ABCs Hot, Hot, Hot

By: Christina Borger
Posted In: Entertainment

Monday nights on ABC are sizzlin’ hot! Watching some of the best professional ballroom dancers get down and dirty with spunky stars from the biz is enough to get viewers dancing out of their seats as they tune into season seven of “Dancing with the Stars” live. The dancers surely have their work cut out for them this season if they want any chance to impress the judges, Bruno Tonioli, Carrie Ann Inaba, and Len Goodman. Every Monday, the cast performs a set of dances for the judges to be scored. Viewers vote to keep their favorite stars on the show, sending one couple home every Tuesday.

Among this season’s original cast of stars are Lance Bass, former member of the popular boy band, *NSYNC, dancing with Lacey Schimmer, finalist from So You Think You Can Dance; celebrity chef Rocco DiSpirito is partnered with Karina Smirnoff; USA beach volleyball gold medalist, Misty May-Treanor is paired with Maksim Chmerkovskiy; Maurice Greene, formerly known as “World’s Fastest Man” is dancing with Cheryl Burke; Grammy-winning recording artist Toni Braxton is partnered with Alec Mazo; Kim Kardashian, reality TV star, is paired with Mark Ballas; Hannah Montana star Cody Linley is paired with the lovely Julianne Hough; and All My Children’s Susan Lucci is dancing with Tony Dovolani.

A blast of heat on the dance floor kicked off the season for the stars starting with the Cha Cha Cha and Foxtrot dances, followed by the Quick Step and Mambo on the first of three nights of competition. Model and TV host, Brooke Burke and her partner, Derek Hough, swept the judges off their feet, leaving them hopeful for an intense season. This season opened up with a live performance by the latest craze, The Jonas Brothers who performed on the first elimination round stage, followed by Jesse McCartney. After the music ended, the viewers placed their votes, sending comedian Jeffrey Ross and partner Edyta Sliwinska, Ted McGinley and newest dance pro, Inna Brayer, home.

Sparks started to fly during week two after Brooke and Derek took the judges’ top scores for a second week in a row, while Kym Johnson and NFL defensive tackle, Warren Sapp danced an encore for the judges. Mark Ballas and Kim Kardashian’s fate was met after dancing the sensual Rumba and fierce Paso Doble, leaving DWTS’s oldest guest star, Cloris Leachman and Corky Ballas in the bottom two.

Tragedy touched the dance floor during Misty May Treanor’s practice session on Friday, October 3, 2008. She ruptured her Achilles tendon during practice, leaving her in excruciating pain. Treanor received immediate medical attention and was told she needed prompt surgery to repair her tendon. She announced at the end of Monday’s display of the Jive and Viennese Waltz that she would have to withdraw from the season due to injury. No one was eliminated from the competition during week three; instead scores were added to week four scores. Singer, Jennifer Hudson took to the Dancing with the Stars stage before it was announced that Rocco and Karina would have been eliminated had Misty not withdrew.

At the end of week four, competition was amplified as the stars busted their butts mastering the sultry Samba and tantric Tango. Cloris and Corky found themselves in the bottom two with Rocco and Karina. However, Rocco and Karina’s dance left the judges and viewers less than impressed. The Junior Ballroom Dancing Kid’s competition took the floor during Tuesday’s results show for another season as well as guest performer Ne-Yo with his latest hit, “Closer.”

Up next in week five, stars will have to learn the Hustle, Jitterbug, Salsa or West Coast Swing. With just five weeks more to go, the competition will continue to grow to new heights leaving the judges to nit pick each of the dances as they work to discover the next Dancing with the Stars champion. Be sure to tune in next Monday night at 8 p.m. and again on Tuesday at 9 p.m. EST on ABC to feel the heat and the rhythm of show everyone is talking about.