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Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Rocco DiSpirito's Last Dance
Alas, chef Rocco DiSpirito's short but sweet time on "Dancing with the Stars" has come to an unsavory conclusion.
Bested by eight rivals (including an 82-year-old woman and an 18-year-old boy), Rocco just couldn't get his groove on with the judges, no matter how many times he flashed those dimples or compared his risotto to "cashmere in the mouth."
Rocco DiSpiritoNot unlike Floyd Mayweather Jr., Rocco couldn't find any favor whatsoever with the judges, who panned his lack of musicality and other footwork faux pas throughout the four week contest.
This season of Dancing with the Stars has been a season of superlatives. We've had the largest cast, the youngest star, the oldest star, and this year was the first time everyone has had to prepare two dances in the very first week of competition. And this week, the stars had to perform two of the most difficult styles in the second week - the earliest these styles have appeared in the history of Dancing with the Stars.
Last night's scores show the diversity in talent this year, with some very high scores and some very low scores. The audience votes have all been tallied, and we'll soon find out whose dancing journey ends tonight.
Live! From Hollywood! This is Dancing with the Stars!
As usual, we start with a lengthy recap of last night's performance show, but you all can just read my recap or my live thoughts.
For the encore tonight, Len Goodman requests to see Warren Sapp and Kym Johnson's paso doble tonight. Yay! This was one of my favorites from last night. It's totally Spanish bullfighting-meets-The Matrix.
The elimination process begins thusly: Having combined the judges' scores and the audience votes, the first two couples, in no particular order, who will be continuing to the next round are Toni Braxton and Alec Mazo, and Rocco DiSpirito and Karina Smirnoff.
Uh oh, Jessica Simpson takes the stage to perform her latest country single. Is it me, or is her heart not in the performance. Her eyes are all glazed over
Last night, Kristi, Cristián, and Jason (literally) kicked things off with a group cha-cha, an excellent new development that I hope will be repeated in future seasons with different dances. I loved that each couple had to cha-cha to the same music, and that for the final segment, when Jason, Kristi, and Cristián performed the same steps side by side, no one was trying to jut out in front of the others. That sequence (at first I typed ''sequins''!) put it all in perspective: Jason was a bit slow, Kristi appeared to be on a smaller geographic scale than everyone else on the floor (I forget that she's that tiny), and Cristián moved with pronounced rhythm and an expression as eager as DANCMSTR's when contemplating the prospect of lounging at South Beach in a thong with Jason. Despite the (fake) rivalry among the finalists, they obviously really get along — otherwise, Yama-hoochie might've ended up on the floor with a ruptured everything after the Jason-Cristián figure-skating lift at the very end of the dance.
We’re in the finals! Thank you to everyone who’s been supporting and voting for us the past two months! I promise we won’t let you down next week!
I was so sad to see Marissa go. We’ve grown so close. We spent ten weeks together and getting to know each other, exchanging stories, girlfriend things and motherhood things with her upcoming new role as a mom. I think we were both so thankful to be here still and I’m definitely going to miss her. Watching the montage video of her and seeing everything week by week, what’s gone on, it just really hit home. I’m really glad we became such good friends here and I can’t wait for her to become a mom this summer! I’m so proud of her and it is the greatest thing in the world. She’s going to be a great mom! She’s so nurturing and loving.
I couldn’t believe we got another encore last night with our tango. It felt great going out there again. Mark said it felt smooth. It was one of our favorite ballroom dances and we felt honored to be able to do it again. I think the tension wasn’t the nervous tension like it was Monday night. It just flowed out there on the floor.
Being called safe first was awesome! I’ve been very spoiled and lucky so far to be declared safe early on, but this one doesn’t even compare to the others! I was just excited because it means we get to go to the finals and do the freestyle round, which I’m thrilled about.
We’ve got some new moves to work on for next week. In addition to the freestyle, we have the cha cha and then a repeat dance – which is going to be a surprise! I think some sore muscles are in the near future!
The guys and gals on Dancing With The Stars really had their work cut out for them this week. Each couple had not one, but two, dances to learn this week: a ballroom dance and a Latin dance. With only three weeks left before the mirror ball trophy is awarded, the pressure of perfection is intense.
Marissa & Tony kicked the show off with en pointe tango that was very classy and cute. It was easily their best dance of the season and the judges thought so as well. They received triple nines for their dramatic tango. Their Latin dance was a rumba and I found it to be very boring. Tony's '70s outfit and the music they danced to didn't help matters either. The judges thought it was a beautiful sweet dance though Len did tell her there was not enough hip action and told them their routine was a bit too careful. They only received a 25 on their rumba bringing their total score of the night to a 52 out of 60.
Cristian & Cheryl's dance for the ballroom round was a Viennese waltz. Dancing to "I'll Make Love To You", I thought their routine was very nice and I loved Cheryl's drop at the end. Bruno told them the dance was a pleasure to watch but Len and Carrie Ann found it lacking. They received a 25 for their Viennese Waltz. Their next dance was a samba and it began really well. However, halfway through Cristian grabbed his left forearm and began rubbing it while she kept on dancing. It only got worse from there. He tried to continue dancing but then missed her grab and then missed her hold at the end causing both of them to fall on the floor. When Tom asked him what was wrong, Cristian told him he believed he pulled a muscle in his arm. He looked to be in a lot of pain and Tom cut to commercial. After a long commercial break, Cristian was in front of the judges with an ice pack on his arm next to Cheryl. The judges thought he was brave for trying to continue on but had to score them based on what they saw. They received triple sevens and wound up with a 46 out of 60 on the night. Cristian then went to the hospital where we later learned from Tom he had a severe muscle cramp. Whew! So, hopefully Cristian will be back next week.
Latin night rolled onto the stage this week leaving couples no choice but to pull out all the stops.
Karina Smirnoff and Mario were up first.
They visited earlier in the week with Stevie Wonder for a bit of inspiration and it seemed to pay off. The Samba itself wasn't the most spectacular thing on the planet but it was very classic and it pulled a string of 9's.
Pricilla Presley and Louis Van Amstel followed with a slow-slow-draggy Rhumba. She seemed to overthink every step and it really affected the mood of the dance. The 7 from each judge may have been a bit of a gift.
Marissa Jaret Winokur and Tony Dovoloni seem to actually be building a bit more momentum each week. Dark horse in the competition?
I'm not sure that I'd go that far but I will say that their Samba was the best thing they've done to date. Marissa was just fun to watch because she embraced the Samba and held nothing back. They attacked it and were rewarded with a series of 8's.
Cristian de la Fuente and Cheryl Burke get hotter every time they perform. Great lines, great chemistry.
The Rhumba that they did amounted to a good performance but somehow I thought something was missing. I expected it to be hotter. The judges seemed to agree because the scores were a mix of 8's and a 7.
This is the first week where being hearing impaired really wrecked havoc with Marlee Matlin and Fabian Sanchez's performance. Their Samba was a real mess. She stumbled a few times and the timing was off more than it was on, likely because Marlee couldn't hear the beats and rhythm. On a good note, she kept going and proved that if she was actually "on" the music they'd have done really well. Two 7's and an 8 was what they ended up with.
Kristi Yamaguchi and Mark Ballas followed that mess with an absolutely amazing Rhumba.
She is definetly not the same woman that skated for eons. Kristi is stepping outside of her normal performer comfort zone and the end result is pretty amazing. This week she just let go and fell completely into the dance. It worked and the payoff was two 10's and a 9.
As much as I've liked Shannon Elizabeth and Derek Hough I wasn't thrilled with their performance this week. I think I couldn't quite get past her Peggy Bundy resemblence and the dance itself just didn't quite capture me. Two 8's and a 7 left them on pretty good footing with the judges though.
Jason Taylor and Edyta Sliwinska closed the show with a Rhumba that proves that huge men can indeed be smooth and light on their feet.
They had great lines, the hip action was good and the chemistry was on. 9's across the board for these two.
Who will go home this week? My money is on either Pricilla or Marlee.
Shimmy: How is it working with Kristi Yamaguchi on the new season of Dancing With The Stars?
Mark Ballas: It is so much fun, Kristi is a pleasure to teach and work with. She is so determined and focused and I couldn't ask for more than that.
Shimmy: In skating she is known as a "technician", every step is as perfect as possible. How is she doing on the floor?
Mark Ballas: She is working extremely hard, but enjoying every step of the way, and I'm really proud of her.
Shimmy: What is the best thing about your partnership with her?
Mark Ballas: We get along really well, and we have such a great time in our training sessions, we have similar personalities and the same work ethic.
Shimmy: What inspires you?
Mark Ballas: My family, the support they've given me continuously pushes me to achieve my dreams.
Shimmy: Who are some of your favorite dancers, teachers & choreographers?
Mark Ballas: I've trained with so many, but i would have to say the two teachers I've always looked up to the most are my parents Corky and Shirley Ballas
Shimmy: What dance do you enjoy most of all?
Mark Ballas: I love the jive and the Foxtrot.
Shimmy: Do you have any other projects in the works?
Mark Ballas: I play Lead Guitar and Sing Lead Vocal along side Derek Hough in my Rock/Blues band called Almost Amy. We are getting ready to start recording our debut album soon.
Shimmy: Tell me something about yourself that would surprise me.
Mark Ballas: I think people would be surprised to know that I get shy to dance in clubs.
Shimmy: If you could trade places with anyone (not a dancer) for one day who would it be and why?
Mark Ballas: John Mayer because his music is so inspiring to me
Shimmy: 3 things you cannot live without?
Mark Ballas: Acoustic Guitar, I pod, Oreo Cookies and milk.
Shimmy: If I borrowed your ipod for an hour what would I hear?
Mark Ballas: Anything and everything, even though I play in a Blues/Rock/Pop band I have a wide selection of music that I enjoy, so I'm sure you'd find something you like. John Mayer Michael Jackson Prince Three Days Grace Eva Cassidy Buddy Holly Marvin Gaye
Shimmy: What is the best advice that you could give to young dancers?
Mark Ballas: Master your craft, never hold back, never back down. Love your gift and cherish every minute
Shimmy: What would you like to tell your fans?
Mark Ballas: I love you guys more than ever. You're the best. and I couldn't do what I do with out you.
There’s something about “The Gutte” that everyone loves. The other dancers have been known to chant “Gutte…Gutte…Gutte…” backstage as the actor comes and goes. Samantha asks around and it seems The Gutte is apparently a regular ray of sunshine. “He loves life,” Jason says. Mario adds that he hopes to see The Gutte make it to the finals (now that’s some sportsmanship right there!).
But while Steve & Anna are safe, someone is not. And that someone is Penn, who, along with partner Kim, is out. Penn stages a protest, saying, “We are not giving up!…There’s no way my dance career ends now!”
“He’s just been so much fun,” Kim says about her partner.
It’s the first chance for all 12 contestants to dance together tonight, on Mambo and Quickstep Night!
First up are Steve & Ann, dancing the mambo. During rehearsal, Anna, who worries that she’s too hard on Steve, brings in her mother — Irina Trebunskaya — for help. Steve works up “a little bit of rhythm and a little bit of love,” calling it a “Macho Mambo Combo.” But the judges aren’t feeling the love. Len compares Steve’s dancing to his own cooking skills (can you say “spotted dick” on TV?!), and says Steve’s dance “just didn’t really work.” Bruno complains that Steve put all of his energy into facial expressions and forgot his body. Carrie Ann says, “It wasn’t your best, but you guys look cute.” They score a 16, bringing their overall score to a 34 out of 60.
Next up are Cristian & Cheryl, dancing a quickstep. In rehearsal, Cheryl brings in a military uniform to help Cristian concentrate on posture. Carrie Ann calls Cristian “a whole new person.” Len says the dance “had a little bit of wildness about it.” Bruno says he liked the gangster persona and calls the performance “good.” Cristian & Cheryl score a 20, giving them a combined score of 41 out of 60.
Next to take the stage is Monica, with her partner, Jonathan. The couple is planning to dance a mambo, and Monica worries about her lack of ability to put on a sexy facial expression. Monica has to travel to Japan for a prior engagement, and drags Jonathan along with her, so they can practice long into the night. Bruno criticizes that Monica “didn’t connect with the music.” Len says, “You tried your hardest but there are so many technical problems at the moment.” Carrie Ann, Monica’s sole trumpeter, says, “You came out and you attacked it!” Monica & Jonathan score a 15, bringing their total to 30 out of 60.
You choose which awe-inspiring line to sum up the women's fairly solid week 1 performances on tonight's Dancing With the Stars. In the immortal teleprompted words of Samantha Harris, ''It's ladies' night and the feeling's right!'' Ugh. In the single word that Priscilla Presley mouthed during the group pan for the second night running, ''Woo.'' Eh. I'm going with ''Woo.'' It says everything and yet nothing at all. Let's make it our new DWTS mantra. Note: ''Woo'' is best imagined if Priscilla is wearing Sabrina Bryan's hideous purple paso doble frock, as she was in Tuesday night's intro package. (Really? Out of all the costumes? That one?)
Tuesday night offered us some hints of potential season 6 male-female doppelgängers. There are the front-runners with lots of choreographic experience (Kristi Yamaguchi and Mario). The ones who still can't believe they're on their all-time favorite show! (Marissa Jaret Winokur and the Gute). The ones who didn't live up to expectations but are pretty and show promise (Shannon and Cristián). Nobody wants a complete sentence comparing Adam Carolla to Monica Seles, so enough of that nonsense, and let's get to the ladies…
For the Dancing with the Stars 6 premiere, the professional dancers opened the show with a group dance. After introducing all the dance couples for the season, host Tom Bergeron revealed that the six male celebrities and their professional dance partners would be performing tonight.
Penn Jillette & Kym Johnson danced the Cha-Cha-Cha. Len Goodman said, “I thought you captured the flavor of the Cha-Cha-Cha.” Bruno Tonioli said, “It was like watching a trailer for Shrek goes Cha-Cha-Cha.” Carrie Ann Inaba said, “Penn, I think that you’ve got great energy.” Penn & Kym received a score of 16 out of 30 points.
Jason Taylor & Edyta Sliwinska danced the Fox Trot. Len Goodman said, “You’ve got great posture, you moved across the floor well, you’re elegant, now you’ve just got to try to act the dance a little bit.” Carrie Ann Inaba said, “You’re really coordinated. You’re very fluid when you dance.” Bruno Tonioli said, “You’ve got to be the most graceful tackler I’ve ever seen.” Jason & Edyta received a score of 22 out of 30 points.
Cristian de la Fuente & Cheryl Burke danced the Cha-Cha-Cha. Carrie Ann Inaba said, “You’re well-suited to the Cha-Cha.” Bruno Tonioli said, “She banged. You have to bang as hard as she does.” Len Goodman said, “That was a dance of two halves, Cristian. From your hips down was fine, it’s all up here, your arms and your posture, work on it for next week.” Cristian & Cheryl received a score of 21 out of 30 points.
Adam Carolla & Julianne Hough danced the Fox Trot. Bruno Tonioli said, “Adam, if the Fox Trot was an actor, imagine George Clooney, suave, sophisticated, elegant. What you did was Will Ferrell with a bit of John Cleese thrown into it.” Len Goodman said, “Julianne, you’ve got your work cut out this season.” Carrie Ann Inaba said, “Keep working.” Adam & Julianne received a score of 15 out of 30 points.
Kristi Yamaguchi already owns an Olympic gold medal. Now she has her sights set on a big, gaudy disco-ball trophy.
Q One would think a figure skater, who performs to music and has worked with choreography, would have a leg up on some of the competition. Do you agree?
A Oh, no, this is a whole different world! In skating, it's all about gliding across a smooth sheet of ice. You sort of flow through the music and only highlight the big crescendos. In dancing, you have to concentrate on the position of your legs and feet on every beat and every count of the music. It's definitely not easy for me.
Q What have your workouts been like so far?
A The first week we started off at two hours a day, but after that we kicked it up to four to six hours a day. My hips have been killing me! I never used to understand it when older people complained about their achy hips. Now I do.
Q All skaters are used to taking falls on the ice. Have you had any scary mishaps on the dance floor yet?
A I've had a couple of tumbles, sure. And you know that's exactly what they'll show on TV to 20 million viewers. They have the cameras there all the time. It's very intimidating.
Q They also tend to show the squabbles between the celebrity and the pro. How have you and Mark been getting along?
A Mark laughs more than he yells. He's an amazing teacher, and he's very patient with me. He's really good about saying things over and over. It's a great deal of work, but he's making it fun.
Penn Jillette goes into the new season of "Dancing With the Stars" next week already a winner -- or loser, depending on how you look at it. "When they started to bring up the idea of my doing the show last year, I realized I was much too heavy, so I actually lost 47 pounds before I started working with Kym," he says, speaking of his professional dance partner, Kym Johnson. "Then I lost three more since we've been working together." Penn Jillette Ready for "Dancing With the Stars": Talks Odds (ABC)
How did he lose the weight? "Oh, crazy fad diet stuff -- exercising and taking in less calories," he deadpans. "I run eight miles a day on a treadmill." Even so, admits the 53-year-old, 6-foot, 6-inch illusionist/ comedian/ actor/ provocateur, "I'm still the tallest and oldest on the show. At least I'm not 70 pounds heavier than any other contestant. Now I'm probably 30 pounds heavier. I was told by the producers that it is a total disadvantage, but Kym is doing everything she can to spin it to our advantage."
Marlee Matlin just might be the most interesting contestant heading into the competition. After all, she's deaf. How is that going to work? Just the idea behind that already fascinates me. And if that wasn't interesting enough, it's Marlee Matlin! She has an Academy Award and a ton of great TV credits. The West Wing, The L Word, Nip/Tuck, My Name Is Earl.
That name recognition should go a long way for her, and the years of performing for the cameras can't hurt. I do believe that her hearing will ultimately be a non-story. The wild card with Marlee right now appears to be her partner. Fabian Sanchez is making his DWTS debut. Winning the US Mambo Championship is nothing to scoff at, but we haven't seen how he works with an amateur partner, or how he responds to choreographing new performances week after week.
Kristi Yamaguchi should be one of the early favorites. There is certainly precedent for contestants with Olympic skating medals to do well in the competition. Add to that the fact that she has spent years performing in front of huge crowds, and being scored on those performances. The nerves should not be a problem for Kristi.
The big question, of course, is how the graceful moves of a skater translate when the skates make way for the heels. My bet is on very well, and Mark Ballas should prove to be an excellent partner. I'm glad to see him back with a partner that has a real shot, because I still think he left too early in his last go.
“I can walk and chew gum at the same time, so I have some level of coordination,” he says.
“When I was younger, I used dancing as a tool to go to the clubs, flirt with a girl and get a date — although maybe I didn’t dance so well and the girls felt bad for me,” he adds, laughing.
But De la Fuente — best-known for supporting roles on such series as “CSI: Miami” and “Family Law,” plus the upcoming “In Plain Sight” on USA Network — says he is feeling a bit of pressure by appearing on “Dancing.”
“There is a big weight on my shoulder,” says De la Fuente, 34, a veteran of such Spanish-language TV shows as the cop drama “Reyes y Rey.”
“A lot of people will see me and think, ‘Well, he’s Latino, he’s from South America, he’s definitely going to be a good dancer.’ But my Latino blood is starting to move my body, so hopefully that’s going to help.”
Having Cheryl Burke, a two-time “Dancing” winner as his assigned partner should help, too.
“Well, maybe not,” he says. “Now I have an even bigger weight on me, because I’ll be blamed if we lose.”
This morning on "Good Morning America," the new couples for Season Six of "Dancing with the Stars" were unveiled. The following is the complete list of partners in alphabetical order by the celebrity’s last name
ADAM CAROLLA & JULIANNE HOUGH – Comedian and radio host Adam Carolla (host of the nationally syndicated radio program "The Adam Carolla Show") teams with reigning two-time defending “Dancing with the Stars” champion Julianne Hough. Julianne returns for her third season.
CRISTIAN DE LA FUENTE & CHERYL BURKE – International film star Cristián de la Fuente ("Family Law," "CSI: Miami") teams up with two-time champ Cheryl Burke. Cheryl returns for her fifth season.
SHANNON ELIZABETH & DEREK HOUGH – Film and television star Shannon Elizabeth ("American Pie," "Scary Movie," "That ‘70s Show") is paired with Derek Hough, who returns for his second season. Derek is the older brother of Julianne Hough and was paired with Jennie Garth last season.
STEVE GUTTENBERG & ANNA TREBUNSKAYA – Movie star Steve Guttenberg ("Police Academy," "Three Men and a Baby," "Short Circuit" and "Cocoon") teams with Anna Trebunskaya, who returns for her third season. Anna is married to professional dancer Jonathan Roberts, who also returns for another season.
MARIO & KARINA SMIRNOFF – R&B star Mario teams with Karina Smirnoff, who returns for her fourth season. Karina was runner-up alongside partner Mario Lopez during the third season of "Dancing with the Stars."
MARLEE MATLIN & FABIAN SANCHEZ — Academy Award winning actress Marlee Matlin ("Children of a Lesser God") teams up with newcomer Fabian Sanchez. Fabian is the 2006 World Mambo Champion, a four-time Fred Astaire National Champion and the United States Rising Star, and the 1999 American Rhythm Champion.
PENN JILLETTE & KYM JOHNSON – Magician Penn Jillette, one-half of the famous illusionist team Penn & Teller, teams with Kym Johnson, who returns for her fourth season. Kym was runner-up alongside partner Joey Fatone in Season Four.
PRISCILLA PRESLEY & LOUIS VAN AMSTEL – Actor and businesswoman Priscilla Presley ("Naked Gun," "Dallas") is paired with Louis van Amstel, who returns for his fourth season. Louis was most recently paired with Monique Coleman.
MONICA SELES & JONATHAN ROBERTS – Grand Slam tennis champion Monica Seles teams up with Jonathan Roberts, who returns for his fifth season. Jonathan finished in third place last season alongside partner Marie Osmond.
JASON TAYLOR & EDYTA SLIWINSKA – NFL Man of the Year Jason Taylor teams with Edyta Sliwinska. Edyta is the only pro to compete in all six seasons of "Dancing with the Stars."
Season 6 will premiere on March 17 in a special 2-hour episode.
Priscilla Presley, Kristi Yamaguchi and Adam Carolla are catching dance fever.
They are among the dozen celebrities who have signed on to compete on the next season of "Dancing With the Stars."
The other contestants include actors Marlee Matlin, Shannon Elizabeth and Steve Guttenberg; tennis champion Monica Seles, magician Penn Jillette, R&B singer Mario and Miami Dolphins defensive end Jason Taylor, ABC announced Monday night.
Rounding out the cast will be television actors Cristian De La Fuente and Marissa Jaret Winokur.
The dancing competition is set to begin with a live performance on March 17, ABC said
We'll know for sure tonight during the thank god it's over! finale of Dance War, but rumor has it that Julianne Hough will be paired with Adam Carolla.
