The ladies are doing Rhumba.

Interesting tidbit - the world latin champion for thirteen years (a pretty much unheard of length of time) didn't dance with his shirt tucked in. It's actually in the rules now that your shirt has to be tucked in for amateur competition, because of Donnie. I'd give P a pass on that, and even on the shoes, if he'd just lose the hat.

I haven't gone back to the tapes to confirm, but I think that Len is willing to "count" material not in pure closed hold, but in shadow or even side-by-side, if it actually is requiring the dancers to maintain balance and their relationship. (Shadow is basically just like closed hold with the lady facing the same way as the man - the technique of balance, posture, and connection is almost unchanged). It's the stuff like all the poses and the completely separated actions that really bugs him.

Was it ever reported who Anna's partner was going to be last year? I heard rumors about a supposed seventh contestant for the first season, but never who it was supposed to be.

While I'm sorry Kenny's gone (he made me laugh), I can't fuss too much, since i didn't vote last week. If I had, he wouldn't have gotten any of my votes.

But Tia would have. I really believed that Tia was in the top two waltzes - she floated the best of all the dancers, and carried me a little to fantasyland, which I think is the mark of a beautiful waltz. So this week, I just might vote.

How very... The Apprentice. Separating the celebs along gender lines seems odd to me, but that may be coming from having watched three seasons of Aussie DWtS where, basically, the couples get put into one side of the draw which dictates what dances you do in the first four weeks. The couples alternate between Latin and Ballroom week to week.

You get the fast side (Cha Cha, Quickstep, Jive, Foxtrot) if you are young and fit and the slow side (Waltz, Rumba, Tango, Paso Doble) if you are less fleet of foot (or the producers think you may be incompetant and want to keep you in the competition). Then everyone does Samba in Week 5.

So next week they're doing Quickstep and Rumba? Awesome. Those are my two favorite dances.

The dancing with the stars website clearly states that the dancers are doing American Smooth waltzes and foxtrots, but are they doing American or International Rumba?

I find it somewhat amusing that the first ballroom dance they make the guys do is the Quickstep. American Foxtrot or Waltz would probably be easier. I've had (and anticipate) more crashes and hurt feet learning quickstep than any other dance but vwaltz.

I missed the professional exhibitions in the results show when it aired, so I watched them on that blog, and the camera work during Nick and Lena's foxtrot was horrible. They cut away from the dancers more than twenty seconds in the middle of the dance! Bad enough that they cut away to put the camera on Burt Bacharach (we get it, you have to showcase the nice singer who came on your show) but they also spent a great deal of time on the random backup singers, which, the hell?

What pisses me off so much about P is that I didn't see any effort. He said something about Katrina, but I still don't follow how his appearance has anything to do with hurricane relief.

When I first saw him, I figured his clothes were a costume (it had a zoot suit vibe)and that they'd use the clothes during the dance to make a statement. Nope. The only statement I saw was that he doesn't give a flying fuck and seems to think the whole thing is ridiculous. It's kind of an insult to those of us who enjoy the genre.

So, I'm really hoping he gets a kick in the ass next week with his very own not-dancing shoes.

I hate that Master P guy. I really, really do. His half-assed attempts at "dancing" rather pissed me off during the performance show. Plus, his "I won't change because the judges want me to" was just bullshit. I mean, seriously, why the heck did he agree to join, anyway? He annoys me.

But, man, was I so very happy that he wasn't the one eliminated last Friday. Only because I adore Ashly. She's so cute! How I wish Ashly was paired up with someone else. She would have had been wonderful with Drew.

I agree. While I think Len's background is obviously in International Standard, I think his main thing with Staci's waltz was lack of actual partnered waltz content. A significant portion of her waltz was made up of choreography mainly showing off her flexibility, something that doesn't really have much (if anything) to do with the waltz, and wasn't even really set to 3/4 time even.



Quickstep and Waltz is actually about a wash for beginners (they're the standard at most beginners competitions), and with the "spotlight" dancing (only one couple on the floor at a time), there's probably minimal chance of crashing. Foxtrot is much harder. It's considered the most difficult of the ballroom dances by most people. I'm surprised they're making the ladies do Rhumba the second week since (at least where I trained originally) it's considered a more advanced dance.



I think it leveled the playing field somewhat in the first week. The men didn't have to worry so much about providing a solid frame in the cha cha as they would have in waltz. Next week should be interesting, though.

I'm completely new to this show, having missed out on last year mainly because I didn't want to see Trashta on my tv. Can somebody please clue me in as to the difference in all these professionals and why there are so many titles? What does it mean to be a "Latin Rising Star", when the professional is clearly not Latin. Do they choose to only dance Salsa and Cha Cha and the like? And is the title "Rising Star" given to just anybody? Wouldn't anyone with any type of exposure be classified as a rising star?

While I am infatuated with Stacy Keibler, I have found Carrie Anne Inaba also extremely attractive. Who is she? I gather she is from Hawaii and must have some type of formal ballroom training.

"Rising Star" is a specific division in dance competitions, which in very general terms is meant for less-established dancers trying to make a name for themselves in the competition world. My memory is rusty, but I believe once you win the Rising Star title and/or place in the Open (Competition), you are no longer allowed to compete in Rising Star. Someone else can probably give you a more specific definition of Rising Star, but that is what I remember.

While I agree with this, I would add that there are a lot of basic steps a teacher can add into the choreography which fit into the general style of Rumba. There is always a marked difference between the Rumbas we see in week 2 to the ones we see in the latter part of the competition, when the celebrities become more adept at the whole dancing thing.

That is a great comparision - it also reminds me of Alan from So You Think You Can Dance, to a degree. He was basically a one trick pony (hip hop), and was kept around way longer than he should have been, with plenty of ridiculous praise form the judges.

P has been given a second chance - let's see what he does with it. Based on his "movement" last week, I really don't see how he could pull off the Quickstep, and more importantly, how the panel can spin it to encourage him. I only hope Ashley doesn't get trampled on live TV.

Free Ashley!

I totally agree.

Last season, I voted. Last week, I didn't. So I really can't say too much about who was voted off, and who wasn't. That said/admitted, I couldn't stand either one of them...Kenny or MasterP. I didn't find Kenny funny/fun/amusing/entertaining/witty, I found him nothing but annoying. I don't even think he tried, I really don't.

I disliked MasterP for the same reason, because he didn't seem to try AT ALL. But initially I gave him a bit of a pass because I heard that he'd only had 1 week to practice with Ashly because of his son dropping out. I still thought his efforts were pretty bad even for 1 week of practice, but I've never done ballroom dancing, so what do I know? Well, then it started coming out that he'd only chosen to practice ONCE with Ashly, and then when they were (on Fridays show) chosen to stay & Ashly went to hug him...it was SO clear that he was pissed off & not happy about being kept around. I really don't get why he even agreed to do this in the first place. It's baffling. Do his friends think he's cool because he came on & made a mockery of the show? How old is this guy, anyway? 12? Gah.

Ashly's great, and I like her alot. But if P's kept around longer than this week, it's a travesty. And no amount of love/sympathy for Ashly should keep them around & get rid of one of the others, IMO. And I can't help thinking that Ashly would agree (no matter how much she wants to be there).

Anyway, I'm surprised that Jerry & partner didn't place higher. I really thought that they did a good job. Particularly the final 1/2 of the performance. Okay, his partner? Wow. I've got a girl crush on her. Veeeeeerrrrrry suxy. And I loved the combination of his outfit/her outfit. I thought that they looked great together!

You know, it's funny...when I saw Drew (was never a 98 Degrees fan, so had never seen/heard of him before DWtS), all I could think was "Poor kid. He's the poor man's Nick. The brother who didn't get the best of the looks in the family." But then when I saw Nick, I was thinking "But they don't look ALL that different. So what is it that makes me think Nick's pretty hot, and Drew's not?" I still can't quite put my finger on an explanation! They actually look quite similar.

I'm so looking forward to the next show!

I've come to terms with Master Percy's sticking around, because he'll lose whatever street cred he thinks he has when he attempts *cringe* the quickstep this week. He's too lazy to practice (I suspect that was the main problem with Sonny Romeo too), and you can't learn the quickstep in a week. Just look what a hash the non-ballroom dancers from So You Think You Can Dance made of that dance.

Add to that the height difference between Ashly and Percy, and you have a monster disaster coming up. Even Julie Fryer (on the Dutch version of DWTS) had trouble doing standard dances with a partner who towered over her, and she's a much better and more experienced dancer, teacher and choreographer than poor Ashly.

Free Ashly!

Jessica. Having a hot girl next to you makes you look hotter! :) I actually thought Drew was the cuter one when they were both in 98 degrees.

sidwich's answer was right on target, so I'll expound.

In North America, there are four major styles of dancesport (the supposedly new and hip name for competitive ballroom dancing):

International Standard -- that's the "closed hold" thing I talked about a few posts ago, that Len keeps going on about. It encompasses Waltz, Tango, Viennese Waltz, Foxtrot, and Quickstep.

American Smooth -- what we saw the ladies doing last week. Right now it is only really competed in the US and Canada. World Titles for Smooth were only instituted either in 2004 or 2005, I can't quite recall. Anyway, the dances for Smooth are Waltz, Tango, Foxtrot, and Viennese Waltz.

International Latin -- Encompasses Cha Cha, Samba, Rumba, Paso Doble, and Jive.

American Rhythm -- Encompasses Cha Cha, Rumba (but a faster Rumba than in International Latin), Bolero, Swing, and Mambo (also known as "Salsa on 2"). There are technique and style differences between Latin and Rhythm, but they aren't major and they have been debated back and forth for years. Like with Smooth, the World Rhythm title has only existed for about a year or two.

"Rising Star" is a category for up-and-coming competitors. In the US, if a couple wins a Rising Star event at a competition, they can't dance in Rising Star again at that same competition. If they win the National US Rising Star title, they can't dance again in Rising Star anywhere in the US. There are also overseas Rising Star titles (like at the famous competition at Blackpool that everyone heard about in "Shall We Dance?")

I must say that I did notice a certain amount of "title inflation" when the pros were being introduced on "Dancing with the Stars." It's not that anyone was lying, it's just that some of the titles were made to seem more important than they really are at this point. Like, at this point being a World Champion in Smooth or Rhythm is equivalent to being the US Champion -- you know, like how things are in the "World Series" of baseball. Even though there are some Canadian baseball teams (and dance teams who do Smooth and Rhythm), it's still really a US-centric thing.

Major word. No stupid antics, just dancing please. Or, to borrow the phrase from TAR: "DAAAAAAAAAAAAAAANCE!"



The fat baby cheeks? Or the fact that he's the spitting image of Andrew on DH?

You mean, like what most of us do on our resumes?

Personally, what makes me think that Drew's not as cute, is that in certain lights he looks a bit like a young Bobcat Goldthwait. I'm sure that feeling will pass in the coming weeks, though. Boys who can dance are always hotter than other boys.

I didn't like P Miller's attitude of "not going to change for the judges," and I don't think he's as committed to the show as the other contestants. After watching his performance last week, I cried a little inside for Ashly because I liked her a lot last season and I want to see her succeed. That being said, what's done is done. I'd like to see him improve this week. I don't think he's lazy or worthless, at all, he's just not into the show. That may still change. It would be nice to see the competition get to him and inspire him train harder. After all, if the Dec. 16 date is correct for him stepping in for his son, the weeks that he had to train were the week before Christmas, and the week between Christmas and New Year's, plus the three days after. Chances are pretty good that both he and Ashly were a little busier than usual during that time.

In any case, it's early days yet. I'm not a fan of the waltz, or the cha cha, so I'm looking forward to Thursday.

I had a problem with him saying he wasn't going to change for the judges because, if you don't change for them, you'll get another 12 next week. And in a competition, the whole point is to please the judges. Argh! [/beating dead horse]

I know International Foxtrot is considered the most difficult ballroom dance, but I thought that American Foxtrot was, in contrast, considered one of the easiest (at least in syllabus events).

I hope that the dances will keep being posted on that blog that was linked to a few pages back, because I definitely won't be able to watch the show once the new semester starts, but now I have a new addiction. Damn you, reality television...

What really made me laugh was when Bruno called him a "musical genius." We're talking about the man who made "Make 'Em Say Ugh (Na Na Na Na)." He also produced and starred in the movie Hot Boyz. Musical genius could apply to Jay-Z or Kanye. Not Percy Miller.

He clearly has no interest in being there and even seemed kinda pissed when he made it to the next round. I would join a Vote For The Worst campaign to torture him even more, except it hurts Ashly, who deserves better.

Oh, WORD! I've never heard of "Master P" before DWtS, and I can't imagine that Bruno has either. Unless he's got a secret stash of crappy music/videos on his iPod. But, I can't really picture that being the case. More likely he was TOLD that MasterP is a 'musical genius'. Perhaps by MasterP himself?!

I've only heard of him because he's Romeo's father and the answer to a Trivial Pursuit question.

Kenny's daughters were just on Access Hollywood. They are 6 and 4 and very cute. One of them said her dad was going through a midlife crisis.

It's been interesting to read all of the comments making reference to the camera work because that is also something I have noted.

It is almost as if there is a different director this time around.

Last season, I remember being immediately captivated by the look and feel of the show. There was a glamorous effervescence about it. It was Rainbow Room at Rockefeller Center. And the stars, except for Trista, were all in their individual ways compelling. Immediately compelling -- even those who were initially unfamiliar.

And the pros seemed to have a mystique. They were sort of mysterious at first. It was part of their allure. And it was enjoyable as the weeks passed to see their personalities more and more revealed both in the way they danced and in the rapport they developed with their partners.

But, I don't know, maybe it's just me, but something seems to have gone out of sync this time around. This new season looks and feels a lot cheesier. It's still a lot of fun to watch. But so far in a different way. Fewer transcendent magic of dance moments and many more would-you-get-a-load-of-that?? moments.

The editing is coming across, at least to me, as much clunkier. The artistry is missing. The music is uneven and sometimes distracting. The audience is too loud. I never stop being aware that what I am watching is taking place on a set.

But the night is young. The season has just started so it will be interesting to see how everything develops. And it can't have been easy to put together 2 1/2 hours of live tv. I am glad the show is getting such good numbers.

But I'm also glad Raphael Pungin has kept the videos up from Season 1. Maybe I'm just being nostalgic but, what a level of talent there was there among the stars and pros. And watching the commitment and hard work of the S1 stars and being able to witness something ignite in them as they fell in love with dance was wonderful.

And speaking of Raphael, wow. Judging from his website, he definitely lives carpe diem action-packed. Hey, Mr. Pungin, if you happen to get a second free from whirling around the Viennese Opera Ball, may I have the next dance, please? What's that? I've got to get in line behind ziglettospal? And Kelly Monaco?

The Foxtrot technique is still generally the most difficult, I think though, with the rise and fall, foot pressure, leg swing, etc. I studied for a long with a former U.S. Smooth champ, and it was quite a while before we even attempted Foxtrot. But as with all things, I think it depends on how in-depth the pros are going to get into it. Considering the wildly creative interpretations of the basic chacha and waltz rhythms by some of the celebs, I'm hoping Foxtrot is somewhere down the line.

Isn't this the exact same dance order as last season though? Week one: cha-cha for men, waltz for women; week two: quickstep for men, rumba for women?

It's interesting to hear everyone say that the Foxtrot is considered the most difficult of all the Smooth dances, since American Foxtrot was the first dance taught to beginners when I taught ballroom dancing many years ago at Fred Astaire. Quickstep (and its American equivalent, the Peabody) were considered so advanced that they weren't taught below the Gold level-I myself never learned them.

As for this week's trainwreck involving Master Pathetic and the Quickstep, it's going to be one of those events that you know you shouldn't watch, but you just can't help yourself. I think it's going to give new meaning to the term "Schadenfreude"!

Also, in response to someone's post earlier about the dances being split along gender lines at the early stages of the competition, you may be interested to know that the Dutch version of DWTS didn't follow this approach; for example, during the first week, half the men did the Waltz, and half the women did the Cha-Cha. I personally thought this made for a better comparison of the dance styles, and it also (at least in my mind) laid to rest the old argument about whether the men or the women have the harder roles. By mixing up the dances from the beginning, the Dutch version demonstrated, to me at least, that the men have the harder time because while the women do have the footwork and extensions to worry about, they only have to follow their male pros, whereas the male amateurs actually have to learn to lead their female partners, on top of doing their own dancing.

I'm glad they changed the voting, so that the judges and the audiences are voting on the same dance, even if they just did it to cram more DwTS in the schedule, but why o why does the voting start at the beginning of the show and end so quickly afterwards? Or did I not understand that? It seems quite unfair to the later dancers, and encourages you to vote for your favorites as opposed to the actual, you know, dance quality.
Oh, and add me to the straight women who couldn't keep my eyes off of Edyta and Anna. Would I look a smidgeon like that if I did the cha-cha? Please?

The most basic (bronze) American foxtrot is really a different dance from even the silver American version, or any international style foxtrot. Actually, it's a slower ripoff of bronze quickstep, really.

Quickstep is probably the easiest of the international style dances to do at a basic syllabus level, and on the difficult side at the open level. One of the things that was nice about JOH's quickstep last season was that Charlotte choreographed it mostly with nice basics that were within his level, with only a small sprinkling of the open figures that would be tough for him. (And if I recall correctly, he flubbed some of the open figures, too.) It will be interesting to see if any of this year's women take a leaf from her book in that regard. The female pro with the best standard/smooth credentials is gone already, which doesn't bode well for this week.

I didn't watch this show last season but was curious enough (and in withdrawal from SYTYCD) to check out the premiere.

The women were better in general than the men... none of them stand out as being more amazing than the other, they all have different strengths. Tia and Tatum have lovely expressions and stage presence, and Gisele/Lisa/Stacy all have strong physicality and extensions. I know Lisa R. bugs people but I kinda like her, ducklips and all. The men ranged from "aaaah! my eyes!" ( Kenny, Mr. P) to "eh" ( George) to "not too shabby!" (Jerry).
And perhaps I should watch again but I wasn't that impressed with Drew when I first saw the performance.. he seemed clunky and overly concerned with hitting the beat. Jerry's hips were something else though. Yowza. Just dress up a little better next time....

Where the hell is Artem in all of this? That's what Iiiiiii want to know.

That sounds like a sick spin-off series.

I don't mind that he stayed - if only for the pure evil pleasure of watching him suffer one more week. Tomorrow, however, he must go. The other contestants all have at least something going for them. I can't recall many names, but I like 'em because

- Tatum brings the crazy yet dances beautifully,
- Jerry has the hips,
- Lisa has the lips
- the boy band boy brings in a bit of pretty
- the wrestler chick brings the abs and muscle,
- the reporter brings in the Type A intensity
- Tia has the homegirl making a comeback vibe

OK, George Hamilton doesn't do much for me.

He brings the old!

And funny, though I seem to be the only one who thinks so.

Nope, count me in on the George Hamilton love.

Artem would go a long way in helping me over my Alec withdrawl. *sigh*. No Suxy has been spotted at this point, but even Kelly and Alec didn't have "it" until the Rhumba. My living room still bears the scorch marks.

Nah, I like George too. He was doing the cheese when JOH was a youngster, but many people might think he's stealing the schtick instead. Unless he totally blows it, or the audience skews differently (younger) this time around, I think he'll be around until at least the final 5.

Funny, George is one of those people who was famous, but I could never tell from what. I just remember seeing him on talk shows and game shows as a kid, but never knew any of his film or TV acting roles...basically he was famous for being perpetually tanned.

There was a segment about the show and results on tonights Entertainment Tonight. They talked to Kenny and the judges and Bruno was saying that Master Pathetic was the worst. They also talke about how the contestants have been losing weight. Tia has lost 20 lbs already. Jerry Rice was saying that this is HARDER than playing football and has lost more doing this. Lisa Rinna commented that she had lost inches and was joking that her cellulite was moving from her butt and hips to her legs. Also they talked with Master Pathetic and asked him about how he will do next week. (Not exact quote)He said that he's competitive and will do what it takes to kick butt. So maybe just maybe (hopefully) next week we will see a better side of Master Pathetic!

LOL, barkley!! That's what I had to keep telling myself this afternoon when I was questioning my sanity while I was editing the shows and putting them on DVD. "There's got to be some hidden Suxy in here somewhere and I know I'll be mad if I don't have a copy of all the shows." But, darnit, I don't see it yet either!!

I will always remember George from Zorro, the Gay Blade. They would show the commercials on HBO or something and it would be "George Hamilton and George Hamilton".

It was a great movie - basically Zorro twists his ankle and cannot continue his duties, so he calls in his twin brother to fill in for him. Think Carson from Queer Eye as Zorro. Twin Brother then determines that wearing only black is just crazy and Zorro begins sporting plum, gold, and various other colors. It is the height of cheese and what a tasty treat it is.

Kelly and Alec did not have the Suxy in the first show. In fact, they looked like they couldn't stand each other. Something happened between the first and second show because the Suxy came out in full force.

Louis must be loving a partner that can get sensual with him and not worry about breaking her prenup. That must come from having a husband who is an actor - he's used to his wife kissing other men and vice versa. Lisa's had to do some pretty sexy things on the soaps.

It's probably because Lisa's marriage is not a joke like Trista's is! I have to say Giselle and her partner are pretty cute looking together. If Maxim shaved and wasn't so greasy looking I would say him and Tia were the suxy of this year.

Do you think it helps that thier training footage makes Louis (rightly or wrongly) seem about the gayest gay that ever gayed? I couldn't decide if Lisa has a wierd sense of humor, really wanted to buy him a pair of her hot pants, or was deliberatley trying to project gayness on Louis so Harry wouldn't get jealous. I found that entertaining in and of itself. Personally I thought it was cute that he feels "bondage" to her and she thinks he is EXACTLY the same person as her (i.e. an actress with too much collagen in her lips but apparently a good work ethic and real joy at the competition, something I really like in a contestant) but it's not like if I were Harry I'd be dropping in unannounced to check up on them...unless I wanted to watch them painting each other's toenails.

I think I'm rooting for Lisa Rinna this time around. I like that she's so excited aboutit and it doesn't hurt that Harry Hamlin will be in the audience cheering her on. They're just so damn cute!

Jonathon Roberts hair doesn't look real........there, I said it.

Just a heads up to the veterans of season 1.

Guess who they asked to be the co-host along side Tom this year?

Kelly and she turned them down. I guess that dance off left a bad taste in her mouth. I am surprised they asked her after all the shit that went down.

She only watches the show in support of Tom and Edyta.

I think Tom, Edyta, Joey, Evander and Ashly were like the only ones who really didn't give her shit for winning last time and looked genuinely happy for her.

Good for Kelly. I don't blame her a bit for turning them down. I always thought Tom was very good to her and I loved how he reminded everyone that she was the winner of the 1st season and that the dance-off didn't take her win away.



There is something a little bit "off" about it.

MDKnight:
Oh, WORD to this & the entire rest of your post! So, so true.
What the HELL was he thinking, with the short & shiny black shorts, the black knee-highs, and the black shoes? Yipes! And I'm guessing his legs were waxed, though I couldn't be sure. Does anyone have a large screen HDTV & TiVo?

Those were his pant legs rolled up so that Lisa could see his knees and how his legs were moving, much the same way Cheryl did it to Drew later on in the show.

I'll check for the leg waxing, but being Dutch, he might just have a small amount of leg hair. I think he does wax his chest sometimes. Last week he seemed to have chest hair, but I know I've seen him without it.