Tonya Plank's Blog, page 32

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!

Michael and Chelsie, Jive: Well, funny but that little drum-beat section he did with his arms was good – which makes sense since he's a musician. But it was the best part of it. It looked like he had no rhythm with the rest, and it looked like he was just walking, with no style to his movement. Usually amateurs mess up this dance by jumping too much and not grounding their movement enough, but he was the opposite; he almost didn't leave the floor. Oh fun – Len and Bruno are getting into a fight over Bruno's "that was the worst jive I've ever seen on this show" comment! Wow, Bruno gave him a 3 – don't think we've ever seen that on this show. Was he really worse than Kate last season or Buzz or that guy who danced with Ashley that one season?

Audrina and Tony, Quickstep: That was the best dance of the night so far. She is a much more natural Standard dancer than Latin. I think she looked really good. She had polish, had sophistication with the dance, had good form, and she got all that fast fancy footwork down, which is a major feat. Good for her!

Still 7-2. So many Yankee strike-outs! What's up with that?

Jennifer and Derek, Jive: That was on par with Audrina and Tony for best dance of the night. That was really, really good for a non-pro. That choreography was fast and hard! And she kept up, the footwork was clean, she had excellent musicality. Nothing to pick on here.

Oh, did they really have to bring Sarah Palin on the show?

Woo hoo Derek Jeter! Bulldoze the first baseman right down and then roll around on the ground with him! Woo, base hit for Swisher! Oooh, I really don't know if I can watch Bristol bringing Mark back home to mommy over this… Woo, Mark Teixeira (or however you spell his name!) 7-5 now!!!

Ooops, oh crap, I missed half of Margaret and Louis's Jive! Sorry! How did it go? Well, the last part looked okay. Looked like she kept up with him, and that music wasn't slow. Looked a bit jumpy though. Bruno is right: tighten your buttocks and hold some of it in. It helps you to keep structure, to make the steps more precise, because it did look like she was throwing her arms all around and being too all over the place. Still, she looked much better than last week.

Woo hoo, base hit for Robinson Cano!

Kyle and Lacey, Quickstep: Oh that was so good! I love him – he was worth switching from the Yankees for! He's so fun – has such personality, such rhythm, such over-the-top performance skills, and he really is such a good dancer. He's not perfect – Len was right that he's flatfooted, and he needs to work on that, on using his toes and heels more. But he got all those crazy fast steps right, and he looked good with her – it wasn't like he made it all about himself; he really worked with her as a partner. He's such a cutie – I love him, flat-footed or not!

Ugh, still 7-2. Marcus Thames must have gotten out. Oh well, two more innings still. I just want a parade downtown!

Kurt and Anna, Jive: Well, it lacked polish, but I didn't really care. I like him! It was much better than last week – so he's more of a Latin than Standard dancer. He had a really high battemant in the middle – flexible! Very good musicality, he had a lot of fun out there. Heeeheee, I love what he said about Len's criticism last week: "Oh, I've been booed by thousands of people; one old English guy isn't going to bother me." I love it because Derek Jeter just got booed by thousands of people in Toronto. And I don't like that. Anyway, I, like hostess Brooke Burke, am enjoying "the battle of the tall, handsome athletes" here!

The Situation and Karina, Quickstep: Well, I feel like he ends up doing better than he should given his lack of application during practice. I mean, he pretty much got the steps, which is the hardest part of learning to dance as an adult, I think. But he does need a center, he needs structure, and he needs control over his movement so he's not just jumping around. I do think he has a natural performance ability and he's fun to watch. I just want him to take ballroom more seriously. I mean Brian Setzer is a very good choice for a Quickstep! And so he says he only knows Hip Hop – that's the point of the show: learning something new. Oh, and yes, Carrie Ann is totally right about he pigeon toes. Karina must correct that.

Bristol and Mark, Quickstep: Aw, I think she looked really cute. Really beautiful footwork, really light on her feet, very nice form, really fun to watch. I like her a lot. I like, Carrie Ann, look forward to seeing her every week. Someone on Huffington Post called me a racist for liking her. I guess the judges are all racist too because they gave her a 22, one of the highest scores of the night.

Ugh, Yankees lost. I have to go out for a cupcake.

New York City Ballet Fall Gala Upcoming October 7

To celebrate its first fall season, NYCB will have a fall gala on October 7th. It will feature the premiere of a new ballet by Benjamin Millepied set to a score by Pulitzer Prize-winning composer David Lang. The program will also include Balanchine's Tarantella and Western Symphony and Robbins' I'm Old Fashioned (photographed above, by Paul Kolnik). Sarah Jessica Parker, newly elected to the NYCB Board of Directors, will serve as the event's honorary chair.

Benefit tickets, which include a...

Some Newish Lincoln Center Area Eateries

So for after-ballet drinking and snacking, here are three new Lincoln Center-area places I've recently found:

First is Atlantic Grill, on 64th between Broadway and Central Park West, which has taken over the old O'Neals – which was there for 46 years and it's a royal shame it's gone! I mean, really, 46 years is a pretty long time and that place was legendary. Anyway, Atlantic Grill is pretty good. I actually like the bar area better than when it was O'Neals. They have tables and chairs...

"Read 'Swallow' Instead of Seeing 'Sex and the City'"

I've been spending a rather ridiculous amount of time on YouTube lately (am trying to make a short video about my book and need ideas), and just saw this. It's author and book review podcaster (if that's the proper term) Christy Leigh Stewart talking about several books she's been reading, including Swallow. Ha! I love the images she used for mine!

Dancing With the Stars Season 11 Premiere

Oh gosh, I hardly know any of these celebs. Did Margaret Cho mean to trip going down the stairs? Why does Bristol Palin look so frumpy? I guess we'll find out the answers to these questions and more as the show progresses

Okay, Tony and Audrina's Cha Cha: Wow, she looks like a young Marie Osmond. Well, she had no turnout, which, you know always bugs me. And she lifted her feet off the floor too often; you're supposed to trace the floor with your toe in Latin. And she looked nervous and thus ...

New York City Ballet's First "See the Music" Program

Friday night, my friends Hsien and Alyssa came with me to see the first program in NYCB's "See the Music" series. First, we met for drinks on the promenade, which, as I mentioned, they'd opened an hour before showtime for the first week of this fall season. We watched members of the orchestra play some soft jazz music, which some patrons were dancing to. I know Hsien from my ballroom dancing days and we had to laugh because some of that music sounded straight out of Blackpool! (Blackpool's...

New York City Ballet's First Fall Season Opening Night

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Tuesday night, New York City Ballet opened its very first fall season with performances of Balanchine's Serenade, Peter Martins's Grazioso, and Jerome Robbins's The Four Seasons. First, before the performance began, Peter Martins came out and introduced each of the principal dancers, who came out onstage one by one, and said this season would be a celebration of them. Tiler Peck in particular was wearing this really gorgeous silky fuchsia dress. Martins said all principals were there except f...

First Day of Bryant Park Fall Festival Rained Out

After hearing via Gothamist that New York City Ballet was opening the first Bryant Park Fall Festival, I trekked down to the park last night, scored a perfect seat at the Southwest Porch – well, maybe not perfect; it's a little far from the stage, ordered a drink and snack and waited for my friend to show up and the public rehearsal / performance to begin.

Unfortunately it never happened. About ten minutes before 6, the waitress came rushing to my table, asked me if I could pay now as it was a...

Brooklyn Book Festival, Part Two

I had such a nice time at the Brooklyn Book Festival yesterday, despite the rain. I've gone to this festival for the past several years; they have readings, panel discussions, and other various quirky little things throughout the day. This year I was planning on listening to a crime fiction panel moderated by Michael Connelly, a set of debut author readings that included Sean Ferrell and Tanya Wright, another set of readings that included Elizabeth Streb – who is an  innovative choreographer ...

Brooklyn Book Festival

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Off to the Brooklyn Book Festival! I'll be sitting outside at a table with author Goodloe Byron of Brown Paper Publishing, weather permitting. Please don't let the rain be too bad :S

Photo taken from here.