TeamVaLaur

I 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:

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

I 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.

On 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-large It 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!

I 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!

Sharna 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.

The 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.

Calvin & 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.

Calvin & 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.

Laurie 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.

Val 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.

More 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.

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 Dance 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 3^rd place.

Mirrorball Sharna & 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 2^nd place.

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

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

November 26, 2016

Entertainment Blog

Dancing with the Stars Season 23-Finale

Season 23, Week 11, Finale Night 1

kfkarmob I absolutely cannot believe we are at the finale already for this truly amazing season! First up welcome back to Len! Tonight one couple will be eliminated and the final 3 will compete tomorrow doing a special dance fusion for the final judge’s scores. Train did a great job on performing their new song and Artem, Cheryl, Keo, Alan performed a fantastic dance. I also loved the special performance of La La Land.

Finally one big shout out to the Troupe this year! You all work so hard and have to be in so many places at once as well and you all give it 200% all the time. I am standing here applauding you all!

FYI: I am doing 8 Days of Giveaways on my Instagram page to thank you all for helping me to hit 8000 followers! It started today so check it out, tell your friends to join in on the fun and follow @lightscmemories on IG! Day 8 will be a BIG giveaway plus I will be posting a bunch of pics from the We Came to Dance Tour:-)

Calvin & Lindsay (Viennese Waltz)
#TeamLindsatron

I thought their dance was nice, it was clean, beautiful and you can absolutely see the growth and improvement that Calvin had from the 1^st week of the season. I wasn’t too surprised with the scores, I thought the dance was good but, just didn’t have that WOW factor. That moment when they brought Calvin’s son out was just absolutely precious. xvpstkqd

Freestyle: I absolutely have to hand it to Lindsay on this fun choreography and concept. It absolutely highlighted all of Calvin’s strengths with the lifts, his athletic skills and his fun personality. Very good job, BRAVO. Well-deserved perfect scores across the board for the Freestyle!

Jana Kramer & Gleb Savchenko (Tango)
#TeamGlamer

The judges picked the Tango because that was the week Jana had the injury. Poor Gleb also had the flu this week. Gleb is very artistic in his dances and I really like all the visual effects. It’s been great to have him back this season. I thought they did a great job on the Tango, it was beautiful and Jana also has made tremendous improvement and growth this season. ets7kb91

Freestyle: I loved the unique creativity that they included in this dance. The dance was full of emotion, beautiful style, intensity, passion and I really loved every moment of it! Fabulous job to them both. My gosh with Gleb getting emotional, don’t focus on a bump in the dance, focus on the beauty of the dance you just did.

Laurie Hernandez & Val Chmerkovskiy (Paso Doble)
#TeamVaLaur

I thought it was great they picked the Paso for their redemption because I think that was their breakthrough week as partners. WOW they absolutely slayed the Paso. Laurie is truly an impressive girl. She is unstoppable! What an absolutely fabulous job! I don’t know what the judges were thinking they deserved straight 10’s! zyynalko

Freestyle: Fabulous job to both Val and Laurie. Bravo to Val on really fun creativity and what a light, fun, beautiful way to highlight not only all of Laurie’s talent but, the fun partnership and friendship you both have built this season. I have loved this partnership all season! Well deserved-PERFECT score!

Sharna Burgess & James Hinchcliffe (Foxtrot)
#TeamStopandGo

I loved the dance off James and Hélio Castroneves had. I really love this partnership too. James has also grown a lot as a dancer, especially his lines and grace. They did a beautiful job tonight, he is incredibly talented but, the partnership with Sharna really has made him a shining star all season. It’s unfortunate they had a little stumble because the judges took off a point for it all but, Bruno. y7gkcs_s

Freestyle: Sharna deserves a tremendous amount of credit for her amazing vision for this freestyle, it was absolutely amazing. The beauty, the truth in the story, the emotion it was awe-inspiring. They are in it to win it for sure! Absolutely stunning, BRAVO! Well-deserved PERFECT scores!

Elimination Time: I was so sad to see Jana and Gleb eliminated tonight. I truly felt they absolutely deserved to be in the final 3. They should be extremely proud of themselves. They have been a joy to watch and I loved their partnership!

Prediction: Final 2 will be James/Sharna and Laurie/Val!

Who will win the Mirrorball? What are your predictions? I would love to hear from you!

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

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

November 21, 2016

Entertainment Blog

Dancing with the Stars-Semi-Finals/Trio Wk

Dancing with the Stars-Semi-Finals & Trio Night

Season 23, Week 10

I seriously cannot believe we are already at the Semi-Finals, this season absolutely flew by and it truly has been one of my favorites. The talent and personalities have been such a pleasure this season. Everyone came to work hard and enjoy the experience. Welcome back Sharna!

Sharna Burgess & James Hinchcliffe (Argentine Tango)
#TeamStopandGo

It is so absolutely fantastic to see Sharna and James back together again, they have one of those amazing partnerships and I am glad they will be able to finish out the season together. I still predict they will be in final 2. I loved the blindfold idea. It’s a little similar to what my dance instructor did recently to get me to stop looking down. Dancing with your eyes closed/blindfolded is a totally difference experience you have to trust and just be able to feel everything. I LOVED their Argentine Tango it was sexy, intense, filled with fun content and that hand stand at the end was just so good.

Trio dance with Jenna Johnson (Jive): This was a super fun, high energy Jive. What a creative job Sharna did on the choreography. I loved it, truly highlighted all of James’s strengths and it was absolutely flawless. Fantastic PERFECT score!

Terra Jole’ & Sasha Farber (Rumba)
#TeamXL

Terra has truly been so impressive this entire season. Her attitude, her drive, her fabulous personality have just absolutely shined this season. Sasha has always been fantastic but, he took it to an even higher level this season with how wonderful he worked with Terra and reminded everyone what a wonderful man he is. I really liked their Rumba tonight. It was beautiful dance and how they related to each other. You can see the amazing effort that this pair puts in each week. Loved Carrie Ann’s quote: “Quality of the movement was like the quality of you, it was untouchable”. Well-deserved PERFECT score…BRAVO!

Trio dance with Artem (Tango): The package had me cracking up. Yes Terra we agree Artem is hot and sweet too! I absolutely LOVED this dance. It had sex appeal, it was intense and Terra just nailed it. Both Artem and Sasha were fabulous with Terra…BRAVO! Another PERFECT score!

Jana Kramer & Gleb Savchenko (Quickstep)
#TeamGlamer

Jana has steadily improved this entire season. I have really enjoyed the partnership of Jana and Gleb. You can see how the show has almost helped her through a difficult time in her life too. She just shines now. First off I loved her dress tonight, stunning. Their quickstep was a ton of fun, very elegant, full of energy, a lot of great content and spunk. I truly think they deserve to go to the final 3.

Trio dance with Alan (Paso Doble): These 3 have a fun relationship too. It was incredibly creative, powerful, intense, fabulous content and Jana really nailed the character of the dance. Bravo to this trio they really did a fantastic job. You can tell Jana wants to be in the finals she was in it to win it tonight. BTW we need to see Alan have a chance at Pro next year he would be fantastic! PERFECT score, BRAVO!

Calvin & Lindsay (Tango)
#TeamLindsatron

Calvin seems like such a fantastic and genuine soul. Loved the package description. Their tango was good but, I wouldn’t classify it as one of their better dances. There was a slip up mid-dance which seemed to get them off time a bit. Calvin is still always a joy to watch. I am on the fence on this pair in regards to the finals. I do think Calvin improved a lot as the season went on but, I am not as engaged in them as a partnership.

Trio Dance with Witney (Salsa): This looked a comedy skit in rehearsals. Their salsa was full of energy and they took advantage of Calvin’s strength to do some really fantastic choreography and lifts. Perfect score…BRAVO!

Laurie Hernandez & Val Chmerkovskiy (Foxtrot)
#TeamVaLaur

I literally cried my eyes out with the package on Laurie’s grandmother and her unfortunate passing the day after the video was recorded. It’s heartbreaking to lose your grandparents and even harder to watch them suffer through Alzheimer’s. I have been there and it’s not easy. Laurie is only 16 years old but, demonstrates the strength, courage, grace and maturity of someone much older. I don’t know how she found the inner strength to get through that but, what a treasure for her to always have that video of her Grandma telling her that she loves her and is proud of her. Given how important family is to Val it made me even happier to know they were partnered up and he treated her with such care and compassion. Their Foxtrot was on a whole new level this week, all that emotion was so evident in each movement and their partnership grew even stronger. Absolutely beautiful in every way. Well-deserved PERFECT score!

Trio Dance with Maks (Samba): Laurie was living so many girls’ dreams of getting to dance with the Chmerkovskiy brothers and again on such a difficult week for her I am glad she had two of the sweetest guy’s ever to do this Trio with. I absolutely LOVED this dance. It was fun, filled with fabulous energy, content and just crazy good! I totally agreed with what Carrie Ann said that it was her best dance EVER! It showed off her talent, her sassy side and highlighted her fabulous shining personality. PERFECT score once again!

Elimination Time: It was so sad to see Terra and Sasha eliminated. They truly have been amazing all season, Terra showed the world nothing should ever hold you back from trying something you want to do. Sasha and Terra seem like they will be forever friends. It was one of those amazing partnerships you see develop on DWTS that you will always remember as truly special and Terra should be very proud of herself for a tremendous job on DWTS!

Next week is the 2 Day Finale:

Monday Night: 2 hour show:

Laurie & Val:

Redemption Style: Paso Doble-“Wicked Ones” by Dorothy

Freestyle: “Brand New” by Ben Rector

James & Sharna:

Redemption Style: Tango-“It Had to Be You” by Harry Connick Jr.

Freestyle: “Beethoven’s 5 Secrets” by The Piano Guys

Calvin & Lindsay:

Redemption Style: Viennese Waltz-“I Am Your Man” by Ryan Shaw

Freestyle: “Please Mr. Postman”/”I Want You Back” medley by The Marvelettes/Jackson 5

Jana & Gleb:

Redemption Style: Tango-“Stay the Night” by Zedd

Freestyle: “Unstoppable” by Sia

At the end of the night one couple will be eliminated and three final couples will compete for the Mirrorball.

Tuesday Night: 2 Hour Finale

All 13 of this season’s couples will reunite at the Grove. It will be filled with great performances from Vanilla Ice who will perform “Ice Ice Baby” featuring Rick Perry and Witney Carson; a special guest performance by Andy Grammer of his new global hit single “Fresh Eyes”, Babyface will perform “Winter Wonderland” featuring pro dancers Artem, Cheryl and Allison. There will also be an all-male number to Bruno Mars “24K featuring all the males from this season. It will also feature a special performance choreographed by Mandy Moore that promises to be truly magical. There will also be a special performance from the upcoming DWTS “We Came to Dance” tour hitting the road soon!

Couples from across the season will celebrate their time on the show by repeating one of their favorite dances. The final element will be the final 3 competing for judge’s points a dance they put together in 24 hours called the “24-Hour Fusion Challenge”.

Who will win the Mirrorball? What are your predictions? I would love to hear from you!

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

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

November 17, 2016

Entertainment Blog

Dancing with the Stars-Showstoppers Night

Dancing with the Stars-Showstoppers Night
Season 23, Week 9
#dwts

What a fun opening number. Mandy Moore is such a creative talent and truly amazes each week. Today’s guest judge is Idina Menzel. Also absolutely stunning job to Keo & Allison on their beautiful contemporary. Fantastic job to Mark Ballas and his co-stars in Jersey Boys as well! Go check them out on Broadway! Idina’s performance was also absolutely flawless.

Marilu & Derek
Dance: Samba to “December, 1963 (Oh What a Night) from Jersey Boys featuring guest performances by Mark Ballas

I thought Marilu and Derek did a good job this week. I am glad that Marilu finally got to the point where she is just having fun. She has improved a lot over the course of the season. She had a lot of content in the Samba and performance was her best one to date.

Calvin & Lindsay
#TeamLindsatron
Dance: Waltz to “Memory” from “Cats”, featuring guest performance by Leona Lewis

Side note: I loved Leona Lewis’s dress. So pretty and her voice is amazing. Calvin and Lindsay are just adorable. They truly seem to have developed a really sweet friendship. They are having a lot of fun and it absolutely shows. Calvin is such a graceful dancer and he should be so proud of his journey on the show, his weekly improvement has been measurable. He went all in when he signed up for the show and that is what I love to see as a viewer and fan of the show.

Sharna Burgess & James Hinchcliffe (Jenna filling in for Sharna)
#TeamStopandGo
Dance: Jazz to “A Brand New Day” from the “The Wiz”

My gosh it was so sad watching Sharna struggle with what to do. Safety and protecting your body is always first but, I get it. You develop a bond with a dance partner. I have been in dance lessons all year and it’s an interesting process on the partners you just gel with the best. I have had 2 that I instantly clicked with and one that I just couldn’t connect with. I know how bad Sharna wants this not only for herself to potentially get to the finals but, she truly wants it for James. I think this is the first time this entire season you saw James have a misstep and forget the choreography for a sec. His dance was good and creative and I still he think he belongs in the final 3 for sure.

Terra Jole’ & Sasha Farber
#TeamXL
Dance: Charleston to “If My Friends Could See Me Now” from “Sweet Charity”

I know I keep saying but, Terra inspires every week and I am so glad her confidence has grown, it truly shows. Sasha has been absolutely tremendous in working with Terra all season. I loved their dance this week, it was spunky, fun and a total joy to watch. On top of improving as a dancer Terra has been so great at getting into the character of the dance. Well-deserved two 10’s for that performance!

Jana Kramer & Gleb Savchenko
#TeamGlamer
Dance: Waltz to “She Used to Be Mine” from “Waitress”

Gleb was also facing an injury this week. Alan filled in for him this week in practice but, he was able to dance tonight which obviously meant a lot to Jana. I really love this partnership too. Dance has truly been a healing journey for Jana and it makes me happy to see her turn the page in her personal story. Jana has truly been another that has grown so much and transformed as a dancer this season. Their dance was absolutely beautiful, emotional and raw. It truly was a well-deserved PERFECT score!

Laurie Hernandez & Val Chmerkovskiy
#TeamVaLaur
Dance: Argentine Tango to “Cell Block Tango” from “Chicago”

On this first and foremost I have to say some of the things I read about Val telling Laurie she needed to be sexy have been off the wall. Maybe a better word would have been intense and passionate but, he certainly didn’t mean it the way some have portrayed it. Laurie is still such a fun and innocent teen. There are some dances that just are more passionate and intense than others but, I think with the younger contestants have been on various seasons you just have to adapt it in a classy way which I feel they did. Their dance was absolutely incredible! It was their best dance of the season in my opinion. It was classy, it was intense and passionate. Laurie really was able to show off her immense strength and that was just totally mind blowing! Absolutely deserved a PERFECT score! Way to go!

Team-Up Challenges:

James/Sharna & Calvin/Lindsay: Paso Doble
#teamlastmenstanding

Calvin and James are just too adorable with their Bromance. I loved their dance it was so creative, intense and straight out of the Wild West.

Marilu/Derek & Terra/Sasha: Jazz
#teamCubs

Artem filled in for Derek during the practice for the dance. Marilu and Terra were another fun match up. I love this point in the season where everyone truly develops friendships. Their dance was great too, very Broadway and truly matched up to the Showstopper theme really well!

Jana/Gleb & Laurie & Val: Contemporary
#teamSisters

Jana and Laurie are another special friendship. I love to see two women truly supporting each other and lifting each other up. Their dance was absolutely breathtaking. That front trust fall was incredible. It showed off the pure physical and emotional strength of each woman, their emotion, ability and I loved every single second of it. I admit I watched it a few times. Well-deserved PERFECT score!

Next week the couples will do a dance they have not done yet:

Laurie & Val: Foxtrot to “Hollow” by Tori Kelly

James & Sharna: Argentine Tango to “Santa Maria” by Gotan Project

Calvin & Lindsay: Tango to “Seven Nation Army” by The White Stripes

Terra & Sasha: Rumba to “Scars to Your Beautiful” by Alessia Cara

Jana & Gleb: Quickstep to “Go Mama” by Wayne Beckford

Next week is also Trio Week:

Laurie & Val with Maks: Samba to “Magalenha” by Sergio Mendes

James & Sharna with Jenna: Jive to “Gimme Some Lovin” by the Spencer Davis Group

Calvin & Lindsay with Witney: Salsa to “Limbo” by Daddy Yankee

Terra & Sasha with Artem: Tango to “Hideaway” by Kieza

Jana & Gleb with Alan: Paso Doble to “Kill of the Night” by Gin Wigmore

Eliminated tonight was Marilu & Derek. Marilu should be proud of her journey on show this season. She made a lot of strides from the first few weeks and I am glad on the night she was eliminated she had one of her best, most relaxed performances.

PS: GREAT news! Sharna will be back next week!

Please feel free to follow me on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook: @lightscmemories. I will be doing some giveways soon so stay tuned to social media:-)

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

November 10, 2016

Entertainment Blog

Dancing with the Stars-Halloween Night

Season 23, Week 8 Halloween Night

#halloweennight

It should be a Spooktacular time during Halloween Week on Dancing with the Stars! It’s another fun and creative night on our favorite show. This season is flying by! I was hoping to be able to get out to LA for a show but, with everything else going on this fall I wasn’t able to. I love this cast and truly am looking forward to the tour!

Terra Jole’ & Sasha Farber

#TeamXL

Dance: Cha Cha

Terra keeps showing everyone how much she can do week over week! Her positivity is amazing. I love her partnership with Sasha too and how she worked so hard at pulling a prank on him. Their dance was a lot of fun and Terra continues to amaze every week. Lots of personality, great content, fabulous relationship with Sasha and fun dances.

Laurie Hernandez & Val Chmerkovskiy

Dance: Viennese Waltz

Awe their package made me cry this week. Val has such a huge heart and I hated hearing him doubting himself. I know he has had special partnerships in the past but, I truly feel this one is the best yet, it’s raw and beautiful. I love that he is so invested and it’s so special watching their partnership and relationship grow. Val you are amazing always remember that. Their dance was absolutely magical! I loved how beautifully arranged it was and it truly highlighted Laurie’s amazing grace, beauty and talent. It absolutely deserved a perfect score, BRAVO!

Derek Hough & Marilu Henner

#teamhennergy

Dance: Argentine Tango

I know in the packages it shows a few issues in the partnership but, then reading Derek’s blogs you see that isn’t necessarily true. I know from watching the show from Season 1 the packages don’t always show the reality. Their dance was good and Marilu has continued to improve. It does still seem she is unsure of herself at times. I am a fan of Derek so this is only my thoughts, I do think they should be the next to go next week because when compared to the others remaining in the competition it’s time. This is the time of the season I always wish votes were cast for the best dances.

Lindsay Arnold & Calvin Johnson Jr

Dance: Quickstep

Calvin is the dark horse in the competition for me. He has grown so much since week 1 as a dancer and he and Lindsay clearly have an amazing friendship and partnership developed. I absolutely think we will see him in the final 4 or maybe even final 3. Their dance this week was so fun and creative and again showed his tremendous growth. They earned a well-deserved perfect score…BRAVO!

Ryan Lochte & Cheryl Burke

Dance: Tango

I love the Tango it’s been one of my favorites to learn. Ryan has absolutely grown in the competition just maybe not as fast as others

but, what I think he was able to show the audience is another side to him, the family man, the guy that wants to grow past his mistakes and look ahead to a brighter future. Their dance this week was creative, intense, a lot of content and overall a good job.

Jana Kramer & Gleb Savchenko

Dance: Jazz

This will be an interesting week for this team since Gleb has never put together a Jazz routine. They have such a fantastic partnership. I thought their dance this week was super fun, full of energy and the characters were perfect! Jana is another one that has grown so much since week 1. I truly think it’s between her and Calvin on who gets to the final 3. Gleb is really doing well as a Pro this season and I am looking forward to watching him perform on tour this winter.

Sharna Burgess & James Hinchcliffe (Jenna filling in for Sharna)

Dance: Viennese Waltz

I was so sad to hear that Sharna’s knee injury sidelined her. I know how much she wants to finish this season out with James it’s truly a magical partnership and they absolutely are in the running for the mirror ball so please take care of yourself Sharna and know you are missed. I am curious about something, how do they determine who fills in when a Pro is injured. Not to take anything away from Jenna as she is a great dancer I am just curious with the level of talent that James has why a more seasoned Pro like Witney, Emma or Allison wasn’t matched with him to fill in. Not a slight towards anyone just curious. James was so sweet to Sharna and I hope she will be back before the finals if her knee is better. James did another amazing job, his talent as a dancer is just incredible to watch and his growth since the beginning is amazing. He was perfectly in character and absolutely deserved the perfect score this week…BRAVO!

Next up was the Dance off:

Laurie and Val

Vs (Jive)

Lindsay and Calvin

I loved how Laurie said I think Calvin should pick on someone his own size. That’s the heart of of a champion to pick someone she feels closely matched up with. Both couples did great, they had crazy high energy but, Laurie & Val edged out Calvin & Lindsay to win the dance off.

Jana & Gleb

Vs (Salsa)

Terra & Sasha

Loved Terra’s spirit to try something new and do the Salsa. Both couples were fun to watch and gave it a great effort and a ton of energy. Jana and Gleb edged out Terra & Sasha and won the dance off but, both couples should be proud of their effort.

Marilu & Derek

Vs (Cha Cha)

Ryan & Cheryl

Both couples gave it a good effort. I actually thought Ryan was really good and got into it more and was a bigger draw on the performance side. I think Ryan just has more of an ability to shake it off and just have fun with moments like that. Ryan and Cheryl won the dance off!

Elimination Time:

Bottom two were: Ryan & Cheryl and Terra & Sasha

We had to say goodbye to Ryan & Cheryl. Ryan should be proud of his run on the show and what a way for him to go out winning the dance off! I did not agree with Sasha & Terra being in the bottom 2.

Next week is Showstopper week:

Marilu & Derek: Samba to “December, 1963 (Oh What a Night) from Jersey Boys featuring guest performances by Mark Ballas & The Four Seasons.

Laurie & Val: Argentine Tango to “Cell Block Tango” from “Chicago”

James & Sharna: Jazz to “A Brand New Day” from the “The Wiz”

Calvin & Lindsay: Waltz to “Memory” from “Cats”, featuring guest performance by Leona Lewis

Terra & Sasha: Charleston to “If My Friends Could See Me Now” from “Sweet Charity”

Jana & Gleb: Waltz to “She Used to Be Mine” from “Waitress”

There will also be Team-Up Challenges and they will be:

James/Sharna & Calvin/Lindsay: Paso Doble

Jana/Gleb & Laurie & Val: Contemporary

Marilu/Derek & Terra/Sasha: Jazz

The one other comment I have is I truly hope everyone votes for the stars dance and not just for the Pro because there have been a few people in the bottom 2 that absolutely did not belong in the bottom 2. It’s important to the integrity and fun of the show.

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

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

November 3, 2016

Entertainment Blog

Dancing with the Stars-Latin & Era Weeks

Season 23, Weeks 6 & 7

#latinnight

#Erasweek

Due to an insanely busy 10 days for the first time ever I am doing a combined week blog (Latin/Era Weeks) as I was also covering the new Bon Jovi album and listening party and the New Kids on the Block cruise last week. I will be back to my weekly blogs next week.

First up Latin night with Mr Worldwide Pit Bull as guest judge. I am sure the ballroom will be on FIRE tonight. Second up is Era’s Week with Len Goodman returning!

Ryan Lochte & Cheryl Burke

Latin Dance: Salsa

Era’s Dance: 90’s Rumba

Ryan and Cheryl’s Salsa was creatively interesting. Ryan still seems a bit stiff in his movements but, absolutely trying hard each week. I really liked the neon portion and they seemed to have fun with the dance overall. I thought their Rumba was good, Ryan does make strides each week. I do think he still needs to have a breakout week to stay in the competition.

Terra Jole’ & Sasha Farber

#TeamXL

Latin Dance: Paso Doble

Era’s Dance: 30’s Foxtrot

Terra continues to amaze me, she does so well every week and is just one heck of a performer. I thought they did a good job. I was not fully understanding the judge’s comments on this one. It’s not easy for everyone to do either the super serious or the super fun dances but, there were no major errors. I truly route for Terra each week, what she has shown the world is just tremendous and she should always be proud of what she has done. I loved their foxtrot, it was beautiful and full of amazing content.

Amber Rose & Maksim Chmerkovskiy

#TeamSpicySalsa

Latin Dance: Cha Cha

The package showed some difficulties in training. I do agree with what Maks said I think Amber had a lot more in her to show the DWTS world. I will say as someone that has been taking dance lessons I have always found the Cha Cha to be very hard and frustrating to learn so I get that part of it. I thought they did well tonight and I was very sad to hear that they went home on Latin night because I think Amber was so close to hitting her stride on the show.

Sharna Burgess & James Hinchcliffe

Latin Dance: Rumba

Era’s Dance: 40’s Jitterbug

James and Sharna are just too cute, the Latin package cracked me up. I thought their rumba was absolutely beautiful and I still absolutely think they will be in the finals this year. Definitely one of my favorites to watch each week. Sharna had injured her knee before they performed the Jitterbug. They had another fabulous performance they never cease to amaze each week.

Derek Hough & Marilu Henner

#TeamHennergy

Latin Dance: Cha Cha

Era’s Dance: 20’s Charleston

Marilu is hitting her stride and it’s great to see it. I think they had to come up with a way to have great communication. Their dance this week was really good, it’s great to see Marilu having fun with the show. I thought their Charleston was good, very much in character, a lot of fun to watch and overall

Jana Kramer & Gleb Savchenko

Latin Dance: Argentine Tango

Era’s Dance: 70’s Samba

I completely do not understand how Jana and Gleb have been in jeopardy. They are doing so well. Their Argentine Tango was so incredibly hot and filled with great content and that water scene at the end there just are no words beyond HOT. Well-deserved perfect scores on Latin night! I also thought their Samba was really good. Jana is another one that has made great strides every single week.

Artem Chigvintsev and Maureen McCormick

#TeamMaureen

Latin Dance: Samba

Era’s Dance: 80’s Tango

I thought their Samba was ok, she has been one that did improve week over week and you could tell was always trying her best. They had a lot of content which the judges always like. I thought their tango was good and they should be very proud of their journey this season. I was sorry to see them go tonight but, Maureen and Artem should be proud of the growth that occurred this season.

Lindsay Arnold & Calvin Johnson Jr

Latin Dance: Argentine Tango

Era’s Dance: 50’s Jive

They have quickly become one of my favorites this season and I think they should be in final 4. Calvin has such a great personality and Lindsay is doing a great job and highlighting it. Their lifts are out of this world crazy good and how they blend them in with the content truly is one of the things that sets them apart. Their Jive was also really good. Lindsay is truly setting herself apart as one of the top female pro’s in choreography. They work together so well and Calvin has grown a ton.

Laurie Hernandez & Val Chmerkovskiy

Latin Dance: Salsa

Era’s Dance: 1960’s Quickstep

Val and Laurie crushed that Salsa, so crazy good! Her light continues to shine so bright on the dance floor. Val is handling all the dances in such a tasteful age appropriate way and they are so good. I loved the Prom theme that Val chose and it was cute how they went about putting the dance together. I thought their quickstep was fabulous! High energy, a lot of content and perfectly told the story.

Team Dances:

frgko3jw #teampast: Sharna/James, Calvin/Lindsay, Artem/Maureen & Ryan/Cheryl: I absolutely loved their dance, it was stunningly beautiful. I loved the choreography.

7qyzrdvr

#teamfuture: Laurie/Val, Marilu/Derek, Terra/Sasha & Jana/Gleb: I really liked the creativity behind this dance as well. I did feel bad for Terra in the package. I know that nobody meant to make Terra feel bad but, it’s always sad to see someone feeling emotions like that.

#teampast won in the judge’s scores but, both teams should be pleased with their performance.

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

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

Heathe

October 27, 2016

Entertainment Blog

Dancing with the Stars-Most Memorable Year Week

Season 23, Week 5 No Elimination Most Memorable Year

#memorableyear

This by far is one of my favorite weeks on the show. I love Most Memorable year for so many reasons. I think it makes the stars that much more vulnerable and it comes out in their dancing. It shows triumphs, challenges, happy moments, strength etc.

The opening number was awe inspiring. The music and dancing was just simply beautiful.

Artem Chigvintsev and Maureen McCormick

#TeamMaureen

Dance: Foxtrot

Maureen told her story of going through and coming out of a cocaine addiction. Watching her grow on this show has been really special. I truly think she was paired with the best person for this journey as well. I thought hands down this was Maureen’s best dance to date. It was beautiful, elegant and perfectly told the emotion behind her story. It was precious when Artem teared up in the segment with Maureen and her husband. Love this match up.

Lindsay Arnold & Calvin Johnson Jr

Dance: Jazz

Calvin’s most memorable year was the year he broke Jerry Rice’s record in football. It was so touching he walked off the field after doing it that he gave his Dad the game ball. Calvin has such a fun personality and he and Lindsay really are doing well this season, it’s another great partnership. Their dance was full of energy and those lifts were just off the hook amazing. What a fun surprise for Calvin to be surprised with Jerry Rice tossing him the ball at the end.

Jana Kramer & Gleb Savchenko

Dance: Contemporary

Jana told the powerful story of survival. Her most memorable year was this year the year she had her daughter and it showed her how strong she truly is. She shared the story of an abusive relationship she was in 10 years ago. I give her tremendous credit for sharing that story that so many women keep inside or keep it quiet for various reasons. I think her daughter would be immensely proud of her Mom and how strong she is. Their dance was incredibly beautiful and I think feeling the emotion of the story in the dance this week truly helped Jana to take dancing to the next level.

Ryan Lochte & Cheryl Burke

Dance: Contemporary

First up congratulations to Ryan on his engagement. Stunning photos and I am glad he is achieving happy moments again on this life journey. His most memorable year was the first time he went to the Olympics in 2008 and not only getting a gold medal but the world record too. It was so beautiful that he dedicated his dance to his Mom for always standing by him in the good and bad times. It was so sweet for his mom to say she wants everyone to know who Ryan is not just the one mistake he made. I thought their dance was really good and Ryan truly was able to display his vulnerability and emotion this week.

Laurie Hernandez & Val Chmerkovskiy

Dance: Paso Doble

Laurie’s most memorable year was this year because she achieved her dream of going to the Olympics. She overcame a lot of injuries to achieve her dreams. The package showed some struggles this week in rehearsals. I give Laurie a lot of credit for showing another side to herself. It’s so hard to express yourself sometimes and it’s also hard when you have the pressure of being so good. People need to remember even though the stars are talented it doesn’t mean they have ever done this type of dance before. I hope Laurie will continue to keep Val in the loop on how she is feeling. He truly wants the best for her but, he has said over many seasons he gets intense because he knows when he is working with great talent and wants to bring out the very best.

Derek Hough & Marilu Henner

#teamhennergy

Dance: Viennese Waltz

Marilu’s most memorable year was the year her Mom passed away and Marilu got her first big break with her role on Taxi. It was such a sad story of how Marilu’s mom’s illness affected her. I was standing up clapping after Marilu’s dance this week. Definitely her best dance this season, she looked like she was having a lot of fun, she just let go and it showed. Bravo! I am so glad she had this breakthrough. Her Mom would be so proud of her.

Amber Rose & Maksim Chmerkovskiy

#TeamSpicySalsa

Dance: Samba

Amber’s most memorable year was the year she had her son and she wanted to do a dance to celebrate women and moms. They had a rough time at camera blocking this week. I think this is a tough point in the competition you get tired, you are vulnerable because of the story etc. I thought Amber did a good job. She definitely takes ownership of the stage each performance. She kept up really good with the pro dancers in that section too which was great.

Sharna Burgess & James Hinchcliffe

Dance: Tango

James’s story of his most memorable year was incredible. He is so lucky to be alive and he was meant to live through that awful crash to truly bring something special to the world. He is such a special person, with such a great attitude and it shows in all he does. It’s incredible it was just 18 months ago. I keep saying it but, I think Sharna and James will be in the finals. Their dance was absolutely stunning. It was so full of content and just perfectly performed. Bravo! 2 10’s were very well deserved!

Terra Jole’ & Sasha Farber

#TeamXL

Dance: Contemporary

Terra’s most memorable year was the year she lost her Dad. It was such a heartbreaking story. Her Dad truly inspired her to go for her dreams and would be so proud of her. There is truly nothing like a bond a daughter has with her Dad. Terra your dad is always watching you from above and celebrating your success. The dance was absolutely stunning and emotional.

Next week one couple will be eliminated. This is the part of the season it starts to get really tough because all the couples are doing well, all the partnerships have developed into such fun relationships.

Next week: Latin week with Pit Bull as guest judge! Below are the dances that they will do.

Marilu & Derek: Cha Cha

Laurie & Val: Salsa

James & Sharna: Rumba

Calvin & Lindsay: Argentine Tango

Terra & Sasha: Paso Doble

Jana & Gleb: Argentine Tango

Ryan & Cheryl: Salsa

Maureen & Artem: Samba

Amber & Maks: Cha Cha

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 and general tickets are on sale for the DWTS Tour so don’t miss out! www.dwtstour.com

Until next time,

XOXO

Heather

October 15, 2016

Entertainment Blog

Dancing with the Stars-Cirque du Soleil Week

Season 23, Week 4 Double Elimination: Cirque du Soleil

#CirquedusoleilNight

First and foremost huge congratulations to Emma Slater and Sasha Farber on their absolutely beautiful engagement tonight on the results show. They are two incredibly kind people and what a beautiful surprise on tonight’s show. I wish them so much happiness.

I was so excited for a new theme week this season, Cirque du Soleil! It seems like anything else there was very mixed reviews online. I personally loved it and in my opinion it really brought out fantastic creativity in the Pro’s and almost all the dances were off the hook amazing.

At the start of the show they dropped the bomb that it would be double elimination Tuesday. I also don’t know what happened at the start of the show again with the microphones. Couples were just coming out without hearing any audio. BTW I loved Erin and Julianne’s dresses Monday night. I would love to know the designers. If anyone sees that info let me know.

Great live performers on the results show too: DNCE, Zara Larson

Cirque KURIOS

Lindsay Arnold & Calvin Johnson Jr

KURIOS Cabinet of Curiosities: Charleston

First off bravo to Lindsay this was such a fun dance! Fantastic creativity and Calvin is such a joy to watch and he was able to really show off his strength and personality this week. The dance was super fun, the lifts were all amazing and I actually had to rewind and watch it again it was so good. I thought they deserved 9’s. A fun partnership indeed!

Cirque Mystere:

Artem Chigvintsev and Maureen McCormick

#TeamMaureen

Mystere: Argentine Tango

Their package was hard to watch. Maureen is clearly a very sensitive person and I just wish every week she would just find the fun in this and just trust in Artem. It was sad to have Artem say maybe I am in the wrong business. He is one of the kindest men you could ever met and just wants the best for his partner. I hope Maureen will get to the point where she will walk in and feel the joy everyday so they can stay. I really thought their dance was really good tonight, it was definitely Maureen’s best dance to date. Just remember dance is FUN.

Cirque The Beatles LOVE

Jana Kramer & Gleb Savchenko

The Beatles LOVE: Foxtrot

It looked like it was a tough week for Jana and Gleb but, clearly they shook it off. All the traveling is exhausting and not all dances come together as quickly as you want. They remain a great partnership and I thought their dance was beautiful, classy, graceful and moving. She is determined so I am sure she will keep working on it.

Cirque KA

Derek Hough & Marilu Henner

#teamhennergy

KA: Paso Doble

I still think Marilu needs to just relax and remember dance is supposed to be fun. I get the desire to be great and perfect but, don’t focus so much on that and lose the fun. I did think this was Marilu’s best dance to date and I know she has the desire to do this and she has the skill to do it but she needs a breakthrough I think in the performance. It was a good performance, the creativity was great!

Cirque Zumanity

Amber Rose & Maksim Chmerkovskiy

#TeamSpicySalsa

Zumanity: Argentine Tango

Amber and Julianne had a bit of a misunderstanding from last week. I have met Julianne a few times and she is a complete sweetheart but, I also can see where Amber was coming from. Not every girl is a size 0 or 2 and every woman should celebrate what makes her sexy, curves and all. I felt that both women handled the interaction with class and demonstrated how women should handle issues, talk it out like grownups and move on. I thought Amber and Maks’s dance tonight was very sexy, filled with passion, intensity, content and really good.

Cirque "O"

Ryan Lochte & Cheryl Burke

“O”: Viennese Waltz

Ryan has been on quite a journey but, I really think he is showing improvement every week and allowing everyone in and to get to know him better. Their dance was beautiful, elegant and showed a lot of beautiful creativity. This show is about a journey and I love to route for individuals that are growing each week and improving. Ryan should be proud this week. Some individuals did yell something out when he was getting the judges’ comments but, I was glad to hear they were positive people yelling “Go Gators”.

Cirque The Beatles LOVE:

Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds & Allison Holker

#TeamHolkerFace

The Beatles LOVE: Tango

Oh I felt so bad for Babyface and Allison tonight. This was definitely not their best night. It was very tough needing to stay on time with the lights and it was just off. They are both really amazing, classy people and I wish it had gone better for them. I had a feeling they would be going home tonight.

Cirque "O"

Terra Jole’ & Sasha Farber

#TeamXL

“O”: Samba

Terra and Sasha have a great partnership. I hope Terra continues to believe in herself, girl you are a dancer! He’s pushing you because he knows you can do it! Terra goes out every week and just kills it and this week was no exception. It was sharp, crisp, had lots of hip action and content. Another job well done it’s always fun to watch this team hit the floor!

Cirque Michael Jackson ONE

Laurie Hernandez & Val Chmerkovskiy

Michael Jackson ONE: Jazz

I absolutely love seeing how happy and excited Val is this season. He always gives it his all but, you can see the joy this season. Laurie is just an inspiration. She works hard every week and comes out and just nails the performance. I had a feeling this dance was going to get the first perfect score of the season. It was absolute perfection. It was filled with sass and class and hard core dancing. Bravo and well deserved perfect scores!

Cirque La Nouba

Vanilla Ice & Witney Carson

#TeamIceNSpice

La Nouba: Viennese Waltz

Vanilla Ice really has impressed me. He clearly works hard at learning and still maintaining his schedule like many others do on the show. I really thought he was going to be the dark horse of the competition and be with us for a while. I thought their dance this week was choreographed really well by Witney and it was good. It went along with the character of the dance. Vanilla should be proud of the effort he put into the show.

Cirque PARAMOUR

Sharna Burgess & James Hinchcliffe