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days to go until the premiere of the 8th season of Dancing with the Stars, TWO of this season’s female dancers have withdrawn from the show due to injuries.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!

Wow – I don’t think ABC could have found any more disturbing photographs of the Season 8 stars.  They are:

• Shawn Johnson – Olympic gymnast (youngest competitor on DWTS)
• Lil’ Kim- rapper/singer
• Steve-O – reality star(?)
• Nancy O’Dell – Access Hollywood alumni/tv anchor
• Lawrence Taylor – football player
• Chuck Wicks – country singer
• Gilles Marini – actor
• Denise Richards – caricature actress
• Steve Wozniak – Apple co-founder
• Belinda Carlisle – singer (apparently another victim of botox)
• David Alan Grier – actor
• Ty Murray – Rodeo athlete
• Jewel – singer

The new season begins March 9th. I can’t say that this list has me too excited, but we’ll see!  I’m disappointed that Donny Osmond isn’t on there.

‘Dancing with the Stars’ 2009 Premiere Set; Rumors About ‘Dancing with the Stars’ Cast All Over Internet
The ‘Dancing With the Stars’ lineup might now include Donny Osmond among its contestants in the 2009 Season.
http://www.associatedcontent.comarticle/1424669/dancing_with_the_stars_2009_premiere.html

I love Donny Osmond, so I’d love to see him on there.  In keeping with the unofficial theme that DWTS seems to have adopted, I wonder who the older celeb might be? How about the athlete (or 3)?  The model? 

In any case, I can’t wait for March 9th and the 2 hour premiere!  What a fun way to start my birthday week!

Although I didn’t blog about Survivor Gabon this season much, I did watch it.  I suppose it is like watching a car wreck – you want to look away but you can’t.  I really despised some of these horrible people that were on this season.  In fact, even during last night’s tribal council, the ultimate bitch, Corrine, blasted the 3 finalists with truly horrible comments.  Randy, who was deservedly embarrassed by falling for the fake idol, was literally swearing at the winner over the crowd and had to be muted. 

How pathetic is it that grown adults can’t actually ACT like adults, whether during a game or after.  Randy, when addressing surprise finalist Susie, was particularly nasty.   Then Corrine came up to address the 3 and really showed her true side, which she proudly touted during the live finale.  This is me, people – get over it.

Perhaps she’s trying to rival Johnny Idiot Rotten for nasty – but at least TRY to pretend that you’re not that way… ugh. 

I’m glad that Bob Crowley was voted the Ultimate Survivor.  He really kicked ass, despite his 57 years.

Biography

Robert “Bob” Crowley (58)
Hometown: Portland, Maine
Occupation: Physics Teacher
Robert Crowley considers himself a hybrid of Indiana Jones and Robinson Crusoe. He loves the outdoors and is always ready for his next adventure.
Robert is a high school physics teacher in Gorham, Maine and holds both Associate and Bachelor degrees in forestry from the University of Maine – Orono and a Masters of Education degree from the University of Southern Maine. However, after the school bell rings, Robert becomes an entrepreneur. His wide range of jobs span from being a first mate on a research boat for the Smithsonian Institution in Canada to an entomologist for the USDA, to a skunk relocater, as well as President, Vice President and Chief Negotiator for his local Teacher’s Union.
When not on an adventure, Robert interests include journal writing, story telling, photography, bone collecting, archeology and camping.
This tree climbing scientist, who describes himself as honest, adventurous, resourceful and witty, built his truly "green" summer cabin back when green was only referred to as the color. His "green" cabin was completely built with recycled material and requires a fraction of the energy of the average U.S. home. He’s built numerous structures from recycled material including wharfs, saunas, a chicken house and a hunting cabin.
Robert strategy is to be a provider and to fly under the radar on SURVIVOR. He’s out to prove that nice guys can make it to the end of the game.
Robert and his wife Peggy reside in Portland, Maine. They have two sons, David and John, one daughter, Page, and a high maintenance cat named William. Robert’s birth date is February 25, 1951.

While he wasn’t necessarily the “nice” guy he’d hoped to be, he certainly kicked those rotten people’s Asses.

– but also that Susie got 3 of the 7 votes.  How empowering that must be for her AND her family.   At 47 years of age, she took a time out to go on Survivor, and to make it to the final 3 – really, the final TWO – how awesome is that!? 

So congratulations to the winner – Bob – and Susie, the 2nd place winner.  Sugar, the 3rd place, received no votes, and obviously didn’t expect any.  Still, to survive 39 days “alone” after so recently losing her dad – Excellent!

They’re off to Brazil next year.  Maybe a headhunter will swoop down and grab Corrine.

As long as you’re there Jeffy, I’ll be watching.

So now you can post right from the dashboard? This is really cool for quick posts!

Sadly, we’re already to the season finale of Dancing with the Stars! The dancers that have survived – Lance Bass, Warren Sapp & Brooke Burke – in a complete time-filler segment, were shown doing their best ballroom and Latin dances. 

Then the 3 couples shared the dance floor for the samba. 

They then each did their own freestyle dances, and unsurprisingly, Brooke & Derek BLEW THE DOORS OFF that place, and were rewarded with 3 10’s. 

Warren & Kym did a fun rumba-esque type of dance.  Lance & Lacey did a hip-hop thing that, while cute, just wasn’t a 10 performance.  Both Warren & Kym and Lance & Lacey tied with 26. 

Then tonight, we were treated to almost the full cast dancing 1 of their dances.  Misty & Toni didn’t dance, due to surgeries, but everyone else did – and it was still obvious for most of them as to why they were not still around  

Warren & Kym did the hustle tonight and it just didn’t seem to be worthy of a FINALE.

Lance & Lacey did the jive again tonight and it was full of energy and personality.  9-9-10

Finally, Brooke & Derek took the floor and recreated their Viennese Waltz that they’d done so beautifully before and were excellent once again. They simply glideTheir dance brought tears to Carrie Ann’s and Brooke’s husband’s eyes.  It was so emotional. It was perfect, and they scored another perfect score – 30.

With a total combined score for the 3 dances of 88 out of a possible 90, at this point, I’m feeling like it’s pretty obvious who will win.

After the commercial break, Lance & Lacey were eliminated…. which really was surprising to me because I just felt like they deserved further than Warren & Kym.

FINALLY, after suffering through a Milie Cyrus performance, it was finally time to announce the winner. 

Brooke

& Derek!!!

Really, not surprisingly, and most definitely DESERVING!

Woohoo – final three!  Cody Linley & Julianne Hough were voted off this week, resulting in the final 3 being:

• Brooke Burke & Derek Hough
• Warren Sapp & Kym Johnson
• Lance Bass & Lacey Schwimmer (not bad for a freshman dancer!)

So once again, I will re-state my guess that Brooke & Derek will win, and deservedly so!

But wow, what a great run for Warren & Kym!  She’s an incredible dancer and choreographer and deserved a GOOD partner finally!

By the way, what an awesome results night. With so many entertainers, Julianne finally got to sing AND dance, and was wonderful.

Oh man – my internet connection sucks big time tonight, with so much lag! I had to rewind and rewatch the first performance because I thought the errors were because of the lag and skipping … but nope

Brooke Burke & Derek Hough danced a jive for their first dance tonight, and they had so many problems, it was just sad!   They only scored a 7-7-7 for their first dance, which is their worst score all SEASON!  Brooke’s posture was off, she was too stiff, and just wasn’t on her a-game tonight. At all. I was saddened by this because I really think they deserve to win the Disco ball trophy!  Carrie Ann even went so far as to criticize them for doing an illegal lift flagrantly, and told them it was an insult.

Cody Linley & Julianne Hough were next and due to do the Paso doble’ – it looked like a teenaged boy’s dream. Gorgeous blonde drill sergeant, poor, innocent g.i.  It was so harsh, there really didn’t seem to be much content … the judges felt the same way and skewered them as well. 8-7-7!

Warren Sapp & Kym Johnson did the mambo.  (It’s amazing to see the weight that Warren’s lost, btw!)  I think they did a really good job -  Warren didn’t look nearly as nervous as he has in week’s past and actually appeared to be having fun again.  The judges wanted more advanced moves and less flat-footedness.  They scored  8-8-8.

Lance Bass & Lacey Schwimmer did the mambo for their first dance.  and really brought it this week.  Lance finally got to MOVING.  He untied those feed and kept up with Lacey.  It was good to see, although it got me worried about my favorites (Brooke & Derek)!  The judges were extremely complimentary (surprisingly) and scored them 10 – 9 – 10!  By FAR, their highest marks of the season.

Midway through, Len Goodman had this whole dream sequence of dancing with the pro women – and this led into his “Master Dance Class”.   First up was Lance, and Len showed up barefooted LOL  He worked on Lance’s pigeon toes.  Then he went to work with Cody.  He worked with him and his hips.  With Brooke, he worked with her straightening her legs out.  For Warren, he worked on his feet action.

For the second set of dances, they were to do the new dances that were introduced this season – the Salsa, the Jitterbug,

Brooke & Derek did the Salsa.  Brooke was still keeping her legs bent (in my opinion) and it just really takes away from the dance.  As for the dance – there was more content – more advanced.  Bruno called her a diva bitch (in a good way) lol.  (Obviously, my opinions weren’t shared LOL) They scored 9-10-9 (LEN actually gave them a 10. Amazing!)

Cody & Julianne also did the Salsa and although it was fun to watch, Cody still doesn’t move his hips like he should be.  Julianne, though, is amazing to watch under any circumstances, but this soon after having surgery? Wow. They scored 8-8-8.

Before the next set of dances, they brought out professionals to show how the Jitterbug is supposed to look – and it was crazy fast.  CRAZY!

Warren & Kym did the Jitterbug.  While it was entertaining, to me it just looked like he was jumping around a lot but without any real direction or reason.  The judges, though – were happy. LOL  Shows I was off my game tonight. Oh well lol.  They scored 9-8-8.

Lance & Lacey also did the Jitterbug.  Lance, complete in sailor suit, and about a third of a way through, lost one of his shoes LOL  They continued on and did a pretty nice job –full of energy.  The judges really enjoyed it as well and the scores reflected it: 10- 9-10.

Tonight was a tough one to try and figure out who will go this week.  Brooke & Derek, who had been so strong all season, floundered – and Lance & Lacey, who had floundered all season, finished strong.  I’d ahte to see Brooke & Derek leave this far into the competition.  I’m hoping it’ll be Cody & Julianne, as much as I like Julianne.  Cody just doesn’t *have* it!

What will you be watching once DWTS goes off for the season?  I’m thinking of checking out The Bachelor for the very first time in January – we’ll see, I guess.

So – who do you think goes this week?

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Wow – there’s only 2 weeks until the finals!  I’m kind of sad, because I REALLY enjoy this show.  My other fave, Big Brother, won’t return until next SUMMER! What ever will I do for my reality fix?  I’ve abandoned Amazing Race, I watch Survivor but really – technically, only listen to it – and am only mildly interested in who gets booted.  In fact, don’t even remember an hour later.

I have been watching the Chef Jeff Project on the Food Network, and that’s been a pleasant surprise, however, that’s almost done too!  Wahh!.com, I’ve also been watching Kitchen Nightmares – if you’d call that reality.

Ok, on with this week.

This week, the 5 remaining couples had to dance both a ballroom dance and a latin dance.  Their scores would be combined.  Each celebrity would be required, also, to do a 15 second solo during their 2nd dance.

Cody Lindley & Edyta Sliwinska danced the Foxtrot rather well.  Cody still seems a little reserved and his movements a bit choppy, but for an 18 yr old, he did pretty well.  The judges agreed, and they scored 8-8-8.

Edyta made a comment in the red room between dances – the judged had commented that this was Cody’s most grown up dance – and Edyta made a comment about how when he dances with her, he’s a grown up, and then he gets to go back to Julianne and be a kid again.  I thought it was kind of bitchy.

Their second dance was the mambo and although Cody was able to be less inhibited, their coordination wasn’t there.  Cody’s solo was just BIZARRE – and it all just seemed disjointed.  Carrie Ann called it erratic.  Bruno called it spasmodic. LOL  They scored 8-8-8 for a combined total of 48.

Brooke Burke & Derek Hough danced a beautiful tango for their first dance, although I think Brooke was a little off.  Her legs remained bent which just looked weird – but otherwise, I thought it very nice, very dramatic.  Len really tore up their performance and it was obvious in the scores.  10-8-10.

For their second dance, they did a very hot & energetic mambo.  Brooke looked amazing and truly did move like a professional dancer.  They scored 9-9-9 for a combined score of 55.

Maurice Green & Cheryl Burke did the quickstep, which Maurice struggled with – it was an ok dance – but again, he looks so nervous and I don’t know – I think that no matter how well they may or may not dance is secondary to their lack of chemistry.  Of course, Cheryl doing a cartwheel at the end was just BIZARRE, too.   They also scored 8-8-8.

For their Latin dance, they did the paso doble.  Maurice’s solo consisted of him swinging a cape around – not exactly showcasing his talents without his professional, which is what they were supposedly for.  They scored 8-8-8 for this one as well, giving them a combined score of 48.

Lance Bass & Lacey Schwimmer danced a foxtrot for their first dance.  Lance seems to have found some confidence, but he’s pigeon-toed and it’s so distracting to me ! Their foxtrot was good, nice & smooth.  I could do without Lance’s odd expressions, but overall, they are good.   They scored 9-8-9.

For their Latin dance, they did a samba that was … ok. Lance’s solo was pretty basic, but then together, they were better.  Len also made a comment about his footwork and the fact that he’s pigeon-toed. They scored 8-7-9, for a total score of 50.

Finally, Warren Sapp & Kym Johnson were up. They tangoed and it was really good.  It’s AMAZING to see how this man can move around the dance floor so quickly and be so light on his feet.   He’s definitely going to the finals, I believe. Of course, without Kym, he’d be toast.  She’s incredibly talented.   They scored 10-9-9.

For their Latin, they did The Jive and again, it’s just amazing how fast that man can move.  He didn’t seem as comfortable with this dance but he was still quite lively!  He wore these flat shoes that gave the judges fits though LOL    They scored 9-8-9 for a total of 54.

For the live show, they showed the judges comments after the show was over, when they were sitting around together.

I think the final 3 will be Warren/Kym, Brooke/Derek & possibly Lance/Lacey but probably Cody/Julianne/Edyta.  (I’m writing this before watching the results!)

For entertainment, Brad Paisley performed and Lacey Schwimmer and her brother danced.  They’re unbelievable together – talk about energy!

Btw – who dressed whatshername (Samantha Harris) on Tuesday and were they blindfolded when they did it? OMG.

Then OMG – an IN.CREDIBLE performance by Derek & Julianne Hough.  If that girl had surgery 3 weeks ago, you’d NEVER know it.  They were so much fun to watch! I will edit this post tomorrow when the video is added to youtube, because you have to see this.

Voted off was (as I predicted last week!) Maurice & Cheryl.

Dancing with the Stars has been nominated for People’s Choice Awards for best reality show – be sure to go vote!

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With just 6 couples left in the competition going into this week’s dances, I think the competitors are finally getting the idea that they’re getting close to the end. I would have thought, though, that with that looming, they’d have stepped up to the plate more than they did.

Warren Sapp & Kym Johnson danced the Foxtrot.  You could tell that Warren did not have his head into this dance.  He looked uneasy, and didn’t look like he was having much fun at all.   The judges picked up on that as well.  They scored 7-7-7.

Susan Lucci & Tony Dovolani danced the Paso Doble’ and to me, it seemed  as thought they were still trying to be gentle with her leg or ankles or something – but she certainly didn’t dance with the kind of passion that I’ve seen others dance that dance to.  I was disappointed, as if she’s gotten this far, she should be better by now.   But she’s just not. Yes, I know she’s 62, but still.  I don’t see how she’s still here.  The judges, though? LOVED it.   They scored 8-8-8.

Maurice Green & Cheryl Burke danced the Cha-cha-cha.   They did pretty well – although Maurice still doesn’t extend like he should – but I think that has to do with their lack of communication and chemistry.   In the beginning interviews, he showed a lot of anxiety for this week, but they did pretty well anyway.  The judges thought so too.  They scored 8-9-8.   (Len actually gave them a 9 – was surprising)

Cody Lindley and Edyta Slywinska danced the Viennese Waltz, as Julianne is still recovering from her surgery.  They danced pretty well together, although I think the choreography could have really used some work.   They scored 8-7-7.

Lance Bass & Lacey Schwimmer danced a rather unconventional rumba barefoot.  I really liked it – although it was a little repetitive, it was good. They DO have a lot of chemistry together, and it shows on the dance floor.  Carrie Ann & Bruno loved it – Len, not so much (not surprisingly).  They scored 9-7-9.

Brooke Burke & Derek Hough danced the foxtrot too,  and it was truly elegant.  They’re so good together, and of course, Derek’s choreography is always so good (must run in the family).  Brooke needs to give Susan lessons on moving.   They got the season’s first perfect score – 30!  They truly deserved it, too.

So then, after everyone was done with their individual dances, they teamed up to do a team dance.  3 couples did a team cha-cha-cha and 3 couples did the paso doble.

Team Cha-Cha-Cha consisted of Susan/Tony, Cody/Edyta & Lance/Lacey.  Of the 3, Susan/Tony were definitely the weak links.  Theirs was stiff and uncoordinated.  Lance/Lacey and Cody/Edyta were good – MUCH better than Susan/Tony.  As a group dance, they all would get the score added to their individual scores.

Carrie Ann, specifically, was very disappointed – told them their unison was gruesome to watch.  They scored a total of 6-7-7.  So they each got 20 added to their other scores.

Team Paso consisted of Warren/Kym, Brooke/Derek & Maurice/Cheryl and was 1000% better than Team Cha-Cha-Cha.  They all were excellent, and their score reflected it.  10-9-10.  So they got 29 added to their other scores.  It was well deserved

For the elimination night’s show, they had Lionel Richie sing, as well as a rather odd dance performance turned magic show.   When they finally got to the elimination, it was obvious that Brooke & Derek would be safe.  I was kind of surprised to see Maurice & Cheryl were also safe early.  Then the last of Team Paso was safe, and it came down to Team Cha-Cha.  Truly, not surprisingly, Susan & Tony were (finally – mercifully) eliminated.  I think she did fantastic to make it 7weeks, especially with her very busy schedule.  She’s a beautiful woman, in wonderful shape – and was so grateful.  It was a very classy exit.

Next week, I’m expecting Maurice & Cheryl to hit the bottom 2.   I see Brooke & Derek, Warren & Kym and Cody & Edyta/Julianne as the final 3!

Who do you think?

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