Ok. Classic Television happened on Sunday evening with the 2010 MTV Movie Awards. Who’s idea was it to have Les Grossman, Tom Cruise’s alter ego from Tropic Thunder “produce” the show? Utter Genius. To have Les dance a full number with none other than JLo? Uber Genius.
Who knew Tom could dance THAT well? I mean, I knew he could move, but huh? Plus, he’s probably got 15-20 lbs of makeup and padding and prosthetics on to boot. What a guy. What a dance number.
There are only four couples left in season 10 of Dancing With the Stars: Erin and Maks, Cheryl and Chad, Evan and Anna and Nicole and Derek. I was very sad to see Niecy go, as she was definitely the highlight of this season and really fun to watch crack jokes. But onward!
Last night there were two rounds, the Ballroom Round and the Latin Round. In the Latin Round, each star will be doing their own solo! This is always fun to watch to see if they can really let go and get loose in the face of live TV and millions of viewers (I would certainly be hard-pressed to).
First up was Erin and Maks with their Viennese Waltz. Man, that girl can do amazing things with those legs, really pretty extension. And although I really didn’t care for her dress/pantsuit, it certainly made her legs look even longer. Unfortunately, I think she was super nervous (you see her say that at the end of the dance), she had a chronic issue with trembling ankles. Judges’ Scores 9-9-9 (well, if you don’t include Bruno Tonioli’s “premature” 10 paddle).
Next was Nicole and Derek’s Argentine Tango. Hot, sexy, sharp, passionate, amazing. Really fun to watch and well danced! And the walk down the stairs with her legs wrapped around his was really awesome. Oh yeah, and the move where he lifted her up on his FOOT. This was really a master-choreographed piece. I am going to call Derek out for using the same stag lift move that he used with Lil Kim, though. It’s the first time I have ever seen him re-use a really specific move. Good one, though! Judges’ Scores: 10-10-10
Chad and Cheryl were next with a rather nice and different Waltz. This guy has improved a LOT, and is now able to use that fantastic body of his to the fullest and lengthen and show off those lines. Plus he has an amazing smile and beautiful skin, oh, and that light pink color looks great against it. Ooh, I kinda just fell in love with him there! The did really nicely. Judges’ Scores: 9-9-9
Evan and Anna are next with a Foxtrot. It’s time for Evan to open up a little bit and show some real personality and boy doe he come out of the gate with it with the beginning of this foxtrot. Lots of clicking the heels four feet off the floor! Their dance is peppy, cute and just fantastic and full of chemistry. It’s like this is a new version of Evan, very sparkly (which is a perfect description for a figure skater). Judges’ Scores: 10-9-10
That’s it for the Ballroom round, next up is the Latin round with (dum dum dum) SOLOS. And along with these solos, the stars get to be even more vulnerable with a personal interview. Hmmmmm.
Erin and Maks are first. Erin talks about her childhood and being very tall and skinny, and her fast track onto national ESPN. Then she found out she had a stalker. I thought it was very interesting that she talked about this event (THE video), I actually thought it would have been better to not bring it up. But she was brave to talk about it, good for her.
Their latin dance is a creative Paso Doble. I liked her costume, how the skirt was wrapped up in a top at first and then revealed later on. Her solo was pretty good, she definitely committed to the movement. The Paso as a whole was really fresh, I thought, although non-traditional as Len pointed out. Who cares? Anything to inject new life into the Paso.
Judges’ Scores: 10-9-10
Nicole and Derek are next. Nicole talks about her origins in Hawaii, and being one of 14 in a small house, then moving to Kentucky when her mom met her new husband. She of course didn’t look like anyone in the town, and threw herself into the performing arts to stand out even more!
They do a super cha cha cha to “Kiss” by Prince. She’s even dressed up like him with a purple jacket and “puffy shirt”. Very cheeky, very cute and very well done. Another great piece of choreography by Derek. Her solo was great, but that is her forte, so I felt like it was second nature for her. Judges’ Scores: 10-9-10
Chad and Cheryl are up next. Chad says his first words were “child, please.” His father was in prison and his mother raised him alone. He grew up in a very urban, dangerous community. Football was his outlet, and served him very well. His friends and family talk about how hard DWTS has been for him, and he was surprised at how hard.
Their dance is a Samba. Chad doesn’t let anything hold him back and really enjoys himself out there, especially during his solo. and he has amazing skin. He had the hardest Latin dance and he did well. Big charisma from this guy. Judges’ Scores: 8-8-9
Evan is last. He talks about his Grandmother buying him skates because she wanted to be in the Ice Capades. Once he discovered he could go fast he fell in love. He discovered the lure of competition early on and that he had to work harder to be better. And he’s shy (that we knew). And he’s a great learner (definitely).
Their dance is the Paso Doble to that great Evanescence song. With all the leaps and posing, it’s a cinch that this would be a great dance for Evan. He comes out the box kicking like a wild horse and we really see the skating training come out. But it doesn’t overshadow the dance. Great blend of the Paso and his native abilities. Dramatic kiss at the end! Very well done and big commitment from him. Judges’ Scores: 10-10-10
The Results are TONIGHT!! Who will make it to the Finals? Tune in with me and find out. Try not to bite your nails too much..
I don’t know if anyone remembers watching the movie Napoleon Dynamite for the first time. I remember sitting in the dirty, small AMC theater in the Burbank Town Center Mall (this was the only theater that was showing it at the time) and laughing at the odd comedy. I also was thinking that I knew at least a couple of people exactly like Napoleon in my little High School in Kansas growing up (you know who you are out there). The other thing that I thought, reluctantly, was that there was a little Napoleon in ME. WHAT???
This is such an interesting character that was developed by Jon Heder and Jared and Jerusha Hess. An outsider, an introvert, sometimes a jerk, bullied, pushed around, abused, and just weird. But he also loves fantasy, is creative, befriends the new guy, is unaware that he’s really that much of a dweeb, and willing to take risks and just show what he’s got.
Then comes the true surprise in the last 10 minutes of the film. The SKIT. When Pedro’s opponent for student body president, Summer, does her dance/sign language ditty, I’m thinking “what does this have to do with a school election?” Come on, what high school election was EVER based on platforms and NOT popularity? None of the ones in my school, that’s for sure. Pedro is done for. No one even told him there was a “skit”.
Napoleon to the rescue. With no second thought, with no thought at ALL (add dependable friend to the list above), he gives his audio tape to the stage manager and steps out in front of the crowd.
My jaw was literally on the floor as I sat in the theater. And the music? “Canned Heat” by Jamiroquai. Singularly one of the most danceable songs out there (and also used in the fun dance romp “Center Stage”). Nothing will endear you more to me personally than just letting it all hang out and really having a moment of pure enjoyment for yourself while you move your body. And that dance is completely improvised. Jon is not a trained dancer nor was he helped by any pro. But you can tell dancing comes very naturally to him. Those loose hips are sometimes very hard to teach (watch any first time dancers on DWTS), and he’s got them in spades. I wanted to stand up and scream at the end, and when the auditorium crowd does just that after a long pause, you feel completely vindicated for loving Napoleon and his original dance.
Five couples are left on Season 10 of Dancing With the Stars:
Niecy and Louis
Nicole and Derek
Evan and Anna
Erin and Maks
Chad and Cheryl
Three couples stand out (ability-wise) as shoo-ins for the semis:
Nicole and Derek
Evan and Anna
Erin and Maks
It is really up in the air for the last spot. Who will survive the cut tomorrow night? As much as I love Niecy, she may just not make it based on her performances. Chad as well. BUT–who knows?? Last season I wished and hoped (and voted) and got my “dream finals”. Anything can happen with a big enough fan base holding their phones in their hands.
This week the stars learned two whole routines with their pros. Tonight was split up into the Ballroom round and the Latin round. The Latin round was to have it’s own slant: the couples drew decades out of the hat to see how they had to theme their Latin dance: 50s, 60s, 80s, 90s and Future (why no 70s?).
Each of the pros sized up each of the stars in segments before the rounds. This was great, I thought, and seemed candid and sometimes a bit harsh with the truth. What was great to hear from the pros mouths was not only notes on technique and precision, but heart, enjoyment, emotion and connection. I like hearing the pros opinions, and this is a segment that you would probably have not seen the first few seasons. The pros are now stars in their own right, and their opinion matters.
Tonight the dancing for most of the couples seemed to be a “two steps forward, one step back” kind of round. Last week was really fabulous all around, but this week seemed to lack a bit.There were three absolute standout dances this evening, and two of them were from the same couple. While everyone worked very hard, I’m going to focus on these three.
Even though they were in the bottom two last week, Erin and Maks’ Argentine Tango really sizzled. And yet Another dress that I’m totally stealing for my tango. The leap and catch off the stage into the upside-down extention was truly dazzling. Beautiful lines and very passionate hold. She just needs to stop making that funny pursing-thing with her lips to approximate anger. I know she’s capable of real emotion, huh? One thing for sure, those two are really good at the double-entendre (“Just jump on me woman!”).
I’m pretty sure we’re in for three more weeks of Nicole completely freaking out about every dance during rehearsals. If I were Derek, I would be pulling out my hair. Nicole, Nicole, Nicole. Let yourself off the hook puh-leeze. We get it that this is not easy for you. And we totally get that you want it to be good–perfect. And you care–LOTS. Bonus points, baby. Just check out this light, funny, charming and cute Foxtrot, full of chemistry and excellent precision dancing.
So that’s the first two stand out dances for me tonight. The second round, the Latin “decades” round is something that I can’t quite fathom and I’m wondering if the execs should just chuck it. I can’t remember it working that well last year, either. I just don’t think that trying to “force” a specific dance into a specific time period just doesn’t actually work. Well, Chad’s seemed to work. But then–a stroke of genius.
When Nicole drew 50s from the hat, Derek stood there, dumbfounded. How in the hell were they supposed to meld the 50s with the Paso Doble? It wouldn’t work. I had an idea that they could do it like the “cool beatniks” in all black and shades, that might work. But what they came up with was just pure brilliance, and at the same time revived the usual tired and overwrought dance that is the Paso.
So it was an interesting night to say the least. And the couple that originally I did not embrace for being a ringer are now fully in my heart. Will my underdog favorite make it into the semi-finals and beyond? We’ll find out tomorrow on the Results show (cross your fingers)!
I have to say, this was a pretty darn exciting night on Dancing With the Stars–and the Finals are only three weeks away! This week along with their individual dances the stars and their partners had to team up for the “Cha Cha Challenge” and put together group dances to wow the audiences and get an extra possible 30 points to add to their score.
Erin and Maks are up first with a pretty fancy and cute quickstep–in hot pink, no less. Her dress looked pretty dazzling. Oh, and Maks always looks fiiiiine. Their quickstep was fun and engaging, this is never an easy dance to make look great. I just wish in rehearsals they would stop nagging each other, it’s getting old. Len Goodman declares it’s Erin’s best dance to date. Judges’ Scores: 9-9-9
Chad and Cheryl pull out a pretty interesting Waltz this week. Chad gets an extra bonus with Tony Develani coming in to coach him, lucky him! However, they both look like they’re dressed for a Rumba as the music starts. But Chad comes out leading with grace and finesse. This is I think technically his best dance so far, aside from the Tango last week. But the Waltz is a whole other ball game and he really did well. Judges’ Scores: 8-9-8
Nicole and Derek also do a Waltz this week, to the sappiest song in creation, “You Light Up My Life”. But what a Waltz it is, very standard and traditional, with difficult choreography. Derek always knows how to wow. This was so pretty and graceful. The judges were very picky with her, even after Carrie Ann declares that she’s the best dancer they’ve ever had on the show. I guess the better you are the pickier they can be (that’s usually the way it is). Judges’ Scores:9-9-9
Pam and Damien are up next with their Waltz. And I’m super disappointed in this, it’s just unfortunately…boring. I feel like shaking my finger at Damian for not challenging her more, she’s so up to it. Too bad. Judges’ Scores: 8-8-8
Niecy and Louis are next and I have to say that if Niecy doesn’t make it to the finals I am SO going to miss her comic relief and light-heartedness. The show really needs it when the stars tend to take things too seriously (when you’re invested in something that makes you vulnerable it tends to make you serious, folks). This week they do a Quickstep. Mid-rehearsal Louis gets caught texting Kelly Osbourne and Niecy lays claim to her partner, telling him to put down the phone. Niecy is light, quick-footed, smooth and full of mirth in this fantastic dance. Plus she looks absolutely gorgeous (as she always does). Well done to the both of them on her best dance so far. Folks, let’s keep her out of the bottom two! Niecy is so excited about continuing to dance. Judges’ Scores: 9-8-8
Evan and Anna do the only Argentine Tango of the evening, and they are working super hard with him to not “submit” to the woman in this dance. He has to be sharp and not lyrical. Anna is demanding perfection from him and as an Olympic gold medalist, he can deliver. They do their Tango to “Bust Your Windows”, which is a fabulous choice with the tango thump behind it. Anna wears the most awesome dress ever that I am stealing when I do my Tango with my hubby. Love the black/gold sparkles in the stripes on the top into the velvet short, angled skirt and the big flowers at the hip and the side bun. Really stunning! Evan pulls out all the stops and turns in an amazing performance, full of force, passion, power, aggression and sex. Great chemistry between these two and a hot Argentine Tango. Judges’ Scores: 10-10-10!
Next up are the team cha cha cha dances. I have to hand it to the teams, these were really fantastic this year, and measurably conducted more professionally than last year. Plus, they waited to do this until there were 6 couples instead of 7 and have lop-sided teams. Dancing in teams like this is so hard, especially dancing in synch, much like singing in unison is so hard. If you’re off a little bit everyone can see it. You could really tell that the teams enjoyed working together and it also showed in their performances.
First was team GaGa: Nicole and Derek, Pam and Damian and Chad and Cheryl. This is great and for Nicole’s first cha cha, she hits it out of the park. Chad is super good as well. Pam unfortunately looks a tad lost, like she couldn’t remember her steps. Overall, this is a sex-y dance with 6 really sexy people. Judges’ Scores: 9-9-9
Last was team Madonna: Niecy and Louis, Evan and Anna and Erin and Maks. They get to do their cha cha to “Holiday”, which is a party song if there ever was one. And the costumes! I had to laugh out loud at the Madonna circa 1984 look with lace, bustier and bows. Really super fab, and so different on each girl. My pick for the winner is absolutely team Madonna for sheer fun, great moves and even better concept. Well done to them. Judges’ Scores: 8-8-8 (boo)
What an exciting night! Who has to go home tomorrow? I don’t want to see anyone go home… Tune in tomorrow!
