I know, I didn’t  blog about DWTS this week, mostly because I wasn’t too thrilled about the week’s dances.   The Lindy Hop (basically, the Jive) and the Argentine Tango were introduced this week and served to really separate the talent from the “you should go back to your lives”.  The best part of this week was that there was a double elimination and both Steve Wozniak and Holly Madison were put out of our misery. 

Also, I’m getting tired of people saying Melissa has an unfair advantage.  Just because she used to do ballet?  What about the celebrities that dance NOW – celebs that dance as part of their careers (i.e. singers) – I would think they have more of an advantage.

In any case, Gilles & Cheryl scored the season’s first 30, and truly DID an awesome job on the

And then, by some weird turn of the world’s axis, I also have started watching American Idol.  I know – I SWORE I’d never watch it – but they sucked me in.  It must be something in the water.  Of course, I have my favorites – but I find they tend to change each week.  So maybe instead of calling them my favorites, I’ll find some other word that means I like them this week.  Oh yeah – I’ll call them family.

Oops.

Anyway, so NEXT week, the stars dance to the Viennese Waltz, one of my favorites, and the Paso Doble. 

Hopefully, next week’s Idol performance won’t be quite so painful to watch. You know it’s a bad week when you fast forward through 8 of the 9 performances.

The curse of the DWTS cast continues!  Although Steve-O was shown on the results show, we now find out that he has internal bleeding, and has still not been cleared to continue (according to OK! Magazine anyway).  Ouch!

Steve Wozniak apparently accused the producers of manipulating the results for better ratings.  While the guy seems nice enough, does he seriously think he’s a better dancer than most ANYONE?  He & Karina DID wind up in the bottom 2, deservedly so.  They redid their same dance they’d done on Monday.  It still wasn’t anything to write home about.  Belinda & Jonathan also landed in the bottom 2 and redid their same dance as well.  Theirs was a little better, but not enough to save them and they were the first couple to go home.

Hopefully, now that Steve W has apologized and made nice, we’ll see some improvement in his dancing – because sometimes, I’d just like to smack Karina for looking so bored and annoyed when she lands in the bottom.

Holly Madison & Dmitry Chaplin – Quickstep – Holly stated in her pre-dance interview that she wanted to be the most improved this week, and I will say, she was better this week – but she seemed to be running along, trying to keep up.  (also, She’s got this nervous laugh that’s highly annoying!)  Bruno & Carrie Ann agreed that she seemed like she was being dragged along.  They scored 6/6/6. 18 + 18=36

David Alan Grier & Kym Johnson – Salsa – David specifically asked Kym to put him through more difficult moves. However, it really did not translate to the dance floor.  As Len said, it was all Kym.  Of course, doing the salsa so early in the season is hard for all of them because of the foot work and hip action, so their score of 6/5/6 was rather expected.  Bruno was pretty harsh, though, perhaps because he didn’t like David’s impersonation of him, but nonetheless, harsh.  17 + 19=36

Denise Richards & Maksim Chmerkovskiy – Quickstep – Denise definitely loosened up this week and the two were much improved, just in the way they worked and moved together.   They scored 7/7/7.  21+18=39

Belinda Carlisle & Jonathan Roberts – Salsa – Belinda also seemed to open up and let go this week also some parts seemed to be in slow motion.  Also, why would you want to end a dance with a woman (of any age)  doing a handstand?   Why, Jonathan, Why? LOL   They scored 6/6/6  18  +17=35

Ty Murray & Chesie Hightower – Quickstep – Big improvement for them as well.  Ty didn’t look nearly as terrified as he had last week LOL  Their score reflected that, as well – 7/6/7.  20+14=34

Shawn Johnson & Mark Ballas – Salsa – with her gymnastics background, it was difficult for Shawn to use her hips, and in the Latin dances, it’s essential.    She did pretty well, though.  The judges loved her, and they scored 8/8/8.  24+23=47

Chuck Hicks & Julianne Hough – Salsa – you would think that with Julianne as his partner, he’d be a shoe-in for this competition, but this week’s salsa sizzled out for him.  The judges complained that it was all Julianne – but seeing as Julianne is the choreographer, shouldn’t SHE be the one taking the criticism?  just sayin.   Their scores weren’t too bad, though. 6/7/6. 20+20=40

Steve-O & Lacey Schwimmer – Steve-O was injured during rehearsals, so he was unable to dance tonight.  The judges will base their scores based on his performance in dress rehearsal (when he was injured).  They danced the salsa… I even cringed when he fell on his mic pack.  Len didn’t enjoy it, and said there was no salsa in the dance.  The dance was very strange and eclectic, and the judges really did not like it.  They scored  5/4/5.  14+17=31

Melissa Rycroft & Tony Dovolani – Salsa – just wow.  It was like watching an instructional video on the salsa.  Even I, a layperson, knew that this was exactly what a salsa should be.  They rocked the judges and the audience.  They scored 9/8/9  26 +23=49 – In week 2!

Lawrence Taylor & Edyta Slywinska – Quickstep – They did good this week.  Despite his size, he was able to move across the floor QUICKLY (hmm… seems coincidental).  THey scored 7/6/7  20+16=36

Steve Wozniak & Karina Schmirnoff – Quickstep – another injured dancer!, Steve dressed & resembled Jerry Lewis this week.   I thought he moved pretty well, considering he’s got a fracture in his foot!  They scored 6/5/6.  17+13=30

Lil Kim & Derek Hough – Quickstep – She danced with her mouth open the whole time, and it was just bizarre LOL  The dance itself was pretty good.  Len was the only one who didn’t like it, Bruno & Carrie Ann were very complimentary.  They scored 8/7/8. 23+21=44

Gilles Marini & Cheryl Burke – Quickstep – I think that despite the fact that Cheryl comes off as being a bitchy teacher, she must be pretty good because their quickstep was really good – clean, quick.  They scored  9/9/9!27+24=51.

As for voting, this week my votes were split between David Alan Grier, Melissa Rycroft and Shawn Johnson. 

A new twist this season for the bottom two couples.  They will now be required to compete against each other in a dance-oiff.    Their prior scores will be thrown out and only the votes + the judges new scores will count.  This will happen tomorrow night during the elimination show.  I’m not sure how I feel about this, and will wait and see what happens.   I DO estimate that those bottom two will be Steve-O and Steve W.

[As a sidenote, I think it’s pathetic when they show the bottom two and Karina’s there, rolling her eyes.  Grow up!]

The new season of Dancing with the Stars premiered last night and although the lineup was nothing to get particularly excited about, once the show was on, the glitz & glamour took over and it was a fun show.

Lil Kim introduced herself by telling us that the first time she watched DWTS was when she was in PRISON.  Ooooook.  Cheek implants and all. She dedicated her first dance to all “her girls” in the federal detention center.  Tom dedicated his hosting tonight to everybody at Riker’s Island LOL

She & Derek did well, though they did the Cha Cha.  Bruno, as always, was inappropriate but all 3 judges were complimentary. 

Next up, Belinda Carlisle & Jonathan.  She resembles Priscilla Presley!  They danced the waltz and did well for a first dance.  Bruno told her she resembled last season’s competitor, CLORIS LEACHMAN!  (Belinda is on Twitter!)

If you are a fan of the show, I think it gets easier & easier to pick who is going to do well and who is going home on weeks 1, 2, 3.  

Former NFL star Lawrence Taylor and Edyta Slywinska danced the cha cha and for a first dance, with another big, muscled, older guy, they did ok.  Lawrence looked terrified and I think that translated to his dance moves.   But just like all the former NFL players who have come before him, such as finalist Jason Taylor and last year’s 3rd place finisher, Warren Sapp, Jerry Rice, winner Emmitt Smith, there’s lots of room for improvement and expectation.

Steve-O and Lacey Schwimmer danced the waltz and I thought that he was actually pretty graceful.  He needs lots more practice… but overall, he did good.  Bruno said it was a big pile of slapstick… but Carey Ann & Len were a bit nicer.  (Lacey’s on Twitter.)

Next up, Gilles & Cheryl.  If you haven’t seen Sex & the City, The Movie, you probably haven’t seen him.  Of course, they had to make references to his scenes in the movie, because he did full frontal nudity – but the judges LOVED their cha-cha-cha.  Cheryl, obviously, is a very talented teacher, but he has the flexibility and their scores showed it – 24 – a pretty high score for a 1st dance!

Country singer Chuck Hicks and his partner, both on & off the dance floor, Julianne Hough, danced the waltz and they just make such a beautiful couple, it’s amazing.  Of course, they also looked like a bride & groom!

The first of the two replaced dancers was up next, and I know this is going to sound terrible, but she looks & talks about as well as a box of hair.  She has no no no rhythm.  She’s pigeon toed.  She looked as if she would throw up at any moment. lol  Paired with a new pro, Dimitry, Holly Madison – best known as a playboy model, well  -I’m betting she’s gone in the first 3 weeks. 

Ty Murray & new pro Chelsey Hightower did a rather interesting cha-cha-cha.  Ty has broken at least 20 bones.  Ty is a 9-time bull-riding champion. Ty is NOT a dancer.  I think he’s got a lot of mental stiffness too – and it all translated to a total score of 14.     I hope that with more practice, they’ll get him a little bit more relaxed   On his blog, he wrote that he was way out of his element, but hopes to improve. 

Shawn Johnson, who is just 17 and an Olympic gymnast and & Mark Ballas did the waltz and it was just beautiful, truly.  She’s got an infectious smile and they did well.

Taking the “older gentleman” spot this year is Steve Wozniak. Steve is co-founder of Apple Computers.  Steve is older (59), and states “I want to show the world that geeks can dance”. LOL  He & Karina did a rather clumsy cha-cha-cha and received the lowest score of the evening. (Steve is on Twitter!)

David Allen Grier, one of my favorite comedians, was up next.  His pre-performance interview was hysterical when he stated what he expected to gain from his experience with DWTS:  “free dance lessons, sexual favors and to lose weight”.  (DAG is also on Twitter and added me last night.  Ok, it may not actually BE him, but hey, whatev LOL! )

David & Kym Johnson did the waltz and they were really beautiful together.  Bruno, of course, had to pick on them (David was making different faces while dancing LOL) but overall, they received good remarks and a fairly decent score.

Denise Richards looked terrified.

The night’s big surprise for me, though, was Nancy O’Dell’s replacement, Melissa Rycroft.  She’s gotten TONS of press for being the Bachelor’s dumped girlfriend, but seriously, she’s got talent.  She’d only had TWO DAYS to practice!  She so resembles last year’s champion, Brooke Burke, that I think she’ll go far too.   They scored 2nd highest of the night!

So with all the glitz and glamour of the evening, I’m once again excited about this season.  Next week, they’ll dance again and then the first elimination of the season happens next Tuesday. Don’t forget to vote!

With just THREE days to go until the premiere of the 8th season of Dancing with the Stars, TWO of this season’s female dancers have withdrawn from the show due to injuries.  I’m sure this has left producers scrambling to fill their places, but imagine the pros!  They’ll have just a day or two to get their new stars up and running?  If they don’t dance on the first week’s show, will that automatically give them an advantage to getting to next week’s elimination? 

In any case, singer & songwriter Jewel (whose hubby, Ty, will also be competing) has dropped out due to fracturing BOTH tibias, and tv personality Nancy O’Dell has also dropped out because of problems with her legs.  Joining a lengthening list of side-lined celebs, I can only imagine what the rest of the season will bring.

We shall see!  Just 27 hours until tomorrow night’s 2 hour premiere!