DWTS Season 14 Cast Announced!

Well the news is in!  The cast for the 14th Season of Dancing with the Stars was announced this morning on Good Morning America and there are in fact *gasp* some legitimate stars this season!  For the first time ever, the show also had all the stars with their pro partners on set.  Without further ado, here they are:

Jack Wagner & Anna Trebunskaya

Jack Wagner, a Top 40 singer with five albums to his credit, is best known for his starring roles on General Hospital and Melrose Place.  He’ll be partnered with Anna Trebunskaya who will be a pro for the 9th time on the show.  Anna has yet to win with a partner but has two silver medal performances under her belt. 

Melissa Gilbert & Maksim Chmerkovskiy

Emmy-nominated television icon Melissa Gilbert, best known for her role on Little House on the Prairie will be partnered with self-proclaimed ballroom bad boy Maksim Chmerkovskiy.  Maks is back for his 12th season with still no Mirror Ball Trophies (MBTs) to his name (despite 2 second and 2 third place seasons). 

 

Donald Driver & Peta Murgatroyd

Superbowl champion and Green Bay Packers leading wide receiver Donald Driver has also written three children’s books based on bedtime stories he told to his kids.  He is partnered with second time Dancing pro Peta Murgatroyd.  Peta was the first eliminated last season (with athlete partner Metta World Peace) so she’ll be hoping to improve her record this time around.

William Levy & Cheryl Burke

Telanovela star William Levy is a Cuban-American actor and former model breaking into the US TV market with his appearance this season.  He’ll be partnered with Cheryl Burke who is in her 12th consecutive season as a pro on the show and who will be seeking her third MBT.  By now, she’s used to partnering the show’s token, little known male sex symbols having previously partnered Gilles Marini and Christian de la Fuente.

This season's sex symbol?  Check out his performance here and decide

Sherri Shepherd & Valentin Chmerkovskiy

Well-known comedienne and host of The View and the current Newlywed Game, Sherri Shepherd is partnered with the other brother, Valentin Chmerkovskiy.  Val is in his second year on Dancing after leaving behind his successful amateur dancing career, and will be hoping to go further this season after an early, second to last place, exit last season.

Katherine Jenkins & Mark Ballas

Popular opera singer Katherine Jenkins will be making her second appearance on Dancing after performing on Season 12.  The mezzo-soprano will be paired with 2-time MBT winner Mark Ballas who is his going into his 10th season with the show.

Gavin DeGraw & Karina Smirnoff

Singer-songwriter Gavin DeGraw is most known for his songs “I Don’t Wanna Be” and “Chariot”.  Partner Karina is going into her 11th season on the show and is coming off an MBT win with last season’s partner J.R. Martinez.

Martina Navratilova & Tony Dovolani

Tennis star and cultural icon Martina Navratilova is looking to add one MBT to her collection of 18 Grand Slam singles titles and 31 Grand Slam women’s doubles titles.  The athletic champion is paired with Tony Dovolani, the longest running professional dancer on the show, returning for his 13th season and perhaps his first ever MBT.  

Roshon Fegan & Chelsea Hightower

Roshon Fegan is this season’s “Disney Star” best known for his Television show Shake It Up! and Disney movie franchise Camp Rock.  The 20 year old actor will be paired with 22 year old pro Chelsea Hightower, who will be a 6th season pro.  

Maria Menounos & Derek Hough

 

Greek-American television host Maria Menounos is best known for her hosting gigs on shows like Access Hollywood and Extra.  She’ll be partnered by Derek Hough.  The pro is going into his 10th season with the show and has the most MBTs to his name with three.

Jaleel White & Kym Johnson

If you lived through the 90s you recognize Jaleel White as the iconic Steve Urkel.  The actor has been working steadily since then with appearances in both movies and television.  Jaleel is paired with pro Kym Johnson.  Going into her 11th season with the show, Kym is seeking her third MBT.

Gladys Knight & Tristan MacManus

The “Empress of Soul” Gladys Knight hardly needs an introduction.  The 8-time Grammy winner will be seeking a different kind of trophy with partner Tristan who is returning for his 2nd season on Dancing.

 Unfair Advantage Alert? Jaleel's dancing skills revealed in Cee Lo's music video

The cast announcements didn’t leave much time to really get to know the stars and pros but there may already be a favorite.  Jaleel White took the stage with a few dance steps and did a bit of swing with partner Kym when she was announced.  Do we have a Season 14 winner already!?

American Style Congress: Rhythm aka Where Things Got a Little Awkward

Following up my post yesterday about the Smooth portion of the 2nd Annual American Style Congress, here is the Rhythm installment as promised!  Once again I took a lot of notes so this is just meant to be some highlights but the post is still long so grab some coffee!  

Ricky Bentzen & Albina Habrle

The afternoon started with Ricky and Albina and their demonstration of the American Rumba.  They focused on the need for structure and clarity,meaning you want it to be clear what dance you are doing so you need to use basic movements.  They talked about how it was their belief that the general technique should be to arrive on a bent leg because it allows you to enhance hip action.  They talked about some exceptions for this choreographically and it was interesting to see them break those down and demonstrate different places where they made choices to arrive on a straight leg.  They explained that when the next step in their choreography is a rotation or a spiral they step onto a straight leg.  Similarly, they use straight legs when creating some lines.

There were some other great tidbits but overall their lecture wasn’t organized as well as the pre-lunch Smooth lectures so I had a little trouble following it thematically.  They also brought the first hints of controversy into play when mentioning that unity of timing for the Rumba should be a goal someday, although they refused to talk about their feelings on how it should be resolved.

Peter & Alexandra Perzhu

Peter and Alexandra’s Swing demonstration was similar to the set up of a number of the Smooth lectures in the morning; giving simple basic steps and developing them into full choreography.  They talked a bit about the importance of lateral hip swing and the different available timings (half-half-whole which they said they use and the also acceptable three quarter-quarter-whole) but mostly they demonstrated choreography evolution. 

It’s very hard to describe what is mostly a visual experience (so again look into buying the video), but I do have to say I just loved their “toe heel swivels” (quoted because there were no heels).  The amount of body they got going through the step was astonishing and I just loved how they developed that particular piece.  Otherwise, to my eye their presentation did demonstrate a lot of lateral movement in the hips with only a bit of a tick on the rock step which was in line with the first part of their talk.    

Emmanuel Pierre-Antoine & Liana Churilova

Emmanuel and Liana started their lecture with a bit of review of what they talked about last year, which was good for me because this was my first time out.  They quickly indicated their positions on the technique (bent legs/press lines going forward and back with a side meringue action) and then moved on to other ways to make rhythm different saying it’s not just about leg action after all!

The three points they focused on were rhythmicality, musicality, and personality.  Rhythmicality is being aware of what part of the body you are using to match the music, coordinating the muscles and bones. They described a few different actions:  vibration, shimmy, staccato (like in mambo), and impulse action.  They then did a Cha Cha demo of the same steps first without what they called rhythmicality and then with it.  This is where some real awkwardness crept in, when they asked the audience "which do you prefer" most people cheered for the rhythmicality version but Sam Sodano, one of the Congress organizers, yelled he preferred the first.  Of course everyone is entitled to their opinion and Emmanuel and Liana were soliciting responses from the audience, but it definitely took the air out of the room in an instant.  They managed to laugh it off but the uncomfortable feeling in the room took a while to dissipate.

Anyway, moving on.  Emmanuel and Liana next addressed musicality and how ideally you want each routine and performance to feel like a show dance.  It should really work that well to the music!  They then did a demo of the same routine on phrase and off phrase to the same music and said they always strive in every round of every competition to match the highlights in the music that is chosen.  Developing this obviously takes too much time for a 25 minute lecture so I guess private lessons may be in order. :)

Lastly, they broke down personality into three parts:  inner focus, partner focus, and outer focus.  Essentially the idea was that you must first feel then energy in your own core and then work on sharing that with your partner and then the audience.  Only with all three will you reach the level of performance you are striving for.

Cher Rutherford

Next up was Cher Rutherford breaking down the Bolero assisted by Rufus Dustin and Lori Woods-Gay.  I’m just going to flat out start off with buy the video.  There was a lot of information presented/demonstrated which I have no hope of putting as eloquently in written form. 

But since I don’t want to leave it only at that, here goes my failed attempt at a short summary.  She started by saying she does not use the words “rise and fall” in relation to bolero because she reserves that for the swing dances.  Instead, she refers to it as elevation styling.  She also noted the bolero was a combination of the lowering of the waltz, the groundedness of the tango, and the soft lyrical style of the rumba on breaks.

From there she described, and Rufus and Lori demonstrated, the four basic actions used to interpret bolero:  Checked action, Drift action, Whisk action and Cuban action.  They used these actions again in demonstrating cross over breaks.  Seeing each action right after the other demonstrated so clearly was amazing and really essential, I think, for anyone learning and wanting to improve their bolero!

Bob Powers & Julia Gorchakova

When former champions Bob and Julia took the floor it was clear a lot of the audience was excited and it was clear they had an agenda (they even had a handout).  They started by saying they were so interested in lecturing because they had heard of the disagreement coming from last year’s Congress.  It was immediately apparent they intended to address their thoughts on the basics even those that may be considered controversial.  They definitely spoke with a plan and clarity of ideas that some of the other Rhythm lecturers lacked making their point of view easy to digest and understand.

Before they broke down into the six most important basic concepts they noted that we should always remember that Rhythm came from social dancing and in social dancing there is an emphasis on body rhythm and lead & follow.  I really loved hearing that stated so simply, and it was a great jumping off point for their lecture.  Now for the list:

6 basic concepts

1. Before any step there should be body action.  This starts high in the back under the armpit.  Body action should be productive, meaning you move off of it not just sink (they described it as wanting shifters not grinders)
2. Step on a flexed knee but if it changes your level, it’s too much.  The reason for this is that bent legs create more rhythm and are more natural.  Over-bent knees however don’t look good and they slow you down; every step should go from flex to straighten.
3. Use split weight in your actions.  The exception for Bob and Julia is the mambo where there is no split weight.
4. Using a compressed figure 8.  Their demonstration of this together was very helpful.  They reminded everyone you can’t keep your hips behind, you need to “fill out the hip sockets”.
5. Using delayed hip action (or foot generated hip lift).  Always work towards a continuous movement (don’t delay and hold).
6. You do reach 2 straight legs at some point in time.

In their dancing, they tried to include these six basic concepts in every step, understanding they may lose it sometimes when up to speed but that only emphasizes why it’s important to go through everything super slow.  Since I don’t have any visuals to share (I’m not a rule breaker and would not dream of videotaping the Congress when we were asked not to), I will just note that to my eye the arrival on a bent leg for Bob and Julia was significantly less than all the others that danced in the Rhythm section.

Since they didn't dance much together, a trip down memory lane!

Bill Sparks

Bill Sparks presented his lecture next assisted by two couples demonstrating while he spoke (I’m sorry I didn’t catch either of their names).  I’m going to try and present my notes as clearly as possible but I have to be upfront in saying this was probably my least favorite lecture of the day.  First, it was just not as easy to follow as the others, particularly following Bob and Julia whose lecture was so well organized.  Second, the information was almost too academic and at times too forced, I couldn’t decide whether I was going to be tested at the end or asked to buy something.  I can only speak for myself of course but the room seemed a little more uncomfortable throughout this lecture, you probably could have heard a pin drop throughout the entire thing (quite the change from the cheering and laughing of the other lectures).

The content of the lecture was focused on “Structured Actional Movement” or the “SAM” method.  Bill noted he believed SAM to be the most valuable technique available for Rhythm today because for any movement to have benefit it needs structure and there is too much overblending of leg & hip movement in Rhythm today.  SAM addresses the brain of dancers which allows them to train in a way that just looking and feeling doesn’t.  Well as I’ve said my brain couldn’t process all this quickly enough (even with the demonstrations) so my notes are a bit hazy. 

The lecture was to focus on the four distinct features of the SAM method but the actual listing of the features was not clear.  From my notes the discussion included indigenous action (catching weight in the knee, hip, ball of the foot) and the different kinds of hip lift (foot driven, knee driven, vertical rotation) but the end of the lecture was too rushed for me to get anything out of it (to say trying to fit everything into 25 minutes was ambitious is an understatement).

The way the demonstrations were set up was somewhat helpful, with each of the four dancers demonstrating different aspects simultaneously so the audience could compare but more could have been done with this.  Also it was a bit disconcerting at the beginning when Bob mentioned that he started with the dancers a little while back knowing they wouldn’t have improvement in the routes they were taking; they needed the SAM structure to improve.  It made me wonder how all the other dancers that had performed up to that point had improved without/before the development of the SAM method.  The whole lecture definitely had my brain hurting and wishing for the end of the day so I could try and sort my thoughts.

Taliat Tarsinov

Just when I thought I couldn’t take in anymore, Taliat’s lecture swept the room, finishing the day with a breath of fresh air.  He started by describing his transition to Rhythm, a process he said wasn’t easy but ended with love.  From that point on, I was also in love and it was only aided along by the stunning performances by assistants and champions Jose Decamps and Joanna Zacharewicz.

My favorite part of this lecture was Taliat’s discussion of how bad choreography is hurting the Rhythm style.  He addressed the Rumba, Swing, and Bolero in turn pointing out the wrong choices that were made and emphasizing what he felt was most important about each of the dances.  For the Rumba, Taliat was emphatic that it was one of the most beautiful dances, it just isn’t done correctly.  Choreography should focus on being mostly stationary and creating vibrant motions in small spaces instead of movement around the floor.  Jose and Joanna did an absolutely stunning demonstration of what Taliat was talking about keeping the dance mostly stationary and with steps circling each other instead of making grand patterns across the floor.  I was certainly sold! :)

For the Swing, Taliat noted the lack of general swing action as well as bringing the follow in and releasing her out and for the Bolero he noted that the dance needed to be grounded.  Once again Jose and Joanna demonstrated beautifully and in the end got an enthusiastic standing O for their performances. 

As a side note, Taliat mentioned an article he had previously written entitled “Lyrics and Physics of Ballroom Dancing” (I think), and if anyone knows where I could find it I’d love to know!

Competition video of some of the steps demonstrated

The Wrap Up

As with the Smooth session, the Rhythm session ended with some Q&A.  There were some interesting questions but I have to say the feel good feeling of the morning was not present with this panel.  Some of the questions were left mostly unanswered due to confusion with the questions and some of the questions were even met with hostility.  I can really only remember one because it was the most shocking experience of the day for me.

The question was something like “Do the panel members (other than Bill Sparks) use or teach the SAM method?”  To me this seemed like a fair question and I would have loved to hear how the panel members addressed it, particularly Bob, Julia, Cher, and Taliat who are not current competitors.  However, before any of the panelists got a chance to answer, Sam Sodano shouted from the audience that he didn’t think that was a fair question.  What ensued was a confusing exchange between Sam and the MC John DePalma which ended with Sam standing and giving a small speech about how he didn’t think anyone else should have to answer about using his technique since it was his and everyone teaches their own thing.  This seemed incredibly strange when part of the point of the SAM method is to unify the technique in Rhythm dancing.  I’m not really sure why he felt he needed to respond to the question in that way but it really came across as a heavy handed attempt to stifle the panelists (whether or not they intended to say anything positive or negative).  It was made all the more confusing considering he was not on the panel but giving his speech from the audience. 

As I previously mentioned, I definitely learned a lot at this event but the end of the Rhythm session left me not only shocked but frustrated.  The one question that may have cleared up some of my confusion after Bill Sparks’ lecture wasn’t allowed through and I was certainly very glad I hadn’t submitted any questions of my own since they weren’t all treated with the respect they deserved. All in all it seemed like maybe this year everyone was trying too hard to find consensus and eliminate any discussion of controversy.

I hate to end on a negative note since I really would encourage anyone to attend the event.  But I do think it’s fair to say that as a whole the Smooth session ran more smoothly and congenially than Rhythm, which had a few super awkward and condescending moments. 

Still thanks must go out to Edward Simon, Sam Sodano, and the NYDF for organizing such a great panel of speakers.  Seeing all the love and effort put in to the American styles by these top professionals is truly inspiring.

American Style Congress: Smooth aka The Love Fest

It has been a long weekend at the New York Dance Festival, but before I pass out I had to share at least something about this great event!  So I figured I’d write a bit about the American Style Congress that I attended on Friday morning. 

The event is in its second year and is organized by Edward Simon and Sam Sodano as a part of NYDF.  I didn’t get to go last year but I had heard mixed reviews.  Some said it was great and that there was a lot of information shared and love expressed for the American styles.  Others said (particularly after the Rhythm section) that there was no consensus and dancers were more confused going out than coming in.

So what about this year?  All in all I’d say the Congress was great and I certainly did learn a lot and there was plenty of inspiration to go around!  I would definitely recommend anyone dancing Rhythm or Smooth to attend next year and buy the video from this year.  That said, there were still a few awkward moments (to put it nicely) and at the close of the Rhythm section the love wasn’t flowing quite as strong as it was at the end of Smooth. 

Since I took a bunch of notes, I’m going to try and just give the highlights for each of the panelists (although in some cases it will be hard because they had an awful lot of interesting things to say)!

So to kick it off, on to American Smooth!  Henceforth subtitled, the love fest.  I must warn you this is a long post! :)

Mayo Alanen & Michelle Officer

The day began with Mayo and Michelle and they did a great job kicking things off, even being first up at 9am the audience was enthralled.  Their lecture focused on the development of style and choreography in Viennese Waltz and how to create choreography with your partner.

They offered some great advice on communicating and testing out new ideas with your partner.  They explained in their practice they use a number of different techniques for conveying choreography ideas including:  explaining your thoughts in words, demonstrating the steps yourself, working through your ideas with your partner but keeping your partner in “receiver mode” (meaning they don’t contribute to how the idea pans out, they are really just a body to work with), collaborating with your partner to try and bring your ideas to life, and even trying to sing or draw the shapes or feelings you want to express.  The real words of wisdom here were to let your partner run with their idea to the finish.  Even though you might think the idea is crazy at first you don’t want to stifle your partner’s creativity and in the end you might come up with something great.  It’s probably something we all know deep down but in practice it can be so hard and hearing them describe their process was just a great reminder of something so important.

They did a great demo of developing choreography noting it’s important to always emphasize the character of each of the dances.  Starting with a simple reverse turn they first explored alternate holds, then adding turns for the lady, next alternate positions (like shadow), then borrowing styling from different types of dance (like the Latin samba roll), and finally taking the move side by side.  Just by watching Smooth you can see there are so many choreographic possibilities but seeing the many options for just one basic step performed back to back really hammered the idea home.  You can really get creative with your choreography and your inspiration can really be endless and come from anywhere!

The last thing they talked about was musicality and how darker v. lighter music can change how the dance is performed.  Demonstrating their choreography in the two extremes, they gave the audience a real treat and really there is no amount of explaining that could make up for the visual.  Guess you’ll have to buy the video :)

I didn't video the Congress but Michelle did break out her fan from this dance.  Might as well enjoy the whole thing here!

Mazen Hamza & Izabella Jundzill

Next up was Mazen and Izabella with their discussion of choreography in Tango.  Their lecture was actually quite similar to Mayo and Michelle’s (although I will admit I thought it lagged a bit more in places).  Their overall theme was “Make it, Master it, and Make it Matter.”  They similarly took a simple step, the left turn (or reverse turn) into the fan, and worked through sprucing it up.  In effect, “making” the choreography.

For “mastering it”, they focused on two things:  self awareness and unit awareness.  Basically first dealing with your own balance and steps and getting those under control before moving into couple work.  This part of their lecture was truly fascinating to watch as they each took turns demonstrating how the steps allowed them to create different shapes and feelings, which in turn changed their partner’s shapes and feelings.  Their most simplified demonstration of mastering dealt with ladies turning and the control that is necessary so that the leader’s dancing doesn’t suffer (something they called “no spin and pray”).  Once again, there are no words that could make up for their performance so if you are truly interested buy the DVD (no I swear I’m not getting a portion of the sales)!

Next, they reiterated a point that became prevalent throughout the smooth lectures:  don’t forget what dance you are doing!  The dance gives you a spectrum of ideas for choreography already, so use them!  Finally, to end they noted the importance of making the dancing matter first to yourself and then to the audience. 

By this point in the day (if you’re keeping track we were only about an hour in), I think it’s safe to say everyone had drank some of the Smooth Kool-Aid.  Even the non-Smooth competitors/judges in the room seemed enchanted!

Slawek Sochacki & Marzena Stachura

The current champs Slawek and Marzena were next and I am ashamed to admit I don’t have many notes.  After the first two lectures I was having a serious wrist cramp and was looking forward to just watching instead of furiously writing!  I did take down a few things though, so here are some seriously condensed highlights bullet form:

• Tailor your choreography to your level, strengths, and of course the character of the dance

• There was a discussion of their study of the Laban Movement (really wish I had more notes) that was very interesting.  There might be some more dance reading in my future :)

• They finished by noting you should never be performing the same dance twice.  First, because the music always changes round to round and the music should dictate so much about a dance.  Second, because with so many competitions a year you’ll just get bored, changing even little things keeps the inspiration flowing!

  
Charlie & Jeannie Penatello

Jeannie Penatello’s lecture was next up with comedic relief provided by husband Charlie.  Her lecture focused a lot on the history and development of Smooth taking to heart the theme set for the Congress:  “American Style Dancing…where we’ve been and where we’re going!”

Her lecture would make a great article; it got a little hard to follow with all the dates and historical information jumping back and forth but I would love to have it in print!  She detailed changes in music (live to taped), costumes (large petticoats to the more Latinized Smooth gowns of today), and dance position (how contact was originally improper but gradually grew closer starting with the introduction of foxtrot and  “diaphragm contact” in the beginning of the 1900s).  She also talked a lot about how competitions used to be organized in terms of style, with the foxtrot, bolero, swing, and mambo danced together as the American Style until 1984. 

Her lecture ended with the Peabody and a lot of cheers, particularly when she said, “Why add an American Quickstep?  If anything it should be called the International Peabody!”  Their quick demo of the Peabody of course got a standing O and was one of the mornings highlights!

Should we add Peabody?  At least there would be more YouTube videos to choose from!!

Nick & Lena Kosovich

Nick and Lena were the first lecturers to really focus on the mechanics of practice.  For them the golden ratio is 90% of practice focused on drills and only the 10% remaining on choreography.  From there they went on to give the audience a drill on drills (even getting everyone to their feet to try a few).  The recommended drills included:

• Bending:  all the joints (limiting knee bend to keeping a neutral hip, if you go too far you’ll either fall forward or displace your hip)

• Stretching

• Contracting:  this is the least used, you can’t just shape constantly (always stretch) you need contrast!

• Twisting:  preparation for turns

• Traveling

• Balancing

• Timing

 After focusing on all those, then you get to work on choreography because without good technique you can only get so far!  As a side note, I could be making this up but I think they said they had a book coming out soon?!?  Anyone have any information on this?

Michael Mead

OK so once again I’m slightly ashamed to admit I don’t have a ton of notes from this one.  His lecture was informative but it was a little harder to pay attention without dancing interludes (or husband/wife playful bickering).  So I’ll go for some bulleted highlights on this one:

• Choreography is to help present the story, not the end goal in itself

• The needs of a basic dancer require choreography so they can practice but can’t over-choreograph or they won’t learn

• Develop character after working on the basics to be more dynamic (needs to be in character with music once again)

• Champ dancers should strive to differentiate themselves from each other but individuality still needs to be focused in a way that moves the storylines forward

• When judging basic level dancing, you look for clarity not the best interpretation so focus on technique first (I wish he had talked more about when a focus of interpretation should enter a dancers concentration because it seemed like there were a wide variety of levels in the audience)

Tomas Mielnicki & JT Thomas

Tomas and JT ended the Smooth session with a highly entertaining lecture on finding your own style and personality.  They noted that your choreographic choices can be based on many things including:  emotions, athleticism (don’t make it all this!), overall choreographic interest (making sure the whole picture makes sense), and of course (by now you know) the character of the dance. 

They ended on a highly inspirational note encouraging the audience not to get bored with the basics, to not be afraid to try something new.  Some people might not like what you’re doing but you should still stay true to yourself because you might become a trendsetter and even a champion.

The Wrap Up

After the lectures there was a Q&A session.  There was some great interaction here, but I only noted two of the questions that I thought most interesting.  The first was about adapting Smooth for a world-wide audience by potentially changing the name to drop “American” from the title.  Apparently this was something that was discussed last year but since I wasn’t there this was all new to me.  There were some great arguments for renaming to make the style more all-inclusive, no one would forget its American roots but you don’t need hit everyone over the head with it.  As a corollary, there was a question of whether the Peabody would make a good addition or if it would make it more difficult to move towards global appeal.  Michelle Officer gave a great answer: she loves the dance but worries that it might appear strange next to the other dances since they’ve developed so much over the years while Peabody music and form hasn’t changed.

The second question that grabbed my attention was whether there should be a compulsory basic dance added as the fifth dance to Smooth.  A lot of the panel thought it was a great idea, a way to showcase the basics and really be able to see each couples technique.  Mazen was the one detractor, saying he was worried a compulsory dance would take away from all the creativity and personal style that the competitors strive so hard to achieve. 

PHEW!!!  That’s a lot and all before lunch!  As I said this session was jam packed with information and amazing demos (once again you’re gonna need to buy the video for that)!  For me getting a chance to see each couple up close was a real treat that much like a compulsory dance allowed me to compare them technique to technique, style to style, interpretation to interpretation.  I also loved all the focus on the character of the dance, it really did get to shine with each of the couples taking on different dances.

Well that’s my take on the Smooth!  Love was all around between lecturers and each other (many current competitors) and the audience.  It really seemed like everyone left for lunch on a high.

And on that note it’s time for me to watch some Oscars and head to bed, leaving the Rhythm session for tomorrow.  But I’ll give you a hint there was a little less cohesion, a little more confusion, and a tad too much condescension.  

Since I did mention the video numerous times, for the website where it will probably be available for purchase, click here!

Ballroom Books: Cheryl Burke's Dancing Lessons

With one week to go until the cast announcements for Dancing with the Stars speculation on the stars and pros for season 14 has reached a fever pitch.  In honor of the craziness, I decided to read Cheryl Burke’s Dancing Lessons: How I Found Passion and Potential on the Dance Floor and in Life published last year.  A friend of mine, a self-proclaimed DWTS fanatic who is for the most part otherwise uninterested in ballroom, lent me her copy after giving the book a glowing review.  Unfortunately, I just didn’t have the same love for Dancing Lessons that she did and I suspect it is due in part to my greater knowledge of ballroom dancing and lesser knowledge of DWTS!

The book covers Cheryl’s life up to the present (she was only 26 when it was published) as well as some anecdotes from her DWTS career.  All in all, there isn’t much content there (did I mention she was only 26) and the book gets pretty repetitive.  Here’s my take on some of the highlights and lowlights but first a quick forewarning!  You may be reading “spoilers” since as I’ve said the book overall is pretty repetitive and low on content and detail.

Cheryl in one of her favorite costumes from DWTS

The Good

• For fans of the show, or those with mild curiosity, there are some interesting sections about Cheryl’s relationships with all of her past DWTS partners as well as the backstage workings of the live shows.  This is easily the most entertaining part of the book.

• For dancers, the history Cheryl provides of the start of her ballroom career is interesting.  Starting out primarily in pro-am, Cheryl took a different path from many of the young professionals you see around today, who more typically begin very early with amateur partners.  When covering her move into amateur and professional competition, Cheryl gives some back story to her previous partners including popular ballroom designer Vesa (Vesa Hietala) and Rhythm champ Jose Decamps.  However, for non-dancers the information is probably confusing and for dancers it’s just not enough detail to really make it enlightening; a problem most of the book suffers with.

• Cheryl’s willingness to openly discuss some very traumatic incidents from her childhood and teenage years can’t be overlooked.  In her chapter entitled “The Paso Doble: Fighting Back” (the majority of the chapters are tied to a specific ballroom dance), Cheryl reveals she was molested as a child.  Writing about the incident and the aftermath of the trial as well as the difficulties she had in understanding everything at such a young age could not have been easy.  Similarly, revealing her subsequent relationships with abusive boyfriends took courage.  This is one section of the book where her light treatment of the subject matter can be forgiven; for doing something so hard she deserves credit.

The Bad

• Did I say yet this book is repetitive?  Well I didn’t say it enough!  If I could sum up the whole thing in 30 words or less it would be:  Once shy, with an awesome and driven mom, Cheryl’s learned to deal with fame and weight issues all while learning to brand herself and focus on being a role model.  Sure there are some side stories but chapter after chapter you hear about the same things and the same themes.  After awhile you may seriously wonder if someone moved your bookmark and you’re rereading a whole chapter.

• There are some truly endearing stories in there.  Why is that a bad thing?  Mostly because the truly interesting things are treated so lightly you barely get a taste.  It is so frustrating by the end you are wishing you had learned more about her mother, her nanny, her childhood struggles, her difficult past relationships, or really anything.  Even the DWTS “gossip” wasn’t deep enough, most of it you could probably guess even if you haven’t watched the show.

There are more stars in this book than all the seasons of DWTS

The…What?!?

• You just can’t get past the feeling that you are reading a book that is one part teenage diary and one part after-school special.  There just isn’t anything to suggest that the book was written by an adult for adults (which could be great for you if you are under 16).  After hearing how amazing Cheryl’s mom is throughout the book you have to wonder whether she got the chance to edit it before someone hit print.  All signs point to no.

• The random, awkwardly placed dancing tips and bubbles of inspiration are just confusing.  As the book goes on the tips get less and less useful to anyone and the bubbles get more and more unbearably saccharine.  

This book has a serious bubble problem

 

All in all I’m sad to say this isn't a very good book, but if you do read it, it won’t take up much of your time.  If you are a DWTS fanatic, a tween, or both this book could be for you.  And if you fall into either of those categories it might just hold you over until the next season premieres on March 19th!

New Calendar Page Added!

After my post about upcoming ballroom competitions, I decided it would be helpful to have the list in a calendar format as well. So here it is! 

The Calendar tab includes all of the upcoming competitions I previously listed as well as notable international competitions and general ballroom related events (like NYC's annual Salsa Congress).  The events are color coded so you can quickly find what you are looking for!

The calendar will be updated every few months with a new batch of events (expect events for September through January to be posted towards the end of April). Of course, if there are any notable omissions please let me know by emailing me at ballroomblogger@gmail.com!

Justinas & Anna: What a difference a year makes!

As the competition continues at La Classique, one important part of the event has come to a close; the traditional Thursday night Pro Showcase.  This year's showcase was performed by Justinas Duknauskas and Anna Melnikova and while I couldn't make it in person this year I had been awaiting the videos with anticipation.

First a quick trip down memory lane.  Just about a year ago videos of their first full show together hit the internet.

 Votes for whose hair is more distracting??

Now I would never go so far as to say they looked awful, just disappointing.  Having loved her with Stefano I was never really satisfied with her dancing with Slavik, something was just missing.  She couldn't quite rock that uber-feminine style that stands out among the other top pros.  When I saw this video though, all I could think was "oh dear."  A thought that she might not be able to reach her full potential since as they are married this partnership wasn't likely to end so quickly.  Similarly for Justinas, it just didn't seem to be a good match.  Admittedly I was never his biggest fan but I appreciated him much more with  Ekaterina Lapaeva.

My fears only deepened when I got to see them shortly afterward.  Not only did they seem disconnected physically but there wasn't much emotion in their dancing either.  I thought for sure they could at least sell a romantic rumba but Justinas seemed too into his own thing, hardly giving her a passing glance throughout the show.  That seemed to be the theme of the other dances as well, two partners dancing separately not together.  Justinas seemed to take things constantly to the extreme, going way too over the top to command attention and Anna just came across as too subtle and unstable.

Fast forward a year and I'm sitting at my computer fingers crossed as the videos loaded.  Cue the first video and I'm thinking, "oooh now this I might even enjoy!"

Rumba

Now I still wish that Justinas would rein in some of solo work, especially in the rumba, but at least Anna is more stable and there are some real connected moments.  Could the other dances be this improved as well??

Paso

Jive: What no Elvis suit?

So the choreography/music selection didn't necessarily change but they certainly look more together.  There's much less flailing from Justinas and Anna seems like she may even be able to be herself in a way she couldn't with Slavik.  This is so much better than the show I saw, I'm experience serious Canadian jealousy!

Cha Cha: better but still a bit boring

Now I love me some traditional fun and flirty Cha Cha but something about theirs is still lacking.  It too has improved since I saw them dance live (it was pretty sparse then) but it's still a bit boring.  I'm hoping they jazz it up a bit before their next show!

Samba   

All in all an entertaining performance and even more important a much improved one!  Of course this says nothing of their competition material but its great to see them starting to mesh with each other.  Who knows where they'll be a year from now.

Thanks to SuperShag for all the videos.  Now if only we could find some video of Ballroom Dancer the documentary!

Salsa at the Super Bowl

Anyone watching the Super Bowl yesterday was treated to a bit of dancing in addition to the Giants' win over the Patriots.  I'm not talking about Madonna's halftime show but Giants Wide Receiver Victor Cruz! 

After scoring the first touchdown for the Giants in last nights game, Cruz broke out what has become his signature touchdown dance:  Salsa!

Taking touchdown dancing to a new level at :14

Cruz's famous moves even inspired Madonna to break out some salsa last week at a press conference discussing her halftime show.  Unfortunately, Madge's salsa moves didn't make it onto the halftime stage.  I'm surely not the only one wishing she had replaced some of her more awkward moves with her much sexier salsa.

 Now if we could just get them to dance together!

According to a number of media outlets, including this NYTimes article, Cruz's stylings have increased attendance at salsa classes throughout the NY area.  We all have Cruz's grandmother to thank; she used to make him dance with her when he was growing up and he now performs his celebration as a tribute to her.

Cruz's celebratory salsa has already caught the eye of at least one ballroom professional.  On Good Morning America today, Dancing With The Stars professional Cheryl Burke quickly picked out Cruz when asked who she'd pick as her next DWTS partner saying, "Doesn't he have some salsa, I saw that!"  With only a few weeks until casting announcements, there probably isn't enough time for producers to get him but we can always dream and of course there's always next season! 

So thanks Victor Cruz for entertaining us yesterday on the field and in the end zone!  And extra thanks for getting salsa dancing some TV coverage during one of the most watched moments of the year!