The McFreeds surprisingly realize something...

Well an anniversary came and went this month and we almost forgot about it!  Our blog is now 1 year old!  Yes, we your favorite "celebrity" blogging couple has now been blogging for over a year now!  Let the dancing begin! (Cue Matt Harding and his amateur dancers!)

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Sean mourns the passing of a legend...

Her name was Tula Ellice Finklea when she was born in Amarillo, Texas, on March 8, 1922. From her earliest years she was called Sid, because her older brother couldn't say "sister." She was a sickly girl who started dancing lessons to build up her strength after a bout with polio. She took up ballet to strengthen her body. The skills she took her from Texas to around the world. She got a big break dancing in Singin' In The Rain and never looked back through the hey day of the Hollywood musical, all on the best legs in the business. Cyd Charisse has danced her last dance for us. She passed last night after a heartattack at the age of 86.

Here is her first big impression on the silver screen, Singin' In The Rain's "Broadway Melody" sequence. Wait for  the 4:46 minute where the beautiful pairing of Gene Kelly and Cyd in a ballet duet with a 25 foot scarf will just amazes you. (9:02 minutes)

Cyd could dance with the best of them!  Here she is in my favorite dance with her. Her partner? Fred Astaire. This is the "Dancing in The Dark" sequence from The Band Wagon. This was later famously remade with Steve Martin and Gilda Radner on Saturday Night Live. The choreography of this is timeless and romantic. (4:32 minutes)

Cyd excelled in many of her films. This little seen film, It's Always Fair Weather, contains my third favorite dance by her - "Baby You Knock Me Out." Never a singer really, her voice is dubbed here by Carol Richards. How they got all those very old guys to dance so well I will never know. Watch her skirt. They weighted it to make the skirt flow as it did. Great movie by the way and worth your time, if you love musicals. (2:40 minutes)

I hope she is dancing her way up to heaven now. Thanks Cyd!

Bonus Video! Here is Cyd (at 67!) doing a cameo at the 2:58 minute of this Janet Jackson video for the song "Alright." This was the first time I ever saw Cyd and I never forgot it. Enjoy! (8:24 minutes)

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Sean says...

Kylie

So thanks to fellow Vox neighbor Mark and my real life friend Randy, my Kylie Minogue obsession has been rekindled again!  Unfortunately, Kylie's new album "X" doesn't seem to be coming to the US stores anytime soon. The only chance I have at it is either on-line or by getting my "triumvirate" member and best mate's in-laws importing it from Australia!  So thank god for YouTube!  Screw iTunes' intercountry blocks! 

Kylie, I would argue, is the World Queen of Pop.  She has been around 20 years, has Top 10 and 20 hits around the world, and says she lives in Los Angeles because its one of the only places on the Earth that she wouldn't be recognized (except of course West Hollywood as many of us know - wink). Why in the world she never took off in the USA I will never know. She isn't the greatest singer, she doesn't give into the raunch that Madonna does sometimes, and she usually stays out of the gossip rags but she is just a great constant. My friend and fellow fan Jim tells me its probably because she is mainly seen as a dance music star here. But in the end she survives and gives us the gift of her light song. And she is really incredible with her gay fans.

Enjoy!

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Sean says...

Sabrina Bryan and Mark Ballas

Yes yes yes, Stefan and I have been overtaken by a show that is basically cheesy and silly reality television, Dancing with the Stars (with Stars said in breathy dramatic fashion). But the show reminds me at least about the variety shows of the 60s and 70s where dance and music were celebrated. Granted some of the dance and music is crappy and the celebs not that notable, but it certainly brings a smile to our faces. The judges, especially Bruno (watch the clip for an example) can be a little weird.

Here is an incredibly unexpected performance by Sabrina Bryan of Disney Channel's Cheetah Girl movies and her dance professional partner Mark Ballas that turned out incredible! It is so great to see people having fun and being good at what they can do!  Hopefully she can keep up the dance throughout the season... and yes I just wrote that. EEK! Sadly you will probably hear about more of this show as the Fall progresses... Enjoy the clip!

Cha Cha by Sabrina and Mark on "Dancing with the Stars!"

Stefan says...

At this point in the proceedings, here is how I ranked last night's contestants:

#6: Josie Maran (dancing obviously does not come easily to her, but I give her full credit for putting herself out there)

#5: Marie Osmond (a little disapointing; her natural charm and show biz training carried her thru her stiffness)

#4: Jennie Garth (she is paired with the cutest prof. dancer, Derek; I predict he will be able to mentor her over the next few weeks, and she may be the dark horse)

Melanie B & Maksim Chemerkovskiy

#3: Jane Seymour (she has natural grace and class, without being pretentious; I would love to see her - a woman in her late 50s, and in fact, the oldest competitor they have ever had on the show - win)

#2: Melanie B. (a real surprise - she kicked some major butt last night; she is definitely one for whom to watch out)

and #1...

SABRINA BRYAN!!! (head-and-shoulders above all of the other competitors; amazing to watch!  In fact, Sean and I rewound it and watched it four times, and never tired of seeing her in action.  She truly appears to be enjoying every second of her performance...and she is adorable.  I will be very surprised if she doesn't wind up in the top two at the end of the competition. 

But, it is very, very early in the competition, so it is truly anyone's game!

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