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Post by A.O.Freak on Feb 24, 2009 7:47:36 GMT -5
Thnx for the great pics #1  |
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Post by tabatha on Feb 24, 2009 14:20:43 GMT -5
Sorry those links didn't work for you #1. Thanks for posting those pics for us anyway. You too Aofreak |
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Post by mtnme on Mar 9, 2009 19:07:42 GMT -5
Yeah, what is it with white guys and dancing? LOL I guess they just plain ain't got no rhythm! 
( I was talking to a friend about her taking dance lessons with her husband. Her reply? ummmmm, that won't be happening... don't you remember him dancing at our wedding?.... it wasn't pretty.... )  __________________________________________________________________________________________ Diversify the dance floorBy Bob Martin A former Inquirer writer and editor Duffy Daugherty, the late, oft-quoted football coach for Michigan State, once opined that "Football isn't a contact sport; it's a collision sport. Dancing is a contact sport." If he were alive today to see the lineup of football players on Dancing with the Stars, which kicks off a new season at 8 tonight on ABC, Daugherty might wonder why certain veterans of the gridiron seem afraid to exchange their cleats for dancing shoes. Those would be white football players. Now in its eighth season, Dancing with the Stars has so far been almost without white athletes. Over that time, we've been treated to a host of African Americans: Jerry Rice, Emmitt Smith, Jason Taylor, Warren Sapp, and now Lawrence Taylor - all NFL greats and, so far, outstanding dancers, too. Joining them have been two boxers (Evander Holyfield and Floyd Mayweather Jr.), a basketball player (Clyde Drexler), and a sprinter (Maurice Green). And look at the other dancer-athletes: speed skater Apolo Anton Ohno, whose father is Japanese; racecar driver Helio Castroneves, who is Brazilian; and now rodeo champion Ty Murray, who is white. Is ABC engaging in reverse discrimination? No. In fact, the show is loaded with white male dancers. But most of them are actors, comedians, singers, and talk-show hosts - performers who can step outside of cultural hang-ups to play to an audience. Not so with white athletes. Maybe they're afraid that if the band plays "You Make Me Feel Like a Natural Woman," they'll sprout tutus. History abounds with tales of the white man's unease on the dance floor. Consider the awkward, 6-foot-4 Abe Lincoln, then 30, on the night he met his future wife at a dance in Springfield, Ill. "Miss Todd, I want to dance with you in the worst way," he said. Mary Todd Lincoln later recounted the statement to a friend and added: "He certainly did!" As a white man who teaches ballroom and Latin dancing, I'm relentlessly reminded of this problem, which is not limited to white athletes. Numerous women tell me they'd love to take a class, but add, "There's no way my husband would ever consider it." One woman who coaxed her spouse into an eight-week session told me afterward that she couldn't come back, "because the only way I could get him into the class was by promising that we'd never take another one." Another asked whether my dance venue had mirrors. "Yes, why?" I responded. "Because my husband doesn't want to see himself." One night, I was counseling the couples to confine their movements to the hips and below. "The upper body doesn't know what the lower body is doing," I instructed. And, in a line that captures the psychology of many white male dancers, one blurted out: "My upper body never knows what my lower body is doing!" Perhaps white jocks will take the Denver boot off their feet some day soon and discover what others already know - that dancing is no impediment to manhood. Quite the contrary, women love men who can dance. Dancing with the Stars could help us along by starting an affirmative-action program for Caucasian middle linebackers and tight ends. More than 30 years ago, white boys were admonished to "play that funky music." Now it's time to get them to dance to it, too.
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Post by tabatha on Mar 9, 2009 23:13:59 GMT -5
Great posts mtnme, with the end of the linebacker and tight end statement, my favorite nfl player popped into my head, a white guy, Jeremy Shockey. (Who's a tight end btw)
The Lincoln part made me lol!
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Post by number1fan on Mar 10, 2009 19:08:56 GMT -5
 my faves so far...
shawn (go olympian!), gilles (?) cheryl's partner, the jilted bachelorette...
first to go...the woz, the rodeo cowboy, the other reality show gal...terrible
it's great to see maksim back  ...too bad i don't care for ms richards 
how about jules and chuck all lovely dovey  ...go for it girl~ 
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Post by tabatha on Mar 10, 2009 21:56:43 GMT -5
I adore Maks, not so much his partner, too bad too. You're not the only one number1.
Julianne and Chuck are a cute couple.
I adore Shawn, she's just too cute.
Not too much on Holly J, think that's her name, I know she didn't have much time to work on it, and that's too bad.
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Post by A.O.Freak on Mar 10, 2009 23:07:05 GMT -5
'DWTS' Recap: What a Difference a Week Makes Gilles jumps ahead, 'Bachelor' ex-fiancee wows the crowd By Kate Mulcrone Special to MSN TV Right off the bat this looks to be the most exciting season of "Dancing With the Stars" ever. Injured celebs Jewel and Nancy O'Dell were replaced at the 11th hour with "Girl Next Door" Holly Madison and "Bachelor" dumpee Melissa Rycroft. "Jackass" Steve-O stole our hearts in the first half (even though the judges weren't too impressed) and Gilles Marini took some quick, bold steps toward being known as something other than "the naked guy from the 'Sex and the City' movie." Gymnast Shawn Johnson tore up the floor, whereas Steve Wozniak is definitely more Mr. Congeniality than "Saturday Night Fever." But the biggest surprise of the night? "Bachelor" contestant Melissa Rycroft is well on her way to leveraging her 15 minutes of fame into a nice long stint in the spotlight. A rundown of last night's performances: You be the judge: Is there a "Dancing With the Stars" curse? Lil' Kim I give her credit for telling the cameras that the first time she watched "Dancing With the Stars" was in prison, and even more credit for pulling a face when Tom Bergeron made his Riker's Island joke. Lil' Kim has a megawatt smile and seemed totally at home on the dance floor. Bruno and Len praised Kim and Derek's cha-cha, but Carrie Ann wanted to see a little more out of her next time out. I see Kim as a real contender.  Score: 21/30 Belinda Carlisle Our favorite Go-Go had a little trouble with her spins. Jonathan had to coach her through some dizziness during their practice sessions. Tonight she did just fine on the spins. Sadly, there were other issues. Bruno called Belinda heavy-footed and Carrie Ann advised her to let Jonathan lead. (The guy is supposed to lead, right?)  Score: 17/30 Lawrence Taylor Lawrence Taylor is one of the most famous players in the history of football and nothing he does on the dance floor can ever take that away from him. Unfortunately, he was clunky and awkward during his cha-cha with partner Edyta and even seemed winded by the end. The judges weren't any more impressed than I was. The audience, however, really seems to love LT. He might be in the bottom three, but I wouldn't count him out just yet.  Score: 16/30 Steve-O Somehow I've gotten through this life without ever hearing Steve-O speak. (Yup, not a "Jackass" fan.) He's got a surprisingly gravelly-yet-feminine voice, think Patty and Selma. I wasn't expecting much from his waltz with Lacey but it was amazing! It wasn't even the dancing so much as his concentration and presence. You have to wonder what would happen if dude took the rest of his life this seriously.  Score: 17/30 Gilles Marini Cheryl Burke has won "Dancing With the Stars" twice and it's pretty clear she's going for a third notch on her belt. She wanted to bring sexy back with Gilles Marini of "Sex and the City," and she succeeded. Their cha cha was fast, furious and, yes, sexy. The judges loved it -- even Bruno! Gilles is definitely on my short list to win it all.  Score: 24/30 Chuck Wicks ;D OK, let's be honest: Country crooner Chuck Wicks is here as Mr. Julianne Hough. The "real life couple" angle was just too good for the producers to pass up. There was some bickering during rehearsal, but the tension evaporated by the time Chuck and Julianne took the stage. They were fantastic, though I could have done without the midwaltz smooch. And the one at the end. And ... OK, I'm a grump. The judges seemed to like the routine and the audience was right there with them. Chuck and Julianne will be around for a long time.  Score: 20/30 Holly Madison Holly took the stage with Dmitry Chaplin, who's new to "Dancing With the Stars." Their cha cha routine was like a cross between Britney Spears at the MTV Awards and the requisite school dance scene in any '80s movie.To be fair, they only had five days to train. The judges definitely bore this in mind, and I think Holly and Dmitry got a little padding in their score. It'll be interesting to see what they do next week.  Score: 18/30 Ty Murray This rodeo champ and husband of fallen star Jewel was partnered with Chelsie Hightower, who's new to the show. Ty seemed truly out of his element during the cut scenes to rehearsal, but, hey, when else will you get to hear someone else compare the cha-cha to bull riding? Unfortunately, his timing was off and he was more than a little stiff. Bruno said the routine looked like "an army drill." I hate to say it, but it looks like Ty will be the first to go.  Score: 14/30 Shawn Johnson This Olympic gymnast is the youngest contestant ever to appear on "Dancing With the Stars," but she has the grace and gravitas of a much older woman. She and partner Mark Ballas danced a truly elegant waltz; their timing was the best of all the couples to take the stage tonight. It was only after the music stopped that we saw just how nervous Shawn was! She's definitely one to beat.  Score: 23/30 Steve Wozniak The inappropriately tight Zoot suit! The boa! The unabashed geekiness! Woz may just be the unlikeliest star ever to grace this show. (Though partner Karina called him "the nicest man alive.") I don't know if I was more amused by the black knee socks or the overearnest musing on dancing vs. designing computers. Woz started out a little stiff, but he looked like he was having a great time by the end. Len liked the knee spins, but thought the performance was disastrous. Bruno's line about "watching a Teletubby gone mad" earned him scorn from the crowd, whereas Carrie Ann's encouraging words sat a little better. Woz seemed pretty unfazed by the critique. I think Woz has absolutely no chance of winning this thing, but I'm hoping he'll stick around for at least a few episodes.  Score: 13/30 David Alan Grier This "Chocolate News" funnyman was a little stiff during his waltz with Kym, though his footwork wasn't bad. Tom Bergeron broke character and called it "downright charming." The judges felt the same. I think Len said it best: "There was far more good in that dance than bad." Don't expect him to go anywhere for at least a few weeks.  Score: 19/30 Denise Richards It seems that dancing is not quite as complicated as reality for Denise Richards; even though we saw a rehearsal spat that ended in tears, she and Maksim did a more than passable cha-cha. (And she's getting away with calling him "Maxiepoo!") I think the judges were a little hard on Denise during the critique, though her and Maksim's score certainly puts them well in the middle of the pack.  Score: 18/30 Melissa Rycroft Newly single "Bachelor" beauty Melissa had less than 48 hours to prepare for "Dancing With the Stars." But sometimes it's good to be an ex-cheerleader; Melissa is a natural, with years of experience. She made the waltz look easy. Bruno, mean, scary Bruno, called her "a revelation" then compared her to "a beautiful bird about to take flight." Once she's had a chance to really train with Tony, Melissa will be the one to beat this season!  Score: 23/30   |
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Post by number1fan on Mar 11, 2009 2:00:29 GMT -5
aofreak...thanks for the great photos, recaps and scores
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Post by apolostarr on Mar 11, 2009 11:11:52 GMT -5
Great pictures too  I hope Shawn sticks around to the end. GO OLYMPIANS |
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Post by tabatha on Mar 11, 2009 16:03:20 GMT -5
Yep, thanks for the pics and recaps. They were great. Y'all must think I'm crazy for bringing this up, but I'm not too crazy on Samatha's dress. It almost clashes. I would of liked it if the colors were paler, like the pink at the bottom of the dress. That's just my opinion about it. I love her hair though. Edit: Just noticed the pants... |
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Post by A.O.Freak on Mar 11, 2009 16:43:48 GMT -5
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Post by mellie on Apr 7, 2009 18:16:50 GMT -5
Oh my was Gilles' paso was fantabulous.
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Post by mellie on Apr 20, 2009 21:48:12 GMT -5
I guess nobody's watching this season. I am, and Julianne just did the almost exact routine that she did with Apolo. The ending was different, but it reminded me of the samba that Apolo and Julianne did in season 4.
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Post by A.O.Freak on Apr 20, 2009 21:56:08 GMT -5
I guess nobody's watching this season. I am, and Julianne just did the almost exact routine that she did with Apolo. The ending was different, but it reminded me of the samba that Apolo and Julianne did in season 4. they did pretty good though..i liked their dance tonight |
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Post by mtnme on Apr 21, 2009 1:51:49 GMT -5
We're watching, we just aren't chatting much about it I guess. Yeah, I noticed a few similar moves. Hey, if it ain't broke.... But I loved Shawn's cha cha and Melissa's Argentine tango was stunning! Funny how life works sometimes, isn't it? I was just thinking while she was dancing....one moment, you're getting dumped on national TV, the next your tripping the light- - and fantastically! |
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