Dancing with the Stars /
Dance War: Bruno vs. Carrie Ann

I'm Already Obsessed With Dance War!

Maks Takes it Back -- He Will Stay on Dancing with the Stars

Are Dancing with the Stars' Helio and Julianne Dating?

Helio Castroneves Races to Victory on Dancing with the Stars

The Idol Thoughts Dancing with the Stars Endorsement Goes To...

Jane Seymour Waltzes Out of Dancing with the Stars

Dancing with the Stars Top 6: Rankings and Elimination Prediction

Dancing Shocker: Cheetah Girl Sabrina Bryan Eliminated!

Dancing with the Stars Top 7: Rankings and Elimination Prediction

Money Can't Buy You Everything: Mark Cuban Eliminated from Dancing with the Stars

Dancing with the Stars Top 9: Rankings and Elimination Prediction

Wayne Newton Sent Packin' on Dancing with the Stars

Dancing with the Stars Top 10: Who Will Be Eliminated Tonight?

Youtube Encore: Sabrina Bryan's Jazzy Jive on Dancing with the Stars

Dancing with the Stars Top 10: Rankings and Recap

Dancing with the Stars Top 11: Who Will Be Eliminated Tonight?

Youtube Encore: Helio Castrovenes' Fiery Mambo on Dancing with the Stars

Dancing with the Stars Top 11: Rankings and Recap

Who Will Be The Next Celeb Eliminated on Dancing with the Stars?

Bye Bye Josie: Model First Eliminated from Dancing with the Stars

Dancing with the Stars Top 12: Overall Rankings and Elimination Prediction

Dancing with the Stars Top 6 Men: Rankings and Recap

Youtube Encore: Sabrina Bryan's Dancing with the Stars Cha Cha Cha

Dancing with the Stars Top 6 Women: Rankings and Recap

Dancing with the Stars Pros Get Hitched

Dancing with the Stars Contestant is a Model -- And Gorgeous!!

Drew Lachey to Host Dancing with the Stars Spin-Off

Dancing with the Stars Season 5 Contestants Officially Announced

Ten Best Dancing with the Stars Pairs of All Time

Apolo Anton Ohno Skates to Victory on Dancing with the Stars

Dancing with the Stars Finale Performance Recap: Fight to the Finish

Who Should Win Dancing with the Stars? Who Will Win?

Ian Ziering Waltzes Out: Dancing with the Stars Results

Dancing with the Stars Top 4: Wow!

Billy Ray Cyrus Two Steps Out of the Competition

Dancing with the Stars Top 5: Dance Like a Butterfly

John Ratzenberger Eliminated from Dancing with the Stars

Twice as Nice: Dancing with the Stars Top 6 Performances

Heather Mills Disabled from the Competition

Ay Carumba: Dancing with the Stars Top 7 Performances

Heather Mills Disabled From The Competition

In yet another bloated Dancing with the Stars results show, there were very few highlights, and many more questions. Among the more pressing inquiries:

-Despite how adorable Julianne's brother is, is it not a bit creepy to see a brother and sister do a sexy Latin dance together?

-How lame was it to see the Dreamgirls dancers lip synching? I mean, really? And are we supposed to believe it is a coincidence that the dancers were featured on the show the same week the DVD is released?

-Could those Jimmy Kimmel sketches be any more annoying?

-Is the clip package about how "goofy" the contestants are during rehearsals the most pointless film clip of the season thus far? (This one I'm going to answer -- yes!)

As for the elimination, it is a bit of a disappointment to see Heather go -- she really was an inspiration, and her pluck and determination were fun to watch. And who really wants to see John Ratzenberger perform again? Not I, said the fly.

Ah well.

Ay Carumba: Dancing with the Stars Performances

It's Monday night, which can only mean one thing -- it's time for some cheese-tastic Dancing with the Stars. Here we go...

Joey and Kym
Do I detect a bit of homophobia in all of this talk about Joey Fatone and "masculinity"? A little ironic, don't you think, considering Dancing with the Stars is hands down the campiest show on television. As for the dancing, I thought Joey was great -- entertaining, sharp, even a bit sexy (who ever thought I'd be saying that about the Fat-one, who, come to think of it, should perhaps now be referred to as Not-So-Fat-One).
My Score: 9

Heather and Jonathan
I gotta say, seeing Heather fall last week only made me like her more. And how 'bout that, um, cleavage this week? Where did those come from? I can't say I loved the performance (it was a bit sloppy), but I do have respect for the lady.
My Score: 7

John and Edyta
First off, Edyta's body is sick. I have to agree with Carrie Ann -- it was cute. Not good, per se, but, yes, it was cute. Having said that, I'm ready for him to go -- he just doesn't have the chops to keep up with the likes of Joey, Ian, and Apolo, and he's not as charming as George Hamilton or even Jerry Springer. It is, however, good to see that Norm came out to support Cliff Clavin.
My Grade: 6

Laila and Max
I love that Laila has brought her competitive spirit to this competition, and that she shows that desire to win while still maintaining a sense of joy while she is dancing. I loved seeing that funky breakdown at the end, and I'm glad that Laila is so committed that she wants to make sure her own flavor is represented in the final product. I'm liking Laila more and more every week.
My Grade: 9

Billy Ray and Karina
There is no denying that Billy Ray is adorable, but that certainly didn't look like and jive that I have ever seen. It looked more like a kind kinda stumbling all over the stage. Will his charm save him another week? I'm guessing yes.
My Grade: 6

Apolo and Julianne
Every week I fall a little deeper in lust with Apolo. The boy is hot! And he certainly knows how to move his hips! I was a little creeped out by all the brother/sister/lady's bedroom talk, but I'm willing to overlook that because I enjoyed the performance so much. And Julianne is providing some serious competition for Cheryl Burke in terms of who my favorite professional is. Another winner from Apolo.
My Grade: 9

Ian and Cheryl
Ian does something that Joey, Apolo and even Billy Ray don't do -- he takes himself too seriously. If he would just relax and have a little bit of fun, his performances would improve tremendously. As is, he's solid, but he's didn't exactly blow my mind. Eh.
My Grade: 7

The Swing
Wow. That was a big hot mess. A fun hot mess, but a hot mess nonetheless. Props to Joey and Kym, who had the best lift by far, and Laila and Apolo, which literally made me laugh out loud. I can't say any of them came off as skilled dancers, but it was pretty entertaining to watch.


The Latin dances are definitely my favorite, and the celebrities didn't disappoint tonight, with Joey, Laila, and especially Apolo the highlights . While Billy Ray probably gave the weakest performance of the evening, and Ian could possibly get sent home, I'm guessing it's John Ratzenberger who will get the boot. Guess we'll see...

Apolo Steals The Show: Dancing with the Stars Performances

>Every time I begin to get frustrated with some of the tedious ways American Idol is produced, Monday night rolls along and I am reminded that it could be so much worse. The production values on Dancing with the Stars are an embarrassment for any show, let alone one that rakes in as many viewers (and advertising dollars) as this one. From the "technical mishaps" (which occur every week when the camera is focused on someone and the name is off), terrible hosts (Bergeron is fine but that Samantha Harris gets on my last nerve) to the horrible band (that rendition of "Hips Don't Lie"? Really?), the way this show is produced is shameful.

Just had to get that off my chest.

On to the performances:

Ian and Cheryl
Oh Ian, don't you know that real men shimmy? I do love it when they fight on this show, I must say, and it was a little cute (just a little) that Ian was so concerned that they make up. The Broadway star (thanks Nick for the reference) shakes his hips pretty well, but the performance is kind of a mess.
My Grade: 7

Clyde and Elena
Clyde's video clip certainly didn't assuage Len's concern that Clyde isn't putting much effort into this competition. Fine, I understand honoring a prior commitment -- as far as I'm concerned, send Clyde to China for good. The guy's got no place in this competition.
My Grade: 4

Heather and Jonathan
I have a confession to make -- I kinda forgot that Heather only had one leg until about 1/2 way into her performance, that's how entertained I was. Crazy, right? That was a pretty darn good performance, slip and all. Color me impressed.
My Grade: 8

Joey and Kym
I hate Carrie Ann and Len. Joey is clearly a solid enough guy that he is not threatened to acknowledge that he and the openly gay Lance Bass are tight, and then, directly following a segment where Lance taught him how to be sexy and a dance where he lost his girl to Lance, they go and call him feminine? First of all, expect Rosie to call them homophobic on tomorrow's The View, and second of all, they are wrong. That dance was hot.
My Grade: 9

John and Edyta
Watching John dance is a little heartbreaking. He's certainly trying hard (much harder than Clyde, that's for sure), but he just isn't pulling it off. The judges clearly felt badly for their "schoolyard taunting" (good for John for calling them out on that) and overpraised him a bit. I wouldn't be surprised if he's the next to go.
My Grade: 5

Laila and Max
I kinda have a crush on Laila's husband. You gotta be a real man to be with a woman as though as Laila. The dance was solid but left me a little cold, save for that one move toward the end where she moved up the length of his body -- that was hot. Not as good as the judges said it was, but solid nonetheless.
My Grade: 8

Apolo and Julianne
Every week I like Apolo a little more and more. And is it just me, or does he keep getting cuter and cuter as well? His dancing is a bit sloppy, but he's so adorable and has such an infectious energy it is hard not to smile ear-to-ear while he's performing. And this, from an athlete! Not worthy of the not-so-elusive "three10's," but by far my favorite performance of the night.
My Grade: 9

Billy Ray and Karinna
I love Billy Ray's commitment to the show, and I love the line "this does seem like the kind of dance you would want to do in the dark". Genius. The dance however, was pretty embarrassing. It looked like he just spun around in a few circles! He was just standing there! Almost worse than Clyde, but so much more likable.
My Grade: 5

My favorite performance of the evening was definitely Apolo and Julliane, with Joey and Kym a close second. Billy Ray and Clyde tie for worst of the evening, but I'm guessing it is John who will become the first man voted off this year's show. Stay tuned for tomorrow's results show extravaganza, complete with a performance from Lisa Rinna of "Roxie" from the musical "Chicago." Should be a good time.

Stumblin' Around: Dancing WIth the Stars Performance Recap

Appearing on Dancing with the Stars has got to be a little mortifying for the "celebrities" -- they are performing in front of millions of people, doing something they are not trained at, and then on top of that, they are subjected to scathing criticism from the judges and soul-killing eliminations. Having said that, it was so much fun to watch their faces as Len chastised them for only training 13 hours a week, instead of the 19 hours last year's crew was averaging. A sheepish Ian Ziering and Joey Fatone makes me happy, what can I say?

On to the performances...

Laila and Max
I like Laila a lot -- this performance, not so much. When I think of the paso doble (and, truth be told, I don't think of it often, except when I'm watching this show...or So You Think You Can Dance) I think of Cheryl and Drew sensational "Thriller" from Season 2, or Mario and Karina's thrilling performance from last year. This paso was just, well, passable -- Laila can do better.
My Grade: 7

Apolo and Julianne
I'm not gonna lie, I totally have a crush on Apolo. He's adorable! And this waltz was impressive -- sophisticated, romantic, and even a bit fiery (for a waltz, at least). It wasn't the most elegant waltz I've ever seen on the show, but it was solid and very entertaining. I'd definitely like to see more of Apolo -- in more ways than one!
My Grade: 9

Leeza and Tony
If Apolo is this year's B-grade Mario Lopez, Leeza is this year's B-grade Lisa Rinna. Props for that body -- girl is lookin' good -- but like Lisa, while Leeza certainly tries hard, unfortunately for her her dancing looks more awkward than accomplished. After a Bottom 2 showing last week, and very low scores from the judges, Leeza is definitely in danger of elimination.
My Grade: 6

Ian and Cheryl
I really wish they would clarify how Ian earned the title of "Broadway star" -- can someone fill me in as to what show he's been in? Was there a "90210: The Musical" that I don't know about? As for the dance (to a song I had never heard before sung horribly by the band), it was solid, but I can't say I found it tremendously inspiring. Cheryl Burke, however, is always inspiring -- the girl is a star.
My Grade: 7

John and Edyta
It's a bit disorienting to see Cliff Clavin being so humorless -- he's shown glimpses of real personality this season, but tonight was pretty much a disaster. Edyta, however, was gorgeous, and showed Leeza and Laila what a female dancing the paso doble is supposed to look like. John's adorable mother will probably earn him a few votes, but truth be told, I wouldn't be sad to see him go.
My Grade: 5

Clyde and Elena
Unfortunately for Clyde, Jerry Rice and especially Emmitt Smith set the bar very high for athletes-turned-dancers. Unlike those two, not only does Clyde not having an innate sene of rythym, he also doesn't seem very into the whole competition (much to the chagrin of his partner). He didn't embarrass himself, per se, but there is just not much joy in his performance. Get this guy outta here.
My Grade: 5

Billy Ray and Karina
Ay, Karina, with the drama. Everyone on this show needs to chill out a bit -- it's Dancing with the Stars, people, not the quest for the cure for cancer. It's not hard to like Billy Ray -- he certainly is trying hard. Unfortunately, effort (or a smokin' hot partner) does not a dancer make. Stumbling all over the place, this was less a paso doble then a big, fat, sloppy mess. A charming mess, though, nonetheless.
My Grade: 6

Heather and Jonathan
Coming in to this season, I thought I couldn't care less about Heather Mills. As far as I was concerned, she was on the show simply for tabloid fodder's sake, and I had no interest in that. But I gotta say, she is amazing! I thought this was the best waltz of the night, one leg or not. Her extension was fantastic, and those spins were beautiful. And the judges are right -- her partner creates beautiful choreography and is a perfect match for her. Nice work, Heather!
My Grade: 8

Joey and Kim
Wow, it really makes me feel old that Joey Fatone has a 7-year old daughter. Wow. And Lance Bass in the audience, meaning 2/5 of 'nsync is in da house. What, Justin Timberlake was too busy to attend? I was a bit less enthused by the performance than the judges were (a 10, Carrie Ann? Really?), but there is no denying that Joey has a stronger fundamental sense of rythym and movement than any of his competitors. Due to his experience, however, I expected more.
My Grade: 8

Overall I'd say this was a pretty unexciting evening of dancing, with nary a thrilling performance in the bunch. I'd give my "best in show" honors to Apolo, with Joey a close second. As for who's gonna go, I wouldn't be surprised to see Clyde or John get the boot, but I'm predicting we've seen the last of Leeza Gibbons. Think she can convince Mary Hart to do to show next season?

Idol Thoughts on Dancing with the Stars 3/19

I have to say, I wasn't much looking forward to this season of Dancing with the Stars. I'm already deep into American Idol, I've got Amazing Race, Survivor, and Top Model, and it seems like the last season just ended, so do I really have time to invest in another reality show? Plus, Dancing has never been one of my favorites -- I much prefer So You Think You Can Dance (love it!) Don't get me wrong, I do like the show, it just usually takes me a few weeks to warm up and get into it.

So, I sat down to watch the show almost reluctantly. And lo and behold, it was entertaining. From the get-go. Like, really entertaining. I wouldn't have thought it from just looking at their names, but it's a really interesting group of people this year (and I'm not just talking about Heather Mills, who I thought I could care less about but actually found riveting). And somehow their dancing was more fun to watch this time than in years past this early in the season. Go figure.

So, I guess it's added to the list of reality shows. One more won't kill me, right? Right?

A few thoughts on tonight's show:

• I loved his performance, but is it really fair that Joey Fatone is in this competition? He danced for practically 6 years straight in 'nsync, in front of huge audiences. I smell a ringer. On a related note, I LOVE that Kim called him Joey Fat-one. Classic.


• Laila Ali is gorgeous, and she danced beautifully, but there is no way that girl is not on steroids. No female's voice is that low. There's no mistaking those breasts as belonging to anyone else but a woman, though. She certainly knows how to wear a dress.


• How much plastic surgery has Leeza Gibbons had done? Kinda scary.


• Apolo Anton Ono is the cutest! And he was a good dancer, to boot. I think I've got me a favorite...