DWTS Season 17: Week 2 Preview

I hope you all like the photo.

Yes, Henry Byalikov is our guest on Tuesday. Many of you saw the announcement on Twitter earlier this week and you've been eagerly awaiting this post. It's been a busy week, but I finally had a free minute to get this up.

The wonderful thing about having Henry on the show is that it is great timing. He and Sharna Burgess are choreographing the opening number this week, so we will get the inside scoop on how it all came together.

The whole team is expected to be in studio this week: Anna, me, Jake and Suri.

Time to get those questions in! Fire away in the comments section below. We will see you all on Tuesday at 8pm PT on AfterBuzz TV.

My Thoughts on Derek Hough

This number alone should win him the Emmy

I have always maintained that I believe that Derek Hough is going to be one of the defining choreographers of his generation. I don't take that statement lightly. As someone who has been a student of dance history, think of the names you would put in that category: George Balanchine, Agnes DeMille, Jerome Robbins, Bob Fosse, Michael Bennett, Martha Graham. There are more, but it's not a list of thousands or even hundreds. I don't say that about any other pro on the show.

With a statement like that, it should be understood that you also have to be a great dancer and teacher in order to be classified as a "defining choreographer of a generation." You can't just be one thing.

On AfterBuzz TV this week, we were talking about Val and Derek and their strengths. If I am going to pick the one quality that makes Derek stand out on the show...yep, it's choreography. For Val, it's teaching. Does it mean they don't have the other qualities? Nope.

We are a show about dance, talking about dancers and why we love it so much. We give opinions that you won't always agree with, but the one thing we all agree upon is that we love dance. I'm one of the hosts of the show and as a part of my job, I have to balance my love for Derek's work with my appreciation and support for what other pros on DWTS bring to the table.

Come Sunday, I hope it's Derek who is holding that Emmy.

Feel free to add your thoughts in the comments below. I will respond to all comments here, but I'm going to keep the debate off of Twitter. Thanks, guys!  See you next week with our guest Henry Byalikov...who is also choreographing this week's opening number on DWTS with Sharna Burgess.

SPOILER ALERT: DWTS Season 17 Updated Pro List

Okay, there have been a few shake-ups in the DWTS world. We've all been fed information about the pros. The list looked really solid and then it started to fall apart less than 24 hours before the big reveal.

You know what? It happens. ABC is clamping down on loose lips around the network especially after multiple seasons of The Bachelor/Bachelorette being spoiled.

I spoke with a reliable source and I believe this is your pro list for Season 17:

Men:
Sasha
Mark
Derek
Tony
Val
Tristan

Women:
Tyne Stecklein-NEW name. Follow her on Twitter!!!
Sharna
Karina
Peta
Emma
Cheryl

Troupe: Will perform every episode!
Gleb
Lindsay
Henry
Witney

Tyne's Wikipedia bio--Dancer on the ill-fated Michael Jackson This Is It tour, so you know this girl can DANCE!
Tyne's IMDB page

See Tyne in action:


Disclaimer: This is what I was told. We all know things are subject to change and there could be errors here. We all run the risk of that when we publish spoilers. However, my source is solid, so I feel comfortable publishing this list. 

Photo Credit: ABC/FlynetPictures.com

DWTS Season 17: Initial Cast Thoughts

If my Twitter feed was an indication of what is to come for Season 17 of Dancing With the Stars, I am in for a busy fall. TMZ leaked a few of the celeb names today: Valerie Harper, Leah Remini, Elizabeth Berkeley, Snooki, Amber Riley, and Christina Milian. I've said it before and I will say it again, TMZ is pretty good about fact checking, so this list should be your six female celebs for the season.

Once it was revealed that Tristan MacManus was paired with Valerie, the tweets began. Many of the tweets were people who were angry that he was matched with a 74-year-old woman battling terminal brain cancer. Really? Doctors told her she would be dead by June and miraculously, she's still with us and is tackling DWTS. I don't know about you, but that's kind of awesome...and inspirational.

Re: Tristan--The gift of working with someone bravely fighting a terminal illness is greater than a mirrored ball trophy. #DWTS
— Kristyn Burtt (@KristynBurtt) August 28, 2013

Look, I get it: We all love Tristan and we want to see him win. It was disappointing to see him have to drop out in Season 16 when Dorothy Hamill was injured. Then it was a bummer to see him injured during the finale and he couldn't have one last dance with her. (Bravo to Henry Byalikov for stepping in!)

I'm just not going to get my panties in a bunch over this. I'm going to look at it from the Sharna Burgess School of Opportunity. I love what she did with Andy Dick last season, it was fun and moving to watch his journey. I'm going to take that same approach with Tristan and Valerie. I have a lot of faith in his talent, don't you?

So let's kick off this season on a positive note. I know you guys won't always agree with me, but I love to hear your opinions as long as it's handled with mutual respect. I love a good dance debate!

Here's to a great Season 17. I'm excited by the cast so far and we've already booked our first guest for DWTS on AfterBuzz TV. Hooray!

I would love to hear from you....hit me up with your thoughts and opinions in the comments below.

AfterBuzz TV's DWTS: Henry Byalikov

This was such a fun show. I'm so glad we had Henry Byalikov back on this season for a second time so he was able to give us the inside scoop on his work with Baz Lurhmann on Gatsby.  He's always a great guest and we all know his fans are legendary.

Catch our pre-show Vine video here.

It was our last show with Anna Trebunskaya and we are going to miss her next week. She's been a great addition to the show this season on AfterBuzz TV. However, we do have two pros currently confirmed for next week's show. Be sure to come back here on Tuesday to find out who it is. I am really excited to end the season in a big way. It will be an awesome finish to a fascinating season.

I wanted to list everyone's Top 4 predictions for next week. I think our answers shocked a few of you and none of us had the same answer. Do you agree or disagree? Let me know in the comments below. See you all next week!

Predictions:

Suri                        Anna
1st: Jacoby              1st/2nd: Kellie/Jacoby (She couldn't decide.)
2nd:  Kellie              3rd: Aly
3rd: Zendaya           4th: Zendaya
4th: Aly

Henry                     Jake:
1st: Kellie                1st: Kellie
2nd: Jacoby            2nd: Zendaya
3rd:  Aly                  3rd: Jacoby
4th: Zendaya           4th: Aly

Kristyn
1st: Kellie
2nd: Jacoby
3rd: Zendaya
4th: Aly

If you missed the show, you can watch below.

AfterBuzz TV DWTS: Week 9 Preview

We are welcoming back a return guest for us this week on AfterBuzz TV, in honor of the release of the Baz Luhrmann's Gatsby, it's Henry Byalikov. We will have the opportunity to ask him about the film and what it was like working with stars like Leonardo DiCaprio and Carey Mulligan, so get those questions in now!  Remember, add them to the comments below.

You can find the AfterBuzz TV DWTS show here, Wednesday at 9pm PT.

Suri, Jake and I are definitely back this week. We are waiting for confirmation from Anna. UPDATE: Anna will be joining us. Hooray!

It's semifinals week and you KNOW we have a lot to say!

Dancing with the Stars Show: Tristan MacManus, Henry Byalikov

Whoa! What a show, right? It was a cast of thousands in the studio last night with Tristan MacManus, Henry Byalikov, and Anna Trebunskaya at AfterBuzz TV. Thank you so much for all of your questions and to Grant for calling in.  You will see how much fun we had because we could not stop laughing throughout the show. What you didn't see was that Maria Menounos was with us before the show started. So, the photo up top proves she was in the building last night!

Me and Henry

We will be back next week with even more exciting guests...are you ready to hear who will be in our studio?

Guests: Peta Murgatroyd, Sean Lowe, and Victor Ortiz....and yes, Anna Trebunskaya will be back!

As always, put the questions and comments below for next week and spread the word about next week's show!

Thank you for your support!  We love you guys. xoxo

If you want to download the podcast, go here.

Me, Tristan, and Suri

AfterBuzz TV: Dancing with the Stars Guest Announcement, Week 3

We our bringing back one of our most popular guests this week. We had him on at the tail end of last season, so I hope you will all join us tomorrow night when DWTS troupe member Henry Byalikov stops on by. It's a great week to have him since there are four numbers this week including one with Demi Lovato.

Here are all of the details:

Where: AfterBuzz TV link

When: 9pm PT (Link will be up by Thursday morning if you miss the show. Check on my site for the show.)

Who: DWTS Troupe member Henry Byalikov

If you have any questions for Henry, please leave them below in the comments section. The comments section will be the ONLY place to submit official questions.  

See you tomorrow night!

If you missed Henry's appearance from Season 15, watch it here. 

UPDATED, April 3rd:  We have one additional guest joining us tonight for an epic episode of AfterBuzz TV's DWTS....our guest is...

Tristan MacManus

DWTS Season 16: Who's In? Who's Out?

Okay, we are getting closer and closer to that March 18 premiere date for Season 16 of Dancing with the Stars. The rumors are out there, let's see who is definitely out and who might be in. Remember, we don't have any confirmations yet.

NO:
Lindsay Lohan:  While this gal could use the money and she surely could use the career boost, Lindsay won't be stepping on any dance floor any time soon.  If you have been following her recent court case, Lindsay will begin her next trial on March 18th.  Oh, guess what show premieres that day?

Lance Armstrong:  I believe this is a name ABC pursued pretty heavily.  His story is legendary in a not-so-good way, but DWTS might be a good place to start his comeback.  However, I think Armstrong has said his peace to Oprah and he is now going to step away from the media for a time.  Remember, he has a lot of personal relationships to heal before he ever steps back into the public arena.

MAYBE:
Emily Maynard:  ABC is very loyal to their reality stars and they have utilized Maynard for two rounds of the The Bachelor franchise.  Don't doubt for a minute that they are at least thinking about using her for DWTS.  She is a polarizing figure, but people would tune into watch her.

Katherine Webb:  She's the hottest pop culture figure these days thanks to Brent Musburger and the BCS championship game.  We will see her reporting for Inside Edition at Super Bowl LXVII and in the swimsuit issue for Sports Illustrated plus she's starring in ABC's new celebrity diving show called Splash.  Webb has made no secret about the fact that she wants to hit DWTS next....stay tuned.

The Fierce Five:  A few of the team members talked about wanting to star on the show after their appearance on the Season 15 finale.  We chatted with Jordyn Wieber on Afterbuzz TV's DWTS after show and she mentioned how much she would love to do the show. Aly Raisman, Gabby Douglas, and McKayla Maroney also expressed interest in the show.  If I was going to pick one from the gold medal-winning team, my money is on Maroney for a few reasons.  One, she's focusing on an acting career.  Two, she's local to the Southern California area.

Things we know for sure:

1.  The show will be back for two seasons per year.

That's it!  We need to know more.  If you have any insider scoop, send your tips here.

Who do you think will be on the show?  Any other rumors?  Where are all of the men--no rumors yet?
Chime in the comments below.

If you missed my fan chat with Henry Byalikov, you can check it out below.  I will have Henry back on along with Teagan Lowe on Tuesday, February 26 at 5pm PT/8pm ET, so mark your calendars!

Media Mondays

Beautiful weather and beautiful views during my San Francisco Thanksgiving weekend.

Ahhh, is everyone officially stuffed from their Thanksgiving weekend?  I am ready to hit the trails and work off all of the delicious food I consumed, but I am not sure I am ready to go back to work. Oh well!  If you noticed, I didn't post much last week.  My laptop decided to take a holiday by having the hard drive crap out on me. So, we begin the week anew with a borrowed laptop, but I am back in the mix in the online world.  It's scary out there without a laptop!

Here's where you could find me last week all over the world wide web. Pick your favorite and let me know what you liked best:

Breaking Dawn, Part 2 on Spreecast:  If you watched last week's fan chat with Amy Taylor, we couldn't talk about the twist.  Finally, the NDA was lifted and we talked all about it.  What do you think about the final movie?  Let me know!




Good Morning, Spreecast:  I made another appearance on the morning show even though I had to duck out to do a radio spot, but I had a great time with Seth Everett again.  This also featured the breaking Elmo resignation news.



Even though I my laptop crashed, I still had to write! I had the opportunity to cover the Hitchcock premiere, so this is what I learned from the chilling red carpet for SheKnows:

Hitchcock Premiere
Hollywood's Favorite Hitchcock Movies
Oprah's Favorite Things is Back!

You can see my red carpet photo from the cold red carpet on Facebook.  I wore lots of red, an appropriate color for the evening.

Dancing With the Stars:  It's the semi-finals and our viewers went crazy because we had DWTS troupe member Henry Byalikov.  Watch the Afterbuzz TV show here:



The Radio Dish:  One of my favorite radio spots each week includes this Kansas City show, so listen in and hear the latest scoop on Ocotmom.....noooo, not Octomom!  I come in at 20:30.  


If you want the latest entertainment scoop this week, tune in tonight for a little #RadioBurtt on Driving with Gass at 6:35pm PST/9:35pm EST on KWSS.org.