Dancing With the Stars: JR Martinez Salsa's and Cha Cha’s to Mixed Results

J.R. Martinez took to his Latin roots for his first finale dance Monday night on Dancing With the Stars.

Martinez, 28, and his dance partner Karina Smirnoff shook their hips to a salsa version of Kat DeLuna's upbeat breakout song "Whine Up."

The routine, done in freestyle form, had Martinez pulling elaborate twists and turns. Smirnoff even got to jump on Martinez's neck as he threw

her in the air like a rag doll.



“In the freestyle, Karina and I decided to do a salsa inspired routine because of the fact that I am Latin,” Martinez said.

“Karina wanted to do this lift were I hook my leg to her neck,” Martinez added. “She’s had surgery on her neck before and I just think it’s

too dangerous.”

Martinez went through with the dance, lifts and all, earning Martinez a perfect 30 (out of 30.)



“I have only one thing to say J.R. that’s the way to come back!” said judge Carie Ann Inaba overjoyed. “Those lifts were the sickest lifts

I’ve ever seen and Karina I am glad you are safe.”

Goodman was delighted with Martinez’s dance and the eye candy.

“Two things were revealed,” Goodman said. “Karina’s body and your talent…fantastic!”

Judge Bruno Tonioli told Martinez his dance was “a jungle, rival hypnotic experience.”

“You are exuberant,” Tonioli said. “What a comeback!”

Martinez's didn't have the same luck the second time around.

The army vet attempted to execute the Cha Cha, to Jennifer Lopez’s “Let’s Get Loud” (written by Gloria Estefan) but his ankle injury affected

his posture once again.

The judges gave him a total of 24 points (out of 30)

“The magic of J.R.,” said Inaba. “Everyone loves you! When people watch you dance they fall in love with your spirit.”

“However, your musicality was a bit off,” continued Inaba. “It’s like you were dancing ahead of the music.”

Goodman was not pleased.

“J.R. this wasn’t that good,” said Goodman followed by an echoes of boos from the audience in solidarity with Martinez.

“You were off… there were a lot of mistakes.”

Still, Goodman praised the Salvadoran actor for taking on the dance to begin with.

“I think it was brave that you did a lot of that dance.”

This puts Martinez second after underdog Rob Kardashian, who pleasantly surprised the judges and the audience by slamming his performance

earning him a perfect score twice.

Rooting him on was his famous, knockout sister Kim, who in recent weeks has been criticized for her ending her marriage to Nets basketball

player Kris Humphries just 72 days after saying 'I DO.'

Former talk show host Ricki Lake also managed get high scores for her dances (a 27 and a 30) making the decision for America that much harder

for who should win the coveted Mirror Ball trophy.

Source: Alexandra Gratereaux

Read the rest of this entry »

Posted in 2011 dancing with the stars , 2011 DWTS , cha cha , Dancing With the Stars , J.R. Martinez , JR Martinez , Latino J.R. Martinez , Salsa

TV Roundup: Who Will Win 'Dancing With the Stars?'

Tonight's Dancing With the Stars finale will feature a showdown between underdog Rob Kardashian, dancing diva Ricki Lake, and emotional favorite JR Martinez. The dancing trio will perform four dances: an unlearned dance, their favorite dance, the instant samba, and the freestyle. Who will take home the coveted Mirror Ball trophy on Tuesday night? Let's handicap the contestants.

Why He'll Win: Rob Kardashian is undoubtedly the most improved contestant. He has shown growth every week and has become more and more likable over the course of the season.

Why He Won't Win: He's the only finalist that has never scored a perfect 30. It's hard to imagine Rob beating out Ricki and JR, who looked like favorites from the very beginning.

Secret Weapon: His booty shaking. He is a Kardashian after all.

Ricki Lake

Why She'll Win: Ricki Lake has been the most consistent contestant and she's also spent the most time at the top of the leader board.

Why She Won't Win: That consistency may be her downfall since the finale audience may be looking for a bit more wow from Ricki. She's had a fantastic season but she might not have enough pizzazz for the final push to win the Mirror Ball.

Secret Weapon: Her partner Derek Hough, who has won three times before and is definitely the best choreographer left in the competition.

JR Martinez

Why He'll Win: He's charming, talented, and he's got a great backstory (he suffered burns to 40% of his body after his Humvee hit a landmine in Iraq). He's also scored several perfect 30s with partner Karina Smirnoff. The smart money is definitely on JR Martinez.

Why He Won't Win: Martinez could falter if his twisted ankle is still bothering him. It would be a shame after such a great season, but sometimes injuries can't be helped.

Secret Weapon: His tragic backstory. Martinez has brought the DWTS audience to tears before and if he can do it again, the Mirror Ball trophy will definitely be his.

Source: JillSlattery

Read the rest of this entry »

Posted in 2011 dancing with the stars , 2011 dancing with the stars finalists , 2011 DWTS , Derek Hough , JR Martinez , Ricki Lake , Rob Kardashian

TV Round-Up: Chaz Bono Calls 'DWTS' a 'Life Changing Experience'

• Chaz Bono's groundbreaking stint on Dancing With the Stars ended last night. Chaz, who was the first transgendered person to appear on the show, told reporters that he was "not leaving the show bitter and angry." (via EW)

"I feel really good. I’m just grateful to have had the experience," Chaz said. "I’m grateful for Lacey and for everybody that I worked with on Dancing with the Stars. It was a wonderful, life changing experience. I’m so glad I did it.”

Mama Cher, meanwhile, was so angry about Chaz's elimination that she tweeted that she "could cut a bitch." Yowza!

• Big Bang Theory's Kaley Cuoco is engaged! The 25-year-old actress will marry Josh Resnik, who works as an addiction specialist (via People). The pair have yet to set a wedding date.

• Dawson's going to be a Dad again! James Van Der Beek announced via Twitter, "Just when we thought we couldn't feel any more blessed, it seems the universe has plans to give our daughter [Olivia, 13 months] a sibling." What do you think Pacey and Joey will get the new baby?


Source: Jill Slattery

Read the rest of this entry »

Posted in 2011 dancing with the stars , 2011 DWTS , best 2011 Dancing with the stars , Chaz Bono , James Van Der Beek , Kaley Cuoco , top 2011 DWTS

Dancing With the Stars: J.R. Martinez Quicksteps; Chmerkovskiy Fumes

J.R. Martinez fully embodied the 'great white way' as his quickstep from Chicago’s “Nowadays” earned him almost a perfect score, Monday night on Dancing With the Stars.

“You just keep on keeping on,” Len Goodman said with a smile. “You are truly relentless!"

“Tonight, you have really come up a notch," added the dancing with expert with a smile.
Fellow judges Bruno Tonioli and Carie Ann Inaba also thought Martinez delivered his best performance to date.

“You've created a rip-roaring, audience-rising, 11 o'clock number that makes the show a hit!" Tonioli said excitedly.

“Bob Fosse would have been proud," Inaba added and then hinted that Martinez deserved a Tony award for his performance.

Making the elaborate routine close to perfect was no easy task for Martinez, who said his goal is “to stay at the top of the leader board.”



“I don’t want to share that spot with anybody else,” Martinez said. “They’re cool, but that’s my spot.”

Indeed, the army vet should be concerned with fellow celebrity dancer, former TV host Ricki Lake, who has been trailing close behind him with top score performances.

“I’m pushing myself to grow and get better,” Martinez added.

His dance partner, Karina Smirnoff said she has “faith” in Martinez.

“It’s probably the most ambitious routine I’ve attempted on Dancing With the Stars,” Smirnoff said. “I need to prove beyond reasonable doubt that J.R. is definitely not a fluke.”

After finishing his routine, Martinez said he felt that all the contestants “stepped up to the challenge.”

“Everyone is chasing me right now,” said Martinez.

With his quickstep routine behind him, Martinez and the entire cast turned their attention to their group performance.

Season 13 took on an ambitious routine to ‘Big Spender’ from Sweet Charity and ‘Money, Money’ from Cabaret.

For this number, booted contestant Carson Kressely was brought back to be the creative director.

“They brought me back to add some razzle,” Kressley said. “A little spirit fingers and jazz hands.”

Martinez was ecstatic yet nervous to be dancing with everyone at the same time.

“It was really cool dancing with everyone,” Martinez said. “You don’t really get the chance to dance with everyone at the same time.”

“[But] It’s pretty intimidating to be dancing next to a pro dancer.”



Other show stopping moments in the evening included Maksim Chmerkovskiy’s meltdown and heated argument with Goodman after receiving one of the lowest scores of the night.

Goodman insisted that Chmerkovskiy’s and his partner Hope Solo had “the worst dance of the season” and that he knows best because he has “been in this business for 50 years.”

Chmerkovskiy snapped back saying “Then maybe it's time to go!”

“With all due respect, this is my show,” Chmerkovskiy told host Brooke Charvet. “I help make it what it is.”

DWTS is a weekly dance competition and reality show in which celebrities are paired with professional dancers and compete for the opportunity to win the coveted disco ball-shaped trophy.

Past winners, such as Nicole Scherzinger from the X Factor, Olympic gold medal gymnast Shawn Johnson and singer Donny Osmond, have taken their careers to the next level after winning the competition.



Source: Alexandra Gratereaux

Read the rest of this entry »

Posted in 2011 dancing with the stars , 2011 DWTS , 2011 top dancing with the stars , J.R. Martinez , J.R. Martinez Quicksteps

Dancing With the Stars: Chayna Phillips' Problem Wasn't the Dancing; Martinez Locks in 2nd

J.R. Martinez's humorous pink panther romp paid off as he locked in the second highest score Tuesday evening on DWTS' memorable movies week.

“The routine was energetic and fun,” Martinez said adding how he loved the mustache he got to sport with his outfit.

Not all contestants had Martinez’s luck.

Such was the case with Chayna Phillips, who was eliminated from the competition after forgetting her routine on the dance floor, causing the judges and America to give her the lowest ranking score.

"I'm disappointed,” Phillips said somberly when hearing the news. “But, I have to take responsibility. I messed up."

"I will take this with me for the rest of my life,” she added.

The experience, stress and emotional factors that come with being a part of the show is something that Martinez, Phillips and the rest of the stars didn’t expect.

“You really never prepare into you get into it," Martinez said.” Stars talk about how emotional it really is.”

The army veteran, who has been a top contender for the past month in the competition, says the respect for the cast went to another level after last week’s dancing assignment.

Each contestant chose a song that represented who they are and what they have been through in their lives.

The night carried on with guest performances from Susan Boyle, who performed “Someone to Watch Over Me,” and with The Voice’s celebrity judge Blake Sheldon, who sang a new rendition to the 1984 film “Footloose” for the 2011 remake in theaters Friday.

Julian Hough, a DWTS cast member starring in “Footloose,” performed with her brother (and Ricky Lake’s partner) Derek Hough for the first time since season eight.   

The Stars will have to whip out big hair, new wave style and their leotards as DWTS goes 80’s next week.

DWTS is a weekly dance competition and reality show in which celebrities are paired with professional dancers and compete for the opportunity to win the coveted disco ball-shaped trophy.

Past winners, such as Nicole Scherzinger from the X Factor, Olympic gold medal gymnast Shawn Johnson and singer Donny Osmond, have taken their careers to the next level after winning the competition.

Source Alexandra Gratereaux

Read the rest of this entry »

Posted in 2011 dancing with the stars , 2011 DWTS , Chayna Phillips , Nicole Scherzinger , Someone to Watch Over Me , Susan Boyle