March 2008

Season 6 of Dancing with the Stars could be the best one ever! No, really. Unlike the best ever season of American Idol or Top Chef, this DWTS season is bringing some serious competition. The men are okay, but the women have serious contenders this year. Could this be the year a female takes home the mirror ball trophy?

Even though Adam Carolla got the lowest Week 1 scores, he’s paired with popular two time champ, Julianne Hough, and his comments reinforce his image as the “everyday guy.” I think the public can relate to him and will keep him around. I don’t know what to make of Cristian de la Fuente. Him and Cheryl Burke make a hot international couple (unlike the celibate Drew Lachey and Cheryl combo) but his dancing needs work. Steve Guttenberg looks older since I remember him from back in the day, but he did look as if he genuinely had fun on the floor, and that is something difficult to attain. Magician Penn Jillette’s performances could be very entertaining with magic tricks worked in but… his size and age don’t help his mobility. Unfortunately, Penn and Kym Johnson could be the first casualty of Season Six.

Karina Smirnoff almost won with Mario Lopez so can she win the elusive championship with R&B singer, Mario? Mario is the youngest competitor and has smooth moves ala Michael Jackson. He just needs to tone down the attitude a bit. Miami Dolphin’s defensive end, Jason Taylor, has nothing to be defensive about with his first foxtrot. This NFL-er surprises everyone with his grace, and he should have a better season on the dance floor than on the grid iron.

I was surprised by the first performances by the women. Shannon Elizabeth started it off and she brought it along with partner Derek Hough. I guess baring herself in American Pie readies yourself to dance in front of millions. The most anticipated performance was owned by the deaf Marlee Matlin. Just how can she dance without hearing the music? I don’t know, but she did better than expected. Sure, she was off-timed a bit here and there, but overall, she moved well. I think her and her partner, Fabian Sanchez, rely on visual cues to keep in sync. It’s a little odd to hear Marlee translated since her sign language interpreter is a guy so when she “talks,” you hear a dude’s voice.

Priscilla Presley surprised me the most of all the dancers. As the eldest dancer this year, she didn’t move like it. So her face might have been frozen by too much botox, but the rest of her danced fluidly and elegantly. Got to wait for an uptempo dance to see if she’s legit. The other surprise of Ladies Night was the stiffness of Monica Seles. As a tennis champion, I stereotyped her as nimble and fleetfooted. Instead, I think nerves got to her, and she might be the female to go in the first elimination. Marissa Jaret Winokur let it out there which is a problem. She can shake what her mama gave her, but she’s got to reign it back in. Her personality and dancing style is simply too much. Of all Week 1 performances, the best was owned by Kristi Yamaguchi and partner Mark Ballas. Their score of 27 was the highest first score of the entire DWTS series. I guess those “Ice Capades” years helped develop some dancing technique.

Technorati Tags: Dancing with the Stars, television