whiz, who was eliminated earlier this season, and quickly posted it to her Twitter page at @jeweljk. “I twittered a picture of Woz,” she said, “and I was showing him the picture and the responses from all the fans.”

Lisa’s Bikini Throwdown: Lisa Rinna showed off her ballroom goods when she returned to DWTS and performed the quickstep with new pro dancer Mayo Alanen, who is vying for a spot in next season’s lineup. But she didn’t want to talk dancing, she wanted to talk bikini bods. “Kathy Griffin, game on!” Rinna said in response to a recent PEOPLE poll, which the D-List star won handily for having the hottest celebrity bikini body. “Kathy Griffin beat me and it really pissed me off,” said Rinna. “And I say, ‘Kathy Griffin, game on.’”

Len Goes Topless: Bruno Tonioli and Carrie Ann Inaba covered their eyes when their fellow judge, the straight-laced Len Goodman, appeared shirtless at the the end of a pre-taped segment with alum and NFL star Jerry Rice and ESPN Sport Center’s Kenny Mayne. Goodman wasn’t at the judges’ table when the package aired, but as soon as he walked back to his seat, Inaba was quick to give Goodman a high-five.

http://tvwatch.people.com/2009/05/06/tuesdays-dancing-what-you-didnt-see-22/
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on May 06, 2009, 12:00:40 PM
Carrie Ann Inaba blogs 'DWTS,' week 9

WHAT A SHOCKER! Lil’ Kim went home. The whole room collectively dropped their jaw when Tom Bergeron made the announcement. I am shocked by the outcome of the audience’s vote. However, I think we may be in for some surprises from here on out. Since we have such great competitors left in the game, and they are all sitting quite close to each other on the leader board, the audience vote is really going to come into play. We never know how the audience votes on our show and that keeps it interesting and never allows anyone to have a clear idea of how anyone is doing. I thought Lil' Kim would be one of the last performers standing. I don’t think I was alone in that thought. But the show must go on.

Awww…..but I’m still bummed she went home. In all honesty, I will be bummed every week from here on out.

The final four all have different strong points so it’s going to be up to the dances they get, the order they perform in, and how they present every detail of the dances along with how they keep the voters voting for them. Shawn, Melissa and Gilles are all scoring really well -- Ty is not scoring quite as high as the rest of them, so he must be getting a huge audience vote. I can see why. He is certainly likable, making an honest attempt at improving each week -- and actually IS doing just that. But his finesse is not quite up to the standards of the other semi-finalists. I enjoy watching him perform and seeing the fruits of his labor on the dance floor. But no one would have predicted he would last longer than Lil' Kim. But -- for those Lil' Kim fans, she did a great job and really raised her public profile. This show gives celebrities a second shot at fame, it gives them a wonderful new start or a kick start at least to go in new directions with their careers. Lil' Kim came across so lovely on our show. I certainly felt that I got to see a whole different side of Lil' Kim while she was on our show. I hope she gets many opportunities from this show. I know she will.

Everyone else did spectacular things on Monday’s show. We had Tyrese in the audience. He was booing Bruno all night. It was funny. He is the one who started the “BOO BOO." The double BOO began with Tyrese. He’d be a good contestant on our show. He seems to have a good sense of humor about him, and is quite playful. He was up and down all night. I think out of all the celebrities we’ve had at the show, he had the most fun. He was yelling and booing and standing up and yelling things at us, and laughing and smiling. It was nice to see someone having such a great time. Tonight we had Omarosa in the house as well. She was quiet in the second row -- just watching how it all works.

Melissa’s Samba was so much better than we expected it to be. She really found her grounded energy. She also didn’t show any signs of her injury in that dance. It seemed that it might be bothering her Tuesday, though -- she wasn’t as good in the encore as she was on Monday…so maybe that rib is bothering her more that we know. It seemed like it might have hurt her in her Viennese Waltz. I wanted to say that last night but we ran out of time for me to say all that I wanted to say. I thought that she wasn’t giving us the best shapes in her posture but I thought it might be because of her injury because without the support of the core, those dramatic ballroom postures are very difficult to hold. It is easier on the ribs to be straight up and down. I can understand but I have to judge what I see on the spot. Thankfully, the audience doesn’t have to mark down for those things.

Gilles was quite incredible in his Foxtrot. It was a beautiful performance -- I was surprised that Len did not give him a 10. But to each his own. Len, Bruno, and I all see different things. That is what makes us such a well-balanced panel. People often ask why we are on the panel if we don’t come from a formal ballroom background. Well, the answer is quite simple. This isn’t a formal ballroom dance competition. This is a competition for the laymen, the non-professionals, so the show needs different opinions to keep the panel balanced. WE can’t just judge these contestants on formal ballroom dance criteria. It would be boring. These people are not trying to become professional ballroom dancers. They are competing on a show called Dancing With The Stars. And now, our show has opened up the competition to include more styles of dances from various genres. Our different backgrounds allow for us to give different corrections to the performers and different commentary so that different viewpoints are represented. This helps the audience formulate their opinions. They agree, or disagree or yell at the tv. ;) It’s great. We want people to care about the people on the show. They are working so hard…

Which brings me back to Gilles. He did so well on the first number but his second performance, the Rumba, was a bit strange. Yes, it was sexy but it was over the top in my opinion. I think he wanted to do such a great job that he just pushed it over and lost his mojo for a moment. I’m sure he’ll get it back. Some things don’t need to be forced. Gilles sex appeal is one of those things. No force needed. It comes naturally for him.

Shawn was on fire. It’s too bad she and Mark did that break in the hold the way they did. But sometimes, the contestants like to push the boundaries. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. Her performances were top notch this week. She could have had some 10s in that first performance….but she did really well in that Paso. I’m so happy to see her dare to push the emotional side. At 17, it is not easy to tap into those things, but she did and she really pushed out a great performance. Actually, she did two great performances!

Ty was quite good in his Argentine Tango. There was a lot of content. Ty does not rest on his laurels. I admire that about him. He doesn’t settle for doing “weak dancer” choreography. Chelsie gives him difficult choreography and demands -- in a nice way -- that he deliver and he does. He seems to like the challenge and really takes it seriously. He has come so far…The Rumba was a bit stiff but it was better than I expected. He just has a difficult time sometimes with the finesse between the moves, and the subtleties of the facial expressions. I thought Chelsie's choreography at in the tango was great. When he had his hands in his pocket at the top of his first number, and when he performed his solo during his Rumba were both moments none of us will forget. The room went crazy. It was so adorable and heartwarming to see Ty Murray roll his hips for his wife….No -- it didn’t score too many points with the judges, but I see it won the hearts of the viewers.

I want to point out that Tuesday night, we had a great performance. The two guest dancers that performed the Quickstep (Agnieszka Kazmierczak and Urs Geisenhainer) were a sight! They were so breathtakingly beautiful to watch, I had to bring it up. The performance by James Cullum was really special. I had never heard of him before last night. I’m not a huge Jazz fan but I will be buying his album later this week. He’s quite talented.

Well, my mom is in town so I’m going to wrap it up. We are doing the Revlon Run Walk this Saturday -- it was a year ago that she found the lump in her breast that led to a diagnosis of breast cancer for which she has undergone her treatments. We are taking part in the cause again -- we did it last year before her diagnosis -- and are looking forward to a nice Mother’s Day Weekend. I’m grateful to have my mother in my life. She is a wonderful lady and an inspiration to me. Mother’s Day is a day to celebrate not moms every where but to celebrate your own personal mother. That's why the apostrophe comes right after the r. It’s about your mother, and it’s a day you should spend reflecting on that special relationship that is a mother and child. Your moms may not be here anymore or may be estranged, but it is because of them that we are even here. So this weekend -- I hope you will have a chance to express your love of your mother.

And thank you to all the people who bid on the auction. It closed at $12,500 and I’m looking forward to meeting the person who won the final bid! They will be at the finale of our show. Congratulations to you and see you soon! The money you donated will be going to The Andrea Rizzo Foundation to help with Drea’s Dream. We thank you for your kind generous support of this great cause. And I thank my mom for inspiring me to start to get involved in doing things that have deep value and meaning in the larger scope of things. To give back is like getting a special gift yourself...

Thank you for tuning in! Keep voting!!!!!!!

And I'll see you next week!

Same time, same place.

Carrie Ann

P.S. How cute was Len with his fake tattoo and gold chain in Dance Center?!

Go Len! :)

http://popwatch.ew.com/popwatch/2009/05/carrie-ann-inab.html
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on May 06, 2009, 12:23:49 PM
Dance Assignments for 5/11 (all are now confirmed)



Ty/Chelsie

Viennese Waltz       
Samba                 

Melissa/Tony

Quickstep           
Cha Cha Cha         

Gilles/Cheryl

Waltz               
Salsa               

Shawn/Mark

Argentine Tango   
Jive                    
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on May 07, 2009, 10:42:55 AM
Ty's blog:

‘We’re feeling good about where we’re at’



Hey troops, I just got back to the apartment.

Today we spent the whole day working on the choreography for the Samba. I don't know the name of the song we're using – it's a '60s song – but I'll try to remember to get that tomorrow and let you know.

Chelsie's been working really hard and we're both worn out so it's hard to get caught up on rest, but we're hanging in there and everything's all right. We know how Wednesday's go and we're real used to how the process goes so we're feeling good about where we're at.

We have the whole Samba choreographed and even got to where we're going through it pretty decent. We'll work on that some more tomorrow and then start the Viennese Waltz on Friday, at least that's the way it's looking right now.

I'm going to try and get a good night of sleep because I have to get up first thing in the morning and start doing phone interviews at 6 a.m. and, of course, we have another full day tomorrow.

I appreciate all the comments everyone has been leaving.

It's great to see how many people are coming to www.pbrnow.com and leaving comments. Again, it's really nice to have all this support, especially when the days get long.

But I just want to be sure and remind everybody not to get suckered into all the trash talk on the Internet. Let's not worry about it and, instead, we'll just let it roll off of our backs.

Chelsie and I are sticking to the same routine we've had since week one so we all should just keep doing what we've been doing because that's what got us to this point.

We'll keep doing the best we can and not worry about what others are saying. If they're going to be negative we're not going to change their mind anyway so keep doing what we believe is right, the way we believe is right and I really do appreciate the fact that you guys handle things first class.

That's it for now and, again, I appreciate all the support. I'll give you another update tomorrow and let you know how it's coming...and don't forget to check out the cover of "TV Guide" this week.


http://www.pbrnow.com/blog/index.cfm/2009/5/6/Were-feeling-good-about-where-were-at#more

Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on May 08, 2009, 12:40:13 PM
Ty's blog:

‘Chelsie and I got the Samba going pretty good today’



I just got back to the apartment after my day started at six this morning. I had about two hours of radio interviews – it's called a satellite tour – and then I did about another hour of print press over the phone.

As soon as I got done with that I went over to ABC and did my weekly hour-long interview and then I went straight to practice.

Chelsie and I got the Samba going pretty good today.

The name of the song we're dancing to is called "Concrete and Clay." Chelsie really loves it as a Samba song and we got the routine going with music and even got our wides shot. She felt so good about how it was going that we switched over and started working on our Viennese Waltz for the last hour.

She was so thrilled about how it was going that she left the studio in a really good mood, and so did I.

Don't get me wrong, the Samba needs some more work. But we're getting to the point where we can run it with the music and that's when she does her last tweaks to polish it up.

A friend of Jewel and I had a great chef from the L.A. area come to our apartment this evening and cook us a great homemade dinner and even served us up! He really spoiled us.

That was a nice gift to be able to just come straight home from practice and relax – just me and Jewel – right here in the apartment because we've ate a restaurant for every meal for the past two months.

Now the two of us are just relaxing. We're going to have a nice quiet evening and try to get another good night's rest because my day starts at 7 a.m. and goes until about 7 p.m.

By the way, if any of the Army is in Los Angeles, I invite you to come to the Saddle Ranch on Sunset Blvd. between 5 and 7 p.m. Friday night because we're going to be filming part of the package segment for the Monday's show.

It's kind of a cowboy army fan appreciation so if you're around L.A. and want to stop in feel free, and I will check back in with you guys tomorrow.

http://www.pbrnow.com/blog/index.cfm/2009/5/8/Chelsie-and-I-got-the-Samba-going-pretty-good-today#more
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on May 08, 2009, 12:51:16 PM
Shawn Johnson: I Don't Know If I Can Win DWTS





   
Even though we're down to the last four pairs on Dancing With The Stars, contestant and Olympic gold medalist Shawn Johnson tells OK! she still has no idea if she and partner Mark Ballas can win.

But — speaking right before she launched InterContinental Hotel Group's "Biggest Free Nights" offer — she told OK! that she's sure about one thing: she'll miss ice cream when the show ends and she has to start her gymastics training again!

Is there anything that you always travel with?
My journal. I write, like, once a week. I did it for the Olympics, I do it for big events and for Dancing With the Stars.


Do you still get really competitive even though it’s only a TV show?
I'm very competitive, but DWTS is just for fun. We’re all like family and supporters of each other and we’re just there to have a good time.

What do you think your chances are?
I have no idea. I hope I can make it to the final but I don’t know.

Is it harder or easier than you thought it would be?
It’s extremely hard. It’s physically demanding and exhausting but it’s the time of my life. I love it.

Do you have to do something alongside that to keep in shape for your gymnastics?
I’m just kind of taking the time off completely — enjoying every opportunity I get. This is my first break ever.

What is that like?
It’s definitely different! It was hard to get used to at first, but it’s great. I’ve been in the sport so long I really needed a break to step away and take a breather and get things in check to see what I want to do and then I’ll go back afterwards.

Is there something particularly you’ve taken up doing?
Dancing With The Stars has pretty much taken up 24/7 of my time.

Have you changed your diet at all?
Now that I’m not doing elite training I can splurge and have ice cream if I want. But I still eat healthy just like always.

http://www.okmagazine.com/news/view/14057
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on May 08, 2009, 04:17:59 PM
ABC Press Release...


THE THREE FINALISTS WILL BE DETERMINED ON "DANCING WITH THE STARS THE RESULTS SHOW," TUESDAY, MAY 12 ON ABC
Raphael Saadiq Performs

Macy's Stars of Dance 'Design-a-Dance' is Revealed

Professional Dancer Competition Continues with Two Finalists

Tenth Couple Eliminated is Revealed
"Episode 810A" - After tallying the judges' scores and viewers' votes, the tenth couple to be eliminated from the competition is revealed and the three finalists determined on "Dancing with the Stars the Results Show," TUESDAY, MAY 12 (9:00-10:02 p.m., ET) on the ABC Television Network.

Singer-songwriter and producer Raphael Saadiq performs his hit, "100 Yard Dash" from his third solo album, three time Grammy® Award nominated "The Way I See It," released in 2008 and featuring collaborations from Stevie Wonder and Joss Stone.

In a special Macy's Stars of Dance performance, the Macy's Design-a-Dance winning elements, including song, type of dance, male & female lead dancers and costume design selected by the public, will be revealed. Since the beginning of the season, viewers have been logging onto ABC.com to submit their own costume designs, as well as vote for their favorite song, type of dance and dancers to create the public's ideal vision and performance. The five final costume designs were selected and voted on by the public, leaving one lucky winner with the most votes to have his or her costume created by the show designer and worn by the winning professional dancers in the performance.

The first "Dancing with the Stars" professional dancer competition continues with two dancers remaining. After one more of the six professional dancers is eliminated based on last week's viewer votes, the two remaining dancers are paired with a "Dancing with the Stars" professional dancer. By the end of this season, one lucky dancer, determined by viewers' votes, will be selected as a member of next season's "Dancing with the Stars" cast to be paired with a celebrity. Full details and bios are available at www.abc.com.

By evening's end one couple will be eliminated. Who among the following four teams will leave the ballroom floor?

Shawn Johnson (Olympic gymnastics medalist) and partner Mark Ballas
Gilles Marini (model and actor) and partner Cheryl Burke
Ty Murray ("King of Cowboys") and partner, newcomer Chelsie Hightower
Melissa Rycroft (from "The Bachelor") and partner Tony Dovolani

http://www.abcmedianet.com/web/dnr/dispDNR.aspx?id=050809_06
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on May 08, 2009, 04:55:26 PM
Shawn Johnson & Mark Ballas Reveal Their New Dances!

click on link below to view video

There are only four couples left on "Dancing with the Stars," and top contenders Shawn Johnson and Mark Ballas are on the ET set to blog about their new dances for Monday night's show!

"It's going good," says Olympic champ Shawn. "We have the choreography down."

"Shawn is one of the most improved," says pro dance partner Mark. "I think you've improved amazingly."

With Lil' Kim surprisingly eliminated this week, Gilles Marini, Ty Murray and Melissa Rycroft are the remaining competitors in this too-close-to-call season.

Watch ET Monday for more with Shawn and Mark on the ET set, then watch them compete live on ABC's "Dancing with the Stars"!

http://www.etonline.com/news/2009/05/73780/index.html
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on May 08, 2009, 10:31:12 PM
Lil' Kim & Derek on Live with Regis & Kelly


credit to DWTSSeason8
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on May 08, 2009, 11:11:02 PM
Melissa posted this silly picture on her twitter

Behind the scenes of a photshoot
(http://i212.photobucket.com/albums/cc289/CuteboiWill/Melissa1.jpg)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on May 09, 2009, 11:02:22 AM
‘I actually got to meet quite a few people from the cowboy army’



Chelsie and I spent most of the day filming a lot of stuff for the show, which means we didn't get a lot of practicing done, but we did manage to get the Viennese Waltz choreographed this afternoon.

If this would have been four weeks ago we'd be in a jam right now, but I think we're in an OK place. Like I wrote yesterday, we have the Samba coming along and we're in a pretty decent place with it.

Now that we have the Viennese Waltz choreographed we'll be able to run it the next couple of days.

It's getting hard because with less people on the show you film a lot more stuff for your package and that really cuts into your practice time. I still have to film more stuff tomorrow too, but I think Chelsie and I will be in OK shape.

We have a pretty good block of practice time on Sunday.

Earlier this evening we were filming at the Saddle Ranch on Sunset Boulevard and I actually got to meet quite a few people from the cowboy army.

I met one lady who, I think, calls herself Yellow Cattail when she comments on the blog. She was there along with a few others, who didn't tell me their screen names, so it was good to meet them and we got to take some pictures.

It was nice to have the support of the army out there tonight.

Speaking of which, the PBR has a new t-shirt available for the soldiers to wear. You can find it here: Cowboy Army

I just had dinner at my favorite restaurant, El Compadre, and Jewel's been busy all day too. Earlier today she taped an appearance on "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" and she's at a charity event right now.

We're going to meet up and try to get a good night's rest because we have another long, busy day tomorrow. I'll check back in with you then soldiers.

http://www.pbrnow.com/blog/index.cfm/2009/5/9/I-actually-got-to-meet-quite-a-few-people-from-the-cowboy-army#more
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on May 10, 2009, 08:04:00 AM
‘Today was the first we really started working on the Viennese Waltz’



Hey there troops.

I got home about 9:30 tonight. We had another really long day. I left the apartment at 7 this morning and we danced all day, but we had two different interviews we had to do. One was about an hour's drive away and the other was about 30 minutes away.

That took up some time, but Chelsie and I got a lot of practice in today.

Today was the first we really started working on the Viennese Waltz and it's coming pretty good. We started it this morning and actually shot our wides by this afternoon. Now, granted, it wasn't the smoothest wides we ever shot, but we got 'em shot.

Our practice time on the CBS stage was from 8 until 9.

It was hard to get a good practice in at the end of a long 12-hour day and, I think, we were both just kind of cooked. I know I for sure was. You're trying to remember so much and you've been doing it all day so it's like your brain just turns to mush.

But what he have had happen a lot in the past is that when we have a day like today – after we get a good night's sleep – we come back in the morning and it's a lot better, so I'm sure that's what'll happen tomorrow.

Chelsie and I have another long day of practice planned for tomorrow and we have to do camera blocking, wardrobe and all that stuff too, so I'm headed to bed and going to try and get a good night's sleep because I have a lot of work ahead of me.

Hope everyone's doing well. I did read where some people said they were running out of sizes of the new t-shirt, so I'll look into that and, until then, I'll talk to you guys tomorrow.

http://www.pbrnow.com/blog/index.cfm/2009/5/10/Today-was-the-first-we-really-started-working-on-the-Viennese-Waltz#more
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on May 11, 2009, 11:46:17 AM
Ty's daily blog post:

‘We know the army will be there behind us’



Today Chelsie and I got up and went to practice from 9 until 10:45 and then we went to do camera blocking over at CBS. That went decent, but not great. It wasn't our best camera blocking so when we got done with that we went back to the studio to work on both of the dances.

We got 'em to where they're pretty good.

We're going with some tougher choreography this week because Chelsie felt like being in the semi-finals we needed to step it up, so that's what we're trying to do.

I think everyone on the show is really starting to get rundown and tired, but Chelsie and I feel like we're ready for tomorrow.

Right now I'm heading over to the Roxy on Sunset Boulevard, where Jewel is performing a free concert for her fans here tonight. It's a fan appreciation concert and starts off the launch of her new independent "Lullaby" album that she released last Tuesday.

It ought to be fun because these are types of concerts she performs solo with an acoustic guitar, and it really brings out the essence of what she's good at.

Anyway, tomorrow is the big day!

We're ready, we'll build to it and we know the army will be there behind us the whole way.

http://www.pbrnow.com/blog/index.cfm/2009/5/10/We-know-the-army-will-be-there-behind-us#more
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: tory on May 11, 2009, 07:41:22 PM
ty will for alll the up dates i love the lil and regis thing how cute r they???
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on May 12, 2009, 08:01:30 AM
Dancing Score Results

BALLROOM ROUND:

Melissa/Tony   Quickstep              9        10       9          28

Gilles/Cheryl       Waltz                 10       10      10         30   

Shawn/Mark   Argentine Tango      10       10       10        30

Ty/Chelsie     Viennese Waltz         8         9        8         25

LATIN ROUND:

Melissa/Tony       Cha Cha             9         9        9         27

Gilles/Cheryl         Salsa                10       10       10       30

Shawn/Mark          Jive                  9         8        9        26

Ty/Chelsie           Samba                8         7        8       23

COMBINED SCORES:

Melissa/Tony     55

Gilles/Cheryl      60

Shawn/Mark      56
             
Ty/Chelsie        48   
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on May 12, 2009, 08:36:56 AM
Dancing with the Stars Episode Recap: Monday, May 11, 2009

The final four duke it out with two dances in the semifinals for a coveted spot in next week's finals. Did everyone bring their A-game? Find out below.

We're almost there, guys. Semifinals. Or as I like to call it, practice for Gilles, Shawn and Melissa. Sorry, Ty, I love you and all, but this gravy train needs to end. Just come back for DanceCenter, or you know, as co-host. Speaking of, Sam, what sacred Greek urn did you break to create that very unsupportive dress?

To fill up the unnecessary two hours, each couple will reflect on their best ballroom and Latin dances. Le sigh. They believe the foxtrot during Week 3 was Melissa's breakthrough because of her framework, and of course, we'd be remiss if we didn't mention the samba. OK, let's get a move on, especially if you're not going to mention your wardrobe malfunction.

Gilles and Cheryl love their foxtrtot from last week. Cheryl notices his lack of rises and falls on the playback. You mean like a bride's nightie? They also like their Week 5 Paso Doble, aka Shirtless Gilles. Oh Cheryl, you lie! We did see Gilles shirtless again before the finale. Now they think it's all about performing. And being shirtless, of course.

Shawn thinks the quickstep last week was a turning point because her bubbliness shone through. She and Mark are adamant they the rule-breaking was worth it. But no more rule-breaking from now on. Aw, c'mon, don't be scurred. Make it a double! They pick their Paso Doble from last week as their Latin breakthrough because Shawn defied expectations with her aggressiveness.

Ty considers their Week 2 quickstep to be the game-changer because it showed how rock-solid his posture was. (Note to all future Dancing hopefuls: The foxtrot and/or the quickstep will turn the tables your way.) Week 4's Lindy Hop is their Latin dance of choice since Ty "blasted in" with a ton of confidence. His hop was fun, but I would've chosen his salsa from two weeks ago to be the choice breakthrough. I consider that more surprising than what they did with their lift-heavy hop.

BALLROOM
Melissa Rycroft & Tony Dovolani: Quickstep
Melissa's worried about her feet and heel-leads, or lack thereof. Her feet definitely look better to my untrained eye, but I feel like she's watching it and it's throwing off her hold. The choreography is whimsical and the dance itself is very pretty, but I'm not that impressed. There's something missing. I feel like I'm watching a Week 4 dance or something from her. Plus, I can't get Shawn's jaunty quickstep out of my head — especially since they just played it (devious ploy?) — and this doesn't compare to that. Len loves the musicality and the improvement in the feet. Bruno didn't find it as exhilarating as it could've been. Carrie Ann agrees and wants it connected to her soul. But it is connected to her sole, right?
Score: 28

Gilles Marini & Cheryl Burke: Waltz
No more floor-rolling. Save it for your wifey, Gilles. In honor of the booted bionic booty, Gilles is going to shake his, but not before he can master the classy and sophisticated moves for the waltz. Enter Jonathan Roberts. He says something about stretching and pictures. It's a metaphor. He begins the dance in a chair, which automatically has me worried. I hate props. Anyhow, this waltz is totally dreamy and not just because of Gilles and Cheryl's cloud nine-like attire. It's light, floaty and just kind of perfect. I feel like I'm watching a Disney movie, and not just because this is ABC. Bruno screams something and all I hear is "irresistibly romantic." Carrie Ann calls it breathtaking. Len gives it a sitting-down standing ovation. And Gilles is reduced to tears. Oh, the French! So emotional.
Score: 30

Shawn Johnson & Mark Ballas: Argentine Tango
 It's the night of the chairs, apparently. But hopefully it's knocked down and out for good now. Shawn's got her angry, Renee Zellweger face on again. Maybe she's pissed Mark used all of her eyeliner? I'm glad Shawn's gotten the Paso and the Argentine Tango the past two weeks as they've called for her to match the dances' emotional ranges that are beyond her years. This has got flair and is technically proficient, but I'm still not sure all the aggression and passion is there. Take more acting classes, girl. Carrie Ann thinks she delivered and says precision is her middle name. Len is impressed by her maturity and calls it her best performance. Bruno calls her Catherine Zeta-Shawn and starts belting "Cell Block Tango." They gift them their first perfect 30. I betcha you would've done the same. Wink.
Score: 30

Ty Murray & Chelsie Hightower: Viennese Waltz
Ty wants to give Chelsie some payback for that rumba, so he brings her mechanical bullriding. And then it's back to samba-ing. It's supposed to be a party, but it's more like a pain in the ass, Ty says. But he's using the Viennese Waltz first to justify his stay over a "more skilled dancer." You can clearly see him giving it his all in this. His movements are a tad crisper and his arms are more extended. Unfortunately, he stumbles on a few turns, most notably at the end when he nearly drops Chelsie and skids to catch up to the steps. My heart is already breaking. Len admires his effort and finds the dance fabulous despite the missteps. Bruno says something about chasing flies and engages in a war of foreign words with Len. Carrie Ann's deducting for the wobbles, and now everyone's fighting.
Score: 25

LATIN
Melissa Rycroft & Tony Dovolani: Cha-cha
More filler: It's the Dancing: True Hollywood Story. Melissa doesn't want you to mess with Texas, especially not with her Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders' trainer. Yeesh. Then she dresses up as a disco ball for this cha-cha. With her eyes obscured by that hat, she kind of looks like Fran Drescher. Do we want The Nanny to win Dancing with the Stars? Technically, the pair looks fine, but like their quickstep, something's MIA. As my favorite boss, Michael Scott, would say: "You took a life here today... the life of a party." Seriously, where's the spark and spunk from the samba? The cha-cha's just as fun and flirty. Bruno likes his cha-cha full-thrust and full-on (just the cha-cha?), but didn't find that she sustained it throughout the whole dance. Carrie Ann notices the different in sizes in her steps. Bruno hoped to like it more and thinks it was lackluster in some places.
Score: 27

Gilles Marini & Cheryl Burke: Salsa
Viva la France! In Cannes! Don't let the film festival fool you, there's a tough part of town, and that's where Gilles is from. How adorable was his baby pic? Not as great as those shirtless model pics. He's living the American dream now and just wants to win the biggest trophy the States have to offer. Well, it certainly is the shiniest. Gilles is keeping his word and shaking his bionic booty here. Is that thing battery-operated? Because I don't even think Kim shook it like that. Bootyliciousness aside, the dance is pretty awesome. The choreography's funky and it has enough zestiness to invigorate Melissa's two dances and then some. I smell another 30 coming his way. Carrie Ann does some crazy bamboo-shrieking, twirling shiznit. Is she wearing a maternity dress? Len wishes he had an 11 paddle. Bruno says Lil' Kim is hanging in Gilles' pants. Not like that.
Score: 30 (perfect 60, y'all!)

Shawn Johnson & Mark Ballas: Jive
Time to head out to Iowa! (I've been there and got some weird bug bite that lasted for six months... so, go at your own risk. No offense, Iowans. I did have a nice time there.) Shawn's been a daredevil basically since birth. Her baby pic may rival Giles' in cuteness. Her jive dress too, even. I'm a sucker for polka dots and pink on black, and what does her dress have? All three! The dance is, well... bouncy's the first word that comes to mind. It feels like she's bouncing around more often than dancing, and she seems slightly off-pace from Mark. Her Argentine tango was definitely better. Len loves the fast pace, but thinks there was too much slapstick. Bruno loves it when she goes wild, but sold it completely. Carrie Ann thinks she lost some steam toward the end and went through mud. Can you jump on a table whilst going through mud?
Score: 26

Ty Murray & Chelsie Hightower: Samba
Baby Ty in baby chaps on a horse trumps baby Gilles and baby Shawn. Can he get some sort of honorary Mirrorball trophy for that? And Ty's showing off his killer arms again... his own bionic booty. I'll give him points just for that. Poor Ty. Well, at least this is better than his rumba. He seems more comfortable with the steps, if hesitant, and is actually shaking something. Bruno says he lost his footing, but appreciates the effort. Carrie Ann votes him MVP of Season 8. Len echoes the sentiment and compliments Chelsie on her work.
Score: 23

What did you think? Were you bored to death by the first useless 30 minutes? Did Gilles deserve both of his 30s? Did Shawn deserve her first 30? Did Melissa dress as the Mirrorball trophy to foreshadow a win? Can Ty stage another upset? Who was the cutest tyke? Who do you think will get the boot Tuesday?

http://www.tvguide.com/Episode-Recaps/dancing-stars/Dancing-Stars-Episode-1005987.aspx
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on May 12, 2009, 08:40:12 AM
Ty's blog:

‘Chelsie’s done an amazing job’



Well troops, we had a few positive things happen tonight. Len Goodman really stood up for Chelsie and me on our Viennese Waltz.

It's hard for me because I don't know what parts they like and what parts they don't. I know when I forget the choreography, but when I remember all the steps I don't why it doesn't look good. I mean, I know I don't look great – I can tell that much – but when I'm out there doing it I just don't know how to do it any better.

We knew going into tonight that I was the fourth best dancer out there, so we just wanted to do the best that we could and we felt like we did pretty close to that.

We had a couple of hiccups on the Viennese Waltz, but other than a couple of those I thought the rest of the routine went good and I was really glad that Len did too. In our Samba, well, I know I remembered the steps and I remembered quite a few of the other things Chelsie told me to do. I'm really glad I have Chelsie as a partner.

She works her butt off every week and it was nice to see all three of the judges point out what a great job she's been doing. She's only 19-years-old, it's it her first season on the show and she's definitely had her work cut out for her having to teach me how to dance.

I think Chelsie's done an amazing job.

She's done quite a few of the group dances and, I think, she stands out as a real pro.

I was told there is only like a 5.48 percent difference in the points from the highest scores of the night, which was Gilles, and me, who, as I mentioned earlier, was the fourth best dancer out there tonight.

And I think the cowboy army is a hell of a lot stouter than that so we'll see how it goes tomorrow. Win, lose or draw, Chelsie and I feel like we've done our best and we had a good time, and I'll talk to you guys tomorrow.

http://www.pbrnow.com/blog/index.cfm/2009/5/12/Chelsies-done-an-amazing-job#more
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on May 12, 2009, 08:44:08 AM
Backstage with 'Dancing''s Semi-Finalists

click on link below to view video

With only four couples remaining on ABC's hit show "Dancing with the Stars" the pressure continues to mount and the couples continue to step up their game. ET went backstage Monday night to get all the dish from the semi-finalists!

Gilles Marini tells ET's "Dancing" correspondent Maksim Chmerkovskiy that he is grateful for his partner Cheryl Burke modifying their routine to help him get through the competition with an injured shoulder.

"Since last week I've been saying to everyone, 'I need to treat the semi-finals as a final -- to get into the final,'" Gilles explains. "My shoulder needs surgery it's completely separated now. Thank God for Cheryl."

Melissa Rycroft reveals that she is sticking with her strategy to have fun on the dance floor, and her partner Tony Dovolani promises that if the fans keep them in the game they will "rock the house" next week.

Find out which couples will move on to the finals on the "Dancing with the Stars" results show, Tuesday night at 9 p.m. on ABC.

http://www.etonline.com/news/2009/05/74039/index.html
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on May 12, 2009, 09:47:03 AM
'Dancing With the Stars' Recap: Latin King

Gilles Marini topped the judges' leaderboard after season 8's semifinal performance round of Dancing With the Stars. Was he really that perfect or was it just his butt? This unsolved mystery and more, provided you read on! Here's how the final four sparkle-mongers ranked after one round each of ballroom and Latin…

Gilles Marini and Cheryl: 60 out of possible 60 The male contestants always have such profound ''Aha! Moments'' when a pro who wears pants swoops in to help them out during rehearsal that I'm surprised it doesn't happen sooner, and more often. Gilles needed to trade in sexiness for sophistication so...obviously, bring in Jonathan! The gentle hero who put up with Marie Osmond for months outlined the waltz in layman's terms, much to Gilles' (and my, and probably your) delight: ''Cheryl's the picture. You're gonna invite her to come into the frame.'' The song choice for Gilles' ballroom round, Norah Jones' ''Come Away With Me,'' at first seemed a bit sleepy and lacking in beat, but Cheryl somehow choreographed a routine that made it work. A lot of their movements alternated between great flourishes and moments of stillness, so that the dance ended up mirroring the song. It was different, but good, like Arby's. DANCMSTR claimed to be in the act of giving Gilles ''a sitting-down standing ovation,'' which is something I'll be telling everyone who enters my office from now on. Even before the judges spoke, Gilles had turned on the waterworks and couldn't stop, even by the time they reached Samantha and her rather stunning Crayola Metallic FX Crayons dress.

I dug the subtitled hometown visit to Cannes for Gilles, especially the sections about his father working around the clock at his independent bakery (this was the ''authentic'' counterpart to that one time they made Gilles stereotypically hold up a baguette and look sexy, a.k.a. normal) and his best friend Eric's testimonial about how he used to do the Moonwalk back when Michael Jackson was trendy. Gilles and Shawn both showed dangerous levels of delusion about DWTS' first-place prize: Shawn said it was ''big'' and Gilles called it ''the biggest trophy on national TV in America.'' I would generously label that knob of hardened glitter as a solid ''medium,'' maybe even ''S/M'' or ''petit'' if things got slightly cryptic and/or French.

Gilles' second dance pretty much epitomized what makes a successful Dancing With the Stars performance. Purple sequined shirt, check. Indigo pants, check. Zoom-in on four beats of Gilles' ass (inhabited by Lil' Kim, according to Bruno) that will appear in every promo and in-show montage for the rest of the season? Check. Perhaps you found Gilles' salsa a bit too queso-y and over-the-top, but you have to at least hand it to Cheryl for orchestrating that booty shake. I'm sure to a very discerning eye, this salsa wasn't technically perfect (and may not have deserved DANCMSTR's hypothetical ''11 paddle''), but I do believe it was perfect in the setting of the semifinals of a reality show about celebrities attempting to ballroom-dance. When Gilles spun around on his knees really fast before reaching out with one meaty limb for Cheryl towards the beginning, Gilles looked like one of ''our pros.'' He's just able to ''sell it'' like no one else this season, and for the first time in weeks, he sold us precisely the correct amount. Of baguettes.

Shawn Johnson and Mark: 56/60 If you put Bruno's post-tango comment to Shawn together with Carrie Ann's ''precision is your middle name,'' you will note that as of week 10 of season 8, the tiny dancer's full name is Catherine Zeta-Shawn Precision Johnson. ''She's got it coming big time, honey!'' After Shawn's Argentine Tango with Mark, I was left confused as to why she'd been so nervous about the lifts — there weren't too many (they came at the end), and she seemed to pull them off perfectly. Sure, we saw a lot of crotch, but Shawn's Olympics fans are kind of used to that. I got a kick out of how many of the audience members followed the prop chair Mark shoved off to the side until even after we'd heard the ''crash!'' sound effect that accompanied it. (What do we think the chair shattered? Brooke Burke's metaphorical season 7 'Miss DWTS' tiara? The front line of Maks' well-shellacked 'do? Samantha?)

We hit up Des Moines, Iowa for the story of Shawn's life. Between little Shawn's self-imposed removal of the swings on her jungle gym and Ty riding a bull on his own at 3 years old, I came to the startling realization that I was an extremely underachieving and much lazier than previously assumed child. After the spotlight on what a daredevil go-getter she was, Shawn's jive was a bit of a letdown, even though I did appreciate the mirrorball motif (and nod to DWTS' home planet) of Shawn and Mark's costumes. Nothing new though; wardrobe does this all the time. Tom's comment that selling a dance 110 percent ''is hard to do in polka dots'' was my favorite Tom quip of the night because it was so silly and could have applied to virtually anything. DANCMSTR complained that he would like to have seen a bit more traditional jive ''instead of slapstick.'' Mark was not amused after receiving an 8. Perhaps he had just been seriously studying Shawn's terrible black-and-white shoes. Nah, that one didn't work. Mark probably picked those out.

Melissa Rycroft and Tony: 55/60 Hello, show! We have already mentally likened Melissa to Brooke Burke — good dancer, hot body, perfectly pleasant demeanor, kind of zzzzzzzzzz. You don't need to display Brooke every time Melissa dances. But it's pretty funny that you did, especially after Bruno complained that Melissa's quickstep ''wasn't as exhilarating and crispy and zing-y as it could have been.'' ''Gershwin's ''I Got Rhythm'' was an apt song choice for Melissa's ballroom round, because she does indeed — it's her feet that were the problem last week. Melissa sort of escaped the Wrath of DANCMSTR by wearing light-colored shoes instead of black, which would have looked better but drawn more attention to her ''hot mess'' feet. I didn't get too interested in this dance (even though I adored Melissa's Flapper costume and hair) until the very end — everything seemed to come alive just in time for a swooping floor spin and final gleaming-teeth flourish.

Best part of Melissa's hometown segment: her incredulous comment about her sudden reality show-hopping fame: ''I don't think the world's greatest writers could have scripted this!'' Um, way to not give credit to the world's greatest network execs…

I detected more of a ''briefly copped attitude,'' or what the judges call ''personality,'' from Melissa in her cha cha cha than in any other dance to date — and I think it was all thanks to her magical pinned-on hat. Kudos to Mark for letting Melissa and Tony borrow two of his most prized possessions. The pair's Latin-round dance was slower in pace than any other cha cha cha in recent memory, thanks to a rather sluggish rendition of ''Save the Last Dance.'' Carrie Ann said it seemed like Melissa couldn't decide how big the steps should be, and I wonder if maybe she was just confused by the live version of the recording that they'd used to rehearse. The pacing was hard to overlook, but Melissa and Tony still got three 9s. DANCMSTR's comment that Melissa's dance was substandard, lackluster, and generally disappointing — ''but you can never dance bad, whatever you do; you're just a really good dancer'' — struck me as a bit over-compensatory. He could have just said ''Not my cheese roll and a cup of tea'' and been done with it.

Ty Murray and Chelsie: 48/60 As usual, Ty's sound bites were more entertaining than his dances. His description of the samba — it's ''supposed to be like a party but it's more like a pain in the ass with a whole lotta steps in it'' — is as honest and perfect as Dancing With the Stars quips will ever come. And I loved his deadpan question to Chelsie: ''What do you think got us through — the fans, or my spot-on rumba?'' Even better was when he directly admitted that his fans had kept him in the race over Lil' Kim, or in his words, ''a better-skilled dancer.'' As for his performances, Ty's Viennese Waltz set to ''Tuesday's Gone'' (take out the ''uesda,'' then add ''Tuesday'' to the end, and what do you have? A foreshadowing sentence, and a headache) would have served him well had he not made so many footwork and timing mistakes. His facial expressions were especially funny during this one — in between toothy grins, Ty sort of bugs his eyes and purses his lips in earnest as he's gearing up for the next toothy grin. It's how I imagine wee Ty's face as he ran down the stairs to find a lone saddle, the only present he ever wanted, under the Christmas tree. (Adorable!) The judges proceeded to bicker like never before during Ty's Viennese Waltz critique. I thought I was watching MSNBC until my eyes rested on Chelsie's seafoam Disney gown and screeching silver belt long enough to jolt me back to ''reality.''

Ty's Latin dance, the samba, was a lot better in my opinion even though he scored two points lower than in the ballroom round. I believe this was Ty's most bedazzled costume to date, and I appreciated how each Jewel on his shirt matched one of the 20 billion colors involved in Chelsie's dress. The pair executed what my untrained eye thought were some pretty decent samba rolls, and even made a point to halt the dance altogether so Ty could stand still and regroup before dutifully shaking his butt for about two seconds. In what could not possibly have been a pre-scripted comment, DANCMSTR regretted that whenever Ty dances Latin, he's ''like Murray in a hurry.'' Carrie Ann called Ty season 8's most valuable player; then the judges awarded him the lowest score of the night. If Ty does somehow make it through to the finals, he'll want to wear a grown-up version of Baby Ty's custom-made ''little black chaps.'' Knowing DWTS, they'll be assless. It won't be Ty's fault. The costume department simply won't realize there's an alternate option.

http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20278336,00.html
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on May 12, 2009, 11:39:02 AM
Monday’s Dancing: What You Didn’t See

Man Tears of Joy: After Gilles Marini received his first perfect score of the night for his waltz, he shed a few tears on his way backstage, causing Dancing co-host Samantha Harris to pause and take note. “As a man in Europe, it’s never about you, it’s always about the woman,” Marini told PEOPLE. “You please your woman. [Cheryl Burke] becomes a bit of my woman. That’s the way it is. That’s the way I feel.” As for earning two perfect scores on semi-finals night, the Frenchman said, “For me, it’s exhilarating. I’m on a different planet.”

A Family Affair: For 10 grueling weeks, the semi-finalists have been sweating, eating and sleeping Dancing. That’s why they’re all grateful that they’ve got their support system come showtime. Shawn Johnson’s said, “My parents haven’t missed one competition my whole life. They’re my feel of home and comfort.” Also a fixture in the ballroom is Gilles Marini’s wife, Carole, who is often the first to stand up for an ovation. “I love my wife here,” said the Frenchman. And I love [Cheryl Burke's boyfriend Maxwell Zagorski) there. Without them, it would not be the same, that's for sure."

Melissa Rycroft's parents and boyfriend Tye Strickland go so far as to fly from Dallas to Los Angeles each week to show their support. "They're working back home, but they have been here religiously," said Rycroft. "They're here Monday nights, Tuesday nights, and we always go out for dinner after the show." And Ty Murray's wife, singer Jewel, has become his biggest supporter in and out of the ballroom. "It's more than looks or thinking somebody's sexy," Murray told PEOPLE of his marriage. "Me and Jewel are really partners."

Bionic Booty II: On performance nights, the judges are ready to have a good time, but it seemed they had semi-final fever Monday night. The crowd cheered on Carrie Ann Inaba when she jumped out of her seat and start dancing after Gilles Marini perfect performance of the salsa. Earlier in the evening, following a commercial break, Len Goodman shook his derriere before sitting down--to the roar of approval from the fans seated behind him.

Missing Jewel: For the first time since Ty Murray has been performing on Dancing with the Stars, wife Jewel will not be seated in her usual spot for elimination night. Jewel, who just released her CD Lullaby last week, will be en route to New York, where she will perform Wednesday on Live! With Regis and Kelly. "The show people will be Twittering, or texting, me tomorrow [with the results],” she said. But without Murray’s lucky charm, will he survive the cut?

http://tvwatch.people.com/2009/05/12/mondays-dancing-what-you-didnt-see-26/
Title: Check this article I found on E! Online
Post by: epaige on May 12, 2009, 05:18:04 PM
http://www.eonline.com/uberblog/marc_malkin/b123230_drew_lachey_not_voting_cheryl_burke_on.html

Apparently drew isnt going to vote for Cheryl AND Gilles Reveals Cheryl's Rehearsal Accident: "It Was a Scary Moment"

http://www.eonline.com/uberblog/marc_malkin/b123421_gilles_reveals_cheryls_rehearsal.html
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on May 13, 2009, 08:42:16 AM
Dancing with the Stars Episode Recap: Tuesday, May 12, 2009

Just a week shy of the Season 8 finale, one last couple is eliminated from Dancing with the Stars, while the pro competition pairs remaining contestants with current pros. Which celebrity fell short, and which pro heated up the floor? Find out below.

Here we go, y'all! Who's going to make it? Is it finally Ty's time to go? I'm not even going to predict his departure because I won't believe it until it happens. However, I do think it's his time, and I'm missing him already. Shawn gets her first encore for her Argentine tango... which is unexpected. Was Gilles too obvious a choice? Could they not decide between his two perfect numbers (no pun intended)? Or is he trying not to re-injure his shoulder? Hmm... Shawn does another taut routine, but boos that the judges didn't like their jive on the recap. Gilles, meanwhile, has achieved his dream from Day 1, which is to get six 10s. So you don't want that Mirrorball?

Because you know we won't get any results for, oh, probably 50 minutes, we fill up some time with an analysis piece from three former champs, Brooke Burke, Helio Castroneves and Drew Lachey (Drew, come back as co-host!). Brooke wants Melissa to be dirty. Was anyone else bracing for her to follow up with "dancing"? Drew thinks Gilles needs a bigger female fan base (you mean like 98 Degrees?) and thinks Ty can hold onto the ball since he can hold onto the bull. And Shawn? Well she needs to relax, they say. Brooke closes by reminding us it's not all about the dancing, but who the people relate to the most. No truer words were ever spoken.

Pick a Pro
Pros pick pros! Ha. The remaining two are paired with Kym and Maksim to choreograph two dances — Latin and ballroom.

Mayo Alanen & Kym Johnson: Tango
Kym is wearing a longer version of that sheer, one-piece bodysuit that Karina wore earlier this season. It's hard to say which one of them was more covered-up — Kym or Karina, that is. Anyhow, the tango's nice, very traditional, but frankly, I'm kind of bored by it. It reminds me of a Melissa dance: It's technically great, but I'm not going to remember anything special about it in five minutes. Len likes it. Bruno loves Mayo's long legs. Carrie Ann is impressed with the choreography, but wants some personality in his next dance. Does she know they already prepared it?

Anna Demidova & Maksim Chmerkovskiy: Quickstep
Maks thinks she's more difficult to teach than a celebrity. I think we all know that. Anna puts him in the corner. Nobody puts Maksy-poo in the corner. Except Karina. (Did I really just make two Dirty Dancing references in one recap? How cliche. I apologize.) Um, wow. I think I missed the first 10 seconds because I blinked. This thing is fast, as it should be, so it looks awesome. It's dynamic and animated, and they make great use of the whole floor. Plus, Maks looks like he's having more fun here than he ever did with Denise. Bruno calls it magnificient. Carrie Ann thinks she outshined Maks. Len loves her maturity and thinks she brought the best out of Maks.

Mayo Alanen & Kym Johnson: Cha-cha
There's a little more personality here, but I think it pales in comparison to Anna's quickstep. It's a perfectly fine number, but again, there's nothing eye-popping about it. Except for maybe Kym's skimpy fringe outfit. Maybe Mayo's feeling the pressure. Carrie Ann is concerned about his versatility because he didn't wear Mark's gym shorts. Yes, you do have to be well-versed in cheese-tastic outfits to be on Dancing. Get with it, Mayo! Len likes the pace and gives him a job well done. Bruno wants him to be careful about the risks as they went with a disco theme with the cha-cha. Hey, Mayo? There's the bus. Get under it.

Anna Demidova & Maksim Chmerkovskiy: Samba
It's kind of heartbreaking to see the differences between Anna and Mayo. This chick is, like, the Gilles of the pro competition. The samba is grossly electrifying and the choreography, once again, makes good use of the floor. Also, I don't think I've ever seen Maks shake his ass like that. Len declares her the pro. Bruno says she did a fantastic job with all of her partners. Carrie Ann wants to see more of her.

So we don't have a Hough-less semifinal after all (sort of). Derek, Julianne are back, along with Lacey and Mark, for the Design a Dance, uh, dance. This time, with trumpets! This is... a hot mess. Were the tables at the end necessary? No more props, people! Oh hey, we're at the 50-minute mark, which means results. Finally. Did ya forget? It's a results show.

First two safe couples:
Gilles & Cheryl
Shawn & Mark

That leaves Ty and Chelsie, and Melissa and Tony, who are not necessarily the bottom two. So who's going to be "illiminated," as Sam says? Alas, it is the cowboy.

OK, I'm not going to be sad about this, but happy and hopeful — happy he made it so far and improved so much, and hopeful that he will — one day, someday — join the hosting panel and be totally awesome and witty alongside Tom. How do we make this happen?

Speaking of, Tom interrupts their goodbyes to say that Dancing is not about the steps, but the total package, which is what Ty is. Man crush! Loves it! (I refuse to say "bromance.") He then asks him to do the "weird shaking thing" for Jewel.

What did you think? Are you relieved Ty didn't make the "finaale," as Sam would say? Or are you still mourning his departure? Should Carrie Ann encourage male pros to wear dorky gym shorts? Fetish? Did Raphael Saadiq rock it out? Are you looking forward to everyone's freestyles? Who's your pick to win?

http://www.tvguide.com/Episode-Recaps/dancing-stars/Dancing-Stars-Episode-1006025.aspx
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on May 13, 2009, 09:17:58 AM
Jewel posted on Ty's blog yesterday:

‘What an amazing week this has been’



Hi everyone, it's Jewel!

Well, as we head into the final two weeks what an amazing week this has been and what a show last night!

Unfortunately, I won't be able to see Ty and sweet Chelsie tonight on the results show because I had to go to NYC to be on "Regis and Kelly" tomorrow and then with Kathy Lee Gifford the next morning on the "Today show," but I'm racing to the hotel right now to catch it live on the east coast!

Fingers crossed! But, no matter what happens, we sure are lucky to have the support of the amazing cowboy army.

Anyway, I was asked to write up a little something for a men's magazine so they could get a feel for the type of training Ty did to get in shape for his sport, and what it took for him to finally win the 7th all-around title, breaking the world record.

I thought maybe instead of some pics and an overview of the last week that I would share the men's magazine piece I wrote, in case you find it interesting... hope you enjoy the piece about his training program.

There is no formalized training in the sport Ty chose to go into so it was up to him to develop a style that worked for him. Ty was always strong and dedicated physically. He studied gymnastics to get good since of feeling in the air and how to flip so that when he rode he always landed on his feet--well, most of time.

He walked miles of fence line to teach himself balance. He breezed race colts on the track to build strength and muscular endurance.

Starting at age 19, Ty won six world all-around titles in a row and was now only one more away from breaking the world record set by Larry Mahan – a goal he had set for himself when he was in 3rd grade.

But after that 6th title he began a downward spiral for next three years of what would have been career-ending injuries for other riders, and this forced him to realize he had to go back to the drawing board and figure out how to make a comeback.

His first injury was the reconstruction of his left shoulder, which he rehabbed religiously and then went back to competing only to realize his right shoulder had atrophied and wasn't in good enough shape after having torn both ligaments in that shoulder.

This forced him to get surgery and take another year off.

So this time he rehabbed both shoulders to get them in great shape, but when he began competing that next year his knees were weaker from the time off and eventually he damaged all ligaments in both knees.

In fact, two ligaments in his right leg snapped completely while he was actually riding. As a result his lower leg came loose and detached from his upper leg and was just being held loose inside his skin.

He still had to figure out how to get off the bull safely!

He now had to take a third year off and several sponsors dropped him. And everyone whispered that Ty would never make it back at all, much less break the world record.

This is when Ty decided to radically rethink how to train for his sport and enjoy a full range of motion so that he could even walk well again, much less break the record and get that 7th buckle.

Not to mention he had the added pressures of a ranch he just bought and that he was suddenly unemployed and had to deal with the stress of how to keep making his payments.

But in typical Ty fashion he didn't waste time worrying and instead focused on the single most important thing--training.

He found a man named Jesse Marquez Lomali, who is a 4-time national Nippon Kenpo champion.

Ty explained what he needed to compete: explosive strength and flexible tight muscles that weren't bulky.

The cowboy and the martial arts fanatic made an unlikely team, but they designed a plan for Ty.

All workouts took place in an abandoned meat locker and the Texas summers made it so wet and hot in there that just sitting was nearly unbearable, much less doing the hard core intensive torture sessions they had planned for Ty.

They did not use any weights because they didn't want to increase his size. They wanted to increase his strength and his explosive fast response time.

Exercises included 2,000 sit ups a day where Ty would lay flat on the ground, lift his legs and then Jesse would throw Ty's feet to the ground as hard as he could. Ty would have to stop his legs just before they touched the concrete and then Jesse would quickly and simultaneously punch him in the stomach to force an even tighter contraction.

Another exercise was where Ty would extend both arms fully open and full close his hands as fast and as tight as he could for thousands of reps. He also made to do tiny pushups that were done on fisted hands where he would lift just enough to engage the muscles and then rapidly and repeatedly pump out these pushups to failure and beyond.

They did this to his neck, shoulders, back, legs and every single muscle, all with series of intense and changing challenges.

They were building Ty's muscles to be woven tighter and stronger and to create a rock hard body armor that was so tight and so responsive that it would serve as a living body armor that would protect all his joints and ligaments, quickly responding and protecting him instantly if he found himself being stepped on by an animal.

He also improved his flexibility to the point that he could stand at a wall and have Jesse raise his free leg all the way up behind his head to touch his toe to the wall in a standing split. This would come in handy to remain fluid and flexible in a tight situation, which would help avoid injury that way also.

After a year of this full-out training, Ty looked and felt like a warrior, and he felt confident to go back at it and compete.

He took the circuit by storm – competing in all three rough stock events: saddle bronc, bare back and bulls. Those are the three most punishing events there are and that year he was injury free, but also the world record holder for all-around championships! There is still no formalized training program in the sport of bull riding, though that is something Ty would really like to implement.

Now younger guys like Brian Canter are coming to him looking for an edge on their competitors and asking Ty if he can show them what to do to get in shape and protect them self from injury.

Something most people don't realize is how freakishly strong Ty is.

He has twice the bone density of other people (just ask Chelsie, she is getting bruised and cut just from running into his knees or elbows!) due to a life of stress testing his bones to respond by beefing the bones up.

And his training style has made his whole body so dense and tight that I have seen huge men – pro wrestlers and pro football players and body builders – challenge my smaller husband to an arm wrestling match.

And Ty beats them easily every time.

The type of training he did gives such power from the core and such coordinated support by every single muscle that he's like arm wrestling a block of steel, not just an arm. And you'd never know it by looking at him in jeans and button down denim shirts.

But, as you can see, the results of his workout routine are impressive and he thinks a similar approach would be great not just to protect rodeo athletes from injury, but any extreme sport athlete from injury.

Ty always says, "The stronger you are the more prepared you feel and the more confident you are the more you win. And your game can only get better."

He thinks proper training is the key to winning because he says, "Winning is when preparation and opportunity meet."

Ty always wanted to be prepared.

And, by the way, he still stays in touch with Jesse, who is now a cop in Redmond CA.

Love to you all, xxjewel

http://www.pbrnow.com/blog/index.cfm/2009/5/12/What-an-amazing-week-this-has-been#more
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on May 13, 2009, 09:29:01 AM
Ty Murray Opens up About 'Dancing' Departure

click on link below to view video

ET was backstage with rodeo cowboy Ty Murray and his partner Chelsie Hightower after the couple was booted from the ballroom on Tuesday night's "Dancing with the Stars." Ty reveals that he surprised himself by making it to the semi-finals, and he is very proud of his performance.

"I started surprising myself when I made it to the second round," he says. "We worked hard and we tried to represent our fans the best we could. We really felt like they were cheering us on the whole way through it. That's the thing that's nice about a show that America keeps you on or votes you off. When they vote you off you know it's time for you to go."

Ty also thanked his partner for her hard work and her patience.

"Chelsie thanks for working so hard with the wooden cowboy for the last 10 weeks," he says. "I'm so glad I don't have to learn anymore dances."

Watch the video to hear the remaining contestants Gilles Marini, Melissa Rycroft, and Shawn Johnson reveal their excitement and their strategies for next week's "Dancing with the Stars" finale!

http://www.etonline.com/news/2009/05/74086/index.html
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on May 13, 2009, 10:54:06 AM
Ty and Chelsie on Jimmy Kimmel Live


credit to jimmykimmellive
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on May 13, 2009, 12:02:13 PM
Tuesday’s Dancing: What You Didn’t See

Déjà Vu?: When it got down to the final two contestants, Melissa Rycroft stood nervously waiting for her name to be called. Seated just a few feet away from the Dancing stage was Bachelor host Chris Harrison. The most dramatic rose ceremony ever? “Totally!” Rycroft said, laughing at the coincidence of being in a situation similar to when she was on The Bachelor last season. “This time it had a happy ending,” Rycroft’s partner Tony Dovolani said. Rycroft certainly thought her number might be up when she suffered a painful rib injury several weeks ago, forcing her to sit out one night of the competition. “Tony and I sit back and remember where we were a few weeks ago and to see where we are now, it’s something that couldn’t have been scripted,” Rycroft said. “Shawn and Gilles — to be compared to them and in the same league as them is really cool.”

All Bets Are On: After learning they would advance to next week’s finale, Shawn Johnson and partner Mark Ballas simultaneously hugged each other and jumped up and down. Gilles Marini put the squeeze on partner Cheryl Burke. Marini and Johnson embraced and then ran over to their families, who were sitting next to each other in the audience. “I went over to my mom and dad during the commercial and they were so happy,” Johnson told PEOPLE. How does this compare, if at all, to her Olympic experience? “Pretty close – I’m ecstatic!” she beamed. “Last week was like the Olympic trials and tonight was like qualifying.” Little did Johnson know she was the subject of a wager between her partner Mark Ballas and Bachelor host Chris Harrison. “Mark and I had a bet that Melissa Rycroft would go further than Shawn Johnson,” Harrison explained. “So when Shawn was saved Mark walked over to me and was giving me the money sign and I said, ‘Not yet! Not yet!’”


Three Musketeers: When Marini, Johnson and Rycroft take the floor next Monday night, it will arguably be the most evenly-matched finale in Dancing’s history. Just don’t look for any backstage drama. “Ooh, the fight against Melissa and Gilles and Tony – no,” Marini said, shaking his head. “Shawn, Melissa and I won (already). We’re there and now it’s going to be so much fun.” The one person absent from Tuesday night’s post-show backstage celebrations was Marini’s partner, two-time DWTS champ Cheryl Burke. “Cheryl is not here because she already went to work,” Marini said. Is the pro feeling the pressure to win a third championship? “She’s not ‘Oh my God, I’m going to win three times,’” Marini assured. “She is there to make me look amazing. She is working as we speak. No one else does that. That will give us the edge next week.” As Marini spoke, Tony Dovolani came up and gave him a big hug, followed by a bear hug from Mark Ballas. Maksim Chmerkovskiy then snuck up behind Marini and goosed him on his behind. “Maks just pinched my butt and I kind of like it!” Marini joked.

Freestyle Trash Talking: Dancing fans know that the finale night freestyle routine can make or break a couple’s chances of winning. The contestants know this, too. Despite Rycroft’s still-tender rib injury, Dovolani promised: “We’re going to get everybody dancing on their feet. Lifts, kicks – we’re going to throw everything in.” “He’s going to try to break [my ribs again]. I can almost guarantee it,” Rycroft quipped, noting that she’ll do whatever it takes. “It’s kind of the mentality of what do you have to lose at this point? It’s not every day everyone gets a chance to be in the finals of Dancing with the Stars.” As for his own freestyle plans, Marini, who revealed he’s in talks to guest star on Brothers and Sisters next fall, declined to get specific. “We’re going to have a lot of fun. I promise you it is going to be one of the most memorable dances of all season. I’m going to do my best. America will choose.”

http://tvwatch.people.com/2009/05/13/tuesdays-dancing-what-you-didnt-see-23/
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on May 13, 2009, 01:02:07 PM
Ty's blog:

‘The troops gave a gallant effort’

Good morning troops.

I think we had a darn good run and, I think, the troops gave a gallant effort. We probably stayed on the right amount of time and I'm not going to lie: right now I'm thrilled beyond belief that I don't have to learn any more dances!

It was a great experience and I feel like it got a ton of recognition for cowboys and bull riders.

I know the support we got was enormous in order to bring Cheslie and I ten weeks into this show – the semi-finals – and when you look at some of the fan bases that the cowboy army was able to beat out its pretty incredible.

I'm mean, when you think of Lawrence Taylor and Lil' Kim and, really, everybody; they all come from pretty successful backgrounds. And, I think, the cowboy nation did one heck of a job.

Last night, as soon as "Dancing with the Stars" was over they whisked me and Chelsie through the press line and then rushed us off to appear on "Jimmy Kimmel Live." We did that and I got to talk about the PBR. Then I had to get up at 3:30 this morning to be on "Good Morning America" via satellite from the CBS stage and now later on today we'll jump on an airplane and fly to New York so we can be on "Regis and Kelly" tomorrow morning.

That's good because Jewel is there promoting her new "Lullaby" album, so I'll get to see her tonight.

Chelsie and I will be coming back for the series finale of the show next week so I'll stay in touch with the troops like I have been until this thing is all wrapped up. And then we'll get back to talking about bull riding.

But I want to send out a real, true, heartfelt thank you to everyone that has supported me.

I really appreciate all the comments you leave for me every day and for going through this journey with me and giving me all the support because, trust me, it's pretty obvious that dancing isn't my thing and the long days spent trying to learn these dances would have been a heck of a lot tougher to get through if I didn't know that I had such a great Army behind me.

I'll check back in and let everyone know how the trip to New York went and, again, I truly appreciate every one for cheering me on through this experience.

http://www.pbrnow.com/blog/index.cfm/2009/5/13/The-troops-gave-a-gallant-effort#more
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on May 14, 2009, 10:25:15 AM
Melissa Rycroft & Tony Dovolani: From 'Dancing' to Dining

click on link below to view video

"Dancing with the Stars" semi-finalists Melissa Rycroft and Tony Dovolani took a break from rehearsing and partnered up in the kitchen!


ET was behind the scenes for their photo shoot for In Touch weekly where they taste tested each other's favorite foods!

"I have brought a little southern comfort up here," Melissa says. "Some chicken fried chicken, and mashed potatoes and gravy, and corn. All the foods from home."

"I brought grilled chicken, vegetables, meat sausage and that type of stuff," Tony says. "So it's very protein and vegetable oriented."

Tony tells ET that although he is generally health conscious he did not put his partner on a "Dancing" diet.

"We work so hard that you've got to give yourself something to look forward to," Tony says. "I just think that everybody's beautiful the way they are, they don't need to be on a diet as long as they're happy."

Watch the video to learn more about Tony and Melissa's favorite foods and to find out Melissa's post "Dancing" plans.

http://www.etonline.com/news/2009/05/74203/index.html
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on May 14, 2009, 10:51:32 AM
Ty's blog:

‘In the morning we have to dance on “Regis and Kelly”’

Hello troops. Chelsie and I just got to New York.

It actually works out pretty good because Jewel did "Regis and Kelly" this morning and we'll get to meet back up here tonight. I'll be doing press for the next couple days and Jewel will actually be here too, so that's good.

In the morning we have to dance on "Regis and Kelly" and, I think, Chelsie wanted to do the salsa. I guess we'll see what that looks like at 8 o'clock in the morning when I haven't done it in awhile.

Chelsie will have to You Tube it on her iPhone in the morning and I'll watch it so hopefully that'll refresh my memory good enough.

We're also doing some other stuff tomorrow with a bunch of the New York media as well, so we'll be busy doing that for the next two days before we fly back to Los Angeles to get ready for the last show on Tuesday night.

I'll check back in with everyone tomorrow. I appreciate all the nice comments that I got today and I'll talk to you tomorrow.

http://www.pbrnow.com/blog/index.cfm/2009/5/13/In-the-morning-we-have-to-dance-on-Regis-and-Kelly#more
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on May 14, 2009, 11:07:57 AM
Carrie Ann's weekly blog:

Carrie Ann Inaba blogs 'DWTS,' week 10

Well, Ty was sent home this week. He was such a joy to watch. Every season, we have someone that touches the hearts of the masses and really reminds us that anything is possible. I love that about our show. Ty Murray was that person this year. We actually had a few people that really brought heartwarming stories to our show -- Steve-O, and Steve W. both pulled on our heartstrings as well. And I have to say that Lil' Kim also really surprised everyone. I still wish she could have been in the final three. Derek does such great choreography that it would have been nice to see their final performances.

But who would they have replaced in the finals? That is something I wouldn't want to address....

We've had good stars this year, all unique and strong but each with very different performance styles. At this point, I think Gilles has the most well-rounded performances. He moves with incredible grace and passion. He finishes his moves with polish and clarity and conviction. That is what earned him his 60 points Monday night. Melissa seemed to be having problems this week with Tony. They were out of sync with each other a bit, and she looked a bit timid out there, both emotionally and physically. This is such a difficult show for the performers -- I don't think the general public knows how hard they all work to do this show and to be as good as they are. We also have Shawn who is the precision queen. Jive was not her best dance but it's over now and she's still in the finals. She is so cute and adorable, and so focused. She is so much younger than the rest of the performers, with so much less life experience so she has to make up the emotional element of the dance with technique and precision.

Gilles and Shawn appeal to different tastes. Melissa is right in the middle. I get frustrated a bit with her because out of all the competitors, she is the most gifted in the physical attributes that would help her in this competition. She's got grace, flexibility, lyricism and athleticism. Sometimes the people who have the most natural tendency to be a great dancer don't have to work as hard and that can hurt them. In my career, I have seen many a dancer who was gifted with incredible natural talent -- but didn't have the work ethic to bring it to the edge with each moment. They didn't have to work that hard to be good and when the others caught up, they easily would pass them by -- no fault of theirs, but it makes it more difficult for them later when the ones who have had to struggle more catch up. Hard work and talent = luck. And only the lucky ones really go far. I'm not saying that Melissa doesn't work hard. Everyone who joins our show works hard. I'm just saying that dancing comes easily for her on many levels, which doesn't allow for her to dig deep.

I also think that Melissa's injury may still be bothering her. I had a hairline fracture in my rib and to this day, it hurts me. It's a strange injury. When I watch her movements, where she holds back and where she seems timid, it seems that her injury may still be hurting her. She is a trooper though because she is not complaining. She continues on.  And I commend her on that...

We had a great performance this week by Julianne, Derek, Mark and Lacey in the Design a Dance. And congratulations to Rebecca Farmer, who designed and created their costumes. It was a high-energy performance and those Design a Dance performances have been consistently good now. And I'm looking forward to next years dance.

Raphael Saadiq performed at the top of the show last night and it was a treat. I had never heard of him before last night but am going to buy his album -- or download it from iTunes today. High energy, great music, a whole lotta fun! I hope he comes back to perform again. I think he's a perfect match to our show. He's a little retro too.

Tomorrow I go and work with one of the contestants for their "Master Class." Usually, it's just Len who goes and helps the performers on their final performance. This year, they have changed the format -- Bruno, Len and I will each be working with the finalists to help them prepare for their last performances. I'm excited and always love being in the studio...so tomorrow's going to be a good day.

Next week we have the finals. I know one thing -- it's going to be a tight race to the finish. They are all dancing in a dance off that features the Paso Doble -- which is one of my favorite dances because it's so dramatic and dynamic. Every one of them did well with their previous Paso performances so I think we are in for a treat.

Thanks for watching and for all your comments.

See you Monday!
-carrie ann

http://popwatch.ew.com/popwatch/2009/05/carrie-ann-in-1.html
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on May 14, 2009, 12:03:00 PM
Maxim's Annual Hot 100 Party


Lacey Schwimmer
(http://i212.photobucket.com/albums/cc289/CuteboiWill/full_maxim_hot_100_party_05_wenn529.jpg)

Derek Hough
(http://i212.photobucket.com/albums/cc289/CuteboiWill/full_maxim_annual_hot_party_05_wenn.jpg)

Melissa Rycroft
(http://i212.photobucket.com/albums/cc289/CuteboiWill/full_maxim_annual_hot_party_50_wenn.jpg)

www.ineedmyfix.com
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on May 15, 2009, 10:27:17 AM
Ty is still blogging....

‘There’s nothing like a 9 a.m. salsa’



Hey troops, Chelsie and I are still in New York City and it's nice that I get to be here with Jewel.

We're on the cover of "TV Guide," which is on newsstands now. I thought it was last week, but it's actually this week. First thing this morning we performed the salsa on "Regis and Kelly." There's nothing like a 9 a.m. salsa to get your day going.

Today we did interviews with the "New York Post" and quite a few different newspapers and magazines. We also did a number of Sirius Satellite radio interviews and tomorrow we're doing the CW, which is the biggest morning news show in New York.

After that we'll be flying back to Los Angeles.

Don't forget they bring all 13 contestants back for the season finale on May 19 and it looks like we're going to be doing the Lindy Hop, so that'll be our last woo-rah and then I will officially be a retired professional dancer.

Anyway, I'll talk to you guys tomorrow.

http://www.pbrnow.com/blog/index.cfm/2009/5/14/Theres-nothing-like-a-9-am-salsa#more
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on May 15, 2009, 01:07:52 PM
Melissa Rycroft: We’re Going to Have Fun on Dancing Finale

While Dancing with the Stars contestant Melissa Rycroft is no stranger to reality show finales, this time around the former Bachelor star plans on having fun!

“[Dancing partner Tony Dovolani and I] are not putting pressure on ourselves, and we’re going to go out and have fun,” she told PEOPLE Thursday at the Maxim Hot 100 Party in Santa Monica. “You want the audience kind of clapping with you, so that’s what were going for.”

Rycroft, 26, will be competing against actor Gilles Marini and Olympian Shawn Johnson for the coveted mirrored-ball trophy in the show’s final competition on Monday.

Waltzing to the finals hasn’t been easy. Last month, the Dallas beauty was sidelined after she injured her ribs and couldn’t perform the jive. But she’ll be physically ready to tackle her two dance routines come Monday’s finale.

“We found a treatment — a numbing patch that I wear during practice,” Rycroft says. “I’m so excited to even be here that I don’t feel it.”

As for what she’ll do after next week’s Dancing finale, Rycroft says, “I’m going on vacation! I’m turning off my cell phone, I’m not turning on the radio or the TV.”

http://tvwatch.people.com/2009/05/15/melissa-rycroft-were-going-to-have-fun-on-dancing-finale/
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on May 16, 2009, 03:33:03 AM
From Melissa's twitter and facebook profile status

Here's two pictures taken by her on twitter......

Goofing off during practice:
(http://i212.photobucket.com/albums/cc289/CuteboiWill/MelissaTony.jpg)

Two hours later, Melissa elbowed into Tony's eye and here he is icing his eye!   
(http://i212.photobucket.com/albums/cc289/CuteboiWill/MelissaTony2.jpg)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on May 16, 2009, 11:28:54 AM
Ty & Chelsie on Live with Regis & Kelly


credit with thanks to DWTSSeason8
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on May 16, 2009, 03:35:58 PM
A great picture of Melissa & Tye....he's so cute, love his dimples

(http://i212.photobucket.com/albums/cc289/CuteboiWill/n754140367_6863337_2002869.jpg)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on May 18, 2009, 01:00:42 PM
'Dancing''s Gilles Marini: 'I Have Two Left Feet'

click on link below to view video

HTV caught "Dancing with the Stars" standout Gilles Marini out in Hollywood with his wife and daughter and he offers a surprising confession about his dancing!

When asked what moves he'll use to dazzle "Dancing" viewers this week, Gilles gave a tongue-in-cheek answer. "The truth is, I can't really move. I have two left feet and this will never change. The show makes you guys believe I can dance."

When pressed further, Gilles did reveal he's been practicing the pasa doble and promised that his freestyle routine on the show would be "to die for."

http://www.etonline.com/news/2009/05/74332/
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on May 18, 2009, 01:05:17 PM
Ty's latest blog:

‘It sure was fun to see everybody’



We're back in Los Angeles and today we did camera blocking and we got to see everyone because all 13 contestants are back this week.

Everyone is doing different portions from different dances and we'll be doing the Lindy Hop. The camera blocking went good and, like I said, it sure was fun to see everybody.

Jewel got back to L.A. earlier today so we'll have a nice relaxing evening tonight and then we'll go to watch the show tomorrow. It'll be kind of fun to watch it from the audience and see what it's like from there.

Tuesday night we're all on for the finale and I'll check back in with you guys later.

http://www.pbrnow.com/blog/index.cfm/2009/5/18/It-sure-was-fun-to-see-everybody#more

Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on May 18, 2009, 01:24:52 PM
What Will It Take to Win Dancing with the Stars?

(http://i212.photobucket.com/albums/cc289/CuteboiWill/dwts_320.jpg)

When viewers tune in Monday night to see the final season 8 performance show, they may find themselves in a quandary as to how to vote. That’s because the showdown between actor Gilles Marini, Olympic champ Shawn Johnson, and reality star Melissa Rycroft is the most evenly-matched in Dancing’s history.

“It’s the fans who are really going to decide,” says season 5 winner Helio Castroneves. The Brazilian race car driver, prepping for Sunday’s Indianapolis 500, tells PEOPLE what viewers have already witnessed: this year’s finalists “can all dance really well.”

On Monday’s one-hour live telecast (at 8 p.m. ET on ABC), the three celebrities and their professional dance partners will dance the paso doble to the same music, as well as perform their respective freestyle routines. Tuesday night all three couples return to the ballroom to perform their favorite dance of the season, which will be scored only by the judges. Then a new Dancing winner will be crowned on the season finale’s live results show.

PEOPLE asked three former winners what it will take for this year’s contestants to take home the coveted mirror-ball trophy. Here’s what they had to say.

Marini, paired with two-time Dancing champ Cheryl Burke, “has this great charm about him that is instantly appealing to the audience,” observes season 6 champ Kristi Yamaguchi. “Gilles’s biggest weakness is getting too excited while dancing and forgetting to pay attention to the technical details of the dances. In order for him to win, Gilles will have to pull out a crowd-pleasing freestyle with the WOW factor.”

Olympic speed skater Apolo Anton Ohno, who captured season 4’s trophy, says pal Johnson “has the technical side of the dances down. Now she’s got to really turn on her personality. She’s got to be animated and bubbly and showcase her goofy side this last week.” In her favor is partner Mark Ballas’s experience — he won in season 6 with Yamaguchi.

And then there’s Rycroft, Dancing’s surprise last-minute contestant. Filling in for injured Access Hollywood host Nancy O’Dell days before the season premiere, Rycroft and partner Tony Dovolani have consistently churned out great performances. But will her dancing background ultimately hurt her in the finals?

“She has habits, she was a ballerina for so long,” Castroneves observes. “She’s very graceful and we know she can dance. She already has the finesse, now she needs to perform to the audience even more.”

So who has the edge? “It could be anybody, really,” Ohno says. “People need to remember to vote for their favorite.”

http://tvwatch.people.com/2009/05/18/what-will-it-take-to-win-dancing-with-the-stars/
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on May 19, 2009, 04:01:47 AM
Dancing Score Results


PASO DOBLE

Shawn/Mark        9       9       10       28

Melissa/Tony      10      9       10       29

Gilles/Cheryl       10     10      10       30

FREESTYLE

Shawn/Mark       10    10      10       30

Melissa/Tony       9     9        9        27 

Gilles/Cheryl       9     10       9        28

COMBINED SCORE

Shawn/Mark      58

Melissa/Tony     56               

Gilles/Cheryl      58                                                         
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on May 19, 2009, 10:26:50 AM
Ty's blog:

‘It was a pretty good sign that I need to be getting out of California’



Hello troops,

The earthquake you might have heard about, the one that happened here in Los Angeles on Sunday, well, Jewel and I actual felt it. We were in our apartment and the whole place started shaking back and forth. That was the first earthquake that I've ever experienced and it was wild.

Jewel and I looked at each and at the exact same time we both said, "Earthquake!"

We were lying on the bed watching TV and started feeling the bed shaking back forth, but then you look around and the whole room is shaking back and forth. That was wild and, to me, it was a pretty good sign that I need to be getting out of California so we have one more dance and I'm outta here.

Jewel and I went to the show tonight and it was fun getting to sit in the audience and watch it as a spectator.

It's amazing how many people come back to watch the show. Emmitt Smith was there, Warren Sapp was there and bunch of other people who were on the show in the past were there tonight.

It was entertaining and it's funny that when you watch them dance back to back like that you really do get a chance to see who you think danced the best.

I thought they were all really close tonight, but I think Shawn Johnson is going to be tough to beat. They'll all be hard to beat, but Shawn brings a large fan base and I think she's doing an amazing job of executing pretty difficult routines.

At this point, they're all close enough that any one of the three could win it. I think they've all worked their butt off and I think they all did a great job and, again, it's going to come down to how America votes.

It'll be interesting to see how all that shakes out.

As for me, Chelsie and I get to do the Lindy Hop the whole way through one last time. And, like I said, it'll be fun to have everybody back for one last show and then there's going to be a big wrap party afterward.

Jewel's birthday is on May 23, but we're going to have an early celebration with some of our friends who live here in Los Angeles so as soon as the show's over we're going to go to dinner and then we'll go to the wrap party.

Well, that's all for tonight. I'll talk to you guys tomorrow and then Wednesday morning it's going to be color me back to Texas.

http://www.pbrnow.com/blog/index.cfm/2009/5/19/It-was-a-pretty-good-sign-that-I-need-to-be-getting-out-of-California#more
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on May 19, 2009, 11:10:47 AM
The Pressure Mounts Backstage at 'Dancing with the Stars'

click on link below to view video

After a season filled with fierce competition, injuries, surprises, and ballroom battles only three couples remain on "Dancing with the Stars." ET's "Dancing" correspondent Maksim Chmerkovskiy brought special gifts for the remaining contestants and got all the dish from the finalists.

Tony Dovolani and Melissa Rycroft tell ET that after an emotionally and physically challenging season Monday night was all about having fun on the dance floor.

"It is absolutely amazing and that's why we could have fun today," Melissa says. "We said 'we have nothing to lose. The worst thing that happens is we get third place so let's go out and enjoy the fact that we have one more time to dance together and get this crowd going,' and that's what we did."

Gilles Marini reveals that despite the pressure of the finals his strategy on Monday night was to stick with his partner, Cheryl Burke who has supported him throughout the competition.

"Today I tried to release all the stress," Gilles says. "Cheryl told me, 'stay with me.' I just stayed with her and we had a blast."

Watch the video to find out who has inspired the celebrity contestants besides their professional partners -- and find out who will take home the mirror ball trophy on the "Dancing with the Stars" finale Tuesday night at 8 p.m. on ABC.

http://www.etonline.com/news/2009/05/74366/index.html
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on May 19, 2009, 12:03:41 PM
Monday’s Dancing: What You Didn’t See

The Jitters Bug: Before Monday’s show there was a sense of tension in the air. “It’s weird, tonight is one of the last times I’m going to get to dance with Tony,” Melissa Rycroft said. “It’s very bittersweet. But we didn’t focus on that. Instead we said it’s the finals, it’s fun. We fed off of all the energy backstage and all of the energy from the audience.” Cheryl Burke found comfort in her old friend and former partner Emmitt Smith. “It was so nice to see him here,” Burke said. “It’s been so many years. He was like, ‘Cheryl, go out there and good luck. You’re nervous’ — he always knows I get nervous, so he calmed me down a little bit.” And minutes before show time Shawn Johnson and Mark Ballas bowed their heads in a prayer of thanks. “We know how great it is to be here and have the honor to perform in front of millions of people every Monday and Tuesday,” Ballas said. “We’re very grateful.”

To Catch a Thief: Bruno Tonioli likened Shawn Johnson’s aggression and “killer instinct” during the paso doble to that of TV serial killer Dexter. But a more appropriate label would be that of a thief, because the 17-year-old Olympic champ and Mark Ballas stole the night. And it was their energetic, no-holds-barred freestyle — with sequined masks and, yes, jazz hands — that sealed the deal. Though both Marissa Jaret Winokur and Jane Seymour pledged allegiance to their former DWTS partner Tony Dovolani, neither could deny that Johnson was the night’s big winner. “I think Shawn was the best dancer out of all three,” Winokur told PEOPLE. “I agree,” Seymour said. “Shawn was a huge surprise. I don’t think Gilles did near as much as either women, but then that’s always the case with the men.” Judge Bruno Tonioli exclaimed, “Shawn’s freestyle was IT! The others didn’t quite get it together as well.” Still, Tonioli said, “It’s going to be a close call for a winner.”

Bruno’s New Suit: During Monday’s show, the judges took part in a segment where they were tasked with training the three remaining couples. Len Goodman called Carrie Ann Inaba, who was having lunch, and then he called Bruno, who was wearing a Speedo and sunning himself by a pool. The crowd went wild — and so did the dancers! “Oh man! Bruno in a Speedo — he was tan and he looked good,” Gilles Marini gushed. “Congrats, Bruno. You look awesome!” Maksim Chmerkovskiy teased Tonioli after the show, “That’s an amazing Speedo you have. You are nicely shined and buff.” All of the compliments went, you guessed it, right to Tonioli’s head. “I decided next season I’m going to do the whole season in Speedos,” Tonioli said. “I’m going to get even tighter, more tan.”

A Dancing Who’s Who: Commercial breaks at Monday night’s show were a veritable schmooze fest among former contestants like High School Musical’s Monique Coleman, who chatted up Vivica A. Fox and Marissa Jaret Winokur, whom she said was “her new best friend.” Warren Sapp caught up with fellow NFL pal Emmitt Smith and season 7 champ Brooke Burke, while Tia Carrere talked with Leeza Gibbons and Jane Seymour. All of the famous faces in the house were a little bit intimidating to Melissa Rycroft, especially former Dallas Cowboys Smith and his wife Patricia, who were sitting in the front row just a few seats away from her parents. “I was bowing,” Rycroft said. “Oh my gosh! I literally bowed and I said ‘Mr. Emmitt.’ I love him. He is a major hero from where I’m from.”

Papa’s Boy: Before his freestyle dance Gilles Marini trotted over to the front row where his wife, Carole, and son, Georges, were sitting. Marini talked closely with Georges for a moment before taking his place on the dance floor. “My baby was in the audience,” Marini said of his 10-year-old son. “I could not let him down.” What was their father-son pre-performance chat all about? “I told him I love you and I told him I’m going to make you proud,” Marini said. “I have given him so much more game in school!”

http://tvwatch.people.com/2009/05/19/mondays-dancing-what-you-didnt-see-27/
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on May 20, 2009, 03:41:51 AM
CONGRATULATIONS

SHAWN JOHNSON & MARK BALLAS

DANCING WITH THE STARS SEASON EIGHT

CHAMPIONS

SECOND PLACE

GILLES MARINI & CHERYL BURKE


THIRD PLACE

MELISSA RYCROFT & TONY DOVOLANI
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on May 20, 2009, 09:52:46 AM
Dancing with the Stars Episode Recap: Tuesday, May 19, 2009

And the Season 8 Dancing with the Stars winner is... not so fast. Before a new champion is crowned, Dancing takes a trip down memory lane, names a new pro for next season, roasts the room and scores the finalists on one last dance. Who took home the glittery Mirrorball and who came up just a tad short? Find out below!

We're finally here, and it is tight as ever. I don't know about you, but I have no idea who will win. I think Melissa will come in third, but I've been vacillating between Shawn and Mark for the win. Thank God I have Lady Gaga's one-legged pleather bodysuit to take my mind off of it for a hot (mess of) a second. And you thought Dancing's costumes were heinous. This has to be a crime somewhere. I also can't listen to "Just Dance" anymore without thinking of, no, not Justin Timberlake, but Michael Scott's "It's Britney, bitch."

I've made no secret of my contempt of show-filler, but — full disclosure — I like nostalgic filler (don't judge me), like the season retrospective and dance reprisals from all the eliminated contestants — even if this means we won't get to the actual competition or the contestants for another hour or so. I don't blame you if don't watch this part, but this is better than half the stuff they have on their normal results shows. The package reminds us that Belinda Carlisle was once in this competition. Doesn't that seem like years ago? No offense, B! She and Jonathan Roberts redo their salsa, while couples Denise Richards and Maksim Chmerkovskiy and Holly Madison and Dmitry Chaplin follow, with their quickstep and samba, respectively. Exuberant as always, Denise describes her limited experience as fun, Belinda remembers the nausea and hysteria, while Holly thanks her "personal trainer" Dmitry for getting her in shape for Peepshow (a haven for female Dancing alums, apparently). That nicely segues into the most jaw-dropping news of the night: Tom's shameless plug of Samantha's Broadway gig this summer as Roxie Hart in Chicago. Say whaa?! If Sam can't even read cue cards, how is she going to memorize lines and lyrics?

Speaking of the inability to perform, Steve Wozniak and Karina Smirnoff get a solo reprisal segment for their quickstep. At Tom's request (and Karina's dare), Woz attempts to do the worm. Horribly. I'd feel embarrassed for him, if I cared that much. A bald David Alan Grier follows with his lovely Viennese Waltz for about two seconds, when it ended before it even began. What a nice slap in the face. Steve-O follows with his foxtrot, or as he told me, his foxtrot redemption. As you recall (no pun intended), he forgot his steps the first time around.

Pick a Pro: Anna Demidova vs. Mayo Alanen
And the coveted spot goes to... Anna! As if there were any doubt. They totally threw Mayo under the bus last week. He looks like he's going to cry. I'd give him my shoulder, but he'd have to bend down about nine inches. Anna and Maks reprise their quickstep, with apparently the same boa Woz and Karina used before. All in the family, right, Maks?

Lawrence Taylor continues to bring on the awkwardness by dropping the words "lap dance" after his jive redux (with Edyta Sliwinska's hot pink legwarmers. It's '80s week, remember?). Family show, LT! Family show! Chuck Wicks and Julianne Hough do their samba. It's understandable since that was his breakout, but I kind of wanted them to slip on the black lace again. Which is the lesser of two evils? Chuck in red satin or black lace? Lil' Kim, predicatbly, does her Jailhouse Rock-in jive, while Ty got physical again with the Lindy Hop.

Roast
Just shy of the end of the first hour, we finally get to see Shawn, Gilles and Melissa... so they can get roasted by Jeffrey Ross. I'd much prefer another edition of DanceCenter, with Ty, of course, rather than Jeff, but such is life. He tries way too hard, but he had some zingers: Belinda looks like a hooker from Battlestar Galactica; Gilles didn't have the biggest role in Sex and the City — but had the largest part (The latter is full of win only because of Shawn's look of utter confusion). And then there were the bombs: Ty came out of Brokeback Mambo; Woz took a bite out of the Apple logo; he wants to marry Melissa (Wow, who hasn't heard that one before?). What does it say about your comedic skills when a French stud one-ups you later with, "Melissa, you take this rose. I'll take the trophy"?

REPEAT DANCES
Shawn Johnson & Mark Ballas: Cha-Cha
I have to give props to Shawn for choosing a dance she didn't get a perfect 30 on originally, unlike Gilles' and Melissa's choices. She did a killer cha-cha last time and she's totally capable of getting the 30 here, which, let's face it, they're going to get. She definitely looks more comfortable and has injected it with more personality, as she said she would. Shawn's technical precision's always been there, so it's nice to see the character come together, too. Her hips also look sharper and looser. Len thinks she aced the performance aspect. Bruno calls it sassy and loves the technique. Carrie Ann thinks they all underestimated her, but notes her upward trajectory from the past three weeks.
Score: 30

Melissa Rycroft & Tony Dovolani: Samba
Keep an eye out for boob poppage! The only plus for Melissa doing the samba again is the fact that she has her little solo at the beginning, which, for some reason, seems way shorter this time around. This dance is made for Melissa the party girl. She's perfected the samba rolls and has the shimmying down pat. She's getting another 30. Bruno calls it even more appetizing and drools over her body. (Is he imagining her wardrobe malfunction?) Carrie Ann thinks she embodies dancing and Len calls the samba fantastic.
Score: 30

Gilles Marini & Cheryl Burke: Argentine Tango
The good thing about Gilles choosing the AT is that it was from way back in Week 4, so it's not as fresh in our minds as Melissa's samba. It was also the source of his first 30, so this is supposed to be a perfect coda, I suppose. It's dramatic, passionate and completely commanding. It almost erases the underwhelming dreck that was their freestyle. Almost. Carrie Ann says he brings amazing artistry to the floor. Len has enjoyed watching him the most and says Gilles has brought him back 50 years back in time. Is this Lost? Bruno calls it an Argentine Triumph. By the by, didn't Gilles' and Cheryl's backstage odes to each other sound like wedding vows?
Score: 30

Third Place
Melissa & Tony

Maybe people were watching The Bachelorette instead of voting Monday night? In all seriousness, this wasn't that surprising, especially after their freestyle break-tastrophe. The biggest question mark for Melissa was always her fan base, and when push came to shove, Bachelor sympathy can't match up with Olympic fever and Sex-iness. Still, it's a great showing for a last-minute replacement, even if they never showed her tramp stamp. But we'll always have those jeans.

Less than one percent separated first and second, Tom and Sam tell us. That's the closest margin in Dancing history. And now, after one hour and 57 minutes of fluff, the Dancing with the Stars Season 8 winners are... Shawn and Mark!

Shawn's screaming. Mark is having a conniption. An upset? A little. Gilles has been the most consistent all season, but two factors may have made the difference: Shawn's built-in fan base and her awesome freestyle. Always the gentleman, Gilles congratulates them both and gives a shout-out to his family and Cheryl. The third pro trophy will have to wait, Cheryl, but things do come in threes — for Olympians. Shawn's the third Olympic gold medalist to win the Mirrorball and keeps the Olympic champs' winning streak in the finals intact.

What did you think? Did Shawn deserve the win? Or was Gilles robbed of a proper punctuation for a consistent season? Did this turn into a battle of the fan bases? Will Olympic champions ever lose in the finals? Will Cheryl (or Julianne or newly minted two-time champ Mark) ever win the elusive third Mirrorball? Was Jeffrey Ross' roast funny or lame? Who should Anna be paired with next season? Will you go see Samantha on Broadway this summer? And how can we get Ty on DanceCenter next season? Float your ideas below. That's all for now, folks — for this season, anyway. Thanks for dropping by. Keep on dancin!

http://www.tvguide.com/Episode-Recaps/dancing-stars/Dancing-Stars-Episode-1006194.aspx
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on May 20, 2009, 10:46:02 AM
Shawn/Mark, Gilles/Cheryl & Melissa/Tony on Good Morning America

Part 1:

Part 2:

Part 3

credit to edwintv25
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on May 20, 2009, 10:57:34 AM
Shawn & Mark on Live with Regis and Kelly



credit to edwintv25
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: apskip on May 20, 2009, 12:48:19 PM
I noted with dismay the three perfect 30s awarded last night. There is no differentiation when all stars are rated "perfect" even when they are not. On Monday night there was such differentiation and her 30 when others did not get that probably helped Shawn to narrowly win the audience vote. As long as the judges award finalists with 30s, the solution would be to allow scores higher than 10 for the finals only.
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on May 20, 2009, 01:31:04 PM
Tuesday’s Dancing Finale: What You Didn’t See

(http://i212.photobucket.com/albums/cc289/CuteboiWill/shawn_mark1_240.jpg)


Proud Parents: While gold confetti fell from above the ballroom floor, Shirley Ballas and Teri Johnson looked on, their eyes brimming with tears as their babies — Mark Ballas and Shawn Johnson — were crowned season 8 champs. “Oh my gosh! I’m so thrilled and surprised,” Johnson’s mom told PEOPLE, adding, “She does well under pressure.” Though this was the second DWTS trophy for Ballas, his mom Shirley, a ballroom pro herself, was also in shock. “I thought Gilles (Marini) and Cheryl (Burke) had it in the bag,” she said. “The difference I saw in Shawn was a shy 17-year-old girl who turned into a woman. She gained momentum, she knew it was close and she knew what she had to do. She peaked at the right moment, didn’t she?”

The Agony of Defeat: Mere steps away from the mini huddle gathered around Johnson and Ballas was runner-up Gilles Marini consoling his son, Georges. The 10-year-old, who watched his father perform on Monday and Tuesday, sobbed as Marini held him in his arms and told him over and over “it’s alright, it’s alright.” Marini said his son’s disappointment was “pretty intense. He’s taking it badly. He’s a 10-year-old, and he wanted to put the trophy on the shelf in (his sister) Juliana’s room.” Despite not winning, Marini says the evening’s outcome was “a win-win situation.” The show introduced him to the American public, and even better, “I got to meet Cheryl,” Marini said. “If not for her, I would have been gone the first week.”


Broadway Bound: Tom Bergeron proudly announced another big news Tuesday’s night: his co-host Samantha Harris will be starring as Roxie Hart in Chicago on Broadway this summer. “I’m so beyond ecstatic, over-the-moon for getting my first Broadway role,” said an exuberant Harris. Looking elegant in a vintage gown and an array of Kwiat jewels, Harris couldn’t help but gush about her summer gig, which kicks off in July. “This is a dream come true. Being on the stage in front of thousands of people with the lights hitting you, that is where I come alive,” said Harris, who’s known more for her Dancing and Insider hosting duties than performing. But Harris is no stranger to the stage. “I grew up in a musical family,” she revealed. “My parents were in West Side Story when they were in high school in Minneapolis.”

Gimme a Break: With no summer Dancing tour this season, the stars and pros are planning a variety of other gigs. Cheryl Burke plans to vacation, while fellow pro Edyta Sliwinska will hit the books in pursuit of a bachelor’s degree in journalism at UCLA. After back-to-back reality show stints, Melissa Rycroft tells PEOPLE she only has one thing on her mind for the immediate future: “I’m excited to go back home.” As for her partner Tony Dovolani, he’ll be hitting the gym hard. Dovolani has signed on to appear as a bodybuilder in an independent movie, Pumping Up, and has his work cut out: “I have to gain 15 pounds of muscle,” he said. Lil’ Kim will also be hard at work. Her plans include writing a book, working on a new album and a Las Vegas show, which will feature singing and dancing with some Cirque du Soleil-style artistry. And it’s back to the Texas ranch for Ty Murray, who has “500 head of cattle. We have a lot of work to do.” While Murray has hung up his dancing shoes for good, wife Jewel, who withdrew before the season began due to injury, is (half-heartedly) thinking about putting hers back on. When the injury first occurred, Jewel vowed to return to Dancing once healed, but now says: “I’ve seen how tired Ty is after rehearsing. He comes home and he is beat. I’m not sure I want to work that hard.”

You Bet: There was more than bragging rights and a mirror-ball trophy at stake Tuesday night. Murray and his former dance partner Chelsie Hightower had a little wager riding on the night’s winner. Hightower’s money was on Gilles Marini, while Murray’s pick was Shawn Johnson. “It didn’t have anything to do with their dancing, but how was America going to vote,” explained Murray, who became a fan favorite due to his determination and sense of humor. “I can’t make a living from my dancing so I have to make my money elsewhere.” Speaking of wagers, Mark Ballas will soon be collecting a $100 from Bachelor host Chris Harrison, who bet Ballas that Melissa Rycroft would finish ahead of Shawn Johnson this season. Doesn’t Harrison know that Olympic athletes have a proven track record on DWTS? Johnson is the third Olympian to win Dancing, following in the fancy footsteps of speed skater Apolo Anton Ohno and ice skater Kristi Yamaguchi.

http://tvwatch.people.com/2009/05/20/tuesdays-dancing-finale-what-you-didnt-see-3/
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on May 20, 2009, 01:39:03 PM
Melissa & Tye in NYC...posted on her twitter

p.s. the top 3 were on GMA this morning, Melissa/Tony & Gilles/Cheryl will be on Live with Regis and Kelly tomorrow morning

(http://i212.photobucket.com/albums/cc289/CuteboiWill/9351775-5500718bf5cb929f215e13cc901.jpg)
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on May 22, 2009, 08:26:38 AM
Shawn & Mark on Jimmy Kimmel Live


credit to DWTSSeason8
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on May 22, 2009, 08:46:16 AM
Shawn & Mark on Live with Regis & Kelly



credit to edwintv25
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on May 22, 2009, 09:04:41 AM
Melissa/Tony & Gilles/Cheryl on Live with Regis & Kelly




credit to edwintv25
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on May 22, 2009, 09:17:16 AM
Gilles makes a surprise appearance on The View


credit to hereditarytraits
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on May 24, 2009, 11:26:35 AM
Mark Ballas's Indy 500 Pick: Go, Helio!

(http://i212.photobucket.com/albums/cc289/CuteboiWill/mark_ballas320.jpg)

It was a Dancing with the Stars reunion at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Friday afternoon. Season 8 champ Mark Ballas joined former Dancing winners Derek Hough and IndyCar driver Helio Castroneves for the Indy 500’s annual pre-race pit stop competition.

Just 72 hours since winning his second mirror-ball trophy, Ballas, who turns 23 on Sunday, says the past couple of days “have been surreal. People have been coming up to me going 'oh my God!' It was the most amazing feeling winning with Shawn [Johnson]. I’m so proud of her."

Even more surreal for Ballas, who shaved his head on Thursday ("My hair was driving me nuts," he says, I was done with it!"), was hanging out in the Team Penske pit and seeing Castroneves win the competition.

“We were right on the tarmac, we got to see the fast car changes, the fast wheel changes. I have never heard a car so loud in my life!” says Ballas, who will be watching to see if pal Castroneves (who was acquitted on tax evasion charges last month) can capture a third Indy 500 title on Sunday. That evening the Ballas Hough Band will perform at the official post-race party at the Conrad Hotel.

“I’m hoping Helio wins,” says Ballas, who says this year’s birthday will be "a nice low-key affair. We’re going watch the race, have a little dinner and perform."

http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20280937,00.html
Title: Re: Dancing With The Stars Season 8
Post by: RealityFreakWill on June 30, 2009, 10:31:54 AM
DWTS's Melissa Rycroft Engaged

Former Bachelor and Dancing With the Stars contestant Melissa Rycroft is finally headed down the aisle, proving she may be lucky in love after all.

Rycroft got engaged to Dallas insurance agent Tye Strickland on June 26 after they dated on and off for more than two years, PEOPLE has learned.

"He's my best friend," Rycroft, 26, gushed to PEOPLE last April about the 28-year-old agent.

The twosome rekindled their romance after Rycroft's engagement to The Bachelor's Jason Mesnick ended via a televised breakup on the After The Final Rose special on March 2.

Strickland, who was a frequent audience member during Rycroft's season eight Dancing stint, popped the question to the Dallas beauty at White's Chapel in Southlake, Texas. The couple later joined their respective parents for a celebratory meal at the Brio Tuscan Grille before heading out later in the evening to a reception with more family and close friends. No wedding date has been set.

"He is a great home-town boy," Rycroft's DWTS partner Dovolani told PEOPLE of Strickland. "He will love her endlessly."

Rycroft finished second runner-up on the DWTS season finale, but she came out smelling like a rose by landing a summer reporting gig with Good Morning America.

http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20288474,00.html