Dancing with the Stars--Finale!!!...And Birthday Pics!

The showdown began with a "Cha-Cha Face-off". All three couples took a turn performing at the same time. The song was a highly energized "Dancing on the Ceiling". Two of the couples were able to convert that energy to dance. Unfortunately Jason was not. He just doesn't move his body and especially his hips as much as he needs to for Latin dances. Cristian did a great job but Kristi totally blew the boys out of the water. She is a total package with style, movement, finesse & energy.

Next up was the freestyle round where ANYTHING goes! The stars really took this to heart with their dances. Kristi was unstoppable with her Mambo/Hip Hop combo. It was totally cool & fun. Tons of moves served up very fast and on the beat. Garnered her a well-deserved perfect score.

Jason kicked it up a notch with his funky freestyle. It was like watching a strip show...they both just kept losing clothes! There was a moment in the beginning where Jason was breakdancing which tickled my funny bone. As always the lifts were awesome with Jason's height and Edyta's body. She is a contortionist!

Cristian finished up the show with a routine that had some impressive one-armed lifts but didn't really measure up to the others in terms of originality. It felt like any other latin dance from the season.

If Kristi doesn't win this thing tomorrow night I will be greatly surprised and disappointed. She is clearly the runaway winner and has been since Day One. So now that the DWTS season is over, what's next? Well, for you die hard fans, I've found out that Wii makes a Dancing with the Stars game! How much fun would that be at a party with your drunken friends! I wish I had known about this before my birthday!!!

Well, I promised you all some pictures from my birthday. The first one is a close up of the front of my dress. If you look closely you can see my butterfly tatoo peeking out. And yes, it was VERY low cut!

This is the back shot. I got a little sunburn on my shoulders at the park that day.

Lastly is my belly button ring that Hubby gave me. The dangly thing is an emerald, my birthstone.

Oh, and here is a better look at my special Birthday Wine glass. Bina--the website is http://www.sbceramic.com/.

So tell me...Would You Rather...

Have to imbibe all liquids using a thimble?

OR

Get a bucket stuck to your foot and not be able to shake it off?

Cheers!

-As American as Apple Pie

Dancing with the Stars--Week 9

It's the Semi-Finals!!! I'm sure you are all excited for different reasons. I am excited because that means the best dances are coming up. I know some of you (Doc) are excited because that means this will all be over next week. Whichever camp you sit in, I encourage you to watch the finals next Monday night.

This week the dances were chosen at random (yeah, right). It's supposed to look that way, but it did seem quite contrived in how the dances matched up with the Stars.

Jason drew the Foxtrot and Pas a Doble. The Foxtrot was his first dance from week one and he has improved greatly. I don't know what his problem from the past 2 weeks was, but it didn't follow him tonight. He had much better content and his steps were confident and fluid.

I know that Marissa must have a huge fan base that is keeping her in the running but I don't think she belongs in the finals. She just doesn't have the special something that the other dancers have. The Quickstep was fairly good but the Rumba lacked passion. I agree with Carrie Ann in that it lacked excitement and that is what you need at this stage.

Two weeks ago I said that Cristian should have bowed out because of his arm injury. I was wrong. He has really rallied against that and has become a great dancers. Tonight he got the chance to redo the Viennese Waltz and Samba and show everyone that his arm is not an obstacle to great dancing. He's definately doing better than Heather Mills on her wooden leg!

Kristi has reclaimed her spot at the top. She came out with the Tango that showed a lot of emotion. I have to agree with Len though on that it seemed hectic at times. She finished out the night with the Jive which was fun but I felt there was something missing. The judges said it was very difficult choreography and it could have been the timing as Carrie Ann pointed out. I'm not sure, it was just not as good as the previous Jive.

Again for this week, I pick Marissa to leave. I would be very disappointed to see any of the others go. The Finals should be quite a showdown. I'm looking forward to it!

-As American as Apple Pie

Dancing with the Stars--Week 7

Tonight was the 99th Episode of DWTS. Tomorrow they will celebrate 100 with a big bash. Over 30 of past Stars will be back to perform as well as new dances from past winners. I am sooooooo looking forward to seeing Apollo and Juliann dance! Also, the judges will do a recap of their top 8 favorite dances. Tune in tomorrow starting at 8pm EST for the festivities.

My favorite dance of the night, an the judges as well, was Cristian's Mambo. As much as I was upset with him last week for not dropping out, he sure proved himself tonight. Both dances were done one-handed and it was extremely impressive!

I really enjoyed Marissa's Mambo also. I feel like she really gives it her all and gets into the character of the dance. It is fun to watch how her body has changed too. She is really slimming down nicely and has great muscular legs, even if they are short.

I was disappointed with Jason's dances. His Tango was boring and the Samba lacked energy. It definately didn't convey the spirit of Carnivale. I know the Samba is one of the hardest dances but at this point he should have done better.

Mario's Jive was fun but seemed a little uncontrolled, especially at the end. He almost dropped Karina! I just think he lacks the polish of some of the other dancers to be the winner.

I actually missed both of Kristi's dances so if anyone wants to chime in with thoughts of those, I would greatly appreciate it.

Next week is the semi-finals. That means it will be down to 4 couples. The Final will be between the top 3. My pick for elimination this week is Marissa. Much as I hate to see it, I think she is the least favorite.

Sorry I won't be around to comment. I'm on a Field Trip with the littlest Chile to the Zoo. Have fun and I'll try and check in!

--As American as Apple Pie

Dancing with the Stars--Week 7

Tonight was full of surprises! An injury, a fall from grace, fake butts and NFL Monday Night Football all in one show. What more could you ask for in entertainment?

Let's start with the biggest news of the night. Kristi is no longer in 1st place! I never thought it could happen. Apparently the judges really did not like her waltz. She made a good comeback though with the Cha-cha. Len still had his cane up his ass though and only gave it an 8 because he didn't like the Hip-Hop action of it. I thought is was great modern rendition.

I think the next biggest shocker was Marissa being tied for 2nd place. He Tango was very serious and passionate. The judges loved it. She seemed to loose a little bit of that passion in the rumba. It was still very romantic but could have used more sex appeal.

Cristian had an ok first dance but I was very excited to see him Samba. I wanted to see him break out the sexy latin God that is dwelling within. The dance started out pretty good but then something happened. It took a minute to figure it out that he was injured. It seems that he pulled or strained his arm muscle. I felt so bad for him because he was doing well. The judges only gave him a 21 which I felt was unfair.

Mario definately has a strong side and that is the Latin dances. He does much better when he can get jiggy with the moves. The Foxtrot was boring and was scored accordingly. However, the Mambo was pure sexy and Bruno said he had the Devil in his hips.

Shannon was a little stressed out last week. She kept getting chastised for not moving her hips enough. Well, this week she through that in Len's face...literally! She even went so far as to have a little butt padding built into her skirt. The judges really liked her Tango, they felt she put a lot of emotion into it. I felt it was a little pissy. The Mambo was ok, not spectacular but definately better than the past couple of weeks. I think if she had a taller partner she would have an easier time of it.

Last, but certainly not least, is Jason. His Quickstep was full of energy and lively. Had it not been for one little lift, it would have been a perfect score. But...it was the Pas a doble that got me tonight. This was by far the most fun, creative & interesting dance of the night. Who knew that you could dance to the Monday Night Football theme song? If you missed it last night, watch it here.

I was surprised by the way everyone stepped up to the plate this week. I expected to see a lot more gap between dancers. Sadly, I think the Star to go home tomorrow will be Cristian de la Feunte. Due to his injury I think it may be the best thing all around. It could be tight between him and Shannon though.

BTW--Can someone teach me how to upload YouTube vids to the blog? I can only see how to email them.

-As American as Apple Pie

Dancing with the Stars--Week 6

This week is the beginning of when the dancers have to learn 2 dances each week. This week the second dance was a group dance that Doc would have loved! The music was "Cotton-Eye Joe" but not once did I see the silly move that Doc sports in the slideshow at the bottom of the blog! :) I always like the group dance because it is really fun and the dancers get to try out lifts for the first time. Next week the judges will be judging both dances that the Stars do.

I think my favorite couple to watch are Shannon and Derek. They have such chemistry that I'm just rooting for them to keep coming back so I can watch their relationship develop. Shannon's rumba was very sensual and told a great story but she still has problems getting her hips to move. Perhaps a good romp in the sack with Derek is the best learning method?

I think the time has come for Marlee to go home. She has been struggling for a few weeks and just doesn't have the capability to acheive the level that the other dancers have. This is not due to ability but due to her deafness. Counting steps can only get you so far. At some point you have to be able to hear the music and the beat to move with it. Her mambo was quite jerky and looked like a struggle for the entirety.

Jason and Edyta are another couple that have great chemistry. The past 2 weeks he has been good but seems to let Edyta have the show, which is entertaining but does not show what he can do. He tried to take more of a role this week but got caught up in the counting and steps and forgot to immerse himself in the dance.

Cristian's foxtrot was fun to watch. I really like the sense of time that the foxtrot evokes. It makes me think of Big Band music when dancing is what people went out and did on a date. I wish I had been a part of that era. Cheryl's big pink feathery things were distracting and annoying though.

She finally did it! Kristi scored a 30 for the jive! I was really looking forward to a fast & high energy dance for her to see if she could pull it off. Carrie Ann gave it a "Hell, Yeah!" Len and Bruno echoed her sentiments and all agreed it was their favorite dance of the season. The heat is on for the others to bring in 30s too.

Marissa and Tony had a great waltz. It was graceful and elegant. Marissa even did a "Death Spiral" which, even though not as good as Priscilla's early in the season, was still impressive. She has been able to pull her score up above Shannon's now.

"Let's get it on", yes, LET's Mario! Ooo, baby, Mario's rumba was hot! Stuffy Len said it was too raunchy but Carrie Ann declared it better than sex. It was good enough to keep him in the number 2 spot this week.

I think next week will be tough to figure out who is going to leave next. It's the week that separates the men from the boys. My pick for this week is Marlee.

-As American as Apple Pie

Weekly Poll--DWTS

The competition is really starting to heat up. The stars are pulling out all the stops and putting in all out on the line. Let's get a little healthy competition going here. It's time to make your guesses.

Who will win Season 6 of Dancing with the Stars? Not only does the winner receive the coveted Mirrored Disco Ball but they also get to guest star as the "Mystery Dancer" on "Live! with Regis and Kelly". (I'm just kidding about that.) BUT...there could be something in it for those of you who's guesses turn out to be right in a few weeks. ;p

Vote early and tune in to ABC tonight @8pm to watch the remaining 7 Stars get their groove on. Also, tonight is the much anticipated "group dance"!

-As American as Apple Pie

Dancing with the Stars--Week 5

Tonight was "Latin night" on the dancefloor. The couples were either doing the Samba or the Rumba. Both are fun to watch. It was also "open shirt" night which is my favorite night of the season. This week I actually missed almost all of the dances due to a meeting. However, my wonderful hubby took great notes for me so here is the rundown according to him. He missed Mario so someone should chime in with their thoughts on that one.

Priscilla Presley has fallen from grace. I almost feel like singing "Ding Dong the witch is dead" but that would be ugly. She did get the lowest scores from the judges and the little snipet that I saw in the recap was boring.

Ooo, how I wish I had seen Marissa's samba. I love the samba with its energy and shaking. I especially wish I had seen more of Tony's chest. I likey-likey! Marissa was wearing my favorite color and did a great job with the routine. She is climbing the chart and left the night with the 3rd highest score.

The judges felt that Cristian's rumba was not erotic enough. He has turned out to be a big disappointment for me. He doesn't have much of that Latino sexiness I was hoping for. It's a little more like village idiot. I don't think he'll be around much longer.

Poor Marlee, I think her time may have come. She was very off on her rhythm most of the routine. I can imagine the Samba must be very hard for a deaf person because so much of it is based on beat and feeling the music. She did give it all her heart though.

Once again, Kristi proved she is a force to be reckoned with. She took what the judges said about only having one side and turned it upside-down! Starting out all prim & proper and turning into a loose & wild woman was facinating to watch. She also captured the only 10s of the night.

Shannon has really had a rough go of it these past 2 weeks. First Derek hurts his neck, then he has food poisoning. Can't a guy get a break? I think they did well taking all the into consideration. However, I was surprised to see that Shannon had trouble getting her hips to move.

Ahhhhh...Jason & Edyta. Their dance was like foreplay. In fact, was it just me or did anyone else think it looked like Jason had a boner throughout the dance? Of course, who could blame him with a partner like that? Those moves were smooth as silk. I could watch them all night.

Once again, thank you to hubby for helping out tonight. My picks for elimination this week are Priscilla or Marlee. Hard to decide which one without having actually watched their dances. Tune in tonight at 9pm EST to find out for sure.

-As American as Apple Pie

Heather Mills strikes again!

Well, everybody's favorite token 'Dancing with the Stars' contestant has scored a new gig! After her recent public and trash-talken divorce from Paul McCartney, Mills will be one of the judges for the Miss USA pageant, on this Fri.

I have to admit...sometimes I am such a girl. I LOVE pageants! I love all the fancy dresses and silly dance routines. I know all the arguments against them: beauty not brains, scantily clad bodies on parade, yada-yada-yada! Who cares! Sometimes a little girl just needs to dream! (And little boys can fantasize)

So, dear readers, give me your thoughts? Is Heather really qualified to judge? Do you think pageants are fair, or silly, or fun, or whatever adjective you choose?

-As American as Apple Pie

Dancing with the Stars--Week 4

This week's dances were all about drama, romance & passion. Three of my favorite things! I felt that the remaining 9, with the exception of one, really took the ability level up a notch or 2. This is getting to be an intense contest! There were five 10s given out and 2 almost perfect scores. The heat is on!!!

Kristi Yamaguchi came out of the starting gate and set the bar for the night. As usual, she was perfection and gave a very impressive Pas a doble` performance that netted her two 10s and a score of 29. She was a tough act to follow.

Priscilla Presley was up next with the Viennese Waltz. I thought she was very graceful although it did seem a bit strained at times. She looks much less hard and waxy with her dress and hair done in curls. Maybe she should go for that look more often.

Adam Carolla came out with his version of the Pas a doble`... on a unicycle! Between that and the fire in the background I felt like I was watching a circus act. Can't he just dance and not have all the distractions? He is the only one who didn't break into the 20s and I think it shows that he is out of his league here. It's time for him to go home.

Marlee Matlin gave a beautiful Waltz performance that moved CarrieAnn to tears! I felt her posture is a little limp, kind of like a ragdoll. This may be related to here deafness, we'll see if she improves next week.

Mario's Pas a doble` was fast and quick but I was most impressed with Karina's boobs. That dress was awesome! She can be quite bitchy but I'll overlook it and focus on her chest.

Next came Jason Taylor with his Waltz. He recovered from his lower score last week and brought an amazing dance. He was the second dancer to garner two 10s and an almost perfect score.

Being a Latino, Cristian de la Feunte did a great job with his Pas a doble`. It was very intense and focused, something I haven't seen from him thus far. He was awarded with one of the higher scores of the night with 26.

One of my personal favs is Shannon Elizabeth. Her partner Derek had a little medical trouble last week but seemed to but much better last night. These two have serious CHEMISTRY!!! They looked like they were just going to go for it at the end of their dance. She also got one of the coveted 10s...from Head Judge Len! That makes it even more impressive!

Marissa Jaret Winokur had a much better night than last week. Her Pas a doble` was very serious and difficult but she pulled it off. I felt like there was maybe a little too much concentration at a couple points but otherwise felt she nailed it.

My pick to go home: Adam...please!!! See you next week! :)

-As American as Apple Pie

Dancing with the Stars--Week 3

I have to say, there was not really anything in last night's dancing to get me excited. This is extremely disappointing because the Jive is one of my favorite dances. I love the fast pace, kicks and flicks and sassy outfits. Plus, it is the only truly American dance that they do on the show. All of the other dances have European or Latin origins.

My favorite of the night, which was not the judges favorite, was Shannon Elizabeth's jive. She and Derek have a great chemistry and you could tell that the choreography was really hard. It was one of the funniest moments of the night when they had to sit on the floor to get the judges comments because they were so tired! Shannon is very sweet and lovable, I hope she goes a long way.

The judges and I really disagreed last night. They gave the highest marks to Priscilla and Kristi. Now, you know I am a big fan of Kristi and will probably choose her to win but I didn't feel her routine had anything special. It felt emotionless. In fact, many of the dancers had that problem. That's probably why I wasn't excited about any of them. I was really disappointed in Marissa's jive and Jason's as well. They all seemed a little too careful, which comes across as boring. I think the schedule of learning the dances, along with the Stars other committments is starting to take its toll. This is when the weak get separated from the herd.

My pick for elimination tonight is Adam Carolla. Even though he didn't get the absolute lowest score, I think his mouth is going to keep him from going on. It seems like he just doesn't know when to shut-up! He even offended his partner last night.

Start making your predictions for the finale. I will have a contest board up soon. In the meantime...

Happy dancing!

-As American as Apple Pie

Dancing With the Stars-Week 2

Greetings DTWS Fans! I know the dances have been done and the eliminations revealed but I still felt the need to post my thoughts on this week's dances. I promise next week will be back to the regular schedule of Tu morning. Thanks for putting up with my laziness while I was on vacation!

My first observation of the night was that Bruno has PMS. He was not happy with virtually anything. Even when he did give a nice review, his face was still grumpy. Given that there was a full moon this past weekend which resulted in my husband having PMS also, I am hoping Bruno will be more pleasant next week.


Of the guys, I was blown away by Jason Taylor's Mambo. He sure showed that he can shake it and move very fluidly. His score certainly reflected that. My favorite for this week is still Kristi Yamaguchi. She proved once again, that she is a perfectionist and can even work hard to come out of her shell for the mambo. It was saucy and hot!

Since we know that Penn and Monica were the ones who were eliminated I can say that it did not surprise me. Monica's mambo was painfully slow and she was really stiff. The judges kept saying that she looked out of her comfort zone, which I'm sure she was. She just doesn't have the personality to put everything out there for America to see. Dance is much more personal than tennis. I felt that Penn's Quickstep was not quick at all. It seemed like his feet did not even move! I don't care if they are the size of ocean liners. His footwork was atrocious. I also didn't like that he is very defensive when talked to the judges. I'm sure it's very hard to be criticized but he did not accept it gracefully.

I felt the most improved from last week were Marissa and Cristian. If they continue to work hard, I think they could both stay around for a while yet. Marissa has an enthusiam that is contagious and will add to her dance if she does the steps well.

I am looking forward to seeing what next week brings. Let me know what you're thoughts were on various dancers and I'll chime in with more. Happy Dancing!

-As American as Apple Pie

Dancing with the Stars-Week 1

The much anticipated season 6 opener started with "Macho Monday" and 6 guys strutting their stuff. First up was Pen Jillette (& Aussie partner Kym Johnson) who is known for his Vegas comedy/magic shows. Because of this background, I found his performance very entertaining. However, it did lack the speed and sex appeal that the Cha-Cha requires. The judges agreed saying that Penn needed to work on his footwork for next week. He left the floor with a 16 out of 30 from the judges.

Next on the floor was Jason Taylor. In the past seasons, most of the "jocks" have been pretty much train wrecks. They are too stiff and caught up in their "manliness" to let themselves loose for dancing so I didn't expect much. Wow, was I ever wrong! Jason has one of the hottest partners in Edyta Sliwinska so that helps, but I was impressed with the grace and fluidity of his Foxtrot. His efforts paid off in a 22 from the judges.

One of the sexiest men of this season, Cristian de la Fuente & partner Cheryl Burke showed off their moves in the Cha-Cha. For being a Latino, I was surprised at his lack of passion in this dance. However, his moves were good enough to earn him a 21.

Ok, so I know nothing of Adam Carolla except that his partner is the previous 2 seasons winner, Julianne Hough. Now, because of this I had high hopes but I wonder if the shows producers didn't saddle her with a loser to try and even the score. His dancing was awful! He had good footwork but was WAY too stiff and his constant talking during the judges review annoyed me. He received the lowest score for the men with at 15. If he doesn't step it up next week, he's going home.

Mario, Mario...where have you been all my life! He blew me away with his moves in the Cha-Cha. The passion that was between him and Karina Smirnoff was SMOKIN! I cannot wait to see more of this guy. Hopefully, with at score of 24, he will be around a long time!

I know many of us wondered if Steve Guttenberg (w/partner Anna Trebunskaya) was going to be goofy or not. He was very charming and is just a really likable guy! I thought his Foxtrot was fairly good and the judges gave him an 18. Not as impressive as some of the others but definately not as bad either. I am looking forward to seeing how he moves next week in the Cha-Cha.

On to the women:

First out of the gates was fellow "Pie" lover, Shannon Elizabeth & partner Derek Hough. What a great looking couple they make. Derek said he was a boy in last year's competition and is entering this one as a MAN. I wonder what he did over the break!! Shannon's Cha-Cha was a little stiff, surprising for someone who seems so in touch with herself. However, she was SMOKIN HOT in that red fringe outfit. I think she'll do well in the coming weeks. Her 21 out of 30 proved she has potential.

Monica Seles looked beautiful in her pink dress. I take back what I said earlier about her. Her partner Jonathan Roberts is one of the nices guys on the show. However, I did feel she was still way too hard around the edges and that came out in her dancing. Only 15 for a score, doesn't equal match-point in this competition.

Ok, the next dancer had me LMAO! This was Marissa Jaret Winokur and partner Tony Dovolani. Not only was their song hysterical (probably I'm the only one who thought this) but so was Tony's outfit! If I would have had internet connection last night I would have submitted that for the Tues Word Game entry. Black see-through sequined shirts and patent leather pants should be banned! At least he has a really nice chest! I felt their Cha-Cha was very tacky but that Marissa has talent if she can be reined in. Her score of 18 reflects that.

The biggest surprise of the evening came with Priscilla Presley and Louis van Amstel's Foxtrot. She took it a little easier on the eyeliner this time and didn't quite look like she belonged in a wax museum. Her dance was sexy and elegant, everything a Foxtrot should be. Apparantly the audience thought so too as they rewarded her with a Standing O. Her 24 should keep her around for a while yet.

Next up was Kristi Yamaguchi. After Priscilla left her with a tough act to follow, Kristi sure pulled it all out! Her Foxtrot with partner Mark Ballas was near perfection with a 27. She was smooth and graceful and made it look effortless. It'll be interesting to see how she moves in the Cha-Cha next week.

DWTS ended the night with the dancer everyone was most curious about. How would a deaf woman be able to dance? Well, Marlee Matlin proved that she is a force to be reckoned with! Her Cha-Cha was amazing. I guess if you have a great partner like Fabian Sanchez to lead you it doesn't matter if you can hear or not. Marlee is in third place for the women with a 22.

If you missed either of the nights, I strongly recommend you check them out online. Next week will be 2 more nights of dancing with a Double Elimination on Wed. Start making your predictions now.

-As American as Apple Pie

Dancing with the Stars Pre-show

I'd like to welcome you all to the DWTS commentary. The premier is next Mon and Tues at 8pm/7 central on ABC with the first elimination being Wed 3/19. This "pre-show" post is to give background on the Stars and start a little banter going between those of us who care and entice those of you who don't (Doc). Now here's what I don't get about guys not liking DWTS...the women are half naked and struting around, shaking things. As Bruno says in this clip "Satisfaction Guaranteed!"

Here's the listing of this year's Stars: Adam Carolla, Cristian de la Fuenta, Shannon Elizabeth, Steve Guttenberg, Mario, Marlee Matlin, Penn Jillette, Priscilla Presley, Monica Seles, Jason Taylor, Marissa Jaret Winokur, Kristi Yamaguchi.

Now, as Lu pointed out, the hottness factor is somewhat down in the men. However, I think Cristian is the forerunner in this category. Plus, he's got that spanish thing going for him. Me loves an accent! For the women, there are several good choices. For sheer sex appeal I gotta go with Shannon Elizabeth. Who could forget her in "American Pie"? Watch out though guys, she's got a lot of practice with hustling in her many poker championships.

In looking at natural talent I would say that Kristi Yamaguchi has a huge advantage over the other women. Basically Figure Skating is like dancing on ice so this should be a snap for her. I think that R&B star Mario has got the ability to dominate the men on this one. Unless there is a sleeper here that I'm not aware of.

If you want to check out the competitors and form your own opinions for yourself, here is the Official DWTS website:

Twinkle Toes,

Apple