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Dancing With the Stars Mirror Ball Champions Season 22

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

#DWTS

#dwts22Finale2

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 29th 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. BestFinale3 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 chFinale5ampions 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

#teamGinandJuiceGinger 8

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:  Finale7Jive & 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 3rd place and she and Val should truly be very proud of her performance this season.

Time to crown the winner! 

Season 22 Chamfinale1pions 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.maksanmaks and valdvaltour.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

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 oVal Goodut 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.13177215_1722869987925896_2380480704480100281_n

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: ThatCjKTD25WEAAgQVq.jpg large 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!

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.maksandvaltour.com/ I will be blogging on the show and their various amazing VIP Packages this summer! It kicks off in 3 short weeks!maks and val
VOTE by phone, Facebook and on abc.com

Until next time,
Xoxoxo
Heather

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 danPaige Triocing 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 exCeGvaQ3XIAE9fGoperience.  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 beginningAntonio 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 6th 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 1st 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 sNyle Trioome 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 h13177215_1722869987925896_2380480704480100281_ne 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 aginger 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 fVal Goodelt 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 valgo 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

 

 

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 toPeta 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 for13177215_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 hiSharna 8s football career.  He knows how to rise from being the underdog.

There dance was good.  Sharna always does really gooCh-rAtWVEAAtPIl.jpg larged 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 8star 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 suPaige 8ch 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 wheCeGvaQ3XIAE9fGon 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 8I 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 thVal Goodat 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 oWanya 8ver 20lbs since starting on the show.  They have a fun partnership and they clearly work well together.  LindsaCep4rolWEAEOy_n.jpg largey 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 danTeam Brunoce 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 2nd 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 ableTeam 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

#teamCarrieAnn529894366

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

#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

 

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

#teamMoSweetJodie2

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_nI 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 cauNyle2ght 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 Antonio1glad 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 losCep4rolWEAEOy_n.jpg larget 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 hWayna1as 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 wVal2eek’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 th13138926_10154137411271740_4484264791927205622_nink 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 sPaige1hook 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 vs women

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 & Lindsaydouble 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

#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!

 

 

 

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

Until next time,

Xoxoxo

Heather

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 spoileSasha Famousd 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 backinCeqXaXfWIAA1BSqg 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 beatingWitney 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 competKeo Famousition.  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 intenIMG_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 staMarkrted 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 haCeGvaQ3XIAE9fGod 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
#redefininPetagdance

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 Ann12794640_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 suVal Famous1ch 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 thVal Goodat 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 famousone 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 scLindsay famousores 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 shCep4rolWEAEOy_n.jpg largeoot.  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 famouswith 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 thIMG_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 valto: 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

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 oDSC00349f 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 aNylend 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 2nd 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
Paigenight.   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 palpableDSC00357, 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 2nd level there was only 2 rows and I am pretty sure the 3rd 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 imaDSC00351gine 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 hMaksis 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 routiSharnane 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 wGingeras 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 greAlanat 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 eneKimrgy 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.

 

 

 

 

What was I wearing:

Dress: http://www.bebe.com/Dresses/All-Dresses/Va-Va-Voom-Flared-Dress/pc/197/c/0/sc/198/107732.pro?refinementValueIds=1756,

Hair: http://www.thedrybar.com/

Makeup: http://www.maccosmetics.com/

 

If you have any questions please feel free to ask….

 

Until next Val and Heathertime,

 

Xoxo

Heather

Entertainment Blog

Dancing with the Stars: Switch Up Night

Dancing with the Stars:  Switch Up Night

#dwts

#switchup

#switchupnight

Season 22/Week 5

This week is always an interesting one on Dancing with the Stars.  I really think the couples are matched up perfectly this season and I was so excited to see them all perform.  I was in the audience last night and I will be writing a separate article on what’s its like being in the studio.

Loved the opening number it was so full of energy and so much fun to watch!

Wanya Morris and Witney Carson (Lindsay Arnold): Tango

#teamyayazee

Song: James Bay’s “Hold Back the River”

I was really excited for this match up.  I love Witney as a pro but, I haven’t been feeling the maCgHAg_1WQAA_idngic spark between she and Von this season and I think Wanya’s personality and skills will make for a fun match up.  He reminds me so much of Alfonso with his charisma.

I thought their dance was good, it was clean, sharp, seemed to connect really well.  Wanya seems to truly excel in the faster dance styles an
d I think it’s because has just so much energy and he can release it in the faster dance styles but, I think he continues to improve and is still a contender this season.  Len felt it was hectic.  Bruno liked it and highlight the difficult content included and stated that he has incredible ability.  Carrie Ann mentioned that it was a tough song to do the Tango to which also was a valid point.  I do love how classy Wanya is with the judges’ comments, scores etc.  He truly seems to take it to heart and you can tell he has that winning spirit.

Scores:  8-7-7-8 = 30 points
Phone: 800-868-3412

 

Kim Fields and Keo Motsepe (Sasha Farber): Viennese Waltz

#teamKimSha

Otis Redding’s “These Arms of Mine”

I think this will be another great match up.  Keo is a talented dancer and Kim’s personality is truly shining through these last few weeks.  The height difference may be an issue but, I hope they both have fun with this partnership.

Kim has one of the most expressive faces in the competition and she has been radiating joy the last several weeks.  She’s a pleasure to watc12963408_10154092835801740_7525276824160041752_nh.  I thought their dance was good, emotional, passionate, in character but, not much of it was done in hold.  I personally have not learned this dance style yet in the lessons I have been taking but, going off what I have seen in past seasons and on the DWTS tours I was thinking that might be the biggest comment from the judges.  Maks said it was a hard one that it was a great performance but, not a Viennese Waltz, lacking frame etc.  Bruno thought they were on the money on the emotion of the dance and Carrie Ann loved it.  Len agreed with Maks and he wanted to know why there wasn’t one step in hold.  Maks reminded Keo of the height differences between him and Meryl Davis.  My opinion is that Keo felt he was choreographing the best he could dealing with the height differences and I think he will continue to grow as a pro.   Keo and Kim should be proud of a solid performance this week.

Scores:  8-6-6-8 = 28 points
Phone: 800-868-3406

 

Doug Flutie and Peta Murgatroyd (Karina Smirnoff): Tango

#teamKutie

Song:  Sam Sparro’s “Black & Gold”

This is another great match up.  Peta is an incredible teacher and Doug absolutely has the drive and the desire to learn and improve every week.   Not everyone learns dance at the same speed but, it’s hard not to route for someone that you can tell truly wants to succeed and improve every week.  It’s hard to get out of your own head at times and just relax into the dance. 12998679_10154092835786740_1870049239380947740_n

I think tonight was Doug’s best dance to date.  He did a great job and really seemed to work well with Peta’s style of teaching.  That is not to take anything away from Karina though.  It was a solid performance, it was intense, his footwork definitely showed improvement and he is also improving in getting into the character of the dance with his facial expressions.  The judges still think he needs to work on his musicality.  Maks highlighted that it was full of content and told him to just work on enjoying himself in the dance.  Tom Brady gave him a shout out and Bill Belichick doing an IG video post for him as well was great support.    Doug continues to improve so I would say BRAVO to you and Peta for a great job this week.

Scores:  7-7-7-7 = 28 points
Phone: 800-868-3402

 

Ginger Zee and Mark Ballas (Val Chmerkovskiy): Salsa

#teamGinandJuice

Eddie Palmieri’s “La Malanga”

Ginger grows by leaps and bounds each week.  The joy on her face is so evident and it really shows in all of her performances.  She wa12961545_10154092835591740_691835640881001394_nnts to go far in this competition and it is very evident in the hard work she demonstrates each and every week.  I will miss seeing her and Val dancing together this week but, I think this partnership with Mark has some fun potential.  Ginger’s husband, Ben is such a riot.  I crack up each week with what they air in the packages from Ben.  This week is a classic, Mark is like a glass of merlot and Val would be a dirty martini and then later Mark is the marrying type but, Val is more the Russian love slave.  Too funny!

Ginger took the stage full of sass tonight.  I loved her dance she absolutely crushed it this week!  The hip action was incredible, the lift, she nailed the character of the dance and you can tell she is having an absolutely amazing time on the show.  I thought it was a flawless performance in my opinion.  Kudos to Mark on choreography that truly made Ginger shine!  I know earlier in the season Ginger was hoping to get her sexy back, girl you got it!  Val was beaming with pride watching you!  The judges all absolutely loved it as well!  I did however think you deserved at least 9’s this week, the 8’s were too low.

Scores: 8-8-8-8 = 32 points
Phone: 800-868-3404

Antonio Brown and Karina Smirnoff (Sharna Burgess): Cha Cha

#teamBoomin

Song:  Dusty Springfield’s “Son of a Preacher Man”

I have really liked Antonio all season and felt he was underscored.  Since watching the show since 13012618_10154092835126740_7282044135142724463_nSeason 1 I also am interested to see the stories that are portrayed in the packages each week. Often I take them with a grain of salt.   This week there seemed to be a lot of emphasis on Antonio being late and not putting in the work.  Over the seasons a lot of celebrities have had very challenging schedules but, still put in the work it’s part of the commitment to the show and if he truly is late all the time that is not only disrespectful to the experience but, to your partner as well.

Karina you did a great job with the choreography this week.  Antonio had an explosive start to the dance with his flip.  It was full of energy but, this wasn’t his best dance to date.  The footwork didn’t seem as sharp as it was in past performances.   The judges overall were not impressed.  Len told him you have to polish and take it to the next step.

Scores:  7-6-6-7 = 26 points
Phone: 800-868-3401

 

Paige VanZant and Sasha Farber (Mark Ballas): Rumba

#teamPowRightInTheKisser

Song:  One Direction’s “Perfect”

I am excited to see this match up as well.  Sasha and Paige seem to have developed a fun friendship on the show.  It’s been great having Sasha back as a pro this year.  He is incredibly talented and matched with Paige’s amazing skills this should be a great dance!  We were all handed candles to hold during this performance which set the mood in the room.

I loved Pai13015683_10154092835586740_263735648576239341_nge’s dress tonight, it was beautiful!  Paige is too cute and I bet it’s hard to channel your inner sexy for such an intimate dance in a room full of people with a new partner.  I felt Sasha did a great job building that trust with Paige in this week.  I LOVED their dance.  It was beautiful, it told a story and had such elegance.  Every week I am in awe of Paige that she can be such an tough fighter and yet so incredibly graceful.  If I had to pick a top 3 today I would say for sure Paige will be in this for the long haul.  She is beautiful inside and out and absolutely should be proud!  Maks told her she is capable of winning but, was bothered by a lack of rumba content. Bruno and Carrie Ann really loved it! I thought Maks scored it too low, I understand his comments on the content but, the overall performance deserved at min straight 8’s at least.

Scores:   8-8-7-8 = 31 points
Phone: 800-868-3410

Von Miller and Lindsay Arnold (Witney Carson): Jive

#teamBlondeMiller

Song:  Beans & Fatback’s “Hips”

I was hoping that Von would be matched with Lindsay.  I wanted to see if maybe he would have different chemistry with Lindsay.12961491_10154092835121740_8021071907562028779_n  Taking away nothing at all taking away from Witney.   I have just been trying to put my finger on my thoughts on Von all season.  Some partnerships have this amazing chemistry from the start, others it takes time to grow.

This was the first time this season I was truly impressed by Von.  He really brought it this week.  It was fun, it had high energy, he seemed highly engaged in the dance and you could tell he put in the effort.  For me it was his best dance of the season.  The judges all had great feedback.  Carrie Ann congratulated Lindsay how she worked with Von’s style.  The judges still want more out of Von but, I think he’s made the turn after this week and I hope it will continue.

Scores:  8-7-7-7 = 29 points
Phone: 800-868-3411

 

Nyle DiMarco and Sharna Burgess (Peta Murgatroyd): Viennese Waltz

#RedefiningDance

Ruelle’s “I Get to Love You”

I absolutely was so excited to hear that Sharna would be matched with Nyle this week.  Both Sharna and Peta have amazing teaching abilities and truly can do amazing work with their partners.  They always make sure their partners shine and I think 13000179_10154092835811740_8166748323986911424_nwe are all in for seeing magic tonight.

Tyra Banks came to watch Nyle perform tonight.  Sharna is awesome, I love that she is just so real, their package was too funny.  When they were talking about relationships and Sharna said was he deaf referring to Nyle’s 10 year relationship and Nyle said no she was deaf as well.  Innocent mistake Sharna but, love that you can laugh it off.   Nyle is amazing to watch on television but, in person it is even more incredible.  I say it every week but, I am just in awe of his dancing abilities.  It truly shows everyone that nothing is a road block if you want to do something bad enough.  Sharna choreographed an absolutely stunning, raw, emotional, elegant and just beautiful Viennese Waltz.  I had tears in my eyes watching them.  Bravo Sharna and Nyle.  You did not disappoint tonight, you took our breath away.  Carrie Ann hit the nail on the head that Nyle truly has the advantage because he has been telling a story with his body his whole life.  LenCarrie Ann loved it and said it was a total eclipse!  Maks said best dance of the night & of the season and he still cannot figure out how it is possible for Nyle to perform so well.  Bruno loved it.  OMG seeing Nyle, Sharna and Peta all in tears too it was just so beautiful.

The scores were a huge issue because Maks and Bruno held up a 10 but, they were supposed to be 9’s.  The way it was explained is that at the end of a dance the judges all say the scores, Len writes them down and hands them off to production.  Bruno and Maks said they said 10’s but, Len heard 9’s and they have to go by what is written that goes to production.

Please check out Carrie Ann’s explanation on it on the Access Hollywood screen shot.

Scores:  9-10-9-9 = 37 points

Phone: 800-868-3409

 

Jodie Sweetin and Val Chmerkovskiy (Keo Motsepe): Paso Doble

#teamMoSweet

Song:  Calvin Harris & Alesso’s “Under Control”

This is another partnership for switch up a lot of people were excited to see especially after Val and Maks did the guest starring role on Fuller House recently.  I do not understand why Jodie has been in the bott13006545_10154092835116740_5667847527826495275_nom 2 each week but, she needs a breakthrough to hopefully keep her in the competition and I know Val can do that.  He is such a strong, amazing leader and I think he can help Jodie get out of her head a bit more this week.

I was so excited watching their dance.  Val did a great job working with Jodie.  It has to be so hard to be in the bottom 2 and still
have that fire to come out and put down an amazing performance but, hands down Jodie did it!  It was dynamic, it was strong, it was a clean, full of content, intensity and Val choreographed and amazing Paso which perfectly highlighted Jodie’s fierce determination.  Bravo!   Len said last week was lemonade but, tonight was champagne!  Maks reminded the audience of Sabrina Bryan that was talented and sent home early.  Bruno and Carrie Ann also loved it.  It was so great to see such happiness in Jodie’s face and she fully got that it is just a dance.  Keep it up girl, you can go far in this competition!

Scores:  9-8-9-9, = 35 points
Phone: 800-868-3405

 

No eliminations this week.  They are going to combine the votes/scores from Disney week with Switch Up week and then someone will go home next week.  Overall it was a good week, I will work on another in-depth article on what it’s like to be in the live audience and post it in the next few days.  I loved every single moment of the experience.

A few final thoughts, Artem Chigvintsev and Jenna Johnson’s dance to “Let it Go” by James Bay was nothing short of pure magic.  It was so passionate and just one red hot dance number.  Fantastic job to you both!

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

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

#maksandval #ourwaytour

#maksandval #ourwaytour

 

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

 

Until next time,

 

Xoxoxo

Heather

 

 

 

VIP Experience Blog

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

Maks & Val Chmerkovskiy’s Our Way Summer Tour 2016:

 #maksandval

#ourwaytourCe6lNjIUEAEge5Z.jpg large     

Sure to be the HOTTEST tour of the summer!  Don’t miss out!

One of the things I will be covering a lot on this site is highlighting truly fantastic experiences put together by various artists.  If you have not already bought your tickets for what I know will be THE dance tour of the summer you need to today before tickets sell out near you!

If you think you know Maks & Val from Dancing with the Stars that is only a part of their amazing journey proving that with a dream, hard work, dedication, perseverance, humility and a strong support system you can make dreams come to life.

The tour will be an autobiographical piece on their life story and I am sure will keep the audiences on the edge of their seats.  If you were ever able to see their show SWAY in the past you would have seen they truly can make a story come to life through dance and bring intense emotion, pasmaks and valsion and energy.  As an audience member you feel like you just went on a journey with them.

Per Maks and Val from their site www.maksandvaltour.com

Maksim Chmerkovskiy commented, “Val and I have pushed each other to be better dancers every day since we were kids, and this show will fulfill a lifetime dream to perform on the same stage together across the country.  We want to connect with our audience and take the performance to a whole new level.  There will be no holding back on this tour.”

Valentin Chmerkovskiy commented, “The essence of this show will be the story of two brothers and the passion we have for life, family, opportunity and, of course, dance,” “It will be the most honest we’ve ever been to an audience. We want to entertain with incredible choreography and inspire while sharing our story, our way.”

 

In addition to standard tickets which start around $45-49 per ticket depending on the venue they have truly come up with the most fantastic VIP packages I have ever seen offered by any tour/artist.  Its unparalleled access and they truly created a once in a lifetime experience.  Below are images of what comes with each package.  I will be covering this over the summer as I attend shows and giving my insight.  I hope other tours take notice and also up their game because the way Maks & Val are doing this is truly the Diamond Standard and worth every cent.

What I also think is great is they have various VIP options and price points, all of which allow a Meet & Greet and individual photo with them.  Below is the information from the website and where you can go to buy your VIP Packages:  https://vipnation.com/tours/maks-amp-val/maks-amp-val-live-on-tour-our-way/d2ffc311d0fffb70e3483c94904da45eVwD2BFV%3D

Ultimate Front Row and Meet & Greet: 

$1000*:  This is an INCREDIBLE package! Front row, 20 min backstage, signed M&G framed photo and so much more!

*Prices may vary slightly by location.

  • One premiIMG_2780um 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
  • 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

 

Front Row VIP Meet & Greet Package:   

$525 Front Row ticket, photo and more!IMG_2785 (2)

*Prices may vary slightly by location.

  • One premium reserved ticket in the front row
  • Meet & Greet and individual Photo Op with Maks & Val taken with a professional camera
  • 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)
  • VIP Meet & Greet laminate
  • Autographed Tour Program
  • Exclusive Maks and Val gift item
  • Pre-show merchandise shopping opportunity
  • On-site VIP host & ticket pick-up

 

Gold VIP Meet & Greet Package: 

 $400 Great seats & a Meet & Greet photo with Maks & Val.

*Prices may vary slightly by location.

  • One premium reserved ticket in rows 2 through 4
  • Meet & Greet and individual Photo Op with Maks & Val taken with a professional camera
  • Access to pre-show VIP Party, including:
  • Green screen photo booth to capture additional photos of yourself at the VIP PartyIMG_2781
  • One (1) drink ticket for the pre-show lounge (beer, wine, soft drinks)
  • VIP Meet & Greet laminate
  • Tour Program
  • Exclusive Maks and Val gift item
  • Pre-show merchandise shopping opportunity
  • On-site VIP host & ticket pick-up

 

Silver VIP Meet & Greet Package:

$300 Excellent seats & a Meet & Greet photo with Maks & Val.

*Prices may vary slightly by location.

  • One IMG_2782premium reserved ticket in rows 5 through 20
  • Meet & Greet and individual Photo Op with Maks & Val taken with a professional camera
  • 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)
  • VIP Meet & Greet laminate
  • Tour Program
  • Exclusive Maks and Val gift item
  • Pre-show merchandise shopping opportunity
  • On-site VIP host & ticket pick-up

Over the years I have attended several tours and purchased many VIP packages.  This tourpizap.com14608347803361 will go down into the record books, I have no doubt as being the most successful, moving and inspiring dance tour!  With these special packages fans will walk away feeling appreciated truly having a once in a lifetime experience with Maks & Val.

I have met them both and they are sweet, kind, smart,  talented, driven and so humble.  They truly should be incredibly proud of what they have created and I know I am personally counting the days until my first show!

Buy your tickets and packages today at:  http://www.maksandvaltour.com/

Tour will start June 15th in Florida and run for 2 months!

Follow @lightscmemories on twitter/IG and Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lightscmemories/ for more!

 

Until next time,

 

Xoxo

Heather