So this week John Ratzenberger got sent home. People may not remember, but he did step in at the very last moment to replace Vincent Pastore, and even though he was playing catch up, he had a really positive attitude about this experience, and was sort of the father figure of the crew. So it was sad to see him go. I know Billy was on the chopping block with John and I would have felt awful if Billy got sent home since this past week he took time out of his rehearsal to hang with me a little and help me loosen up. I had a blast learning the bubba chicken (I had no idea what I was doing but I certainly had fun doing it), and I think Billy's fun-loving attitude really helped me relax and start having more fun.Believe it or not, I think the fact that we had two dances to learn this week gave me the chance to stop stressing. There just wasn't any time for me to overanalyze (which I certainly do): I learned the steps and moved on. And with Billy's help, I had fun, too! If I get sent home ...
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John Ratzenberger with Edyta Sliwinska, Dancing with the Stars
The only one shocked by John Ratzenberger's ouster on Tuesday night's Dancing with the Stars was Billy Ray Cyrus. The country star had turned in two more hopeless yet fascinating dance performances the night before and was sure he was a goner. In fact, after watching the amazing children featured on tonight's results show as the next generation of ballroom dancers, Cyrus wandered into the audience several times to dispense hugs and handshakes. "Before they throw me out of here," he said, "give it up for those kids. I thought they were fantastic."
But it was Ratzenberger who was forced to say goodbye. The Cheers star says the experience has been "an awakening. I got an e-mail from a mother in South Carolina saying that her 4-year-old son, Conner, said he wa
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Remember that episode of 90210 where Steve entered a dance competition and Brandon, Kelly and Donna cheered him on? No? OK, it never happened, but it sort of felt like such an episode last night when founding members of what Tom dubbed the “90210 Alumni Association” were in the audience supporting Ian. I don’t know if it was their cheers or Billy Ray’s tutoring, but whatever it was, it worked. Ian finally came alive on the dance floor! His first dance was good and showed marked improvement from last week; his second dance was even better. For weeks now, Ian’s had the moves down but has been unable to sell his performances. Last night that all changed and the judges took notice, telling him he finally had fun out there and was authentic and “enjoyable to watch.” Most importantly, they pointed out that he and Cheryl had some real chemistry for the first time.Perhaps this means Joey will no longer be able to say, “If you become too serious, you b...
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Let’s jump right to the highlight of the night: the group swing was 100 percent fun, perhaps the best group dance that involved the celebrities in the past four seasons of Dancing with the Stars. Everyone was so into the performance that the energy was contagious. Even more impressive was how well they gelled as a group (even Heather and Jonathan, who missed the group practice). The couples all played to their strengths (e.g., Ian and Cheryl did back-to-back lifts, while Laila tossed Max aside and carried Apolo), and no one upstaged the others. Plus they all got into character and pulled off the cute little theatrical moments, such as Joey and Ian’s mock fight and the ladies all fawning over Billy Ray.Theatrics wound up playing a big part in many of the dances last night, a night in which the judges really emphasized the importance of performance. No one learned this lesson harder than Ian, who said that he was going to try to focus more on performance than technique this ...
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Dancing with the Stars judge Len Goodman
If you thought head judge Len Goodman's tongue-lashing of the celebrity dancers tonight was scripted, think again. When he told them that they weren't rehearsing long or hard enough, it was his own opinion, something that had been building up in his mind since the performances last week. And it came from a place of genuine disappointment and frustration. "I just had a bad feeling," said Goodman right after the show. "So I looked at the DVD of last season, the fourth week. And then I looked at the DVD of this group three weeks in. And there was no comparison. There was no Emmitt Smith. There was no Joey Lawrence. No Mario Lopez. And I couldn't [figure] out why — because these people all hav
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I can’t go so far as to say it was an all-out theme night, but about half of last night’s celebrities got inspiration for their dances from movies. First Edyta took John Ratzenberger to a Valentino movie to get inspired for the tango. This seemed to work in terms of him getting into character for the dance. I was impressed with his facial expressions and intensity, but I think that was the strongest part of his dance. The judges pointed out that he needs to make some technical improvements, and it did seem like Edyta was working extra hard making big movements around him. He deservedly got one of the lowest scores of the evening.Movie inspiration proved far more successful for one of the top scorers of the night (there was a four-way tie), Joey Fatone. While I wasn’t crazy about the Stars Wars theme music (I found it and the lights a bit distracting), I have to acknowledge that it was a really good tango. The fact that Joey is so into Star Wars gave his performance ex...
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Dancing with the Stars' Joey Fatone
It was a night of such passion and enthusiasm at this Monday's Dancing with the Stars that women were losing their jewels. In the audience, a woman named Becky from Fillmore, California, was clapping so hard that her $30,000 diamond solitaire flew out of its setting — a scary moment until another audience member retrieved the precious stone.
On the dance floor, fiery pro Eydta Sliwinska felt jewelry coming loose, too. As she snapped her head sharply back and forth doing the tango with John Ratzenberger, the fake diamonds adorning the back of her bun became more like dangling earrings, flying around her head as they separated from her hair.
Tango, it seems, can make everything — and everyone — bust loose, bringing out th
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Last night our stars had a sort of second chance to make a first impression. Initially, I was against not having an elimination last week, but the judges commented that they were grateful for the chance to see everyone do both Latin and ballroom dances, and that is a good point — some people are simply better at one style than the other. OK, so they won me over with this new wait-a-week system.So who benefited from this extra week? First and foremost, Billy Ray Cyrus. Wow, did he step it up. The judges crowned him “most improved” performer and it was a well deserved title. I enjoyed watching his performance; he was actually doing the quick step, and moving at a fast pace. Taking into account this turnaround and adding in his huge Hannah fanbase, I don’t think this cowboy will be exiting the dance floor just yet.In addition to Billy Ray, Heather Mills also gained a lot from this part-two performance. Love her or hate her (she seems to inspire impassioned responses...
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And they’re off! The 11 latest celebrities to put on their dancing shoes hit the ballroom live last night. It was step one of their quest for that fabulous, sparkling Dancing with the Stars trophy. Throughout the show, the hosts pointed out that this is “the most remarkable cast ever” and that we were watching “history-making” television. It’s good to know that they’re keeping this fun, lighthearted dance show in perspective.OK, while they may have overstated things a bit, there were some firsts last night that did indeed set it apart from past seasons: their tallest contestant ever, NBA star Clyde Drexler, standing at 6-foot-7; their first contestant with an artificial limb, Heather Mills; and their youngest competitor, professional dancer Julianne Hough, who is all of 18.Another big difference from last season was that, overall, most of the celebrities participating this year are pretty well known. There’s much less of the “Who’s t...
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Ian Ziering and Cheryl Burke, Dancing with the Stars
Who's the youngest? The most surprisingly fit? The tallest toe-tapper in the show's history? As the Monday, 8 pm/ET premiere of the new season of ABC's Dancing with the Stars nears, TV Guide invites you to step right up and meet the new line of celebrity hoofers.
Billy Ray Cyrus, 45Best known for: His country-music career and playing Dad on Disney's Hannah MontanaLives in: Los Angeles and NashvilleDancing for: daughter Noah, who told her first-grade teacher that Daddy was "scared" to sign on for DWTS. "The teacher told my little girl to go home and tell me, ‘Never let the fear of striking out keep you from playing the game,'" he says.Partner: Last season's runner-up,
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