City of Angels 2014 Update #2 – WHO MADE FINALS?

STRICTLYS!

Novice 20 couples, and here’s who made finals!

• Kevin Williams and Jamie Powers
• Alex Chen and Aurelia Yee
• Babak Shaker and D’Leene Peet
• Lance Armstrong and Emi Hiwatari
• Zacc Gansert and Ellen Peck
• Andrew Tai and Csilla Felsen
• Brian Sforzo and Hilla Mohar
• Victor Chen and Katya De Souza
• Jason Wyman and Shantel Shaver
• Vinh Mines and Amy Daniels
• Bobby Watson and Christie Oldham
• Kwilanza Crawford and Kristine Dougherty
• (alts Bryan Gin and Sharon Hsia; and Mark Henderson and Magdalene Sakadelis)

Novice Music (DJs Ruby and Victor):

• “A Good Time With The Blues” (Phantom Blues Band)
• “Yeah” (Usher)
• “Liar Liar” (Cris Cab)
• oops didn’t catch the rest

Intermediate 29 Couples, and here’s who made finals!

• Bryson Daich and Denise Gibson
• Jeff Smith and Marylou Starr
• Daniel Romero and Clarise Okwach
• Adi Dacudao and Tenia Worick
• Aidan Keith-Hynes and Shuyan Liang
• Jonathan Rogul and Joanna Chisholm
• Jeremy Govert and Molly King
• Alonto Mangandog and Corrinne Ray Schwartz
• Jeffrey Leonard and Karen Leonard
• Austin Kois and Rachel Kumar
• Alex Wood and Ann Wood
• Jonah Deitz and Michelle Beltran
• (alts: Michael Caro and Chelsea Long, and Andrew Vogel and Claire Murphy)

And here’s Intermediate music:

• “Take Back The Night” (Justin Timberlake)
• “The Beast” (Milt Buckner)
• “I Want It All” (Karmin)
• “Play That Funky Music” (Wild Cherry) Mario: “Raise your hand if you competed to that song when it first came out. I did. I roller-skated to that song.”
• “Love You Like a Love Song” (Selena Gomez)
• “Blues Stew” (Kenny Nef)
• “Crickets” (Drop City Yacht Club)
• “Brokenhearted” (Karmin)

Advanced/Allstar Prelims:

• Tien Khieu and Tashina Beckmann
• Steven Spellman and Bonnie Lucas
• Warren Pino and Liza Hillman
• Gary Thompson and Nicki Silton
• Brad Whelan and Shannon Tobin
• Eric Jacobson and Lara Deni
• PJ Turner and Shantala Davis (But Shantala didn’t show up! Poooooor PJ had to sit out on the sideline with a moping face. This is a man who evidently is unable to be serious, ever, about anything. He can stand there not moving a muscle and he’s hilarious. Anyway, Shantala wasn’t in the ballroom and didn’t answer her phone so they didn’t dance. But wait, there’s more.)
• Chris Wrigley and Diana Jaunzeikare
• Jerome Subey and Zena Knight (ZENA! That is Dr. Zena, one more year to go at Harvard and then she may be back in California.)
• Mark Narang and Marie Remigereau
• John Piper and Victoria Henk
• Devin Guiliano and Erica Piper
• Marcus Sterling and Natalie Fisher
• Joshua Baime and Allie Strong
• Jason Sun and Karla Catana
• Mike Carringer and Hannah Guttman
• Andrew Opyrchal and Delanie Lewis
• Matthew Lietzke and Michelle Crozier
• Andrew Sunada and Rehanna Loncar
• Matt Richey and Larisa Tingle
• Thomas Carter and Maddie Finley
• Patrick Plagens and Jade Ruiz
• Matthew Leszczenski and Jessica Laufer
• Mike Anderson and Laura Klipp
• Randy Hallner and Tammy Duke
• Robert Campos and Meon Saroz

And here’s who made Advanced/Allstar Finals (spotlight) and their music!

• Matt and Larisa danced to “Trophy Room” (City Lights)
• Piper and Henk, “Set It Off” (Timomatic)
• Mike and Hannah, “Ima Go” (Taio Cruz) (my notes said “down down down wichu baby ima go bam ima go boom ima be the one who all night long ask alfred) I did ask Alfred (that’s Alfred Lee) on the elevator, he said Liza that’s the same song you’ve asked me about twice before.
• Lara and Eric, “Own This Club” (Marvin Priest)
• Andrew and Rehanna, “Boom Boom” (Justice Crew)
• Randy and Tammy, “Wild Ones” (Flo Rida)
• Jerome and Zena, “Everybody” (Justice Crew)
• Brad and Shannon, “Titanium” (David Guetta)
• Tien and Tashina, “Turn The Night Up” (Enrique Iglesias)
• Thomas and Maddy, “Beauty And A Beat” (Justin Bieber)
• Andrew and Delanie, “The Other Side” (Jason Derulo)

Masters (straight to Finals):

• Warren Pino and Joni Rivera
• Gary Thompson and Laura Thompson
• Michael Stephens and Carrie Lucas
• Michael Salvador and Jill Aversa
• Jim Slusher and Tina Slusher
• Mike Gadberry and Peggy Allen
• Patrick Plagens and Susy Fries
• Philip Greenall and Trish Connery-Walkup
• Louis Juarez and Katie Sellards

Masters Music:

• “Ladies Night” (Tufts Beezlebubs)
• “Mad” (Anthony Hamilton)
• “More” (Usher)

Champions Prelims:

oh darn – left my notes in the ballroom. I can tell you that there were 18 couples, and we were all saying to each other “No way. There is not a single couple out there who doesn’t belong in finals. Not one.”

I’m not just blowing smoke here. No possible way to judge this division except by personal style preference. There were no mistakes (of the kind that would matter, that is) and every couple blinded you with creativity on every song. I’ll find my notes tomorrow and tell you who all the prelim couples were, but here’s what Victor played for prelims:

• “Ain’t To Proud To Beg” (Joshua Ledet)
• “Up, Down, Do This All Day” (T. Pain and B.L.B.)
• “Make The World Go Round” (DJ Cassidy feat R. Kelly)
• “Respect” (Aretha)

And here’s who made Champion finals:

• Robert Royston and Yenni, “That’s The Way Love Goes” (Janet Jackson)
• Matt Auclair and Jen Deluca, “Boom Boom” (Justice Crew) (in which Jen got stuck in the dreaded bent-over mid-duck-out position because it seemed Matt had a change of heart and decided to un-duck her by walking in the wrong direction which knowing Matt he may very well have done on purpose)
• Benji and Nicole, “Music” (Leela James) (in which Hannah lost a shoe in a drop which actually was a drop)
• PJ and Shantala, “Ode To Billy Joe” (Bobby Gentry) (and yes, this is the rest of the story! So they didn’t dance in Adv/Allstar, they danced in Champions! And made finals! And when their names were announced they got a long, rousing standing ovation which might have been booing. But loving booing. Mario said “You obviously have no friends in here at all.“)
• Jordan and Jessica, “Give It To You”(Robin Thicke)
• Parker and Sarah, “I Get Lost”
• Kyle and Tatiana, oh darn what’s the name of that Argentine Tango-ish song, instrumental, dang it forgot to write it down – Tatiana played Kyle like an upright bass, reaching her arms around him from behind and strumming his chest with one hand while fretting up and down his sternum with the other. It went on for a while. The look on Kyle’s face? Priceless. The rest of the dance was beautifully tango-like, elegant, severe, and hilarious.
• Chris Dumond and Melissa, oh darn, great song I remember I loved the song, loved their dancing to the song, forget what the song was daggnabbit.
• John Lindo and Courtney, “Give Me The Night” (George Benson)
• Ben and Torri, “Missing Your Love” (Kemistry) (Torri soooo sexy in lollipop-red lips)
• And the All-Skate to that wonderful new Mapei song, “Don’t Wait”

Mario! Photo Booth! In N’ Out Burger and Home-Made Ice Cream trucks! Ballroom jammed and hopping as I write this, 3am. Loads more to tell about tomorrow!