Who Was In the Audience - S23, Wk10

Who Was In the Audience

– Season 23, Week 10

Wanda Hernandez:  The proud Mother of Season 23 Finalist, Laurie Hernandez, Wanda was happily able to watch from amongst the Show’s live audience as Laurie took home TWO Perfect Scores!

Helio Castroneves:

No Way!!  This Season 5 Mirror Ball Champion (along with Former Pro-turned-DWTS Judge, Juliane Hough) and beloved Season 15: All Star Season Competitor (with Former Pro Chelsie Hightower) was seated ringside on Monday evening, presumably all the better to cheer on his fellow Indy Car Racer, James Hinchcliffe for his biggest night yet!

Helio Castroneves

Cheryl Burke:

Hey, Cheryl’s back!  This longtime, endeared, DWTS Pro and former Season 23 Competitor was spotted co-Hosting the Ballroom’s always happening All Access Show along with its Host, Dominic Bowden!

Joe Gnoffo:

The Husband to Season 23’s Terra Jolé, Joe, who has faithfully been in DWTS' live audience to support his Wife from the beginning, was present once more to cheer on his favorite Dancer during her last night of Competition, during which she received not one but TWO Perfect Scores of all ”10”s from the Show’s Judges!

L-R:  Joe Gnoffo and Borne Odmark

Duane “Dog” Chapmen:

This Reality Star and acclaimed Bounty Hunter was <Ahem!> caught amongst The Ballroom’s live audience!

Duane “Dog” Chapmen

Borne Odmark:

The brother to Season 23’s endeared Terra Jolé, Borne was present and able to cheer on his Sister for her Final night of Competition!

L-R:  Joe Gnoffo and Borne Odmark

Alfonso Ribeiro and Angela Unkrich:

<Ahhh!>. It’s Alphonso!!  This Mirror Ball Champion of Season 19 (along with Pro, Witney Carson) could be found seated among DWTS' live audience for Season 23’s exciting Semifinals Night!

Alfonso Ribeiro

Rumer and Tallulah Willis:

Yippi-ki-yay!! Season 20’s beloved Mirror Ball Champion, Rumer, was accompanied by her little Sister, Tallulah, on Monday Night, proudly rooting for her Former Dance Partner and fellow Champion, Valentin Chmerkovskiy!

Rumer Willis

Ginger Zee:

Zee in da house!  This Season 22 3^rd Place Finalist was present on Monday evening to cheer on her Former Pro Partner, Valentin Chmerkovskiy!

Ginger Zee

Rebecca Dalton:

This Girlfriend to Season 23 Front runner, James Hinchcliffe, was there to support her love in his race to the Finals!

Rebecca Dalton

DWTS - Reunion Season Rundown!

DWTS Pros Derek,

Maks, and Cheryl

on Behind the Glitter

Derek Hough, Cheryl Burke, and
Maksim Chmerkovskiy

What up, Ballroom Enthusiasts?!

Dancing with the Stars' already exhilarating #ReunionSeason, Season 23, has been predictably excellent thus far - What, with the return of many of DWTS' presumed by-gone Pros having made their way back to the Show’s Ballroom, such as Seasons 07, 10, 11, 16, 17, and 21’s Mirror Ball Champion, Derek Hough, Seasons 02 and 03’s Mirror Ball Champion, Cheryl Burke, Season 18’s Mirror Ball Champion, Maksim Chmerkovskiy, Season 16 Alumnus Glen Savchenko, Season 17’s 4th Place Finalist, Emma Slater, and Season 20’s First Runner-up, Allison Holker!
(<Whew!> Talk about your crazy Comebacks, huh?!)

In light of all these spectacular events and surreal reunions taking place within yours and my favorite Glitter Dome, check out this exciting, in-depth Interview with Ballroom Bad-@$$es Derek, Maks, and Cheryl, courtesy of the always terrific usmagazine.com!! …

http://www.usmagazine.com/entertainment/news/dwts-derek-hough-weighs-in-on-maksim-chmerkovskiy-rivalry-w436956

DWTS Pros Line Up with Lochte - S23

Dancing with the Stars

Pros Speak Out re:

Monday Night Incident

Ryan & Cheryl

Dancing with the Stars' Season 23 Premiere started out in all the right and high-sequined ways on last Monday evening when introducing an all new, star-studded Celebrity Cast to its enthralled, loyal fan-base.

However, and despite an overall fabulous debut from most of the Show’s newest Competitors, an unfortunate incident that would later take place near the conclusion of Week 01’s live episode would tragically prove one of the more – if not the most – memorable events from what was otherwise a stereotypically fun and fantastic affair.

Olympic Gold Medal-winning Swimmer and one of the better known aforementioned Cast members of Season 23, Ryan Lochte, was publicly harassed by certain members of DWTS' live audience who were later revealed to be Lochte Protestors in disguise.

The 6 Protestors – 2 men, 4 women – who were all sporting, white, “No Lochte” shirts apparently subtly entered into the building and unsuspecting studio audience, quietly awaiting for their moment of action during the Show.

Immediately following Lochte’s Foxtrot with his Pro Partner, Cheryl Burke – A surprisingly dapper performance that received a score of all 6’s from the Ballroom's Judging Panel – the Protestors seized their opportunity while constructive criticism was being offered to the Couple concerning their Dance by Judge Carrie Ann Inaba.

The 2 Male Protestors, who were later identified as being Los Angeles locals Barzeen Soroudi (40) and Sam Sotoodeh (48), according to usmagazine.com, swiftly crossed the Ballroom's Dance Floor over to where Ryan & Cheryl stood with DWTS' Host, Tom Bergeron, in front of the Judges Desk, interrupting Carrie Ann who tried pleading with the men, “Excuse me!  Hey, back off!  Excuse me! …”  to no avail.

Upon reaching the Desk, the 2 men were soon tackled in quick succession by DWTS’ efficient Security Team and driven away from the Desk and its surrounding onlookers before being forced to the ground and subsequently handcuffed.  The 2 men were later escorted from the premises and arrested by the L.A.P.D. on Trespassing Charges, according to E! News.

Meanwhile, still awaiting their time in the studio audience, the remaining 4 Female Protesters stood up and began heckling Lochte from across the Ballroom, citing that the Champion Swimmer was a “Liar” and chanting their disapproval.

DWTS' one and only 6-time Mirror Ball Champion and Fan-favorite Pro, Derek Hough, seemed to have decided that enough was quite enough at this point, taking matters into his own hands and reentering the main Ballroom from off-set.

Placing himself directly before the still screeching women among the audience, the veteran Pro began shouting back at them to immediately vacate the premises as well.

Hough’s angry directive of “… Get Out of Here! …” was quickly met by supportive cheers and applause from the watching, live audience, effectively forcing the 4 women out without an escort.

Following the unusual incident, E! News reported that some of the Stars from Season 23 are most “definitely concerned” and “shaken up” from the tense occurrence, while in juxtaposition, certain Pros of the Show are loudly speaking out on the subject,

“… My first thought was, ‘Is this a joke?’ ”

2-time Mirror Ball Champion Pro, Cheryl Burke, has shared via people.com,


“ ‘Is this scripted and no one told us? Too soon, guys.’ But as soon as he [One of the Male Protesters] started yelling ‘Boo! Lochte! Liar! Lochte!’ I realized it was a serious situation.”

“My mind started racing.”,The Dancer then continued,“ My initial concern was if the guy was armed or not. DWTS is a family show and I knew there were kids in the audience and I just didn’t want anyone to get hurt … I looked up to Ryan and I could tell he was on the verge of tears. I could feel his heart sinking into his stomach – and to be honest, mine was too. They cut to commercial break and I just had him lock eyes with me and I was telling him, ‘You’re amazing. Don’t forget why you’re here.’ I started to get teary-eyed and apparently was shaking, but I didn’t even realize that until someone else pointed it out to me. I just wanted to be strong for Ryan. The first thing he did was turn to me and say, ‘I’m so sorry.’ I just told him, ‘Never tell me you’re sorry again. …’ Ryan really is such an amazing guy. I can’t say that enough. Anyone who has watched me on the show over the years has seen me with partners I haven’t connected to or had chemistry with and you can clearly see that we have a sibling bond. …”

Burke went on to mention that members of Lochte's Family who were present in the show's live audience met with her afterwards, crying and offering apologies of their own.

“ I told them, ‘You all need to stop apologizing to me.  Ryan's a great guy and I have his back 100 percent, so let’s all keep moving forward and our heads up.’ ”

Other members of DWTS' Professional Cast have also disclosed their own perspective of the night’s spectacle, as the multi-Champion Derek relates of his own involvement during the incident, via his Blog on tvguide.com,

“… Needless to say, this was a pretty intense premiere.  …  I was backstage when it began and I had watched Ryan's performance.  I actually looked over to our casting director when he was done and said, ‘That was great.  That made me really happy.’  … Then I noticed Carrie Ann stumbling over her words and I heard a few screams.  I ran out to the floor and saw our security guys tackle these two guys.  It was all kind of surreal at that point and everyone was frightened and confused, but it was clear these guys were anti-Ryan Lochte.  I looked over to stage left and saw these women standing in a row with the same No Lochte shirts the two guys had on, and they were just heckling Ryan.  Our security was still taking care of the two main guys, so I went over there and told the women to leave.  I don't like bullies.  That really upsets me and it triggers something in me.  We don't do that here.  …  If I see something happening, I have to do something.  … I talked to Ryan after and basically said, ‘Forget them.  They're idiots.  You did a great job.’ … I have to give a huge shout-out to our security.”

Derek has also noted,

“We’ve known those guys forever and they were just awesome.  They were quick and on top of it.  We were all like, ‘Yeah! Go get 'em!’”“Julianne [Derek’s Sister and fellow multi-Mirror Ball Champion-turned-Judge] told me afterward that she wished I waited for security to escort the women out because they could've had something on them.  I was like, ‘I wasn't worried about that.  I would've just ducked.  I've got my rhinestone jacket on!’  

“All jokes aside, it was a very scary incident.  It was a really weird thing that's never happened in 23 seasons.  With everything that's been going on right now with shootings, it puts you on edge when stuff like that happens. 

 We're all very grateful that everyone is safe and we're all moving on and looking ahead.”

And it would seem that Derek wasn’t the only Pro to have voluntarily gotten involved.

Mirror Ball Champion Maksim Chmerkovskiy apparently – and much more quietly – reentered the Ballroom himself from backstage somewhere in order to stand next to his Fiancée and former, fellow DWTS Pro, Peta Murgatroyd, who had been conspicuously seated on the audience’s front row, near the Judges’ Desk.

Maks, who is expecting his son and first child with Peta sometime early next year, has been quoted as saying, according to usmagazine.com,

“I felt uneasy that Peta was in the front row, so I ran out, and when I saw they weren’t near her, I was good …”

And it would appear that the beloved Chmerkovskiy Pros like to keep their heroics all in the family, as Maks' little brother and fellow Champion Val has noted of his current 16-year-old partner and Gold Medal-winning Olympic Gymnast, Laurie Hernandez,

“I’m always protective over my partners.  But this season it’s very different.  I’m not working with some freestanding adult that knows what she’s doing.  I’m responsible for [Laurie's] well-being from the moment she wakes up to the moment she goes to sleep.  … So if someone could run out there like that, are you kidding?  I will protect her, absolutely.”

Pro Allison Holker who returns to the show after a one Season hiatus for the recent pregnancy and subsequent birth of her son with husband, Steven “tWitch” Boss, has also voiced some thoughts on the matter, declaring,

“… in this [DWTS] ballroom, as a pro, as a celebrity, we all come together as one … I’m sending so much love to Ryan …”

Naturally, the brunt of all this undesirable attention within the Show has and will unfortunately rest squarely on the shoulders of Ryan Lochte, who has stated according to people.com that all the support offered him from the Pros of DWTS will not go overlooked nor unappreciated.

“I have gotten so much love from everyone on the show, including my partner Cheryl, my fellow competitors, the producers, the security team and its fans … I appreciate the opportunity to be a part of the show, and more than ever, I am dedicated to my new family and to working hard to do my best.”

Ryan Lochte and Cheryl Burke

DWTS’ Reunion Season! - Season 23 - The Pros!

A Complete List of 
Dancing with the Stars' 
Professional Dancers For Its 
Upcoming “Reunion” Season 23!!

DWTS Season 23 official Poster
featuring Pros, Artem Chigvintsev and Sharna Burgess!

Oh, let’s face it, who’s got the time or patience for any further commentary when this is the very news that we, the fans, have all been waiting for?!

And so, without further ado, I give you our Professional Dancers for DWTS' exciting Season 23!!  …

Sharna Burgess 
(https://www.instagram.com/dancingabc/?hl=en)

Sharna Burgess

(Ah! Kicking things off with a BANG, I see!  … Love it!!)

Artem Chigvintsev
(https://www.instagram.com/artemchigvintse/?hl=en)

Artem Chigvintsev

(Alright, Artem! – Back to Pro status and PRECISELY where you belong!)

Lindsay Arnold
(https://www.instagram.com/lindsarnold/?hl=en)

Lindsay Arnold

(Cool!)

Sasha Farber
(https://www.instagram.com/sashafarber1/?hl=en)

Sasha Farber

(Ah, perfect!  I loved watching Sasha last Season when paired with Kim Fields!!)

Jenna Johnson 
(https://www.instagram.com/p/BJivAm-gC7Y/?taken-by=dance10jenna)

Jenna Johnson

(Hey, alright!  And may I say?  About time, too!!)

Gleb Savchenko 
(https://www.instagram.com/dancingabc/?hl=en)

Gleb Savchenko

(Whoa!  Gleb, is that really you?  How long’s it been, since Season 16??  … Nice to have you back!)

Emma Johnson 
(https://www.instagram.com/p/BJg1SbjgKiE/?taken-by=emmaslaterdance&hl=en)

Emma Slater

(Whew!  So very glad to have this one back! – One Season without was just one too many!)

Valentin Chmerkovskiy 
(https://www.instagram.com/iamvalc/)

Val Chmerkovskiy

(Wha'-what?!)

Witney Carson
(https://www.instagram.com/witneycarson/?hl=en)

Witney Carson

(<Squealing!> Wit. Wit, Wit, WIT!!)

Allison Holker 
(https://www.instagram.com/allisonholker/?hl=en)

Allison Holker

(Yes!  Great to have you back, Allie!)

Cheryl Burke
(https://www.instagram.com/cherylburke/) 

Cheryl Burke

(No way!  Its been WAY too long!!)

Maksim Chmerkovskiy 
(https://www.instagram.com/dancingabc/?hl=en)

Maks Chmerkovskiy

(Oh, Snap!!  Look out, folks, ‘cause DWTS' beloved “ Bad Boy of the Ballroom” is BACK!!)

Derek Hough 
(https://www.instagram.com/dancingabc/?hl=en)

Derek Hough

(<Ahhhhhhhhh!!!>  <FAINT!>)



....

<Raising  head dizzily>. What happened?!  Oh, are you still here??

Well, listen, don’t forget to check out DWTS, Season 23’s FULL Celebrity Cast Announcement, set to air August 30^th, 2016, on Good Morning America (GMA)!!

<Re-reading list of Pros> Just look at all those former pros coming back! … Told ya! … “Reunion Season”!

Oooo, I’m so – FREAKING! – psyched!!

<Re-reading above, last Pro entry>

<FAINT!!>

DWTS Pros Returning For Season 21

Which DWTS Pros Are Set

To Return This Fall (09-14-15)

Rumors are flying amongst (what could easily be called) "slightly nervous", Dancing With The Stars Fans, as to which of the Pros will be returning this Fall for the Show's 21st Season, set to premiere September 14th, 2015.

But, hey!  Who can really blame us if we are, indeed, a bit on the edge ...

After all, it wasn't so very long ago when, on the crest of DWTS' 10th ANNIVERSARY SEASON (!), we made the emotional (and downright gloomy) discovery that some of our Professional favorites, such as Karina Smirnoff and  Cheryl Burke, would NOT be joining the Cast of Season 20!!

<Clearing throat, composing myself> …

Among the rumors, were those suggesting that reigning Mirror Ball Champion, Valentin Chmerkovskiy, would follow in his brother's (Maksim Chmerkovskiy - Season 18's Mirror Ball Champion) footsteps and "go out on a high note"; but, Val has recently reassured Fans with the posting of the following Tweet:  "Yes, I will absolutely be back next season!"

DWTS' Season 20 Mirror Ball Champions,
Rumer Willis & Valentine Chmerkovskiy!

Val Chmerkovskiy, finally, hugging his very own
hard-earned (and well-deserved) Mirror Ball Trophy.

Five-time Mirror Ball Winner Derek Hough answered yet another set of panic-driven rumors regarding his return as a Season 21 Pro when he said, "I don't know. In the past, it was like, 'Are you coming back, Derek? Are you not coming back? Oh, just shut up, Derek! Make a decision!' ... I think I'm contracted for one more season legally. But we'll see what happens. I have some ideas that I want to do on the show, but not necessarily as a pro."

Five-time Mirror Ball Champion Derek Hough

Ah, me!  It does seem we DWTS Fans are forced to go through the same emotional turmoil that preludes every new Season of DWTS:   Who's coming back next Season?  Who's NOT coming back ...<Sniff, sniff!  Waah!!> ... Why aren't they coming back, again!?!  ('Cause it better be for a REAL good reason! ... LOL, Just kiddin'! ... Noooo, I'm not bitter or anything!)

When asked, concerning his departure from Dancing With The Stars (following the Show's 18th Season) and the possible, dismal (to say the least!) departures of some of his dancing, professional counterparts, Former Pro and Mirror Ball Champion, Maks Chmerkovskiy explained, "You have to walk away when the time is right; and the time was right.  Nothing out of the ordinary. I think a change of guard is necessary. Like a plant, that in order to improve growth, you have to pull branches. It's the same thing. Every now and again, everything needs to be refreshed.  Me, Cheryl, Karina - the few of us leaving - I think this might be one of the last times we see Derek.  Tony's still around; but I don't know for how long.  It's not set.  It's awesome.  We've moved on, and the show is still where it is.  You have people like Peta and Val, who kind of became the faces of the show, and let's see what happens.  I hope the show stays on for another 10 years; and we'll celebrate it when we're all a lot older."

DWTS' Season 18 Mirror Ball Champion
Maksim Chmerkovskiy

" ... let's see what happens.", indeed ...  Following the inevitable future departure of Pros Derek Hough, Mark Ballas, and Tony Dovolani (who holds the current distinction of having been a DWTS Pro the longest, having joined the Professional Cast in Season 2) from the Show, there will not be a Pro left who joined DWTS before Season 13, in other words, the "First Generation" of Pros will have ceased to exist on the Show!

But, I do tend to agree with Maks when I say that (when that awful time comes), with Pros like Witney Carson, Artem Chigvintsev, Sharna Burgess, and all the other highly talented and extremely capable Professionals that will be remaining on the Show, I feel confident that America's favorite Ballroom Dance Competition will be left in good hands!