Browsing Tag

Valentin Chmerkovskiy

Dancing with the Stars Face Off Week

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

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

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

Holy 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

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 was 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

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

I 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

September 29, 2016

Entertainment Blog

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 hav dwts e 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.

Artem Chigvintsev and Maureen McCormick

#TeamMaureen

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.

Jana Kramer & Gleb Savchenko

#TeamGlamer

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.

Rick Perry & Emma Slater

#TeamDanceForOurVets

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.

Lindsay Arnold & Calvin Johnson Jr

#teamLindsatron

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.

Amber Rose & Maksim Chmerkovskiy

#TeamSpicySalsa

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.

Jake 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 1^st elimination.

Vanilla Ice & Witney Carson

#TeamIceNSpice

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.

Terra Jole’ & Sasha Farber

#TeamXL

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.

Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds & Allison Holker

#TeamHolkerFace

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.

Laurie Hernandez & Val Chmerkovskiy

#TeamVaLaur

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!

Sharna Burgess & James Hinchcliffe

#TeamStopandGo

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.

Derek Hough & Marilu Henner

#TeamHennergy

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.

Ryan Lochte & Cheryl Burke

#TeamCherLoch

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

September 21, 2016

Entertainment Blog

Ideal Meet & Greet/Photo Op

If I could sit down with celebrity VIP teams…

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Until next time,

Xoxoxo

Heather

August 30, 2016

Entertainment Blog

Special Birthday, Huge Hearts & Prom

Prom Anyone? Anyone that knows me well knows that I love birthdays. I love to celebrate because it’s another year of life, experience, triumphs and challenges faced. None of us know how long we will be on this earth so why not celebrate the time we have. This year was a tough one for me personally for many reasons so I was ready to close that chapter and open a new one. For the last several years I decided to try to do something fun on the special day. Last year it was Steven Tyler in Vegas and this year when I saw Maks and Val would be playing in my favorite city it was a no brainer for me to plan the trip to Nashville.

I have been asked a bunch of times where I got my shirt from (STYLE # 266813): http://www.bebe.com/

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If you want to read the past blogs please check them out:

This one is on the Maks & Val Tour Show: http://lightscmemories.com/entertainment-blog/maks-val-way-live-tour-2016/

VIP Experience Blog can be found here: http://lightscmemories.com/vip/maks-val-tour-2016-vip-experience/

I was really excited for two of my friends to join me on this trip and for them to see the show for the first time. As expected they loved it! We had a great time in Nashville. We had dinner at the Palm, lunch at my favorite Demos and then spent time listening to music etc.

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It meant so much to me to be picked by Maks to be his Prom Queen that night. It all went by so fast but, it was fun to do a few swing steps with him and live in the moment. I have been taking dance lessons for 6 months and swing is one of my favorite dances. It was just too much fun! It was also great to get to meet Magdalena Fialek that evening, she is beautiful and one amazing dancer.

Here are a few videos of the moment.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q9YJTbme5Xg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uH_t7fugid4

What meant even more to me was what Maks said after the Prom King/Queen moment. He and Val both truly appreciate their fans, they know how to make each person feel special whether it is a few minutes in a meet and greet or an experience like this. It’s something I wish so many others could learn from them. In so many cases fans will travel for acts they enjoy, attend multiple shows because they enjoy it so much, it’s nice to feel appreciated and to see that it is noticed. They truly do it right in every way.

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Here is a video just on the after talk.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pVGcHTLM-VI

Thank you again to Maks you made me feel truly special and I cannot think of any other way I would have rather kicked off this next year. This tour has been so much fun this summer and thank you for all that you and Val do!

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Until next time,

Xoxo

Heather

August 4, 2016

VIP Experience Blog

Maks & Val Tour 2016: The VIP Experience

#maksandvaltour

#vipnation

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

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This article is on the Ultimate Package which included:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Until next time,

Xoxo

Heather

July 22, 2016

Entertainment Blog

Maks & Val Our Way Live On Tour 2016

Maks and Val Tour 2016

#maksandvaltour

#ourwaytour

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I absolutely knew this Maks & Val Our Way tour would be amazing and it lived up to all of my expectations and exceeded them immensely. From the moment Maks and Val took the stage you were taken on a truly special and emotional journey of their life story. I found myself laughing, smiling, dancing, tears and just proud. I love nothing more than to watch individuals living their dreams and this show demonstrates that at every turn.

I have been to several dance tours in the past and felt they were good in their own right but what I loved more than anything was how classy and tasteful Maks & Val put together their tour. They took a dance tour experience from good to flat out exceptional. Are they absolutely sexy men with fab abs…yes of course but, this tour highlighted what it should their talent and their story. It wasn’t cheeky, corny or all about their bodies. Both men are insanely talented and you could tell they truly put their heart and soul into the design of this tour.

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If you know anything about Maks and Val it’s that their motto is Family over Everything. It was wonderful how they incorporated Pops into the show and at every turn in their life story you see that the love of family, the pride of their parents and their inner drive made them into the wonderful and passionate men they are today. They worked incredibly hard, they tried new things as young men from teaching dance lessons, dancing in restaurants, getting involved in competitive dance and eventually on to Dancing with the Stars where they each have won a Mirror Ball trophy.

They covered nearly every style of dance, followed the timeline journey of their life with a perfect mix of high energy, immensely passionate and fun numbers. It was wonderful how they introduced the company dancers, not as background dancers but, truly part of their tour family. They include Janaya French,

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Vladislav Kvartin, Teddy Coffey, Kiki Nyemchek, Magdalena Fialek, Taylor Banks, Amy Bennett, Emily Crouch and Ivan Paulovich. Tracy Shibata is the Associate Director/Dance Captain and truly brought this bright light into the entire performance. All of the dancers are phenomenal in their own right and are able to shine at various points in the show.

It would be nearly impossible for me to pick my favorite dance at this point. They were all excellent in their own right. I would say that the two dances that Val and Maks do on love were breathtaking and moving. The Prom piece as also a lot of fun but, I don’t want to ruin it for those that have not seen it yet. I am thankful I will be seeing the show a few more times this summer and I look forward to new takeaways after each city.

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For those that follow my blog I will be doing a piece on their absolutely amazing VIP Packages after my next show in Durham. I am posting photos on social media, you can find me on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook @lightscmemories.

If you have not already purchased a ticket to a city near you, do it! You will be blown away at how fantastic this show is. If you are on the edge on if a VIP Package is worth it I also say DO IT! This tour is so good I am hoping it will be become something we all look forward to annually.

Until next time,

XOXO

Heather

PS: Just because I like to share fun fashion finds. I wore a new pair of http://www.luckybrand.com/ jeans to the show and they were so comfortable!

July 4, 2016

Contests/Giveaways

Maks & Val Tour Silver M&G Package Winner…

There were so many amazing entries for the Maks & Val Silver Meet & Greet pkg that I determined to be fair I would put all names in a random name picker. WINNER is @natalieallenkr5! Congratulations. If you didn’t win this time pls stay in touch, follow this page. I will be doing Tour Swag giveaways all summer and will do a pkg giveaway for the DWTS Winter Tour and more. Thank you all for participating #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!

#maksandval #ourwaytour

Until next time,

Xoxoxo

Heather

May 29, 2016

Entertainment Blog

Dancing With the Stars Mirror Ball Champions Season 22

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

#DWTS

#dwts22 Finale2

Season 22/Week 10

#DWTSfinale

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Final Fusion Dances:

Ginger Zee and Val Chmerkovskiy

#teamGinandJuice

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

Scores: 9-9-9

Ballroom7

Nyle DiMarco & Peta Murgatroyd

#redefiningdance

Fusion Dance: Tango & Cha: “Summer”

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

Paige VanZant & Mark Ballas

#teamPowRightInTheKisser

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

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

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

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

Time to crown the winner!

Season 22 Champions are:

Nyle DiMarco & Peta Murgatroyd

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

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

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

Until next time,

Xoxoxo

Heather

May 26, 2016

Entertainment Blog

Dancing with the Stars: Finale Night 1

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

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

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

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

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

Scores: 10-10-10 (Perfect score)

Nyle DiMarco & Peta Murgatroyd
#redefiningdance

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Until next time,
Xoxoxo
Heather

May 23, 2016

Entertainment Blog

Dancing with the Stars: Trio Week Semi-Finals

Dancing with the Stars: Trio Week Semi-Finals

#DWTS

#dwts22

Season 22/Week 9

#dwtssemifinals

#trioweek

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

Paige VanZant & Mark Ballas

#teamPowRightInTheKisser

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

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

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

Argentine Tango- “One Time” by Marian Hill

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

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

Antonio Brown & Sharna Burgess

#teamBoomin

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

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

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

Contemporary- “Hall of Fame” by The Script

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

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

Wanya Morris & Lindsay Arnold

#teamYaYaZee

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

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

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

Charleston- “Shame on Me” by Avicil

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

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

Nyle DiMarco & Peta Murgatroyd

#redefiningdance

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

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

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

Argentine Tango- “Unsteady” by X Ambassadors

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

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

Ginger Zee and Val Chmerkovskiy

#teamGinandJuice

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

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

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

Quickstep- “Fire Under My Feet” by Leona Lewis

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

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

Elimination Time:

Wanya & Lindsay

Antonio & Sharna

11731703_10153965770896740_5948663774764525204_o 12799222_10153965771421740_4729347111452576560_n

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

Nyle & Peta

Ginger & Val

Paige & Mark

Final 3 header

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

#maksandval

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

Until next time,

Xoxoxo

Heather

May 17, 2016

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