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Dancing With The Stars Season 8

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RealityFreakWill:
'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

RealityFreakWill:
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/

RealityFreakWill:
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

razor18:
not here buddy!

RealityFreakWill:
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

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