There are already rumors flying around about the cast of season 11 of Dancing With the Stars (Lindsay Lohan, Troy Aikman, NJ Housewives, to name a few, and I will be reporting on those when I see new ones), but I sat down and thought for a while. Who would I like to see grace the ballroom floor on season 11? There are some usual categories of stars that they put on the show, so I tried to stay within those parameters.
The funny/oddball/comedian: Jason Mewes (Yes he’s funny, unpredictable, obnoxious, on and on. And just what the show needs)
The musician/singer: Harry Connick, Jr. (I know it’s a long shot, but time to do a singer in a genre other than R&B/dance)
The TV star: James Callis (I know he’s doing Eureka on SyFy, but I think he would be fabulous and a great nod to the nerd set who adored him on Battlestar Galactica like I did)
The Gorgeous Male star: James Franco (hey, he did General Hospital, why not DWTS?)
The Octogenarian star: Betty White (nuff said)
The Old School Star: Mayim Bialik (Blossom was so cute when she turned on her video camera and started to dance. She recently got a makeover from the What Not to Wear crew and is ready to be in the spotlight again)
The Pro Athlete/Olympian: Johnny Weir (I liked Evan Lysaceck, but Johnny has much more pizazz and controversy potential)
The ABC Soap Opera Star: Michael E. Knight (Michael’s been on All My Children for-EVAH and I think he’d be fantastic dancing)
The Reality Star: Tom Colicchio (I have always really enjoyed Tom’s dry wit on Top Chef, and it’s time to not have a completely obnoxious reality star on the show. Plus I think he’s cute)
John Travolta
Ewan McGregor
My Never-In-A-Million-Years Picks: John Travolta, Ewan McGregor (John just because it would be amazing to see him dance every week and Ewan because he surprised me so much in Moulin Rouge with his singing I would love to see him dance)
What’d ya think? You like or hate? Got any to add? Let me know!!
Oh YES! It is time once again for the fall season of Dancing With the Stars, and watching the great journeys of some who don’t know how to put one foot in front of the other, and some that do.
Looks like ABC will again be using cross promotion for the announcements in order to get the most coverage, and announcing on the season finale of The Bachelorette (ugh. Sorry Bachelor/ette fans). That means I actually have to watch it. OR–just check in with my east-coast gals on ravelry.com (the lovely ladies on the Dancing With the Stars Group) to get the scoop three hours earlier. I think I’ll opt for the latter.
Watch The Bachelorette season finale on August 30th for the announcements! Partners should be announced on Good Morning America the next day as last season. Then DWTS season 11 premier starts September 20th!!
CORRECTION: I was not accurate about the show the cast will be announced on. It is not The Bachelorette, it’s The Bachelor Pad. Sorry about that!
Lauren and Pasha: Argentine Tango
Choreographer: Miriam Larici and Leonardo Barrionnuevo
Astor Piazzolla: Oblivion (slow and smokey) Oblivion – Piazzolla en Suite
AdeChike and Lauren: African Jazz
Choreographer: Sean Cheesman
Ralph MacDonald: The Path (fun and tribal)
(not available on iTunes or Amazon as download)
Robert and Anya: Viennese Waltz
Choreographer: Jonathan Roberts
Anouk: Lost (pretty song to go with a pretty dance) Lost – Hotel New York
Kent and Neil: Contemporary
Choreographer: Travis Wall
DeVotchKa: How It Ends How It Ends – How It Ends
SPOILER ALERT!
Tonight’s results show was of course extra special not only because not only did we get to see Desmond Richardson dance to The Rolling Stones, but Janelle Monae did a jaw-dropping live performance of “Tightrope”.
So! The finalists for Season 7 of So You Think You Can Dance are:
1. Lauren
2. Kent
3. Robert
Best of luck to AdeChike. I’m looking forward to an exciting Finale next Wednesday. I’ll be watching and blogging!
We’re here, the Top Four before the Finale to crown America’s Favorite Dancer! Let’s get started. Music Recap to follow this post, so if I don’t mention choreographers, don’t worry, I will!
All four start out in a Tyce DiOrio Broadway routine from Guys and Dolls. And they are excited to work with Tyce! This piece was decent, but nobody seemed to really shine in it. I also was constantly distracted by Lauren’s dress which looked like it was unbuttoned in the back, but I figured out it was just the design. This was a complete dud for me, unfortunately. I did like, however having all four of them perform together. Not much commenting from the judges on this one.
Lauren is up next with an Argentine Tango with Sexy Mr. Pasha. Argentine Tango is my favorite ballroom dance, so I’m anticipating this one. This dance is slow, so it’s deceptively simple (it is NOT, btw). It’s very smoldering, intricate, intense and long moments are taken. The one moment where lifts her up in a sweeping motion and her legs work a little dance was simply exquisite. Lauren does very well in this, I think, but I have to say Pasha is the eye catcher for me, just because he’s Pasha. He really gives on the dance floor.
We look back on where Lauren was before she started SYTYCD, and I didn’t realize she was SOOOOO young! I thought she was at least 23 or something. I give her even more props for growing up on the spot and being mature beyond her years.
AdeChike takes the stage next with All-Star Lauren for an Afro-Jazz number. I instantly love their outfits, that terra cotta color looks so great on them. The song is very interesting and tribal. Unfortunately, other than the beginning moments, this was a low-key dance for me as well, it wasn’t especially sparkly. AdeChike gets the note again to loosen up some more, especially in his back. I just remember his solo to “Woman’s Work” and I don’t agree with that note, but maybe he could let go some more. I didn’t see the celebration that Sean Cheesman’s piece needed here.
Robert gets to do the season’s first Viennese Waltz with Anya. And we get to see Dancing with the Stars’ Jonathan Roberts as a new choreographer! Yea! I love the dragging splits move. Once again, my opinion is that Robert actually LOOKS like a ballroom dancer. He also looks somehow older in this piece, more mature. I really liked this, the movement, the exciting moves that I’ve never seen, really pretty. They also had a great connection, very lovely. Judges marvel at the “straight arm” lift that he did and I realized how hard that was. Robert is good at ballroom!
Taking a look back at Robert, he really loves his mom and Step Dad. He also lives with Season 6′s Channing in North Hollywood and it’s fun to see them move all the furniture back and dance in their apartment.
Next, Kent gets a Dori Sanchez Disco with Courtney. Yea! I think there’s only been one disco routine this season and I’ve missed it dearly. Dori knows how to do it hard, hard, hard and fast, fast, fast, so I am anxious to see how Kent copes. There needs to be fun, party and hot moves for sure. I have to really admit that Kent is a good partner, very very strong for a smaller guy. This is a much slower Dori Disco than I’m used to and I’m wondering why! BUT–Kent’s super fast spin with Courtney across his shoulders is jaw-dropping. Crazyness! Kent’s comment about not being very big was cute. And Judge Nigel Lithgoe was right, there was no cheesiness from Kent in this dance. Amazing. Mia and Adam thinks it’s his worst performance.
Kent seems to not have changed at all since right before he came to the show, he’s still a ball of crazy energy. And a great dancer.
Lauren is paired with Ade to do a Sean Cheesman Jazz number, and she’s playing the part of a black widow. The lights are too bright again here, as they were for Sean’s first number. This is an interesting Jazz piece, I’ve never seen anything quite like it, mix of African and Jazz and Hip Hop. Lauren was incredible, though, and Ade’s lift of her from her upside down was mind-blowing. Could have used a smidge more sexual chemistry between her and Ade, as Tyce echoes. Nigel proclaims that Lauren will be in the finale. She gets extra points for dancing jazz in heels.
AdeChike and Kathryn are put into a Desmond and Dwight (Complexions) Contemporary piece. Desmond is AdeChike’s inspiration for becoming a dancer. This was a great piece that really showed their love for dance and their enjoyment of dancing together. Who wouldn’t love dancing with Kathryn McCormick? AdeChike is spanked again for not going to the limit of his abilities the whole time. The judges really want more more more from him. But it looks like unless America comes through, he won’t be in the finale.
As we look back on AdeChike, we see that it is not cool to be a male dancer when you come from Brooklyn. Glad he flourished and prospered and did not give up. He’s a doll and he deserves success.
Robert and Dominic pair up for a NappyTabs Hip Hop routine. They play two clowns in a circus who find out they’ve been fired, and it looks like this is a perfect opportunity for Dominic to cut it up and Robert to join. But this is also the “darker side” of clowning! This is super fun and I love the integration of clowns with hip hop, plus the balloon, very cool. Not super technical, but Robert does well. Judges love it and him. Mia loves the “Hip Hop Theater”. I love that term!
Last up, Kent joined Neil in a Travis Wall Contemporary. This is a story of friendship and betrayal. I adore male dances, so this should be good. I really, really loved this piece. It told such a story about friendship and love and what we can do to each other when the degree of love is so high that it can also be as equal the degree of hate. Very heart-wrenching and real and personal from these two dancers (and Travis). Excellent. Kent shows up with all heart and no cheese and inspires Mia to tears (wow). Kent is my late choice for the winner of season seven.
With that said! We move on to the elimination show tonight. Which dancer will NOT make it to the finale? Tune in tonight and find out!
Hey, I’m starting a new feature here on the This Momma Can Dance blog, and that is listing all of the music from the performance shows for So You Think You Can Dance! Complete with the dances performed, choreographers and dancers. I’ll also give you direct links to where you can purchase the music on iTunes or on Amazon.com (no seasrching!). To get started, here’s last week’s Top 6 Show music. I’ll be regularly doing this feature just after my review of the performance show. The links within the post are iTunes, and the block down at the bottom is Amazon’s MP3s. Enjoy!
Lauren and AdeChike: Foxtrot Choreographer: Jean-Mark Genereux and France
Beyonce: Fever Fever – Fever – Single
Billy and Robert: Bollywood Choreographer: Nakul Dev Mahajan
Bombay Dreams Soundtrack: Ganesh Ganesh – Bombay Dreams
So with Jose gone and the surprise of Billy being sent home, what are we in store for tomorrow? Tune in with me and see! I’ll be back with a recap and music lists. Until then!
