Wednesday, September 30, 2009

DANCING WITH THE STARS' KATHY IRELAND IS SENT HOME


Model Kathy Ireland may not have been the best dancer on Dancing With the Stars, but it is doubtful that any voter-eliminated star has ever left with greater dignity and grace. If DWTS fans were not impressed with her quickstep, they certainly must have been impressed with her personal style.

Ireland smiled continuously throughout the announcement that she had garnered the lowest score -- as well and while Tom Bergeron explained that everyone had enjoyed having her on the show. When Ireland was asked whether, since she was leaving on the second week of eliminations, was asked whether she felt any regrets at giving DWTS a whirl, Ireland sweetly explained that she had truly enjoyed meeting everyone and learning to dance. She was sweet, genuine and totally believable.

Before Ireland was announced as heading home, Bergeron announced that along with Ireland and her partner, the other lowest ranking couple was politician Tom DeLay and his partner Cheryl Burke.

Points handed out by the judges this week were:

Aaron Carter and Karina Smirnoff: 27; Mya and Dmitry Chaplin: 27; Donny Osmond and Kym Johnson: 25; Natalie Coughlin and Alec Mazo: 21; Mark Decascos and Lacey Schwimmer: 21; and Debi Mazar and Maksim Chmerkovskiy: 21.
Michael Irvin and Anna Demidova: 20; Joanna Krupa and Derek Hough: 20; Melissa Joan Hart and Mark Balas: 19; Chuck Liddell and Anna Trebunskaya: 19; Kelly Osbourne and Louis van Amstel: 19; Louie Vito and Chelsie Hightower: 19; Tom DeLay and Cheryl Burke: 18; and Kathy Ireland and Tony Dovolani: 18.

Actor Aaron Carter and his partner, Karina Smirnoff, performed a lively quickstep to the "Muppet Show" theme -- and completely impressed the show's judges and audience with their quite perfect performance. The judges rewarded the pair with three "9" scores. And the couple appeared to have the lead entirely to themselves -- until singer Mya and partner Dmitry Chaplin also impressed with a totally professional appearing jive. Their score equalled that of Carter and Smirnoff.

In third place was Donny Osmond, the second oldest competitor, who also performed a jive so lively that he could easily have been mistaken for a teenager. Osmond and partner Kym Johnson finished just one point behind the leaders.

Thursday, September 24, 2009

ASHLEY HAMILTON AND MACY GRAY VOTED OFF DANCING WITH THE STARS


All the stars glittering on the Dancing With The Stars stage gave fans a thrilling first week of the dance competition show. But as always happens with DWTS, the there were stars who had their glitter dimmed as they received the fewest votes and were sent home.

On this first week of dancing, two stars were eliminated -- actor Ashley Hamilton and singer Macy Gray. Both did a good job with their initial routines, but just not good enough to garner enough votes to have a second shot at impressing fans at home.

Macy Gray performed a Vienese waltz with professional dancer Jonathan Roberts. And Ashley Hamilton, who's dad George was once also a contestant on the show, performed a fox trot with partner, professional dancer Edyta Sliwinska.

Even though Gray and Hamilton failed to last beyond the first week, both said that they enjoyed every minute of the experience and have no regrets about entering the dance competition.

Gray opined that she enjoyed meeting new friends on the show, saying, "That was one of the best things. I met some really great people that I hope to hang out with in the future. It was a fun one week."

Hamilton knew that he entered the contest at a disadvantage because he was not fully recovered from injuries sustained in a motorcycle accident. Sliwinska, who had been his father's dance partner on DWTS, said, "Ashley had no idea how to dance. He came with no experience, but he worked way harder than his dad. And he did an amazing, amazing job."

A highlight of DWTS, too, was a tribute to the late Patrick Swayze, described as a "friend of the show." Swayze won the hearts of fans with his ballroom dance routines in the film, Dirty Dancing.

Thursday, September 10, 2009

DESPITE THEIR BREAK-UP, MAKSIM AND KARINA WILL PERFORM TOGETHER AT THE EMMYS


Karina Smirnoff and Maksim Chmerkowskiy, professional dancers on the hit television show Dancing With the Stars, will perform at the 61th Primetime Emmy Awards on Sunday, Sept. 20 -- despite calling off their engagement, announced CBS and the Television Academy on Thursday.

Just one day prior to the airing of the first episode of the new season of DWTS, the couple will perform in a segment honoring dance in reality television at the Nokia Theater in Los Angeles. The commitment was believed to have been made prior to their separation, according to reports.

On the upcoming Dancing With the Stars season, Smirnoff will be dancing with singer Aaron Carter, and Chmerkovskiy has been paired with actress Debi Mazar.

Wednesday, September 2, 2009

MARK BALLAS AND MELISSA JOAN HART PREP FOR UPCOMING DANCING WITH THE STARS



Dancing With The Stars professional dancer Mark Ballas has revealed a secret -- he used to love to watch his new partner for this season when she was in Clarissa Explains It All. Melissa Joan Hart played the part of Clarissa Darling before achieving even greater fame on the hit comedy, Sabrina The Teenage Witch.

"I would tell my mom not to talk to me when it was on," confided Ballas to digitalspy.

Ballas has achieved his own fame as a professional dancer on Dancing With The Stars -- and last year won the dance competition trophy with Olympic gymnast Shawn Johnson.

Hart is "doing pretty well so far," confided Ballas. "She has a tendency to kind of want to do all the hard stuff now. We've got to build up to it."

For her part, Hart has admitted to realitytv that she is nervous -- that she hopes that she will not throw up from a case of nerves. She also said, "People keep saying, 'Don't do it unless you're going to win.' It all depends on what I'm able to pull off and what the other competition is like. I think Donny (Osmond) is the most popular of the group, for sure. And I think he's going to get the popular vote. I just hope he can't dance very well."

Tuesday, September 1, 2009

TOM DELAY AND CHERYL BURKE -- PARTNERS ON DANCING WITH THE STARS


Dancing With The Stars competitor (and former Congressman) Tom DeLay pointed his Twitter followers to the show's website for a peek at rehearsals.

DeLay wrote on Twitter, "I'm back from LA. The photo shoot was so much fun. It was like going to Disneyland. You know politics is showbiz too."

CLICK HERE FOR A PEEK AT DANCING WITH THE STARS REHEARSAL PHOTOS