Twitter Tops

Last October I looked at the who was the Top Figure Skating Tweeps out there. With a season now behind us...I decided to take another look to see where things currently stand in the skating "Twitterverse."

Here is the current Top 10 Figure Skating Tweeps:

#10 Daisuke Takahashi (14,405)

#9 Mirai Nagasu (15,568)

#8 Fumie Suguri (18,046)

#7 Miki Ando (22,363)

#6 Evgeny Plushenko (22,841)

#5 Kristi Yamaguchi (25,464)

#4 Joannie Rochette (26,868)

#3 Evan Lysacek (63,752)

#2 Johnny Weir (95,794)

#1 Kim Yu-Na (356,355)

There have been some change in the results. Japanese skaters are showing up on Twitter and they have big followings. Miki Ando, Daisuke Takahashi, and Fumie Suguri have all made the top 10. Only Nagasu held her ground to stay in the top 10 with Belbin, Chan, and Abbott all getting the boot! Past Ando the placements are unchanged. Women have taken over with 6 in the top 10. Kristi remains the only "Pro" skater to be in the field. Now, all the skaters are single skaters (with Belbin's exit). And the Queen (Kim) is still queen...in a huge way.

I decided to look at the numbers in a different way. Rather than looking at # of followers, I looked at % increase in followers which painted a different story. How do they rank (excpet Ando, Suguri, and Takahashi who I didn't have info on last Oct.) by percent increase of followers?

#9 Evan Lysacek + 8%

#8 Patrick Chan + 31% (No Longer in Top 10)

#7 Kim Yu-Na + 34%

#6 Mirai Nagasu + 34.5%

#5 Johnny Weir + 37%

#4 Jeremy Abbott + 41% (No Longer in Top 10)

#3 Joannie Rochette + 44%

#2 Kristi Yamaguchi + 66%

#1 Evgeny Plushenko + 91%

Wow! The Olympic Champ is struggling! In a more and more socially connected world he was only able to increase his Twitter following by 8%...yikes. The bright-lights of Vancouver are fading...might explain his recent indication that he may be returning to competition. I feel like that was a poor quarterly earnings report.

The rest of the field has made nice gains...but one crushes them all...Plushenko! He's almost doubled his Twitter following. This shows he has a dedicated social core and with his subsequent return to competition I suspect this number will continue to rise as well.

Why has Kristi Yamaguchi gained so many followers? Does someone know something I don't?

Twitter Wars

Whose winning the Twitter War? Who has the most followers? Whose every word are we hanging on too? I have been in a top 10 mood so here are the Top 10 Figure Skaters (by followers at time of posting) on Twitter:

#10 Jeremy Abbott (@jeremyabbottpcf) - 9,980

#9 Tanith Belbin (@TanithJLB) - 10,641

#8 Patrick Chan (@PChiddy) - 10,947

#7 Mirai Nagasu (@mirai_nagasu) - 11,644

#6 Evgeny Plushenko (@Evgeniplushenko) - 11,947

#5 Kristi Yamaguchi (@kristiyamaguchi) - 15,356

#4 Joannie Rochette (@JoannieRochette) - 18,698

#3 Evan Lysacek (@EvanLysacek) - 59,069

#2 Johnny Weir (@JohnnyGWeir) - 70,024

#1 Kim Yu-Na (@Yunaaaa) - 266,581

So my thoughts...

Pro vs Amateur - As far as skating goes, Twitter is dominated by eligible skaters with Kristi Yamaguchi being the only established professional/veteran in the group. Kurt Browning, Scott Hamilton, and Brian Boitano did have followers in the thousands ranging from 5,072 to 7,484.

Johnny vs Evan - Johnny, despite not winning an Olympic Medal and a stint on Dancing with the Stars, has about 10,000 followers more than his arch nemesis (strong words?) Evan Lysacek. A credit to Johnny's inherent ability to simply create buzz and media sparkle. He seems perfect for Social Media.

Singles Club - All but one of the top 10 are singles skaters. Tanith Belbin is the only paired skater to break through. She must have done something right! And that begs the question...why is Tanith so much more popular than Ben and his 4,034 followers?

Vancouver was the Twitter Olympics - All the top 10 with the exception of Yamaguchi competed in Vancouver.

Boys vs Girls - Doesn't seem to be any gender bias on Twitter...5 boys and 5 girls make up the top 10. #equality

10,000 Threshold - Poor Jeremy Abbott is on the only skater in the top 10 not above 10,000 followers...can we get him there. Prove that Pigs Can Fly, follow Jeremy on Twitter! UPDATE: We ran a little Twitter campaign an voila...Jeremy is now above 10,000. Now he's going for 20,000...look out Joannie Rochette!

Popular! - Mirai Nagasu's appearance on this list suprises me. She came to Twitter a bit later than a lot of the top skaters yet has garnered quite a following in a short period of time. I love the 2008 National Champ and reigning U.S. Silver medalist...and apparently so do all of you!

Flag Representation - Twitter's top figure skaters are largely North American. 60% are American, 20% Canadian, and 10% each for Russia and S. Korea. Question...where's Japan?

The Queen - S. Korea's Kim Yu-Na really is the Queen. 266,581 followers and climbing. She destroys the rest of the Twitter competition!

Ballroom with a "Twist"

Evan Lysacek has parlayed his Dancing with the Stars clout into a part-time hosting gig for Louis van Amstel's new road production Ballroom with a Twist. Other hosts will include Mario Lopez, Sabrina Bryan, Gilles Marini, and fellow figure skater Kristi Yamaguchi.

The show is described as an extravagant evening of entertainment for the entire family, highlighted by stunning costumes, magnificent music (to be provided by former American Idol contestants) and breathtaking performances. "The costumes are pretty much what you see on Dancing With the Stars," says van Amstel. "They're young, they're hot, they're in the best shape of their lives."

Interested? The show may be coming to a city near you!

July 14: 2010 Clayton Opera House, Clayton, NY, USA
July 16: Chautauqua Institution, Chautauqua, NY, USA
July 17: Hershey Theatre, Hershey, PA, USA
July 23: River Rock Casino, Richmond, BC, Canada
Aug 12: Casino Nova Scotia, Halifax, NS, Canada
August 14: Motor City Casino, Detroit, MI, USA
October 1 & 2, 12: Southern Jubilee Auditorium, Calgary, AB, Canada
October 13: Northern Jubilee Auditorium, Edmonton, AB, Canada
October 14: TCU Place Sid Buckwold Theatre, Saskatoon, SK, Canada
October 15: Evraz Place, Regina, SK, Canada
October 17: Centennial Concert Hall, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
October 18: Copps Coliseum, Hamilton, ON, Canada
October 19: Sony Centre for the Performing Arts, Toronto, ON, Canada

Tickets will be available through Ticketmaster and Ticketmaster.ca

10 Most Tagged

I took a look at the skaters that I've tagged the most since I began writing this blog (way back in 2005...I know, right?!?!?!). Who has grabbed my attention, the news headlines, the spotlight, etc. Cool thing I might do at the end of every year.

As a pre-notation...I'm equally intrigued by the skaters that aren't on this list (no pairs, no ice dancers, no Europeans). It gives me some ideas on where to spread my blogging to.

#10 Kimmie Meissner - The majority of my coverage on Kimmie has been, sadly, focused on her downward spiral that began at the 2008 U.S. Nationals and just continued from there. She is one of my favorite skaters so it stands to reason she'd be among the top. Here's wishing her a better next year!

#9 Evan Lysacek - A recent heavy hitter, he was nowhere near being in the top ten until last March when he won the Gold Medal at World's and has continued to be a huge force to be reckoned with this season. Evan has slowly won over my graces...my love of his skating hasn't come easy...but I'm getting there (I don't think Aunt Joyce will approve though...).

#8 Patrick Chan - He moved into the Senior ranks well and I am constantly impressed with his talents and abilities. If he doesn't get his time to shine at home in Vancouver, I have little doubt he'll be a major factor in Sochi.

#5 Daisuke Takahashi, Sasha Cohen, and Johnny Weir - Three way tie here. Johnny and Daisuke are two skaters that I admire for their artistic sensibilities. No surprise that Johnny Weir grabs one of the top spots...he's a headline grabber for sure with his quick wit, quotable soundbites, and reality television show on the horizon. Sasha was tagged in lots of posts in the wee early days of my blog in her run-up towards Torino and has recently been tagged a lot as she attempts (attempts...) to make her comeback.

#4 Kristi Yamaguchi - Perhaps a fluke of Reality T.V...Kristi was tagged in tons of the Kristi Can Dance posts during her winning run on Dancing with the Stars. I think she was a Face of Influenza too...

#3 Michelle Kwan - My favorite skater ever! She has been a constant on this blog. Her attempt to compete in Torino, her grace as she withdrew, her happenings in the in-between, the mystery behind 2010, her recent skating appearances in Korea. She'll always be featured here...ALWAYS!

#2 Mao Asada - The rise, the fall, the axels. She's one of the most tagged skaters because she's just that good. She's also given us a dramatic storyline this season as she has struggled a bit.

#1 Kim Yu-Na - No question about it...she's the skater with the most global buzz. Isn't she Korea's Person of the Year...again?

Pic of the Week

I'll use any excuse to post another Kristi Can Dance post! Despite the fact that Kristi's lovely Mirror Ball Trophy is more than likely planted on some shelf collecting dust, she has the opportunity to hit the dance floor again!

No she not doing a second season of Dancing with the Stars (as if anyone could beat her anyway!) but she is being given the opportunity to dance the Paso Doble in Macy's Design a Dance competition.

Voting is happening right now through October 6th on who the celebrity should be that makes a return to the Dancing with the Stars stage. Let's all make sure it's Kristi!

The link to cast your vote is right here. <------- I have a sneaky suspicion her top rival may be fellow Olympic Gold Medalist Shawn Johnson (I know lots of us like Gymnastics too but don't be swayed!).

Let's get Kristi Yamaguchi out there to show us some moves!

Need a refresher on how fierce Kristi can be with the Paso Doble...see the video below!



UPDATE: We tried. Sad face. It looks like Season Five fave Sabrina Bryan won the celebrity pick for Macy's Design a Dance. Awwwwww shucks!

Kristi Yamaguchi to Host San Francisco Ballet's The Nutcracker

Kristi Yamaguchi will host the San Francisco's Ballet's production of the Nutcracker which premieres on KQED TV 9/San Francisco on Wednesday, December 17, at 8pm.

Krisit Yamaguchi is a native of the Bay Area. Kristi recently shared some of her Nutcraker memories. You can check it out here.

To hear more about Kristi's holiday traditions, her experience dancing weekly on live television, an exciting project her Always Dream Foundation is working on and more, just watch the clip below!

Kristi Can Dance

It's hard to believe but another season of Dancing with the Stars has almost come to an end. Tonight, Kristi and Mark take the dance floor one last time as reigning DWTS champs.

I think I may shed a tear.

I have to tell you though...I'm completely rooting for Lance and Lacey to win this one!

Don't take it from me...

I went and got my flu shot today...and you should too! But don't take it from me...take it from Kristi Yamaguchi who represents many in the Faces of Influenza Campaign.

According to the Faces of Influenza Campaign...

*Influenza, also called "the flu," is a contagious respiratory illness caused by influenza viruses. It can cause mild to severe illness, and at times can lead to death. The best way to prevent this illness is by getting an influenza vaccination each year.

*Anyone can get influenza. In fact, up to 1 in 5 people in the US get this serious respiratory illness every season. Some influenza infections will cause lost work and school days, but for those at highest risk for suffering from complications, the results can be more severe.

*Influenza is not the common cold. It is serious. Each year, approximately 226,000 people in the US are hospitalized with complications from influenza and an average of 36,000 die from the disease and its complications. Combined with pneumonia, influenza is the nation’s 8th leading cause of death.

Are you the Face of Influenza? Click here to take the quiz.

Also, find a Faces of Influenza Event in your area.

Kristi Can Dance

It's bittersweet! This is my final installment of Kristi Can Dance...for 10 weeks we have lived the excitement of Dancing With the Stars together. We held our breath as the celebrities, one by one, bid farewell. Penn Gillete, Monica Seles, Steve Gutenburg, Adam Carolla, Priscilla Presley, Marlee Matlin, Shannon Elizabeth, Mario, Marissa Jaret Winokur, and Christian de la Fuente were all kicked out of the competition leaving only Jason Taylor and Kristi Yamaguchi.

Both athletes, both determined, both competitive, and both hungry for the Mirror Ball Trophy that signifies the pinnacle of Dancing With the Stars. On the night the decision would be made, both Jason and Mark turned in knockout performances. Kristi an amazing Jive, Jason a stellar Quick Step. Jason came into the final decision with 81 points, Kristi a perfect 90...but of course it is ultimately the peoples vote that counts the most.

After all the discharged celebrities flung around the dance floor one last time and past champions weighed in on who they thought would win the time had come to crown a new champion. Kristi and Mark, both drenched in red light, nervously awaited their fate. NFL Star vs Olympic Champion. Gridiron vs Fresh Ice. Man vs Women! Everyone held their breath..."The Winner of Season 6 of Dancing with the Stars is..."

I couldn't look at the T.V. I could hear my heart beating. I just kept thinking..."is their another phone line I could have called from...was there another e-mail address I could have registered and voted? Was 45 votes enough?"

Tom and Samantha looked both Kristi and Jason in the eyes and announced the winner..."KRISTI YAMAGUCHI!"

I jumped up...I'm pretty sure I touched my ceiling and I have high ceilings. I screamed like crazy and did a one knee pull my arm yes yes yes. Next a text to everyone...OMG! KRISTI WON DWTS! YES! Then I even had a glass of Champagne to celebrate.

So excited...from the very beginning I have believed in her and she pulled through...she actually won. This, for me has been the best season of DWTS and I hope everyone enjoyed the call. In my final weekly Kristi post, I send this message. CONGRATULATIONS KRISTI...GIRL, YOU CAN DANCE!

Kristi Can Dance - Finale

One way or the other it comes to an end tonight. But in the words of Carrie Ann Inaba, "It's ladies night tonight!"

Kristi's performance in the finale...ridiculous! She took her competition, devoured them, chewed them up, spit them out, mopped them up, and then blew them a kiss...she killed it!

Kristi and Mark were the clear front runners in the first round Cha Cha dance off, not only hitting clean and precise movements, but bringing down the house with electrifying energy and crazy difficult moves! All the judges were in agreement that no one was close to touching Kristi...and she pulled out a perfect 30 in round one!

Round two was the freestyle and Kristi and Mark again hit a sick routine. They incorporated every style of dance, infused it with hip-hop, and did it all in perfect time. The crowd gave her a standing ovation and Bruno called her "Ms. Synchronicity" and continued by saying "For me, this is worthy of the title!" Even Len who had been turned off by Kristi and Mark's hip-hop infused Cha Cha earlier in the season even said "That kept my attention from start to finish. Bloody good job!" When the Marks came up...another perfect 30 for a perfect 60 on the evening...PERFECT 60!

Christian de la Fuente is in second with 52 points, Taylor in last with 51. Both had okay nights, but even the judges had to tell them they were paling in comparison to Kristi.

Tonight, the finalist get one more chance to impress the judges before the points are added up and the winner is named. I hope everyone voted. I'm so excited...GO KRISTI...SHE CAN DANCE!

Kristi Can Dance - Semi-Finals

The pressure was on this week like never before! Four teams, only three spots in the final. Who would thrill? Who would spill? And most importantly, who would make it to the finale?

All four of the remaining celebrities turned in great dances in the Ballroom Round. It was Kristi, however, who found herself leading the pack after a fantastic Tango that showed the full range of emotions in the dance. Marissa was at the bottom after missing a leap on her running footwork.

On to the Latin Round where again Kristi shined in her Jive. Bruno called the dance the "cherry on top of the icing" and awarded her a perfect 10! Christian and Jason continued to split the middle, however, this time Christian got through his Samba, managing to not injure his other arm. Poor Marissa again at the bottom of the pack.

But it is the votes that matter most...and my heart was beating so fast last night...would Kristi make it to the final or would she be sent packing? When they revealed the first couple dancing in the final...KRISTI AND MARK! Yay! I was so excited I could have peed!

Her competition will be the two guys, Christian and Jason, as Marissa couldn't make a third-straight comeback from the bottom two.

Who will win? NFL Man of the Year? Latin Heartthrob? Olympic Gold Medalist? It's too intense I almost can't take it!

Kristi Can Dance (Quarterfinals!)

The top five slung around the dance floor in the hotly contested quarter finals. Everyone seemed to be on their A game in the first round with all five celebrities getting high marks from the judges. Kristi and Mark found themselves tied at the top (with a score of 29) with the one-armed bandit Christian de la Fuente. Kristi turned in a spot-on Quickstep, Christian danced an energetic Tango.

But it was in round two where once again Kristi was supplanted into the number two spot when Christian came with it again with a Samba that didn't quit despite the fact that he cant use his left arm. Kristi also danced the Samba and reluctantly I had to agree with Carrie Ann who commented. "I can't believe I'm saying this...I didn't care for it." It was definitely Kristi's weakest dance to date which left me nervous for the results show.

In a complete reversal, Jason and Edyta found themselves second from the bottom, just above Marissa and Tony. Mario and Carina found themselves snuggled in the middle.

But the results show came (I both love and hate it!), complete with former DWTS celebrities making a homecoming as it was the 100th episode! We saw alumni such as Apollo Anton Ohno, Mario Lopez, and Mel B return to the floor with brand new routines, it was great. But the results, I was nervous because of Kristi's first weak performance. The first couple granted safety...Marissa and Tony...gasp! They had the lowest score...I got really nervous. The next couple granted safety...Kristi and Mark! Whew! It ended up being Mario and Carina and Jason and Edyta who had to sweat it out and in the end Hip-Hop star Mario was sent packing (to be honest, I would have like to have seen Jason go...that would make Kristi's road to victory a bit easier!). A gentlemen always, he spoke of Len's comments about how he was a role model and a hero for young people, and he rejected those praises saying it was the men and women fighting overseas who were the true heroes and role models.

And so next week is the semi-finals. Four teams, one last chance to impress America before the finale. Who will win Dancing with the Stars...chime in with this weeks poll (top of blog), and keep voting for Kristi...she needs us more than ever now!

Kristi Can Dance

I blame Len Goodman! It is all his fault that our beloved Kristi fell from the top...she fell all the way down to...gasp...second place! Carrie Ann was especially nit picky about Kristi's turns in her Viennese Waltz and she received her lowest score of the season, a 26! Kristi's biggest competitor, Jason Taylor turned in a quick step that was fantastic and earned his best score of the season, a 29.

But Kristi pulled out all the stops in the Latin Round! She and Mark danced a Cha Cha that was crazy amazing! All the steps were spot on, energetic, and sassy. The choreography was set to Rhianna's Please Don't Stop the Music and it killed! At the mid part of the dance, Mark threw in his signature hip-hop style and the crowd was electrified! When it came to the judges though....oh Len...I could kill him. Carrie Ann and Bruno were 1000% impressed but Len fussed about "all that messin' around with hip-hop...I don't like it." Two 10's and 8 (from Len!) left Kristi and Mark in second place, one point behind Jason and Edyta who delivered a Monday Night Football themed Paso Doble, complete with illegal lift!

Other highlights on the night was Marissa Jaret Winokur's continued ability to excel and Christian de la Fuente tearing a tendon in his arm! It was uncertain up to the last minute if he would be able to continue next week, doctor says he can.

But someone had to go home and luckily it wasn't Kristi and Mark who were the first couple granted safety on the results show. The bottom two were Broadway star Winokur and Shannon Elizabeth and America gave Shannon the boot after an awkward Samba.

Only 5 celebrities are left: Kristi, Jason, Marissa, Christian, and Mario...who will win (well...we know the answer to that because we will keep voting...right?)?

Kristi Can Dance

Well on Tuesday night she did it! She did it! Perfect 30! Kristi and Mark danced a Jive that was absolutely amazing! It was perfect. The steps were blazing fast, footwork was precise, high energy.

She and Mark did a fun pseudo Buddy Holly number that not only burned up the dance floor, but entertained the crowd as well. Kristi held nothing back and brought more energy and impact to the dance floor than ever before!

All three judges were overwhelmed and Len and Bruno cited the dance as being one of the finest ever on the show...this or any season! The only dances I can think of that match this level are Sabrina Bryant's Paso Doble from last season (also with Mark Ballas) and Drew Lachey's Viennese Waltz!

Three other couples did well with scores in the high 20s. Mario and Karina brought sexy back with a steamy performance, Christian and Cheryl had a good night and Marissa and Tony brought a fairy-tale performance. Shannon and Derek and Jason and Edyta continued to struggle a bit! But all the couples had a good time with group "Ho Down!"

Unfortunately someone had to leave Tuesday and after two tough weeks Marlee Matlin was the celebrity with the fewest votes. She was gracious in her departure and thanked everyone for their support. Despite the fact that she leaves the show, she is an inspiration that anyone can overcome their difficulties and achieve whatever they want!

Next week the competition rolls on with the top 6 celebrities. Each celebrity must now learn two dances and the final is fast approaching! KEEP VOTING FOR KRISTI...KRISTI CAN DANCE!!!!

Kristi Can Dance

Oh boy can Kristi dance! So it was the much anticipated Latin Week on DWTS and the top 8 slinked and slid around the dance floor to the Rhumba and Samba.

Solid efforts were given by Mario and Marissa but it was once again Kristi's night as she alone was the leader with another 29! Kristi danced the Rhumba and the sexual tension between she and Mark was palpable! For the first time she really let it all hang out, literally, as half-way through the dance Mark ripped her hair clip out of her hair and she flung her hair around losely in the throws of passion (I should be a author!).

It was sensual, seductive, sexy, and finally she was able to pull a 10 out of Len who, on her dance commented, "I have three words...fab-u-lous!" It was so good, they were the encore performance Wednesday night!

And on elimination night Kristi and Mark didn't have to wait in suspense long...they were the very first team granted safety! Her competitor from last week Jason Taylor was also safe, although he didn't quite hit the high score he acheived last week.

And poor poor Priscilla Presley, she started off a front runner and how she has fallen from grace. She is the celebrity that leaves us this week after a Rhumba that didn't Rhumba much at all.

7 Stars are left...keep voting for Kristi! A nice recap of events can be found over at Shimmy.

Kristi Can Dance

It was a night of Fairy Tale Magic and Fiery Spanish Heat as the celebrities danced the Viennese Waltz and Paso Doble (the Dance of the Bullfighter) on Dancing with the Stars.

All of the celebrities stepped it up a notch this week and brought some of their best performances yet. Kristi, once again, notched up the top score with a Paso Doble that was powerful, intense, and most importantly emotionally dramatic. Although Len felt her her routines were becoming cookie-cutter, Carrie Ann and Bruno praised her for coming out of her shell and brining a passion to the dance floor. "Kristi, your the reason all those other stars are workin' their booties off this season!" said Carrie Ann. Carrie Ann and Bruno each handed Kristi and Mark a perfect 10...Len with a reserved 9 for 29 total.

But for the first time since the beginning of the competition Kristi was not alone at the top and her competition in this race for the trophy is beginning to take shape. NFL Man of the Year Jason Taylor also got a near perfect score of 29 after a beautiful Viennese Waltz. Right behind them with a 28 was Shannon Elizabeth who got Len's only 10 of the night after a beautiful Viennese Waltz of her own (despite the fact her partner was dancing with a bum neck).

Side bar, 1 in 4 readers felt that Kristi had an unfair advantage because of her Figure Skating background...interesting...

In general, all the stars brought their A-Game this week (save Adam Carolla who brought his Unicycle!) and the competition is getting tighter. Tonight, another star leaves and for the first time this season the bottom two will be revealed (gasp!). Tune in!

Update: The Unicycle wasn't enough to get the votes from America...Adam Carolla has danced his last dance. But he entertained us all and lost 20 pounds in the process!

Kristi Can Dance

Kristi has yet again racked up the highest score this week, another 27. However, while the judges praised her for her technique they were critical of her on her emotional output. They told her she needed to "let it all hang out and stop being so reserved."

Reserved or not, she and Mark are clearly the ones to beat (and she looked stunning!). Kristi's Tango was precise and powerful. So powerful, Adam Carolla went on the defensive asking Samantha Harris to "beat em' up!" when she asked Kristi and Priscilla (Presley) how it felt to be the front runners.

And unfortunately it had to come to an end for someone and it was "The Gute" (Steve Gutenberg). The happiest guy in America failed to impress the voting public with his hap-hap-happy demeanor. He was the encore performance that night, however, with...Jonathan Roberts?

The show must go on and the 9 couples remaining will battle it out next Monday!

More from DWTS!

So as if there wasn't enough buzz about Kristi and Mark on DWTS...our blogging partners-in-crime over at Shimmy have posted an exclusive interview with Mark Ballas, Kristi's dance partner! Check it out here!

Also, Kristi and Mark respond to cheating allegations from Penn Jillette...I know, right! Don't be a bitter Betty!

Kristi Can Dance

On Monday's DWTS, Mark and Kristi burnt the dance floor up with a Mambo that sizzled, electrified, and won over the judges for the second straight week. Again earning the top score amongst all 12 couples! Carrie Ann called Kristi an "amzing student" and Mark "an amazing teacher."

No surprise that on elimination night that Mark and Kristi have sailed through to the next round. Unfortunately, Penn Gillete and Monica Seles didn't fare as well, as they were eliminated in the first ever double elimination Tuesday night.

On a funnier note, Cameron Mathison a.k.a. 'Dance Machine' went around downtown New York City asking who was the best and someone responded Monicaguchi...hmmm?

Also, look for a poll coming soon about Kristi's participation in this season's line-up.

Kristi Can Dance

So Kristi's performance last night...Ridiculous! She smashed it, killed it, chewed it up, and spit it out on her way off the dance floor!

I believe Len Goodman's comment was, "The ice maiden has melted my heart!" She received praise from Carrie Ann for having one of the best opening performances ever.

Her and Mark twirled around that dance floor to a very sophisticated fox trot. The routine was elegant and smooth. Posture was excellent, hand holds perfect, she did botch her footwork just a little in one spot but it was barely noticeable.

As the judges lavished their praises on her and dance partner Mark Ballas she was trembling because she was so nervous, but you couldn't tell at all from her performance.

So when the scores came out, all 9's, she and Mark actually had the highest point total of all the competitors, male or female!

That a girl! That's our Olympic Champ!