Dancing With The Stars: Women's Opening

Debbie Mazar – I agree with Len – good energy, decent footwork if a bit flat. Also, Holy Back Muscles, Batman!! I feel like Debbie is one of those stars who everyone can recognize but no one knows what her name is. She did well, but not memorably so.

Melissa Joan Hart – That smile on her face is so genuine, it makes me really happy. I’ll admit to actually tearing up over how truly joyful she looked….that’s…kind of silly but it was just utterly heart ( or hart, if you’re into puns) warming. To be fair, her foot work was a bit smooshy. But she is incredibly graceful. Clarissa Explains it All was a huge part of my childhood though, so she automatically has me rooting for her!

Mya – good lines, beautiful flowing lines and innately graceful, She did really well (Carrie Anne agreed!) . Also, Wow to the score differences…Len is cranky tonight. She’s good though and I think will definitely take a while to knock off.

Kathy Ireland – When I first heard she was on the show, I could only remember her as ‘the bra lady’. For people who don’t remember who she is, the answer is she’s the designer who makes most of the sports bras you find at Target. Her footwork was kind of mincing, and she clearly had her eyes on his feet, not great at counting (like she said…not good with keeping a beat). I notice that he did a lot of flashy arm moves to try and distract the eye from her, and she was like a dead stick, overly careful. Not terribly impressed.

Natalie Coughlin – The girl can definitely move her hips, I also think she improved a bit as the dance went on and she relaxed more. So far she goes up as the most flexible, (also very athletic, nice back flip). But I’m not as sure about her, she seems to have it, but I just feel like there was something lacking.

Macy Grey – Let me just start by saying that I am biased against Ms. Grey. Having seen various interviews she gave many years ago, I think she has a horrible attitude, and is well….a bitch. Plus, rehearsing while finishing up a tour? Probably not wise. She also just looks angry, in all the initial shots where everyone else looked excited she just looked well…cranky. She’s incredibly stiff, but I’m utterly shocked that this woman even knows how to smile…most of the time she just seems to have her mouth gaping open…I suppose it’s better than a scowl. Come on woman, try at and least PRETEND to be happy. I think Carrie Ann had it right….it’s beautiful in it’s own bizarre way. Wait….why did they blur it out…what did she say!! (points for making Bruno fall over laughing)

Joanna Krupa - Being Derrick’s partner is always tough…because that man is smokin’. But She seemed to do well. Good attitude and decent beat. What the heck is up with those pants?! The chemistry between them is hot! (Even Len agrees!) Probably the best pairing, chemistry wise, of the entire group.

Kelly Osborne – Everyone has been saying that she ‘s the surprise contender and she really is. She has wonderful form and is very graceful. Again, I love that she looks so happy to be there. And Sharon cried! How sweet! (again, I teared up a bit when she ran to her parents for a hug.) She has transformed so beautifully! (not crying…I swear I’m not crying!).


Fox Trot Relay – Natalie, Kathy, Joanna, Debbie – Natalie very graceful, good flow. But again, her facial expression just isn’t there. (Angry swimmer face?) She was much more relaxed in this dance than the salsa. Kathy – she’s stiff and blocky. (In Alli’s words “She continues to be awful’). The judges were nicer than I thought they could have been. Joanna – (seriously what’s up with that hair?). Not bad, but it isn’t really standing out. Not sure who will come out on top – her or Natalie ( I think Natalie). Debbie – she’s looking very careful, and unsure of where her feet are if she can’t see them. But the end was good and she’s certainly high energy.

Cha Cha Cha Relay – Macy, Melissa, Mya, Kelly – very sad food work, but again she does have that sass. She can do the occasional intensely steamy look but the rest of the time se just looks scary. Melissa – again, she’s just so utterly joyous. Good foot work too, precise for a beginner. She did much better in this dance as well, which makes me hope she can stick around for a while. Mya - Tight foot work, she genuinely is one of the best, and is going to be in the running in this season if she can keep it up. Kelly – She looks a little more like her rocker self in this one. Her footwork was a bit stilted in some places, but still quite good, and again she is just so happy, I love it. She’s fantastic. (Also, on a much more cosmetic/silly note, I really liked Kelly and Melissa’s costumes, the other two were not as interesting).

My (sort of) short list: (Knowing that Macy and Ashley have already been eliminated, and would have been in my ‘bottom’ list anyways – though I’m unsure about if it should have been Macy before Kathy)

Will be eliminated ASAP:
Chuck Liddel (hopefully not, I like him but acknowledge he's not terribly good at this)
Tom Delay
Kathy Ireland (horrible to moderate staying power, she may hang around for a few more rounds)

Medium Staying Power:
Mike Irving
Debbie Mazar
Natalie Coughlin (with room for improvement, she’s not out yet).
Melissa Joan Hart

Stars to watch:
Aaron Carter
Mark Dacascos
Donnie Osmond
Louie Vito
Mya
Joanna Krupa
Kelly Osbourne (Mya and Joanna were better, but she was heart warming to watch, and has a large fan base which will give her a boost)

Dancing With The Stars: Men's Premiere

My initial thoughts on Dancing With The Stars, semi-'live' blogging, we're a week or so behind in getting new episodes in London, ;p so bear with me.....

Aaron Carter (Cha Cha Cha)- DIRTY DIRTY BOY! Dude, you need to at least make it through the first week before you try and get it in her pants. I'm sure he'll go far, but he came off as so skeezy that i dont think i'll be rooting for him. He also has dance experience already through performing, so I think that's kind of cheating

Chuck Liddel (Foxtrot) (aka UFC guy) - Okay, he's a little scary, but he's trying, and he really did try and smile...even if he did look a bit like a happy homicidal maniac. I don't think he'll last long, but he gets major points for even getting up there and dancing. Very stiff and clunky, not quite with it, but adorable in that terrifying kind of way. He also did pretty well in the Salsa Relay, and showed signs of loosening up. (Obviously no competition for Donny, but

Mark Dacascos (Cha Cha Cha) - Again, kind of cheating with the martial arts skills, although i think it will lend itself more towards the acrobatic parts and overall fitness than actual footwork skills, ....and okay, they got the Kung Fu thing out of the way, so there is hope. I agree with Len Goodman - Kung Fu does not belong in the Waltz! Here's hoping Lacy doesn't beat the thing dead.

Ashley Hamilton (Foxtrot) - Okay...he's George Hamilton's Kid, and paired with Edyta the naked....I don't even know who this guy is! Also...what the hell kind of song did they chose? Again, stiff and sort of uncoordinated, but he's also just...not interesting to watch, and has little to no following, I don't think he'll last. (looks like the Judges agree with me, technically correct, but no showmanship, he does get points for coming to this after having spent a year in a wheel chair due to various accidents though)

Donny Osmond (Foxtrot) – Sibling Rivalry…awesome, and he’s adorable when he turns pink over the “intimate holds”. He’s definitely got the showmanship, and actually looks like he’s actually enjoying this (and isn’t just counting the steps!), which helps to overshadow his technical errors. Good potential.

Louie Vito (Fox Trot) – Alright, I’ll admit I was on the phone for this one so I didn’t get as good a look, but decent footwork, great smile.

Michael Irvin (Fox Trot) - For me, a lot of time the attitude and the body language can compensate for poor technical quality and given the skill of other competitors so far, unless he improves dramatically I don’t think he’ll beet Jerry!.

Tom Delay ( Cha Cha Cha) – I don’t think I will ever recover from seeing him shake his bottom in rehearsal. Ever… BUT, you gotta give him credit, for a supposedly stodgy republican, he is certainly willing to take the mickey out of himself.

Salsa Relay - Ashley, Chuck, Donny and Louie – Really, with Louie and Donny in there the other two didn’t stand a chance. But Ashely was even worse than he was in the original. On the other hand, I think Chuck really improved from his earlier dance

Viennese Waltz Relay - Aaron, Mark, Tom and Michael - Aaron is looking slightly less polished on this one, a few more stumbles, Mark has definitely got the ‘mrow sexy’ part down, Tom Delay was adorable, very gentlemanly….Cheryl is thankfully not trying to make him look ridiculous and having him act like a younger man. He also gets the award for best sportsmanship I think. Michael moved much more gracefully in this, and is more graceful over all, rather than just exuberant but messy.I like his approach though “I’m just here, that’s enough”.