He's a little out of shape, and it looks like he hasn't danced professional since he was a child, but he's still obviously got a lot more background than most of them. He's pretty good and definitely full of verve. Lots of fun. Apparently Lea Thompson also has a dance background and was pretty good. (I have a friend who recaps the show, so I was reading her comments.)

Huh, Lea Thompson: "Thompson was told by ballet legend and then ABT artistic director Mikhail Baryshnikov that she was "a beautiful dancer, but too stocky."" Stocky my ass. She's a waif!

So, I have totally turned into a DwTS watcher. Happened about three seasons ago. They just started accumulating former SYTYCD contestants and I cannot resist. I still can't watch the really terrible ones. I had to look way when LoLo Jones was dancing because it was just that painful. Also, she is stank all the time and that's really unfortunate for her. She's like a walking anti-abstinence campaign. Get laid, girl, and get that stick out of your ass. But I digress. I confess, I watch Dancing with the Stars and for the most part I like it.

This cast seems stacked with some really good dancers and more than a couple ringers. I agree that Alfonso Ribiero is a total ringer. Not only was he a mini-Michael, he made his Broadway debut as a teeny thing starring in The Tap Dance Kid. Dude can dance. I expect him to do well all competition.

As flea mentioned, Lea Thompson is also a total ringer. She began as a ballerina and was good enough to a) dance at ABT and b) get Baryshnikov to even notice her (even if he was dissing her for her weight). She claims to not have ever danced from that day to when she decided to come on the show, but I think that just means never danced again professionally because she clearly showed last night that she has technique, flexibility and a clear level of training. Her Foxtrot was gorgeous.

One of the interchangeable teen girls (the one dancing with Val) has also been on Broadway and she was very good in the Jive last night. So that's at least three ringers in the cast.

Some others were really good last night, too, even though they seem to have no dance training. The other interchangeable young girl that is a "YouTube Sensation" was quite good. Derek always gets good partners, but I don't mind. If I were him, I'd demand good people, too. Anyway, I loved their jive. And the other, other interchangeable young one who is part of those Duck Dynasty people was not terrible, although I didn't think she was as good as the judges made out.

Really, aside from LoLo Jones and Michael Waltrip, nobody else was just dreadful. I thought Betsy Johnson was super fun and actually a really good mover, especially for 70-something, until the whole feather boa thing. But I blame that on Tony. Don't bring props into the routine on week one! Total rookie mistake. I don't think Antonio Sabato, Jr. can dance but he sure is pretty. I didn't even recognize Aaron Samuels from Clueless. He looks completely different than he did when he was in that movie. And he was way, way, way too excited - I thought his eyes were going to pop out of his head, but his dance was super cute for week one. Four for you, Glenn Coco. And the MMA dude, whose name escapes me just now, was surprisingly light on his feet. I don't think he'll do well with latin ballroom numbers, but his waltz with Karina was lovely.

My favorite routine of the night was Tommy Chong dancing to Drop It Like It's Hot and I don't care who knows it. That was everything.

flea, where does your friend recap? I used to read the DwtS recaps on TWOP and Annie Barret's on EW even when I didn't watch the show because they were both hilarious, but both of those are gone now. I would love to read some good fun commentary.

For, of all places, the Baltimore Sun. She's just okay; she doesn't actually know much about dance. (She's a former coworker from Georgia, and how a librarian from Georgia got a recap gig with a newspaper in Baltimore I have no idea.) [link]

The last winner of The Voice is going to Broadway: [link]

PR: yay, Kini! That really came out great. He was kind of lucky to get a doll whose story fit the kind of clothes he makes. And Kini's model was wonderful. "My first designer", too funny.

Korina's was also very good. I didn't really love Char's vest, but the dress was great. And the other way around for Amanda - jacket yes, dress no. I have already forgotten Alexander's. Oh, right - the prints were cute but the fit at the waist was bizarre. Sean getting the peace sign wrong (did he make a Mercedes logo? Pretty close, right?) was hilarious.

Poor Emily, she was so sure she was on top of this one. I think the American Girl rep was right on, if the waist was defined that would have helped her look a lot. I don't think Nina was right about the dark colors being unkid-like, though. Nothing wrong with that sweater and the skirt was fixable.

Sandhya managing to skew too junior for 9 years old is almost impressive. And random crying jag sure seemed random.

Maybe not as random as Elisabeth Moss being a guest judge? Her critiques were fine and all, just, this was a weird challenge to bring her in.

Zak Posen's vast command of the American Girl mythos made me like him more. I know NOTHING about American Girl, they started after I graduated from high school and none of my younger relatives have been into them, but his whole "she's one of my favorites, with the pickles, etc." was pretty obviously genuine. I still miss Michael Kors, but I doubt he'd have given us a moment like that.

Sandhya, what the hell. Not only ghastly and skewed to a 2 year old, but completely wrong for the story.

Fun challenge but god I hate when they do the critique in real person challenges with the women/girls standing there.

I know, right? Don't tell a little girl she looks ridiculous! Next week looks potentially dangerous in that area, too.

PR: I was really worried about this challenge, but it worked out pretty well. Although I didn't really have strong feelings about any of the designs this week. I didn't like Char's blazer, but I didn't get what they were saying about the shorts being crazy and the look being inappropriate for a preschool teacher. I mean, to wear to work, sure, but to be seen in at all?

Anyone else watching Survivor? I was so sad to see one of the Twinnies go first!