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Season eight of “Dancing With the Stars” has arrived and we have your rundown on how Grammy-winning bad girl Lil’ Kim, retired defensive end Lawrence Taylor and gut-busting funnyman David Allen Grier did on their first go ‘round.
Hip-hop’s most provocative female rapper was first to strut her stuff on the dance floor. Lil’ Kim, who admits that “Dancing With the Stars” was the No. 1 show to watch during her time in prison, was fearless on stage. The self-acclaimed “Black Barbie” and her Ken (Derek Hough) danced the Cha-Cha-Cha, which she dedicated to her girls at the federal detention center. Lil’ Kim’s upbeat, fun performance was rated “first class” from the jump. The star (who danced to a rendition of “Nasty” by Janet Jackson), was told to work on posture and quick step, but redeemed herself by being “nasty but tasty” and having “great potential.” Her first performance of the season scored her 21 out of 30 points, making her the one to watch this season.
The pressure was on for NFL Hall of Famer Lawrence Taylor, who is preceded by acclaimed football players Jerry Rice, Jason Taylor and Warren Sapp, who all placed second in the competition. However, the two-time Super Bowl champ didn’t live up to the rest of the flourishing athletes. Taylor seemed awkward and uncomfortable while performing the Cha-Cha-Cha and was told by the judges that he needs to get “down and dirty” to stay alive in the competition. The retired pro player and his partner Edyta Sliwinska scored 16 points.
Last but not least, it was a pleasant surprise to see David Alan Grier “in living color” and performing with great poise and determination. At night’s end, the funnyman danced an ever-so-graceful Waltz with partner Kym Johnson. Grier, who admitted he wants a “swimmer’s body” when it’s all said and done, left all jokes backstage, but fell short when his array of facial expressions got the best of him. Still, the judges saw a lot of potential and charm and gave the animated actor a total score of 19. He took the critique with stride and of course, a few off the cuff punch lines.
Stay tuned next week to see which stars shined bright enough for a second chance and who fell short of making it past the season’s first elimination.
Tell us: Did you watch the season premiere? Who’s your favorite couple and who do you think needs a lot more practice?