Dancing with the Stars – Ladies First

So, we’re off and running on another season of Dancing with the Stars. But before we get to that, I want to thank John for a chance to guest blog here. I’ve been a faithful reader for a while and hope I can meet the standard of excellence he has set.

I took a little ballroom dance in high school, so as soon as this show was announced, I started watching. Let’s just say the little bit of dancing I did is nothing compared to what they do on this show. But even though I have no real basis for judging the dancing, I still love playing arm chair critic.

Okay, on with the show.

So, host Tom Bergeron starts out calling the three night premier a twist. No, Tom, this isn’t a twist. It’s just a way to make sure everyone gets enough time to really dance, which with twelve couples is a good thing. But a twist? Not at all.

And it is fun to see Drew Lachey filling in for Samantha Harris. Congrats to Samantha on the birth of her baby.

Having the pros start out dancing is a great high energy way to start the season. I always love watching them dance since they do it so well. It’s obvious why they are pros. I can’t imagine how they get these routines worked out while practicing with their stars, but they are always great.

Now, the couples themselves.

Jennie Garth & Derek Hough – Cha Cha – I must admit to being a fan of Beverly Hills 90210 and What I Like About You, so Jennie had my support from the get go. Usually, the star I am rooting for from the beginning doesn’t go as far as I would like, all but one season because they weren’t as good as their competition. However, Jennie is off to a strong start, which is especially important being the first one out of the gate. As usual, I don’t notice what the judges pick on, but they mix the praise with the criticism.  Scores: Carrie Ann – 7 Len- 7 Bruno- 7 Total – 21 That’s always a good start, but with how well the others did, Jennie has some stiff competition.

Josie Maran & Alec Mazo – Well, they had my favorite song of the night. Even before the judges started talking, I thought Alec seemed to be doing more of the routine then Josie. While the male stars can get away with that, the female is supposed to do the majority of the dancing. Still, it was nice to have my opinion backed up by someone who knows what he’s talking about.  Scores: Carrie Ann – 6 Len – 5 Bruno – 5 Total – 16 Seems a little harsh, but I do agree that Josie is the weak link of the women.

Sabrina Ryan & Mark Ballas – Cha Cha – Did they have to use that song? I hate "Don’t You Wish Your Girlfriend was Hot like Me?" That aside, I really liked their routine. It was fun and fast. I was worried when they started talking about incorporating Hip Hop during the pre dance interviews, but it actually seemed to work. This was a great debut. Having said that, I do agree with Carrie Anne and Len that this is about learning Ballroom. Scores: Carrie Ann – 9, Len – 8 Bruno – 9 Total -26 That’s stronger then I expected since they didn’t stick to the Cha Cha, but I still think they are a couple to watch out for.

Marie Osmond & Jonathan Roberts – Fox Trot – Their dance was very elegant and smooth. Some nice holds. It seems harder to me to have fun with the ballroom dances, but they had lots of fun. I liked it. And I loved Bruno’s comment, "Sassy and Classy" Scores: Carrie Ann – 7 Len – 7 Bruno – 7 Total – 21 Seems a little low to me, especially considering the great comments. I think I’d have fun watching them do more, so I hope they stick around.

"Scary Spice" Mel B. & Maksim Chmerkovskiy – Cha Cha – Frankly, I found the dance fun but average. I felt there was lots of great energy. But I found their dancing apart to be too much about show without any real results. Maybe that’s the difference. I am actually surprised that the judges seemed to be happier with it then I was. Scores: Carrie Ann – 8 Len – 8 Bruno – 8 Total – 24 I think that this is in line with the comments, but it seems a little high to me.

Jane Seymour & Tony Dovolani – Fox Trot – So they are shooting for class and grace. It was elegant, but I actually liked Marie’s better. The judges picked on their turns, which I didn’t think anything about. Guess that’s why they are the judge and I am the blogger. Scores: Carrie Ann – 8 Len – 8 Bruno – 8 Total – 24 Seems about right to me, but I still think Marie’s should have been closer to this, too.

I’ve got to say the men have some stiff competition. I could see any of these women pulling off a win. Josie would need to work very hard, but even she could do it.

So far, the judges standings have the women ranked like this:

1. Sabrina
2 (tie). Mel
2 (tie). Jane
4 (tie). Jennie
4 (tie). Marie
6. Josie

My ranking:

1. Sabrina
2. Marie
3. Jennie
4. Jane
5. Mel
6. Josie

So now we’ll have to see how the men do.

Editors Note: Everyone please welcome Mark as our official Dancing With The Stars reviewer. You can find the bios of all out guest authors on our new Author Bios page. We are still looking for guest authors for the following shows: Desperate Housewives, Dirty Sexy Money, Boston Legal, Big Shorts, and a few others. If interested please drop me a line.