A winning night for Shawn Johnson; 'Idol' tonight
Is it just me or were you also surprised at Shawn Johnson's victory over Gilles Marini in Dancing With The Stars? The final show last night played out pretty much as we predicted it would and the final two couples were about a percentage point apart in the end. Oh well, it's just dancing, right? Meanwhile, over on Fox's American Idol, tonight is the big night. Will favorite Adam Lambert emerge a winner over Kris Allen? I'm dying to know what you think on both shows. Was the right Dancing winner awarded the mirror ball? How about for Idol? Who should win? Tell me what your opinion in a post below.
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May 19, 2009
'DWTS' ends season, picks winner tonight
Tonight's the night the Dancing With The Stars cheesy mirrorball goes home with a winner and it looks like it will be a showdown between sexy French actor Gilles Marini and sassy Olympian Shawn Johnson. Melissa Rycroft, who stepped in when Nancy O'Dell injured her knee, is likely to be out of the competition and sitting on the sidelines early into tonight's two-hour finale (which also features Lady Gaga.) Of course, I'm basing all that on the scores and the performances of last night and in a vacuum as far as viewer votes are concerned. Anything can happen, as I have learned.
I've been talking with DWTS pro dancer and choreographer Louis van Amstel every week since this season began and I'll miss our Tuesday morning catch-ups. Today I asked him to pretend he is a judge and to choose who should win only on dance ability. "It should be Gilles, Shawn, Melissa — in that order," he said without hesitation. "Shawn in the last two weeks gave us more energy. She began to understand what performing is all about. Gymnastics is physical and some mental. Dancing is experiencing the emotional side of movement. She finally did that — even it was a little late. Gilles has had it from the beginning. Only two of the 10 weeks did he not kill it."
Other Olympians who made the finals, Apolo Anton Ohno and Kristi Yamaguchi, emerged winners of their seasons, respectively, and Louis says it's often the case with athletes that "they come in with such determination and dedication." But Gilles could have been an athlete, Louis says. "He's got the same determination and dedication." He's also been playing hurt. He injured a shoulder and will have surgery soon as the competition is over. Maybe the mirrorball will make it worth the wait.
Photos by Kelsey McNeal/ABC
May 13, 2009
Ty Murray is relieved to leave 'DWTS'
Rodeo champion Ty Murray (seen here with partner Chelsie Hightower) was eliminated from Dancing With The Stars Tuesday night and he confessed that he was ready to be done with it. I can understand. I learned last spring when I blogged from DWTS that contestants who make it this far in the competition have worked so hard for so many weeks that when they realize they will NOT have to go to rehearsal again, it's a relief. Murray says he was happy to represent cowboys on Dancing. That he did, very well.
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May 12, 2009
Tonight's 'DWTS' elimination sets up finals
As Dancing With The Stars gets down to the finals you might think there would be tension, backstabbing and just general unpleasantness backstage at the ballroom in Los Angeles. Not at all, says Louis van Amstel, who has been on set the last few weeks choreographing and working with some of the non-competing dancers.
Van Amstel says that he could tell last night "the atmosphere is really really good, and there have been other seasons when the atmosphere was not that good." With Olympian Shawn Johnson, rodeo champ Ty Murray, former Bachelor contestant Melissa Rycroft and French actor Gilles Marini (pictured with partner Cheryl Burke) still left in the competition, Louis says they were all rooting for each other. "It was relaxed. No tension."
That said, tonight's elimination show is the last before next week's dance-off for the mirror ball. Louis predicts Ty Murray, a sweet and humble gentleman, will be the one to go. "Dancing-wise — it's the finals. Ty has to go," Louis says. But given last week's surprising elimination of Lil' Kim over Ty, neither Louis nor I would bet stacks of money on anyone but Gilles, who is not only a great dancer but also an actor who inhabits each role.
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May 06, 2009
L'il Kim is out of the 'Dancing' competition
Were you as shocked as I was when L'il Kim, shown at left with partner Derek Hough, was eliminated last night on Dancing With the Stars? All through the season, our professional dancer/predictor Louis van Amstel has said to me: "Don't underestimate the power of the audience vote." He has stressed how important it is that the celebrity dancers develop a fan base and let viewers get to know them; that they have an appealing personality to motivate votes. All of that apparently came to play Monday. (And so much for listening to me, right? I said I'd put money on Ty Murray leaving.) The humble cowboy, who has improved greatly but is no where near the dancer that L'il Kim is, was saved to dance another week even though he had the lowest scores of all the competitors. Tell me in a post below what you think: Was last night's elimination right?
Photo courtesy of ABC
April 29, 2009
Chuck Wicks is out of 'DWTS'
Dancer Louis van Amstel always reminds me that Dancing With The Stars is about more than the dancing and last night's elimination proved him right again. Country singer Chuck Wicks and his real-life girlfriend Julianne Hough were eliminated on a week when contestant Melissa Rycroft had the lowest scores and couldn't perform because of injury. Blog and message board posters are abuzz this morning about whether this elimination was fair, but I keep thinking about what Louis says: it's important for the celebrities to develop a DWTS following, to let their personalities come through to attract a base of fans who will vote to keep them on. Fan votes must have helped Rycroft, who is paired with the very likable Tony Dovolani and Ty Murray, the rodeo champ paired with Chelsie Hightower, in the running for the mirror ball trophy. Don't cry for Chuck and Julianne, however. She's now a successful country singer too, so the duo is heading back to a life they love and while Chuck says they'll probably still dance, it won't be ballroom.
Photo by Kelsey McNeal/ABC
April 28, 2009
'DWTS' elimination night: Is it Ty's turn?
Louis van Amstel, the Dancing With The Stars pro who weighs in on the weekly competition each Tuesday, is traveling with another show this week so we won't have his insightful commentary. Regardless, one of the stars will go home tonight — who will it be? Though at first blush it might seem that cowboy Ty Murray (pictured with partner Chelsie Hightower), who works hard, competes well and exudes gentlemanly charm, is the logical choice (the others remaining are just better dancers), it's possible Melissa Rycroft will be eliminated — and not only because she was injured and had to be judged on rehearsal tape Monday. Judging only by some of the DWTS related online communities, Ty seems to be the guy with fans. And fans vote. What do you think? Who will stay and who will go? Tell me in a post below.
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April 22, 2009
Lawrence Taylor is out of 'DWTS' contest
It's easier to watch the Dancing With The Stars elimination show when the celebrity who will get the hook actually wants to go. That was the case last night when former football player Lawrence Taylor, 50, said good bye after seven weeks in the competition. Host Tom Bergeron noted Taylor's big smile and his partner, Edyta Sliwinska, who worked hard to keep him in the contest, revealed Taylor — who lost 15 pounds and says he's in the best shape of his life — can't wait to get back to the golf course.
Photo by Kelsey McNeal/ABC
April 15, 2009
Dancing With The Stars' Steve-O is out
My favorite headline of the many written on today's Dancing With The Stars elimination stories: "Steve-O gets the Heave-Ho." And, yes, it was Steve-O, Jackass star, and his partner Lacey Schwimmer who were eliminated from the competition Tuesday night. The couple had consistently low scores and Steve-O never really loosened up to get into any dance he did. It's too bad because he and Lacey were a well-matched pair — pro dancer Louis van Amstel called them the best match of any season — and it was fun to see him work so hard. Oh well, onward to next week. Who will get the boot next? Share your thoughts in the posts below.
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April 14, 2009
Male contestants in trouble on tonight's 'DWTS'
Looking at performances strictly from a dancer's point of view — and that's what we do here every Tuesday with Louis van Amstel — Dancing With The Stars contestants Chuck Wicks, Ty Murray and Steve-O (at right, with partner Lacey Schwimmer) are in jeopardy for tonight's elimination show.
I love talking to Louis, a pro dancer still attached to DWTS, each Tuesday morning because he never fails to bring new perspective and he makes me think again about the dances I viewed Monday night. Louis has faced those judges and heard their remarks about his work, so he understands the pressures and the rules of the contestant. Click on read more to find out what he has to say this week.
Photos by Kelsey McNeal/ABC
