Melissa Rycroft and Tony Dovolani delivered a smokin' hot salsa on Monday evening's Dancing With the Stars. But after the show, The Bachelor beauty found herself, once again, on the hot seat over her dancing background.
"I'm not the only person that has ever come in here with dance experience," Melissa told Access Hollywood when asked if she has a leg up on her foes.
Dancing pro Maksim Chmerkovskiy sparked the debate prior to Week 2 of the hit ABC show, telling TV Guide it was unfair that Rycroft was allowed to compete with her background in ballet and as a Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader.
When given the opportunity to backtrack on that, Maksim stood strong in his stance: "Let me be that voice of everybody who thinks [it] but won't say it."
"I mean, I can't be expected to compete next to someone that's had a lot of dance training," Maksim's partner, Denise Richards, added.
Melissa Rycroft and Tony Dovolani heat up Dancing with the Stars.
After Monday night's show, where Melissa Rycroft turned in her second impressive performance in as many weeks, it seemed more members of the cast were ready to throw fuel on this smoldering Dancing with the Stars fire.
"I'm not going to say anything about it being unfair, but compared to everybody else, there is a huge difference in ability," Julianne Hough said.
Not everyone's a critic, though.
Melissa's dance partner this season, Tony Dovolani, took exception to the comments made by his good friend and competitor, Maksim.
"Well, I would love to say to Maks, 'How about Mel?'" Tony said, referring to Maksim's partner in Season 5, former Spice Girl Mel B. "That's all I'm going to say."
For her part, Melissa Rycroft insists her success on the dance floor is a product of her hard work with Dovolani, rather than her prior experience.
"There have definitely been people that have more [experience] than me. But it's not benefiting me at all, believe me. It's not like we practice for a day and have six off," Rycroft, who was cheered by new beau Ty Strickland, said.
Melissa and Tony's fancy footwork has certainly paid dividends with the judges - earning the couple scores of 23 and 26 out of 30 in each week, respectively.
However, Sex and The City heartthrob Gilles Marini and partner Cheryl Burke have netted the high score each week so far, with impressive scores of 24 and 27, respectively - despite no professional dancing experience for him.
In the end, reigning Dancing with the Stars champ Derek Hough said it's up to the voters to decide if Melissa's background goes against the theme of the show.
"It really just depends on what American wants to see. Do they want to see a non-dancer become a dancer, or do they want to see a dancer dance?" Derek said.
Ultimately, Maksim seemed to agree that it's all up to the audience.
"Does she have dance training? Of course. But it doesn't matter if people love what she does," he concluded. "You know, Mazel Tov to her, as we say."
Here's Melissa Rycroft's most recent performance on the show ...
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14 Comments
May 14th, 2009 6:51 PM
Melissa is trying to downplay her dance ability so that people think that she deserves to be on the show and competing with everyone else.
But if you think about it, she has never deserved to be there because she is not a celebrity so she shouldn't have been on the show in the first place. Yes, there have been "reality tv stars" on the show but their reality shows were about their own lives such as Kim Kardashian and Holly Madison. To have a reality show about your life means you have to kind of be someone to begin with. Holly was Hugh Hefner's girlfriend and Playboy Model, Kim is a socialite and her family is very known...at least they have some "celebrity" in them and they were at least somewhat known before they were "reality tv stars". Who is Melissa? Some girl that went on a stupid dating show to find love who was absouletly no one before then. She should not have been on Dancing with the Stars because she is NOT a "Star". She was just a last minute replacement and will always be just that.
As for her dance ability, has anyone ever seen Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders: Making the Team? Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders are really not much of "cheerleaders" they are real dancers. It is very hard to get on that dance squad. It is one of the hardest NFL dance teams to be on and the girls that are on the team have extensive dance training. They have been dancing since they were little. Being a dallas cowboy cheerleader is a lot of dancer's dreams. Melissa is trying to act like it wasn't a big deal, you don't need that much dance training which is the biggest lie I have ever heard of in my life and anyone who knows what it takes to be a Dallas Cowboy Cheerleader knows that.
Yes, there have been peoople on the show before that have had some type of training that made picking up ballroom easier but there has never been an actual DANCER on the show as in someone who was trained in JUST dance. She should be kicked off, she does not belong on the show. It is extremely unfair!!!
April 17th, 2009 11:39 PM
WOW! That's incredibly retarded! As a "social dance instructor" one would think you'd be smarter than that! To talk about all the other stars on the show as if they all deserve to win before Melissa would. LIL KIM??? You mean to tell me that a "rapper" has NO EXPERIENCE in hip hop or performing?!! PLEASE! It is obvious that she can pick it up just as fast as Melissa can. Lawrence Taylor looks like he doesn't even want to be there-especially considering his mentioning of having a "golf appointment" in the middle of rehearsal. I am sure that golfing will help to learn ballroom! Shawn Johnson has no experience???? You think floor routines DON'T REQUIRE some form of dancing elements? Sorry but yeah they do, resulting in an advantage in perfecting technique, form, performance, and endurance especially when you are training in the gym 6 days a week! If you are gonna start nit picking at least cover EVERYTHING! Shawn, Gilles (actor--resulting in great performing ability, lets single him out too people!!), Lil Kim- they are all doing great and THEY ALL HAVE SOME FORM OF ADVANTAGE OVER SOMEONE ELSE just because Melissa did ballet WHEN SHE WAS YOUNGER and was a cheerleader does NOT mean she doesn't belong on the same show as the others. Ballroom is NOT the same as ballet,cheerleading,gymnastics,hip hop,figure skating,acting or ANYTHING else you can think to complain about BUT ALL THOSE THINGS DO GIVE YOU SOME KIND OF ADVANTAGE OVER SOMEONE ELSE! I think Melissa is being picked on ruthlessly and unnecessarily by all the contestants who thought they had a better chance before she came on the show. She is being singled out because she came in late. Denise Richards saying she "cannot be expected to compete against someone with experience?? LOL PLEASE THAT IS HILARIOUS!! She is an actress (or i THOUGHT she was) above all else she should have had everybody licked in the performance element but she repeatedly looked like a lost dog out on the floor and way too weak for competition of ANY KIND!! Maks you are HOT AS HE** but damn if you are not a crybaby!!!! I am truly sorry your partner sucked this season but don't take it out on Melissa.
March 25th, 2009 1:21 PM
I am very dissapointed in Julianne and Max, I guess their true colors are coming out! I believe Melissa can dance as well as they do and they are professionals! She was asked at the last minute to join the show and she accepted. Go girl, go! She is a natural. A beautiful person, personality and warming smile!
No body has said anything about Julianne's partner.
March 24th, 2009 10:37 PM
Melissa is doing awesome -- yes,she's had previous experience in ballet, but a lot of other contestants have had some sort of training in ballet, hip hop, Olympians, boy banders, etc. People are just jealous of her. Get over it everyone! She's hot and she's good!
March 24th, 2009 1:57 AM
As a social dance instructor... I'm interested in watching regular joe people learn to dance. Put Melissa on SYTYCD if you want to watch her show off.
The difference here, guys, is that Melissa has EXTENSIVE ballet training and other "movement" training. SHE HAS ALREADY "PERFORMED" FOR A LIVING! That's a lot of auditions and rehearsals, people. Remember Rachel Hunter? She took ballet as a kid, but by the time she was on the show, she was in her late 30s and you could BARELY see it on her. I took ballet, tap, jazz, and hiphop for 12 years, and I can see how much dance she's done, and she is downplaying it. And when I started learning waltz, salsa, swing --- I picked it up super fast. Even now, when I learn something new, I learn it twice as fast as someone in the same class who doesn't have my ballet/jazz background.
If I were her, I would feel at a significant advantage over poor Wozniak, Holly Madison, or Ty Murray. Ballet and "cheer" allow her to pick up choreography, spins, arm work, footwork, etc, faster than the other contestants. So while she may say, "BALLROOM IS HARD!", she's actually working on the finer technique, core work, styling, and very advanced partnering, like promenades and advanced tricks. A lot of the other folks are trying to walk to music without looking at the ground.
Gilles Marini doesn't have dance experience, and look at him GO. Shawn Johnson? I CRINGED when I watched her floor routines at the Olympics, and she's learned a lot. Lil' Kim is improving. Lawrence Taylor has really great footwork for a big guy.
Melissa, she looks the same as she did 2 weeks ago. Like someone who doesn't belong on the same show as the other "Stars."
March 23rd, 2009 11:01 PM
I agree the comments need to stop. Kristi was an Olympian who also competed in pairs skating before she took on her single skating full force. I used to skate and I will tell you I had to do many hours of ballet and ice dancing which includes doing dances on ice w/ a partner. I think Kristi did a great job and deserved to be there and I believe Melissa deserves to be there as well. I only watched a few episodes here and there of DWTS. Now that Melissa is on the show I watch every Monday and Tues!
March 23rd, 2009 5:30 PM
Lay off her guys. Melissa is entertains us greatly with
her dancing and that's what important. Could you Maksim and
Julianne improve more the ratings without her in
this season? She's hot. Every contestant has some sort of
training in their life like the band boys, Lance and Fatone.
Kristi and other Olympians have trainings that one way or
another help in their dancing, but you have to consider too
dancing TALENT. If you have no dancing bone in your body,
you can learn the moves but you won't excite the audience except in a comical way in which the producers have envisioned and had built the show.
Buzzdun
March 22nd, 2009 11:00 PM
Julianne and Max need to stop whining and concentrate on themselves!!!
March 22nd, 2009 8:20 PM
What a joke! Melissa came onto the show at the last minute and she has the personality and willingness to learn from a great pro, Tony! How do you explain Brooke's talent last season? I used to be a fan of Max and Julianne, but now you get to see the claws come out. Go Melissa! Make Twxas proud!
March 22nd, 2009 8:19 PM
I cannot stand this show. The only reason I watch it is for Melissa... I LOVE HER (Jason can go to he**). She is boosting the ratings...which is what the producers want anyway. As for dancing ability...this show covers all ages, all levels of fitness...it is not ever going to be "fair".