The Fall 2007 edition of ABC’s hit reality show Dancing with the Stars premiered this evening at 8 PM Eastern. Tom Bergeron and Drew Lachey, stepping in as brand new mom Samantha Harris’ temporary replacement, emceed the evening’s events with a good dose of humor. In a twist on the show’s typical format, only the ladies took the floor on opening night. The six female contestants and their professional partners danced either the Foxtrot or the Cha Cha, and most served up solid preliminary routines. Interested in knowing how things panned out? Check out my synopsis below!
First up was actress Jennie Garth and her professional partner Derek Hough.
Danced to: Uptown Girl
Danced the: Cha Cha
Wore: Black beaded number, loose hair.
The performance: Good overall. Entertaining facial expressions.
Len – Great hip action, suggested she work on free leg action.
Bruno – Called her a yummy mummy and praised her for good arm placement. Be careful to keep legs together. Carrie Ann – Said she did really, really well. A little unsteady on her feet.
The scores: 7, 7, 7 = 21
Next came Supermodel Josie Maran and her partner (and Season One Champ) Alec Mazo.
Funny moment: Alec called her ‘deceptively unfit’
Danced to: Walkin’ my baby back home
Danced the: Foxtrot
Wore: Green ankle-length outfit with a long slit and plunging neckline with matching gloves.
The performance: Big smile, but her footwork seemed lacking.
Len – Looked elegant, but too soft. Bad footwork.
Carrie Ann – Said she seemed a little out of her element, but had a beautiful smile. A lot to work on, keep at it.
Bruno – Noted that the Foxtrot is a hard dance. He likened her to a beautiful sailing ship stranded in a sand bank.
The scores: 6, 5, 5 = 16
Singer-Actress Sabrina Bryan and show newbie Mark Ballas, Jr. came next.
Danced to: Don’t Cha
Danced the: Cha Cha
Wore: Black, short and sparkly with a neckline like Josie’s.
The performance: Very fast-paced, energetic with hip-hop elements tossed in that I’m guessing Len in particular won’t care for. She’s absolutely doing an excellent job of using her youth to her advantage.
Carrie Ann – She said she’d never seen anyone do a cha cha like that on the show and said she was fierce. However, criticized her for incorporating too much hip-hop.
Bruno – Called her a bewitching blonde dynamo and said she had an almost surgical precision to her footwork. Couldn’t believe his eyes.
Len – Very, very good. Sharp, fast, exciting, but doesn’t want to see hip-hop.
The scores: 9, 8, 9 = 26
Entertainer Marie Osmond and partner Jonathan Roberts danced fourth.
Funny moment: How does Marie think she’ll win? 25 million viewers, 22 million Osmonds.
Danced to: I hear a symphony
Danced the: Foxtrot
Wore: Dark blue, ankle-length, sheer sleeves
The performance: Bold, full of personality! Although there were a few little missteps, I was impressed by how well she carried the performance.
Bruno – Called her classy yet sassy, and said she acted the whole thing like a true professional
Len – This was a lovely present – never know what you’ll get
Carrie Ann – So incredibly adorable out there, praised her beautiful lines
The scores: 7, 7, 7 = 21
Fifth to dance was Spice Girl Mel B and her pro partner Maksim Chmerkovskiy.
Danced to: A Deeper Love
Danced the: Cha Cha
Wore: Leopard print knee-length with a cross-back halter top, loose hair
The performance: She showed good energy and solid rhythm. As a former Spice Girl and performance veteran, I’d expected her to do well.
Carrie Ann – Said Mel was a better dancer than she’d thought she would be
Len – Praised her good hip action, and said she came out and sold it well
Bruno – He said he knew she was a feisty kitten, and said she was right on the money
The scores: 8, 8, 8 = 24
Actress Jane Seymour and Tony Dovolani gave the final performance of the evening.
Funny Moment: Said Dancing with the Stars is her favorite show ever, and is taking part to live out a childhood dream.
Danced to: Let’s Do It
Danced the: Foxtrot
Wore: Long, hot pink and billowy, loose, curly hair
The performance: It was very pleasant overall. She had almost coy facial expressions, and in general was very cute.
Bruno – Called her the essence of elegance, breezy and fragrant like a British garden. Praised her use of her hands, but told her to watch her turns.
Carrie Ann – She agreed with Bruno’s assessment and said she was elegance personified.
Len – Praised Tony’s choices of steps, and said the performance was very nice.
The scores: 8, 8, 8 = 24
Be sure to tune in Tuesday night to see the men dance their first routines.
