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Dancing with the Stars 23-Mirrorball Champions!

Mirrorball Champions are…

#dwts

img_6674I have been a fan of this show ever since Season 1 and I have to say this season will be a hard one to top.  The entire cast truly came in with a great attitude and really put in the effort.  It was hard not to fall in love with the personalities and stories of each of our stars this season.  There were so many shining stars.

 

 

Just a few quick notes:

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  • RIP to the wonderful Florence Henderson who sadly passed away on Thanksgiving. She was a contestant on DWTS and a regular smiling face in the audience.
  • Congratulations to Mark Ballas & BC Jean who were married on Friday.
  • This season also brought the engagement in the ballroom of the very kind Emma Slater and Sasha Farber! They are both such sweethearts and it will be a night we always remember from Season 23

 

 

 

  • MirrorballI want to give a huge shout out to the Season 23 Dance Troupe: Brittany Cherry, Alan Bersten, Hayley Erbert, Keo Motsepe, Britt Stewart, and Dennis Jauch.  You all worked so hard all season and truly provided us with fantastic quality and creative dance numbers.  I think it’s time to have a few of the troupe members from the last several seasons get a chance at Pro.  They truly have proved themselves.
  • It was announced on the finale that Laurie would be joining the #dwtstour #wecametodance. I am sure she will be a fantastic high energy addition to the show and I look forward to seeing her perform.
  • I will be attending a handful of tour shows and will be posting pics to my various pages starting with my Instagram page so please feel free to follow me @lightscmemories.

 

img_6681On to the finale:

I absolutely loved the opening number.  Choreographed by the amazing Mandy Moore.  She is an absolute creative genius.

Andy Grammer also performed his new single Fresh Eyes tonight.  Andy is not only a DWTS alum he is a fabulous live performer.  If you get a chance to check him out in concert, do it!  Allison and Keo danced along to his performance and did a beautiful job!

cx7udgyxuaagixl-jpg-largeIt was too fun to watch Maureen McCormick live her huge fan dream of dancing with Babyface, Ryan, Artem, Keo and Dennis tonight.  Maureen was one that I truly felt grew a lot this season.  It’s always fun when a star is also a fan of the show because it allows us at home to live it through their eyes.

The number that Maks did with a group of the ladies was a lot of fun too.  It was so nice to have Maks back this season.  I know he has said he won’t be returning next season because we will enjoying his time being a new Daddy.  I am so happy for him and Peta and wish them so much happiness!

img_6723I loved the friendship that developed between Vanilla Ice and Rick Perry this season.  Vanilla’s performance was a fun blast from the past and even though they might not have been the strongest dancers the partnerships between Witney/Vanilla and Emma/Rick were fun to watch all season and both did work hard.

 

 

For the first time ever it came down to 3 athletes in the finale!

img_6725Sharna Burgess & James Hinchcliffe
#TeamStopandGo

They chose their favorite dance to perform again which was the Foxtrot from Cirque night which was a great pick for them.  Full of energy and truly highlighted the skills, fun and fabulous relationship of this team.  James and Sharna had that something truly special.  Sharna has such a humble, unique, genuine way she builds relationships and performs.  She has had several memorable partnerships but, this one truly had that very special magic.  James had tremendous growth all season, he has such an amazing survival story and a personality that shines.

img_6672The gift that James gave to Sharna of the race suit he wore the first time he raced again after his accident was truly sweet.  Sharna truly put together the most amazing piece to close the chapter on James’s survival journey.  They performed a fusion dance of Foxtrot & Viennese Waltz.  It was absolutely beautiful.  James demonstrated all the grace in his movements and it again highlighted the beautiful friendship that developed between them this season.  It was stunning.

 

img_6728Calvin & Lindsay
#TeamLindsatron

Calvin and Lindsay chose their Argentine Tango from Latin Week as their favorite dance and it was a fabulous choice for them as well.  That dance was filled with passion, absolutely out of this world lifts and it absolutely was a great reminder of the growth that Calvin has had this season.  Calvin really had such a glowing personality and it was fun to watch him develop into a dancer this season.

img_6670Calvin & Lindsay did a Jive & Quickstep fusion.  Calvin and Lindsay almost developed a big brother/little sister relationship this season. Calvin should be so happy with his journey this season.  He grew immensely and I think kept his attitude on the fun this entire season.  He was a joy to watch!  Their fusion dance was a lot of fun, high energy and again showed off all the great dance qualities that Calvin brought to the floor.

 

 

img_6722Laurie Hernandez & Val Chmerkovskiy
#TeamVaLaur

Laurie and Val picked their Trio Dance with Maks for their favorite dance.  This Samba was crazy good and it absolutely highlighted Laurie’s amazing skills and the ability to truly get into character of the dances.  Plus who wouldn’t want to dance with the Chmerkovskiy brothers.  Laurie has been such a bright light this season.  She showed a lot of talent, positive energy, poise, courage and maturity beyond her years.

img_6669Val and Laurie had a Foxtrot & Argentine Tango Fusion dance.  Their package was so adorable.  It was sad hearing them talk about this season ending.  I think Val was a tremendous positive influence on Laurie.  Laurie grew so much before our eyes and is truly a remarkable young lady.  Their fusion dance was incredible.  Laurie had that fire, pure determination and the look of champion in her eyes when they started that fusion dance.  I do disagree with those that felt Laurie had an edge this season because of gymnastics.  Laurie was the first gymnast that didn’t use the tricks in the dances this season.  I can speak from personal experience at a lower level.  I was a cheerleader and when I started taking ballroom & latin dance lessons it is totally different and definitely not easy to learn to dance with a partner.

 

img_6673More on the finale…

The holiday performances of Babyface and Felicia Barton and the beautiful dance numbers performed by Artem & Jenna and Allison and the dance troupe really got you in the holiday spirit!

That all male dance number was totally off the hook.  Hmmm wondering if we might get to see that on the DWTS Tour this year like we did the Magic Mike number from last year’s finale.  I know they are going to switch up the format a bit this year. img_6727

What a treat to get to see Jana & Gleb’s hot Argentine Tango again.  That dance will absolutely go down in the DWTS history as being one of the hottest numbers of all time.  I am really excited that Gleb will be joining the tour this winter.  It will be nice to meet him and see him perform live!

Terra and Marilu’s special highlight number was also a lot of fun to watch.  Many people were asking where Derek was, he was at rehearsals for Hairspray Live!

The Macy’s Stars of Danimg_6721ce number was also choreographed by the amazing Mandy Moore.  This was truly remarkable.  It was creative, it was a technical and visual delight the way she was able to bring the story into motion using the special screen to make the young girl’s dream a reality.  It truly was an absolute Masterpiece!

I loved the tour preview dance we had tonight.  I highly recommend the tours, if you are able to go you will not be disappointed.  It’s always a fantastic entertaining time and the cast this year is fantastic!

Jana’s performance of her hit song Circles as we watched the video of the final 3 couples was just perfect.

The Results:

Lindsay and Calvin came in 3rd place.

MirrorballSharna & James and Val & Laurie were the final two couples and truly they were both so good it could have been a tie this season.  Each partnership just had that special something.  The talent, the creativity of Val & Sharna with their respective partners was just unstoppable this year.  I would have been absolutely thrilled if their partnership had won.

 

Sharna & James came in 2nd place.

Mirrorball

 

Dancing with the Stars Season 23 Winners are:

Laurie & Val! 

Bravo & congratulations to Laurie & Val.  What a season it was and your partnership was just incredible.  It was great to see Val relaxed and so happy and Laurie grew and improved as a dancer and just proved she was the total package with dynamic ability.  Laurie you absolutely do inspire as does Val!  Keep it up!

 

 

Please feel free to follow me on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook:  @lightscmemories

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Finally meet & greet VIP Packages and general tickets are on sale for the DWTS Tour so don’t miss out!  www.dwtstour.com

Until next time,

 

XOXO

Heather

Entertainment Blog

Dancing with the Stars Face Off Week

#dwts

Week 3 Season 23

This week DWTS was cut short on Monday night due to the Presidential debate.  It was Face Off week!  I also want to do a shout out to Kym Johnson who filled in for Erin on Tuesday.  I thought Kym did a really great job!

One other thing I would like to say is this season’s cast is really good.  It seems in some season’s past there was always at least one that either didn’t seem to really want to be there or wasn’t loving learning to dance but, this season it seems like everyone is there and giving it their absolute all with great attitudes.

Babyface vs Jana face off

Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds & Allison Holker

#TeamHolkerFace

VS (Jive)

Jana Kramer & Gleb Savchenko

#TeamGlamer

img_5634img_5414 I thought both dances were ok.  Jana’s seemed to be a bit more refined and had more typical jive in it and I think she is way more comfortable of the two on the dance floor.  Babyface just seems like he needs to relax and have fun with the dance.  He is good and he has the presence just needs to relax.  The jive just seemed stiff hopefully he will have a break out week so where he just let’s go and has a lot of fun.  Jana and Gleb won the face off.

 

 

Rick vs Vanilla face off

Rick Perry & Emma Slater

#TeamDanceForOurVets

VS (Paso Doble)

Vanilla Ice & Witney Carson

#TeamIceNSpice

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Rick’s injury looked really painful.  He had such a strong desire to learn and be a part of the show.  I thought they did a good job and attitude is half the battle with anything in life.  I think Vanilla and Witney also did a good job, definitely not perfect but, he also seems to be giving it a lot of effort.  The score was tied so Len broke the tie and gave Vanilla and Witney the face off win.

 

 

 

 

Ryan vs James face off

Sharna Burgess & James Hinchcliffe

#TeamStopandGo

VS (Cha Cha)

Ryan Lochte & Cheryl Burke

#TeamCherLoch

img_5430img_5424Holy super sexy Cha Cha to James and Sharna!   James is really good and keeping right up with Sharna’s great creativity in their dances.  I will be absolutely shocked if we don’t see them in the final 2 this season.  I do see improvement in Ryan each week.  I think similar to Babyface he just needs to let it all go one of these weeks and really have fun with it.  James and Sharna won the face off.

 

Calvin & Terra face off

Terra Jole’ & Sasha Farber

#TeamXL

VS (Viennese Waltz)

Lindsay Arnold & Calvin Johnson Jr

#TeamLindsatron

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Terra is awesome and her attitude is tremendous.  She wants to turn a disability into an ability and she shines every week in this competition.  I thought Calvin and Lindsay did really good this week, he wasimg_5426 incredibly graceful.  They edged out Sasha and Terra and won the face off.

 

 

 

 

Amber vs Maureen face off

Amber Rose & Maksim Chmerkovskiy

#TeamSpicySalsa

VS (Salsa)

Artem Chigvintsev and Maureen McCormick

#TeamMaureen

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I can see Amber improving each week, she and Maks took a chance this week doing a more hip hop salsa routine and I can see Amber is trying to put her own personality stamp on the dances.  I didn’t agree with all the judges’ commentary.  Maureen seems to be coming into her own and relaxing in the competition.  I absolutely thought this was Maureen’s best dance so far and it was a lot of fun to watch.  Artem & Maureen won the face off.

 

Laurie vs Marilu face off

Laurie Hernandez & Val Chmerkovskiy

#TeamVaLaur

VS (Tango)

Derek Hough & Marilu Henner

#Teamhennergy

 img_5751-2img_5411I had read beforehand people wondering how Laurie would do because the Tango is a sexy dance.  I take dance lessons and I don’t totally agree with that.  I think it doesn’t have to be sexy if you bring the intensity and get into the character of the dance.  It was nice to see that side to Laurie.  Laurie is just on the mark every week and continues to grow.  I think Marilu is also good but, still needs to do what I was saying with Babyface and Ryan, just relax into it, and remember she is there to have fun too.  Val and Laurie won the face off.

 

What a wonderful pro number by the women of DWTS.  Perhaps we will see that on Tour this winter…I also loved the Maks and Val piece.  The performers were also fun this week including Florida Georgia Line and Fitz & The Tantrums.   All the dance performances by the Pro’s and Troupe members were fantastic!  It’s been such a fun season!

In Jeopardy:

Rick Perry and Emma Slater

Amber Rose & Maks Chmerkovskiy

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Sadly we had to say goodbye to Rick and Emma.  Emma is such an amazing pro, such a kind person and it was really sad to see them go.  They were working so hard and Rick had such a great attitude but, he should walk away proud of the effort he put in.

 

Next week:  Cirque Du Soleil which is a new theme!

Maureen & Artem:  Mystere

Vanilla & Witney:  La Nouba

Amber & Maks:  Zumanity

Jana & Gleb:  The Beatles LOVE

Terra & Sasha:  “O”

Calvin & Lindsay:  KURIOS Cabinet of Curiosities

James & Sharna:  PARAMOUR

Marilu & Derek:  KA

Babyface & Allison:  The Beatles LOVE

Laurie & Val:  Michael Jackson ONE

Ryan & Cheryl:  “O”

I went to see Val’s talk at the Southern Women’s show in SC.  As always he was wonderful and charming.  If you want to see pics from event check out social media at @lightscmemories Instagram, Twitter and FB.

Finally meet & greet VIP Packages went on sale this week so don’t miss out!  www.dwtstour.com

Ladies, I am in love with these new Coach bags, check them out:  http://www.coach.com/shop/women-handbags-satchels

Bebe also has some pretty fall tops:  http://www.bebe.com/Tops/184.sec

 

Until next time,

 

Xoxo

 

Heather

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Entertainment Blog

Dancing with the Stars TV Night!

Dancing with the Stars TV Night!

#dwts

This season absolutely is filled with a lot of talent, a lot of heart and a desire to be a part of the show and they are giving it 100% which is fantastic.  I also am personally glad that it’s back to 2 nights.  I loved how they did it last night and hearing the insight from the mics on the judges as the couples danced.  I was excited to see what they all would do with TV Night

A few other things I noticed:

It was great to havdwtse the dance with Cheryl, Derek & Maks since they returned to the show and all three had been on the show for a long time so they deserve the extra recognition.  However,  I think they should have been paired up to dance with the 3 other returning pro’s Emma, Allison & Gleb just to give them some credit and recognition as well.

Bravo to the 3 musical performances including Gavin DeGraw who performed both nights, Daya & Charlie Purth.  I also loved all the Pro numbers this week.  Mandy Moore is just amazing!  Bravo to all the hard work of the troupe too!  You all work so hard and it’s absolutely recognized.

 

 

img_5626Artem Chigvintsev and Maureen McCormick

#TeamMaureen

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You cannot help but route for Maureen, she has such a great spirit and drive.  I love their partnership. Artem has that natural calmness which I think will help Maureen throughout the season.  I really thought they improved a lot over last week.  Maureen seemed to shake off the nerves and had a lot more confidence and have fun with the dance.  I thought they were underscored by a few judges when compared to the other dances of the night.

 

img_5624Jana Kramer & Gleb Savchenko

#TeamGlamer

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Jana shared that she had an injury that she was battling this week in which she has torn muscles between her ribs.  Injuries like that are so hard because it really just takes time, I know she mentioned after the show that she had a steroid shot and they do work wonders so let’s hope she heals quickly.  They are such a great couple with so much promise.  I thought they performed really well tonight given the injury and have the potential to be in the final 3 on the show as of right now.   Also kudos to Gavin DeGraw for a great performance as they danced.

 

img_5627Rick Perry & Emma Slater

#TeamDanceForOurVets

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Rick really got lucky with his partnership with Emma.  Emma has natural spunk, great sense of humor, patience and she’s a great teacher.  I thought the dance was full of character and it was entertaining to watch.  Definitely could be better but, Rick has never danced before and he truly is putting his heart into learning and has an exuberance that is contagious.  It was fun.  Half the battle in learning anything new is the attitude you have.

 

img_5618Lindsay Arnold & Calvin Johnson Jr

#teamLindsatron

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I am enjoying Calvin.  He has a captivating personality and he’s a lot of fun.  He and Lindsay have a fun banter and are developing a great partnership.  I loved their dance to Family Matters.  He looks like he is having fun and working hard.  He also has the ability to get into character which isn’t always easy as we have seen in the past on the show.

 

img_5625Amber Rose & Maksim Chmerkovskiy

#TeamSpicySalsa

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I like this partnership.  I truly didn’t know much about Amber prior to the announcement but, I am glad so far the packages are allowing us to get to know her better.  I know she had a rough first week but, overall I thought she improved a lot this week.  I thought she showed a lot more confidence and engagement with Maks.  She did a great job of staying in the character of the dance and WOW Maks looked so good as well.  You can tell she is a hard worker and will keep building on her performances.

 

img_5622Jake T Austin & Jenna Johnson

#TeamJSquared

I had a feeling Jake was going to be the one that went home this week.  The performances both weeks were a bit off on timing and it looked like he was constantly trying to catch up.  Plus complaining about the judges this early was probably not the best and there was one or two eye rolls when the scores were given.   Confidence is good but, also understand you need feedback to grow at anything in life.  You are learning to dance and the judges are trying to provide feedback to help you improve your scores week over week.  Jenna worked hard at her first season as a pro and its unfortunate it ended after the 1st elimination.

 

img_5621Vanilla Ice & Witney Carson

#TeamIceNSpice

img_5629

 

OMG Witney nailed the character!  It was super fun to watch.  He has a great personality and has been fun to watch on the show so far.  Definitely could use a bit more polish but, it’s week 2 and all of the celebrities will continue to grow as the weeks go on.  I thought they did a good job and loved the character of the dance.

 

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Terra Jole’ & Sasha Farber

#TeamXL

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Terra is really doing so good!  I give her a lot of credit and her attitude is fantastic.  She works thorough her challenges but, doesn’t want to be defined by them.  Her revenge on Sasha’s prank too was absolutely hilarious.  Bravo to Sasha who has done a fabulous job of working with the challenges and putting together wonderful dances.  Terra keep that confidence up girl you are doing really well.

 

img_5628Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds & Allison Holker

#TeamHolkerFace

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Babyface really floored me this week.  I think he is going to be a dark horse and one to watch in this competition.  He also mentioned that he is shy.  It’s so interesting to learn that many entertainers are actually quite shy people.  I thought their dance this week was really good.  Bravo to Allison on her creativity.  It was so clean, precise, sexy and a lot of fun to watch.

 

img_5616Laurie Hernandez & Val Chmerkovskiy

#TeamVaLaur

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Laurie came out and owned the dance floor once again this week and her personality just shines when she performs.  She is just so precise and just a total dynamo to watch.  She is living her dream being on the show and clearly working hard at her performances.  I disagree with those that say she has an advantage from being a gymnast.  Yes she is fit and had to do floor routines but, ballroom dancing is totally different.  She clearly is working hard and it’s so much fun watching Val having so much fun with this partnership.  Bravo!  Loved that Julianne told her she is Disney’s Beyoncé!

 

img_5617Sharna Burgess & James Hinchcliffe

#TeamStopandGo

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I absolutely think James and Sharna have the potential to be in the final 3 this season.  James has the natural dancing abilities for sure and clearly also can get into character of the dance.  He is taking all of the feedback and improving every week.  I am excited to watch him perform each week.  Sharna is absolutely fabulous as always.  I really love this partnership.  I thought they were scored a bit low.

 

img_5620Derek Hough & Marilu Henner

#TeamHennergy

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Derek had a real challenge on his hands this week.  The music was incredibly slow but, Derek was able to work with it and put together a unique performance.   Marilu was graceful and showed improvement over last week.  It’s always so much fun watching people live their dreams.

 

img_5619Ryan Lochte & Cheryl Burke

#TeamCherLoch

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I think after this week they should stop discussing the incident and let Ryan shine on his dancing.  Their dance was a lot of fun and I thought Ryan did a good job.  He clearly is not a natural dancer but, you can tell he is working at it and wants to be successful.  I thought the dance was creative and showed improvement.

 

In Jeopardy: 

 

Amber & Maks

Ryan & Cheryl

Maureen & Artem

Jake & Jenna

Jake & Jenna were eliminated. 

Next week:

Per Maks’s blog on EW.com

“Next week will be the presidential debates, and we will only have an hour-long show. So, the format will be different — it’s going to be a face off. They split us into six groups of two pairs, and each pair has the same style of dance. So we’ll each dance, and then we get a score, and whoever has the higher score will have immunity from elimination.”

These are the Face Off Match ups:

Laurie & Val VS Marilu & Derek:  Dance Tango

Calving & Lindsay VS Terra & Sasha:  Viennese Waltz

Ryan & Cheryl VS James & Sharna:  Cha Cha

Jana & Gleb VS Babyface & Allison:  Jive

Rick & Emma VS Vanilla Ice & Witney:  Paso Doble

Amber & Maks VS Maureen & Artem:  Salsa

On a style note:  Ck out http://www.bebe.com/ for some really beautiful fall fashions and really fun new bag colors go to:  http://www.coach.com

 

Until next time,

 

Xoxo

Heather

Entertainment Blog

Dancing With the Stars Season 23 Premiere!

Dancing With the Stars Season 23 Premiere!

#dwts23

I have been a fan of Dancing with the Stars since the very 1st 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!

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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.img_5430

 

 

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!

 

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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.

 

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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.

 

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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.

 

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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.

 

 

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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.

 

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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.

 

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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.

 

 

 

 

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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.

 

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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!

 

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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.

 

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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