The Dancing and Music of Michael Jackson Celebrated On “Dancing With The Stars”

Season 9 dancers pay tribute to Michael Jackson on "Dancing With The Stars". (Photo:ABC)

Dancing With The Stars was a “Thriller” night on Tuesday as all of the professional dancers performed a special tribute to Michael Jackson. Performing in the tribute were Season 9 dancers Kym Johnson, Karina Smirnoff, Cheryl Burke, Dmitry Chaplin, Maksim Chmerkovskiy, Edyta Sliwinska, Anna Trebunskaya, Alec Mazo, Lacey Schwimmer , Jonathan Roberts, Mark Ballas, Tony Dovolani, Anna Demidova, Louis van Amstel, Chelsie Hightower  and Derek Hough. The show has danced to 17 performances over the years to songs of Michael Jackson. Clips and interviews were shown throughout the show with the professional dancers talking about Michael Jackson. ” He is an inspiration to anyone who wants to dance ” stated dancer Mark Ballas. Michael’s siblings, Jermaine Jackson and LaToya Jackson also spoke on the taped tribute talking about Michael’s love of dance and his love for the show Dancing With The Stars.

The dancers performed to “I Want You Back”, Man In The Mirror” and “Thriller”. Latoya Jackson introduced the musical tribute.

Along in the audience with LaToya Jackson were Michael’s mother Katharine Jackson and brother Jermaine Jackson.

Dancing With The Stars airs Monday and Tuesday nights on ABC.

First Look: Kate Hudson in ‘NINE’

Kate Hudson in "NINE" (Photo:BusinessWire)

The first photos of the much anticipated costumes from the movie “NINE” has been released. Academy Award winning costume designer Colleen Atwood, (Chicago, Memoirs of a Geisha) collaborated with Swarovski on “NINE” to create a show stopping spectacle that sparkles throughout. Over 1 million CRYSTALLIZED™ – Swarovski Elements are used to embellish the costumes of the all star cast.  Over thirty-six costumes were crystallized, including a crystal mesh dress worn by Kate Hudson, a basque worn by Penélope Cruz, an evening dress worn by Nicole Kidman and twenty-five showgirl outfits in the Folies Bergeres number. The dazzling costumes feature 9 different crystal applications in 31 styles and 22 various colours.

“Swarovski has given me great support with the finest crystal materials in the world to help create the costumes in NINE.” said Colleen Atwood, costume designer.

Rob Marshall, Oscar nominated director of Chicago, presents NINE, a vibrant and provocative musical that follows the life of world famous film director Guido Contini (Daniel Day-Lewis) as he reaches a creative and personal crisis of epic proportion, while balancing the numerous women in his life including his wife (Marion Cotillard), his mistress (Penelope Cruz), his film star muse (Nicole Kidman), his confidant and costume designer (Judi Dench), a young American fashion journalist (Kate Hudson), the whore from his youth (Stacy “Fergie” Ferguson) and his mother (Sophia Loren). The original 1982 Broadway production of “NINE,” won five Tony Awards, including Best Musical. The 2003 Broadway revival of “NINE” won two Tony Awards, including Best Revival of a Musical.

“NINE” opens in theaters on November 25.

Choreographer Merce Cunningham Passed Away

Merce Cunningham had a 60 year career in dance. Photo: Telegraph UK

Merce Cunningham was a highly celebrated choreographer and known to those in his field as a dance revolutionary, died at the age of 90.

He formed the Merce Cunningham Dance Company in New York and choreographed over 200 works.

In one of his last interviews, Cunningham spoke of what it took to be a dancer.  “Courage, you’re doing something you want to do, may even not know how to do it, but you still want to do it, so you go ahead and try.  That seems to be a part of courage.  But also to keep [ something up] at something for a long, long time as dancers do…that they can with the kind of courage it takes, physical and mental to keep going as a dancer,  is remarkable. “