If you have ever wondered exactly where the show Dancing with the Stars has come from, it is really an amazing story. With six different celebrities paired together with six different professional ballroom dancers, a phenomenon was born into the United States. The show was already a hit in England, however trying to gauge exactly how well the show would perform in the United States was not quite so easy due to the dramatic differences between viewers.

With the start of the show on June 1, 2005, it was immediately obvious that the show was a hit. The viewers for the very first episode hit an enormous 13 million viewers and climbed its way to the number one position. This was an incredible feat for a show that was just starting out, and was success that would just continue to grow as the show went on. Combining together celebrities from a wide field, incredible costumes and some fabulous dancing has all proven to be a great recipe for success for the show.

The initial cast of the show for celebrities included several people who had not been seen heavily for a very long time, and demonstrated that a bit of time away from the spotlights of Hollywood is not always fatal for a career.

The initial contestants for the show included:

Trista Rehn, her claim to fame was her time on the show the Bachelorette as well as also competing on The Bachelor. Her time on the show was extremely short lived as she was eliminated on June 8, 2005 along with her partner Louis van Amstel.

Evander Holyfield, he dazzled the world as a major heavyweight boxer and proved that while he was not the most graceful on his feet; he certainly was not the worst. Pulling all of his experience, as a boxer did not seem to benefit him greatly as his time on the show was tragically brought to an end on June 13, 2005 after just two weeks. His professional partner was Edyta Sliwinska.

Rachel Hunter, as a famous supermodel it is standard that moving gracefully is required. While dancing with partner Jonathan Roberts it was unfortunate that Rachel was eliminated on June 22, 2005, which brought their time on the show to an end.

Joey McIntyre, made famous by the 1980′s boy band, New Kids on the Block he has also done a few acting gigs, mostly plays though. With his own semi-successful music career covering several years, it had been a while since he had been actively heard from. Paired with professional Ashly DelGrosso he was eliminated on June 29, 2005 after coming in 3rd place.

John O’Hurley was able to secure several acting jobs as well as numerous television show hosting gigs; however, his first stint at competing came on Dancing with the Stars. Paired with Charlotte Jorgensen as his professional partner the pair was eventually awarded a second place finish on July 6, 2005 for the season finale.

Kelly Monoco, a successful actress with numerous shows to her credits including Baywatch, Port Charles, Hard Copy, Spin City, and General Hospital to name a few was declared the winner of season one on July 6, 2005 with professional partner Alec Mazo bringing a successful end to the first season for the show.

Due to the success of the first season, additional seasons of the show were quickly organized. Each additional season of the show has increased the number of viewers watching and each features a unique set of celebrity contestants as well. One of the key factors that has helped to influence the success of the show is the uniqueness compared to anything else that is currently on television. Because the show pulls upon the success of contestants and offers no prize money at all, it is only a title as well as a trophy that the winning pair is awarded. While many contestants are not as comfortable with this idea, many others are thoroughly pleased to simply be able to compete again and stay in the public spotlight.

With the latest season of Dancing with the Stars starting on March 19, 2007, the show hit the ground running and never looked back. Several adjustments were made to the show though to improve the overall flow. The first change that was in store was the shift in timeslots. This was actually done to accommodate a larger audience that would otherwise potentially be wrapped up watching American Idol on Fox, rather than tuning into Dancing with the Stars. Additional changes also included waiting until the end of week 2 to start actually eliminating contestants. A final change was airing the show in the UK, which had not been done previously.

Pulling out the contestants for season four was a lot of enjoyment, with a range of athletes, singers, and even actors combined together it created a really enjoyable show.

Paulina Porizkova a supermodel was paired with Alec Mazo and was the first contestant that was sent home. Paulina and Alec departed the show on March 26, 2007 after only two weeks on the show.

Shandi Finnessey has enjoyed a career as a former Miss USA and also a game show host. Partnered up with Brian Fortuna she was also struck from the show extremely quickly and found herself removed on April 3, 2007.

Leeza Gibbons a talk show host was paired up with professional Tony Dovolani and only stayed for 4 episodes before being eliminated from the show on April 10, 2007.

Clyde Drexler a retired NBA player was teamed up with professional Elena Grinenko and was eliminated on April 17, 2007 after holding on for several weeks.

The former wife of Beatle Paul McCartney, Heather Mills was on the show for season four as well. Her official job was listed as Charity Campaigner; however, this has not been verified since there is some difficulty locating her actual job. It was rumored that her stay on the show was dragged out due to the publicity surrounding her extremely public divorce to Paul McCartney. As the only contestant with a prosthetic leg, she only had one incident where her leg created a problem. She was partnered with Jonathan Roberts and was eliminated finally on April 24, 2007.

John Ratzenberger an actor with credits including the hit television show Cheers was partnered with professional Edyta Sliwinska but was eliminated on May 1, 2007.

Billy Ray Cyrus the one hit wonder of the 1990′s was partnered up with Karina Smirnoff. Presently best known as the father of Hannah Montana star, Miley Cyrus he was eliminated from the show on May 8, 2007.

Ian Ziering an actor with credits that include the popular show Beverly Hills, 90210 was partnered with professional Cheryl Burke for his stay on the show. After an elimination on May 15, 2007, they finished in fourth place.

Laila Ali the daughter of Mohammad Ali and also a professional Boxing World Champion. Partnered with professional Maksim Chmerkovskiy she pulled out a third place finish on May 22, 2007 at the season finale.

Joey Fatone from the 90′s boy band Joey Fatone from the 90’s boy band ‘N Sync was partnered with Kym Johnson and pulled out a second place finish. Despite an extremely limited career outside of music before his appearance on the show, he was extremely popular with the audience and received a large amount of votes.

Apolo Anton Ohno is a five time Olympic Medalist in Short Track Speed skating. After winning two gold, one silver and also two bronze medals in the Olympics Apolo appeared on season four of Dancing with the Stars and was partnered together with professional Julianne Hough and danced his way to victory yet again by winning the title and first place in the season finale on May 22, 2007.

With the wide range of celebrities involved, it was only natural for a bit of controversy to follow as well. The biggest controversies included Vincent Pastore an actor pulling out of the show right before it began. Originally partnered with Edyta Sliwinska he was replaced by John Ratzenberger. There were two professionals who pulled out of this season as well, Ashly DelGrosso pulled out due to a pregnancy and Louis van Amstel pulled out due to personal reasons but still appeared as a professional dancer for performances and assisted with choreography.

Pearls never go out of style – they are always a classy and traditional wardrobe accessory that will never disappoint you. But this year they are a “front and center” fashion statement! Just ask celebrities like Sandra Bullock, Jennifer Aniston, or Courtney Cox.

So with more people in the market for pearls now is a good time for some “pearl talk.”

The pearl has always been a rather prim and proper piece of jewelry – classic and seeped in tradition. Well things they are a changing! The pearl is has had a very glamorous make over!

Yes, the classic strand still exists as it always will. But we warned we are seeing some vary daring looks from the pearl this season. Extra long lengths, tasseled multi strands, pearls with semi precious stone accents, pearls on gold or silver chains. The pearl has been transformed into a fun and fashionable accessory.

So if you’re going to be in the market for pearls this year here is what the Celebrities say you should know.

* The glow or radiance of a pearl is the most important quality. Avoid pearls that are chalky or dull as they will be weak and may crack or peal.

* The surface of the pearl should be blemish free – no bumps or cracks. Inspect under a bright light. Baroque pearls are the exception to this rule – their charm is in their irregularities.

* Pearls are measured in millimeters. The larger the pearl the higher the cost. A 6 mm pearl is going to be much less than a 12 mm pearl

* The least expensive pearls are the freshwaters which mainly come from China. They come in all shapes, sizes, and colors. Average size is around 7 mm

* The best way to care for your pearls is simply to wear them. The natural skin oils keep them moisturized. Do not put them on until you are done with your cosmetics. This includes hair, facial, and perfume. The residues from these products will ruin your pearls. Do not wear your pearls in the water – chlorinated and salt water will damage them. Polish with a soft cloth and never use jewelry cleaning products on your pearls.

Quality pearls are not cheap but they will last a lifetime. Freshwater pearls are becoming very affordable. Not all of us will be in the market for “Real Pearls” and lucky us there are plenty of options. Swarovski makes a crystal pearl that is of the finest quality and quite difficult to tell from a true pearl for a fraction of the cost and they are available in a variety of colors.

There is an endless supply of imitation pearl or costume jewelry pearls on the market. These are offered in a wide variety of styles and colors. Great fun at affordable prices. Do you think Jennifer Garner wears the real thing for bumming around?

So you ask what’s “In Style” this season? Well I’m glad you asked!

* Pearl rings get the green flag – from low settings to monster large solitaire pearls, they are all the rave. A pearl ring can go from romantic and simple to sleek and stunning.

* The Bib Necklace makes a very dramatic statement. A broad necklace that tapers towards the back just like a baby’s bib [thus the name]. They range from extremely wide to as narrow as a ½”. This style works great with a simple black dress or strapless neckline.

* The multi-strand necklace is ever so preppy. They range from 12″ to 18″ and pearls are usually small to medium. The object of these necklaces is for every pearl to be in perfect placement. Very versatile and fashionable.

* The opera length necklace simply never disappears from the fashion scene. They measure 36″ or longer and they can be worn as a long single lean line, doubled up, tied in a knot, wherever the moment takes you. These long strands are terrific for dressing up a pair of jeans or semi casual look.

* The tassel necklace from the footloose and fancy free1920s has made a come back, and rightly so! Today tassels are often made from tiny seed pearls or irregular baroques. They range in length fro short at 16″ to navel length at 36″. The tassel necklace swings and sways with your movement making it a must have for those night of dancing.

* This season for first time, we are seeing pearls mixed with colored gems such as amethyst, peridot, or topaz. They compliment each other nicely – pearls with their soft and subtle shades mixed with semi precious gems with their vibrant and bold color. Picture it – what a fashion statement!

* Pearls mixed with silver is also new this season. Long silver chain dangle earrings accented with pearls, or freshwater droplets set on silver.

* This season the pearl is all about the color. Pearls are available in many hues but this season the “hot spot” is “lavender” and the lavender family ranging from pale iris to plum.

If you already own a beautiful classic pearl necklace its very easy to transform it into something from this season. Try adding a group of charms or pendants, fastening a vintage brooch or clip[ on earring at the bottom. You could mix various lengths or sizes of pearls together or entwine a silver or gold chain. How about mixing your real pearls with your fake pearls? The options are as endless as your imagination.

Remember when you freshen your wardrobe for the spring, freshen your costume jewelry too and Make Your Fashion Statement!

There are several approaches to spotting your favorite celebrity in California, but one of the easiest is simply by walking out your front door. In Santa Monica, an 8 square mile city, is packed with jogging paths, shops, farmers markets, and eateries, so it’s common to see a celebrity out and about, exploring the shops and the beautiful beaches. In Los Angeles, it’s Rodeo Drive that the celebrities hit the hardest-the shops are exclusive and the price tags high, which means it attracts the rich and famous.

If finding celebrities partying down at the nightclub is more your style, then you’ll want to check out some of the hottest nightclubs around, such as the Cabana Club where Britney Spears and Nicole Kidman have been spotted, to the Mood, where Christina Aguilera and Paris Hilton have been seen dancing the night away. A new “hot spot” can be decided upon as fast as it takes for someone to simply whisper the name out on the streets, so the current trendiest nightclub destinations can sometimes be tricky to stay on top of. If you’re sure you want to check a place out, always try to call ahead to reserve a table when possible (which costs money on top of the cover charge) but with a table reservation, you’re more likely to get in the door. And make sure to dress the part, or the bouncer may conveniently “lose” your reservation anyway. The fun of this approach is that you have a chance to show off your moves and dance right along your favorite celebrity, giving you a chance to mingle with them on a more personal level than you may have any another way.

Dining out is also a popular way to spot celebrities, although of course this makes it a bit more difficult to really interact with them other than interrupting their dinner and making it obvious you’re trying to get some face time with them. However, if you just want to observe them from a distance, restaurants are the way to go. Make sure to check out The Ivy or Fred 62, as they are two of the hottest restaurants around.

Whatever approach you take, California has got plenty of hot spots to check out and have fun in, even if you don’t end up seeing your favorite celebrity.

Ballroom dancing competitions have been broadcast on television for years. Men and women of many different ages and nationalities dance in costumes ranging from elegant to sexy to fun and amusing competing for titles in all categories of Standard and Latin American Ballroom. Television aired these strictly ballroom dance competitions where professional dance judges determined the outcome and the audience were merely onlookers.

In the last couple years there has been a new twist added to the Ballroom competitions thanks to the “reality television.” craze. Television shows like So You Think You Can Dance?, Ballroom Bootcamp and Dancing With the Stars have hit the airwaves with a tremendous reaction from viewers. Millions tune in each week to watch and root for their favorites.

Ballroom Bootcamp airs on TLC (The Learning Channel) and is a wonderful series where three everyday ordinary people from all walks of life are paired up with three professional dancers and given five weeks to learn either the Cha-Cha, the Waltz, The Tango, the Jive or the Rumba. At the end of the 5 weeks they are matched against each other in an authentic Ballroom Dance competition where the judges decide the winner.

So You Think You Can Dance?, the brainchild of Fox television has its judges (some of whom are also the show’s choreographers) go to New York, Chicago, Los Angeles and Atlanta and check out literally hundreds of dancers. Not all the dancers are ballroom dancers; many are students of jazz, break dancing, contemporary dance etcetera. Once the field has been reduced to the top 20 (10 men, 10 women) the dancers are paired up and the main competition begins. Each week each couple is given the dance they are to perform the following week. This may be one of the ballroom dances or they may draw one of the other dance forms, jazz, contemporary etcetera. They have 7 days to work with the choreographer and get their dance ready. The television viewers vote on their favorites and each week the judges decide who among the 3 lowest vote getting couples will leave the show.

Dancing With the Stars on ABC is one of the favorites among television dance competition shows. Dancing With the Stars pairs a professional ballroom dancer with a celebrity. There have been sports celebrities, football and basketball players, female wrestlers and boxers and even an Olympic speed skater, entertainers, singers, actors, television talk show hosts and even one contestant who had a prosthetic leg. Each week the celebrities have to learn at least one new dance. Towards the end there are weeks where they have to learn two dances in a week. These are strictly ballroom (both Standard and Latin American) dances. The judges who have all danced professionally critique each dance and score the dancers with a high score of 30 points being possible. After each show the audience votes on their favorites either by phone or online. The audience votes count for 50% of the total with the judges scores accounting for the other 50% and each week the couple with the lowers score is sent home.

For so many people the idea of watching television is simply watching another boring show that features more boring characters doing the exact same thing repeatedly. Starting around the time of the writers’ strike in Hollywood the number of new and creative television shows that were released suddenly took a serious nosedive. Working to ensure that people had television to watch is not always easy, but networks started scrambling to provide shows. For most, the answer was additional reality shows.

Dancing with the Stars came along before the writers’ strike hit and as such, it provided the opportunity for people to watch the show without forcing themselves to endure excessive reality television. This advantage was a huge help when it was time to start looking at the ratings that the show was pulling. While Dancing with the Stars has managed to acquire a great viewer base the writers’ strike certainly helped to increase viewers and has pushed the show to the second most popular show on television following American Idol.

Additional reasons why people love to watch Dancing with the Stars is all of the great things that you can watch occur. If there is ever a show that combines excitement and dancing together this is certainly one of the best options. By pulling stars and professional ballroom dancers together, the ABC network has managed to secure a hugely popular hit on their hands. Each season, new celebrities are chosen to compete on the show, and each year the goal is still the same, winning the competition.

While most television shows that feature contests also involve large amounts of prize money, the celebrity that wins the season of Dancing with the Stars is lucky to receive anything at all. Generally, each week there is a couple that goes home. The exact determination of which couple will go home each week varies heavily based upon the score that each couple receives not only from the judges, but also the number of votes from the viewers.

Using the special method of computing which couple is sent packing from the show is designed to help viewers really feel connected, while at the same time providing judges to help seriously critique the dancing of the contestants. While each of the couples has a single professional ballroom dancer and a single celebrity there are some that at the very end of the show you would never be able to guess which was the professional dancer before the season actually began.

Many celebrities enjoy their time on the show due to the increased publicity surrounding them, as well as the competition that they are able to engage in. While it is possible that someone might not actually appreciate competition it is quite rare that someone would deliberately harm their efforts on the show. This works to heavily encourage viewers to look for the contestant that they truly feel is best.

With a large number of celebrities to choose from for each season, it can be a lot of fun to watch the dancing relationships develop and grow. For the largest number of people it is a truly amazing and thrilling ability to watch the show continue to develop and wonder exactly which pair is going to be leaving next. However, it is also extremely entertaining to see just what exactly some of the stars are capable of. By pulling celebrities from a large number of fields, there are magicians, boxers, actors, and even singers all engaging in competition on the show to determine who is really and truly the best.

A short amount of time watching the show will no doubt allow you to decide exactly which celebrity you are personally interested in seeing win the competition. Regardless of who you are pulling for and exactly when they go home watching the show unfold over the season is still a lot of fun, and by allowing every season to be bigger and better than before it is a show that is likely to continue for a very long time to come.

With so many shows on television anymore, it is amazing at times, how some of the simplest shows can actually capture the imagination and attention of the audience. In order to actually enjoy the show it is very important that you realize that no the winners of the show do not receive money. They do not receive a dancing contract like singers on American Idol receive a singing contract. To really enjoy the show you need to understand they are not receiving anything more than a title, and a cute little trophy that really does not mean that much to them. Of course, they are paid for being on the show while they are there, but in terms of Hollywood, it is not enough pay to really make the stars stick around for a long time.

The main reason why many of the stars stick around is nothing more than pure competitive nature. Being in the competition simply means that each star is teamed up with a professional dancer and must dance their hearts out each week for the right to stay. Being kicked off early is a disaster and could easily result in the star looking foolish against their peers. This makes it a desire for the stars to perform their very best in order to avoid getting kick out.

Some of the other reasons why the show is so incredibly popular range from simple things like incredible dancing styles, to even just wondering what each contestant is going to actually wear. Trying to decide which part is the most interesting to you is not always easy to pinpoint but if you spend a few minutes watching the show you are quite likely to find something that you are interested in watching. If you enjoy watching people being criticized then this is also the show for you, what Simon Cowell does for American Idol there are three different judges on Dancing with the Stars, this gives plenty of opportunity to hear criticism, unique comments and even an occasional praise when a pair of contestants do well.

With contestants competing against each other and relying heavily upon the votes of viewers, it is possible to vote for your own favorite celebrity and professional pair to hang around. Regardless of the exact reason why you like the show, it is really easy to see at first glance just why it is so much fun to watch. From the thrilling dance scenes, to the amazing costumes, and even the comments of the judge, competitive nature abounds and this makes the perfect opportunity to show off just how competitive each of these contestants really are. By making their own mark on the Dancing with the Stars show, they are adding a small piece of themselves, and since most of the stars on the show are not as successful as previously, it makes a great way to get back into the public spotlight.

Just realize if you decide to watch a single episode that you might become deeply attached to the show. There is so much excitement and it is quite contagious. If you are simply looking for something that could be a bit of fun to watch occasionally then this is certainly not it, you will find that rather quickly you are drawn to watching every episode and ensuring that you have ample time to vote for the contestant that you feel strongest about. Struggling to find time to actually watch the show could quickly become your biggest problem!

If you are ever channel surfing and looking for the next greatest show to watch spending a few minutes watching Dancing with the Stars is some time very well spent. There is no reason at all why you should ever look for anything else, after all with a season full of drama, excitement, amazing dancing and so much more the American version of Dancing with the Stars has it all.

Each season of Dancing with the Stars has been really interesting and amusing. Watching the celebrities learn how to maneuver with the large costumes is a real treat for many people and with so much going on during the whole season it is really easy to forget just how important it is to really take some time to look at the real winners for each season.

Season one gave us the winners Kelly Monaco and Alec Mazo. With Alec coming in as the oldest professional winner and Kelly Monaco the first winner of the show a hit series was born. By bringing the success of the show together with all of the great benefits that are provided a truly hit series was created. Kelly Monaco the season one winner is an actress and is quite well known for her role on the hit show General Hospital.

Season two was off in full force quickly and allowed the viewers the opportunity to really start connecting with the stars. Drew Lachey the younger brother to singer Nick Lachey and also a former member of the boy band 98 Degrees pulled out a win with professional Cheryl Burke. The duo performed excellently together and had a fabulous time.

Season three started with several great players and found the winner in Emmitt Smith a retired running back who was partnered with Cheryl Burke. This represented the second consecutive win for Cheryl, but the first win for Emmitt. After dancing his way into the hearts of viewers, he managed to pull a great win.

Season four was a great treasure with the winner Apolo Anton Ohno who was paired up with Julianne Hough. Julianne Hough was the youngest professional winner at only 18 when she helped Apolo Anton Ohno who was the youngest celebrity at 25 dance his way to win. Performing beautifully the entire season together, they enjoyed a large amount of success.

Season five was another great season for Julianne Hough’s who secured her second consecutive victory with Helio Castroneves as her celebrity partner. Helio a racecar driver for the Indy series performed really well however seemed a weaker contestant against the runner up Melanie Brown.

Season six saw a return of the women to the winning ranks. Kristi Yamaguchi an Olympic champion figure skater pulled out a win with professional partner Mark Ballas for the last season. After winning the highest scores for the entire season and the only perfect score for a contestant so far, Kristi was the true favorite of the crowd when she finished the season in top position.

Looking at all of the winners of Dancing with the Stars it is easy to see that the men have routinely dominated the winners circle. With men capturing the title for four straight seasons in a row it is time for the women to step up and compete better in order to keep the title from reverting back to a male contestant in the subsequent season 7 that is scheduled to start in the fall of 2008. With contestants still under wraps at this point, finding the perfect matching pair to win the hearts of the judges and the viewers is not always easy. Dancing with the Stars is certainly destined to grow even further and the previous six winners make it a great experience.