'Dancing With the Stars' results recap: We have a champion!

She was pegged as the contender to beat from the start, and at the end, Jennifer Grey emerged as the champion of the Mirror Ball universe and the winner of Season 11’s “Dancing With the Stars” competition.

Johnny Castle was right: Nobody puts Baby in the corner.

Sure, in retrospect, it all made sense that Jennifer won. She was by far the most talented dancer going into these finals. But the producers and this roller coaster of a season had me thinking that it could be anyone’s game. Jennifer definitely held the lion’s share of judges’ points, but her steps were hobbled by injuries, which produced doubts about whether she could finish what she started. (She even suffered a ruptured disc during Monday night’s performances.) Disney star Kyle Massey was the ultimate crowd pleaser and Season 11’s Mr. Congeniality, the guy with the best attitude of the bunch. Teen activist and underdog extraordinaire Bristol Palin obviously had an avalanche of votes going her way (and said she wanted to win at this point, because “this would be a big middle finger to all the people out there who hate my mom and hate me”). And though both Kyle (a shoo-in for ABC’s next reality TV series, “Bootyshaking With the Stars”) and Bristol served up some stiff competition, in the end it was Jennifer’s night.

(Another advantage may have been the actress' final outfit, a metallic gold number, which matched the shininess of the mirror ball trophy better than her competitors' did. Kyle was a little matte with his black leather vest and dark shirt, while Bristol went fire-engine red in her fringe. Visually, didn’t it just make sense that the shiniest contestant would get to hold the shiniest trophy in victory over her head?)?

Let’s not forget to congratulate pro partner Derek Hough for his unprecedented three wins -– the most of any of the “DWTS” pro dancers. And how sweet was it that his best friend/greatest competitor/fellow finalist Mark Ballas hoisted him up on his shoulders during that raging confetti shower at the end?

But this epic two-hour, two-dance finale extravaganza did not start off with frills and fringe. At the beginning, it was almost as if “DWTS” had taken a somber, NBC Olympics-style turn, with Tom Bergeron doing his best Bob Costas impression and narrating the segment outlining the finalists’ journeys to this finale, uttering with utmost sincerity things like “These three, better than anyone else, knew what to do” and “In the end, the champion will know that what they did was indeed enough.”

Luckily, the somber tones were ditched like last week’s gold lame and the tempo picked up during the opening number, starting with our pros descending down the grand ballroom staircase in slinky burlesque numbers, only then to be joined by their Season 11 stars. Hoff! Cho! Situation! Flo! Fox! Kurt! Brandy! And in case we had trouble distinguishing the stars from the pros, the pros wore black and the stars were decked out in red. Though there were a couple of black holes in this program, as dogged Michael Bolton was performing at Royal Albert Hall in London and Audrina Patridge was out with an illness.

Christina Aguilera fit right in with the “DTWS” family with her itty-bitty gold fringe dress and her dance-friendly number, “Show Me How to Burlesque,” from the movie “Burlesque.” Liked how they upped the production value by having the bevy of scantily clad dancers come out from behind the mirrored bar. All in all, a big wallop of fringe-filled fun that just made me excited to see the movie. Not to mention those pipes! Xtina pared it down for her second number, a rendition of her hit “Beautiful” in which she was nearly enveloped in a blanket of smoke, then accompanied by a plainclothes backup crew who performed a combination of sign language and dance.

In the first round of finalist dances, each couple performed their favorite dance from the season. Kyle and Lacey Schwimmer and Bristol and Mark both reprised their tangos from Rock Week, while Jennifer and Derek redid their Viennese waltz from Week 1. The judges awarded them either an 8, 9 or 10 score. Not surprisingly, Jennifer and Derek’s sweetly lilting “These Arms of Mine” waltz was the unanimous winner and earned them another perfect 30 points. Kyle, deemed “a stage animal” by Bruno, was given second place with 26 points (though I was again distracted by Lacey’s striated dress and feathery Adam Lambert-esque shoulder pads). Bristol and Mark received 25 points for their tongues-out purple military-outfitted tango. As Len said, Kyle’s got the wow, but Bristol’s got the how, but Jennifer was the complete package.

The season’s contestants were given one last spotlight. Hoff showed good humor in appearing in a segment that had him reliving his “DWTS” Week 1 elimination pain. Naturally, he tried to ease the sting by taking a frolic on a Malibu beach, which resulted in a slo-mo run with a red lifeguard float, all the way to the soundstage. And then, oh my, he started singing! Are we in Germany? Because the crowd is going wild! David Hasselhoff may have been the first contestant voted off, but make no mistake: The Hoff is awesome. This man can sing, twirl and do a semblance of a ballroom dance with partner Kym Johnson and two other bedazzled Baywatchy babes, which, as Tom said, were added “at no extra charge.”

Rick Fox and Kurt Warner had a dance-off. The NBA champ and the Superbowl MVP talked some trash, donned their team colors, bumped chests and stomped with Cheryl Burke and Anna Trebunskaya to see who had the eye of the tiger and dominated the dance floor. And while Kurt lasted a week longer than Rick in the actual competition, I’m going to give this one to Fox: The Laker purple and yellow gave him the home team advantage.

Margaret Cho came back out in her rainbow fringe dress flanked by a bunch of he-men to redo her Copacabana routine with Louis Van Amstel, while Florence Henderson donned the brightest yellow in the history of the world to dance it out with Corky Ballas, all to a flutter of confetti at the end. Although apparently no one told Carrie Ann that the routine was over: The camera caught the judge dabbing on lip gloss while the other judges were applauding.

There was an alarming glimpse into the future that showed rampant moneymaker and an orange-juiced Situation being voted governor of New Jersey. He of the Jersey Shore and the raging tan came back out to the dance floor and mostly stood around topless while partner Karina Smirnoff and two other pros danced suggestively around him. Brandy also returned in good form and good spirits to perform her infectiously giddy quickstep to the “Friends” theme with rabble-rouser Maksim Chmerkovskiy.

And that wraps up yet another "DWTS" cycle. What did you think, ballroom fans? Did the right person win this season? Has the universe righted itself? Does the outcome justify all the surprises that occurred throughout the season? How did Audrina eating an onion measure up as a shock during the segment on surprises? Did Jamie Lee Curtis make a bracelet from all of her other accumulated studio audience bracelets? Last but not least, does this mean Joel Grey should make a bid for the presidency?

— Allyssa Lee

Related:

‘Dancing With the Stars’: And the winner is … not Bristol Palin

‘Dancing With the Stars’ recap: The final stretch

Complete ‘Dancing With the Stars’ coverage on Show Tracker

Photo credit: Adam Larkey / ABC

This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service — if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read our FAQ page at fivefilters.org/content-only/faq.php
Five Filters featured article: Beyond Hiroshima - The Non-Reporting of Falluja's Cancer Catastrophe.

View the original article here

'Dancing With the Stars' recap: Semifinal showdown

We’re down to the final four contestants, ballroom fans. The themed shows have gone by the wayside, and so has the chaff. This week, each of the remaining semifinalists danced two full routines: The first one was Latin – with a solo. The second was a ballroom dance that they had never performed before. It was an action-packed 90-minute program, the coveted Mirrorball trophy was close at hand and all the couples brought their A-game. Let’s shine a spotlight to the bedazzled grand staircase to see where each star landed.

Regaining sole ownership of the top of the scoring charts were Jennifer Grey and Derek Hough. This week, the couple to beat were nothing short of perfection. After scoring the season’s first perfect-30 routine last week with their rumba, Jenougher had set the bar for themselves pretty high. Turned out that they had no problems clearing that feat and positioning themselves in prime Mirrorball position just one week before the finals. Their first dance was the cha cha, set to Duffy’s “Mercy.” And as Uncle Jesse would say, have mercy! Jennifer was all positive thinking and the picture of health during rehearsals, and the confidence and optimism showed during her performance. She looked fantastic. Her dress looked like a fantastically sexy feather duster. There was a lot of dirty dancing going on. “That really was a luminous, vibrant, sexy cha cha,” crowed Bruno. “The execution was flawless.” Carrie Ann also loved it, but took issue that Jennifer just did the “shimmy booby thing” on Bruno and not any of the other judges. Len said Jennifer “combined good technique with a really high performance level — and you introduced fun and entertainment.” With great praise like that, how could they not get another perfect 30?

And it just got better from there.

Well, after the biographical segment that recounted Jennifer Grey’s tragic car accident and her constant neck injuries, that is. Their second performance, a pared down waltz, seemed to take out all the drama and the injury that had weighed her down these previous weeks, leaving us with an elegant routine that was purely dance. It was like we were peeking into a couple having a lovely, intimate moment after everyone else had already left the dance floor — a nice, lilting sentimental coda to her high-octane cha cha. “This was a gem of a waltz,” said Bruno. “Full of stylish elegant detail, danced with ease.” Carrie Ann called it “one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever seen.” “Be still my beating heart,” declared Len. “This was quiet, delicate, poignant.” And perfect. Jennifer and Derek got another perfect 30 for their waltz for a grand total of 60 out of 60.

Roaring into second place on a moonwalk and a bouncing ba-dunk-a-dunk were the great “kidtender” Kyle Massey and Lacey Schwimmer. And let’s give it up for the “last man-child standing.” I liked the game this guy played: Kyle didn’t come into the competition with any drama, any injuries, anything but a positive attitude and energy for days. Not to mention buckets and buckets of joy. This guy’s got so much chutzpah, how can you not root for him? And how infectiously entertaining was his rumble of a samba? It was a streak of fun from beginning to end, no buts about it. “I think you have a bionic bum,” Len proclaimed. “You had more bounce to the ounce –- great rhythm, great entertainment, and fabulous dancing.” “You are truly a bouncing bundle of joy,” Bruno declared to the man-child. “The samba is all about excitement and fun. And you are a natural generator of excitement and fun. … And your bounce. Your bounce!” Carrie Ann ventured into near-uncomfortable double-entendre territory when she said, “I have never seen so much pelvic action … ever!” It was enough shimmy and shake to land Kyle and Lacey two 10s and a 9 for a near-perfect 29.

Oh, Kyle. So, so charming, even when he’s got his serious face on. Though the Atlanta-born-and-raised child actor almost didn’t make it in L.A., only to find out he had booked a Disney TV show as he and his family were on their way to the airport to go back east: "That’s So Raven." Also so Raven: Oscar winner Louis Gossett Jr., who proclaimed Kyle has everything it took to win the competition. That was evidenced in Kyle and Lacey’s Argentine tango, set to the Oscar-winning “Slumdog Millionare’s” anthem “Jai Ho.”? And to his credit, Kyle didn’t break character once. “Look at you, all strong, sharp and masculine!” Bruno appraised. Carrie Ann said Kyle reminded him of Season 3 champ Emmitt Smith. “In 11 seasons, I don’t think anyone has ever come out with so much attack, so much enthusiasm,” said Len. “You are a star.” Love how Maks seductively rubbed Kyle’s satin-sheathed belly for luck and for kicks when the credits rolled at the end of the program. Mostly, I want Kyle and Lacey to stick around because their freestyle dance is bound to be a hoot and a half. The couple also received a 29 for their tango, which added up a grand total of 58. That was enough to earn them the second-place position, and prompted the teen actor to do a smooth criminal Michael Jackson-esque side-to-side head move. Hee hee!

Brandy started things off with a paso doble. Initially, I thought the fiery routine was about the tempestuous back-and-forth relationship between her and partner Maksim Chmerkovskiy. But Brandy later explained that the dance was about bullying and coming into one’s own and being a firework, just like Katy Perry’s song. At times, however, it seemed like the singer was off-kilter during the dance, which Bruno explained was maybe a result of too much attack. “You danced like a fury,” he said, but “you went a little unsteady in a couple of movements.” Carrie Ann showed the world that she and Maks had buried their bickering hatchet with her velvet praise. “I thought your performance was amazingly passionate,” she told the couple. “Your upper body shapes were beautiful and gorgeous, and I thought you did a great job.” Smiles all around.

Brandy has had her share of troubles, as seen in the segment right before her second dance. Like Jennifer Grey, the singer was plagued by a fatal car accident that clouded her career. But Brandy’s got a good support system, including Whitney Houston, brother Ray J and Kelly Rowland. And as Carrie Ann said, there was no trouble with her and Maks’ second routine, a sultry and smooth Argentine tango replete with a smoke machine, lamppost and café table and chair that slinked and flicked and smoldered in all the right places. Len commended them for “moving in and out of those lifts with effortless ease” and for creating “an atmosphere.” Bruno called it “lush” “voluptuous” and “full of flavor.” “The way you extended the body … stunning!” Carrie Ann continued with the superlatives, calling it “dynamic,” beautiful, amazing, ridiculous … that was gorgeous.” Brandy and Maks got a 27 for their paso, and a perfect 30 for their tango for a grand total of 57. Not a bad show for Maks, who also got his earring ripped off during the second performance. But, as Tom remarked, “What’s a ripped earlobe between friends?”

Bristol Palin has got a secret weapon hidden under those lace sleeves of hers. Though she maintained it was her relatability that got the teen activist and daughter of the star of “Sarah Palin’s Alaska” this far in the competition (“I’m not fake,” she said. “I’m not typical Hollywood”), how sneaky was it of the Pistol to wait till Week 9 of the competition to break out the big dancing guns? OMG, Bristol is going to win this entire competition, isn’t she? Despite what seemed like an endless procession of complaints and sighs that she’s having trouble with the steps during rehearsals, Bristol was able to pull off a pretty fierce paso doble with Mark Ballas in her first dance. Mark did his best to distract with his open shirt, but it turned out he didn’t really need to bare all that skin: Bristol was fairly commanding with her bat cape action, even if her face was a little devoid of emotion. The studio audience (including Mama Grizzly herself, Sarah Palin) sure loved it. And so did the judges. “I’m so happy to see you finally come out of your shell and nail it!” Carrie Ann lauded, giving Bristol a hug. “Bristol the pistol, you’ve fired a few blanks … But tonight. All guns blazing,” said Len. Bruno called her a “tigress,” and Bristol and Mark earned a total of 27 for the dance — their highest score thus far.?

It’s been quite a journey for Bristol. Hailing from Wasilla, Alaska, she joined the football team in junior high school, just because she wanted to. Bristol was the golden child -- until she dated Levi Johnston. Now a single mom, this former baby in the corner has blossomed into quite a whirling dervish on the ballroom floor. Because as her mom said, when people get you down, “doggone it, you might as well dance!” Bristol’s second routine was a waltz, also featured a cape, and had the feel of Celtic druid music. And was it just me, or did she seem a little zoned out during her performance? Or maybe that’s just her faraway look. Though it’s a good thing she doesn’t recoil when Mark smashes his face against hers, because he did it a lot during this routine. Len liked the haunted nature of the dance, and said there was a nice “vulnerability” about her. Bruno “quite liked the way you approached this waltz differently.” Carrie Ann, however, thought there were moments when Bristol drifted out to her happy place and the focus was lost. Bristol and Mark got a 26 for their waltz, which added to their 27 for their paso, equaled a total of 53.

Which, again, puts Bristol at the bottom of the leader board, and in prime position to be eliminated before the finalists are announced on Tuesday. But as evidenced in her biographical segment and in this unpredictable competition season, Bristol is quite the pistol when it comes to sticking around week after week. So who knows who’ll get the boot?

What do you think? Did you enjoy the performance quality level of Monday night’s competition as much as I did? Who do you think deserves to be in the finals? And who do you have pegged to win it all?

— Allyssa Lee

Related:

‘Dancing With the Stars’ results recap: Out of the end zone

‘Dancing With the Stars’ recap: Instant hit!

Complete ‘Dancing With the Stars’ coverage on Show Tracker

Photo: Brandy and Maksim Chmerkovskiy. Credit: Bob D’Amico / ABC

This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service — if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read our FAQ page at fivefilters.org/content-only/faq.php
Five Filters featured article: Beyond Hiroshima - The Non-Reporting of Falluja's Cancer Catastrophe.

View the original article here

'Dancing With the Stars' recap: Instant Hit!

We’ve reached the quarterfinals, ballroom fans! Traditionally, this is the week when the remaining five dancers perform two full dances in the competition. And?though the first dance in Monday night’s performance program was your regular, run-of-the-mill ballroom variety, the producers decided to add another twist in the road to reality TV glory with the second routine: an Instant Dance! Which is where dancers don’t know what music they’re going to perform to until right when the competition starts — apparently par for the course in regular ballroom competitions.

Admittedly, I received news of this insta-dance with very wary ears. How were these stars going to pull off a dance when they get their music at the very last minute? More important, how were they going to match their outfits to an unknown tune? There were unsightly visions of imminent ballroom disaster and tragically mismatched fringe racing through my fevered brain. I was convinced that after a very awkward, tragically fashioned round of dances, that this whole concept would disappear and never be heard of again. Kind of like those blinged-out new scoring paddles that showed up for a season. Or (shudder) that horrible human-size doghouse used earlier this season.

But no — Instant Dance was an instant hit! There was something about the ratcheted-up stakes that, as Len said, really helped the dancers focus and made for some super entertaining performances. I would say these performances were even more entertaining because they had an element of surprise in them. For the most part, the remaining contestants all rose up to meet this new and exciting challenge head on and we were all rewarded for it.

But let’s look at how the dancers stacked up on the leader board, shall we?

?

Retaining their spots up top were Brandy and Jennifer Grey. Can anything stop these two powerhouses?

Last week, Brandy memorably received a 10 from Len. This week, she and Maksim Chmerkovskiy added three more to that tally. The singer-songwriter’s first dance, a waltz, was impressively dramatic, with the emotional quotient ratcheted up to 11 -- and this time all the drama was kept strictly to the ballroom floor. I’d also give her extra points for that cool cape that she sported at the beginning. “My darling, it was more than a dance,” crooned Bruno. “This was an exquisite interpretation of a song.” Carrie Ann commended Brandy for the riveting emotional quality, though she needs to elongate her neck a teensy bit more. Len is clearly enamored of the singer-songwriter, because he refuses to nitpick anything about her. “I was overwhelmed by the whole performance,” the head judge declared. Brandy earned two 10s and a 9s for the waltz, for a near-perfect total of 29.

Which gave her a major advantage going into the Instant Dance. Also giving her a major advantage? Her musicality. The singer-songwriter predicted she was going to hit this routine out of the park, and she and Maks even engaged in a playful booty shake-off during rehearsals as if to prove it (“Do you know what this is right here?”). The booty shake was replicated in good fun during their cha cha, set to Katy Perry’s “Teenage Dream,” but I have to say, I agree with Carrie Ann and wished that they had gone into their dance a mite bit earlier. I was sure Len was going to slap them down with accusations of “messing about” — certainly, he’s taken down many a previous competitor for a lot less than what Brandy and Maks did. But while Len admitted that Carrie Ann was right, and he would have liked the dance to have started instantly, he and Carrie Ann both still gave the couple a 9 for their performance. Maks, however, took surprising offense to Carrie Ann’s criticism, and went off in the celebraquarium that he doesn’t feel appreciated (“Do you know what this is right here?”). Now, while I love myself some Maks, particularly when his shirt is open, I also feel like the Ukrainian may be jumping the gun and getting a little defensive of Carrie Ann’s critiques. Brandy and Maks got a 28 for their cha cha, which made for a grand total of 57 out of 60.

Another week, another injury for Jennifer Grey. There seems to be no end to the litany of hurt that Jennifer has?suffered throughout this competition, and this week was no different. This time, it was her knee that was giving her trouble?-- a?pretty bad case of patellar tendinitis. This injury, however, seemed to be balmed over by a visit and a kiss from her father, “Cabaret” star and consummate performer Joey Grey, who gave her the pep talk that she needed to push through the pain, and ensure that the show went on. And it did: Jennifer and Derek Hough’s resulting quickstep was light and elegant and, as Carrie Ann said, “all the above, amazing.” “Forget your troubles,” said Bruno, who said the routine was “like watching a vintage Fred Astaire/Ginger Rogers classic.” “You’re capable of brilliance. … Come on, get happy!”

And while Foreigner’s ’80s classic “Waiting For a Girl Like You” may have been foreign to the couple, Jenougher were able to pull off their rumba (which was thankfully easier on the knees) beautifully. Loved how Derek did a homage to the “Dirty Dancing” “Hungry Eyes” move by bringing his fingertips down his partner's arm at the beginning. The whole routine was wonderfully controlled. “This challenge brings out the best in people,” Bruno declared. “Sensual, sexy … flawless!” “You captured the moment,” said Carrie Ann. “There is nothing more beautiful for me than to watch somebody reclaiming their power.” “What I love about dancing is the variations … the soft, the hard, the big, the small,” Len explained. “That’s what makes great dancing, and that’s what we saw.” Jenougher got a 27 for their quickstep, and a perfect 30 for their insta-rumba, for a total of 57.

Just a point behind were Kyle Massey and Lacey Schwimmer, who were able to build on their wave of positivity from last week’s paso doble with this week’s Viennese Waltz. The last time Kyle had a waltz, Len said his feet were “atrocious.” But after a lot of rehearsal time and a lot more yelling from Lacey, Kyle’s feet caught up with his performance levels, and his partner turned out a routine that was as charming as it was technically proficient. “Last week, I saw a little bud,” said Len. “This week, a gorgeous orchid.” “We are all totally charmed by you,” purred Bruno. “You came back, you got better. And this is the way to win this.” Carrie Ann was all smiles and praise. “My crush on Kyle is back!” she rejoiced. “It’s like you were dancing on clouds … it was like watching a fairy tale come to life.”

And “Good Golly Miss Molly,” Kyle all but blew the roof off of the Rectagon with his Insta-Dance jive! This routine seemed to be tailor made for the Disney TV star and played up the natural performer’s strengths perfectly. And their performance was a whole minute and a half of raucous fun. I spent the whole routine with mouth agape, and a stupid smile plastered on my face. And I’m not the only one: the crowd instantly rose onto their feet after the performance -- and what a treat to see Carrie Ann and Bruno whooping and hollering along with the rest of them. While Len nitpicked and said “it was a little bit wild and wacky, but I really enjoyed it,” Bruno declared that “this was the top of the leave for entertainment value and creativity.” “It’s like this song was made for you,” Carrie Ann extolled. “That was the most fun I’ve had as a viewer.” Kyle got two deserved 10s for his performance, which, added to the 27 from his waltz, gave him a total of 56.

Oh, Kurt Warneris so dashing. He’s so charming with his affable nature. But put him on the dance floor with tails and a pink bow tie waltzing on the dance floor, and it’s hard not to root for the NFL Hall of Famer. And sure, his waltz with Anna Trebunskaya wasn’t as technically advanced as some of the other competitors. But gosh darn it if he didn’t win you over with his dapper smile and oodles of charm. “You’re like the Ken doll for mature people,” said Carrie Ann. “There’s something nice about a big guy come out being graceful.” “Overall, the whole feeling of the dance was beautiful,” said Len. Bruno called it “very very dashing,” and the judges gave Kurt and Anna a very respectable 24 for their routine..

And I was convinced that his “Hella Good” cha cha Insta-routine was going to be hella bad. But credit his kids for whipping their musically challenged father into shape, because Kurt pulled out tons of musicality from under those fluorescent yellow satin sleeves and poured it into his performance. Color me surprised to see him loosing and goosing and letting it all out – to the beat! “I’ve never seen you dance with so much charisma,” said Carrie Ann, fanning herself. Len and Bruno called him out for his foot placement and bent legs (bent knees versus flexed knees again?), but still said Kurt coped “extremely well” given the circumstances. Still, Kurt received the same 24 for this performance (which in my mind was far superior to his first routine). What’s a quarterback gotta do for some 9s around here? Luckily, it hasn’t broken Anna’s can-do spirit. Grand total: 48.

Bristol Palin warned her mother that the beginning of her Argentine Tango with Mark Ballas was going to be scandalous. To which Mama Grizzly responded, in a way only Sarah Palin can, “Is it like lap dancing scandalous?” Well, not exactly. But it was set to the Pussycat Dolls’ “Buttons,” which is not exactly the theme song of teen advocates. But Bristol took a cue from her mom, who commanded her to “just dominate, just take over!” and took fairly impressive command of her routine. Len liked the lifts, and how it was clean, but really wanted Bristol to “come out and give it some welly.” Bruno thought Bristol was “actually mean and moody,” though he pointed out that she lost her expressions in the middle of the sequence. “You have to be a bad girl all the way through.” Carrie Ann thought it was the most intense Bristol’s ever been, though she was lacking energy in her legs.

Bristol also lacked a little bit of oomph with her samba, set to “Mas Que Nada.”? And despite being outfitted like she was from Brazilian Carnival and executing shoulder shimmies in full force, there were some stilted moments that revealed gaps in her musicality. Len praised her for mostly getting through all the difficult timing changes, though he “would have liked to see more rhythm through your hips.” Bruno gave Bristol and Mark credit for using the "pencil grinder" and the "headache" from his school of dance moves, but pointed out that Bristol “lost it a little bit.” Carrie Ann said this instant dance was the true test of musicality, and “unfortunately, I don’t think you were that connected,” she said. “It sort of came in and out and off the beat.” Bristol and Mark got a 24 for their Argentine tango, and a 23 for their samba, for a total of 47.

Which should pit Kurt and Bristol in the bottom two for Tuesday night’s elimination hour.

What do you think? Are we due for another upset in the results? Instant Dance: insta-hitor insta-dud? Was Maks right to stand up and defend himself so ardently? Can anyone stop Brandy and Jennifer Grey? What’s a welly?

— Allyssa Lee

Related:

‘Dancing With the Stars’ results recap: Out Fox(ed)

‘Dancing With the Stars’ recap: The 200th episode!

Complete ‘Dancing With the Stars’ coverage on Show Tracker

Photo credit: Bob D’Amico / ABC

This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service — if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read our FAQ page at fivefilters.org/content-only/faq.php
Five Filters featured article: Beyond Hiroshima - The Non-Reporting of Falluja's Cancer Catastrophe.

View the original article here

'Dancing With the Stars' results recap: Out Fox(ed)

The Republicans gained a lot of seats in the House on election day. And in a ballroom upset, they were able to hold on to one more in the Rectagon on Tuesday night. The "DWTS" voters came out in droves to cast their ballots and saved low-scoring Bristol Palin from elimination once again. The teen advocate said she was OK with going home. She wanted to go home. Mark Ballas was OK with he and Bristol going home. They were ready to do the big send-off to Alaska. But the people have spoken, and apparently Bristol’s like the barnacle that can’t be shaken, no matter how little paddle points the judges throw her way. In a late-breaking twist, Bristol and Mark were deemed safe for another week of competition.

And, ultimately, it was not fellow bottom-dweller Kyle Massey and his ab-tastic Situation, but (gasp) Rick Fox and Cheryl Burke who got the boot during this seventh "Dancing With the Stars" week. And this, after the Jolly Green Giant got his highest scores ever on Monday night. The numbers just don't add up. Did that Boston Celtic green that Rick wore during his quickstep alienate his loyal Lakers fan base? Maybe the voters wanted to hurry and give Rick back to his girlfriend Eliza Dushku so they can do some more, um, practice ballroom at home. At least Rick could leave the stage with one 10 paddle under his belt. And the ex-Laker took the news like the NBA champ that he is, but still, it wasn’t easy being green (he also didn’t make good on Lakers Coach Phil Jackson’s mandate to beat Kurt Warner). Rick looked a bit shell-shocked by this abrupt departure, like he wasn’t quite ready to say goodbye to the glitz and glamour (and guyliner).

And neither was I. Because really, sending off a guy who clearly wanted to stay over someone who had plainly said she was ready to go home was a bit difficult to swallow. It’s hard to root for someone who half-heartedly engages in the competition and already had said outright that she wants to call it quits.

But we should move on, I guess. As part of the extra-long election results program, we got a "Step in Time" performance from the cast of "Mary Poppins" as part of the Macy's Stars of Dance, which was an entertaining show of Cockney-accented chimney sweeps tapping it out on the floor. Those kids were dressed far too warmly for such a balmy Hollywood night, though. And then Mary Poppins took off in the air across the ballroom on her magic umbrella, a grand gesture that fit right into the fantastical "DWTS" universe. It would have fit in more had her umbrella been bedazzled, but the British are more reserved, I guess.

Special Dance Awards were given out through the course of the evening. Marie Osmond beat out the likes of Kelly Monaco's wardrobe malfunction and Kate Gosselin's attitude to win the "Most Dramatic" award, which she accepted during her show in Las Vegas and dedicated to partner Jonathan Roberts, for not catching her when she fainted. (Most funny was that she collapsed right as Len was yammering on about "the gaiety and the fun of the samba"). "DanceCenter" host Kenny Mayne edged out Master P, Billy Ray Cyrus and Kate Gosselin to accept the two-left-feet award for Best Worst Dancer, just in time to make a plug for the Breeders Cup. Finally, a shorn Louis Van Amstel stepped past Maks, Derek, Mark and Tony to receive the Golden Ponytail award as the male pro dancer with the Biggest Dance Transformation.

Taylor Swift -- she who sold a million albums in a week -- came back to the "DWTS" stage and sang two songs. The first was "Speak Now" from her latest album, accompanied by Chelsie, Dmitry, Lacey and Tony, who played the role of teens having the time of their lives at a country dance. Taylor sounded better for her second song "White Horse," sung to a montage of heartwarming moments from the series’ history, which cast a gauze of poignancy and meaning on the entire affair. And then got a little odd and awkward after Tom fawned all over the singer, pulled a Marie Osmond and (fake-) fainted, and had Taylor take on his hosting duties.

Rod Stewart also came back to the "DWTS" stage to perform, tempering the "Da Ya Think I’m Sexy" swagger for a dapper suit and a rendition of "I Get A Kick Out of You" from his new album of American songbook classics, accompanied by Damian Whitewood and Peta Murgatroyd on the dance floor.

Although there wasn’t a glittery gavel given out for Best Judgment, we were treated to a small sampling of the judges’ greatest hits. Carrie Ann was shown doing her helicopter dance move and telling a plethora of contestants that they moved her to tears. Len said things like "a gypsy around the campfire cooking your sausages" and "it was like watching a stripper," and Bruno shook his moneymaker and spouted his share of double entendre bon mots.

Best line of the evening came from juicy cheeseburger and all around joy Niecy Nash, who joined the well-wishes of John O’Hurley, Sarah Palin, John Legend and Buzz Armstrong in congratulating "Dancing With the Stars" on its 200th show: "Two hundred episodes makes you an old hag, but when you put sequins on anything, it looks good."

The remaining stars all spoke about coping with stress. Kyle showed some sound-bite wisdom and said competitors dealt with stress while champions conquered it. Rick Fox had some of the most entertaining lines, saying that he’d rather be on the free-throw line at Game 7 of the NBA finals than have to face the rigors of performing on the dance floor.

Though maybe he spoke too soon, because now he doesn’t have to.

What do you think of Tuesday night's surprise elimination, ballroom fans? Can anything stop Bristol the Pistol? And what do you think of next week’s Instant Dance idea: bedazzlingly brilliant, or would you rather have instant pudding?

-- Allyssa Lee

Related:

‘Dancing With the Stars’: The 200th episode!

‘Dancing With the Stars’ results recap: Who got rocked?

Complete ‘Dancing With the Stars’ coverage on Show Tracker

Photo: Rick Fox and dance partner Cheryl Burke.

Credit: Adam Larkey / ABC

This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service — if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read our FAQ page at fivefilters.org/content-only/faq.php
Five Filters featured article: Beyond Hiroshima - The Non-Reporting of Falluja's Cancer Catastrophe.

View the original article here

Summary of results "Dancing With the Stars": that rocked?

Alas, turned the hills do live and were neither Audrina Patridge of chances of putting an end to the "Dancing With the stars" competition season 11. In an unexpected twist, the score high enough but emotionally devoid of reality TV star was started Tuesday evening in a surprise removal. It was solid rock with his technique, but perhaps stony face of Audrina kept viewers (and their votes) dependency. Even though we know that it is capable of emotion: she collapsed and some behind the scenes real tears criticism it after hearing of judges. And poor Tony Dovolani. Albanian standard was left to go to another season without that coveted Mirrorball trophy. At least Audrina was able to leave the show with his head high and the value of a ball glitter of memories to go with those switches abs and that eye make-up surprisingly non-smeary. She used the word "Bee-yotch." Obtained some mixed martial arts lessons and punched Bruno face. Ate an onion. And turned to a pony beautiful spectacle to the Secretariat.

We knew that we were in for a disposal surprised at the beginning of time results, when two inhabitants Kurt Warner and Anna Trebunskaya and Bristol Palin and Mark Ballas deemed safe right bat.

Bristol and mark have been doubly blessed by this time, as they were not only saved discount that wave "in danger" area of grey, but has also perform their tango guitar air once more than the performance of the re-release of the week.

In keeping with the theme of the rock, Heart proved that they still have it with their performance of "Barracuda" accompanied by naked torso guys Louis Van Amstel (who has also choreographed), Damian Whitewood (how nice you see again!), Derek Hough and gals Chelsie Hightower, Karina Smirnoff and Peta Murgatroyd ("sky at") on the dance floor. ""

Because it came out to give a few pointers on how to rock of Kurt Warner, it is quite clear that Bret Michaels was a fan of "DWTS". (And angling to get on the show, perhaps?) But who knew that Alice Cooper and Dee Snider were paid in the analytical Ballroom as well? The two heads of hard rock had more than just a knowledge that passes each of the remaining candidates this season, but also could determine what their strengths and weaknesses. ("Audrina should tap into certain emotions and rock," said Dee carefully.)(Preaching, Twisted Sister.)It was like watching two disparate worlds collision.Vous you obtained your metal in my Ballroom! No, you got your ball room in my metal!Nucleus hard mash-up, or another sign of the apocalypse? it is difficult to say.

Stars of Dance performance of the Macy was a show of images and sounds, dance sexy schoolkids (choreographed by "If you think you CAN dance" alum Travis Wall) to speak to a real life rock school band perform a medley of songs on the theme of schools, members of the John Burroughs High School in Burbank dressed as they had walked directly from an episode of "Glee" show choir, and an evocation of the Queen belts "' We Will Rock You.'"It was quite the spectacle pyrotechnic addled and finished, with dignity, with a Bell from the school.School is... ever!

Kylie Minogue is released and sings his latest single, "Get Outta My Way," flanked by many men spandexed, naked torso (including the Mark "SYTYCD!") and a bunch of chairs. Of course, the song was not really rock, but she had straight hair and lots of solid Beefcake, that should count for something.In addition, can Kylie bring Voguing?

The candidates themselves were interviewed in a segment on how the competition is far from complete.Rick Fox said things to eat and boire.Kurt said practices even more now than when he played football.Everyone was so serious and everything to make.But this is seriously what became this season?Right about now I want to abandon my best a Margaret Cho feather boa frame that it is the gayest jamais.Ou status thing talking about this situation élevée.Ou Florence Henderson, hellcat randy comment.

200Th Episode next week with a sweep of the return of the stars, guest celebrity judges will be perhaps inject the glitter and gold in this season.

The thought that you disposal? season so far? who do you think that would be the best samba: Bret Michaels, Alice Cooper or Dee Snider? who will win the Olympic champion confrontation 'DWTS' next week: Kristi Yamaguchi or "Bandana Boy" Apolo Anton Ohno?

-Lee Allyssa

SEE ALSO:

Let's recap "Dancing With the Stars": rock on

Summary of results "Dancing With the Stars": listen to

Complete coverage "Dancing With the Stars" on the show Tracker

Photo credit: Adam Larkey / ABC

?

This entry transmitted via the service for full-text RSS - if this is your content and you read on someone to another site, please read our FAQ page fivefilters.org/content-only/faq.php
Article five filters features: After Hiroshima - non-rapport Cancer Catastrophe of Fallujah.

View the original article here

Let's recap "Dancing With the Stars": rock on

Translate Request has too much data
Parameter name: request
Translate Request has too much data
Parameter name: request

Crank up that dial to 11, ballroom fans, because it was Rock Week during this sixth week of “Dancing With the Stars.” The ballroom was transformed into the Glitterdome, metal cages were erected, heavy-metal fonts were emblazoned on the judges’ table and the walls, and copious amounts of guyliner and raging pyrotechnics were employed. And in case we couldn’t recall the theme of the night, we had rock guitarists popping up every now and again (in the rafters, up on stage) to remind us.?

This week not only had a solid-steel, concert-inspired set, but ushered in this season’s dance marathon, set to a rock ‘n' roll theme, as well — the start of the two-dance format of the competition.

But first, as a time filler nostalgic walk down memory lane, a countdown of the Top 10 favorite dances of all time, as voted by you! Top honors went to the immensely crowd-pleasing country freestyle with Season 2 champ Drew Lachey and a very spray-tanned Cheryl Burke, followed closely by Cheryl and Gilles Marini's hot-to-trot Argentine tango from Season 8. I’m a little bummed that none of Kristi Yamaguchi’s routines were on the list, particularly that great jive that she did with Mark Ballas, though I’m glad Mel B and Maks’ paso doble and the futuristic and '50s paso dobles made the cut. And is anyone else missing Julianne Hough after this segment?

But enough of the nostalgia -- on to the competition!

Keep their lead atop the leader board were Brandy and Maksim Chmerkovskiy. Their quickstep last week took them to the next level, and this week their tango kept them there. Brandy rocked some silver leggings and a blingy corset top, and perhaps more importantly, Maks squeezed into some tight-fitting gray leather pants. Though was it just me, or did most of these competitive outfits look more sci-fi than rocked out? Maks looked more like Han Solo than Hendrix (not that I’m complaining). After an emotional week, Brandy put it all on the dance floor, and her efforts showed in her performance. “You’re my hero,” Len told Maks, a play on the Bonnie Tyler song that the couple performed to. “You’ve come out with a dance that’s full of intensity, passion, aggression. Without a doubt for me, the dance of the night.” “That tango really rocked!” said Bruno, who equated Brandy to Tina Turner from "Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome." “There was something amazing about your true passion,” said Carrie Ann. Brandy and Maks got a 26 for their tango, and then added the full 10 points by winning the rock ‘n' roll marathon (chalk it up to the boost of energy Maks received after taking off those circulation-cinching leather pants). Total: 36.

Coming in second place were Audrina Patridge and Tony Dovolani. Audrina has always had a problem channeling the character in her performances, and it came to bite her in the cherry red rear end during her rocked out paso doble, set to Queen’s “Another One Bites the Dust.” “You may be thinking too much,” Tony suggested. Might I suggest not enough? Though her movement is truly impressive, those eyes remain vapid, which keeps her from really coming through in her performance. (Maybe, as she suggested, her boobs are in the way?) The judges gave her a shot for her emotional deficiency. “You’re getting on my nerves a bit,” said head judge Len. “Every week it lacks the character of the dances.” Carrie Ann tried to word it in a way that Audrina would understand, telling her to focus on “the intention behind the movement.” They received a respectable 24 for their paso, but got extra eight points for finishing third in the marathon despite outdancing the other top finishers, what with Tony flinging Audrina around like a rag doll and all. Total: 32.

Rick Fox and Cheryl Burke held steady on the scoreboard with their impressive tango, set to the Kinks’ “You Really Got Me.” And though his haircut was a cross between Cruella de Vil and something Beyond Thunderdome, the former NBA star's routine maintained its hold and its intensity with equal aplomb. Also quite enjoyed how Cheryl (who I’m pretty sure the disembodied British announcer introduced as “Cheryl Birch” right before the performance) rocked those patent silver boots. “I’m always impressed with your hold and your posture,” said Len to Rick. “I thought you did an excellent job.” “It was like a Mohican on the war path,” said a not-so-PC Bruno. Carrie Ann loved the “amazing” mix of intensity and passion, but “sometimes you got so stern that we lost he person behind the Rick.” Total: 24. Rick and Cheryl got an additional six points for finishing in fifth place in the marathon, for a grand total of 30.

That was tied with Kyle Massey and Lacey Schwimmer. Kyle had a lot to prove this week, after his “Charlie’s Angels” ’70s fox trot was skinned alive by Len and Bruno. The Disney TV star needed to prove that he’s still a contender, and Lacey needed to prove that she could hang with Adam Lambert by sporting those plumey feather shoulder pads. I think they both succeeded. Loved how his brother Chris gamely put on a purple top and was dipped on national television during rehearsals. And Kyle played it a lot straighter and spent a lot of time in hold during his performance, executing what Bruno called a "great promenade" down the middle of the Glitterdome. I liked the dance, even though I was distracted by all the many layers in Lacey’s dress. And the fact that she ate Kyle’s nose in the end. Bruno said the tango was “much, much better” than last week. Carrie Ann loved how he threw in his “Kyle Style” and said “the carriage was amazing,” and Len “Chuckles” Goodman said it was “still a bit rough, but “an improvement over last week.” Though Kyle couldn’t have been happier with his 23 score. “That feels amazing!” he roared. Add another seven points for coming in fourth place in the marathon, and Kyle and Lacey had a grand total of 30.

Taking another step back were Jennifer Grey and Derek Hough. Last week, their fox trot was hampered by frustrations and ended up a little out of sync. This week, the air was cleared, and Jenougher was ready to reclaim their spot atop the leader board. Only, their dance, set to Pink’s “So What,” was more like a raging tantrum than a paso doble. The judges blamed her for having too much attack, but I blamed the long hair extensions, which made her look too loosey goosey and like a volunteer at the local renaissance fair rather than a rock star. The judges gave Jennifer a prescription for Paxil along with their critique. “You need to calm down a little bit … you’re way out of control,” reprimanded Carrie Ann. “You’re like the chosen one, but something is going terribly wrong.” “You’ve got the rage right,” declared Bruno. Only, “you’re like the woman on a verge of a nervous breakdown.” Even Derek and Jennifer acknowledged it was a little messy and a little crazy. They got a slap-out-of-it! 20 for their individual performance, though they were helped immensely by the extra nine points from coming in second place for the dance marathon (even though their routine was a bit lackluster). Total: 29.?

Hello, Bristol Palin! How so very nice to see you going all out on the Glitterdome this evening! The teen advocate not only redeemed herself from last week’s monkey suit mishap, but she even managed to earn her spot on the show with her impressive tango with Mark Ballas. And they did it all in purple military sparkle jackets and to the tune of Orianthi’s “According to You” to boot. Although I’m a bit tired of Mark using every window of opportunity to remind us that he plays the guitar, I loved how Bristol really let loose with that air guitar riff, which injected a cool and refreshing jolt of sparkly delight into the middle of their dance. “You’re all woman!” raved Bruno. “Best performance and best technique.” “That was ridiculously amazing,” lauded Carrie Ann. “Your face was connected to everything.” Len was a little more cautious with his praise, and docked them a point for breaking their hold. “Last week a chimp, this week … almost a champ,” he said. Though I have to say it’s nice to see that she’s warming up to the camera. Bristol and Mark got a 23 for their tango, her best scores yet. Add on another five points for their dance marathon, and they walked away Monday night with a grand total of 28.

That bested Kurt Warner and Anna Trebunskaya, who ended up being stuck in between a rock and a hard place with their paso doble. So Kurt’s not a rock star. Luckily, Bret Michaels is, and the Poison lead singer brought in his special brand of awesomeness to give the Super Bowl MVP pointers. The best takeaway: As a rocker, you would never throw a smoking hot girl like Anna away. But if you have to, make sure you keep the gaze: “You’re the best … in Cleveland.” Someone give this guy his own show! (Oh, wait.) Sadly, Kurt eschewed the bandanna and the rocker shoes for an ill-advised red jacket with a black shirt underneath, while Anna went more along the lines of Oola from “Star Wars” than rocker chick for their performance. And though their “Final Countdown” routine was a bit raw (what was that on his chin?), methinks he might have been judged a bit harshly. “You have the scruffy, but the dance was kind of scruffy,” said Carrie Ann. “It just didn’t come off,” declared Len. “You looked like you were doing karate instead of doing Spanish dances,” said Bruno, obliviously continuing his un-PC streak. “Like Jackie Chan. We want Banderas.” To add insult to injury, Kurt and Anna also had the dishonorable distinction of being the first couple booted from the dance marathon (though I couldn’t see that they were any worse than any of the other couples out there). They only earned earning a measly four points to add to their already-low 18 for a total of 22. Could the judges be angling for the NFL star’s exit? Cue the angry rock mob!

What did you think of Rock Week? Will Kurt and Anna’s “Final Countdown” routine rock them out of the competition? Was there something wonky going on in the scoring tonight? Do you agree with the Top 10 favorite dances of all time? Could show attendee Martha Stewart be a “DWTS” fan? That’s a good thing.

— Allyssa Lee

Related:

‘Dancing With the Stars’ results recap: Tuned out

‘Dancing With the Stars’ recap: The TV set

Complete ‘Dancing With the Stars’ coverage on Show Tracker

Photo credit: Bob D’Amico / ABC

This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service — if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read our FAQ page at fivefilters.org/content-only/faq.php
Five Filters featured article: Beyond Hiroshima - The Non-Reporting of Falluja's Cancer Catastrophe.

View the original article here