Review of Season 11 Premier of Dancing with the Stars

A diverse and eclectic cast of celebrities were introduced on the premier of season 11 Dancing with the Stars. Athletes, TV and movie stars, even a Disney prodigy make up the season 11 cast. That's not to mention "the original Dirty Dancer" and pre-season favorite Jennifer Gray.

The show began right away with Audrina Patridge and Tony Dovalini taking to the dance floor.

Audrina Patridge and Tony Dovalini - Cha Cha Cha - California Gurls
On The Hills Audrina Patridge was a party girl, but she on the season premier of Dancing with the Stars she was determined to focus and put her best foot forward dancing with Tony Dovalini.

Patridge has a body that won't quit. It was obvious on the season 11 premier that she isn't afraid to use it. Audrina knew how to shake her hips and Tony choreographed the routine to set the bar high for the contestants that would follow them on the dance floor.

The judges like Audrina Patridge and want to see her pushed to her limits "in weeks to come," a telling remark indicating that they expect her to make it a long way in the competition.

I expected Patridge to be a flake, but was pleasantly surprised with Audrina and Tony's dancing. I thought they should have scored higher than a 19, but as the first performers it must be difficult for the judges to set a standard. The judges were obviously giving themselves some wiggle room.

Kurt "Super bowl Champion" Warner and Anna Tribunskaya - Viennese Waltz -This Ain't a Love Song
Kurt Warner had all the right moves during his days on the football field. The judges saw potential and charisma with the audience. Kurt wasn't graceful and most of the complexity of the dance was carried out by Anna Tribunskaya. Anna did a beautiful job and would love to win the mirrored ball, but she can't lead Kurt Warner on the dance floor. He will make it through on the popular vote, hopefully earning him the time to perfect his moves on the dance floor.

The judges' responses were mixed. Kurt and Anna's score was Carrie Ann and Bruno liked them. Len skewered them. They also scored 19.

Kyle "Disney Star" Massey and Lacey Schwimmer - Cha Cha Cha - My First Kiss
Kyle Massey and Lacey had ridiculous costumes. Kyle entered the competition with a lot of confidence. Kyle and Lacey seemed to have a connection, but Kyle is so young, I think his immaturity showed during his performance.

Kyle and Lacey had a cutesy start to their routine and it looked like a sad start. The technique was rough, but Kyle won points on the cute factor.

Inexplicably, Carrie Ann loved Kyle and Lacey's performance. Len liked it, and Bruno enjoyed his energy and enthusiasm. I could not believe they scored a 23.

Kyle did a good job entertaining the crowd and Len said it best when he remarked Kyle is "an entertainer." That's exactly right. He is a comedic entertainer, not a dancer. I don't expect he will stay around long because of his performance, but more importantly because many of the people in Dancing with the Stars demographic don't even know who he is. So much for the popular vote.

Rick Fox and Cheryl Burke - Viennese Waltz - Crazy
Rick Fox was handsome and graceful. The choreography was magnificent, pushing both Rick and Cheryl to dance, unlike some of the other first dancers which placed more work on the professional dancer than the celebrity. Rick Fox and Cheryl Burke had fluidity, grace, and beauty.

Rick Fox is going to be a serious contender on season 11 of Dancing with the Stars. He and Cheryl Burke scored 22.

Margaret Cho and Louis Van Amstel - Viennese Waltz - We are the Champions
Margaret Cho just about fell down the stairs entering the ballroom. I awaited impending disaster. I'm not sure Cho understands this is a dance competition and not The Last Comic Dancing.

It looks like Margaret Cho has grown a lot during her practice with Louis Van Amstel. It was a smart move to cover her gaudy tattoos, but there was not covering the pained look on Margaret's face or the fact that she got tangled in her flapping arms. Her fall at the end was also crude. Margaret Cho and Louis Van Amstel went too far trying to bring a comedic element into their dance - at least they said the major faux pas were on purpose. I have my doubts.

It's too bad, really. After seeing her bio I wanted Margaret Cho to do better than she did. It was really a disaster, which was reflected in their score of 15. There is just no place on Dancing with the Stars, season 11, for comedy to make a mockery of ballroom dance.

Brandy "Platinum R & B" and Maksim Chmerkovskiy - Viennese Waltz - This Ain't a Love Song
Brandy came into the Dancing with the Stars competition very serious about doing well. This young lady wants a win. She and Maks had good chemistry and danced well. There were a couple of awkward moments, but I think Brandy's background in dance and choreography will serve them well on season 11.

They scored an astounding 23.

Bristol "Alaska's Favorite Daughter" Palin and Mark Ballas - Cha Cha Cha - Mama Told Me Not to Come
Bristol was shy and nervous going into the dance. Mark Ballas knew how to play on Bristol's public life, choosing the perfect song and an outfit that was conservative, but tore away to a sexy red flapper. Bristol was a little stiff and unsure of herself, but theirs was not the worst performance of the night.

Bristol has to work on the performance aspect of dancing, but her start was much better than expected. Bristol and Mark Ballas received an 18 from the judges.

Florence Henderson "America's Favorite T.V. Mom" and Corky Ballas - Cha Cha Cha- Kiss Me Honey, Honey Kiss Me
Florence Henderson had a personal goal to be on Dancing with the Stars. She made it at the age of 76 and held her own with Corky Ballas. She was not afraid or ashamed to hit the dance floor with hot moves. She had quick footwork for a woman of 76. I don't think she will make it to the finals, but Florence Henderson is determined to have a good time and make a good show of her performance on season 11 Dancing with the Stars.

The dancing team scored an 18.

Michael Bolton and Chelsie Hightower - Viennese Waltz - Life After You
I expected Michael Bolton to be graceful. He and Chelsie performed fairly well, but he was not the most graceful of the male dancers. He did well enough.

Michael was chastised by the judges for not leading and not having good posture. They made it through the first round and perhaps will improve as Michael Bolton becomes more comfortable dancing with Chelsie on live TV. He has a long way to go, but he is not out of the competition at this point.

Michael and Chelsie weighed in with only a 16.

Mike "The Situation" Torintino - and Karina Smirnoff - Cha Cha - Break Your Heart
The Situation had the confidence, but he had less time to practice than any of the other stars. With only five days of practiice time Karina had her hands full with Mike Torintino. The dance floor shot the confidence out of him. During practice he looked like he had two left feet.

Mike and Karina had good chemistry, even if Mike didn't have the best style. Even though he exuded a smile and charm, The Situation seemed unsure of the situation a few times throughout their dance. At times it was awkward to watch.

He has potential, but he really needed more time to rehearse. If he is voted through to next week he may be able to polish his work before his next performance.

Mike "The Situation" Torintino and Karina obviously had fun, but they only pulled a 15.

Jennifer "The Original Dirty Dancer" Grey and Derek Hough Viennese Waltz - These Arms of Mine
Jennifer Grey had an emotional week of practice. She was overcome with memories and tears of her time dancing with Patrick Swayze. Jennifer vowed to pull her inspiration for season 11 of Dancing with the Stars from the strength and character she found in Patrick Swayze.

As expected, Jennifer Grey and Derek Hough did a phenomenal job. It was sentimental and emotional for all Patrick Swayze, Jennifer Grey, and Dirty Dancing fans. The performance was almost surreal.

Jennifer and Derek earned a 24. The highest score of the night.

David "The Hoff" Hasselhoff and Kym Johnson - Cha Cha - Sex Bomb
David Hasselhoff has all the confidence in the world in himself. He realized this show is going to be a challenge, but his attitude exudes that he thinks he is "all that."

As for his dancing The Hoff was out of step more than he was in-sync. He was stiff and moved his mouth more than his body. His posture was terrible.

Popularity can only take you so far on Dancing with the Stars. We will see how long The Hoff lasts.

David Hasselhoff and Kym Johnson scored a paltry 15.

Find out the first couple to be eliminated on season 11, Dancing with the Stars Tuesday night at 8 pm ET. I expect we will be saying good bye to Margaret Cho and Louis Van Amstel. They were one of three couples who scored a 15, but they were by far the worst on the dance floor.