Dancing with the Stars, Season 11 is off to a Fast Start and a Shocking First Elimination

It's on! This field of celebrity hopefuls with their professional partners have some depth as some had some really good starts and there are several pairs that look very promising. And then there are several pairs who are painful to watch. There are a total of 12 couples in all. Each couple was assigned a particular dance: Cha Cha or Viennese Waltz. One couple will be eliminated on Tuesday - it's different from last season where the elimination was after two dances. Scores are determined according to a combination; 50% comes from the judges' scores (topmost total score being 30) and 50% coming from audience votes. The lowest-scoring couple will have to leave the competition. Who will be eliminated?

Cha Cha Pairs

Audrina Patridge and Tony Dovolani. This pair started off the competition and they gave it a great start. Audrina can move and has some talent but was a little hesitant but gave it a very good try. Tony has a celebrity partner with dancing ability (Thank goodness!). For those of you who don't know, Tony's partner last season was awkward and self-pitying reality star Kate Gosselin who really gave him a hard time. I hope they stay around because they could grow into a great dance team. Score: 19

Bristol Palin and Mark Ballas. Bristol is known for being the daughter of rising political kingmaker, Sarah Palin. In the spotlight for the first time under her own merits, Bristol did very well. It's obvious that she's never had a dance lesson, but it's also obvious that the girl can move. I would like her to stay around and get a chance to develop her talent. Score: 18

Kyle Massey and Lacey Schwimmer. This pair is so cute. Kyle has some great dance moves, charming personality, and so much fun to watch. Lacey took a break last season but she's back...as a blonde! This pair can do very well and I'd like to see Lacey push him to do more challenging dances. Score: 23

Forence Henderson and Corky Ballas. I can't believe Mrs. Brady is 76 years old and she also has some great dance moves. I also had no idea that she can swear so much and still be so classy. This is another couple that would be fun to watch. Score: 18

David Hasselhoff and Kym Johnson. It amazes me that he is a huge star in Germany...why? The Hoff gave it the old college try however, although the spirit is willing the body seems more resistant. Still, I hope he doesn't get eliminated because he is very engaging. Score: 15

Mike Sorrentino (aka The Situation) and Karina Smirnoff. Not good and the reason for that is because he only had five days of practice because his reality show stopped taping only recently. I can't believe he couldn't make arrangements, I know DWTS would always try to accommodate him but I don't think he's taking this show too seriously. I would eliminate him if it were up to me. Score: 15

Viennese Waltz Pairs

Kurt Warner and Anna Trebunskaya. As one of the most popular and a winning quarterback in NFL history, you want to root for him, however, he will need a couple more weeks before he can build a technique and I hope he won't be eliminated before then because he wants to work at it. His bad posture and awkwardness could be minimized with a few more weeks of practice. Score: 19

Rick Fox and Cheryl Burke. Another winning athlete, this time in the NBA, Rick did very well, he has great posture, and showed some flair and elegance. Would love to see more of his dancing ability and technique honed over the next few weeks. Score: 22

Margaret Cho and Louis Van Amstel. They made a calculated risk and it didn't pan out. They tried to dance the Viennese Waltz comically. It started out okay but her angry face and intentional stumbles was too much comedy and not enough dance. It's a shame because it looked like there could be something there so I want her around to see if it's worth watching a transformation. Score: 15

Brandy and Maxim Schmerkovskiy. Brandy has great dance ability but can sometimes be too forceful. She also has a great personality and is fun to watch so I want to see Max train her for more challenging choreography. Score: 23

Michael Bolton and Chelsie Hightower. He was hunched over and tight and it's reflected in his dance performance. It's understandable that he's nervous however he is a performer so I was surprised he didn't do better. I'd like to see more of his abilities develop so I hope he's allowed to stick around. Score: 16

Jennifer Grey and Derek Hough. It was a very fluid performance and also very touching. In the rehearsals she cried because the practice reminded her of her times with Patrick Swayze when they filmed on Dirty Dancing, and you could see she was still grieving. A very poignant dance for her. Score: 24

Come back Tuesday to see which pair is the first to be eliminated.

Shocking First Elimination!

The first celerity to be eliminated was ... David Hasselhoff!!!

I know he wasn't that good but he has a charming personality. I thought he would be around for at least a couple more weeks!

Originally published 9/20/2010