And it's almost over -- it's finale night on Dancing With the Stars. (Thank heavens; I love you guys, but I want my evenings back!)

The show starts with a montage from last night, even though they just reaired the whole show at 8 p.m.

Then Usher comes out to dance and sing, followed by predictions from past contestants.

Then, results: The third-place finisher is Cristian de la Fuente, so he and Cheryl Burke are out.  I'm actually surprised. I thought if anyone would overcome the scoring gap, it would be him. Before they go, Cristian and Cheryl reprise their paso doble. (HEY!)

Then it's time for some more reprisals. Penn Jillette and Kym Johnson hit the floor to dance again, followed by Monica Seles and Jonathan Roberts. (Monica's having fun, but definitely disproving the idea that athletes have an unfair advantage on this show.) Happy-go-lucky Steve Guttenberg and Anna Trebunskaya return, too, as do Adam Carrolla and Julianne Hough with their paso doble that begins with a unicycle ride.

Next, it's time for results. No, not those results -- the junior champions. And the winners are Brandon and Brittany. They are excited and get a mini mirror-ball trophy and a visit from some of the Dallas Cowboy cheerleaders.

Time for more former contestants, the first being Priscilla Presley and Louis van Amstel with the tango.

Then there is a "tribute" to Jason and Cristian's friendship, or bromance, as Cheryl puts it. Host Tom Bergeron says they were going to save it for the wrap party, but they decided to share it with America.

Marlee Matlin and Fabian Sanchez resprise one of their dances, as do Shannon Elizabeth and Derek Hough.

Then Baltimore R&B star Mario and Karina Smirnoff hit the floor with their mambo, followed by Marissa Jaret Winokur and Tony Dovolani with the paso doble.

Usher returns, singing a Broadway version of "Yeah," while dancing with some of the pros and a floor full of other dancers.

Finally, Kristi and Mark and Jason and Edyta come out to reprise their favorite performance of the season and to get their last scores from the judges. (It's yet another show going with a boxing theme tonight, as they play the Rocky theme.)

Kristi and Mark are first, with the jive, the one where Mark wears Buddy Holly glasses. Len says she is the most consistent dancer of all their season. Bruno says she didn't miss a beat. Carrie Ann says these two set the standard through the season, and also grew throughout the season. Tonight and last night's judges' scores will be combined with the votes from last night to determine the winner. Scores: 10-10-10, for another 30/30.

Jason and Edyta revisit their quickstep from earlier in the season, which is a good choice, because it's probably the dance on which he showed the most personality all season. Bruno says "heavenly bodies" is a term created for them. Carrie Ann says it's a showdown tonight, and then she says something about the elegance of his spirit (OK, Paula). Len calls him the people's champion. Scores: 10-10-10, for a 30/30, their first.

To draw things out, Tom talks to the other contestants. Priscilla Presley says it's been a pleasure. Mario says it's been an amazing experience and pure fun. Shannon Elizabeth cries again, saying she is so happy for everyone.

Can we have some results, please??

And the winners are ... Kristi Yamaguchi and Mark Ballas. She graciously thanks everyone behind the show for making this a dream experience, and Mark seconds that. Tom hands them the disco-ball trophy, and the hugs and confetti begin.

How do you feel about the results? After last night, I figured this was the way it would end, and it seems a fitting conclusion.

Posted by Sarah Kickler Kelber at 11:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (18)
                    

At long, long last, here we are: The final performance show of this season of Dancing With the Stars.

Tonight the final three will do a "cha-cha faceoff" as well as each perform a freestyle dance.

The cha-cha faceoff is first, with all three couples dancing back-to-back during the song "Dancing on the Ceiling."

Cristian de la Fuente and Cheryl Burke are the first couple on the floor, and they have a lot of hip-shaking and bare-chest action (his). Then, Jason Taylor and Edyta Sliwinska come out, and they've got all sorts of tricksy moves and body rolls. Lastly, Kristi Yamaguchi and Mark Ballas hit the floor, and their routine has a boatload of spins and an amazing amount of energy. The routine ends with Jason and Cristian lifting Kristi up over their heads, which is pretty impressive since they are so tall.

Len Goodman says at his age, it takes a lot to get him excited, but this did it. He says Cristian has great hips and rhythm, and that Jason has a grace about him and style, but he doesn't think Latin is his big thing. He says Kristi was the "complete package." Bruno Tonioli says Cristian "banged like the best" and that he's shown so much improvement. He says Jason's timing was a tad off, but he was still great and athletic. But then he adds that Kristi was in a master class all her own. Carrie Ann Inaba says it was really interesting watching them back to back. She says she thought Cristian was fantastic but that his injury seems to be messing up his posture a bit. She agrees that she feels bad that Jason had this dance since it's his weakest dance, but he still did a good job. She closes saying that Kristi won that, "hands down."

Cristian and Cheryl's scores: 8-9-9, for a 26/30.

Jason and Edyta's scores: 8-8-8, for a 24/30.

Kristi and Mark's scores: 10-10-10, for a 30/30.

Kristi and Mark prepare for the freestyle. When they come out on stage, Kristi is wearing PJs and Mark has on this bizarre bathrobe and fake-abs T-shirt. They rip off these clothes to reveal pinstriped sequined outfits and Converse sneakers. They are all over the place in terms of styles and choreography and have a ton of energy. They pull off a bunch of lifts, and Kristi even boosts Mark for a backflip. It's a little manic, but a blast to watch. Bruno says it was an inspiring match of mambo and hip-hop and that it was "worthy of the championship." Carrie Ann says she was the big crowd-pleaser. "Loved it!" Len says he isn't a lover of hip-hop when it's in a Latin dance, but this held his attention from start to finish, and that he absolutely loved it. Scores: 10-10-10, for a(nother) 30/30 and a total 60/60.

Jason and Edyta aim to have a ton of tricks in their routine, but during practice, Edyta gets dropped a lot. They perform to "Welcome to Miami" (of course). Edyta starts in a pretty sundress and hat, but Jason rips off her dress to reveal a tiny outfit. Their performance is pretty much straight hip-hop with lots of tricks. It's fun, but doesn't nearly have the finesse or range of Kristi and Mark's. And to keep the percentage of people who have their clothes ripped off during the freestyle round at 100 percent, Edyta removes Jason's tank top as the final flourish of their dance. Carrie Ann tells Edyta she's so glad to see her in the finals. She says, "Who knew, Jason Taylor can get funky!" Len says he loved the humor and the lifts and that he could see them together at the beach, Jason in his Speedo, "me in my thong!" Bruno speaks for all viewers when he says, "I'm not going to have dinner tonight!" Bruno says it was like "watching centerfolds, and the dance wasn't bad, either." Scores: 9-9-9, for a 27/30 and a total 51/60.

Cristian and Cheryl are last, with a Latin-themed performance featuring a lot of hip-shaking and an amazing number of one-armed lifts and tricks. But no clothes were ripped off in the making of this performance. Len says he loved the Latin flavor and that he has to take into consideration that the other two had amazing lifts and some of theirs weren't up to par (which he of course has to mention, regardless of the injury since everyone is being judged by the same standards). Bruno says he hasn't seen so much shaking in L.A. since the Northridge earthquake. (Incidentally, this seems like a bad time to make earthquake jokes, but maybe that's just me.) He calls Cristian a Latin stallion. Carrie Ann says that this is all about seeing who leaves it all on the floor and that while they might not have compared to Kristi's performance, Crisitian is a winner in so many ways. Scores: 9-8-9, for a 26/30 and 52/60.

So I think it's unanimous that Kristi took that -- finally a 60/60, and both performances were a total blast.

Who do you think deserves to win? And who do you think will win?

Posted by Sarah Kickler Kelber at 9:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
                    

On tonight's results show, the final four will be narrowed to the top three, who will perform in next week's finale.

-- Things kick off with a montage from last night.

-- Then, it's reprisal time: Kristi Yamaguchi and Mark Ballas do their tango again.

-- The junior championships continue with performances from the three finalists throughout the show.

-- Next, Omarion sings during a tribute to Michael Jackson choreographed by Travis Payne.

-- Results, finally: Kristi and Mark are safe. Then, a break. Then, Jason Taylor and Edyta Sliwinska are announced safe. Also safe are Cristian de la Fuente and Cheryl Burke.

-- So that means Marissa Jaret Winokur and Tony Dovolani are out. On her way out, Marissa says, "I want everyone to go out and do something fun and do something that makes you feel sexy and shake what your momma gave you." Aww, too cute.

So ... what are you looking forward to with next week's finals?

Posted by Sarah Kickler Kelber at 10:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)
                    

Tonight, the final four couples face off on Dancing With the Stars. They'll each do two dances, one Latin and one ballroom, drawn from a giant disco ball, of course.

Jason Taylor and Edyta Sliwinska are up first -- their dances of the night are foxtrot and paso doble. They hope to show how far he's come with the foxtrot since it's been so long since he had to perform it. He also gets a pep talk from Dan Marino via tape and is told not to come home without the mirror ball trophy. Their foxtrot, to "Let's Call the Whole Thing Off," is graceful and cheeky and definitely achieves their goal of showing how much Jason has learned this season. He looks comfortable and like he's having a great time. Head judge Len Goodman is up first: "Honestly, ... like a dolphin glides through the sea, that's how you moved on the dancefloor. ... The whole thing was great." Bruno Tonioli says he was a showman and had great movement. Carrie Ann Inaba says he had great posture, a lot more content and did a great job. Scores: 9-10-9, for a 28/30.

Marissa Jaret Winokur and Tony Dovolani draw rumba and quickstep. Stacy Keibler stops by to talk with Marissa about what it's like to dance and train with Tony and how difficult it is to have chemistry with him when they don't find him sexy (he doesn't look too pleased). Their quickstep is OK -- there are a couple of slow parts that seem particularly slow for the quickstep, though. Bruno says, "You missed a jete on the big run. This is the semifinal; at this stage, we look at things like that." Carrie Ann says she's turned into the unlikely contender and that she did a great, classic quickstep. Bruno says he has to take into consideration the difficulty level of this dance, but that she did a great job. Scores: 9-9-8, for a 26/30.

Continue reading "'Dancing With the Stars' semifinal performances" »

Posted by Sarah Kickler Kelber at 9:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (16)
                    

We've got two hours of Dancing With the Stars tonight so the show can celebrate its 100th episode (and host Tom Bergeron's birthday, as I learned on Entertainment Tonight a little while ago. Please don't judge me).

The first hour features the judges' favorite dances from the first five seasons. No. 10 is Kelly Monaco's freestyle from the season one's week six. No. 9 is Sabrina Bryan's paso doble from season five. No. 8 is Emmitt Smith's cha-cha-cha from season three. No. 7 is Apolo Anton Ohno's seaon four quickstep. No. 6 is Joey Fatone's season four jive. No. 5 is Helio Castroneves' season five quickstep (in the giant yellow suit). No. 4 is Drew Lachey's freestyle from season two's finale. No. 3 is Stacy Keibler's season two samba. No. 2 is Mel B's paso doble from season five. No. 1 is Mario Lopez's tango from season three.

I didn't watch the first season, but I learned from this clip show that the standards are a lot higher now. During that Kelly Monaco dance, there were a bunch of parts where they paused to make sure they started the next part together, and she was looking at her partner's feet a bunch. Interesting.

Let's get on with the results show, shall we?

* They kick things off with a big group dance from the pros to "Hard to Handle."

* Montage from last night.

* Backstage, Samantha Harris talks to the five remaining stars, all of whom feel at risk, glad to be there and hope to still be around next week.

* Rascal Flatts performs, and Apolo Anton Ohno and Julianne Hough dance along with them. (They rock, by the way.)

* Tom Bergeron talks to a bunch of past cast members, who are in the audience. Stacy Keibler says she emailed George Hamilton to see if he would be around. Lisa Rinna says she is doing lots of cardio ballroom. Jerry Springer says his hip still hurts. Vivica A. Fox says she's retired her stilettos. Joey Fatone says he's still bitter, and Kenny Mayne says he's tired of being Tom's punchline, and Sabrina just gets to say "thank you" after Tom says Kenny used all her time.

* Mario Lopez and the cast of Broadway's A Chorus Line hit the stage to perform.

* Rascal Flatts returns, and Mel B and Maksim Chmerkovskiy dance.

* Kelly Monaco tells Samantha she's for Kristi. Apolo says he's for the athletes, but probably Kristi because he's partial to skaters. Drew says his money is on Cristian.

* Results, finally: Marissa Jaret Winokur and Tony Dovolani are safe, as are Kristi Yamaguchi and Mark Ballas. After a break, more results: Cristian de la Fuente and Cheryl Burke are safe, which leaves Mario and Jason Taylor as the last two stars standing. Leaving are Mario and Karina Smirnoff, meaning Jason Taylor and Edyta Sliwinska are safe.

* Mario says: "I've had a great time performing on this show, I've had a great partner, we've had some great competition. ... Len, thank you for all your comments. Ultimately, you've helped me become a better ballroom dancer. And the comment about me being brave and being an inspiration for young people. I want to say that the real brave ones are the young men and women fighting for our country."

Well, that's a classy exit for our hometown contestant. How do you feel about the results? 

Posted by Sarah Kickler Kelber at 10:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (15)
                    

On tonight's Dancing With the Stars, the contestants will take on two dances -- and they'll be allowed one lift per dance. Plus, we'll see how Cristian de la Fuente handles his injured arm.

Kristi Yamaguchi and Mark Ballas will be doing quickstep and samba this evening. In the intro footage, Kristi really wants to take advantage of the opportunity to do lifts, but Mark isn't so sure. He finally agrees to add one to their quickstep, which is their first dance. It's fun and fast and seems fairly traditional, though the lift in question ends up being, well, kind of lame after all that buildup. Judge Len Goodman says that dance cheered him up to no end and says it had "great light and shade." Bruno Tonioli says Kristi is a supercandidate with a super ticket for the final. Carrie Ann Inaba liked that they danced toward the judges, but she says that at one point, they got a little hair out of sync. Scores: 9-10-10, for a 29/30.

Mario and Karina Smirnoff practice the jive and the Viennese waltz. Their waltz is first, and he's determined to show that he can be an elegant dancer, since Len said last week that was not his strong point. I'm not a ballroom expert, but he looks pretty dapper to me. Bruno calls him "Prince Mario," and says he had "polish and distinction, poise, restraint." Yeah, he liked it. Carrie Ann says his posture was the best thus far and she thought the lift "completely enhanced your routine." Len says, and I quote, "Normally, your ballroom dancing reminds me a bit of Britney Spears getting out of a car: Not very elegant, you sometimes see odd things you'd rather not, but tonight I thought that was the most elegant I've seen you dance. ... Gorgeous, floating movement, good job." Wow, Len, don't mince any words. Backstage, always on point Samantha Harris tells Mario that he got some fantastic comments from the judges. Um. Eventually. Scores: 9-9-9, for a 27/30.

Host Tom Bergeron: "Coming up, more frightening analogies from Len."

Continue reading "'Dancing With the Stars': week eight performances" »

Posted by Sarah Kickler Kelber at 9:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
                    

Despite what all the gossip blogs were saying, Cristian de la Fuente, who was injured last night on Dancing With the Stars, is here for tonight's live show.

During the recap from last night, Cheryl Burke interviews that she heard a crack and thought her dress had ripped or something, and then realized the noise had been from Cristian's arm.

Reprisal time: Len Goodman says they want to see Jason Taylor and Edyta Sliwinska's quickstep.

Results: Kristi Yamaguchi and Mark Ballas are safe.

In case you ever wondered if they taped some of this stuff, the supposed backstage promo of Def Leppard and the pros who will be dancing with them includes Cheryl Burke and Karina Smirnoff, but then during the transition to commercial, which returns back to the stage, Cheryl and Karina are on stage with their partners. Whoa.

Then, it's "DanceCenter" with Jerry Rice, Kenny Mayne and Len Goodman.

Then DWtS tries to out-hip Idol and succeeds by about two decades with a "performance" of "Pour Some Sugar on Me" by Def Leppard, though it's some of the saddest lip-syncing I've ever seen, since it sounds like they are just playing the CD.

More "DanceCenter."

Results again: Mario and Karina Smirnoff are safe. (Whew, says Baltimore.)

Def Leppard's back for another performance, this one of a song from the band's new album, which came out today. Woo.

Results: Everyone looks really solemn except for Shannon Elizabeth, who is grinning. After the break, Tom and Samathan talk to Cristian. He says he ruptured the tendon of his bicep. Even so, he found out a few minutes ago that his doctor said he can delay the surgery and stay on the show if the voters have agreed to let him stay. Cristian and Cheryl are indeed safe, Tom reveals. In the bottom two: Marissa Jaret Winokur and Tony Dovolani. Safe: Jason and Edyta. Bottom two: Shannon Elizabeth and Derek Hough.

Going home: Shannon Elizabeth and Derek Hough. She says the show has been amazing, and she's made friends for life. Derek says she's been a great partner and she's "a big dork, but I love that."

They dance; she cries.

What do you think about the results?

Posted by Sarah Kickler Kelber at 10:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (15)
                    

On tonight's Dancing With the Stars, the contestants have to take on two dances -- one Latin and one ballroom.

Marissa Jaret Winokur and Tony Dovolani are doing the tango and the rumba this week. In the intro, Marissa says she is mixing up the two and she's afraid she's going to go out there and "do the rumbango!" The tango is their first performance, and the theatricality of it really suits Marissa. Also, she seems to have grasped the precision of the dance's steps; it's great. Judge Len Goodman says their expectations are still high even though they are doing two dances. He sums up: "Three words: your best dance." Bruno Tonioli says they had "drama, passion and a hint of disdain." Carrie Ann Inaba says something has come out of her and that it was "a wonderful performance" that showed a new side of her. Scores: 9-9-9, for a 27/30.

Cristian de la Fuente and Cheryl Burke prepare for the Viennese waltz and the samba. In another weird moment, in the intro, Cheryl says that the Viennese waltz should be like him dancing with his daughter, and then there is footage of him getting a pep talk from his little girl. But for the performance, Cristian and Cheryl dance to "I'll Make Love to You." Um, OK. But back to the dance. It's romantic and flowy (and points to the wardrobe people for Cheryl's dress, which complements their movements). Bruno calls him "South America's Clark Gable" and says they had great movement. Carrie Ann says he's found "new fluidity," but that they lacked just a hair of energy. Len says the dance had a bit of romance, but it lacked content. Scores: 8-8-9, for a 25/30.

Continue reading "'Dancing With the Stars': week seven performances" »

Posted by Sarah Kickler Kelber at 9:46 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
                    

It's time again for eliminations on Dancing With the Stars, and it could be a surprise since so many people stepped up their scores and a couple of others faltered.

Here's the rundown on the evening's activities:

* Reprised dance? The country-and-western group performance, of course.

* Ashlee Simpson sings, and some pros (including Artem from So You Think You Can Dance) accompany her on the dance floor.

* Results: Shannon Elizabeth and Derek Hough are safe. Marlee Matlin and Fabian Sanchez, however, are in the bottom two.

* Backstage, Shannon and Derek apologize for their heated comments after last night's show about how the critiques were unfair (Shannon) and that the judges were giving 9s and 10s to people doing "heel-leads" and ridiculous arm movements (Derek).

* Then there's a performance by some of the dancers from Riverdance.

* The junior competition continues with the 13 and younger category. Brandon and Brittany dance the cha-cha, and Austin and Liza dance the samba. The judges choose Brandon and Brittany to go forward.

* Montage of what it's like for the judges.

* More results: Marissa Jaret Winokur and Tony Dovolani are safe, and so are Cristian de la Fuente and Cheryl Burke (so yay, we are saved from Len showing his bum in the supermarket, which he said he would do if Cristian was in the bottom two).

* After a break, more results: Kristi Yamaguchi and Mark Ballas are safe. Jason Taylor and Edyta Sliwinska are also safe, leaving Mario and Karina Smirnoff in the bottom two.

* And ousted from the competition are: Marlee and Fabian.

What do you think of the results? I'm sad for Marlee, though not shocked since she did have a rough couple of weeks. Still, I thought her fan base might pull her through. But I'm glad Mario is still in it -- he's been getting better and better, and of course, he is our hometown contestant.

Posted by Sarah Kickler Kelber at 10:09 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
                    

It's a night of two dances -- first each couple has to take on a dance they haven't tried before, and then there will be a big group country-and-western number.

Jason Taylor and Edyta Sliwinska take on the cha-cha for the first time this season. In their preparations, they focus a lot on judge Len Goodman's comment last week that Jason didn't dance enough -- that too often he was just kind of there while Edyta danced around him. That is not a problem in this performance, which is fun and kicky and has way more hip action than most cha-chas I remember on this show. Len says this week definitely had enough content and that they captured the flavor of the dance, though his heart went out to Jason a couple of times when he could tell Jason was counting, but still, he calls it a "marvelous job." Bruno Tonioli says Jason always seems heroic, but they showed much more personality this week. He does agree that the missteps were a problem. Carrie Ann Inaba says Jason needs to work harder to keep his arms in check and to dance bigger. Scores: 8-8-8, for a 24/30.

Shannon Elizabeth and Derek Hough prepare to dance the rumba, and Shannon is concerned since she had a rough time last week. Speaking of last week, several of the contestants had trouble with the rumba last Monday, mostly because its slow speed revealed a lot of flaws. I think it largely worked for Shannon tonight and let her really extend her long limbs more gracefully. But let's see what the pros think. Bruno says they had a lot of romantic interplay, but that they had the cardinal sin of the rumba: no hip action. Carrie Ann says she needs to go beyond her potential and that she has "the ability to make great shapes, you just have to sustain them." Len says he loved the start and that they were "all over each other like a rash." Despite the lack of hip action and moments that lacked fluidity, he says they did a good job. Co-host Samantha Harris asks them just how close they have become (referring to the steamy photos of them on the beach that recently surfaced). Derek says they were on the beach practicing and in character and that was all. Scores: 8-8-8, for a 24/30.

Continue reading "'Dancing With the Stars': week six performances" »

Posted by Sarah Kickler Kelber at 9:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
                    

Somebody's going home tonight on Dancing With the Stars, and there are a lot of options after all the leader-board shuffling.

Here's how everything went down:

* The reprised dance of the evening is Kristi and Mark's rumba, which I can't really argue with.

* Ozomatli (I forgot how many people are in that band!) performs, and a whole ton of the pros come out to dance.

* Results: Kristi Yamaguchi and Mark Ballas are safe, and Cristian de la Fuente and Cheryl Burke are in the bottom two.

* The Dancing With the Stars Junior competition continues with the 10 and younger group.

* Host Tom Bergeron has a TelePrompTer problem and pitches it to results instead of a montage of what show day is like.

* Now it's time for those results: Jason Taylor and Edyta Sliwinska are safe.

* James Blunt performs, accompanied by some pros.

* More results: Mario and Karina Smirnoff are safe, as are Marissa Jaret Winokur and Tony Dovolani. Then a break, then, more results. Shannon Elizabeth and Derek Hough are safe, as are Marlee Matlin and Fabian Sanchez, leaving Priscilla Presley and Louis van Amstel in the bottom two.

* And the ejected couple is: Priscilla and Louis. Not the biggest surprise after being in the bottom two last week.

What do you think of the results?

Posted by Sarah Kickler Kelber at 10:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (9)
                    

It's Latin night on Dancing With the Stars, which means the couples will be taking on the samba and the rumba. (Also, it's the halfway point, woo.)

Mario and Karina Smirnoff are up first, hoping to impress Len Goodman with their samba. In the interview, he says he feels the judges are wanting to see something special from him and he doesn't think he's given it to them yet. In the lead-in footage, Mario visits Stevie Wonder for some inspiration, after which he says, "I've got my swagger back." That's no lie -- there's all kinds of hip action going on, and they seem to be having fun again, which is good. Len Goodman says: "This dance suited you. It's got a freedom about it, it's a party dance. You came out with gay abandon. Great hip action you had throughout the dance. ... Work on your footwork a little more, but ... best dance so far!" Bruno Tonioli tells him: "If your hips could talk, we'd be censored tonight. ... Quite classic. ... I loved it." Carrie Ann Inaba says they got to the point and danced, and it was great. Scores: 9-9-9, for a 27/30, their best score yet.

Priscilla Presley and Louis van Amstel are next, with the rumba. They start with a slow walk, and then Priscilla, who turns 63 next month, does the splits. I am not kidding. Their performance is very sensual, and Priscilla sells the drama with her acting skills, as usual. Bruno says she plays her part well every week, but, "the problem is, the rumba being so slow, it reveals some faults." He says she pushed a little too far this week, but the performance was good. Carrie Ann agrees that she was going for so much technique that she was dancing in her head instead of flowing naturally. Len says her footwork was disappointing, and the other two get mad that he doesn't give them credit for the difficulty level. Scores: 7-7-7, for a 21/30.

Continue reading "'Dancing With the Stars': week five performances" »

Posted by Sarah Kickler Kelber at 9:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)
                    

Dancing With the Stars jumps right in to the show tonight, introducing Sheryl Crow to performing "All I Wanna Do" within seconds of the show starting.

But we can't avoid filler forever. After that, it's time for a montage from last night. Strangely, the judges' choice for a reprisal this evening is Adam Carolla and Julianne Hough's paso doble, unicycle and all. 

At last, some results: Jason Taylor and Edyta Sliwinska are safe, as are Kristi Yamaguchi and Mark Ballas. 

A new addition to the results show is a kids' ballroom competition. Daniela (age 8) and Aaron (9) dance the samba to "Under the Sea," and seriously, how could that not be entirely adorable? Len Goodman says he was "bitterly disappointed" because the performance was too short and he would have liked to see more dancing. Bruno says the audience wanted to join in. Carrie Ann says Daniela was a firecracker, and it was great when Aaron cracked a smile. Their competition is Rashell (age 8) and a different Aaron (also 8). They dance the paso doble, and it, too, is so cute. Bruno says they are small, but they sold the heck out of the performance. Carrie Ann says it was great, dramatic and dynamic. Len found it sharp, precise and a great job. The judges choose Aaron and Rashell as the couple that will return to perform another week.

The results have to wait a little longer because Sheryl Crow is back to sing another song. I think it must be pretty strange for the guest singers on this show because the audience responds heavily to the dancers who accompany them and not that much to the musical performance, which must be unusual. The next segment, as it turns out, shows what it's like behind the scenes when the pros prepare for the dances with the guest singers, and the guests seem pretty impressed by the pros' moves.

More results: Marlee Matlin and Fabian Sanchez are safe, but that's all we get. After yet another break, they're back. Cristian de la Fuente and Cheryl Burke are safe, as are Mario and Karina Smirnoff (who look gobsmacked and thrilled).

Another break, then more results: Priscilla Presley and Louis van Amstel are in the bottom two, Shannon Elizabeth and Derek Hough are safe. Adam Carolla and Julianne Hough are in the bottom two, leaving Marissa Jaret Winokur and Tony Dovolani as the final safe couple.

Ousted are Adam and Julianne, which, it's about time. He jokes, of course, but he does tell the audience that they should embrace that which frightens them and go get some new, great experiences. Aww, the feel-good quotient of that closing statement was almost Guttenberg-esque. Who would've thought?

Posted by Sarah Kickler Kelber at 10:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
                    

On tonight's Dancing With the Stars, the contestants will take on the Viennese waltz or the paso doble in an attempt to impress the judges and the viewers.

First on the floor are Kristi Yamaguchi and Mark Ballas, who have been the top scorers with a 27/30 for three weeks running. They are among the couples doing the paso doble, so she will have the opportunity to bring the emotions that the judges wanted to see from her last week during the tango. They dance to "Blue Monday," and the choreography has, as it should, a very aggressive, sharp feel. Head judge Len Goodman says, "You can't dance bad, as far as I'm concerned. ... My slight criticism would be that every dance has a slight sameness to it." Ah, the hazards of consistency! Judge Bruno Tonioli says she was "Jezebel out there." Judge Carrie Ann Inaba says Kristi and Mark have set the standard this season and are forcing everyone else to work even harder. Scores: 10-9-10, for a 29/30, which includes the first 10s of the season.

Priscilla Presley and  Louis van Amstel work on the delicate movements of the Viennese waltz by going roller skating. Go figure. Their performance is very flowy and romantic, but lots of it seems to depend on Priscillia swishing her skirt around with her hands, and that's kind of distracting to me. Bruno says, "It was like watching a scene from The Merry Widow. ... Great interpretation." He adds that she needs to watch the line of her neck. Carrie Ann says she creates lots of drama with her facial expression, "but I feel that your balance was just a bit off, and unfortunately, I think there was a lift." Len: "It had elegance, it had flow across the floor. ... I've got to drop a point because you did a lift, and lifts are forbidden." Scores: 7-7-8, for a 22/30. 

Continue reading "'Dancing With the Stars': Top 9 couples perform" »

Posted by Sarah Kickler Kelber at 9:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)
                    

Someone's going home on tonight's Dancing With the Stars. But first, there's 59 minutes of other stuff. So let's get to it.

After a montage from last night, head judge Len Goodman announces the reprise dance of the evening, which is actually kind of amusing: They want to see Steve Guttenberg dance with Jonathan Roberts, who trained Steve for most of the dance since his wife, Anna Trebunskaya, was ill for most of the week. Steve has a little trouble keeping his intense face on because he wants to laugh, but that was different and kind of fun.

(Some) results time: Kristi Yamaguchi and Mark Ballas are safe. Adam Carolla and Julianne Hough are, too. Everyone else has to wait.

After a break, Kylie Minogue performs her new single while men in glittery suits dance around her.

Results again: Priscilla Presley and Louis van Amstel and Marissa Jaret Winokur and Tony Dovolani are safe.

Then a funnier-than-expected April Fools' bit about the stars' unexpected hobbies. (Jason loves building ships in bottles! Marissa lives to surf! Kristi wins hot-dog-eating competitions!)

Next, the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre performs a selection from Revelations, which is pretty awesome.

After a break, Kylie returns to sing "Can't Get You Out of My Head," while Julianne Hough and Mark Ballas dance.

More results: Jason Taylor and Edyta Sliwinska and Marlee Matlin and Fabian Sanchez. After a break, more info. Cristian de la Fuente and Cheryl Burke are safe, and Cheryl is excited. Also safe: Shannon Elizabeth and Derek Hough.

This leaves Mario and Karina Smirnoff and Steve Guttenberg and Anna Trebunskaya (although they are not necessarily the bottom two, we are told).

The couple that is out is Steve and Anna, and Mario's Baltimore fans breathe a HUGE sigh of relief. (Whew.)

How do you feel about the results? I'm not shocked about Steve, and I'm relieved that Mario and Marissa are safe. Feel-good Steve was starting to drive me crazy.

Posted by Sarah Kickler Kelber at 10:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (7)
                    

On tonight's Dancing With the Stars, the contestants are taking on the jive and the tango.

First on the floor are Marlee Matlin and Fabian Sanchez, with the jive. In the interview, she says this is the toughest dance so far, but also, "It's on." I notice a couple of bobbles, but generally, it's another strong performance from these two. Whether it's a classic jive, as Fabian promised? I'll leave that to the judges. Head judge Len Goodman: "Marlee, you never cease to amaze me. The jive is such a fast, difficult dance when you've got good hearing, and to dance as sharply as that without hearing, you did a great job." Bruno Tonioli says they lost their timing a couple of times, but overall, "a good job." Carrie Ann Inaba praises their chemistry and teamwork but mentions that Marlee should watch her hands. Scores: 7-7-7, for a 21/30.

Steve Guttenberg and Anna Trebunskaya prepare for the tango, but Anna gets so ill that she sends her husband Jonathan Roberts in to help train him, which is amusing. Anna dances enough for the both of them, almost, but Steve seems to be holding his own (largely with the intense look on his face), though I'm no expert on the technicalities. Before the judges get started, Steve stops and says he needs to prepare, runs over and puts on goggles and a steel bowl on his head. Um, OK. Carrie Ann says that was his best dance so far and he was completely determined. Len says he had great footwork and lots of improvement. Bruno agrees. Tom Bergeron sends them backstage, calling Steve "a little pothead." I think he meant bowlhead. Scores: 7-7-7, for a 21/30.

Continue reading "'Dancing With the Stars': week three performances" »

Posted by Sarah Kickler Kelber at 9:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)