Dancing with the Stars

Female wrestler Stacy Keibler and professional dancer Tony Dovolani placed third on the second season of ABC’s Dancing with the Stars.

Bob D’Amico / ABC

I can only imagine what went through the minds of Dancing with the Stars celebrities like wrestler Stacy Keibler, radio personality Adam Corolla or country music star Sara Evans when they were asked to participate as dancer/contestants on the ABC hit show. Were they really hoping to enter the world of competitive ballroom dancing? Or did they see the offer as an opportunity to raise their celebrity with the American public?

With that scenario in mind, I created a list of all of the 54 stars that have competed in the show over the last six seasons. I wanted to know things like, who were the most popular stars across all seasons? Did they maintain the same level of celebrity after their season concluded? What were these stars associated with in the minds of Internet searchers?

Over the last three years, the most searched for celebrity dancer was Stacy Keibler, with over five times the searches of any other contestant. Searches for the leggy blonde finalist in the show’s second season weren’t for her samba, waltz or cha-cha; searchers were primarily interested in finding pictures, specifically “hot pictures,” of the female wrestler. One thing that can be said for Stacy’s searches is that they have sustained after her 2006 appearance on the show, more than doubling the volume of searches she experienced before taking up ballroom dancing and at peak times increasing over 1700%. With search terms as a proxy for her increased celebrity, Dancing with the Stars has clearly bolstered Stacy’s career.

For other show stars, controversy was the primary fuel for very limited brief spikes. The single greatest one-week spike, for example, was for third season contestant and country music star Sara Evans. Sara’s search spike — over 8,000 times the normal level for searches on her name — actually had nothing to do with her participation in the show, but everything to do with her quitting the show mid-season due to a very messy and very public divorce from her politician husband.

Searchers flocked to their favorite search engine during season five to search for videos of Marie Osmond on the show. They were looking for one specific video clip that showed her fainting on live television. Subsequent Marie searches focused on the authenticity of her fainting spell, with some queries clearly questioning whether the brief bout of unconsciousness was a publicity conspiracy.

If we fast-forward to recent weeks, despite being voted off two weeks ago, the most searched for star dancer is Priscilla Presley. In comparing searches for her name against all other dancers who have participated on the show through the years, she received 24.9% of all searches during the last four weeks. But, as with online interest in other contestants, searchers were most fascinated with her looks. Top Priscilla searches included “Priscilla Presley plastic surgery,” “Priscilla Presley facelift” and “Priscilla Presley’s face.”

With the exception of Stacy Keibler’s sustained post-show fame, online attention is more likely to be generated by scandal than dancing prowess. Searches surrounding Dancing with the Stars reveal that our fascination with celebrities has everything to do with their outward appearance, their weaknesses and any salacious details that might be available online.

Bill Tancer is general manager of global research at Hitwise

Time

Evolution of Dance

On ‘Dancing With the Stars,’ an unlikely formula proves to be a winner

Everything you know about fame is wrong: such is the lesson imparted by “Dancing With the Stars,” the improbable ABC success story that began its sixth season last week. In this universe, B- and C-listers are elevated to water cooler chat fodder — who knew there were pleasures to be found in Stacy Keibler, the leggy World Wrestling Entertainment diva, nailing the finer points of the samba? — and professional ballroom dancers are granted access to Los Angeles’ hottest nightspots and tracked by TMZ.

Maksim Chmerkovskiy’s favorite dance? “The horizontal mambo.”

Sadly, Chmerkovskiy has opted out of Season 6, though he was in truth too beautiful for this variety show, which thrills in the ridiculous. “DWTS” is as close as television gets to a Las Vegas song-and-dance revue. It is unrelentingly tacky and doesn’t aspire to much beyond that, though the studio audience does dress up, as they would for a real ballroom competition. At its best, “DWTS” shows the transformation of an amateur into something greater. But even then, technique matters, and it is difficult to watch someone do something almost well.

Unlike on “American Idol” or “So You Think You Can Dance?” where those who underperform are routinely ridiculed, the stars here need not have particularly thick skin. The judges can be firm, but they are also sometimes ridiculous — Bruno Tonioli is especially unpleasant, like an excitable monkey — but everyone knows that should a contestant fail to master the fox trot, the planet will not be thrust off its axis. And in some cases — recall Master P’s disastrous and yet somehow redemptive run in Season 2 — even woeful inadequacy is celebrated. Here, there is no shame in being Sanjaya.

“DWTS,” which is adapted from England’s “Strictly Come Dancing,” arrives at the intersection of two TV phenomena — dance competitions (“Randy Jackson Presents America’s Best Dance Crew” on MTV, “Step It Up and Dance” on Bravo, “America’s Ballroom Challenge” on PBS) and celebrities yanked out of their comfort zones (“The Celebrity Apprentice” on NBC, “Skating With Celebrities” on Fox, the underwatched “Ty Murray’s Celebrity Bull Riding Challenge” on CMT and, of course, the classic “Battle of the Network Stars.”)

It has become reliably popular since its 2005 debut, routinely drawing upward of 20 million viewers and spawning three national tours. For an event in which imperfection is practically written into its DNA, its continued success is astonishing, a validation of the show’s come-what-may attitude.

That belief in carefully crafted happenstance is on display once more this season, with a true motley crew lineup. As in previous years, there are athletes (the Miami Dolphins’ Jason Taylor, tennis’ Monica Seles), onetime recluses (Priscilla Presley, Steve Guttenberg), schlubs (Adam Carolla, Penn Jillette), and someone who is physically disadvantaged (Marlee Matlin, who is deaf). Of these, Taylor completed a handsome fox trot, Matlin proved to be more rhythmically inclined than at least half of her competitors, Carolla proved he was hardly the fratty Kenny Mayne, and Presley displayed a ballroom-ready sense of drama, both physical and emotional, that could only have been acquired from a lifetime spent ducking the spotlight. “I don’t want to be treated delicately,” she told her partner, Louis Van Amstel, within minutes of meeting him. “I need you to be tough with me. It’s good for me.”

And it worked — Presley tied for the second-highest score from the judges. (No couple was eliminated last week; two will be eliminated this week.) She was behind only Olympic gold medalist Kristi Yamaguchi, who, although more comfortable on blades, proved to be a natural in heels.

But only in the first season of “DWTS” did a female celebrity, Kelly Monaco, win the competition. In each of the last two, an athlete (Olympic speedskater Apolo Anton Ohno, Indy race car driver Helio Castroneves) bested a former pop group member (Joey Fatone of ‘N Sync, Mel B of the Spice Girls) in the finale.

It is probably not a coincidence that Ohno and Castroneves shared a partner, Julianne Hough. The two previous winners, Drew Lachey and Emmitt Smith, were partnered with Cheryl Burke. Burke and Hough are young, beautiful and exuberant dancers, and that may have mattered far more than the specific skills of the celebrities — Lachey had fantastic footwork, but Castroneves was a goof.

When the female amateurs are off their mark, though, their partners can do less to rescue them — the work of the skilled male lead is quieter and more anchoring. Last week, even though magician Jillette’s heavy-footed cha-cha stomp seemed like the behavior of a drunken uncle at a wedding, it was less jarring than watching Seles fox trot while holding her arms as if she were in mid-weight lift. Over five seasons, male contestants have been forgiven for lack of fluidity, but the women by and large have not.

“Dancing With the Stars” may do Herculean work in upending preconceptions about celebrity. But gender? Not so much.

Dancing With The Stars Returns Tonight

The season premiere of Dancing With The Stars airs tonight (March 17, 2008) on ABC. The pairings for the competition look like this:

• Kristi Yamaguchi & Mark Ballas
• Mario & Karina Smirnoff
• Marlee Matlin & Fabian Sanchez
• Cheryl Burke & Cristian De La Fuente
• Adam Carolla & Julianne Hough
• Anna Trebunskaya & Steve Guttenberg
• Shannon Elizabeth & Derek Hough
• Marissa Jaret Winokur & Tony Dovolani
• Edyta Sliwinska & Jason Taylor
• Priscilla Presley & Louis Van Amstel
• Kym Johnson & Penn Jillett
• Jonathan Roberts & Monica Seles

Make sure you tune in tonight to witness the start of what is turning out to be the sexiest and hottest Dancing With The Stars to date. Who is your favorite star? What pair do you think is going to win it all? I think Louis Van Amstel has a strong shot at winning after all I was able to learn how to dance using his 8 DVD complete dance system so why shouldn’t he be able to win it all with a star at his side?

Learn to Dance

Getting the Most from Your Dance Lessons

By: Dan Pittman

Dance students naturally want to get the most they can from their lessons, but often lack a clear understanding of how to do so. In fact, any student’s progress depends mostly upon how they approach and use their lessons. Fast, complete and efficient progress will result only from a logical and structured approach to learning.

Set a Goal

Quite simply, unless both the instructor and the student have a clear understanding of the skills and abilities that are to be developed, then progress suffers. A frank discussion of goals and the formation of a solid teaching plan are essential.

Correct Frame of Mind

The student-teacher relationship is one of both physical and mental participation. Knowledge can only be gained through focused attention and a willingness to learn. Students should take care to apply themselves to the task at hand, and to do their best to perform the new elements according to their instructor’s direction.

Concentration and Focus

Sometimes students, in a desire to “do everything right”, will focus on one facet of dancing while the instructor is attempting to work on another. The experienced instructor will not expect their students to correctly perform all of their old skills while learning something new. The student should direct their attention only to the topic which the instructor has chosen, and the instructor will later amalgamate the new knowledge with the old.

Allow the Instructor to Teach

The student is wasting their instructor’s skills if they do not allow the instructor to exercise their own judgment and abilities. Many students, who would not dream of telling their doctor what medicine to prescribe or their mechanic how to repair their car, will not hesitate to tell their instructor which part of their dancing most needs attention, and how they should be taught. Instead, the instructor should be given rein to teach as they see fit, so long as they are working to the best of their abilities towards the student’s goals. If this path does not yield the desired results, then another instructor should be found.

Remember also that learning to dance is different from learning pure mental skills — sometimes understanding comes only after correct performance, instead of the other way around. The student should always try to allow the instructor to complete a presentation, since quite often full understanding dawns only when the presentation is complete and a “feel” for the action is obtained. If at that point the student does not understand, then they should ask for clarification. Otherwise, they should try to allow the instructor to exercise their professional skills — after all, that is what they were hired to do in the first place.

Practice

Practice is probably the most under-rated aspect of a student’s learning. Those students who apply themselves to their practice invariably show more consistent progress than those who do not. Students of tennis, skiing, martial arts, music, golf, or most other physical pursuits consider practice an integral part of their learning, but all too often students of social dance do not. The human mind can consciously demand only so much of the body at one time, and is not capable of simultaneously monitoring or directing more than one or two aspects of the body’s movement. In order to correctly perform several different dance elements, the body must be able to function independently of concentration — in other words, good dancing skills must be habitual. Habits can only be formed through repetition. This can also be a pitfall, since a repeated action will become habit whether that action is desirable or not! Care must be taken to ensure that CORRECT performance is practiced AT LEAST 50% OF THE TIME, since the body will “remember” those actions which it has performed MOST OFTEN.

Regularity

Regularity also has a bearing on progress, since too much time between lessons breaks up the continuity of the learning progress, allows the student to forget too much of any lesson’s instruction, and forces the instructor to unnecessarily repeat topics.

Variety

Instructors

Just as a single sculpture may be described in different ways by observers with different points of view, so may many dancing elements be described or approached in many different ways, serving to develop a more complete and thorough understanding. However, one instructor should be chosen to be the main guide to a student’s progress, serving as a “manager” for that student’s overall learning. (Beware of instructors who advise you only to take lessons from themselves!)

Lesson Types

Smart students also participate in different types of lessons; private lessons, group classes, practice sessions, coaching lessons and workshops all serve to strengthen, reinforce, and diversify the student’s learning.

Partners

A variety of partners serves to broaden dancing skills. Dependence upon a single partner can lead to the formation of weaknesses, since when a certain aspect of dancing is not challenged or used, it atrophies. A variety of partners tend to challenge a student’s skills in a larger number of situations than most single partners can provide.

Social Dancing – Art or Sport?

by: Daniel Pittman

Recognizing that true objectivity for one’s passion and profession is impossible. I offer here my admittedly biased views on the status of social dancing. The status I refer to is not the amount, quality or style of dancing, but the valuation and classification of dancing in the minds of the public and the establishment.

Social dancing (Ballroom, Latin or Country & Western) is variously classified by its proponents as a hobby or pastime, leisure recreation or entertainment, an art form, or a sport. Dancers generally accept that “pastime” (def – any activity that makes time pass agreeably) or “recreation” (def – a means or activity to refresh one’s body or mind) are apt descriptions, but hold firm in the belief that “art” and/or “sport” are more comprehensive and accurate descriptors.

“Art” is defined as “the quality, production, expression or realm of what is beautiful – a field, genre, or category of this realm – a branch of study, especially one of the fine arts”. The last phrase introduces the crux of the difficulties for social dancing. I have been in contact with many private and government bodies devoted in whole or in part to the development and support of the arts. Although a staggering number of dollars are essentially donated each year to musicians, painters, sculptors, as well as to ballet, jazz and modern dance troupes, social dancing is not considered eligible, since it is not a “fine art”. I have been told by individuals who do qualify for “assistance” that they deserve funding since they practice arts which cannot support themselves through tuitions and performances. This struck me as equivalent to government funding for a manufacturer of 8-track audio tapes, justified by the lack of public demand for the product.

Today there is a strengthening movement by dancers to have social dancing recognized as a sport, but there are significant hurdles to overcome here as well. “Sport” is defined as “an athletic activity requiring skill or physical prowess and often of a competitive nature”. Competitive dancing would certainly seem to fit the bill, but somehow falls short of the requirements of funding bodies as well as journalists and broadcasters. Were it not so ironical, I might find it amusing that rhythmic gymnastics and ice dancing are recognized Olympic competitive sports, while partnership dancing is not. On a brighter note, an international organization called Dancesport 2000 is currently lobbying the Olympic Organizing Committee for acceptance of competitive ballroom dancing as an Olympic demonstration sport – this is the same classification that freestyle skiing originally enjoyed before full recognition. Apparently progress is sporadic and slow, so don’t hold your breath, but it might help to keep your fingers crossed.

Most often the acceptance of social dancing under either of the above categories is obtained only in the alternate camp – sport bodies decline dancing because it is an art form, and vice versa. The solution to the matter lies not in sanctioning from some august and obscure committee, but in the perception of dancing in the collective minds of the public. Any normal person readily accepts that golfing requires putting practice, tennis requires volleying practice, and martial arts require exercises and years of study, but dancing seems to be excluded from this philosophy. Many non-dancers are under the impression that one can become a proficient dancer through one or two quick classes. Students who have been taking lessons for 4 or 6 months often shock their friends, who can’t imagine that they haven’t learned how to dance in that time. This is not the case everywhere – in most of Europe everyone is introduced to social dance at an early age, and at least rudimentary dancing skills are taken for granted as much as common table manners. Dance competitions are commonplace and frequent, and thus dancing has gained public acceptance as an art or sport activity. Unfortunately North America has failed to adopt this attitude, especially, it seems, in western Canada. Here dancing is usually overlooked as a standard social grace or pleasurable and worthwhile pursuit, and mainly discounted as a skilled activity. If social dancing is to be recognized by the general public in what we deem an appropriate fashion, then the solution is simple – get it out to them and get them involved.

In keeping with this spirit, I feel that the best thing that has happened to social dancing in years is the advent of Country & Western as a popular activity – not since disco has the public been so enthralled by partnership dancing. I further feel that since the establishment of C&W music and culture pre-dates the current fad, then it will avoid the latter’s ignominious end. We must encourage fledgling Two Steppers to fulfill their desires, but we also have the responsibility to help them make the most of the experience. We must try to guide them to learn not only the “coolest moves”, but how to enjoy the dance form to its fullest by endeavoring to seek quality instruction and to apply themselves to the development of sound dance skills. We must also encourage new dancers and even potential dancers to attend or support local dances and local competitions, such as the 90’s Ball, the Calgary Open Dance Competition and the Calgary Country Dance Stampede, since these functions are some of the most attractive and impressive showcases of social dance in our community. I also think that it is time for us all to make a conscious effort to do our part to overcome prejudices within the social dance community, to break down the barriers between the separate disciplines and combine and coordinate our efforts to the common goal – the establishment of social dancing within the collective social consciousness as a desirable and accessible activity, challenging yet rewarding, inexhaustible yet obtainable, and, of course, both an art form and a sport. So do your part – get out there and promote dancing!

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History of Salsa

Salsa is not easily defined. Who invented salsa? The Cubans, Puerto Ricans? Salsa is a distillation of many Latin and Afro-Caribbean dances. Each played a large part in its evolution.

Salsa is similar to Mambo in that both have a pattern of six steps danced over eight counts of music. The dances share many of the same moves. In Salsa, turns have become an important feature, so the overall look and feel are quite different form those of Mambo. Mambo moves generally forward and backward, whereas, Salsa has more of a side to side feel.

A look at the origin of Salsa

By: Jaime Andrés Pretell

It is not only Cuban; nevertheless we must give credit to Cuba for the origin and ancestry of creation. It is here where Contra-Danze (Country Dance) of England/France, later called Danzón, which was brought by the French who fled from Haiti, begins to mix itself with Rhumbas of African origin (Guaguanco, Colombia, Yambú). Add Són of the Cuban people, which was a mixture of the Spanish troubadour (sonero) and the African drumbeats and flavora and a partner dance flowered to the beat of the clave.

This syncretism also occurred in smaller degrees and with variations in other countries like the Dominican Republic, Colombia, Puerto Rico, among others. Bands of these countries took their music to Mexico City in the era of the famous films of that country (Perez Prado, most famous …). Shortly after, a similar movement to New York occurred. In these two cities, more promotion and syncretism occurred and more commercial music was generated because there was more investment. New York created the term “Salsa”, but it did not create the dance. The term became popular as nickname to refer to a variety of different music, from several countries of Hispanic influence: Rhumba, Són Montuno, Guaracha, Mambo, Cha cha cha, Danzón, Són, Guguanco, Cubop, Guajira, Charanga, Cumbia, Plena, Bomba, Festejo, Merengue, among others. Many of these have maintained their individuality and many were mixed creating “Salsa”.

If you are listening to today’s Salsa, you are going to find the base of són, and you are going to hear Cumbia, and you are going to hear Guaracha. You will also hear some old Merengue, built-in the rhythm of different songs. You will hear many of the old styles somewhere within the modern beats. Salsa varies from site to site. In New York, for example, new instrumentalization and extra percussion were added to some Colombian songs so that New Yorkers – that dance mambo “on the two” – can feel comfortable dancing to the rhythm and beat of the song, because the original arrangement is not one they easily recognize. This is called “finishing,” to enter the local market. This “finish” does not occur because the Colombian does not play Salsa, but it does not play to the rhythm of the Puerto Rican/Post-Cuban Salsa. I say Post-Cuban, because the music of Cuba has evolved towards another new and equally flavorful sound.

Then, as a tree, Salsa has many roots and many branches, but one trunk that unites us all. The important thing is that Salsa is played throughout the Hispanic world and has received influences of many places within it. It is of all of us and it is a sample of our flexibility and evolution. If you think that a single place can take the credit for the existence of Salsa, you are wrong. And if you think that one style of dance is better, imagine that the best dancer of a style, without his partner, goes to dance with whomever he can find, in a club where a different style predominates. He wouldn’t look as good as the locals. Each dancer is accustomed to dance his/her own style. None is better, only different. ¡¡¡Viva la variedad, ¡¡¡Viva la Salsa!!!

Foxtrot steps

Foxtrot is a smooth dance, traveling around the line of dance. The long walking movements involve a subtle rise & fall action. Turning movements are similar to Waltz, but with a more moderate rise and fall, and more length-wise action.

International Foxtrot syllabus has only closed dance position but in American Foxtrot, both open and closed dance positions are allowed. The Foxtrot originally started with slow and quick steps but soon evolved to include twinkles and chasses.

The Foxtrot is danced to music written in 4/4 time with the first and third beats of each measure more heavily accented. It is danced in combinations of slow and quick steps, with each slow step taking two beats and each quick step one beat of music. Therefore, a dance basic figure in slow, slow, quick, quick rhythm takes one and a half measures, while a dance figure in slow, quick, quick rhythm takes one measure.

Foxtrot is extremely versatile and can be danced to a variety of musical styles and tempi. In competitions, however, it is danced to music at a tempo of 29 to 34 measure per minute depending on the level.

• Foxtrot steps:
  • Basic forward
  • Basic backward
  • Rock left turn
  • Forward progressive
  • Promenade

Foxtrot Basic forward

Man’s foot position

Start facing line of dance
Rhythm – Slow, slow, quick, quick

Foxtrot Basic backward

Man’s foot position

Start position

Rhythm – Slow, slow, quick, quick

Foxtrot Rock Left Turn

Man’s foot position

Rhythm – Slow, slow, quick, quick

Foxtrot Forward progressive

Man’s foot position

Start
Rhythm – Slow, slow, quick, quick

Foxtrot Promenade Step

Man’s and lady’s foot position

Start
Rhythm – Slow, slow, quick, quick