Leaving Las Vegas

The legendary Wayne Newton has left Sin City, at least temporarily. Just days before his first performance on “Dancing With the Stars,” Newton stopped at the St. George Theatre in Staten Island, New York, for a very special performance.

Before taking the stage to sing favorites like “Viva Las Vegas” and “Mack the Knife,” showgirls dolled up in skimpy white outfits, feather boas and elaborate headdresses worked the crowd; two animal handlers from the Staten Island Zoo showed off an American alligator and a black rat snake, and an Elvis impersonator twitched his hips.

"When we reopened four years ago, our goal was to have big, renowned artists, so we are so proud to have Wayne Newton," said Doreen Cugno, vice president of programming at the St. George Theatre. "He's a megastar."

For the full story, click http://www.silive.com/news/index.ssf/2007/09/mr_vegas_brushes_up_to_dance_s.html.

Jane Seymour gushes about ‘Dancing With the Stars’

Jane Seymour has gone from the studio audience to center stage on the hit show “Dancing With the Stars.”
"I've been offered (to participate as a celebrity contestant) a couple of times and I've always turned it down for various reasons," Seymour recently told realitytvworld.com. "Physically I didn't think I'd be capable of doing it because I have a fused spine and some back issues. I'm by far the oldest female contestant they've ever had."
While she's been "very careful" with her back, consulting her doctor and physiotherapist before joining the cast, in the three or four weeks she's been training with professional partner Tony Dovolani, Seymour said she's lost 14 pounds "without trying." "I'm in better shape then I was when I was 16, and I'm happier than I could possibly ever tell you," said Seymour, who credits the majority of her success to Dovolani.

Click on http://www.realitytvworld.com/news/jane-seymour-gushes-about-going-dancing-with-stars-5808.php for the full text of the article

Maksim Chmerovsky hosts dance camp at Chicago North

Following three days of coaching the students and staff at the Fred Astaire Dance Studios in Buffalo Grove, “Dancing With The Stars” professional Maksim Chmerovsky recently hosted a Dance Camp open to the public at the Chicago North studio. The lucky students had an opportunity to feast their eyes on one of America’s 10 most eligible bachelors while learning valuable dance skills.During Max’s meet-and-greet after the camp, one of the studio’s students - Mike Adamle (Channel 5 sports newscaster) - decided to toss Max up on his shoulders for a photo op! Max has joined “Dancing With The Stars” for its fifth season, but he guarantees that following the finale Nov. 24, he will be back to visit all of his newfound friends at Buffalo Grove.

Dancing with the Stars Week 1

First week's competition features men vs. women

In a “Dancing with the Stars” first, 12 celebrities - six men and six women - will attempt to out-swing, out-waltz and out-rumba one another in the hit show’s fifth season, which returns Monday, Sept. 24 (8-9:30 p.m. ET) on ABC.

This season’s cast - the largest to date - includes an Emmy Award-winning actress, a Vegas icon, an Indy 500 champion, a Spice Girl, a daytime soap star, a Cheetah Girl and a former resident of 90210. As an added twist, viewers get a chance to size up the male vs. the female stars, as each gender hits the dance floor on separate nights during the first week of competition.

The women will strut their stuff on Monday night, while the men show off their moves Tuesday, Sept. 25 (8-9:30 p.m. ET). One couple will be sent home the following night, Wednesday, Sept. 26 (8-9 p.m. ET) on “Dancing with the Stars: The Results Show.”

Can the women outperform the men, or will the men dance circles around the women?

To learn more about the 12 stars making their dancing debuts next week, click http://abc.go.com/primetime/dancingwiththestars/.

Plans heat up for World Dance Experience: Argentina

Head south of the equator for World Dance Experience: Argentina
Set in beautiful Buenos Aires, this premiere dance competition includes the 2008 World Pro-Am Championships, the South American Open Professional Championships and the South American Open Amateur Championships.

The Pro-Am, only in its second year, is quickly becoming the most prestigious pro-am competition in the world. In 2007, this event attracted an audience of 800, as well as commercial television exposure on 30 networks and articles in 40 international newspapers and magazines.

The 2008 World Pro-Am Championship will also include a cabaret featuring five of the world’s finest professional Latin dance couples, such as Slavik Kryklyvyy and Elena Khvorova, Andre Bouchik and Valeriya Bousheva, and Paul Richardson and Olga Rodionova.

Spectator tickets for this event, which will be held March 6-10, 2008, can be purchased from the local World Dance Council member, the Counseil Danza de Argentina, at http://www.conseildanza.com.ar/.

Packages are available through your dance studio or dance professional. For additional inquiries, e-mail anna@worldpromotionsinc.com.

Drew Lachey tapped to host new dance show

Drew Lachey, who took home top honors in the second season of "Dancing with the Stars," has been chosen to host a new talent competition, "Dance War: Bruno vs. Carrie Ann."Bruno Tonioli and Carrie Ann Inaba, who serve as judges for ABC's "Dancing with the Stars," will be featured in the six-week series airing later this season. Open auditions are scheduled this month in cities across the nation.

To read the full text of the article, please click here

Jane Seymour discusses “Dancing With The Stars”

Legendary actress Jane Seymour always wanted to be a dancer. While knee problems kept her out of England’s Royal Ballet, at age 56, she now has the opportunity to don elegant costumes and glide across the floor as a contestant on the popular ABC show “Dancing With the Stars.”
In fact, she has more formal dance training than any other contestant in the five-season history of the show. Starting at age five, Seymour took her tutus very seriously. But ultimately, her dreams of becoming a prima ballerina were dashed.

Her decision to join “Dancing With The Stars” came during a particularly difficult time in Seymour’s life. Her mother had just suffered a stroke, and Seymour was commuting back and forth to England to be by her side. Seymour began suffering from depression, and packing on the pounds.

To combat her weight gain and rebuild her emotional strength, she opted to become the oldest woman ever to join the “Stars” cast. She will be counting on her partner, Tony Dovolani, to help her traverse the intricate dance routines she will learn at a frenetic pace over the next few months.

To read the full article please click here.

So You Think You Can Watch??

So you think you can watch? Craving the salsa and samba since the second season of “So You Think You Can Dance” came to end? Cheer up - you can still watch the top 10 performers recreate some of your favorite routines on this year’s nationwide tour.

From Jamie and Hok’s breathtaking hummingbird piece, to Sara and Pasha’s action-packed take on West Coast swing, fans can relive some of the season’s most spectacular moments as the tour stops in a town near you.

Tickets are available for the following tour dates:


Friday, Sept. 21
Times Union Center
Albany, N.Y.

Saturday, Sept. 22
Agganis Arena
Boston, Mass.

Sunday, Sept. 23
Hartford Civic Center
Hartford, Conn.

Tuesday, Sept. 25
Sovereign Center
Reading, Penn.

Wednesday, Sept. 26
Wachovia Arena
Wilkes Barre, Penn.

Thursday, Sept. 27
BlueCross Arena
Rochester, N.Y.

Saturday, Sept. 29
Theater at Continental Airlines Arena
E. Rutherford, N.J.

Sunday, Sept. 30
War Memorial at OnCenter
Syracuse, N.Y.

Tuesday, Oct. 2
Arena at Harbor Yard
Bridgeport, Conn.

Wednesday, Oct. 3
Cumberland County Civic Center
Portland, Maine

Thursday, Oct. 4
Verizon Wireless Arena
Manchester, N.H.

Saturday, Oct. 6
Boardwalk Hall
Atlantic City, N.J.

Sunday, Oct. 7
Wachovia Center
Philadelphia, Penn.

Tuesday, Oct. 9
Nassau Coliseum
Long Island, N.Y.

Wednesday, Oct. 10
First Mariner Arena
Baltimore, Md.

Friday, Oct. 12
Bryce Jordan Center
State College, Penn.

Saturday, Oct. 13
Big Sandy Superstore Arena
Huntington, W.V.

Sunday, Oct. 14
Greensboro Coliseum
Greensboro, N.C.

Tuesday, Oct. 16
Hampton Coliseum
Hampton, Va.

Wednesday, Oct. 17
Charlotte Bobcats Arena
Charlotte, N.C.

Friday, Oct. 19
St. Pete Times Forum
Tampa, Fla.

Saturday, Oct. 20
American Airlines Arena
Miami, Fla.

Monday, Oct. 22
Arena at Gwinnett Center
Duluth, Ga.

Tuesday, Oct. 23
BiLo Center
Greenville, S.C.

Wednesday, Oct. 24
Sommet Center
Nashville, Tenn.

Friday, Oct. 26
Scottrade Center
St. Louis, Mo.

Saturday, Oct. 27
Sprint Center
Kansas City, Mo.

Sunday, Oct. 28
Target Center
Minneapolis, Minn.

Tuesday, Oct. 30
Schottenstein Center
Columbus, Ohio

Wednesday, Oct. 31
Wolstein Center
Cleveland, Ohio

Thursday, Nov. 1
Air Canada Centre
Toronto, Ontario

Saturday, Nov. 3
Joe Louis Arena
Detroit, Mich.

Sunday, Nov. 4
Conseco Fieldhouse
Indianapolis, Ind.

Monday, Nov. 5
United Center
Chicago, Ill.

Wednesday, Nov. 7
Bradley Center
Milwaukee, Wisc.

Friday, Nov. 9
U.S. Bank Arena
Cincinnati, Ohio

Saturday, Nov. 10
Rupp Arena
Lexington, Ky.

Monday, Nov. 12
Nokia Theatre
Grand Prairie, Texas

Wednesday, Nov. 14
AT & T Center
San Antonio, Texas

Thursday, Nov. 15
Reliant Arena
Houston, Texas

Sunday, Nov. 18
Jobing.com Arena
Glendale, Ariz.

Monday, Nov. 19
San Diego Sports Arena
San Diego, Calif.

Wednesday, Nov. 21
Nokia Theatre
Los Angeles, Calif.

Friday, Nov. 23
Oracle Arena
Oakland, Calif.

Saturday, Nov. 24
ARCO Arena
Sacramento, Calif.

Sunday, Nov. 25
HP Pavilion at San Jose
San Jose, Calif.

Tuesday, Nov. 27
Rose Garden
Portland, Ore.

Wednesday, Nov. 28
Everett Events Center
Everett, Wash.

Friday, Nov. 30
Reno Events Center
Reno, Nev.

Dancing Through Life

A warm and encouraging self-help book that draws inspiration and motivation from ballroom dancing.

Precisely because the dance floor stands apart from the everyday world, allowing dancers to play, experiment and take on new roles, it also serves as a stage for human behavior. Antoinette Benevento, a former national ballroom dancing champion and co-owner of Fred Astaire Dance Studios, has been a student of that stage for 25 years. She has discovered that getting out on the dance floor is a powerful and empowering metaphor for living fully in all realms of life.



Some of the tenets Antoinette Benevento lives, dances, and teaches by:

• Persistence is a form of beauty

• Give yourself permission to begin again--and again and again

• If you're not willing to risk falling, you'll never learn to walk (or dance)

• Desire is the energy that moves us forward in dance and in life

• To dance well and to live fully, body and soul need to work together

Building on the ballroom dancing craze that has swept the country, including the popularity of "Dancing with the Stars", this illuminating and highly readable book shows that what you learn on the dance floor can help you dance through life.

ANTOINETTE BENEVENTO is co-owner of and National Training Director for the Fred Astaire Dance Studios and a former national ballroom dancing champion.

You can purchase the book by clicking here!