SI
SI
discoversearch

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor.  We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community.  If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.
Pastimes : Television and Movies -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?


To: Uncle Frank who wrote (2068)10/1/2008 1:30:23 PM
From: LindyBill1 Recommendation  Respond to of 17980
 
Man, this is DANCING!!

Clip O' The Day: Fosse
By Dirty Harry on Classic Films
youtube.com
My Sister Eileen (1955)

This number is called "Competition Dance," choreographed by the great Bob Fosse (he wears the dark jacket). The other dancer is Tommy Rall, one of the underrated dancers of his time.



To: Uncle Frank who wrote (2068)10/1/2008 7:39:08 PM
From: LindyBill  Respond to of 17980
 
One of the cleaner comments

Kim Kardashian voted off Dancing with the Stars

Kim Kardashian's run on Dancing with the Stars has come to an end already. She was surprisingly voted off last night considering followers of the show believed Cloris Leachman, who had the lowest score, would get the boot. E! Online reports:

Tonight's send-off was most definitely a family affair...Kim and her partner Mark Ballas were up against Cloris and her partner, Corky, who is Mark Ballas' father. And at the end, Kim took the news like a champ, mentioning it was the fifth anniversary of her own father's death, and she was sure he'd be proud of her.
"This was a huge challenge for me," Kim tells us tonight. "Every dance was a huge accomplishment for me and I did the best I could. And this was the best experience of my life."

Wow, Kim loses to old-as-hell Cloris Leachman then brings up it's the anniversary of her father's death. Of course, it is. Jesus. I swear, Kim has three boilerplate responses to bad news:

1. It's the anniversary of my dad's death.

2. I'm just trying to be a good role-model to my little sisters Kylie and Kendall.

3. Don't come back in this bedroom until you finish that Big Gulp.

thesuperficial.com



To: Uncle Frank who wrote (2068)10/2/2008 5:31:35 PM
From: LindyBill  Respond to of 17980
 
Cheryl put on quite a performance.

Cheryl needs to start pushing away from those night club tables a little sooner. I love her, and she is gorgeous, but she is making "wide right turns" these days.



To: Uncle Frank who wrote (2068)10/2/2008 5:42:27 PM
From: LindyBill  Respond to of 17980
 
Miley Cyrus to appear on 'Dancing With The Stars'
Posted on Wednesday, October 01, 2008 (EST)

Miley Cyrus has agreed to a request by Dancing With The Stars contestant and her Hannah Montana co-star Cody Linley to appear on an upcoming episode of the show. Photo Credit: Richard Beetham / Splash News

October 01, 2008, (Sawf News) - Miley Cyrus has agreed to a request by Dancing With The Stars contestant and her Hannah Montana co-star Cody Linley to appear on an upcoming episode of the show.

"I talked to Miley the other day and said, 'Hey, homey, I'm going to your birthday party, so you need to come see me on Dancing with the Stars!'" Linley told Usmagazine.com after Tuesday's show.

"She is super busy," he added, "but she is definitely planning on coming to see me!"

Miley, who turns 16 on November 23, will be celebrating her birthday on Sunday, October 5, with a bash at California's Disneyland.

Dancing With The Stars - A Teacher's Perspective on Week 2
FRED ASTAIRE DANCE STUDIOS

By Debra Stroiney

So I realized that some of my math was wrong last week regarding how many lessons the stars may have before the first show. Regardless, we don't know how much they are actually practicing and what they are doing compared to what has been edited for television. Now, on this past episode, it was stated that most have 3 days to learn their dance and routine, and the 4th day is used for blocking the cameras and stage, although there still may be some rehearsal time for actual dancing. So let's try the math again. 3 days at a possible 4 hours a day equals 12 lessons. Again, we don't know as much about the backgrounds of each star other than what they tell us. There are some stars that may have the time to practice 8 hours a day and some may not. But 3 days is still a very short amount of time to learn some of these dances and perform them the way that is needed.

Being trained to teach at Fred Astaire has allowed me to use a system of teaching that helps students make progress with their dancing. Fred Astaire himself said that there are no natural dancers; it is a skill that can be learned. I do believe this because I never ballroom danced until 4 years ago. That is why I try to do the same with my own students. Now have you ever had an instructor tell you that you are not ready to learn the Paso Doble, or that we can't teach you hip action right away because you just won't get it? They were correct in telling you this. I was watching this week and I realized that in only their 2nd week on the show they had to perform two more difficult dances. I then remembered on the first week they had to perform a Quickstep!

On Dancing with the Stars, there is no system of teaching. Therefore, when you walk into a studio after seeing a show and you ask to learn the Quickstep the instructors discourage you from it. There needs to be fundamental elements that you learn before you tackle a dance like the Quickstep. This also applies to the Paso Doble and Rumba.

The Paso Doble is all character and technique; if you do the steps alone, it only looks like marching. I was impressed with many of the Paso Doble routines on the show this week. I think everyone carried it off well for the training they had. On the other hand, those who dance Rumba gave away that they only had three to four days to practice and learn their routine. Many of the routines were good with some difficult tricks and poses. But, if you look really closely, you will notice that many did not have any hip action. There is only so much you can learn at one time. This is what the judges meant if they said they were stiff or did not have fluidity from one movement to another. If you also look closely, you will notice that the professional dancers did most of the work in the rumba routines. But there are a lot of tricks they are doing to cover up any lack of hip action and fluidity.

I am frequently surprised at some of the steps the professionals teach the stars for their routines. You would be surprised to know some of them are high level international steps not usually taught to someone who has only been dancing for about seven weeks.

I am so impressed by Warren. He really goes out there to perform and moves well. I hope everyone sees that it does not matter what size you are - anyone can dance if they learn how to develop their own balance and body awareness. Take a chance and try it. I bet you he is lighter on his feet than some people who are half his size.

OK, we all know that Cloris is not matching up to the other dancers on this show but lets give her a little credit. She is 82 years old!!!!!!! I wish the judges wouldn't be so hard on her sometimes. I know that she doesn't compare to the other dancers and they have to score that accordingly but I would just like to say if she was dancing at a regional competition where there are age categories she would be doing just fine. I think that Corky is doing a great job with her and giving her age appropriate routines. I truly hope, as many of us probably do, that I am alive, dancing and having fun at that age.

On the opposite end of the age spectrum we have Cody. I am also impressed with him because he seems comfortable with his body and how to move it. I have taught teenagers and at first you see their awkwardness as they are learning how to be comfortable in their own skin. But the best thing about that is they learn so quickly and can usually learn to overcome this giving them a confidence to deal with their teenage years. I am sure that Cody displays this confidence due to being a performer.

Speaking of being a performer before participating on this show, I urge you to make a connection between those with previous performance or other dance experience. In this season, Lance and Toni stand out as the performers to me. From being in the music industry, both have a connection with the music and know how to use the music to move around the stage. They may not always show traditional ballroom techniques and character but they are putting on a show that is enjoyable. Lance and Lacey are definitely not traditional but I have to say they are my favorites because of their entertainment value. Through the seasons, there have been many couples that do not have traditional ballroom routines. Also, if you want traditional ballroom routines then pick traditional ballroom music! The professionals are choreographing the dance to the music they are given. I don't think that the judges should be criticizing the performers for that, if anything it is using their creative talents to make it work for them. In my opinion, the last time I heard it the song "I kissed a girl" was a Swing not a Paso Doble. In fact it was played as a Swing at the last New England Regional Fred Astaire competition. These performers sometimes have an advantage over the ones that don't. I am happy to see when a professional is in tune with the background of their star and uses their strengths and develop their performance as opposed to forcing them into a character they're not comfortable with.

I think we have a tough competition ahead and I am curious to see who the judges keep marking low.

fred-astaire.blogspot.com



To: Uncle Frank who wrote (2068)10/2/2008 11:04:44 PM
From: LindyBill  Respond to of 17980
 
Carrie co-hosts CMA Awards

By Ken Barnes on Carrie Underwood

As you may have heard, Carrie has been selected to co-host this year's CMA Awards (Nov. 12, ABC, 8 p.m. ET) with Brad Paisley, a significant indicator of her status in Nashville. She'll also perform on the show.

Blondes take root in country music
By Brian Mansfield, Special for USA TODAY
Time was, you couldn't be a country singer if you didn't have a cowboy hat. These days, though, the most reliable route to a Nashville record deal seems to be through a reality show. It also helps if you're a cute blonde.

MORE: Six blond country gals conditioned by TV

Carrie Underwood walked off the American Idol set and straight into a Nashville studio; Kellie Pickler and Kristy Lee Cook followed. Miranda Lambert came from Nashville Star, Julianne Hough from Dancing With the Stars. Crossover act Jessica Simpson had Newlyweds: Nick & Jessica.

Country has plenty of blondes with no TV shows in their past — Taylor Swift, Sugarland's Jennifer Nettles, former Trick Pony lead singer Heidi Newfield — but TV exposure often gives artists a head start on acts coming up through traditional avenues.

"The great thing with that is instant recognizability," says Marci Braun, music director at Chicago country station WUSN-FM. "Right away, you know who Kristy Lee Cook is."

Artists with built-in audiences also don't have to rely as heavily on radio, which historically has been the primary way of breaking new acts.

"They have support among young girls who watch a lot of television, so they do sell in downloads," says radio consultant Jaye Albright.

Underwood has far outperformed the rest. She's had seven No. 1 hits, with another, Just a Dream, moving up the top 10. Lambert, Pickler, Hough, Simpson and Cook have yet to find their first chart-toppers.

"The success seems to be diminishing with each one," says David Ross, publisher of trade magazine Music Row. But consumers don't look at artists "as being the same thing they're ordering over and over."

Still, casual fans may have trouble keeping them straight. And there are indications that a little bit of these singers goes a long way with listeners. "We're seeing bad research on songs by some of these females," Albright says. "Not dislike, it's 'I'm tired of it.' "

Labels may be dipping too far into the talent pool looking for the next Underwood, who won Idol in 2005: Cook finished seventh last season. Several country stations, including KKGO in L.A., are taking a wait-and-see approach to Cook's 15 Minutes of Shame, currently No. 36 on USA TODAY's country airplay chart.

"I'm skeptical about the runner-ups until I see a proven single," says KKGO program director Tonya Campos.

Six country gals conditioned by reality TV
By Brian Mansfield, Special for USA TODAY
They have the golden ticket: Six of the 13 solo female acts now in the country charts' top 40 (album or single) are blondes who found fame on TV. "So what else is new?" asks radio consultant Jaye Albright. "One label finds something that works, and every label now wants two of them." USA TODAY assesses if their prospects match up with their blond ambitions.

MORE: Blondes are big in country, TV fame or not

Carrie Underwood

•TV series: American Idol (Season 4)
•Country chart debut: June 2005
•Current single: Just a Dream, No. 5

Blond highlights: Overcame the country community's aversion to her TV origins with humility and huge songs. Since winning Idol, the 25-year-old singer has become a core country artist, with 9 million albums sold. She's the Country Music Association's reigning female vocalist and up again for 2008.

Looking blonde-ly ahead: "She's young, she's beautiful, she loves country," says Gregg Swedberg, program director at KEEY in Minneapolis. "She's queen of the format."

Miranda Lambert

•TV series: Nashville Star
•Country chart debut: October 2004
•Current single: More Like Her, No. 42

Blond highlights: Lambert, 24, seems to have gotten television's benefits (she placed third) without its pressure: Her career trajectory has been slower and more stable than that of her blond peers. Gunpowder & Lead, her seventh single, became her first top 10 hit this summer, and she's competing with Underwood for the CMA female-vocalist trophy.

Looking blonde-ly ahead: Country fans "all want to be Carrie, but they see themselves in Miranda," Swedberg says.

Kellie Pickler

•TV series: American Idol (Season 5)
•Chart debut: September 2006
•Current single: Don't You Know You're Beautiful, No. 24

Blond highlights: Pickler, 22, who finished sixth on Idol, may always operate in Underwood's shadow. But by borrowing Dolly Parton's dumb-blonde-but-not-really shtick, Pickler has carved out a niche. She's sold 800,000 copies of her debut album (her second is new this week) without a top 10 hit.

Looking blonde-ly ahead: "I'm waiting for her to have a giant hit," says program director Mike Moore of KWJJ in Portland, Ore.

Julianne Hough

•TV series: Dancing With the Stars
•Country chart debut: March 2008
•Current single: My Hallelujah Song, No. 61

Blond highlights: Radio has shown only marginal interest in the DWTS hoofer, but Hough, 20, does have an audience. Single That Song in My Head, released in March, remains a top 50 country download on iTunes. Hough's self-titled album has sold more than 200,000 units — a figure likely to increase now that the new DWTS season has begun.

Looking blonde-ly ahead: She isn't "all the way home yet, but she stands a chance because she's hard not to like," Swedberg says.

Jessica Simpson

•TV series: Newlyweds: Nick & Jessica
•Country chart debut: June 2008
•Current single: Remember That, No. 54

Blond highlights: Simpson, 28, is obviously not just a TV star, though her MTV run certainly raised her profile. For pop princesses who go country, getting attention is easy; gaining respect is another matter. Single Come On Over fizzled in the mid-teens on radio, but the jury's still out: Second single Remember That is already iTunes' top country download.

Looking blonde-ly ahead: "She's running into some resistance," Moore says. But "she's really committed to this."

Kristy Lee Cook

•TV show: American Idol (Season 7)
•Chart debut: August 2008
•Current single: 15 Minutes of Shame, No. 36

Blond highlights: If Hough and Simpson have struggled to climb the charts, Cook, 24, has barely gotten a toehold. Her Why Wait album has sold fewer than 15,000 copies in two weeks, and her single has barely cracked the top 40. The single's title is an unfortunate choice for someone whose Idol performances were judged "whiny" and "horrendous."

Looking blonde-ly ahead: "It'll be interesting to see whether or not she stands out on her own away from Idol," Moore says.



To: Uncle Frank who wrote (2068)10/4/2008 3:43:03 PM
From: LindyBill  Read Replies (1) | Respond to of 17980
 
I think this will mean no elimination this week. They will have to come up with something else to hold the audience on the second night. Which has moved to Thursday.

Olympic gold medalist Misty May-Treanor will leave “Dancing With the Stars” after suffering an injury, Access Hollywood has learned.

A source close to the show revealed to Access that the volleyball star is out of the competition and will require surgery.

Though the competition was just two weeks old, Misty had already stepped out as a “Dancing” star on the rise.

She consistently received 21 points out of 30 for the host of dances she performed with partner Maksim Chmerkovskiy.

And just last week, Misty received some of her highest praise from the judges after performing an intense Paso Doble with Maks.

“Compared to what we [last] saw I want to thank you because that is the kind of determination we need,” judge Carrie Ann Inaba said on Monday’s show, before turning her attention to Maks. “You gave her one of the most ambitious routines in week two, what are you doing?”

And judge Bruno Tonioli also had high praise for Misty.

“It is mighty ‘Xena The Warrior Princess,’” he raved, a reference to how Misty tackled the dance floor in her black costume. “I love your energy, I love what you put into it. You forget the finesse — you put so much power [that] sometimes you stumble a little bit. But you do a good job.”

Backstage, following their performance, Misty told “Dancing” host Samantha Harris, she had been working extremely hard in rehearsals to conquer the ballroom.

“I was frustrated more in myself [during the dance],” she said. “He wants to see the best in me and I want the best out of me.”

Misty and Maks were slated to dance the jive in next week’s competition.

The Olympic champ had pulled double duty in recent weeks, competing on the AVP volleyball tour and training for “Dancing.”

Just two weeks ago, she and partner Kerri Walsh won the $1 million AVP Crocs Cup Shootout in Manhattan Beach, following their earlier victory on September 14 at the AVP Crocs Tour in San Francisco.

Who will win Dancing with the Stars?

- Brooke Burke 5/2

- Toni Braxton 4/1

- Warren Sapp 5/1

- Lance Bass 6/1

- Cody Linley 6/1

- Maurice Greene 8/1

- Susan Lucci 10/1

- Rocco DiSpirito 20/1

- Cloris Leachman 150/1