Musings from Across the Pond

[Shakespeare] The first problem is whether we (meaning the crazy Americans who are now obsessed with Ireland, thanks to Tristan) are actually across the pond, or if Tristan’s homeland is the one across the pond. I have no idea whatsoever nor am I inclined to find out. Therefore I’ll take a bit of creative license, and assume it goes both ways and say that I am really, really glad that Tristan MacManus decided to take that journey across the big old pond to America and show us what really great dancing is supposed to be.
     And I thought Season 13 of Dancing With the Stars was going to be a yawner.   I wasn’t overly enthused about any of the rumored celebrities (some rumors were true, more were not), but then I heard that a couple of members of the Troupe were being moved up to the pro ranks.  And what do you know? Things perked up quickly. I remembered that whole Dance to the Music number where Tristan stole the show and made me like all over again that old song by Sly and the Family Stone (okay people don’t rub it in that I actually am old enough to remember the original version). I remembered that ‘holy crap, that was hot’ waltz he did with Peta to the music of Katherine Jenkins and the smoldering Paso with Nicole. Then in spite of myself, I recalled how he rocked to - dare I say it - MMMBop by Hanson. (I’ll never admit that to anyone else). I started to think that there might be something to Season 13 after all. I was bored with what I saw as the same dances, with the same recycled choreography season after season, and all of a sudden, we had Tristan MacManus paired up with, wait, WHO? Nancy Grace? Nobody respects Nancy more than I do, but Tristan and Nancy? Okay, I’m flexible, let’s see what happens. I was sold after the Cha-Cha - the great choreography, the playfulness, the light tap on NG’s backside, and those doggone adorable suspenders.
     You know what? Every week just got better and better. Tristan MacManus has, whether he wants it or not, a new fan for life.

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[SWAT] The burning question - will the rest of us be inspired to make a similar trek across the pond and into Tristan-land? You can bet your cookies that I will be happily paddling myself across the pond using nothing but my Tristan-Musings loose leaf notebook if I don’t have a paddle.
      Back to Season 13. Upon hearing the celebrity line-up, I was left scratching my head with a permanent stink-eye look on my face because there was nobody on this celebrity panel that I was totally into. There has always been at least one celeb that I pull for every season, but this one.....snooze fest.  Then there was the addition of Nancy Grace to the cast, and all I remember was being forced to watch her show with my 89 year old Great Aunt Gertie and knowing that if Nancy Grace ever started grilling me, it wouldn’t be pretty. Now she was on the show....and whoa, who was her partner, but that super hunky and talented Irish guy from the troupe from Season 12? And no ladies, I didn't know his name. He was merely the hot Irish guy. 
      By the way, I do remember Tristan shakin' his sexy fanny to MMMBop along with the Troupe during Guilty Pleasures Night. Shakespeare may have some dirt on me regarding that, but I will vehemently plead the fifth on my supposed “Hanson Past”. It never happened....much.
      To say that I was pleasantly surprised by Tristan and Nancy's chemistry is an understatement. I thought she might make Tristan cry bitter tears of Guinness, but instead, she was the one whose voice started wavering a time or two, and the way he clung to that woman like she was made of Velcro indeed got my interest. Tristan has an amazing talent for telling a story through his choreography, but the best story out of all of this, was the real life story of MacGrace and their eight week journey through the Dancing with the Stars jungle.