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.