Blog Posts by Naivasha Dean

The contestants switched gears on “Dancing With the Stars” this week, leaving the raucous, sexy energy of rock, Latin, and Motown in the rearview. And that change left them with the first perfect score of the year.

Classical Night saw the stars tapping into regal, romantic storylines and threw in a new twist: After their individual performances, the stars split into two groups, Team Tango and Team Paso, to compete head-to-head in a battle for extra points from the judges.

Pint-size prodigy Jackie Evancho, along with classical icons Joshua Bell and Vittorio Grigolo, set the mood with soaring performances, and an enhanced orchestra was the perfect backdrop for the week’s challenge. Our stars proved their versatility, but some had trouble with the transition. Here are the week’s top five dances:

(5) William Levy and Cheryl Burke (27 points)
William Levy claims that he’s “not a classical guy,” but his wholesome, romantic Viennese waltz was one of the night’s highlights. The sweet, sweeping

Read More »from 'Dancing With the Stars' Week 7 Recap: The Top Five Dances

"Dancing With the Stars" hit a nostalgic note this week with an episode devoted to Motown, featuring genre legends like The Temptations, Smokey Robinson, and Martha Reeves. Our stars hand-clapped and hip-swayed their way through the evening, injecting a little bit of the sultry heat leftover from last week’s Latin Night. The performances were extra special because our stars got to dance to music performed live by the original artists -- a treat for the contestants and audience alike.

Added into the mix was a show-closing dance marathon, where the couples were awarded an extra 3 to 10 points based on who could dance for the longest amount of time before being tapped out. The evening held a few other surprises, including an impressive comeback by a star who had slid to the middle of the pack. Here are the top five dances of the night:

(5) Donald Driver and Peta Murgatroyd (34 points)
Donald wowed us last week with a strong Argentine tango, peppered with plenty of powerful lifts that had

Read More »from 'Dancing With the Stars' Week 6 Recap: The Top Five Dances

For its fourth week of performances, "Dancing With the Stars" struck a very different note than last week's tear-soaked, sentimental evening of touching stories. Judges and contestants alike were amped for "Rock Week," kicking off with an appearance by the legendary metal band Kiss, who set the tone with "I Wanna Rock and Roll All Night."

Energy was high, but so were the stakes -- this season has the strongest standard for dancing in the show's history, and the contestants all face tough competition. Yet the challenge of ballroom dancing to rock hits didn't daunt any of these dancers, and the performers once again exceeded the judge’s expectations. Despite the extraordinarily high scores, one talented celebrity must go the way of Jack Wagner and Martina Navratilova this week and leave the competition. Here are the week's top five dances:

(5) Katherine Jenkins and Mark Ballas (24 points)
This demure classical singer has dominated the competition from day one, but she took a dip this week

Read More »from 'Dancing With the Stars' Week 4 Recap: The Top Five Dances

Week 3 of "Dancing With the Stars" was full of emotionally charged, heart-wrenching performances, all part of the show's "Most Memorable Year" theme, in which the contestants paid tribute to one of their most formative life experiences. Deaths, births, families, and friends were all celebrated in this poignant episode, which had both judges and contestants in tears.

The judges continued this season's trend of awarding extraordinarily high scores to the talented collection of stars, doling out three 10s. (The lowest score of the week was still a relatively decent 24.) Last week, the show said goodbye to tennis star Martina Navratilova, who couldn't manage the jive's complicated footwork or find her rhythm. With such high scores this week, it will be up to the audience to do the dirty work of deciding whom to send home. Here are the week's top five performances:

(5) Roshon Fegan and Chelsie Hightower (25 points)
Roshon, the triple-threat Disney darling who charmed last week, cites the first

Read More »from 'Dancing With the Stars' Week 3 Recap: The Top Five Dances

Season 14 of “Dancing With the Stars” premiered last week with a headline-grabbing lineup and what judge Carrie Ann Inaba called “the best first episode ever.” The cast made news by earning the highest scores of any “DWTS” premiere in history. This week, the show kept delivering the glitz, glamour, and humor that we have come to expect, with a little bit of the usual cast member/pro partner bickering. The combination of famous names, emotional backstories, and heaps of glitter made for must-see TV.

The second episode featured our new lineup of celebrities taking on either the quickstep or the jive, and most of the pairs lived up to the hype created last week. The judges were delighted with many of the contestants, but didn’t hand out the high scores quite as freely. Here are the week’s top five dances:

(5) Sherri Shepard & Val Chmerkovskiy (23 points)
Although the "View” co-host and her partner didn’t score the most points this week, Sherri’s routine deserves a spot in the top five for

Read More »from 'Dancing With the Stars' Week 2 Recap: The Top Five Dances

This week’s season finale of “The Bachelor” marked the end of one of the most controversial seasons in the show’s history -- and the episode lived up to the hype. Ben described the choice between wholesome, bubbly Lindzi and the enigmatic villain of this season, Courtney, as the hardest of his life. Comforted by the support of his mother and sister and the stunning backdrop of the Swiss Alps, he pulled himself together and made his crucial decision confidently. Here are the week’s top five highlights, plus a look at what happened on “After The Final Rose.”

Julia Has a Change of Heart
Ben, who claimed to be having trouble deciding between the final two women, was relieved to the point of tears when his mother and sister arrived to give him an outside perspective on his situation. His sister, Julia, was instantly suspicious of Courtney upon hearing that she had failed to make friends with the other women, and became even more wary when she found out that Courtney is a model. “The idea

Read More »from 'The Bachelor' Finale Recap: The Top Five Highlights

Welcome to Ben Flajnik's worst nightmare. This week on "The Bachelor," the show's most memorable women came back to confront Ben -- and one another -- about every hissy fit, scandal, and catty Courtney quip this season. In an unusual twist, the queen of controversy herself was invited onto Chris Harrison's hot seat to stage her defense, complete with an unexpectedly good grip on our heartstrings. The episode left us eagerly awaiting the season finale, if still unsure whether or not Courtney is for real. Here are the top five highlights:

5. Blakeley Defends Her "Blessings"
Blakeley's unforgettable, if brief, turn on "The Bachelor" was characterized by a collection of low-cut outfits and steamrolling competitiveness, both of which riled the other women. She was an early contender for the season's villain, but was quickly surpassed by Courtney, who pegged Blakeley as "the girl your boyfriend cheats on you with." Ouch.

Ben had eventually picked bland Rachel over Blakeley during the Read More »from 'The Bachelor' Week 10 Recap: The Top Five Highlights

This week on "The Bachelor," Ben and his three remaining ladies flew to their final exotic locale this season: spectacular Switzerland. The women scored breathtaking one-on-one dates with Ben, and each was given the option to extend her alone time with him by accepting the offer of an overnight stay -- a loaded decision in any context, and one that can make or break chances on "The Bachelor."

The women went into the week full of confidence, but Ben was feeling the strain of the episode's impending elimination. Even the stunning Alpine scenery wasn't enough to distract him from his concerns over Courtney's reputed catty behavior, and his growing and competing affections for each of the women. Here are the week's top five highlights:

5. Nicki Comes on Strong
Nicki, who was still riding the high of her successful Texas hometown date, was ecstatic to reconnect with Ben. They were immediately swooped up in a helicopter and treated to amazing views of the Alps, all while cuddling up in the Read More »from 'The Bachelor' Week 9 Recap: The Top Five Highlights