Hope Solo Told To Be More “Feminine” ...

Tag: Reality Television- Dance

Hope Solo Told To Be More “Feminine” on Dancing With The Stars!
By: Amy Rolph
Former Husky star Hope Solo will have to act more ladylike if she’s going to win a disco-ball trophy on ABC’s “Dancing with the Stars.”
Judges said Monday that Solo, a Washington native and the starting goalkeeper for the US women’s national soccer team, needs to be less about “muscling things” and a “bit more feminine” if she’s going to win the competition.  Solo danced the Viennese waltz with partner Maksim Chmerkovskiy in a two-hour episode of the show that aired Monday evening. The results of the first round will be announced in a Tuesday episode, and the “star” with the lowest scores will be sent packing. That’s not likely to be Solo. The show’s three judges awarded her 21 points out of 30, one of the highest scores of the evening. Even so, they commented that she needs to leave some of her athleticism off the dance floor. “You look like you’re punching me in the face,” judge  Bruno Tonioli said. “You guys were connected like glue and that was wonderful,” Carrie Ann Inaba added a bit more politely. “Just be aware of muscling things — it’s a natural tendency for you.” Solo said during a televised rehearsal with Chmerkovskiy that she knew her athleticism might be a hurdle in ballroom dancing, a realm where women tend to be dainty and delicate. “I can’t dance — I’m like a stiff athlete,” Solo said in her signature high, squeaky voice. (Doesn’t that voice count for something, judges?) Later, gesturing to her outstretched arm: “There’s too much muscle in that arm to be pretty.” Pretty might be too innocent a word for the outfit Solo wore during her performance. The backless — and let’s be honest,  nearly frontless — dress made of a shimmery, white fabric was one of the more revealing costumes of the evening. Solo isn’t shy about things like that; she recently posed nude for ESPN Magazine. But it may be that stopping all those soccer balls has made her skin a little thin. She wrote on Twitter: “I had an amazing time tonight on dwts, too bad Amy Rolph and our own seattle times writer has no idea what she’s talking about. I’m proud.” We’re not sure if she confused seattlepi.com and the Dead Tree Publication. The contest will be a test of Solo’s skills on the dance floor, but also a test of her fans’ dedication. The show is partly a popularity contest based on call-in votes after performances, and winners usually have the backing of an active group of admirers. The University of Washington  is already trying to mobilize sports fans to vote, releasing a statement Monday calling for votes after Solo’s performance.
To vote for “Team Hope and Maksim,” fans can call the to ...

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Dancing With The Stars- A New Ballroo...

Tag: Reality Television- Dance

By Chris Matyszczyk.
 (CBS) A new ballroom, a controversial cast. Oh, and Chaz Bono, too.
Who couldn't imagine that this 13th season of "Dancing with the Stars" wouldn't be lucky, plucky and, even occasionally, yucky?
The opening night of what promises to be, yet again, television's most peculiar spectacle began with the extremely peculiar Ron Artest. He has changed his name to Metta World Peace, but decided to perform under his former name, old school-style. Artest has a problem, neatly described by his partner, Peta Murgatroyd: "He's tall and he's stiff."
These are not the two greatest attributes for a cha-cha. Indeed, Artest moved with all the freedom of Shaq in his doting period. It was as if the Statue of Liberty had been animated, on an extremely tight budget, by Ray Harryhausen.
"The same old shimmying about," said head judge Len Goodman. "Your footwork was atrocious."
"The Dance-a-Tron has landed," said Bruno Tonioli. That was the most complimentary he could manage.
Carrie Ann Inaba suggested Artest was both "eccentric" and "sexy", but not (yet) so good at dancing.
Artest looked as if he was about to incur a technical when he espied his paltry scores.
In the presence of Artest's fellow Laker, Lamar Odom - he who is husband to Khloe Kardashian - and all the sisters, the lesser-known brother, Rob Kardashian, took to the floor. Kardashian declared he wanted to step out of the shadow of his siblings and do his own thing. Perhaps Kim hadn't mentioned that she had once been on this show (though not for long).
Kardashian took to the floor for his waltz like a centipede takes to leglessness. He stumbled around, staring into a yonder that was less blue and more entirely beyond color. If Artest was stiff, Kardashian could support the average house roof.
"You danced that waltz like you were under strict orders to succeed," declared Tonioli. He added that Kardashian looked "petrified".
Inaba claimed she saw potential, even though she found it "a little rigid."
Then we had Kristin Cavallari, who began by claiming that she is "not a bitch". Which was a relief. The dancing arts already enjoy far too much appalling behavior - anyone who saw "Black Swan" knows that. How sweet that here was a pleasant, engaging reality star ready to just emit good karma.
Cavallari showed remarkable energy. It was as if she had channeled her alleged former bitchiness into fast-twitchiness of the limbs. She was sprightly, with elegant, expressive arms and even more elegant, expressive teeth. She did allow partner Mark Ballas some "is Michael Jackson really dead?" solos, while she stood and admired, but managed to show enough to offer hope.
"You have the body to ballroom dance, girlfriend," said Inaba, perhaps hoping to make the Chicago Bears' Jay Cutler, Cavallari's former fiancé, a little envious.
"I love a bad girl," said Tonioli, attempting persuasive conviction.
Chynna Phillips, last seen making a cameo with Wilson Phillips at the end of "Bri ...

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"Dancing With The Stars"- Week One Re...

Tag: Reality Television- Dance

 
RANKINGS OF DANCING WITH THE STARS WEEK ONE
By: Every Merchant Network
12. Elizabeth Canalis (15/30)- With her boring dancing and little known status here in America, it’s no surprise that she came in last place this week. While she may be an actress in Italy, all she’s known for here is dating George Clooney.
11. Rob Kardashian (16/30)-  If there’s anything worse than only being famous for a sex tape (ahem- Kim), it’s only being famous because your sister was in a sex tape. At least his dancing wasn’t atrocious.
10. Nancy Grace (16/30)- Although, self- admittedly Nancy is not a great dancer, it was nice to see a different side to the tough talking attorney.  She looked surprisingly feminine and seemed to be having fun- a commendable effort.
9.  Ron Artest (14/30)- While he didn’t have the highest score, he definitely was having fun! Maybe being a professional athlete will give him an edge during the exhausting dance rehearsals. 
8. Chaz Bono (17/30) – His dancing fell right in the middle of the pack. But what did you expect? His sex change operation didn’t come with dancing skills, but still, he made an admirable effort.  With his spot on the show raising awareness of the LGBT community, let’s hope he sticks around!
7. Kristin Cavallari (19/30)- *Sigh* - Another reality star.
6. David Arquette (18/30) – We are definitely seeing another side to this goofy actor. David’s charm translated fairly well onto the dance floor.  With turmoil happening in his personal life, it’s nice to see his professional life going smoothly.
5. Carson Kressley (17/30)- Carson is a born entertainer and definitely here to stay!
4. Hope Solo- (21/30)- It would seem professional athletes have the edge over the other stars., as they already have the drive and discipline to excel at one sport.  Her popularity skyrocketed during the 2011 World Cup and her likeability factor is really high.   Hope is definitely going to make it far in the competition.
3. Chynna Phillips (22/30)- Combine Chynna’s beautiful performance with her “nostalgia factor” (given her parents were in The Mamas and The Papas) and it seems like she has winning potential for this season.
2. Ricki Lake (20/30) – Perhaps it’s her years on tv, but Ricki looked very relaxed on the dance floor.  And after watching her for years on daytime television, people feel as if they personally know her.  She’s a relatable woman with a diverse fan base- she has the potential to take this.
1. J.R. Martinez (22/30) – Who expected a soldier to dance such a beautiful waltz? With such a captivating back story and great dancing skills, J.R. is definitely going to be a crowd favorite.