ABC reveals 'Dancing with the Stars' sixth-season cast

ABC has revealed the identities of the 12 celebrities and professional dancers who will be waltzing their way into primetime when “Dancing with the Stars'” sixth season premieres with a 90-minute performance episode on Monday, March 17 at 8 p.m. ET/PT.

The sixth-season celebrity cast announcement was made by a trio of former “Dancing with the Stars” second-season contestants, including tenth-place finisher Kenny Mayne, fourth-place finisher Lisa Rinna and runner-up Jerry Rice - during Monday night’s live “Dance War: Bruno vs. Carrie Ann” finale broadcast on ABC. The names of the professionals they would be paired with were released on Tuesday morning.

They are:
Fabian Sanchez with Oscar-winning actress Marlee Matlin
Louis Van Amstel with Elvis’ former wife, actress Priscilla Presley
Edyta Sliwinska with NFL all-star Jason Taylor
Derek Hough with actress Shannon Elizabeth
Julianne Hough with comedian Adam Carolla
Mark Ballas with Olympic gold medalist figure skater Kristi Yamaguchi
Johnathan Roberts with tennis pro Monica Seles
Karina Smirnoff with hip-hop artist Mario
Anna Trebunskaya with actor Steve Guttenberg
Cheryl Burke with Latin heartthrob Christian De La Fuente
Kym Johnson with comedian Penn Jillette
Tony Dovolani with Tony award-winning actress Marissa Jaret Winokur

Both Sanchez and Dovolani are members of the Fred Astaire Dance Studios family. This is Sanchez’s first time on the show; Dovolani has participated many times before, being paired last season with actress Jane Seymour."Talk about diversity," “Dancing with the Stars” judge and “Dance War” coach Bruno Tonioli said following the cast announcement. "Well that makes it more interesting," agreed fellow “Dancing” judge and “Dance War” coach Carrie Ann Inaba. "Because you never know what's going to happen. It's unpredictable that way." There was one popular professional dancer whose name was demonstrably absent from the list - Maksim Chmerkovskiy. Chmerkovskiy reportedly “needs a break” and is skipping “Dancing with the Stars'” spring 2008 installment.

Following” Dancing with the Stars'” March 17 premiere in its regular Mondays at 8 p.m. ET/PT time slot, ABC will air” Dancing with the Stars'” first sixth-season results show broadcast on March 25 at its regular Tuesdays at 9 p.m. ET/PT time.

Sean Hayes won't be 'Dancing with the Stars'

Former “Will & Grace” star Sean Hayes apparently won't be lacing up his ballroom shoes for “Dancing with the Stars'” upcoming sixth season.

Hayes' representative has refuted a recent report that the actor would likely be competing as a Dancing with the Stars' sixth-season celebrity participant, Entertainment Tonight reported recently.

A friend of the 37-year-old previously told In Touch Weekly that Hayes had been approached to appear as a “Dancing with the Stars'” sixth-season celebrity participant.

"He's probably going to do it," the friend told In Touch. "Sean can bust a move with the best of them."

Hayes received a 2000 Emmy award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series thanks to his Jack McFarland character on “Will & Grace,” which ran on NBC from fall 1998 to spring 2006. Hayes most recently co-starred in “The Bucket List” with Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman.

“Dancing with the Stars 6” will debut with a 90-minute performance episode broadcast on Monday, March 17 in its regular Mondays at 8 p.m. ET/PT time period. ABC will then air “Dancing with the Stars'” first sixth-season results show broadcast on March 25 in its regular Tuesdays at 9 p.m. ET/PT time slot.

”Dancing with the Stars'” sixth-season cast will be revealed during ABC's live two-hour finale broadcast of “Dance War: Bruno vs. Carrie Ann” on Monday, February 18 at 8 p.m. ET/PT.

Maples, Hayes going 'Dancing?’

Marla Maples, the 44-year-old former Mrs. Donald Trump, has reportedly been cast as a “Dancing with the Stars” sixth-season celebrity participant, In Touch Weekly reported Friday.

"She's landed a spot on the hottest show," a friend of Marla's" told In Touch. "She's in great shape, so dancing is only going to make her look even better."

In addition, the friend told In Touch that “Dancing with the Stars'” producers are hoping “The Apprentice” star will appear as a member of the show's studio audience to watch his ex dance - a scenario that seems highly unlikely. Last summer, Maples appeared in ABC's “Ex-Wives Club,” a reality series that helped recent divorcees rid themselves of everything reminiscent of their former significant other in an effort to move forward with their lives. She appeared in the short-lived show with Angie Everhart - the secret saboteur of ABC's “Celebrity Mole Yucatan” - and the former Mrs. Kevin Federline, Shar Jackson. According to a December In Touch report, former “Will & Grace” actor Sean Hayes may also be a part of “Dancing with the Stars'” sixth season cast.

In addition, E! Online gossip columnist Mark Malkin reported last week that Elvis Presley's ex, Priscilla Presley, has "signed on, or is close to signing on" to the show's sixth-season cast. “Dancing with the Stars 6” will premiere Monday, March 17 at 8 p.m. ET/PT on ABC. As in previous seasons, the network is not commenting on sixth-season casting reports. ABC is expected to formally announce the season's cast later this month.

Dancers prepare for Las Vegas competition

A Web site dedicated to the 2008 Cross Country DanceSport Championships (CCDC) is now available to the general public.

Log on to http://www.ccdcfredastaire.com/ to learn more about this prestigious competition, which will be held April 16 to 20 in Las Vegas. Dancers from around the world will gather in Sin City this year to compete at the world-renowned Luxor resort and casino, a visually stunning hotel that is contemporarily appointed with modern amenities.

From American Smooth to Open Cabaret, International Latin to Country Western, the ballroom will be filled with amateur and professional dancers all vying for top honors. Don’t miss out on your opportunity to be part of this exciting event!

“America’s Ballroom Challenge” takes the floor

Starting Wednesday, Jan. 30, PBS began airing “America’s Ballroom Challenge,” an exciting series that brings together top dancers from around the world who compete across dance styles for the title of “America’s Best.” Dancers from within the Fred Astaire family are participating in the competition.

The series is returning for a third season with five one-hour episodes. Shot in high definition at the world’s largest ballroom dancing competition in Columbus, Ohio, “America’s Ballroom Challenge” airs Wednesday nights through Feb. 27 from 8 to 9 p.m. ET.

Hosted by actress and dancer Jasmine Guy and seven-time U.S. National Latin Dance Champion Ron Montez, the first installment of “America’s Ballroom Challenge” will feature the American Smooth competition. In coming weeks, the show will focus on American Rhythm, International Standard and International Latin.

The six finalists in each style will first compete as a group, performing the five standard dances in the category, with expert judges scoring their performances. Then the dancers will have an opportunity to shine, performing a show dance solo. Each program will end with the crowning of one couple, named champions in that style.

In the fifth and final program, the four champions will compete across dance styles for the coveted title, with each couple performing two pull-out-all-the-stops solos.

Charles Durning honored during SAG Awards

During its annual awards show on Sunday night, the Screen Actors Guild of America honored legendary actor Charles During, who spent several years early in his career working as an instructor in a Fred Astaire Dance Studio in New York City.

"When someone asked the great character actor Sir Ralph Richardson how he did what he did at age 83, he replied, 'I don't know, I'm just getting the hang of it.' And that's how I feel. I'm just getting the hang of it." — Charles Durning, accepting the Screen Actors Guild's lifetime achievement award.

"It's been a dream come true. A dream that began when I watched the movies of the great character actors of my time. Actors like Claude Raines, Lee J. Cobb, Frank Morgan and King Kong,” he said while reflecting on his long acting career.

According to an article on http://www.reuters.com/, Durning, 84, has spent the past 50 years portraying numerous roles on stage, television and in movies, from his turn as a corrupt cop in "The Sting" to the owner of a restaurant specializing in frogs’ legs in "The Muppet Movie."

The actor was nominated for two supporting actor Oscars for 1983's "The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas" and one year later for "To Be or Not To Be." He also earned eight Emmy nominations, U.S. television's top honors.

"He is, above all things, a great actor with the talent to which we all aspire: the power to create indelible characters," said SAG President Alan Rosenberg.

Durning was born and raised in upstate New York. He got his start in show business as a teenager, singing and dancing in burlesque stage shows. He served in the U.S. Army during World War II, suffered serious wounds and was captured and held as a prisoner-of-war.

Durning returned to the U.S. and by the 1960s had become a prolific star on Broadway and in touring companies. He made his film debut in 1965 in "Harvey Middleman, Fireman."

This year, Durning was named a "Legend" of acting by the American Academy of Dramatic Arts.

And while Mr. Durning’s accomplishments took center stage, one other award recipient on Sunday night mentioned the venerable Fred Astaire and his legacy:

"If you've seen me on the show with Alec Baldwin, then you know it's sort of like watching Fred Astaire dance with a hat rack and after a while you're like, 'Oh, that hat rack is pretty good too.' And you've given an award to the hat rack and I thank you." — Tina Fey, accepting the award for female actor in a comedy series at the Screen Actors Guild Awards on Sunday night.

It’s Never Too Late to Dance

An 88-year-old man is set to star in his first ballet show after taking up dance at the age of 79.

Grandfather to 11, John Lowe, of Witchford, Cambridgeshire, England, took up dancing having watched his daughter Alison become a professional dancer. The retired teacher said, "It's a wonderful thing to do and I can't understand why more men don't do it."

"I went to a dance school in the high street in Ely and asked if I could do tap and ballet and they said 'well of course you can' and I've been doing it ever since," Mr. Lowe said.

"I've got a rope at home that I use to pull my leg up higher. I'm lucky that I don't have any problem with the routines but that's because I exercise.
"There's nothing effeminate about it - you have to be incredibly fit to dance.
"I see these people crawling around , hunched over smoking a cigarette - they should be doing ballet."

Mr. Lowe was due to appear with the Lantern Dance Theatre Company, in Ely, on Sunday, Jan. 13 for a performance of Prokofiev's “The Stone Flower.” For the full text of the article, visit http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/cambridgeshire/7185908.stm.

Mario Lopez to host 'America's Best Dance Crew'

MTV has announced that “Randy Jackson Presents: America's Best Dance Crew,” a new “So You Think You Can Dance”-like reality competition series that will pit dance crews against one another for the chance to win a cash prize and touring contract, will premiere on Thursday, Feb. 7 at 10 p.m. ET/PT.

Hosted by former “Dancing with the Stars” second-season celebrity participant Mario Lopez, “Randy Jackson Presents: America's Best Dance Crew” will begin with eight dance teams consisting of five to seven members.

During each episode, the teams will rehearse themed choreography for that week's showdown before competing against one another. Each crew's performance will be critiqued by two judges - former ‘N Sync member JC Chasez and “So You Think You Can Dance” choreographer Shane Sparks.

Immediately following each broadcast, home viewers will be able to vote for their favorite crew via text messaging, the Internet or by phone. The two teams that receive the lowest number of viewer votes will then battle head-to-head for the judges and the chance to advance to the next round.

One team will be eliminated each week, and the crew left standing at the end will be crowned "the nation's best dance crew" and awarded a cash prize and touring contract.

Prior to its premiere, MTV will air a two-hour "live casting showdown" on Saturday, Jan. 26 at 2 p.m. ET (PT tape-delayed), in which the “American Idol” judge will reveal the eight dance crews participating in the show. Twelve dance crews were initially selected following auditions in Atlanta, Chicago, New York and Los Angeles.

For the full text of the article, log on to http://www.realitytvworld.com/news/mtv-debut-randy-jackson-america-best-dance-crew-on-feb-7-6421.php.

The Evolution of Ballroom, From Minuet to Maksim

The beauty of ballroom is that it’s accessible to all walks of life and all technique levels. But that was not always the case.

In the seventeenth century, the courtly Minuet set the standard. Known as the “walking dance,” it was slow and stately, snaking around the enormous ballroom in a giant S shape. First performed by King Louis XIV, subsequent aristocracy would often take up to three months to perfect the Minuet’s footwork and patterns. Although Minuet may mean “little steps,” a misstep could spell social disaster.

Ballroom has always been viewed as a social dance, one in which the tempos and styles changed through the years according to the culture. For instance, the emancipation of women gave us the Charleston and the flappers. Ragtime music inspired the Foxtrot and Shimmy and swing music gave us the Jitterbug. And, of course, where would dance movies be without Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers?

As the dances developed, so did the idea that anyone could learn them. However, with the advent of the computer age, ballroom faded into the background. Too many people found themselves stuck in front of a computer screen and the sociability of dance seemed too daunting.

Although “Dancing With the Stars” has helped restore eye-to-eye contact and ballroom’s popularity, most ballroom dance students are normal people, not stars. They sign up for classes wondering what dancing can do for them.

Well, if you’re Maksim Chmerkovskiy, of “Dancing With the Stars,” it can bring notoriety and boundless opportunity. Born Jan. 17, 1980, in Odessa, Ukraine, Chmerkovskiy’s parents put him in dance classes at a young age.

He much preferred sports – any sport – but he stuck with ballroom dancing anyway. Then, as a teenager, he suffered a serious skiing accident that required several surgeries and the insertion of a metal rod from his hip to his knee. Dance became his physical therapy and within a matter of months, he worked his way back into the world of competitive dance.

By the time his family moved to America, he was waltzing off with dance titles – U.S. Open Finalist, Professional World Cup Finalist, and World Masters Finalist. He’s been ranked second in the United States and seventh in the world. He relishes the competitions and believes they’ve helped raise the bar for good ballroom technique. He says, “There’s no ballroom dancing here or there was none until we came…We’re talking about Russia having hundreds of thousands of kids dancing. I don’t think we have over 500 competitive couples in this country.”

For the full text of this article, and more from Maks, log on to http://www.danceruniverse.com/stories/issues/200801/minuet-murray-maksim-and-beyond/index.html.

New Studio Prepares For Grand Opening

According to an article that ran in the Wisconsin State Journal, the new Fred Astaire Dance Studio in Madison, Wis., aspires to refine awkward movements and clumsy manners into elegant strides set to the rhythm of dance.

Local owners Peter and Linda Goethche emigrated from Europe with the express purpose of sharing their love of dance.

"Dancing was always a big passion of mine and my husband," Linda Goethche said. "It was always our dream to have our own studio."

The Goethches have studied dance since they were very young. After completing extensive training in Germany they began looking for opportunities in the U.S. to run a business of dance instruction.
"We figured out that the best two studios of Fred Astaire in the whole United States are actually in Milwaukee," Linda Goethche said. "We started there."

They spent about three years in Milwaukee learning the "Fred Astaire way," a strict curriculum of styles created by some of the best dancers in the world. Although they had danced professionally in Europe, the Goethches also had to learn the practical skills of operating a business. Now with meticulously trained dance professionals the new Madison franchise will offer personal instruction in a variety of dances both modern and classical.
"Let's say someone is going to a wedding where there will be a DJ. We'll teach them to dance to the songs that a DJ would play," Linda Goethche said. "Or if they're going to a black-tie affair then we'll teach them dances like waltz or foxtrot."

With popular television programs like "Dancing With The Stars," Goethche said dancing is coming back into style.

"What I would like to do is give the same feeling I have from dancing to other people," she said. "They don't realize what kind of feeling they can have just to dance, to be able to move, to be able to hold your wife and dance with her and make her feel like Cinderella and you're her Prince Charming."

The Fred Astaire Dance Studio of Madison celebrates its grand opening Jan. 18.

For the full text of the article, click on http://www.madison.com/wsj/home/biz/market/266441.

Day of Dance

Fred Astaire Dance Studios from across the country are participating in the Day of Dance this February, sponsored by the Spirit of Women Hospital Network.

During this event, women and their families are invited to join in for a day of dancing, heart health activities, education, music, health screenings and refreshments.

Day of Dance affiliates include Fred Astaire studios in Phoenix and Scottsdale, Ariz., Westminster, Colo., Rochester, Minn., Mamaroneck, N.Y., Charlotte, N.C., Columbus, Ohio, and Memphis, Tenn.

For more information on the Day of Dance, log on to http://www.dayofdance.org/.

The Gift Of Independence

Seven-year-old Elliot suffers from seizures that make riding a normal bike a dangerous activity. Dravet syndrome has resulted in severe neurodevelopment consequences for Elliot, including mental retardation and an inability to coordinate voluntary muscular movements. As a result, riding a bike required the constant attention of his parents, and he was only able to ride for limited periods of time.

Upon hearing his story, Variety of Illinois agreed to pay for a special bike for Elliot using funds raised through a partnership with Fred Astaire Dance Studios. The family was presented with the bike at the Astaire Awards Championships (AAC) in Illinois in July 2007. With his new adaptive bicycle, Elliot can ride as often as he likes with far less risk than riding a normal bike, which can frequently spark seizures.

Although Elliot is generally resistant to the ongoing physical therapy he receives for his seizures, he truly enjoys riding his new bike, which is one of the best possible sources of physical therapy. Being able to ride to his heart's content is not only a source of joy for Elliot, but for his parents as well.

"Because of the built-in safety features and the wide wheelbase, we no longer have to worry about him hurting himself in the event of a seizure,” says Elliot's mother, Mary Anne. “This gift has offered him such a sense of freedom and independence. That is so important for him since we have had to place so many restrictions on him during his day-to-day life because of his disabilities."

Variety – The Children’s Charity thanks Fred Astaire Dance Studios for its support and especially the opportunity to broaden Elliot’s horizons.

DWTS wins People’s Choice Award

The two-month-old writers’ strike meant that producers were forced to scale back the 34th annual People’s Choice Awards on Tuesday night. However, as they say in Hollywood, the show must go on, and by the end of the night, “Dancing With the Stars” waltzed away a winner.
The top rated show, which just wrapped up its’ fifth season, was nominated in the Favorite Competition/Reality Show category, facing off against last year’s winner – “American Idol” - and “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition.”

CBS scrapped its usual live broadcast of the show in favor of a strike-friendly, pre-taped program. The People's Choice Awards announced last month that it would replace its traditional live show with "a new format" that had its crews deliver trophies to music, film and television stars on location.

Robin Williams accepted his award for favorite funny male while on tour with the United Service Organizations in Kabul, Afghanistan. Members of Rascal Flatts picked up their prize for favorite group at the Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville, and Patrick Dempsey found out he was the favorite male TV star while at the Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Fla.
The show couldn't be canceled entirely, host Queen Latifah said Monday.

"The thing about the People's Choice Awards that's different from everybody else is it's the people's choice," she said. "So as much as we actors and writers and everyone are dealing with the writers strike and supporting the Writers Guild, you can't disrespect the people who keep us working, and that's the people. Ten million people logged on and voted for everyone, so out of respect for them, we have to" present the awards.

Other winners in categories that spanned from movies to television to music included Johnny Depp of "Pirates" as favorite male movie star, Katherine Heigl of "Grey's" as favorite female TV star, Ellen DeGeneres as favorite talk show host and Justin Timberlake as favorite male singer.

From Ballet to Ballroom

From Ballet to Ballroom
An Interview with Marisa Noelle

By Theodore Bale
http://www.danceruniverse.com/

What sort of dance training prepared you for a career in ballroom?

I started at Boston Ballet, where I studied for over 12 years, and where I did "The Nutcracker" every year for a decade. It was a wonderful program. I also did modern, jazz, character, flamenco - all at Boston Ballet. That was at a time when the intensive program was very much intensive. There was also pointe work, variationsand partnering. When I was 17 I went to Butler University in Indiana, where I majored in dance performance with a concentration in teaching. Michelle Jarvis, Rochelle Zied-Boothand Marek Cholewa were my main teachers there. In my third year I was also accepted as an apprentice at Milwaukee Ballet, and after that I returned to Butler to finish my degree. Milwaukee Ballet is an amazing company; we did "Swan Lake" there and they liked me, since I learned the whole thing in a week. It's a trademark of mine, to learn things quickly and adapt myself.

You haven't mentioned any training in ballroom, when did that come in?

Well, I spent the next few years after college dancing and teaching in a variety of different companies. At the end of 2004, I slipped on the ice, just a simple accident, but I hurt my ankle. Doctors found a small fracture, and it impeded my pointe work. I was in a boot for about four months. I was looking at my options then with European companies, but since my foot was unstable, I was in flux. I had lost the pivot in my ankle, and in spring of 2005 I started doing salsa at Fred Astaire (Dance Studios). It was mostly for rehabilitation, but also for social reasons. I quickly fell in love with ballroom and made that my focus, not only as dance, but also to learn and teach professionally as well. Just this past year I became a professional.

What does "professional" mean in the context of ballroom?

As a performer, you can dance any time, at competitions and showcases and so forth. But you are considered professional only when you start teaching. Since I already had a degree in dance, I had learned all the syllabi, both International and American styles, and I'll be doing the exams soon.

Do you ever miss the ballet world?

I tried to get back to ballet, but after 30 minutes at the barre, my foot would cramp and ache. I knew it wasn't possible, but I wouldn't allow myself not to dance. I have to dance! I had never taught ballroom, but I knew that it involved a lot of pivoting and rotation in the foot, and after only six months I looked for a good partner. Eventually, I found Peter Kornel.

How did you fare as a couple at your first competitions?

Right away, we had success, winning silver, gold, and open gold divisions. We came in second in open gold in Ohio Star Ball of 2006. The first time I went there was in 2005, and that first year I competed in bronze and pre-silver, taking first in all five dances in pre-silver. To prepare, I had private lessons five times a week and six group classes each week. It's very expensive, time-consuming and not easy. People ask me how it was done, and I say by sheer will and determination. I was committed to my goal of becoming a professional ballroom dancer, and I was ready to do the work. I competed in Ohio, Nevada, Connecticut and Florida. Almost every day of the week I was in the studio taking private lessons with Peter. I made notes on all my sessions, and even videotaped myself. We learned three styles back-to-back: Rhythm, Latin and Smooth. I competed in all three, which is 15 routines to learn, by the way. I wanted to stay with the one I am best at, which is International Latin.


For the full text of the interview, log on to http://www.danceruniverse.com/stories/issues/200801/from-ballet-to-ballroom/index.html

Still Stepping Up

“Step Up 2 the Streets,” the follow-up to 2006’s popular “Step Up,” is scheduled to be released on Valentine’s Day 2008.

When rebellious street dancer Andie (Briana Evigan) lands at the elite Maryland School of the Arts, she finds herself fighting to fit in while also trying to hold onto her old life. When she joins forces with the school’s hottest dancer, Chase (Robert Hoffman), to form a crew of classmate outcasts that will compete in Baltimore’s underground dance battle The Streets, she ultimately finds a way to live her dream while building a bridge between her two separate worlds.

Featuring the directorial debut of award-winning up-and-comer Jon M. Chu, “Step Up 2 the Streets” reunites much of the production team behind the original film including “Step Up’s” cutting-edge hip-hop choreographer Jamal Sims, who is joined this time by choreographers Hi-Hat (Bring It On) and Dave Scott (Stomp the Yard). Patrick Wachsberger and Erik Feig of Summit Entertainment produce with Adam Shankman and Jennifer Gibgot of Offspring Entertainment.

There is a special guest appearance by Channing Tatum, who starred in the first “Step Up” movie as Tyler Gage, the brother of Andie.

“Fame” still flying

The studio is backing a remake of the 1980s musical “Fame” with “300” producer Mark Canton and Lakeshore Entertainment.

The $25 million redo is slated to hit theaters on Christmas Day, 2008 and will be based on the Alan Parker film set at the New York Academy of Performing Arts, which starred Irene Cara and Debbie Allen and launched a generation of wannabe performers.

MGM plans to retain many of the musical elements of the original movie that also launched a global television hit and international stage show.

Fred Astaire dancers kick up their heels

Evan Mountain and his wife, Lada Reschikova, danced the salsa, swing and merengue on Christmas morning without leaving their living room.

The owners of the Fred Astaire Dance Studio in Bloomfield Hills, Mich., performed their fancy footwork on a network television special that aired on Christmas morning, but was taped last month at Disney World in Orlando, Fla.

They planned to be at home watching along with the estimated 40 million other viewers who were expected to tune into the Walt Disney World Christmas Day Parade Show on the ABC television network.

"I'm going to TIVO it," said Mountain, who took four of the studio's dancers to Florida last month for the performance. "It was a blast. We had a ball. I kept telling my teachers they may never get a chance to do anything like it again.

"On Christmas morning when we see it, I bet it lasts five minutes. It took hours and hours (to tape). It was a lot of work, but a lot of fun."

Tony Dovolani, a professional dancer on ABC's Dancing with the Stars, invited Mountain, his wife and their dance instructors to be among 150 couples that would dance his choreographed routine during the show.

"Tony is a Fred Astaire Dance Studio teacher and a friend of ours," Mountain said.

The ballroom dancers, with women in red and green and men dressed in black, performed on a stage at Cinderella's Castle in the Magic Kingdom. Several cast members, including some celebrities from “Dancing with the Stars,” kicked up their heels along with them.

"It was kind of surreal," Mountain said of the experience.

Dancers rehearsed from 10 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. their first day at the park. Their second day began at 5 a.m. with more rehearsal, then cameras started rolling.

"It was quite an experience," he said. "They would tape us going through the dance and then the dance and the music and then the dance and music and pyrotechnics. They shot off fireworks around the castle. They probably had 10 cameras around, up in the air, moving around us while we were dancing."

Mountain, who began ballroom dancing five years ago, said the choreography was easy, but the dance surface – cobblestone - was hard on the feet.

"We're used to dancing on wood floors," he said.

He and his wife opened their Fred Astaire Dance Studio two years ago. Running a food brokerage company is his full-time job. He also helps his wife, who runs the dance studio.

Although most of their students are adults, Mountain and Reschikova offer a junior dance program and they plan to start teaching an enrichment program at the International Academy in Bloomfield Hills next month.

"She was hoping to get 20 kids to sign up. By the second week (of registration) 97 kids had signed up for it," he said, crediting “Dancing with the Stars” for ballroom dancing's increased popularity.

Mountain, Reschikova and teachers from their studio - Karla Pinet, Joe Coombs, Olga Agafonova and Leonid Sidorenko - all participated in the Walt Disney World Christmas Day Parade Show, hosted by Regis Philbin and Kelly Ripa, which started at 10 a.m. on Dec. 25, according to ABC's Web site.

This article, written by Sharon Dargay, was found on www.hometownlife.com.

Dancers get a ‘kick’ out of Rockette experience

Megan Bryant is giddy. She's just learned that Pilates can add an inch to your height.

"I'm 5 foot even, but I'm only 16, so maybe I'll grow more. But if Pilates helps, I'm totally doing that."

Bryant needs to be 5 feet 6 inches by her 18th birthday to have a shot at the goal she's been dancing toward since she was three years old: to become a Radio City Rockette.

Bryant and 18 other students from Covington, Va. spent all night on a bus to New York City Dec. 14 to attend the Rockette Experience at Radio City Music Hall, an intensive course in the company's technique as the Rockettes' 75th Christmas Spectacular unfolded on the famed stage downstairs.

Over three hours, participants learn tap and jazz routines from the show, including those eye-high kicks (dancers do about 400 per show).

They also learn the tricky "hook up." Rockettes appear to link arms to form a tight-knit kick line, but they're not actually allowed to touch -- leaning on a neighbor could send the dancers crashing to the stage.

Finally, they undergo a mock audition, where they receive grades and feedback.
It may sound like Rockette-for-a-day fantasy camp, but the $108 class (offered throughout the year) is not for newbies - you'll need at least intermediate dance skills to participate. While most attendees are teens, older professional dancers sometimes sign up as training for the official Rockette auditions in April.

For those even more serious about a Rockette career, there's a weeklong boot camp each summer, where dancers learn the moves and get a chance to shine for Radio City talent scouts. Since the Experience started six years ago, about 30 Rockettes have been plucked from the 2,000 dancers who attend the courses each year.

To these small-town dancers, class instructor Cheryl Cutlip's road to Rockettedom is inspiring: She left High Point, N.C. - a town with one dance studio - carrying two suitcases, bound for New York. She's now in her 15th season at Radio City.

Cutlip offers some sobering facts about Rockette life: Rehearsals for the holiday show start in September, running seven hours a day for four weeks. During the 10-week season, Rockettes kick their way through 16 performances a week, doing as many as four 90-minute shows in a day. And that's not including one-offs like the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, the "Today" show, presidential inaugurations and private appearances.

And they do it all in costume, sometimes with each dancer sparkling with 3,000 Swarovksi crystals.

"It's pretty hardcore," says Covington dancer Kelly Drummond, 16.

Click here to read more.

‘How She Move’ set for Jan. 25 release

Dance is ready to once again take center stage on the big screen.

The new film “How She Move,” directed by Ian Iqbal Rashid, is slated for release on Jan. 25.

The story focuses on an aspiring medical student whose drug addicted sister recently died and who may be forced to relocate from her posh private school to the crime-infested neighborhood in which she was raised.

Unable to afford the tuition needed to fund her private-school education, ambitious teen Raya returns to her family home in the city while reluctantly forced to reevaluate her future. Upon learning that the top prize for an upcoming step-dancing competition is $50,000, Raya uses her impressive moves to earn a coveted slot in her good friend Bishop's predominately male JSJ crew.

Isolated from the local females due to jealousy and separated from her fellow dancers by gender, the ambitious dancer is subsequently kicked off the team for showing off during a preliminary competition. Now, if Raya has any hope of realizing her medical school dreams, she will have to either earn back Bishop's trust or organize her own dance crew and start over from scratch.

The movie stars Rutina Wesley, Tracey 'Tre' Armstrong, Brennan Gademans, Clé Bennett and Kevin Duhaney.

Serious About Salsa

ATLANTA, Ga. - The lights are dim, the music is pulsing and couples are circling the dance floor in elaborate, revealing costumes.

It's not "Dancing with the Stars," but rather the grand finale performance of the Atlanta Salsa Congress at the Waverly Renaissance Hotel ballroom. On a recent weekend, the events included everything from beginner salsa lessons to choreographed group recitals.

Carolyn Parera, 40, is at the center of the action, twisting and twirling around the room.

"Dancing is my passion," Parera declares. "I will dance until the day I die."

In addition to the emotional lift, Parera has found surprising health benefits from the regular activity. A single parent from Atlanta, Parera may not appear to be a typical dancer. During the day, she helps run a pediatrician's office, but in her free time she works on improving her moves.

She became interested in salsa five years ago when her teenage daughter was taking dance lessons. Instead of waiting in the car, Parera decided to join them.

"I started enjoying it," says Parera. "As time went along I started losing weight."

In fact she has dropped 100 pounds since she began. She also lowered her cholesterol and blood pressure and reduced her reliance on an asthma inhaler.

"I feel wonderful," she says. "My health is much, much better, so that gives me more energy, more motivation, more self-esteem."

Parera reports she's now spending more time with her 17-year old daughter. The two moved side-by-side while taking a group lesson together during the dance weekend. As the instructor counted out loud, the students swayed and stepped to the music.

"The more you hear it, the more you want it," Parera says. "It's like an addiction. You start and you keep going, but in this case you feel healthier."

For the full text of the article, click on http://www.cnn.com/2007/HEALTH/diet.fitness/12/24/hm.salsa/index.html.

Cheryl Burke is ready to Rumba

Cheryl Burke, the two-time Dancing with the Stars champion, is not suffering from appendicitis and can rejoin the DWTS tour as soon as Friday, E! Online has confirmed.

A tour spokeswoman said in a statement that Burke met with her personal physician and, after undergoing some tests, received a clean bill of health.

"Burke will be performing alongside the all-star cast in her hometown of San Jose, California, and at all remaining shows on the tour," the rep said.

The 23-year-old Latin-dance specialist who helped Drew Lachey and Emmitt Smith win the prestigious disco-ball trophy was forced to miss the tour's opening night Tuesday in Seattle after she suffered severe cramps during rehearsal.

At the hospital, doctors suspected appendicitis, but she flew home to get a second opinion.

Her return to the tour has to be good news for choreographer and DWTS veteran Louis van Amstel, who called Burke's absence Tuesday a scheduling "disaster."

"Cheryl can't be gone for more than a week. I won't let her!" the panicking pro exclaimed, probably only half-joking.

Karina Smirnoff stepped in to dance with Lachey, a change of plans that, she admitted later to tvguide.com, didn't go off without a hitch.

"We had a couple of moments when we ran onto the floor at the wrong time, in the wrong place, in the wrong direction," Smirnoff said Wednesday. "But that won't happen tonight."

The show will go on without Burke again Thursday in Sacramento, but she'll be back in Lachey's arms by tomorrow.

Sabrina Bryan, Joey Lawrence and Wayne Newton (singing, not dancing) are also in the lineup for this leg of the 37-city tour.

‘I Believe In Dancing’

Looking for a little inspiration this holiday season? Read how world-renowned author Robert Fulgham feels about dance – and how it’s part of his everyday life.

Dancing All the Dances as Long as I Can
By Robert Fulghum

I believe in dancing.

I believe it is in my nature to dance by virtue of the beat of my heart, the pulse of my blood and the music in my mind. So I dance daily.

The seldom-used dining room of my house is now an often-used ballroom — an open space with a hardwood floor, stereo and a disco ball. The CD-changer has six discs at the ready: waltz, swing, country, rock 'n' roll, salsa and tango.

Each morning when I walk through the house on the way to make coffee, I turn on the music, hit the "shuffle" button and it's Dance Time! I dance alone to whatever is playing. It's a form of existential aerobics, a moving meditation.

Tango is a recent enthusiasm. It's a complex and difficult dance, so I'm up to three lessons a week, three nights out dancing, and I'm off to Buenos Aires for three months of immersion in tango culture.

The first time I went tango dancing I was too intimidated to get out on the floor. I remembered another time I had stayed on the sidelines, when the dancing began after a village wedding on the Greek island of Crete. The fancy footwork confused me. "Don't make a fool of yourself," I thought. "Just watch."

Reading my mind, an older woman dropped out of the dance, sat down beside me, and said, "If you join the dancing, you will feel foolish. If you do not, you will also feel foolish. So, why not dance?"

And, she said she had a secret for me. She whispered, "If you do not dance, we will know you are a fool. But if you dance, we will think well of you for trying."

Recalling her wise words, I took up the challenge of tango.

A friend asked me if my tango-mania wasn't a little ambitious. "Tango? At your age? You must be out of your mind!"

On the contrary: It's a deeply pondered decision. My passion for tango disguises a fearfulness. I fear the shrinking of life that goes with aging. I fear the boredom that comes with not learning and not taking chances. I fear the dying that goes on inside you when you leave the game of life to wait in the final checkout line.

I seek the sharp, scary pleasure that comes from beginning something new — that calls on all my resources and challenges my mind, my body and my spirit, all at once.

My goal now is to dance all the dances as long as I can, and then to sit down contented after the last elegant tango some sweet night and pass on because there wasn't another dance left in me.

So, when people say, "Tango? At your age? Have lost your mind?" I answer,
"No, and I don't intend to."

Independently produced for NPR’s Weekend Edition Sunday by Jay Allison and Dan Gediman with John Gregory and Viki Merrick.

‘Dancing With the Stars’ returns March 17

ABC has announced “Dancing with the Stars'” sixth season will premiere on Monday, March 17 at 8 p.m. ET/PT.

“Dancing with the Stars” will debut with a 90-minute performance episode broadcast on March 17 in its regular Mondays at 8 p.m. ET/PT time slot. ABC will then air “Dancing with the Stars'” first sixth-season results show on March 25 in its regular time on Tuesdays at 9 p.m. ET/PT.
“Dancing with the Stars” spring 2008 sixth season will use the same Monday/Tuesday broadcast schedule that ABC first implemented in order to keep last spring's fourth installment of the show out of direct competition with Fox's Tuesday/Wednesday American Idol broadcast schedule. Idol's first seventh-season results show broadcast will air Wednesday, March 12 at 9PM ET/PT on Fox.

“So You Think You Can Dance” audition dates

Do you think you can dance?

Auditions for the popular Fox show “So You Think You Can Dance” have been scheduled in cities across the country. Auditions for season four will be held:

Jan. 17, 2008 - Dallas, Texas
McFarlin Memorial Auditorium at Southern Methodist University
6405 Boaz Lane, Dallas, TX 75275

Jan. 31, 2008 - Charleston, S.C.
Charleston Music Hall
37 John Street, Charleston, SC 29403

Feb. 21, 2008 - Washington, D.C.
Location TBD

March 6, 2008 - Los Angeles, Calif.
The Orpheum Theatre
842 S. Broadway, Los Angeles, CA 90014

March 20, 2008 - Milwaukee, Wisc.
Milwaukee Theatre
400 W. Wisconsin Ave., Milwaukee, WI 53203

April 3, 2008 - Salt Lake City, Utah
Location TBD

More information on the show, and the audition process, can be obtained on www.fox.com/dance.

Tango Teaches Valuable Lessons

On the edge of a makeshift dance floor in the cafeteria of the Miami (Fla.) Lighthouse for Blind, 18-year-old Heriberto Puig and 16-year-old Patricia Alvarez join hands and practice their steps together as music from another time and culture fill the room.

In an age of hip-hop, rock and salsa, they and about two dozen other blind or visually-impaired teens were learning the intricate art of Argentine Tango, and in the process found they had gained a whole lot more in terms of physical stamina, social skills and confidence in themselves.

"This class has helped me mature a lot," said Alvarez. "I'm not a big ice-breaker. To start to ask somebody to dance is not my thing, but I can do it now that I've gotten more involved in this class."
The idea for a dance class for blind and visually-impaired teens came from two South Florida women who love tango passionately. Dianne Basha Castro, an interior designer, and Carol Durbin, who specializes in making facilities accessible to the disabled, wanted to share their love of this historic dance with others.

"One day I woke up and it just was like lightning, I knew," said Castro. "I said, I know what I have to do, I have to start a non-profit, and that's a way of giving back to the community.”

Castro called her friend, Durbin, and together they excitedly hatched a plan to secure funding to form The Shimmy Club, a non-profit organization dedicated to teaching tango to the blind and visually-impaired.

The after-school tango classes began in June, and at first many of the teenagers who signed up were a bit shy and hesitant, especially about dancing with a partner. Gradually, the students warmed to the idea, and began to engage themselves in the dance lessons, finding that, indeed, tango was tailor made for them.

"It levels the playing field for them. No one's blind in the class. They're just a bunch of teenagers all working together to dance tango," said Durbin.

Castro and Durbin are convinced their Shimmy Club program for teaching tango to blind and visually impaired teens could easily work in other cities - provided they can get the requisite funding.

They have discussed their ideas with officials in New York City, Philadelphia and elsewhere in Florida.

"I couldn't be more confident that we will hopefully be able to reach other people's lives in the same manner," said Castro.

For the full text of this article, written by Mark Potter of NBC News, click on http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22147757/.

Top Ballroom Dancers Compete in “America’s Ballroom Challenge”

“AMERICA’S BALLROOM CHALLENGE” is the exciting series that brings together top ballroom dancers from around the world to compete across dance styles for the title of “America’s Best.” The series returns for a third season with five one-hour episodes. Shot in high definition at the world’s largest ballroom dancing competition in Columbus, Ohio, season three of “AMERICA’S BALLROOM CHALLENGE” airs Wednesdays, Jan. 30 through Feb. 27 from 8 to 9 p.m. ET on PBS.

Hosted by actress and dancer Jasmine Guy and seven-time U.S. National Latin Dance Champion Ron Montez, “AMERICA’S BALLROOM CHALLENGE” once again takes viewers onto the dance floor and behind the scenes as 24 world-class couples compete for the ultimate dance title. Each of the first four programs will focus on one of the four major styles of competitive ballroom dancing: American Smooth, American Rhythm, International Standard and International Latin. The six finalists in each style will first compete as a group, performing the five standard dances in the category, with expert judges scoring their performances. Then the dancers will have an opportunity to shine, performing a show dance solo. Each program will end with the crowning of one couple, named champions in that style.

In the fifth and final program, the four champions will compete across dance styles for the coveted title, with each couple performing two pull-out-all-the-stops solos.

Only one couple will be named “America’s Best.”

DWTS nominated for People’s Choice Award

In less than 11 hours, voting ends for this year’s People’s Choice Awards.

To the delight of ballroom dance fans across the country, this season’s “Dancing With the Stars” has been nominated for an award in the Favorite Competition/Reality Show category.

However, DWTS is facing stiff competition. In order to take home the trophy, DWTS will have to beat American Idol and Extreme Makeover: Home Edition.

Log on to http://www.pcavote.com/ before midnight (EST) tonight (Dec. 5) to cast your vote. The awards show, hosted by Queen Latifah, will air on CBS on Tuesday, Jan. 8 at 9 p.m. (EST)

Rural Dance Tradition in its Twilight

All over the United States, where there are Eastern Europeans, there is polka. In the isolated farmland counties of eastern Nebraska, where it is not uncommon to drive 30 miles for groceries, polka helps tie people together. The dances and the radio shows devoted to the music keep old friends in touch and circulate local news.

Polka reflects their lives - their sense of humor and romance, and what they remember of Czech family ritual.

Polka came to Nebraska in the 1850s, when Czechs fled worsening economic conditions in Bohemia and Moravia, drawn by the promise of large tracts of American farmland. In the beginning polka meant just one thing: a specific, two-beat couples dance. But now it describes a range of dances and rhythms usually achieved with an accordion, a tuba and sentimental lyrics about family, food, love and rural memories.

There are plenty of stylistic differences. Polish polka, for instance, is a different animal from Czech. It is faster and more staccato, with every instrument playing more fills; it sounds urban, and it swings. Czech polka is simpler, more legato and emotional.
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On a Sunday evening at the Starlite Ballroom — the area’s largest polka palace and the only one with a wooden dance floor — Lenny Blecha, 42, leaned against the bar, watching his wife dance with a succession of old men. It was the annual birthday dance for his distant cousins Bob and Greg Blecha, father-and-son farmers and jacks-of-all-trades from Pawnee City, Neb.

Lenny Blecha runs an auto-body shop in Table Rock, Neb., and also buys and sells polka records on eBay. Television, he says, has hurt live music in general, and all of his friends listen to rock and country. But he’s still incredulous that even the older folks in the rural counties aren’t doing more to keep the polka bands working and the dances running.

“I’m one of the youngest here, and we get a lot of compliments,” said Blecha. “People wish there were more of us. And the younger generation I visit with, they don’t understand. I say, ‘Why don’t you go visit with your parents and grandparents and find out what they listened to? This brings you back to your roots.’”

But older locals seem to have a more philosophical view of the decline of their polka traditions, citing the same reason over and over, in much the same way.

“It’s our generation’s fault,” said Darlene Kliment, 68, who owns the Starlite with her husband, Ron. “When we were growing up, our parents would take us to the dances. We’d fall asleep on the side of the stage, or in the booths. But then when our generation grew up, we got baby sitters.”

For the full text of this article, written by Ben Ratliff from the New York Times, click here.

DWTS cast named to ‘Sexiest Men Alive’ list

Throughout season five, the men of “Dancing With the Stars” kept female fans’ hearts hammering. Now, People Magazine has recognized five of these dynamic dancers in its Sexiest Man Alive 2007 edition.

Click here to read more about Maks and Cameron, Tony Dovolani and Derek. Not to mention this season’s winner, Helio Castroneves!

‘Funny Face’ celebrates 50th anniversary

Just in time for the holidays, Paramount Home Video has released a special 50th anniversary edition of “Funny Face” on DVD.

The Special Features section includes:
* "The Fashion Designer and His Muse." a documentary about Audrey Hepburn and her professional collaboration with Hubert Givenchy* "Parisian Dreams"* "Paramount In The ‘50s: Retrospective" (already used in previous DVDs)* Photo Gallery* Trailers

“Funny Face” is a musical released in 1957 with assorted songs by George and Ira Gershwin. The film was written by Leonard Gershe and directed by Stanley Donen. It stars Audrey Hepburn, Fred Astaire, and Kay Thompson.

The plot for the film version is quite different from that of the Broadway musical, and only four of the songs remain. Astaire also starred in the stage version alongside his sister, Adele Astaire.

Fred Astaire was 30 years older than Hepburn when the film was made. At 58, he was approaching the end of his musical film career, in this, the second in a consecutive series of three French-themed musicals he made in the 1950s. He performs a song and dance solo with umbrella and cape to Gershwin's "Let's Kiss and Make Up." According to Hepburn, she insisted on Astaire as a precondition for her participation.

Pick up a copy of the “Funny Face” 50th anniversary DVD for your favorite Fred Astaire fan.

Helio quicksteps his way to victory

IndyCar racer Helio Castroneves and his professional partner Julianne Hough were crowned “Dancing with the Stars” fifth-season ballroom champions during last night's live finale results show broadcast on ABC.

"I want to thank, obviously first of all, my (IndyCar) team for letting me do this," said Helio. "Secondly, obviously my family, the fans, and this special person here (Julianne)."
After 10 weeks of competition, Helio and Julianne defeated Spice Girl Melanie Brown and her professional partner Maksim Chmerkovskiy, who finished second, and entertainer Marie Osmond and her professional partner Jonathan Roberts to take home the coveted mirror ball trophy .

Like Helio - a two-time, back-to-back Indianapolis 500 champion who won the IndyCar race in 2001 and 2002 - Julianne is now a two-time, back-to-back champion in her profession. Last season, the “Dancing with the Stars” professional claimed the show's fourth season title with celebrity partner Apolo Anton Ohno.

Julianne joins Cheryl Burke - who won “Dancing with the Stars'” second-season title with Drew Lachey and the third-season crown with Emmitt Smith - as the only professional partner to have two mirror ball trophies to their credit.
For the full text of the article, click on http://www.realitytvworld.com/news/helio-castroneves-and-julianne-hough-win-dancing-with-stars-6172.php.

Dancer shimmies his way across Golden Gate Bridge

A foghorn sounded on San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge, followed by the sounds of the big band tune "Hey Big Spender!"

A red and white Capezio tap shoe emerged from the fog, and out popped 75-year-old Michael Grbich of Oakland, Calif., who tap-danced his way across the landmark bridge - just because he could.

Followed by an entourage of confetti-tossing grandchildren, neighbors and a friend with an iPod boom box, Grbich spent 20 minutes dancing the 1.7-mile span, grinning, blowing kisses and striking poses for curious tourists.

He threw in some Rockette kicks, whirled a jump rope over his head like a helicopter, and grabbed the rails to "shimmy shimmy coco pop" toward the traffic like a man too sexy for his shirt, which read: "Celebrating 75 trips around the sun."

Friends who ran ahead to photograph Grbich said this was in perfect sync with his personality. Grbich is a mixed media artist, weightlifter and tightrope walker whose motto is "I risk, therefore I am."

"Whether you are 75 or 25, life is all about taking risks," Grbich said. "That's when you're truly alive - like playing tennis or making love or dancing - you forget everything and lose your self consciousness."

For the full text of the article, click on http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/11/19/BAJRTF0EN.DTL.

Chinatown seniors follow cowboys' steps

It’s a Saturday, and techno music is blaring in the gym of the Lincoln Square Recreation Center in Chinatown. No, it is not a continuation of an early-morning rave.

Since July, the popular neighborhood center has been offering beginning line dance classes on Saturday mornings, where more than 125 — mostly Chinese-American seniors — have enrolled.

"Line dancing is very good," said instructor Alice Lo, decked out in a turquoise velour shirt, blue jeans and spiffy red and black dance shoes. "You don't need a partner. You don't have to dress up. It's good exercise."

Densely populated areas such as Chinatown are in need of recreational programs like this. Many families live in cramped quarters, often having to share precious space. Even the streets and restaurants often are overcrowded.

Lo, who is in her 50s, promptly begins the Saturday class at 9 a.m. More and more students trickle in soon after she demonstrates the lindy shuffle, then the twist, until the gym is packed.

"Twist to the left, " she instructs through her headset in English, punctuated with occasional phrases in Cantonese. "One, two, three, four, twist to the right!"

Line dancing is often associated with country music. But Lo, who is originally from Hong Kong and lives in Castro Valley, teaches steps borrowed from the hustle, cha-cha, rumba, waltz, swing and twist, among others — and uses all genres of music.

"The goal of my class is that I would like more opportunities for the community to get out of the house, exercise, meet friends and socialize," Lo said.

For the full text of this article, click on http://www.insidebayarea.com/oaklandtribune/ci_7374948.

Dancing With the Stars - The Finals

Dancing With the Stars – The Final Show

By Armando Martin
Former U.S. Champion and National FADS Dance Director

This year’s “Dancing With the Stars” finals began on Monday, Nov. 27 with the buildup and fanfare that is normal for every show that entertains and charms audiences of all ages. While the buildup was effective, in my opinion, the actual show fell short of what it could have been for the first time in DWTS history.

Mel and Maks were the first to dance, choosing a Cha-Cha. Mel came out looking incredible in a red-hot Latin dress that said, “Here I am, ready to win this competition.” Unfortunately the material she had to work with was not worthy of the finals. Her dancing was technically strong but the overall performance was weak. Maks is a purist Latin dancer and he can make this kind of material look great when he dances it with a professional partner. But I am afraid he does not build enough excitement into the choreography to make you say, “Wow.”

Their second dance was even less effective in my mind - hip-hop and Mel work well together, but Maks looked uncommitted and uncomfortable with this number. Overall they both seemed awkward and the choreography looked very foreign to them. After this performance I very much doubted they would be crowned champions. Combined score, 55

Marie and Jonathan repeated their Samba, and even though technically they were very weak, somehow they are more entertaining than the first couple. They seemed to put the right combination of steps together to create a performance that entertains, despite the fact that it’s lacking in content and technique.

Then, after having said that about their Samba, they come out with a very bad imitation of the ballet “Coppelia,” and they did not pull it off at all. Shame on Marie and Jonathan for turning this night into an advertisement for her doll collection. After that performance, “Dancing with the Stars” producers might be trying to figure out a new way to score the show to ensure better dance quality and more excitement in future finales. After the first five dances it came down to who was the best out of the worse performances of the season. Combined score, 46

Helio and Julianne then danced the Jive. I was looking forward to their dance since I had not seen anything exciting thus far, but was disappointed when he messed up the beginning of the dance so badly that knowledgeable onlookers felt uncomfortable and grimaced at their attempt. Toward the end he did get it together and finished strong.

Finally, Helio came out with his freestyle routine and rocked the house. Although he looked a bit awkward with some of the steps, the overall idea, along with the flashy and catchy choreography, made Helio and Julianne the couple to beat for the trophy. I again have to give this young lady kudos. Her imagination and choreographic abilities are way beyond her years and experience. I have to wonder how much help she is getting. Combined score, 54

The final show on Tuesday night was about one hour too long, since they made us watch the people that went home weeks ago dance all over again. A small wake-up call to the producers of the show: They went home a long time ago for a good reason. We didn’t want to see them dance anymore. Please don’t make us watch them again!

But seeing Sabrina and Mark, the fabulous professional dancers (especially Tony and Karina), and Celine Dion was a great treat. I do hope that next season America will do a better job keeping the talented stars in the show than we did this time. But then again without Marie and about five million Mormons voting for her and Jonathan, we may get a more fair result.

As in all competitions, the best person left on their feet won the crown. I believe that Helio was the best of all worlds - a superb combination of technique, hard work, perseverance, smart choices and great charisma. The only other person more deserving than him was sent home three weeks too soon - Sabrina Bryan.

All in all, another great season of “Dancing with the Stars” is over and we will all be looking for something to watch on Monday and Tuesday nights. Chances are we will not find anything as fun, entertaining, exciting and good for the whole family as DWTS.

So long,
Armando

'Dancing With the Stars' Prepares for Finale

Brassy Marie Osmond, sultry Melanie Brown and revved-up Helio Castroneves will face the music once more tonight as "Dancing with the Stars" wraps up another winning season.

How hot is the contest that sends grade-B celebrities whirling across the floor into the arms of patient dance pros? So scorching that A-lister Celine Dion, who performs on Tuesday's results show, longs to do more than sing for it.

"I hope they invite me to dance. I'd love to," Dion said last week after taping her appearance.

Whether the finale can top last May's match-up remains to be seen: Nearly 23 million viewers saw Olympic speedskater Apolo Anton Ohno best 'N Sync crooner Joey Fatone and boxer Laila Ali, who was voted off midway through the final episode.

This time, the third-place contestant will be announced at the start of Tuesday's show, and the remaining pairs will perform two last dances, which will help determine the winner.

The ABC show averaged about 20 million weekly viewers for each of its twice-weekly episodes in the 2006-07 season, eclipsed only by Fox powerhouse "American Idol." "Dancing" is still on its toes, with nearly 22 million viewers making it last week's No. 1 show.

For the full text of this article, click on http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5jdkIEJ3UzzjPgYSgksYIAX8qAk3QD8T4UNB80.

‘Rhythm of Love’ takes the stage Dec. 21

The popularity of ballroom dance has reached new heights with television hits such as “Dancing with Stars” and “So You Think You Can Dance.” Now, the Stamford Center for the Arts (Stamford, Conn.) will bring together the best of ballroom and the best of Broadway with “Rhythm of Love,” a live stage spectacle that highlights classic and cutting-edge rhythm, Latin, smooth and standard dances.

Performances are scheduled at 8 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 21 and Saturday, Dec. 22 at the Palace Theatre in downtown Stamford, Conn.

Benito Garcia, a well-known dancer who began his career as a Fred Astaire Dance Studio teacher, assumes the new role of dramatic lead. Garcia, a World Mambo finalist, stars in this timeless tale of boy meets girl, boy misses getting the girl because he’s so focused on learning how to dance, to finally, boy dances with the girl of his dreams.

Other performers include Russian partners Pasha Kovalev and Anya Garnis; U.S. Mambo champions and U.S. Rhythm finalists Felipe Telona, Jr. and Carolina Orlovsky-Telona;
U.S. Classic Showdance champions Garry and Rita Gekhman; reigning U.S. and World Smooth champions JT Thomas and Tomasz Mielnicki, and Jose DeCamps and Joanna Zacharewicz, who recently captured the U.S. Rhythm and U.S. Mambo Championships. In addition, they just won the World Rhythm Championship at the Ohio Star Ball, American’s largest ballroom competition.

Taliat Tarsinov, world-renowned choreographer, Fred Astaire studio executive and veteran champion of ballroom competitions and Russian theater, is the show’s choreographer.

Rick Lake is the creator and producer of “Rhythm of Love.” As an avid pro/am ballroom dancer, he has won many competition honors and was recently a guest performer at the prestigious Kremlin Cup in Moscow, as well as the WDC World Pro-Am Championship in Buenos Aires. Lake began his ballroom journey at Fred Astaire Dance Studios.

Members of the Fred Astaire Dance Studio family will receive extra special treatment with each ticket order to “Rhythm of Love,” including VIP seating and access to the Founders Room at the theatre before, during and after the show.

Tickets for Rhythm of Love are $42, $45 and $48. For an additional $50, patrons are invited to a post-performance VIP Pro Party with the dancers and creators (available to “Rhythm of Love” ticket buyers only) on Saturday, Dec. 22. Pro VIP Party tickets are limited, so patrons are advised to buy early.

Tickets to either “Rhythm of Love” only or “Rhythm of Love” and the VIP Pro Party are available at the box office by calling (203) 325-4466 or online at http://www.scalive.org/.

Dancing with the Stars – The Finals

Dancing with the Stars – The Finals

By Armando Martin
Former U.S. Champion and National Dance Director

The semi-finals started this week with some very big surprises on who is left in the competition. Gone are some of the worst dancers we’ve seen on this program - Wayne Newton and Floyd Mayweather Jr. - but also gone are some of the best this show has ever seen, Sabrina Bryan and Jane Seymour. I am really surprised to be writing about Marie Osmond and Jennie Garth this late in the show. America sent some great dancers home and left us to watch the rest, but here we are. So let’s see what they can bring to the floor this week.

Marie and Jonathan started the night with a very smartly choreographed Quickstep that was a pleasure to watch, although technically she was very weak. Her posture was suspect, she was sticking her rear end out and there was no body contact to speak of throughout the dance. But you have to give her credit; she has lost a lot of weight and always gives a great performance.

Marie’s second dance was the Mambo. Wearing a Carmen Miranda-type dress, she came out ready to shock. And shock she did with an incredibly entertaining dance. This girl is truly crazy and fun, as you could see, since the judges only spoke about her energy and personality. That’s because there were a lot of mistakes in her dance and, like me, they didn’t know where to start. So, like them, I won’t. Score after two dances, 56

Dancing in the second position this week were Maks and Mel. Their interpretation of the Viennese Waltz was terrific. They truly covered the floor with great movement. I did not enjoy the splits that they did across the floor; they were heavy looking and brought a lot of attention to her shoulders, which tend to be too high anyway. But overall it was a good performance.

In the Paso Doble I very much disagree with the judges. I think that having done the dance so well last week they took a real chance repeating it. I don’t think it was as good as before. They did, however, do a great job overall and they are the best dancers left in the competition. Score after two dances, 60

Jennie and Derek danced a very strong, determined and positive Tango this week. The problem is that Derek really can’t do the Tango very well, so while the dance might look good to the layman’s eye, if you know dancing, you can see how forced and physical it was. For me it was too much too late, but I am sure that people out there liked it a lot.

Jennie’s Cha Cha this week was the best technical performance of the night. The fact that she looked hot in her dress didn’t hurt either. She put all her emotions and sex appeal on the floor and she made it work. Score after two dances, 58


After becoming one of the favorites this season, Helio the racecar driver has been able to stay ahead of the competition by using some supercharged steps and choreography that continue to make him a crowed pleaser. This week he danced a Foxtrot that had class, musicality and charisma. The only thing Helio needs to work on are his lines, which he tends to hit too hard.

His second dance this week was the Cha Cha, and what a great dance it was. The choreography was so entertaining and clever that I am not sure if I was watching Helio or Julianne or the material they are dancing. But whatever the case, it works, and they bring it on every time. Score after two dances, 60

I must say that this season has been full of great dancing and characters. I would bet that Jennie is going home this week and that the last two standing for the title will be Helio and Mel. So I will be back next week to see if I was right.

Magazine recommends ‘Dancing Through Life

Want to combine your love of dance with your love of books this winter? “Dance Spirit” magazine recommends picking up “Dancing Through Life,” written by Antoinette Benevento, co-owner and national dance trainer for Fred Astaire Dance Studios.

According to the magazine, Benevento’s ballroom dance career began when her college roommate’s boyfriend suggested she be his partner in an instructors’ training program at a local Fred Astaire Dance Studio.

Through her book, Benevento reflects on dance as an empowering metaphor for living life to the fullest.

“Filled with inspiring maxims to help you cope with your inner critic and fuel your dance drive, this book is the perfect remedy for handling a variety of life’s struggles, from a tough day of classes to a fight with you beau,” wrote Cherilyn Watts, of “Dance Spirit” magazine, in the December 2007 edition.

To purchase Benevento’s book, visit http://www.fredastaire.com/.

Inaba, Tonioli prepare for ‘War’

Once this season’s “Dancing With the Stars” crowns a champion, judges Carrie Ann Inaba and Bruno Tonioli will begin presiding over a different dance floor.

For several months, ABC has been working on a “Dancing With the Stars” spin-off called "Dance War: Bruno vs. Carrie Ann."

In addition to Inaba and Tonioli, the new show also includes second-season “Dancing With the Stars” champion Drew Lachey, who will serve as host.

During September and October, auditions were held in several U.S. cities. Inaba recently told the New York Post that the schedule has been tough, especially for Tonioli.

"Bruno is actually working on three shows," she said in the article. "He's also been flying to England to appear on 'Strictly Come Ballroom,'" the British series that was the "DWTS" predecessor.

"Dancing War" will pit teams of six amateur dancers and singers against each other. One team will be coached and choreographed by Inaba, the other by Tonioli.

The new show - which will run for just six weeks in its first season - is a cross between "So You Think You Can Dance" and "The Apprentice."

‘Fever’ rising in Tallahassee

Mike Dill, franchise owner of the Tallahassee, Fla. Fred Astaire Dance Studio, said his students and staff perform twice a year at the local high school. This fall’s show was based on the 1970s smash hit “Saturday Night Fever.”

“We do it as a benefit for the high school drama department, but it really works out well for both parties,” said Dill.

Drawing 500 to 600 people to each show, Dill said the studio’s bi-annual performances have become very popular with instructors, students and the community at large.

“Last year we did ‘Moulin Rouge,’” he said. “Those who participate have to choose music from the movie for their performances. We didn’t used to do it that way – choose one movie or theme for the show. But we found that we liked the way it came across. Having that theme really tied everything together and made it more like a show and less like a recital.”

The show consists mostly of pro-am dancers, with several group numbers as well as production numbers. Dill said each show includes approximately 25 students and instructors from the studio.

Backstage with the ‘Stars’

Cheryl Burke, two-time Dancing with the Stars champ, has some advice for any star who wants to take on this dance marathon: "Give up your day job!"

Her point is well taken, given how exhausted the contestants are each week. All the couples seem to be feeling it — making mistakes, forgetting steps, and dancing with frozen smiles that barely cover the panic.

"In dress rehearsals, I just blanked," Spice Girl Mel B. said recently, who continues to impress the judges in spite of a rehearsal schedule that would put anyone else in the hospital. Scary Spice — who has a newborn daughter at home — is running full tilt in preparation for the Spice Girls' world reunion tour, which kicks off Dec. 2, just days after the Dancing finale. She's putting in 12-hour days as a Spice Girl, then trying to learn two ballroom dances on the side.

Her partner, Maksim Chmerkovskiy, shakes his head. "Her schedule is ridiculous," he says. "Don't forget, the baby gets her up at two o'clock in the morning, four o'clock in the morning. She's getting no sleep. Her schedule is an impossibility."

Still, in spite of the pressure, no one is phoning it in. Unlike past seasons, where clear front-runners had emerged by Week 6 (Drew Lachey and Stacy Keibler, Mario Lopez and Emmitt Smith, Joey Fatone and Apolo Anton Ohno), this time all of the remaining contestants believe they have a good shot at that hideous disco-ball trophy.

For the full text of the article, click on http://www.tvguide.com/news/dancing-stars-backstage/071106-03.

'Dancing' waltzes through writers’ strike

'Dancing' waltzes through writers’ strike
By LYNN ELBER

Here's a "Dancing with the Stars" pop quiz: Which of the following performance critiques was delivered by effusive judge Bruno Tonioli before the Hollywood writers strike, and which came after? Quote A: "That's what I like to see! The boy from Brazil is going bananas!" Quote B: "That was a cliffhanger, riding the fine line between love and hate!"

If you picked the alliterative "bananas" line as writer-scripted, well, sorry, you're not moving on to round two. That's a post-strike quote, while the less snappy one predates it — and Tonioli devised both.

It seems his comments, along with those of fellow judges Len Goodman and Carrie Ann Inaba and the wry quips of host Tom Bergeron, have been largely spontaneous all along.

ABC's "Dancing with the Stars" is one reality show that's real, or as real as any sequin-studded Hollywood production can be. Who knew — until the Writers Guild of America's job action pulled back the curtain and revealed the show had a single union scribe.

That's allowed one of TV's top shows to waltz through the walkout.

"Oh, I wish!" Tonioli responded when asked if his lines were fed to him. "Even if you wanted to (prepare), it's a live performance. Anything can happen."

Sometimes a script doctor would help. But even they might be hard-pressed to craft the true drama that has shadowed this season: Jane Seymour lost her 92-year-old mother, then Seymour's Malibu house was imperiled by a wildfire. Osmond fainted on camera; two weeks later, her father died at age 90.

Tears and heartache abound but the show goes on. In recent weeks, it's been near the top of the TV ratings, with more than 21 million viewers at its peak.

David Boone, the show's WGA member who walked off the job along with thousands of other movie and TV writers in Los Angeles and New York, was scripting material including introductions and descriptions of upcoming episodes, a task Bergeron said now is handled by producers.

Bergeron used to lean heavily on canned patter until realizing, early in season two, that the approach wasn't working.

"You can see I'd walk on after a dance and have a line ready to go," Bergeron told The AP. "Sometimes it was a very good line, but it wasn't organic to what was happening. ... We don't do that anymore. Now, I'm watching the dance and responding to it and what I felt about it."

He enjoys playing ball with the excitable Tonioli.

The judge's "right arm sweeps over his left shoulder and I know he's about to let loose with an extremely clever or pained metaphor," Bergeron said, comparing himself to a batter "waiting for a good pitch."

For the full text of the article, click on http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5gQAnfgZWYu4jrEuh-V2x6c3kGbEwD8ST4MGO0.

Spain frets over future of flamenco

A decade ago, Madrid boasted 20 flamenco taverns featuring this unique kind of entertainment - the furious, rhythmic tapping of a dancer's heels, the thundering chords of a classical guitar, a singer's soulful lament, all that contagious hand-clapping. Now only four or five remain, all packed with tourists and too expensive for the average Spaniard.

Silvia Calado, a critic for the Web site http://www.flamenco-world.com/ said flamenco is not quite in a state of crisis. But while it has built up great prestige abroad, here in Spain it is low on creativity and has failed to reach out to new audiences.

"Flamenco is distancing itself from young people and they are the ones who can keep it alive," Calado said.

For the full text of the article, click on http://malaysia.news.yahoo.com/ap/20071027/ten-flamenco-for-foreigners-5e343d7.html.

Minds in Motion Stay Sharp

At 87, Katie Johnson is convinced she has a surefire way to ward off Alzheimer's: The foxtrot.
The retired schoolteacher spends every other Friday fox-trotting the night away.
She also swims five days a week. She teaches piano at a local senior center. She attends Bible study classes. She plays Scrabble and bridge.

And she tools around Indianapolis in a red Corvette.

Research suggests those nights spent whirling around the dance floor and days motoring around town in her snappy car are probably increasing Johnson's chances of avoiding the dreaded disease of debilitating memory loss.

The best Alzheimer's prevention might be this simple: Go have fun.

Researchers are now finding the best activities are those that challenge the brain, are done with other people and might even involve a good workout, such as a fast spin around the dance floor.
"Retirement is no excuse for an idle brain," says Murali Doraiswamy, an Alzheimer's expert at Duke University. "If you're not active, then you're more susceptible to the onslaught of Alzheimer's."

No book club or dance step has the power of vanquishing Alzheimer's, a disease caused partly by genetic factors, doctors say. Still, research suggests that complex leisure activities could offer seniors, even those at high risk for the disease, a better shot at delaying its onset.
For the full text of this article, written by Kathleen Fackelmann, USA TODAY, log onto http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2005-01-24-alzheimers-cover_x.htm.

Last dance for Jane Seymour

Jane Seymour, 56, was eliminated from “Dancing with the Stars” on Tuesday, putting an end to a run on the show that included two absences (one due to the death of her mother) and an in-house battle over what constitutes a lift.

Seymour said her success on the show was due to her partner and teacher, Tony Dovolani.

"He's a terrific teacher and it meant a great deal. He really worked me hard. I think a lot of people saw that. But I had a wonderful time," she said on Good Morning America after the elimination.

"I mean this was just an extraordinary gift," said Seymour. "First of all, no woman my age - or remotely my age - has ever done it. Secondly, I don't think anyone, including myself, expected to get through more than the first dance, and I did nine dances."

She told Good Morning America that her stint on the show also re-ignited a love she had forgotten.

"I now know that I have a passion for dance - that dance is in my soul. And that I cannot live without dance for the rest of my life," Seymour said. "I wanted to be a dancer when I was a little girl and I have not danced at all since I was 16 years old. And now I realize that I need to dance."

‘Dancing With the Stars’ kicks off tour Dec. 18

Sabrina Bryan, Cheryl Burke, Derek Hough, Mark Ballas, Joey Lawrence and Marie Osmond are just a few of the performers that will be featured on the nationwide “Dancing With the Stars” tour, which begins Dec. 18 in Seattle.

And don’t forget about the “Dancing With the Stars” Soft Scrub® Dance Challenge. The dance challenge features several lucky couples that live in your city - normal everyday people of all ages, not professional dancers.

The action begins immediately before the show starts - the local dancers will begin the evening by competing in groups to the same song. Alec Mazo, the winner from the first season and official judge, will review their performances and execute the first round of the elimination.

The remaining semi-finalists will return to perform again in groups during the second song, and again will be eliminated down to four finalists. The two very lucky couples will perform later in the live show, dancing the Tango or the Cha-Cha in front of the sold-out audience.

After each couple dances, they will receive scores via Audience Applause Meters, which will determine the ultimate Dancing With The Stars Soft Scrub® Challenge Champion. The winner will receive a trophy and will be escorted back to their victory seats to enjoy the remainder of the show.

For more information on the dance challenge, or to view tour dates, log on to http://dancingwiththestars.aeglive.com/.

Dancing with the Champions

By Babette Brown
Fred Astaire Dance Studio Jupiter
Scottish Professional Champion

As you all know, “Dancing with the Stars” is back in full force, and I am enjoying what has turned into a very exciting season. Here in Jupiter (Fla.) we all cheer for Tony Dovolani and Jane Seymour, as he is member of our Fred Astaire family and we are all extremely proud to see him out there doing his very best.

That brings me right to my point - dancing with champions. What is it like? What do these celebrities have to go through in order to perform on such a high level in such a short amount of time? If you are someone who sits in front of the TV thinking, “I would love to be able to do that” or even, “I would love to be able to social dance just for fun,” this is how it works.

Learning to dance is a little bit like learning to play an instrument or learning a new language - it takes some time and you have to learn in stages of layering. First you learn the notes or the words, then you put simple melodies or sentences together and after a little while you can play a whole variety of songs or can talk to people in your new language. After you’ve mastered the basics you go to more complex songs and sentences – you read books and make conversation to improve and fine-tune your new skill. You will be able to use your new skills for many different reasons and will be able to apply them to different life situations.

This is also what it takes to learn to dance. There is a big difference between learning choreography and learning how to dance. The performances you see on TV are absolutely breathtaking and I personally admire the celebrities for all they achieve. But will they come out of it knowing HOW to dance? Most likely not, since they spend all their time mastering a certain choreography, which is, of course, the purpose of the show.

So what is the solution for those people who would love to perform like the stars and master a choreography dancing with a champion? Join the showcase at your local Fred Astaire Dance Studio. A showcase is a performance where every participant has prepared a special choreography to a special song. You can dance with a champion dancer or simply with your own partner, if you prefer. The process is exactly like “Dancing with the Stars.” You pick the music, learn the choreography and dance your heart out.

Now who can do this? Anyone? Or do you need a special dance background and to be fit and in top shape? Absolutely not. We hold showcases in our studio twice a year and we have participants of all ages, from 15 to 80 years old and from all backgrounds. So what are you waiting for? Check out your local Fred Astaire dance studio and enter the next Showcase to dance like the stars… or just for fun.

Instructors Take First Place in Viva La Salsa

Two instructors from the Fred Astaire Dance Studio in Willoughby, Ohio took first place in the fifth annual Viva La Salsa competition at the IX Center on Saturday, Oct. 6. It was the second time in two weeks that the studio had won dance awards.

Raymond Cedeño, 20, and Katie Bronshteyn, 23, danced their way through three rounds of competition to take home the trophy. Cedeño was the reigning Viva La Salsa champion from last year.

Viva La Salsa is an evening devoted to Latin music and culture. Esperanza, a non-profit organization that promotes educational and economic opportunities for Hispanic Americans, organized the celebration.

On Sept. 30, the Willoughby studio also won Top Studio in the Fred Astaire Ohio Regional Team Match. Team Match pits the five northern Ohio Fred Astaire schools – Willoughby, Northfield Center, Warren, Canton and Youngstown – against the seven southern Ohio schools located in the greater Columbus and Cincinnati areas.

More than 100 students competed in dances including Tango, Cha-Cha, Salsa, Rumba, Foxtrot and Swing. The 22 Willoughby students accumulated the most high scores, winning Top Studio.

Florida High School Students Can Major in Dance

They spin. They shake. They're high school students, and they're ready to do the Hustle.Building upon the success of dance courses offered last year, New Dimensions High School in Poinciana, Fla. now allows students to pick a major where they can learn ballet, ethnic dances, and music from the disco era.The state Legislature passed a bill last year that requires students to pick a major, making this the first time students have to choose a track of study. The state has approved more than 400 majors, including biotechnology, marketing and carpentry.

Under the direction of professional dancer Nicole Acquilano, students can enroll in ethnic dance and technique classes this semester.The classes meet four times a week for 90 minutes and for an hour on Wednesdays."Confidence in high school, it changes from day to day," said Acquilano, who has been dancing for nearly 30 years. "Sometimes, they feel they're going to be on Broadway. Sometimes, they feel like they can't do it." Jessica Remarais, 17, now uses words such as rond de jambe, plie and pique turns - all movements she has learned while practicing ballet in her Technique I class."You can never sit down in that class because you are always moving," said Jessica, a senior who may major in dance in college. "You'll never be bored."
For the full text of this article, log on to http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/orl-odance1307sep13,0,1903947.story.