Tag: Anna Trebunskaya

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Why I’m Happy With the DWTS Finalist Results

So now everyone knows of tonight’s results, and who made it into next week’s finals on Dancing With the Stars: Jennifer Grey, Kyle Massey, and Bristol Palin. I really felt sorry for Brandy as she couldn’t help but cry at the results. And I thought she was a very good dancer. Actually, I think she’s an excellent dancer in general, and a good ballroom dancer.

But it seemed the judges and hosts felt it was Bristol who should have gone home. And last week on Jimmy Kimmel Live, Jimmy asked Kurt Warner and Anna Trebunskaya whether they thought Bristol should still be on the show – meaning did they think it was unfair Kurt was booted when Bristol remained. Both wisely refused to judge Bristol’s dancing. Tonight, when Brooke questioned him about the results, Maks Chmerkovskiy said he believed in the American system of freedom to vote for your favorite, meaning he also thought Brandy deserved to be there more than Bristol but that Bristol had won what was simply a popularity contest.

But, to me, this show isn’t about who’s been the best since day one and remained the best throughout. It’s about who works hard and improves the most. Bristol’s like a Kelly Osbourne, like a Kelly Monaco all the way back from season one. She’s the proverbial underdog – the one with no dance training, no performance background but a modicum of movement ability, enough anyway to work with throughout the rest of the show. And she did work with it. She was just a regular person and now she’s an accomplished ballroom dancer.

I like Brandy too, but to me Brandy was another Sabrina Bryan. She can obviously dance hip hop, and many of her ballroom dances looked a bit hip hop-py to me, which is completely normal since that’s her dance background. Bristol was more of a blank slate. And I think, at this point in the show, she’s more of a natural ballroom dancer than Brandy. And that’s what this show is about.

I think voters voted the way they did not because of Sarah Palin’s fan base for cry eye – please! – but because many felt the same way I did. A lot of this show’s contestants who started out not so hot ended up getting far: besides the aforementioned, Kate Gosselin, Christian de la Fuente (remember what a weightless goof he looked like at the beginning?), and I remember thinking Helio was cute but that he had a long way to go at the beginning of his season, and ditto for Drew Lachey and Emmitt Smith. I don’t think Bristol’s going to win the whole competition – I really think Jennifer’s going to win – but I’m not at all surprised she went as far as she did, as far as Kelly Osbourne.

I also like Bristol for the exact reason the judges keep criticizing her. I like that she’s natural and she “just” dances and doesn’t overact everything. Acting is for the story ballets, not ballroom. Yes, you should show some expression but it shouldn’t be about that. But, who knows, maybe I am just burned out from watching So You Think You Can Dance try-outs for five hours today in Brooklyn, where the judges constantly told the contestants, however breathtaking their movement and excellent their technique, that they either smiled too much, didn’t smile enough, only smiled once, made weird expressions, mouthed lyrics, looked down and not at the judges, danced too far away from the edge of the stage and hence not “to” the judges, etc. etc. etc. – all comments that had nothing to do with dance, basically.

But more on that soon. Anyway, I am happy with the DWTS final three: the Dirty Dancing star, the underdog who’s come from behind, and Mr. Entertainment. So, Bristol’s the exact opposite of the other two. I’m really excited now for next week in a way that I wouldn’t have been if the three finalists all had the same strengths.

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Dancing With the Stars: Insta Dance (and Classics)

Okay, I don’t want any of them to go home right now. I really like everyone who’s still on the show at this point and I want to them all to advance to the finals. I know, it’s impossible.

So, tonight was divided into two rounds: the classical standard round, then the new “instant dance” round, by which the couples are given their music minutes before they dance. Len explains that this is what an actual ballroom competition is like. Not in any competition I know of. True, they play generic music with the proper beat in the individual dance sections, but in those competitions you’re only competing in technique, not so much performance quality. I mean, those dances are not showdance – choreographed, cabaret-style performances set to certain music with certain lyrics – you know? They’re dances where you’re exhibiting your mastery of technique. So, I don’t know exactly what he’s talking about.

Anyway, on to the first round:

I thought Kyle and Lacey’s Viennese Waltz was really lovely. He is turning into a real ballroom dancer. His technique was excellent, his posture and carriage were elegant, he was graceful, and he really glided around the floor. I agree with Carrie Ann: “It was like a fairy tale come to life.”

They draw “Good Golly Miss Molly” for their “instant dance” which is a jive. So, now they have 45 minutes to prepare, and off they go to create their insta showdance.

Jennifer and Derek dance a Quickstep. Jennifer’s knee begins hurting in practice and the show’s doctor tells her she has severe tendinitis with serious inflammation. He tells her she needs to think about whether she wants to continue dancing or risk further injury to the tendon. Then her father, Joel Grey – awwww, so sweet – comes on and tells her simply, the show must go on. And on she goes.

And what a beautiful Quickstep! As perfect as perfect can be in my opinion. And I love her dress with the feathery pleats on the lower half of the skirt. And wow, Derek honestly looked like a real Fred Astaire. He did so well with that solo. I don’t think I’ve ever enjoyed watching him dance so much!

She draws “Waiting for a Girl Like You” by Foreigner for her instant dance. She’s never heard of it! Haha!

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TV Theme Week on Dancing With the Stars

I’m sorry for getting this up late, you guys! I went to a continuing legal education class last night (cross examination in buy and bust cases – I know, excitement uncontained!) and then I met up with a former colleague and we spent the whole evening catching up (and watching Yankees lose to the Rangers 🙁 ) Well, Jonathan was happy; I was sad. I need a parade! Anyway, I’m watching DWTS late. Here are my thoughts:

Since this is the mid-way point, they start out with critiquing the contestants’ progress. I understand why they do this but I can’t help but find it boring. I like to decide who I think is most improved myself.

First on are Brandy and Maks dancing a Quickstep to the theme from Friends. This week is going to be hard for me to judge since I don’t watch TV, but I did think her dancing was really marvelous. Her footwork was really near perfect. And she had the perfect pizzazz, sass, everything. She looked pretty polished, not perfect but really really close. By far her best dance. Good for her.

Predictably, Florence and Corky dance to The Brady Bunch theme. Aw, sweet how “Greg” (Barry Williams) shows up. I actually do remember him! How crazy that he’s older than Corky! They dance a tango (a standard tango, not Argentine), which doesn’t seem to fit the music theme-wise at all, though I guess rhythm-wise it does. Well, they do another purposefully cartoonish, purposefully goofy dance. I’m not understanding why Corky’s choosing to do these kinds of purposefully overwrought dances with her. Why isn’t he serious? I do think she did the footwork well and had the timing down, and she came through very well with what Corky asked of her. I don’t know. I didn’t like it but feel I can’t blame her for that. What did you guys think? Do you like to see her do goofy and comical instead of seeing how well she can really dance ballroom? Maybe people think it’s more entertaining this way?

Kurt and Anna dance a Quickstep to Bewitched.

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Acoustic Week on Dancing With the Stars

Hmm, so this week everyone is dancing on a smaller, circular floor raised several inches off the ground in order to accommodate the acoustic musicians. They’re also giving separate scores for technique and performance. Dances are Argentine tango and rumba.

First up are Kurt and Anna. It’s Kurt’s anniversary. Sweet 🙂 Of course, OF COURSE, they have to make a big deal out of how he’s married and doing a rumba with someone else. It’s like they expect that the show’s audience have never heard of acting, of you know, movies and plays and theater. Is it because so many people watch reality tv these days that they’ve forgotten about drama as an art form. I mean, is that what the show’s producers are assuming? I really don’t get it.

Anyway, I thought Kurt did pretty well with this. His hip action was nowhere near perfect – it wasn’t grounded enough and hence had that kind of superficial, swaying look. But he tried really hard and the fact that he did something with his hips makes him better than most first-timers. And his arms weren’t moving completely properly – not originating from the shoulder but more from the elbow. But performance-wise, I thought he was great. Very romantic! Very leading man-like! I would love to dance a rumba with him.

Brandy and Maks, rumba: They have to have a “romantic dinner” in order for her to get into the mood. She makes fun of him for the unromantic way he presents her with flowers. Gosh, I thought she danced this beautifully. Wow. This was by far her best dance yet. Near perfect rumba. She had the turn-out, her arms were gorgeous. Hip action-wise she could have settled into the hip of her standing leg a little more (as Len said) but really, it was almost perfect. Both performance-wise and technically.

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Dancing With the Stars, Season 11 Week 2

Yankees had better be doing better when I turn back to YES Network after the show is over. I mean, they’re losing 6-0 to Toronto after three innings!

Rick and Cheryl, Jive: Okay, well this is a dance that definitely suits a smaller body. First, I thought his lifting her skirt to reveal the word “tush” and the spanking, were completely corny, but whatever. I thought his steps were way too far apart. I mean, he’s a large man so his steps are naturally going to be bigger, but it also just lacked polish. He tried though. So far he is much better at Standard than Latin. I still like him.

Now it’s 7-0! Come on!

Florence and Corky, Quickstep: Corky’s so cute 🙂 Well, she had all the footwork down. That pivot turn was gorgeous. The only thing that was a little messed up was the small Charleston section. She was on the wrong foot when they started, I think, and then she got confused and just flubbed it. If you’re on the wrong foot, just go with it – don’t look at the guy doing the opposite footwork as you and freak out; make it look like it was supposed to be that way; like you’re doing alternative steps and not identical! Besides that, she got all the hard footwork down very well. But she looked very stiff in the upper body though, notwithstanding the smile. She needed to arch her upper back a little more. It’s understandable that she’s nervous but it can be painful to watch if the dancer’s really not relaxed.

Brandy and Maks, Jive: I loved that crazy arm crossing sequence! Very cute, and went well with this dance since they were supposed to be struggling with each other. But it seemed like they were really struggling with each other, almost fighting each other, so I’m assuming their bickering in their practice session was for real. I liked watching him but she seemed to lack precision and sharpness, which she shouldn’t — she has a natural talent for dance and she’s too good for that. They need to stop fighting.

Wooo, we got 2 points somewhere! Come on Derek Jeter!

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DANCING WITH THE STARS SEASON 10 CAST ANNOUNCED

 

The contestants are:

Pamela Anderson/Damian Whitewood
Chad Ochocinco/Cheryl Burke
Aiden Turner/Edyta Sliwinska
Erin Andrews/Maksim Chmerkovskiy
Shannen Doherty/Mark Ballas
Buzz Aldrin/Ashly Costa
Niecy Nash/Louis Van Amstel
Nicole Scherzinger/Derek Hough
Evan Lysacek/Anna Trebunskaya
Kate Gosselin/Tony Dovolani
Jake Pavelka/Chelsie Hightower

My thoughts:

Buzz Aldrin — wow! Evan Lysacek – wow!

I wonder when Julianne Hough is returning?

Above photo taken from EW.com.

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DANCING WITH THE STARS BRINGS ON THE NEW DANCES: LAMBADA, TWO-STEP, CHARLESTON AND BOLERO

I’ve never really learned any of these dances (other than some Charleston in Lindy Hop class) so I’m not sure if I can judge them properly, but I’ll try.

Chuck and Anna’s Two-Step: I thought he did well at some of it– particularly when he kicked in back and slapped opposite hand to opposite foot — but other than that, it seemed like he was walking most of the time, while she was giving her steps more flair. Social dancing is basically walking with attitude but much of his performance here was just walking.

Mark and Melissa’s Charlie Chaplinesque Charleston was absolute brilliance. Wow. That was her best dance by far. Her steps were so perfect, her little bounce spot-on, her character acting perfect, and even the lifts were marvelous. Often non-pro female dancers’ difficulty with the lifts stems from not being able to hold yourself properly in the air, not having the correct shaping (since you don’t realize how hard it is to maintain proper shape with no floor beneath you), but her shapes up there were excellent. I’m so impressed!

Natalie and Alec’s Bolero: Well, given their angst-filled practice it went a lot better than I was expecting.

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BAZ LUHRMANN SHOULD REPLACE BRUNO ON DWTS

No, I shouldn’t say that. Not after tonight, when Bruno actually behaved for once! Baz was sweet. And young! He must have been 20 when Strictly Ballroom came out?… I’m glad that movie’s mention received the most cheers by the audience. Makes me feel like viewers really do respect ballroom; like this show’s not all about celebrity.

Anyway, I thought all of the dancers did a little better tonight than last week; some — like Melissa — were greatly improved. I think my favorites overall were still Donny Osmond and Kym — he’s just too much fun and so cute! He had all that fast footwork in the Jive so down, from the tricks, the flicks, the kicks, the slides, the character — all of it.

Other favorites were Mark and Lacey’s Quickstep — wow, he can really dance: that high jete in sync, that leapfrog over her head, the runs, the footwork. Very polished, and very athletic. I didn’t expect that from a chef…

I also liked Mya and Dmitry’s Jive. I think she is a natural. She did those turns like a pro

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MANHATTAN DANCESPORT CHAMPIONSHIP HIGHLIGHTS

Sorry I am so late with this post, now that it’s been two weeks since MDC. Once again, ballet season kind of took over…

 

One of the biggest highlights for me this year was Emmanuel Pierre Antoine dancing with his new partner, Lianna, in the Pro Rhythm championships (pictured above). I like the way the pictures came out in sepia better than color, but if you want to see dress colors, etc. you can see all the color photos here. Emmanuel is a longtime favorite of mine and I always enjoy watching him. He has such character and his routines are always quite original. He and Lianna placed second in all dances, behind the champions for several years now, Joanna Zacharewicz and Jose DeCamps, but I actually thought they outdanced Jose and Joanna in a couple of dances, particularly with their expressive, jump-heavy Mambo and their Bolero, which was really beautiful with some nice spins. Dance Beat felt the same. But, as I’ve said many times before and I’ll say again, it’s definitely not unusual for the judges to give the top award (with wins in all five dances no less) to the same couple year after year, until that couple retires.

Other highlights, as always for me were the Pro Latin and Pro Standard events, which Riccardo Cocchi and Yulia Zagoruychenko won rather easily in the former,

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and Katusha Demidova and Arunas Bizokas even more easily in the latter.

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Both couples who normally place second in these events didn’t compete: Anna Mikhed and Victor Fung in Standard didn’t attend, and Eugene Katsevman and Maria Manusova (photo below of their heated Paso) showed but had to withdraw after the first round because of an injury (hers I’m told).

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A shame since I always love watching Eugene and Maria.

Arunas and Katusha danced really really beautifully, as always, and according to Dance Beat, received perfect scores. Such an elegant couple, their dancing so radiant and rich and luxurious and full, you just can’t take your eyes off of them no matter what they’re doing, even when simply getting ready to take off.

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And Riccardo and Yulia are so much fun. His Jive is to die for, as are her Rumba walks.

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I kind of like this picture even though the light is obscuring Riccardo’s face because to me it shows the excitement of a competition, with the couples making full use of the floor, kind of darting across and seemingly coming right at you as such, no matter where you’re sitting. I think they’re doing Samba promenade runs here. Riccardo is a bit of a flirt, I noticed, flashing his cute smile, with raised eyebrows, at women sitting in the front seats. I think it’s an Italian thing, though. Maurizio Vescovo does the same thing (he dances for Hungary and so doesn’t come to these U.S. comps but I’ve seen him at Blackpool) and our fancy new ABT ballerino Roberto Bolle winks at audience members during curtain calls.

Speaking of Samba, interesting but Riccardo and Yulia actually messed up during the finals. He pushed her a little too far out at one point and she tripped. She didn’t fall but she was noticeably taken off balance. She recovered easily though and the judges apparently didn’t take any deductions, or else they did and it didn’t matter.

Second place couple was one of my favorites, a tall, thin pair from Bulgaria, Delyan Terziev and Boriana Deltcheva. Delyan is a really charming dancer and very personable too — he often wins awards for best teacher. And Boriana has such long limbs, she makes these really gorgeous, spidery lines. And, in my mind, she always wins the award for best costume 🙂

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Even though it’s not centered, I like this picture. They’re married, they’re cute 🙂

Other highlights were JT Thomas and Tomas Mielnicki, always snazzy, winning Pro Smooth, with the very popular Mazen Hamza and Lisa Vogel placing right behind them (wow, did they get lots of applause).

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(JT and Tomas above; Mazen and Lisa below)

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And of course the Amateur Latin was as always a blast. Valentin Chmerkovskiy and his new partner Daria Chesnokova took first, and I loved them. I’d liked his old partner Valeriya Kozharinova, but I always thought he was significantly better than she and that it looked like she wasn’t as emotionally involved in the dance as he (as if she was just going through the steps). But Daria is not at all like that — she is more his equal. I think they’re going to go far.

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And placing second were a couple I’ve long liked, Oleksandr Althukhov and Oksana Dmytrenko, who I’ve watched coached at my old studio, Dance Times Square. At first I didn’t recognize their names, since I’ve always heard him called Sasha 🙂 Russian nicknames!

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Other highlights: Event founder (and former U.S. National ten-dance champion) Gary McDonald, dancing with two other guys, did a fun tribute to Michael Jackson complete with moon walks and floor spins. They also played Michael Jackson music in between the heats and during awards ceremonies, which was nice.

 

 

Judges and scorers and just people in attendance included Tony Dovolani, Mayo Alanen and Anna Demidova from Dancing With the Stars, which made me think of my friend Sharon Balik, who passed away several weeks ago and who I still think a lot about. She loved that show, especially loved Dovolani, and she so would have enjoyed this competition. Also partial to Maks Chmerkovskiy and so always very interested in hearing how his little brother placed, she would have loved to know how well he and his new partner are faring. I’m still so sad about her.

 

 

I missed watching Pavlo Barsuk — whose intensity is always mesmerizing to me — now that he has broken up with Anna Trebunskaya, but I saw him in the ballroom watching. I’ll look forward to seeing him and his new partner compete, when they are ready. I also saw Andrei Gavriline and Elena Kruschkova in the ballroom watching. They’re former US National Latin champs, now retired, and I miss watching them. And another favorite Latin couple of mine — Vaidotas Skimelis and Jurga Puplyte — he reminds me of my favorite ballet dancer, Marcelo Gomes — this is the second year they haven’t shown up for this competition. I know they’re based in California and traveling is expensive, but c’mon man, when am I going to get to see them again? I guess I really do have to go to Blackpool next year.

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America’s Ballroom Challenge

 

 

So, what did you guys think about the show?

I was worried I’d be mad about the new format but I really ended up thinking this one worked better, at least for TV, even if it is fake. For people who’ve never been to a regular ballroom dance competition before, the competition is really the first parts, the group dances (as shown in the picture above) — that they severly truncated here, showing only a small part of one dance for each of the four categories. But I do think the showdances work so much better for TV. On TV the excitement of the group dances is really lost. But it’s so stunning to see, to feel, all these couples whizzing by you, spinning, shaking their hips at lightening speed, to hear the crowds cheer, scream really, while all the couples try to look so glamorous and graceful, the raucous audience making it seem more like a boxing match. I encourage everyone who hasn’t been to go to a real competition.

Anyway, it wasn’t much of a surprise that Riccardo Cocchi and Yulia Zagoruychenko won — they’re second in the world in Latin, and I’m wondering, after watching them in November (which is when this show was taped), if they could overtake the current champs, Poland’s Michael Malitowski and Joanna Leunis, at some point. I loved their Cha Cha tonight (with her in the sizzling red and him in the open tux jacket), their Samba, and their combo routine to the pure percussion (which I love — I love that they’re not afraid to use that kind of music). I love how they vary the rhythms in an often unpredictable way, I love his speed and how she makes original shapes with her body, especially when she tucks in her stomach, rolls her shoulders, and curls her pelvis, looking almost like a cobra. Or is it a python? The snake that lifts its front part and expands its head, ghost-like, before attacking?… (I don’t really want to do a google image search) Anyway, I really really love them– Yulia and Riccardo.

Since the two top Standard couples — Arunas Bizokas and Katusha Demidova and Victor Fung and Anna Mikhed — were at another competition (I think in the U.K.) at the same time as the Ohio Star Ball and didn’t compete, it was really a toss up who would win. I thought Linas Koreiva and Liene Apale would win — I thought they danced the best — though I loved the balletic look to Mikhail Avdeev and Anastasia’s beautiful waltz. I love how in all their routines

— oooh, Oscar Hijuelos (one of my favorite writers, author of Mambo Kings Play Songs of Love) is on Larry King, PBS! He is WAY the hell younger than I thought… —

sorry,  just had to say that. 🙂 Anyway, I love how Mikhail and Anastasia’s dances were all basic, yet so well done, so beautifully executed. Shows how dance is more about excellent technique and lush, expansive movement than tricks. And I love that they used classical music instead of going for the modern and poppy.

Totally predictable of course that Joanna Zacharewicz and Jose DeCamps would win Rhythm — and how much do I love that there are Joses in the world — how hot was that mambo! And that John Travolta! He is truly one of the most charismatic dancers in all of ballroom.

And Jonathan Roberts and Valentina were lovely. I do believe she is the powerhouse of that partnership. She really shines and her form is so splendid. His is less so (and I caught him pigeon-toed a few times), though he is a solid support for her, which is mainly what the man is supposed to be. I liked J.T. Thomas and Tomasz Mielnicki’s snazzy Foxtrot, though I’ve seen both couples in competition before and can see how Jonathan and Valentina took the whole without winning the showdance portion.

Oh, before I forget, what did you guys think of that Swan Lake dance at the beginning of the program, by Mikhail Zharinov and Galina Detkina in the American Smooth division? It was one of the very first ones, if you can remember. If you didn’t notice — and the announcers didn’t point it out — she was wearing a long white glove on her right arm, with a swan’s face and beak painted on the thumb and fingers. So, the way she was holding that arm up and bending her wrist like she did, when you see it up close (as I did at Champions of the Dance recently here in NY at Town Hall), her whole body really does look like a swan, with her hand the head, her arm the neck, and her skirt — when pulled out and held to the back (either by him or by her) — the body. I couldn’t figure out how I felt about it when I saw it live — whether I thought it was cheesy or pretty, and, after seeing it from further afar, on TV, I choose the latter.

Other things: I love my Vaidotas Skimelis 🙂 Dressed as Mozart! Or was it Louis the XVI and Jurga Pupelyte Marie Antoinette? What a big fun charming goof. But an excellent dancer. Their dance was rather humorous but they still had very nice form and some creative choreography and he had some jumps and stylized runs that showed he really could be a balletic, graceful dancer, large as he is.

And why do I have no problem envisioning Boriana Deltcheva as a cat! She’s so feline already; I love the way she climbed on Delyan’s back and wrapped her legs around his waist. She’s such a tall, thin thing, she looked just like a sleek black catwoman. She has the ideal body. She put a note up on Facebook a while ago advertising that she was selling some of her costumes and I had to laugh — like everyone the planet over wishes they could fit into them 🙂

Another highlight: Gherman Mustuc and Iveta Lukosiute’s Carmen tango in the Standard. They always come up with such creative showdance ideas. Such great music, and her red dress was gorgeous.

Pavlo Barsuk and Anna Trebunskaya: how insanely intense was that Paso! I love intense Pasos! And he is the ultimate in the intensity department, believe me – -if you even see him dance live, he does this thing where his eyes grow really wide; he looks like he could devour you for lunch — or his competition anyway. Such a funny contrast to her sweet face and toothy chipmunk smile.

And of course Eugene Katsevman and Maria Manusova — sorry, I’m really into the Latins, obviously. They recently danced at the Dance Times Square showcase and I totally fell for them. He is so damn fast and slick and precise. And they ended one of their dances at the DTS show with that ending trick they did tonight in the Cha Cha, if you remember it — where he flips and drops her, catching her right before she’s about to hit the floor, face down. DTS audience went WILD.

Anyway, enough from me. What did you guys think?