Browsing Tag

Dancing With The Stars

Dancing With the Stars Season 23 Premiere!

Dancing With the Stars Season 23 Premiere!

I have been a fan of Dancing with the Stars since the very 1^st season. It keeps improving year over year and still is one of the hottest shows on TV and absolutely one I look forward to. This was the first premiere I wasn’t able to watch live due to a prior commitment but, you can look forward to regular blogs the rest of the season and live tweeting.

This season brings back some of our favorite pro’s including Maksim Chmerkovskiy, Emma Slater, Derek Hough, Cheryl Burke and Gleb Savchenko and it brings in Jenna Johnson a former troupe member for her first season as a pro.

I think the cast for this season is absolutely amazing and it promises to be another entertaining season. One thing I noticed on twitter is some of the cruel comments being made about some of the celebrities. Let’s all remember to practice kindness. Making comments about anyone’s appearance is just not nice but, remember you too will be in your 60’s one day and you will see changes in your body.

What an amazing opening number and a tremendous way to kick off the show!

Derek Hough & Marilu Henner

#TeamHennergy

Marilu has a lot of super positive energy and overall they did well, I think the first night always brings a level of nerves but she clearly has the desire to work hard and do well and I am sure Derek will bring out the best in Marilu’s skills.

Sharna Burgess & James Hinchcliffe

#TeamStopandGo

Wow James is quite the survivor. He has a lot of heart and spirit and I am so excited he is paired with Sharna. After watching him dance I think he will be one of the ones to watch this season and it would be great to see Sharna win a mirror ball!

Lindsay Arnold & Calvin Johnson Jr

#TeamLindsatron

I thought Calvin showed some promise as a dancer and it will be fun to watch him grow this season. He definitely has a fun positive personality and I am sure Lindsay will bring out the best in him.

Artem Chigvintsev and Maureen McCormick

#TeamMaureen

Maureen is so sweet and I love that she is paired with Artem. I think Artem will help increase her confidence as a dancer. There were a few nerves in play in their first dance but, I think it’s wonderful to see someone come on with such excitement and desire to make an imprint on the show.

Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds & Allison Holker

#TeamHolkerFace

I thought Babyface was good. He and Allison will be a fun partnership to watch this season. I think each week he will get more comfortable on the floor. He clearly has grace in his movement.

Amber Rose & Maksim Chmerkovskiy

#TeamSpicySalsa

I was so glad when Maks announced he would be back on the show he has been missed! I am excited about this partnership too. I think their combined personalities will be great. Maks is intense but, he is so kind. I hope Amber will have many princess moments this season. I thought they did well, nerves were showing in many of the couples but, it’s the first week.

Vanilla Ice & Witney Carson

#TeamIceNSpice

This partnership will be a lot of fun given Witney’s abilities in hip hop First week was lacking content but I am sure Witney will find ways to integrate his style with the content each week. I think he could be a dark horse and may just surprise everyone as the season goes on.

Jana Kramer & Gleb Savchenko

#TeamGlamer

One word for this couple is smoldering…holy smokes! They are absolutely going to be couple to watch this season. They have the passion, the skills and quite clearly are in it to win it.

Jake T Austin & Jenna Johnson

#TeamJSquared

The Jive must be a tough first dance to do for a beginner dancer. I think it looked like Jake was chasing after Jenna through most of the dance but, I think if they can even out their energy and tempo and get in sync they will be better.

Rick Perry & Emma Slater

#TeamDanceForOurVets

First of all I am so glad Emma is back, she was so missed last season. She is so sweet and has such positive energy. I must say I wasn’t sure what to expect when I saw that Rick was on the show but, he has a desire to learn and enthusiasm which is key.

Terra Jole’ & Sasha Farber

#TeamXL

This partnership I was interested to see. I love Terra’s attitude and I think Sasha will do a good job with the challenge ahead of them. What a challenge they had the first week with the Jive. Terra clearly showed her joy in dancing and she should be proud!

Ryan Lochte & Cheryl Burke

#TeamCherLoch

I had mixed feelings about Ryan being given the chance to dance this season. I had always been a fan of his in the pool and was disappointed in his actions in Rio. However, I also know that nobody is perfect, we all make mistakes big and small and we all deserve redemption. If Ryan can find that on the dance floor then good for him. I thought what happened was absolutely awful and thankfully nobody got hurt. I know when you enter the studio you do go through metal detectors but, still must have been scary for everyone. I thought Ryan did a good job on the dance. He showed good presence and promise in this dance.

Laurie Hernandez & Val Chmerkovskiy

#TeamVaLaur

I was extremely excited to see this partnership announced because Val and Laurie both have insanely bright and positive personalities and I knew they would SHINE on the dance floor. It must not have been easy to take the stage after all that happened in the ballroom ahead of them but, Laurie took that stage like she owned that dance floor. I loved the look they shared before the music started it was like saying the journey starts now let’s do this! If they keep up performances like today this season they will be mirror ball champs hands down.

I am so excited for this season! After tonight’s performance I would say the 3 to watch couples would be: Val & Laurie, Sharna & James and Gleb and Jana but, bravo to all couples for week 1. It’s not easy to learn how to dance and everyone should be proud of their performances.

This week will be TV Theme night! Spoilers on dances/songs below:

*Jake T Austin & Jenna Johnson: Cha Cha to Go, Diego, Go! Theme

*Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds & Allison Holker: Argentine Tango to The X-Files Theme

*Marilu Henner & Derek Hough: Foxtrot to Taxi Theme

*Laurie Hernandez & Val Chmerkovskiy: Jive to Ducktails

*James Hinchcliffe & Sharna Burgess: Paso Doble to The Walking Dead

*Calvin Johnson Jr & Lindsay Arnold: Foxtrot to Family Matters Theme

*Terra Jole’ & Sasha Farber: Quickstep to Bewitched

*Jana Kramer & Gleb Savchenko: Tango to “I Don’t Want to Be” from One Tree Hill, performed by Gavin Degraw

*Ryan Lochte & Cheryl Burke: Quickstep to The Muppet Show Theme

*Maureen McCormick and Artem Chigvintsev: Quickstep to Brady Bunch Theme

*Rick Perry & Emma Slater: Quickstep to Green Acres Theme

*Amber Rose & Maksim Chmerkovskiy: Viennese Waltz to Game of Thrones Theme

*Vanilla Ice & Witney Carson: Foxtrot to “Love and Marriage” from Married with Children

On a style note: Ck out http://www.bebe.com/ for some really beautiful fall fashions!

Until next time,

Xoxo

Heather

September 18, 2016

Entertainment Blog

Ideal Meet & Greet/Photo Op

If I could sit down with celebrity VIP teams…

This is a topic I have been thinking about for the last few years. It’s part of the reason for starting this blog. I never want this page to be a negative place but, rather somewhere to share information, experiences, value etc. If I could sit down with artist’s and their management teams to give them insight into what fans feel are best VIP practices this is what I would say:

Artists should keep their commitments. It’s one of the things that I think a pop star and his team did wrong earlier this year. If they didn’t want to do meet and greets anymore that’s fine but, finish the ones that you had committed to, implement rules to meet your needs in the interim and have your team enforce them but, respect that a good portion of your VIP attendees often are paying to travel for the experience.

Don’t do photo assembly lines. I truly wish all artists that did meet and greets would commit to an hour or so of their time depending on the #’s and do it right, treat each person like a human being, say hello, ask their name, ask where they are from (stars may be shocked how far some will travel to see them), have a genuine interaction, then take the photo. Let’s face it these meet and greets, photo ops, fan trips cost a large sum of money, show the fans you value and respect their time and money by giving them an interaction. When an artist’s team brags that they did 300 pictures in 16 minutes that truly is disappointing vs a recent event I was at they had about 200 people and they devoted a solid hour or more, it wasn’t rushed and everyone that walked out after was so happy, felt so special and most of all valued.

Make the interactions private. What I have been seeing quite a bit lately is a curtain box created and have thought that is such a great idea. You can step in, have your interaction and not have 200-300 people watching it. It helps with your nerves too, nobody wants to feel like they are in a fishbowl it also solves the issue of people taking photos of the entertainer/star as they approach. It will also help the genuine interaction because then they are not still speaking to the person ahead of you etc.

Make the rules clear, stick to them and let them know what will happen if they violate the rules. If you say don’t take your cell phones out and ask for a selfie and someone does don’t post the photo, if you say don’t hug, kiss and rub all over an artist and people do don’t post the photo. I would guarantee you would only have to enforce it once and word would travel. Too many fans will just take liberties, ignore the rules just to achieve their own objective and it truly does spoil the process for others in many cases and it’s disrespectful to the artist.

Post photos in a timely manner. The companies that have them posted same day or in 24 hours always get a WOW for service from me. VIP Nation events have been crushing it with this service the last year. All events I have gone to hosted by them they have been up during the show or the next day. It’s been nice to see many are getting them done quickly lately, people are always so excited to receive them so the faster the better.

Give organic genuine experiences. A few tours recently I have seen many people asking for kisses, hugs etc. You are putting the stars in an awkward position because if they say no then they can be looked at like they are being a jerk but, people have to realize in most cases you are a stranger or a familiar face in the crowd to the artist. Would you want a stranger walking up and asking you to kiss them, hug them etc.? It’s such a better experience when it happens organically and it’s something the artist initiates because it’s genuine and something they truly wanted to do. On the flip side though as the artist make an effort to say hello, ask someone’s name and go from there.

Please no gum or food in your mouth. I have a few photos with different entertainers with a wad of gum clearly seen in the pic and then recently had an experience where someone was eating a marshmallow. Again people pay a lot for these experiences, travel long distances and it’s just respectful not to have food/gum in your mouth and seen in the photos.

Respect the time of individuals paying for the VIP experience. Don’t make them arrive 2 hours ahead to just stand in line and don’t leave them in the various elements like extreme heat & cold. Be organized. Nobody likes to stand around waiting for hours.

For random interactions with stars I always like to see who puts in the extra effort with their fans. I can say after seeing it many times that Keith Urban is one of the best at this. Keith will stop and literally do selfies with 40 people and it takes maybe 10 minutes. Now in these random cases I think it’s fine to do a quick hello, photo and move on you are not paying for it.

I think the stars also need to be careful the way their team is representing them. At the softball game at CMA fest one of the entertainer’s boyfriend’s came out where fans were lined up after the game and was telling a guy to hurry up and have her car pulled around because she didn’t want to stop for fans. Another country star I saw three times at CMA fest once on the pink carpet, at Fan Fair X and then out and about and he could not be bothered to take a photo or have an interaction but as soon as a TV camera was on him he changed right away. I personally will not spend my money, pay to travel, attend a concert of anyone that shows such disregard for fans. It’s all in how the situation is handled. Like I said in my CMA Fest blog from Day 3 instead of responding “NAH” to someone, say sorry not today. Treat people like human beings and they will in turn reward you by devoting their time and spending their hard earned money to support your career.

One star recently said it best you always have to treat each person special because that may be your 1 time ever to meet that person that has supported you and you don’t know what they had to do to be at that show, if they saved for 6 months, flew across the country etc. Whether it’s a 30 second selfie interaction or a paid meet and greet it’s your chance to make and leave an impression both on the fan and star’s end. I will always support the ones that care and truly get it because that adds value to the experience. I also feel we all have to treat them respectfully.

I would love to hear more thoughts on this from those that read the blog…

Until next time,

Xoxoxo

Heather

August 30, 2016

VIP Experience Blog

Maks & Val Tour 2016: The VIP Experience

#maksandvaltour

#vipnation

As I suspected when I first heard about this tour the Maks & Val Tour VIP Experience is truly special. Many other artists could learn a thing or two from them and how to make a fan’s experience one they will never forget.

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This article is on the Ultimate Package which included:

One premium reserved ticket in the front row – sit front and center!
Twenty minute backstage Meet & Greet with Maks and Val in their dressing room
Backstage toast with Maks and Val in their dressing room, including your own Our Way champagne flute to take home

Intimate Photo Op with Maks and Val in their dressing room taken with a professional camera

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Custom 5×7 Our Way leather picture frame with your printed and signed Meet & Greet photo delivered to your seat
Access to pre-show VIP Party, including:
Green screen photo booth to capture additional photos of yourself at the VIP Party
One (1) drink ticket for the pre-show lounge (beer, wine, soft drinks)
Ultimate VIP Meet & Greet laminate
Autographed Tour Program with personalized dedication signed in front of you
Exclusive Maks and Val gift item
Pre-show merchandise shopping opportunity
On-site VIP host & ticket pick-up

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If you want to see the breakdown of the various packages which were at various price points please see the pre-tour blog I did:

http://lightscmemories.com/vip/maks-val-chmerkovskiys-way-summer-tour-2016-maksandval-ourwaytour/

Right away it started off good, I received my instructional email about 5 days ahead of the show and we have to arrive 3 hours ahead for both of the shows I attended. It was very detailed and included all the important details. I appreciated that because it showed they were respecting your time, some VIP events you have to get there 4-5 hours ahead and you stand and wait. Maks, Val & VIP Nation did this right!

Upon arrival the process was very organized, you sign in, get the appropriate package and laminate and you were directed to the VIP party area. Once everyone was checked in I was thrilled to see everything started happening and there was not a lot of standind around and waiting. They also gave very clear directions and specifically said to pleasae not bring your cell phones into the area and ask for selfies that a professional photo would be taken. The guys came in 15 minutes later and headed to the designated photo box after waving hello. This automatically got a thumbs up from me. I loved that they had a nice private area so you didn’t have 200+ people all staring at you while you had your photo/meet & greet. While you were waiting you could get your photo taken on the green screen which was nice to have for the memory.

Once it was your turn you entered the photo box, had your special moment with them and then Anthony would take your photo. I know I am always saying it but, they are truly the absolute kindest, sweetest, talented and most humble men. They put in the effort to make each fans experience special and they do not rush it. It’s not a photo assembly line type of event it’s a genuine interaction. This is something all the VIP packages were able to do which is great! After the guys completed the photos they stepped out, thanked everyone for coming and said they truly hoped everyone enjoyed the show.

After the photos were done you could take advantage of the crowd free merchandise shopping or just hang out at the party. If you had the ultimate package you were escorted by the VIP host & security down to Maks & Val’s dressing room. This was such a small intimate group which makes it truly special. You enter the room, sit down, receive your champagne flute and just sit and visit with Maks & Val for 20 minutes. I seriously cannot say enough of the experience and the fact they would provide individuals with this type of access. They genuinely want to get to know their fans and it shows in all that they do. While you are in the room they autograph the tour program for you and the special frame that you get with this package. After the time is up the VIP host takes another photo of you and the guys and that gets printed and delivered to you in the frame at the intermission of the show.

On that subject I have to give a huge shout out to the VIP Host: Anthony Jones. He is very nice and he gets all the photos posted very quickly which is what I define as WOW customer service. He is great about answering questions, making sure announcements are made and treats everyone with kindness and respect.

As far as the show itself I literally cannot say enough good about this tour, how it was put together, the amazing staff/tour family and you are left wishing it wasn’t over. To read my thoughts on the show you can go to this link: http://lightscmemories.com/entertainment-blog/maks-val-way-live-tour-2016/

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Final thoughts are…this is how a tour and VIP program should run. Your time is respected, you are treated with kindness & respect and you receive a genuine interaction and in the ultimate package a chance to really sit down and get to know Maks & Val. You absolutely receive value for your hard earned dollars that you spend for the experience.

For my looks please check out: http://shop.nordstrom.com/

I always bring my Coach Cross body or wristlets: http://coach.com

Until next time,

Xoxo

Heather

July 22, 2016

Entertainment Blog

Dancing With the Stars Mirror Ball Champions Season 22

Dancing with the Stars: Finals Night 2 Who Wins the Mirror Ball?

#DWTS

#dwts22 Finale2

Season 22/Week 10

#DWTSfinale

Just a quick reminder the contest to win ONE Silver Meet & Greet Package to see Maks & Val Tour EXTENDED to: May 29^th at 5 pm EST

To all the Maks and Val fans out there, I hope this giveaway will help make someone’s dreams come true. I want to find someone really deserving of this and has never really got the chance to meet them since this is a $300 giveaway contest. But anyone who qualifies for the rules and follow them thoroughly will be entered in a random draw. The winner will receive ONE Silver VIP Meet and Greet Package which includes a premium reserved ticket in rows 5 through 20, tour program, and more! Please follow ALL these rules to be entered in my Maks And Val Live Tour: Our Way Giveaway. 1. You must live in the U.S. and can attend the show alone. 2. The city you want to attend must still have this specific package available. 3. Follow @LightsCMemories either on Instagram or Twitter (Will be checking)! 4. Post a picture of Maks/Val with a caption explaining why you want this and include the city/show you want to attend. Make sure you tag me in the picture and use the hashtag, #LightsCMemoriesGiveaway! 5. Tag some friends who would be interested in this giveaway. The more friends you tag, the better your chances are! The drawing for the winner will be on May 29th at 5 pm EST! Please get your entry in before that. If you have any questions, feel free to ask me below. Best Finale3 of luck! -Heather

I am so excited for tonight! Truly all three are so good, anyone could go home with the Mirror Ball.

The entire show was fantastic tonight and it had to be one of my favorite finales in all the 22 Seasons I have watched. All the guest performers were amazing from Fleur East, Dan & Shay, Fifth Harmony, Aloe Blacc and of course Pit Bull who never disappoints.

It was fun to see 3 past ch Finale5 ampions in the ballroom as well including Bindi, Shawn and Emmitt.

The Maks and Val Tour preview just made me even more excited for their summer tour! It’s going to be filled with so much fun and amazing dancing! I seriously cannot wait to watch their dream come to life! finale6

I also loved how they highlighted the eliminated contestants this time, the entire show was so much fun. This season had so many fantastic partnerships I loved to see Kim/Sasha, Jodie/Keo, and Wanya/Lindsay etc together again, the football player section was great too and the Trivia game with Witney, Lindsay and Von was absolutely hilarious! I especially loved the dance Witney and Artem performed to Dan and Shay’s “From the Ground Up”. The dance to Summer Thing was also a lot of fun to watch and the fun Men and Women of DWTS group dances were also great!

Final Fusion Dances:

Ginger Zee and Val Chmerkovskiy

#teamGinandJuice

Fusion Dance: Argentine Tango & Foxtrot: “Just Like Fire”

Scores: 9-9-9

Ballroom7

Nyle DiMarco & Peta Murgatroyd

#redefiningdance

Fusion Dance: Tango & Cha: “Summer”

Scores: 10-10-10 (Perfect Score!)

Paige VanZant & Mark Ballas

#teamPowRightInTheKisser

Fusion Dance: Finale7 Jive & Salsa “Little Bitty Pretty One”

Scores: 10-10-10 (Perfect Score!)

All the fusion dances were good and it really capped off a fun end to a truly amazing season. It was a special moment when Carrie Ann put in the extra effort to sign with Nyle. They all had truly amazing journeys this year for different reasons. Nyle truly showed the world that nothing can stop you from doing something new that some may think is impossible and he open everyone’s eyes to what it is like to be deaf in many powerful ways.

Ginger came in 3^rd place and she and Val should truly be very proud of her performance this season.

Time to crown the winner!

Season 22 Champions are:

Nyle DiMarco & Peta Murgatroyd

Congratulations! It was an awesome season and you did an amazing job! Paige and Mark you both also did such a wonderful job! Truly this is one season where all 3 were deserving to win.

For those of you that follow my blog I have many events I will be covering this summer including: Maks & Val Tour, CMA Fest, Luke Bryan, Keith Urban, Steven Tyler, JLO and more! Please stay tuned to this page, my IG/Twitter: @lightscmemories and Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lightscmemories/.

Just a reminder if you want to get tickets to the HOTTEST tour this summer go to: http://www.maksan maks and val dvaltour.com/ I will be blogging on the show and their various amazing VIP Packages this summer! It kicks off in 6 short weeks!

Until next time,

Xoxoxo

Heather

May 26, 2016

Entertainment Blog

Dancing with the Stars: Finale Night 1

Dancing with the Stars Finale Night 1
#DWTS
#dwts22
Season 22/Week 10
#DWTSfinale
Just a quick reminder the contest to win ONE Silver Meet & Greet Package to see Maks & Val Tour ends this Wednesday 5/25 at 7 pm EST. To all the Maks and Val fans out there, I hope this giveaway will help make someone’s dreams come true. I want to find someone really deserving of this and has never really got the chance to meet them since this is a $300 giveaway contest. But anyone who qualifies for the rules and follow them thoroughly will be entered in a random draw. The winner will receive ONE Silver VIP Meet and Greet Package which includes a premium reserved ticket in rows 5 through 20, tour program, and more! Please follow ALL these rules to be entered in my Maks And Val Live Tour: Our Way Giveaway. 1. You must live in the U.S. and can attend the show alone. 2. The city you want to attend must still have this specific package available. 3. Follow @LightsCMemories either on Instagram or Twitter (Will be checking)! 4. Post a picture of Maks/Val with a caption explaining why you want this and include the city/show you want to attend. Make sure you tag me in the picture and use the hashtag, #LightsCMemoriesGiveaway! 5. Tag some friends who would be interested in this giveaway. The more friends you tag, the better your chances are! The drawing for the winner will be on May 25th at 7pm EST! Please get your entry in before that. If you have any questions, feel free to ask me below. Best of luck! -Heather

I cannot believe we are at the finale already, this season flew by and hands down was filled with immense talent by the cast this year.

Ginger Zee and Val Chmerkovskiy
#teamGinandJuice
Redemption dance: Contemporary-Brave beyond words to dance with that back injury but, you did so with grace and beauty. The lifts were amazing and I loved all the emotion you brought to the dance, it absolutely was an improvement and they both should be very proud of a great season.

Scores: 9-10-9 (28 out of 30)

Freestyle: I loved their freestyle, loved that they focused on the dancing not all the props, I was hoping all 3 would do that and they absolutely did. Val and Ginger brought us a fun, delightful and very creative freestyle. The fact Ginger could dance through the pain too was incredible, back injuries are so challenging and the slightest movement can cause the sharpest pain. Ginger grew so much as a dancer this season and I loved the partnership she had with Val. They should absolutely be proud of themselves no matter what the results are.

Scores: 10-10-10 (Perfect score)

Nyle DiMarco & Peta Murgatroyd
#redefiningdance

Redemption dance: Quickstep-Overall it was a good dance, definitely improvement over the last quickstep. Nyle continues to amaze every single week and he has truly taken us on a journey this season.

Scores: 9-9-9 (27 out of 30)
Freestyle: Their freestyle was beautiful, moving and again showed the tremendous emotional journey that Nyle and Peta have taken us on this season. The music was perfect. I thought it was one of the best examples of modern dance I can ever remember witnessing. Peta and Nyle have done such a beautiful job this season and truly raised the awareness of what it is like to be deaf. Nyle truly has shown everyone that you can do absolutely anything you put your mind to.

Scores: 10-10-10 (Perfect score!)

Paige VanZant & Mark Ballas
#teamPowRightInTheKisser
Redemption Dance: Salsa-They chose the Salsa because this is the one Mark was injured on. Bruno said she out-danced Mark. Len felt it was lacking hip action. I thought they did a great job, Paige truly showed her improvement and growth as a dancer!

Scores: 10-9-10 (29 out of 30)

Freestyle: That dance was amazing. All 3 freestyles were fantastic. I loved that Mark kept it simple and focused on the emotion and highlighted the dancing. BC Jean also did a beautiful performance to accompany them. It’s been so nice to see the confidence Paige has gained through her journey on the show. It’s one of my favorite partnerships with Mark over the seasons too. They had a unique trust and bond that truly shined through.

Scores: 10-10-10 (Perfect score!)

This season it could truly be any of the 3 as the Mirror Ball champion all for completely different reasons. They all shined, they all excelled, they all had amazing partnerships with their pro’s and no matter what happens tomorrow they all should be very proud of their journey. Bravo to all three pro’s for fantastic choreography this season, I truly loved this season!

Just a reminder if you want to get tickets to the HOTTEST tour this summer go to: http://www.maksandvaltour.com/ I will be blogging on the show and their various amazing VIP Packages this summer! It kicks off in 3 short weeks!
VOTE by phone, Facebook and on abc.com

Until next time,
Xoxoxo
Heather

May 23, 2016

Entertainment Blog

Dancing with the Stars: Trio Week Semi-Finals

Dancing with the Stars: Trio Week Semi-Finals

#DWTS

#dwts22

Season 22/Week 9

#dwtssemifinals

#trioweek

I cannot believe there are only 2 more weeks to go. For those of you that follow my blog I have many events I will be covering this summer including: Maks & Val Tour, CMA Fest, Luke Bryan, Keith Urban, Steven Tyler, JLO and more! Please stay tuned to this page, my IG/Twitter: @lightscmemories and Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lightscmemories/. I will also be announcing a BIG giveaway in the next few days so watch IG/Twitter/Blog page for that!

Paige VanZant & Mark Ballas

#teamPowRightInTheKisser

Trio: Alan Bersten-Samba- “Hip Hip Chin Chin” by Club Des Belugas

This trio will be amazing! They said they picked Alan because they had great chemistry when they danced together the week Mark was out with his back injury. I thought the dance was fun, creative, energetic, really allowed Paige to show off her dan Paige Trio cing ability and truly be the lead. Len said BRILLANT! Bruno said she is the Queen of the Jungle. Carrie Ann said she is unstoppable! Everyone is still trying to figure out if Alan and Paige are dating…too cute! If they are I think they would make an adorable couple.

Scores: 10-10-10 (Perfect Score 30 out of 30!)

Argentine Tango- “One Time” by Marian Hill

Paige told the story of her life growing up. She highlighted that she did individual dance for many years and then she decided to do cheerleading. That is when the bulling started girls that didn’t make the squad bullied her terrible. Her family moved to Reno to get Paige out of that environment. That is when Paige started to learn MMA. Before everyone starts saying it isn’t fair Paige has dance ex CeGvaQ3XIAE9fGo perience. I can say from personal experience it’s very different taking individual dance and dancing with a partner. It might give an edge on some things like lines & musicality but, the movement with a partner is totally different. Their Argentine Tango was sexy as hell, lots of great lifts, a fun storyline and overall a great job! Bruno loved how nasty it was and said it was like watching 50 shades of Paige. Len liked it but, felt it was a little too sexy for his taste.

Scores: 10-9-10 (29 out of 30)

Antonio Brown & Sharna Burgess

#teamBoomin

Trio: Hayley Erbert Argentine Tango-“Mi Confession” by Gotan Project

Sharna picked Hayley because she is super fierce! I felt they should have had Antonio highlight his ability more in the beginning Antonio Trio Fixed rather than just strike poses. Sharna and Hayley did a great job with the choreography. Overall they did a good job.

Scores: 9-9-9 (27 out of 30)

Contemporary- “Hall of Fame” by The Script

Antonio shared his less than ideal time growing up. His parents split up and he didn’t have that male role model and he and his Dad struggled in their relationship. His Dad said if he had it to do over again he wouldn’t have left. He was the underdog because of his size and circumstances but, he had that inner drive and motivation to make something of himself. He made it in the 6^th round of the NFL draft. Many shared that the best thing about Antonio is he is a great Dad. Sharna choreographed a beautiful dance truly highlighting Antonio’s life story. The lifts were incredible, you could feel the emotion in the dance and overall I thought it was really good. They got their 1^st 10 from Bruno!

Scores: 9-9-10 (29 out of 30)

Wanya Morris & Lindsay Arnold

#teamYaYaZee

Trio: Witney Carson Paso Doble- “Explosive” by David Garrett and Frank Heijden and Royal Philharmonic Orchestra

Lindsay and Wanya chose Witney because they had danced together in switch up week and she is Lindsay’s best friend. Wanya noted that he was so focused on the work he forgot to have fun. Wanya has such a humble way about him, you cannot help but want him to succeed. The dance was fierce, it was hot, precise, great choreography and was just simply amazing! Wanya Trio

Scores: 10-10-10 (Perfect scores 30 out of 30!)

Charleston- “Shame on Me” by Avicil

Wanya’s family was so cute. They saw at a very young age that he could sing. He grew up in the projects in Philly. He dealt with a lot of struggles. Wanya dreamed of becoming a star. They formed the band Boyz II Men and really hit the ground running. Wanya turned around and helped his family. I think that is why he is so humble and kind, he never forgot where he came from. His light shines so brightly. Lindsay has learned selflessness from him. Their dance was crazy high energy, so much fun, great musicality, precise and I just loved it! Carrie Ann said he is her hero tonight and said he has electric feet.

Scores: 10-10-10 (Perfect score 30 out of 30)

Nyle DiMarco & Peta Murgatroyd

#redefiningdance

Trio: Jenna Johnson Jive- “Hit the Road Jack” by Hermes House Band

Jenna said she was glad that she was in their Trio because she thinks they are going to win. Jenna also took a few years of sign language in school so that helped her in communicating with Nyle. It was great to show off the fun side of Nyle. They did lose s Nyle Trio ome timing during the dance. Overall I thought it was fun, cute, and full of energy. Good job.

Scores: 9-9-9 (27
out of 30)

Argentine Tango- “Unsteady” by X Ambassadors

Nyle will be blindfolded for the dance tonight. A lot has been said on social media about this that it’s been done before etc. Yes it has but, not by someone that was also deaf. Nyle will be relying totally on Peta’s body movement. Nyle went to school because h 13177215_1722869987925896_2380480704480100281_n e wanted to be a Math teacher and then Tyra stole him for America’s Next Top Model. Nyle wants to stay on this platform because he feels he can make a larger impact for the deaf community. He was blindfolded for part of the dance. It was beautiful, moving, emotional, and impactful in so many ways. I absolutely loved it. Nyle said he likes to challenge himself and it truly came across so beautiful tonight.

Scores: 10-10-10 (Perfect score 30 out of 30!)

Ginger Zee and Val Chmerkovskiy

#teamGinandJuice

Trio: Artem Chigvintsev-Paso Doble- “Shot Me Down” by David Guetta

Val picked Artem because he is an incredible performer, teacher, choreographer and highlighted that Artem is more patient. Val says Artem is the honey, he is mustard and Ginger is the chicken nugget lol. I think Ginger might just be the luckiest woman on DWTS this week to be dancing with Val and Artem! I loved it, I thought it was great. It was strong, the character was on point, the choreography was fantastic and I really loved this trio together. The judges pointed out a ginger Trio few balance issues they saw in the dance.

Scores: 9-9-9 (27 out of 30)

Quickstep- “Fire Under My Feet” by Leona Lewis

Ginger’s parents also divorced when she was young. She was very shy. Ginger ended up with an eating disorder because she f Val Good elt a need to control something in her life. Her curiosity about weather developed into a passion. She started on GMA in 2011. Val said this was a fun & awesome season for him. I have loved their partnership. Their dance was light, fun, high energy, had a lot of content, and overall they did a great job. Ginger has grown so much this season as a dancer, she truly is able to get into the harder characters now and should be very proud of all she has accomplished with Val.

Scores: 9-10-10 (29 out of 30)

Elimination Time:

Wanya & Lindsay

Antonio & Sharna

11731703_10153965770896740_5948663774764525204_o 12799222_10153965771421740_4729347111452576560_n

That leaves the following 3 for the finals next week…VOTE! Voting will already count for the finals! We know many times it comes down to the freestyle dance. These couples all are good and unique in their own ways. I hope they almost all strip it down and focus just on the dancing, less about props, big stage sets etc. Some of my favorite freestyles since Season 1 focus on the skill, the music and truly letting the partner shine. This season was one of the most talented in recent memory and all are worthy for the win! Let’s see who brings their “A” game next week, I cannot wait!

Nyle & Peta

Ginger & Val

Paige & Mark

Final 3 header

Just a reminder if you want to get tickets to the HOTTEST tour this summer maks and val go to: http://www.maksandvaltour.com/ I will be blogging on the show and their various amazing VIP Packages this summer! It kicks off in 6 short weeks! #ourwaytour

#maksandval

VOTE by phone, Facebook and on abc.com to avoid future surprising eliminations.

Until next time,

Xoxoxo

Heather

May 17, 2016

Entertainment Blog

Dancing with the Stars: Judges Dream Team Week

Dancing with the Stars: Judges Dream Team Week

#DWTS

#dwts22

Season 22/Week 8

Another AMAZING opening number by the Pro’s. It was so hot, creative and a fabulous way to kick off the show!

Nyle DiMarco & Peta Murgatroyd: Paso Doble
Music: “Victorious” by Panic at the Disco

#redefiningdance

With the team dance scores factored in Nyle and Peta ended up in first place last week. We find out right away that they are safe. They are going to try something in their dance to try to show people what it is like for Nyle to Peta 8 dance without hearing the music. This will be interesting. Nyle and Peta are always so amazing to watch.

The period where they cut the music was very powerful and really drove home what it is like for Nyle each week. I am sure it was even more so sitting in the studio audience. It made me sad for 13177215_1722869987925896_2380480704480100281_n a minute because music is such a huge part of my life, I can’t imagine not being able to hear it. I think the moment they provided the glimpse into Nyle’s life was worth the 10’s but, the actual rest of the dance I didn’t think was as strong as past dances but, I also thought maybe it might have been the music they had. That isn’t to take anything away from them, they are brilliant and blow me away every week.

Scores: 10-9-10 (29 out of 30)

Antonio Brown & Sharna Burgess: Viennese Waltz
Music: “Love on the Brain” by Rihanna

#teamboomin

I am glad that Antonio is really stepping it up and showing up earlier than Sharna. Antonio says there is a lot of comparison to hi Sharna 8 s football career. He knows how to rise from being the underdog.

There dance was good. Sharna always does really goo Ch-rAtWVEAAtPIl.jpg large d choreography. It was light, elegant, you could tell Antonio put in more effort on the details. The judges acknowledged that they can tell he is putting in more effort. Len acknowledged the improvement in his footwork as well.

Scores: 9-9-9 (27 out of 30)

Jodie Sweetin & Keo Motsepe: Jive
Music: “Something’s Got a Hold On Me” by Christina Aguilara

#teamMoSweet

Jodie thank you for handling the negative press the way you did. Keo you are a star, don’t let any of the negative press/comments get in your head. I have had the pleasure of meeting Keo a few times and have seen him dance numerous times, he is a true professional and really wants to succeed with Jodie. This season is filled with talent and we have seen each Jodie 8 star shine at different times.

Their dance was fantastic, it was fun, filled with content and very creative! I agree with the judges that Jodie’s light is shining bright! Keo really showed his creativity this week! They should be very proud of themselves for their performance tonight. I loved their pure exuberance when they heard the scores that was a classic happiness.

Scores: 10-10-10 (Perfect score!!!!)

Paige VanZant & Mark Ballas: Viennese Waltz
Music: “Stone Cold” by Demi Lovato

#teamPowRightInTheKisser

Paige and Mark are su Paige 8 ch a great match as partners. Loved hearing Paige talking with confidence. I will say I cringed a bit when Mark was describing his vision for this week. I am not a fan whe CeGvaQ3XIAE9fGo n Mark gets overly theatrical. Up until this point in the season I have been really enjoying it because he had toned a lot of that down. It’s just a matter of personal preference.

They did a beautiful dance. Paige is so talented and I truly think she deserves to be in the finals. The crowd loved it. Len noted a few minor items for improvement but, said she is a terrific dancer. Bruno and Carrie Ann both liked it.

Scores: 10-9-9 (28 out of 30)

Ginger Zee and Val Chmerkovskiy: Argentine Tango
Music: “Telephone” by Lady Gaga featuring Beyoncé

#teamGinandJuice

Ginger 8 I think we are in for one red hot dance from Ginger and Val tonight. Ginger has such a fun, bubbly personality that this character was challenging. I would have the same problem being th Val Good at serious. Loved Val’s advice during camera blocking you did the hard work, now enjoy it! You can tell how bad Ginger wants this and I love the two of them as partners.

Holy SMOKING hot! That dance was amazing! It had everything, passion, tension, content, heat, fire, clean lines, precision and it was perfection from start to finish! Ginger you look amazing too girl! I watched it 3 more times after! Absolutely amazing and the judges all LOVED it too!

Scores: 10-10-10 (PERFECT SCORE!)

Wanya Morris & Lindsay Arnold: Jive
Music: “Can You Do This” by Aloe Blacc

#teamyayazee

Wanya has lost o Wanya 8 ver 20lbs since starting on the show. They have a fun partnership and they clearly work well together. Lindsa Cep4rolWEAEOy_n.jpg large y is so creative and I love that she doesn’t play it safe.

The dance was fun, it had high energy, and it was creative. There were a few mistakes and when Wanya slipped he bounced back. You can’t get down on them though, things like that are bound to happen. It’s how you recover from them that matters. Wanya handles everything with the best attitude which is another reason he stands out. He takes it in stride. It was sad to see Lindsay to sad, you can tell they have truly formed a friendship.

Scores: 8-8-9 (25 out of 30)

Judges Dream Team Match Ups:

Team Bruno: Nyle/Peta & Jodie/Keo: Argentine Tango

#teambruno

I loved how creative that dance was and I love that Bruno took the risk to break down barriers and have the 2 girls dance and the 2 men dan Team Bruno ce together. Jodie and Nyle did a very good job dancing together and it shows how well rehearsed they were. Great job! The only part that I found distracting was having the troupe involved. I love the troupe dancers I just think in this arrangement it should have the two couples because it was distracting, I watched it back a 2^nd time and still felt that way.

Scores: 10-10-9 (29 out of 30)

Team Len: Ginger/Val & Lindsay/Wanya: Samba

#teamLen

Len that was super cute, cheeky, lighthearted, fun, lots of content and I thought they all did a great job! I love it when Len is able Team Len to show off his experience and creativity as a dancer. I thought Ginger and Wanya did a good job dancing together and the part where Val opened his shirt to show off his abs and Wanya showed off the glittered ab shirt was too funny.

Scores: 10-10-9 (29 out of 30)

Carrie Ann: Paige/Mark & Antonio/Sharna: Paso Doble

#teamCarrieAnn 529894366

Wow that was really, really good! I loved the intensity, it truly highlighted the athletic strength of Paige and Antonio! It was dynamic without being overly theatrical. The lift that Antonio did with Paige was amazing and beautiful. I really loved it.

Scores: 10-10-9 (29 out of 30)

Elimination Time:

Jeopardy:

Antonio/Sharna

Jodie/Keo

Wanya/Lindsay

Very sad we said goodbye to Jodie/Keo. I am so proud of them as a team and you both went out on a high note.

IMG_3176 (2)

Next week is DOUBLE ELIMINATION: VOTE, VOTE, and VOTE!

Also want to compliment the troupe each performance was amazing! Great job!

#maksandval #ourwaytour

Just a reminder if you want to get tickets to the HOTTEST tour this summer go to: http://www.maksandvaltour.com/ I will be blogging on the show and their various amazing VIP Packages this summer! It kicks off in 6 short weeks! To view the full pre-tour info please check out the article below.

Maks & Val Chmerkovskiy’s Our Way Tour 2016: #maksandval

VOTE by phone, Facebook and on abc.com to avoid future surprising eliminations.

Until next time,

Xoxoxo

Heather

May 10, 2016

Entertainment Blog

Dancing with the Stars: Icons Week #dwts #iconsweek

Dancing with the Stars: Icons Night

#DWTS

#dwts22

#Iconsweek

Season 22/Week 7

Crazy we are at week 7 already and tonight is double eliminations! The opening with the 360 degree cameras was what they filmed when I was at the show, it was a very cool experience. Tonight is Icons Week!

Jodie Sweetin & Keo Motsepe: Quickstep
Music: “For Once in My Life” by Stevie Wonder

#teamMoSweet Jodie2

Jodie has performed some seriously intense dances this season so far. I am looking forward to something more lighthearted. Jodie is trying to figure out what more they need to do to get higher scores. I think it’s also new to Keo. He is such a strong dancer and this is the furthest he has gone in a competition to date so they are figuring it out together.

Jodie and Keo should both be proud of their continued improvement. This season is so tough because it has a crazy amount of talented individuals participating. Jodie has consistently improved, IMG_2561 (2) she brings a strong desire to do well and to learn and they are a real joy to watch. Absolutely loved their enthusiasm when their scores were announced.

Scores: 8-9-9 (26 out of 30)

Kim Fields & Sasha Farber: Samba
Music: “ABC” by Jackson 5

#teamKimSha

13094104_10154137411266740_6897574259889636927_n I keep saying it but, Kim and Sasha are seriously the cutest partnership and you can tell they have formed a genuine friendship. I love how Sasha likes to keep things light and wants to use last week’s scores to fuel their drive for this week. This will be a fun week for them as they are dancing to a Jackson 5 song and Kim is friends with Janet.

Kim and Sasha are just a joy to watch, I thought the dance was light, the set and wardrobe was creative. Kim is infectious with her energy. The judges all liked it and had good comments for them. Len said it was their best dance and I would agree! It lead to their highest score this season and Kim was beaming.

Scores: 9-9-9 (27 out of 30)

Nyle DiMarco & Peta Murgatroyd: Foxtrot
Music: “Beautiful Day” by U2

#redefiningdance

Nyle cau Nyle2 ght a lot of flak last week because of his comment about Val being his biggest competition. He was able to clarify what he meant a bit more and he seemed to really take it to heart that people would be looking at him like he was cocky. I don’t think there is anything wrong with aspiring to be the best in whatever field it is you are in, it’s good to stay motivated by that. 12794640_1708426052703623_6862659142724183090_n

Peta put together a beautiful, stripped down Foxtrot to remind everyone what an amazing dancer Nyle is. It was absolutely moving and graceful. I loved Peta’s overall look tonight too, that dress was gorgeous and the front braid was so pretty. It was such an elegant dance and Nyle continues to amaze everyone. The judges all liked it and I loved what Len said “others climb hills but, Nyle climbs mountains”.

Scores: 10-9-9 (28 out of 30) Yes there was another scoring issue, Bruno wrote down a 9 but, held up the 10 paddle.

Antonio Brown & Sharna Burgess: Tango
Music: “Paint it Black” by the Rolling Stones

#teamboomin

I am so Antonio1 glad that Antonio decided to stay in Los Angeles this week and really put everything into rehearsals. They seem to be back on track and I am glad he is taking advantage of having an amazing coach on the show.

Sharna did an absolutely amazing, creative job with the chorography! I loved it! Antonio really seemed to get into the character and intensity of the dance. I thought it was a great job. Poor Sharna had a little wardrobe malfunction but, she handled it with her IMG_2560 (2) usual humor and grace. I did wonder why Tom couldn’t have whispered something to her rather than bringing it up in such a public manner. The judges all liked it but, they noticed a few mistakes.

Scores: 8-8-8 (24 out of 30)

Wanya Morris & Lindsay Arnold: Foxtrot
Music: “I Say a Little Prayer” by Aretha Franklin

#teamyayazee

Wanya has los Cep4rolWEAEOy_n.jpg large t some serious weight since starting the show and I do really like his humble attitude. I never really care much for the packages that highlight the busy schedules because it always feels like they are trying to make an excuse. They all have really busy schedules, some are flying coast to coast each week, others are in training camps etc. What matters is do they find the time when it matters and put in the work when they can.

Their dance was cute, it was solid. I definitely think Wanya excels more at the Latin dances and I really think that is because he h Wayna1 as such a big personality. He is very likeable and clearly works hard. I agreed with Carrie Ann that it was good but, she was wanting more. Wanya has the right attitude and you can tell he is very motivated.

Scores: 9-9-9 (27 out of 30)

Ginger Zee and Val Chmerkovskiy: Viennese Waltz
Music: “I Have Nothing” by Whitney Houston

#teamGinandJuice

Last w Val2 eek’s scores and feedback had Ginger concerned and discouraged. Val dialed up the drive and intensity so he could help her have a breakout week. I personally love Val’s style, he wants what is best for his partner. When he said he always does this and doesn’t want to ruin the experience for her it made me sad in a way. Having a drive and a genuine care for your partner isn’t going to ruin the experience and Ginger is smart enough to see that. That is one of the things I have always admired about Val compared to some other pros on the show, you can tell he does everything out of pure love and care for his partner not for his own personal gain/credit etc. Val Good

Their dance was stunningly beautiful. Ginger absolutely embodied the character of the dance. You felt like your heart was right there on the dance floor with them. It was magical, graceful, powerful, romantic and absolutely perfect in every way. Ginger and Val shined so bright and I loved it so much I watched it back a few more times! The judges all LOVED it too! Val, I agree with Len, BRAVO on the beautiful chorography.

Scores: 10-10-10 FIRST PERFECT SCORE OF THE SEASON!

Von Miller & Witney Carson: Salsa
Music: “A Little Less Conversation” by Elvis Presley

#teamBlondeMiller

I truly th 13138926_10154137411271740_4484264791927205622_n ink Von is finally relaxing and allowing people to truly see his personality. I found myself finally routing for him the last 3 weeks. This dance should be fun and I think it’s a great idea that Witney had to incorporate lifts and take advantage of Von’s strengths this week.

I thought he did a great job getting into character. Witney did a great job of putting together a dance that would fit the character, that was fun, dynamic, and you can tell Von is having fun in this competition. The judges all liked it over all, they felt it was a bit rough here and there but, overall good.

Scores: 8-8-8 (24 out of 30)

Paige VanZant & Mark Ballas: Jive
Music: “Proud Mary” by Tina Turner

#teamPowRightIntheKisser

Paige mentioned that it s Paige1 hook her confidence last week being in jeopardy. It made me sad to hear her doubting herself and if people liked her and are voting for her. Paige you are amazing, be confident! You are beautiful, talented, sweet and truly kind and that is why people are rooting for you! CeGvaQ3XIAE9fGo

Paige and Mark blew the roof off the studio with their absolutely AMAZING dance. The energy, content, fun factor was out of this world. They are a great partnership and I am enjoying Mark’s chorography this year. He is truly working towards all of Paige’s strengths and all I can say after tonight is WOW! That was so, so good! Judges all loved it. Len said it UFC-Under Full Control

Scores: 10-10-10 PERFECT SCORE!

Team Dances:

Men #teamJamesBrown

I thought their dance as good. I can’t say it had the wow factor but, it was a solid and fun performance. I absolutely noticed that when Nyle was slightly ahead of the music that everyone else just joined in and got in sync with him. He continued to impress me to not only do good with Peta but, in a group setting with so many moving parts it was great. They made a good team!

Scores: 9-9-10 (28 out of 30)

Women #teambeyonce

This will be an exciting team to watch. They are all super motivated. I thought it was overall good, it too was lacking the wow factor of past team dances but, it was solid. Loved the focus on girl power! The judges liked it but, commented on a few of the mistakes that they were able to see. Len was commenting this season is so hard because you just have no idea who will win this mirror ball.

Scores: 8-8-9 (25 out of 30)

Double Elimination Time:

In jeopardy this week are:

Wanya & Lindsay double elmination

Witney and Von

Kim and Sasha

We said goodbye to Kim/Sasha and Von/Witney. Both couples should walk away with their heads held high. They both improved each week and this season is filled with crazy talent. They will be missed. It’s sad to see Von go at a time I felt he truly was opening himself up more to the competition. I will miss the joy Kim has brought to the show each week.

Next week: The judges will team up the dancers and each will coach two couples and then the stars of each team will step away from their pros and dance together. From what I am seeing it looks like the match ups will be:

Carrie Ann: Antonio/Sharna and Paige/Mark

Len: Ginger/Val and Wanya/Lindsay

Bruno: Jodie/Keo and Nyle/Peta

Each group dance will be judged by the two remaining judges and America. Viewers can score celebrity performances alongside Len, Carrie Ann & Bruno, live, during the broadcast (EST/CDT). To be part of the judges’ table, viewers must visit abc.com to score performances. A combined overall viewer score for each performance will be counted alongside the judges’ score. Each viewer may score a performance once, and the scoring window for each couple is open for 2 minutes, 15 seconds, beginning at the start of each routine.

Also want to compliment the troupe each performance tonight was amazing! Great job!

#maksandval #ourwaytour

VOTE by phone, Facebook and on abc.com to avoid future surprising eliminations.

Until next time,

Xoxoxo

Heather

May 5, 2016

Entertainment Blog

Dancing with the Stars: Famous Dances Night #famousdances

Dancing with the Stars: Famous Dances Night

#dwts

#dwts22

#FamousDances

Season 22/Week 6

Famous Dances night is another exciting night on Dancing with the Stars and today also happens to be Len’s Birthday!

The opening number to “Putting on the Ritz” was so much fun and Val in the sparkling shorts was just too hot! The talent of all the dancers on the show truly is endless.

Let’s get this night going!

Kim Fields & Sasha Farber: Jive

#teamKimSha

Music: “You Can’t Stop the Beat” from Hairspray
It was great to see Kim and Sasha back together again, they truly have such a fun relationship. One thing I feel needs to be said though is the packages are not always a fair/accurate portrayal. I have met Keo on several occasions and he is not a spoile Sasha Famous d sport and more than likely just needed a few minutes to himself after the tough comments he received from the judges last week but, instead they made him come off like a spoiled sport/brat. Kim does have an injury, a stress fracture. Kim is tough and wants to work hard and put on a great dance.

I thought they did a good job tonight. Kim held her own with the troupe dancers backin CeqXaXfWIAA1BSq g her up, it seemed to be a seamless routine, lots of energy, lots of smiling, fun, great footwork considering her injury, I didn’t see that is affected her and it was a great way to open the show! The judges all loved it, Carrie Ann felt it was missing a little bit of energy.

Scores: 8-8-8 (24 out of 30)

Von Miller & Witney Carson: Jazz

#teamBlondeMiller

Music: “Bad” by Michael Jackson

It was awful to see Witney beating Witney herself up over the scores last week. She is a very talented teacher and absolutely shouldn’t take that personally. This week Von seemed to be very much in the zone, the last two weeks he has been really turning it around in my eyes, he seems to be letting his guard down and I have found myself routing for him. It seems he is more in it to win it than he had been IMG_2558 (2) the first few weeks.

They really had such a fantastic dance tonight. Von did a great job and I loved the look of pure pride on Witney’s face at the end of the dance. Von did a seamless job with the male pro’s backing him up. He seems to be a lot more comfortable and his footwork was really good. They should be very proud of this performance. All the judges loved it!

Scores: 8-8-8 (24 out of 30)

Jodie Sweetin & Keo Motsepe: Contemporary

#teamMoSweet

Music: “Try” by Pink

It had been reported that Jodie had been injured and taken to the hospital during rehearsals this week. It was great she was able to come back and dance. In the footage it showed she actually had hurt her face and her ankle this week. That sound that came from her ankle wasn’t good at all and it showed how badly she wants to stay in this compet Keo Famous ition. Nothing was fractured so if she can tolerate it they would allow her to dance. Jodie and Keo work so hard and really enjoy their partnership.

I really felt tonight’s dance suited them well. It was emotional, it was inten IMG_2561 (2) se, the lifts were amazing and they both truly told the story in the movement. I absolutely loved it and I am glad this partnership is back together. Jodie should be proud of herself, every week she truly improves and tonight she was brilliant. The judges all thought they did a great job!

Scores: 9-8-8 (25 out of 30)

Paige VanZant & Mark Ballas: Jazz

#teamPowRightInTheKisser

Music: “Soul Bossa Nova” from Austin Powers

Paige and Mark sta Mark rted out with a challenge because their original song got pulled due to legal reasons which set them back a few days because Mark had to start over on choreography. I love their partnership. This dance will be fun too because Paige will be able to show off some of her athletic abilities.

I thought their dance was fantastic. It was quirky, it was fun, it ha CeGvaQ3XIAE9fGo d great musicality, and Paige brings out this really fun side to Mark. I think they are doing an absolutely fabulous job and I truly think we will see Paige in the finals, she performs each and every week brilliantly and you can tell how much fun she is having on the show. Great job! Judges all loved it!

Scores: 9-10-9 (28 out of 30)

Nyle DiMarco & Peta Murgatroyd: Quickstep
#redefiningdance

Music: “Hey! Pachuco” from The Mask

I really wasn’t liking some of the packages this week, I know the producers are trying to create drama but, come on represent the stars/pros fairly because otherwise it gives the audience a false representation and then that can cause issues in the voting. I am sure Nyle was likely asked do you consider yourself a front runner or something along those lines and maybe asked who his greatest competition is in in the show. I didn’t take his response as a cocky. Everyone should remember there is a big difference between being confident and being cocky. I felt they did the same thing to Tamar last year in one of the packages. Val even tweeted this after the show:

Val Tweet

I felt their dance was fun, creative, full of energy, good footwork and Nyle fully captured the character from The Mask. The dance had a lot of content as well and the Quickstep certainly doesn’t look easy. I wouldn’t say it was their best dance but, it certainly wasn’t bad by any means. The judges gave mixed reviews. Carrie Ann 12794640_1708426052703623_6862659142724183090_n felt he wasn’t as crisp, that his frame was broken and that there was a section where they were out of sync. Len had some good/poor comments. When he made the comment that he shouldn’t compare himself to Val that it will annoy people that was a bit harsh. I am not sure exactly what the judges were trying to accomplish tonight, perhaps to rein in the confidence or something? If Nyle is striving to be as good as Val it’s good to have goals like that, I say Dream Big!

Scores: 8-8-9 (25 out of 30)

Ginger Zee and Val Chmerkovskiy: Jazz

#teamGinandJuice

Music: “Nasty” by Janet Jackson

Val and Ginger make su Val Famous1 ch a fun pair this season. Ginger is just very sweet and down to earth and truly enjoys every minute of being on this show. I don’t understand how she does it most days getting up so early for GMA, flying back and forth, spending time with her sweet baby and rehearsing but, that just shows how dedicated she is to it. She took some time off this week and staye
d in LA so she could reset a bit.

Ginger did fantastic, she was fierce, she was fabulo
us, considering she is not an actress I feel she really can pull off the characters of each dance so well. She was able to really show her stuff and truly stay in sync with all the male pro dancers th Val Good at were backing her up. Carrie Ann liked it but, was wanting to see a bit more and pointed out how rehearsed she always is. Bruno
said she just has to punch it more to take it to the next level. Ginger youalways make everyone proud.

Scores: 8-8-8 (24 out of 30)

Doug Flutie & Karina Smirnoff: Bollywood

#teamKutie

Music: “Jai Ho” from Slumdog Millionaire

Doug is truly the Doug famous one you want to root for each week because you can tell how hard he is working, how much he wants to improve and he is truly on such a tough season because the talent is just crazy this season. This will be a challenge since Karina had never done this style either.

The dance was great, it was fun and I absolutely would say its Doug’s best dance. He truly seemed to be having a ton of fun. He really held his own with the troupe as well. Doug has an amazing spirt and I can see why he is so respected and has so many fans. The judges all complimented him.

Scores: 7-7-7 (21 out of 30)

Wanya Morris & Lindsay Arnold: Jazz

#teamyayazee

Music: “Bye Bye Bye” by NSYNC music video

Great to have Lindsay and Wanya together again, they have a magic partnership. I loved what Wanya was saying to Witney after the sc Lindsay famous ores last week, he truly is a class act. It’s going to be fun to see him dance to an NSYNC song since he and Joey are good friends. Lindsay is such a fantastic choreographer and she is really able to demonstrate it more and more each week.

The dance was incredible, Wanya absolutely crushes the faster styles. Loved the section with the screens, they had perfect timing and it looked like a professional video sh Cep4rolWEAEOy_n.jpg large oot. Wanya is so much fun to watch, he has insane charisma and like I said above a ton of class. They both should be very happy with their performance tonight. The judges, Lance and Joey all loved it!

Scores: 10-9-10 (29 out of 30)

Antonio Brown & Sharna Burgess: Jive

#teamboomin

Music: “Footloose” from Footloose

I have been a fan of Antonio’s all season but, I have to say tonight was disappointed in his comments to Sharna in the package. Sharna is one of the best pros on the show not just because she is so good but she is understanding, compassionate and she keeps it real Sharna famous with her partners. I felt his attitude was unwarranted. Maybe he needs to step it up and give the experience on the show that much more.

I did like their dance tonight. It was a lot of fun, it appeared most of his footwork was totally in step with the troupe dancers. They brought the fun, super high energy and overall his attitude was better and he had a renewed desire to win it all and seemed to work hard th IMG_2560 (2) is week.

Scores: 9-9-9 (27 out of 30)

Elimination Time: I admit I had a WTF moment when they said Paige and Mark, no way did they belong in jeopardy.

In jeopardy this week:

Paige & Mark

Von & Witney

Doug and Karina

Doug and Karina were eliminated. It was time for Doug to go but, he certainly should go with his head held high. He’s done a great job, he has worked hard and brought a lot of heart!

Next week is DOUBLE ELIMINATION: VOTE by phone, Facebook and on abc.com so your favorites are not sent home! Next week is also Team Dances Men vs. Women!

I truly think from here on out things get really hard on the eliminations. This season is just filled with so much talent as I keep saying. I am not liking that Val & Ginger, Von & Witney and Kim and Sasha were all tied for the bottom of the leaderboard.

Few other points of interest:

Jenna Johnson @dance10Jenna and Artem Chigvintsev @theartemc have this amazing dance video to Zayn’s “Pillow Talk” Share this video so they may get a chance to perform it live on the show! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AVPqbQTnC6Q

#PillowTalk

Also want to compliment the troupe each performance tonight was amazing! Great job! Alan and Brittany that was an insane Swing Bumper you did this week!

Just a reminder if you want to get tickets to the HOTTEST tour this summer go maks and val to: http://www.maksandvaltour.com/ I will be blogging on the show and their various amazing VIP Packages this summer

#maksandval

#ourwaytour

VOTE by phone, Facebook and on abc.com to avoid future surprising eliminations.

Until next time,

Xoxoxo

Heather

April 26, 2016

VIP Experience Blog

Dancing with the Stars: Live Studio Audience #dwts

Dancing with the Stars: Live Studio Audience 4/18/16

#dwts

Make memories, don’t collect things…

About 10 years ago I had a friend from high school who tragically passed away from cancer far too soon and an Uncle that had saved his entire life to fulfill all of these dreams he had when he retired, he ended up with brain cancer and passed away before he had that chance. Those two deaths truly changed my outlook on life. You need to make memories, have experiences, make the most of every day because life changes in the blink of an eye.

I have been a viewer of Dancing with the Stars since season 1 and I had always hoped to one day be in the live audience. A cast member at the show kindly offered to give me tickets to the show and to say I was excited would be an understatement. I quickly determined who I wanted to take with me and made all the travel plans to get out to LA for the Switch Up week.

I arrived around 4:00 and went to the VIP check-in area. They verified we were on the list a Nyle nd told us what section we were in etc. At that point they take your cell phones from you and you are given a card to pick them up after the show. After that you go through a metal detector and they check your belongings. Once you are set with that you are escorted into the studio to your section and then to your assigned seats. It was such a surreal experience walking into the studio. It was much smaller than it looks on TV. We were seated on the 2^nd level, front row directly across from the judges table and the interview room was directly to my left. It was so exciting to actually be in the studio and to realize I would be able to see everything perfectly from where I was seated.

Not long after we were seated the various other groups were escorted to their seats. The Audience Coordinator that is in charge of the audience energy etc. invited us down to the dance floor for a brief dance party before the show started. As I was entering the dance floor area I nearly ran directly into Nyle DiMarco as he was trying to exit to the back of the studio. We were able to take photos with a camera if we wanted while we were on the dance floor. There was so much fun energy in the room I knew it would be a special
Paige night. After the 2 or 3 songs ended they asked us to take our seats.

Once everyone was back in their seats they rehearsed the opening number and the Audience Coordinator told us he would be telling us when to clap, cheer etc. and said they wanted to see a ton of energy out of us since the last two weeks they felt it was lacking a bit. The energy in the room now was palpable, I was beyond excited for the show to start. A few minutes later we were told to start yelling and clapping as loud as we could and the show started live. The opening number was absolutely amazing, full of energy and just flawless. One interesting thing I noticed right away is it’s absolutely impossible for you to hear what Tom and Erin are saying in the studio because it is so loud. When they are playing the packages that you see on TV they are running on two screens in the studio, one above the stairs to the main stage and then another in the back so their truly isn’t a bad seat in the house. On the 2^nd level there was only 2 rows and I am pretty sure the 3^rd level was the same. Another amazing thing that you see live is the set change outs. They truly hustle to get those sets torn down and the new ones in within minutes on commercial breaks, I can only imagine how much more complicated it is on Disney week.

The judges were all so funny. It was nice to have Maks on as guest judge. I have read a lot of thoughts and comments about h Maks is guest spot and I will say my opinion is he was hard on some because he knows they can do better. He has won the show, he knows what it takes along with all of his years of dance experience.

On commercial breaks they were doing trivia questions with the audience and it was nice to see how each of the couples gets in the zone so to speak ahead of their performance. Some would stay loose, others would practice portions of their dances and others appeared to be running through their routi Sharna ne in their heads. The beauty and pure emotion of some of the dances are just that much more intense in the live audience. Nyle and Sharna’s dance for example had me in tears because you couldn’t help but, feel the emotion of every movement. It’s a bit different than watching it at home. The studio was actually a bit warm too which was a little surprising to me, I had always heard studios were more on the chilly side but, that’s probably for the safety of the pros/stars.

After the live show was over (it went SO fast), we were asked to stay in our seats because they were going to film the opening dance for week 7. The pros had to go change to get ready for that and you could see the stars mingle a bit with their friends/family that had been in the audience that night. After about 20 minutes the pros took the stage and did two takes for the opening number. I don’t want to give away too much on that so it won’t spoil it when you watch. Once that w Ginger as done we all exited and got into this long line to get our cell phones back. For more on what I thought on the dances please check out my weekly blog.

As a guest of someone on the show we had special access after the show to go back and say hello/thank you etc. I have met most of the pros on the various tours over the years and I cannot say enough about down to earth, genuine, kind and talented they all are. It was nice to run into Sharna, Brittany, Hayley, Alan, Maks, Val and Keo. The stars that I came in contact with were also very nice. Paige is stunningly beautiful and is having a gre Alan at time on the show. Kim is so sweet and just radiates happiness. Nyle is even better looking in person, beyond handsome and Ginger is seriously the absolute nicest person. Her husband Ben is incredibly funny and they really are the cutest couple. I also saw Doug Flutie but, didn’t want to ask for a picture because he was with his friends and family at the time and already had quite a few people waiting for him. He seemed to be very kind to each person he was interacting with.

If you ever have a chance to be a part of the live studio audience for either this show or another show that may be your personal favorite, I would highly recommend the experience. It’s just such a fun ene Kim rgy to be a part of the audience. The dances are amazing on TV but, the emotion in person truly is palpable. I will never forget this amazing experience and I am so thankful to have had the opportunity.