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Floyd Mayweather, Jr.’s (39-0 | 25 Knockouts) very much anticipated comeback to the ring up against Juan Manuel Marquez (55-4-1 | 37 Knockouts), hits MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada on September 19th live via HBO’s Pay-per-view.

In this video, reporter Mark Kriegel discusses Juan Manuel Marquez with Floyd Mayweather Jr. Find out why the ‘Pretty Boy’ isn’t ready to think about Manny Pacquiao.

I am very surprised to see Mayweather in this interview very subdued. He’s always been portrayed as (over)confident to being cocky. I didn’t see it on this interview and even the reporter commented that Floyd seem to be building up his opponent, Marquez. It’s nice to see a fighter not ‘talk trash’ his opponent. This psychological warfare tactic is so cliche and very movie-like anyway. What a good interview! Floyd has such respect for Marquez. Floyd is hinting very much of a possible Pacquiao-Mayweather fight if the “price” is right and HBO picks it up.

Below is an earlier video announcing the fight in May atop the Empire State Building in New York. Floyd ‘handpicked’ Juan Manuel as his opponent for his comeback fight. They were going to fight last July but it was postponed due to a rib injury Mayweather received during training. Manny Pacquiao’s name comes up again.

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I’m not a huge Boxing follower but when Manny Pacquiao is on, I am sure to watch every fight. I am from General Santos City, Philippines and so is Pacquiao so I can’t help but be a fan. Mind you, only when he is in the ring fighting. What he does outside I am not so sure about– his mad ideas going into acting, heck singing and say that again? Politics?!! C’mmon! Manny Pacquiao needs better advisers not people who take advantage of his popularity and money.

Of late I have become curious of Juan Manuel Marquez ever since that rematch fight he lost with Manny Pacquiao in March 2008. I still hope somehow someday in whatever weight class, Manny and Juan Manuel will encore that rematch! That fight was so very close, it wasn’t truly and fully Manny’s to claim.

I had a chance to meet Juan Manuel Marquez up close in his surprised visit to the Philippines in April 6th during the star-studded ABS-CBN produced Boxing fight: “INVASION, Philippines vs. the World at the Araneta Coliseum. (A month after his fight with Manny, there are still visible marks on his face from that bout.)

Thanks to our dear friends, sisters Sunshine Pestaño and Goody Peñalosa- wife of another great Philippine boxer, Gerry Peñalosa, we were part of the “Team Penalosa” that day! One of the best experiences of my life! Thanks very much to them! I still have to make a full article of that happening and it’s been over a year old. Procrastination at work…

with Entrepreneur Goody Llido-Penalosa

Juan Manuel Marquez is such a reserved, shy guy. Uber friendly and accommodating- always there for the camera and to whoever wants a photo with him! No air of arrogance at all. To those who hates his guts for wanting to fight Manny again, I really think Manny owes it to the Boxing fans and to himself. Going back to the whole fight, nobody expected Manny to win that- At best, people expected a draw or a Juan Manuel win but Manny edged it by a hair. You could see on the tape, Manny was even partially surprised he was announced the winner! We can’t blame Juan Manuel if he wants to finish off the business with Manny.

Moving forward to the present, Juan Manuel is facing a tough opponent in Floyd Mayweather, Jr. come September 19. I am rooting for Juan Manuel of course! Fingers crossed. Good luck, Juan Manuel! Hope our paths cross again.

with my BFF and Tatay Pepe’s Restobar Co-owner, Jaz Descalzo

As America mourns the passing of Massachusetts Senator Edward Moore “Ted” Kennedy on August 25, 2009 – one question lingers and will forever be left unanswered: What really happened that fateful night on July 18, 1969 in Chappaquiddick, Martha’s Vineyard? The victim of the incident, 28-year old Mary Jo Kopechne couldn’t speak for herself, she drowned that night. Ted Kennedy, who could have had the opportunity to re-tell the whole story truthfully in the remaining days of his life- opted to carry the truth to his grave. Hence, one of the biggest mysteries and unexplained stories in US politics lives on.

In brief: Senator Ted Kennedy then 38 years old, after an evening of partying and drinking drove his black Oldsmobile sedan off a bridge on Chappaquiddick Island. He had one passenger, Mary Jo Kopechne. Somehow, he managed to escape and swam to safety. He went back to his hotel and never called authorities until after Kopechne’s body was discovered the following day. Two fishermen found the submerged overturned car and notified a resident living nearby who then called the police.

The diver, John Farrar, later testified at the inquest that Kopechne’s body was pressed up in the car in the spot where an air bubble would have formed. He interpreted this to mean that Kopechne had survived for a while after the initial accident in the air bubble, and concluded that

“Had I received a call within five to ten minutes of the accident occurring, and was able, as I was the following morning, to be at the victim’s side within twenty-five minutes of receiving the call, in such event there is a strong possibility that she would have been alive on removal from the submerged car.”

Farrar believed that Kopechne “lived for at least two hours down there.”

Dyke (Dike) Bridge. Chappaquiddick, Martha’s Vineyard, MA

At 10 am Kennedy entered the police station in Edgartown, made a couple of phone calls, then dictated a statement to his aide Paul Markham, which was then given to the police. The statement ran as follows:

“On July 18, 1969, at approximately 11:15 p.m. in Chappaquiddick, Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts, I was driving my car on Main Street on my way to get the ferry back to Edgartown. I was unfamiliar with the road and turned right onto Dike Road, instead of bearing hard left on Main Street. After proceeding for approximately one-half mile on Dike Road I descended a hill and came upon a narrow bridge. The car went off the side of the bridge. There was one passenger with me, one Miss Mary [Kopechne], a former secretary of my brother Sen. Robert Kennedy. The car turned over and sank into the water and landed with the roof resting on the bottom. I attempted to open the door and the window of the car but have no recollection of how I got out of the car. I came to the surface and then repeatedly dove down to the car in an attempt to see if the passenger was still in the car. I was unsuccessful in the attempt. I was exhausted and in a state of shock. I recall walking back to where my friends were eating. There was a car parked in front of the cottage and I climbed into the backseat. I then asked for someone to bring me back to Edgartown. I remember walking around for a period and then going back to my hotel room. When I fully realized what had happened this morning, I immediately contacted the police.”

At 7:30 pm that evening Kennedy made a lengthy prepared statement about the incident which was broadcast live by the television networks.

Ted Kennedy was not charged of murder or manslaughter. He pleaded guilty to a charge of leaving the scene of an accident after causing injury; he received a suspended sentence.

This incident has yet added another flavor to the already colorful if somewhat tragic life of the Kennedy Royalty and has haunted the Senator for years. Many believed he could have easily won the US presidency had the Chappaquiddick story never happened. Instead,

After that night, the word Chappaquiddick became synonymous with deception and abuse of power, and for decades until this day, each major anniversary was dredged up in newspapers around the country.

This story sparked about fifteen books relating to the event and hundreds and hundreds of articles spanning four decades. Mary Jo Kopechne would have been 69 years old today. She is remembered most especially this year as 2009 marks the 40th anniversary of her death.

Ted Kennedy is the youngest of nine children. His elder brothers are US President John F. Kennedy and presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy (both assassinated). In May 2008, the Senator was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor. He died at the age of 77.

He worked all his political life to achieve greatness and become the ‘people’s champion.’ He was beloved by his constituents, serving 9 terms as Massachusetts Senator making him the third-longest-serving senator in U.S. history. He was an ‘icon’, a strong leader and dubbed as the “liberal lion.” Is it years of altruism or undoing?

“By telling the truth early on he might have won his bid for the presidency in the 1980 campaign. By telling it now, he can remove a stain from his own legacy as well as from his family’s.” Yet, we will never know. The true and real story rests along with the Senator and Mary Jo (RIP) and the mystery lives forever.

President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama, daughters Malia and Sasha including their dog Bo are expected to vacation in New England this end of August. Following the footsteps of the Clintons and Hollywood celebrities, looks like there’s no stopping the First Family in picking out Martha’s Vineyard in Massachusetts as destination for their first Summer vacation despite criticisms from some sectors.

“In these days of high unemployment and financial stress, it is not the time to go to the exclusive island of Martha’s Vineyard… You’ve been there enough times already to speak, why not go and spend more time getting to know the city with 18.8% unemployment?” says Robert Guttman and Emily Benavides, suggesting they visit the economically hurting city of Elkhart, Indiana instead.

“It’s a lavish choice of holiday home and fine fodder for those taking aim at the recession-era president,” notes Sam Bungey.

The island boasts a heady mix of Hollywood, money and politics. Obama also has old friends in the town of Oak Bluffs, a go-to spot for influential African-Americans including Spike Lee and Henry Louis Gates. “In the summer, there are so many celebrities in Martha’s Vineyard, it’s been dubbed ‘Hollywood East,’” said Laura Begley, deputy editor of Travel + Leisure magazine. “It’s also a longtime political hangout, especially for Democrats.”

Well, the Meg Ryan lives in Martha’s Vineyard. Wikipedia notes other well-known celebrities who live on or frequently visit the island are U.S. President Barack Obama, former president Bill Clinton, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, comedian and talk show host David Letterman, Bill Murray, Queen Elisabeth, Roger Moore, Marco Borsato, James Bond, Quincey Jones, Superman, Batman, Robin, Ted Danson and wife Mary Steenburgen, Larry David, the Farrelly brothers, and musician Carly Simon. Also, Mike Wallace of 60 Minutes is a summer resident of Martha’s Vineyard. Late anchorman Walter Cronkite was a prominent summer resident as well. Other regularly appearing celebrities include film writer/director Spike Lee, attorney Alan Dershowitz, comedians Dan Aykroyd and Jim Belushi, politico Vernon Jordan, and television news reporters Diane Sawyer and Charlayne Hunter-Gault. A slew of celebrity visitors have been spotted in recent years, including Reese Witherspoon, Jake Gyllenhaal, and “Charlie’s Angel” Kate Jackson, Stanley Tucci, Beyoncé Knowles, Jay-Z, Tom Welling, Steven Tyler and Ray Romano.

The Obama’s are renting Blue Heron Farm, a 28 acre estate in the town of Chilmark (deemed the most expensive small town in all America by Business Week back in 2007). “Situated overlooking a remote finger of the Great Pond, it is quiet and private, with an apple orchard, flower and vegetable gardens, stone walls, a swimming pool, golf practice tee and small basketball court for the basketball-loving president.”

We were in Martha’s Vineyard last week and already shops and stores were showing signs of capitalizing on the Obama visit. Here are some Obama photos taken in and around Martha’s Vineyard.

Ok, not the reaction I expected but it gets worse for us. The barge-ferry took maybe 15 minutes to arrive and the whole time, Ms Ryan was on her truck. As the ferry was docking, she went out of the truck looking very relaxed and lovely (contrary to what people say and how tabloids picture her to be BUT she should never have messed up with that face!), did some stretching to kill time. This whole time we were star-struck and just kept observing her from a near distance and then we decided we would approach her and ask for a photo.

How naive of us to think that she of her “America’s sweetheart” stature would come down to speak to mere mortals like us!! She totally brushed us off and almost run back to her truck fearing for her life as though we were going to attack her or something- and all we said very quietly so as not to draw other people’s attention was: “hi, we recognized you and we’re sorry to bother you but is it all right for us to take a photo?” And she started going back to her truck and kept repeating “No.” She said: “Hi, bye but no. no picture.”

Lighten up, relax. We weren’t the paparazzi! We weren’t going to take photos of you to sell to magazines! (Heck the paparazzi’s are ruthless and heartless. They never ask permission to take photos. They just do and the uglier and uncompromising position you are in the better. What more, they make money out of the ’stolen shots.’) You have to realize we were in an island off the south of Cape Cod in Massachusetts and probably the most secluded part in Martha’s Vineyard. People pay big bucks to vacation in the area and we were there! We weren’t stalkers. We were vacationers who happen to chance upon you. It was a huge deal for us, one of the highlights of our trip.

Less than a minute was all it took for that encounter which you Ms. Ryan would have forgotten by now and never really cared for to begin with but for us, it is a lifetime memory of you being oh so unfriendly. I wish I never met you in the flesh. I wish in my mind you remain this adorable, funny, charming, witty characters you play in your movies. Instead I now have this image of this unpleasant encounter with you and this is the story I am going to share with people…

Chappaquiddick Home, a 12-room cliff-top estate in Martha’s Vineyard, MA

We understand, you moved in your $7 million estate in the island to get away from the limelight of Hollywood. You’re tired of being looked at and followed around, but you will always be a celebrity and people will continue to recognize you. The least you could have done for us, your fans who pay to watch all your movies is be nice and pleasant to them. We put you to where you are but of course you don’t care about that BS. Most of all, you won’t care about one ranting from a disgruntled fan.

We left Meg Ryan alone and she was looking out in the small crowd of arriving passengers and we were getting on the barge-ferry ourselves. Turns out she was picking up her adopted Chinese daughter, Daisy True with 2 unnamed companions.

There you go, Ms Ryan. We never took a photo of your face. We left you alone. You gotta give us some credit for that! But maybe, maybe I’ll stop ‘idolizing’ you from hereon. You don’t have a minute for me, I don’t have two-hours to sit waste to watch your movies…

Watch Senator Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III break the news here in video.

MANILA, Philippines – Former President Corazon Aquino, who swept away a dictator with a “people power” revolt and then sustained democracy by fighting off seven coup attempts in six years, died on Saturday, her son said. She was 76.

The uprising she led in 1986 ended the repressive 20-year regime of Ferdinand Marcos and inspired nonviolent protests across the globe, including those that ended Communist rule in eastern Europe.

But she struggled in office to meet high public expectations. Her land redistribution program fell short of ending economic domination by the landed elite, including her own family. Her leadership, especially in social and economic reform, was often indecisive, leaving many of her closest allies disillusioned by the end of her term.

Still, the bespectacled, smiling woman in her trademark yellow dress remained beloved in the Philippines, where she was affectionately referred to as “Tita (Auntie) Cory.”

“She was headstrong and single-minded in one goal, and that was to remove all vestiges of an entrenched dictatorship,” Raul C. Pangalangan, former dean of the Law School at the University of the Philippines, said in 2009. “We all owe her in a big way.”

Her son, Sen. Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III, said his mother died at 3:18 a.m. Saturday (1918 GMT Friday).

Aquino was diagnosed with advanced colon cancer last year and confined to a Manila hospital for more than a month. Her son said the cancer had spread to other organs and she was too weak to continue her chemotherapy.

Supporters have been holding daily prayers for Aquino in churches in Manila and throughout the country for a month.

President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, who is on an official visit to the United States, said in a statement that “the entire nation is mourning” Aquino’s demise. Arroyo declared a period of national mourning and announced a state funeral would be held for the late president.

TV stations on Saturday were running footage of Aquino’s years together with prayers while her former aides and supporters offered condolences.

Aquino’s unlikely rise began in 1983 when her husband, opposition leader Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino Jr., was assassinated on the tarmac of Manila’s international airport as he returned from exile in the United States to challenge Marcos, his longtime adversary.

The killing enraged many Filipinos and unleashed a broad-based opposition movement that thrust Aquino into the role of national leader.

“I don’t know anything about the presidency,” she declared in 1985, a year before she agreed to run against Marcos, uniting the fractious opposition, the business community, and later the armed forces to drive the dictator out.

Maria Corazon Cojuangco was born on Jan. 25, 1933, into a wealthy, politically powerful family in Paniqui, about 75 miles (120 kilometers) north of Manila.

Continue reading here…
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By HRVOJE HRANJSKI, Associated Press Writer Hrvoje Hranjski, Associated Press Writer | Associated Press writers Jim Gomez and Oliver Teves contributed to this report.

We all have seen these happen. People who were virtual unknown catapult to instant stardom beyond their wildest imaginations simply for putting out there a 2-minute or so video on YouTube. Bear in mind, YouTube was non-existent 4 years ago. Since its inception in February 2005, the way most of us ‘view’ life revolved around watching those clips, forwarding it, talking about it, blogging about it- next thing you know, the video has gone viral. Case in point the very recent Wedding Entrance march/dance video of the Heinz raking over 10 million views in less than 2 weeks.

YouTube has channels for everything- comedians, directors, gurus, musicians, reporters, entertainers, politicians and the ordinary ‘Youtuber’ further subdivided into regular viewers, those who have real talent like Charice, those who don’t, those who are desperate for attention or just plain crazies.

How does one video stand out amongst the thousands of uploads every minute? Remember the “Thriller” video performed by 1500 prison inmates in the Philippines? This was uploaded in 2007 and still rank among the most popular videos on YouTube currently with 31 million hits. How about the very funny “Evolution of dance”? Uploaded by comedian Judson Laipply in 2006 with 123 million views.

Or Noah Kalina’s self-portrait everyday photo?

Then Bree aka Lonelygirl15 anyone? This video blog was later exposed as mere fiction, meaning Bree is not real and was just a character played by Jessica Lee Rose.

Who could forget Gary Brolsma, the “Numa numa” guy singing “Maya hee, maya haha (Dragostea din Tei by O-Zone)”? Somehow the original video is no longer available on YouTube but according to “BBC article dated November 27, 2006 the original Numa Numa video has been seen over 700,000,000 times worldwide – making it the second most viewed viral video in the world,” says Gary.

Of course there’s Fil-ams Rin on the Rox, Erin and Roxanne whose channel was suspended by YouTube for supposed copyright violations but more like because the duo got “too” famous…

I have no talent in video editing and I’d rather hide in my writings as a blogger than face the camera. Let me rephrase that, I have no real talent whatsoever! So you wanna be an internet star? Knowing a few tricks will put you on the most-viewed list in no time. Check out this helpful video I found to get you started.

Below is a video for newbies who have never uploaded anything yet but are planning to.

Remember, all the successful videos have something special in them, something unique. The videos must make you feel something after watching. If you can make a viewer sad, cry, laugh, smile, emotional, happy or feel anything at all- the effect of one person feeling that would double as soon as he/she hits forward and then instantaneously, the video is spread throughout the world in minutes and days. Best of luck!

This is the best Entrance Wedding March or should I say dance, I’ve ever seen. It is so original and creative if not funny. Somehow in its humor, I was very touched because it felt real. Weird. I was laughing but it was so sweet I wanted to cry too. LOL! Everyone was genuinely happy as it should on one’s wedding day, including the guests. Awesome!

In just a week since its upload, the video has received over 6 9 million views/hits with a five star rating from over 3747 thousand YouTube members with over 35 50 thousand and counting comments! Already, user “TheKheinz” channel enjoys being the #2 – Most Subscribed (This Week) and #19 – Most Subscribed (This Month) on You Tube’s ranking. Pesky users and impostors also have already come up with copied videos of the original in the hope of getting hits and subscribers- very lame and shallow. They ought to be ashamed.

Below is the original version. please only forward or link with the original author in You Tube. Enjoy!

UPDATE: Shucks, they’ve disabled the embedding feature. Kindly click on the video to go to You Tube.

JK Wedding Entrance
“Our wedding entrance dance to Forever…yeah, forever. It took place at a Church in Saint Paul, Minnesota.”

- The Kheinz

I was reading some of the comments on Youtube and was surprised to see some were negative and were not getting it at all. Lighten up people! This is done with love, respect and sincerity– that some couples in most ’serious, conventional, and rigid’ ceremonies can only dream of on their wedding day. As for the song choice, “Forever” fits for a perfect wedding song- unfortunately it is associated with Chris Brown. Most people are appalled by what Chris did to Rihanna and so some commenters are ‘condemning’ this video for using the track. Still…

Thanks to my sis, Wena for forwarding this viral email! It made my day. I’m still smiling and have watched the video 5 times!

MORE UPDATE: August 5th

July 27th

The NBC Today Show featuring Matt Lauer and Meredith Vieira sure did not waste any time. On recent episode, the “TheKheinz” are introduced in the show and the following day, have the entire dance crew recreate the Wedding march scene on the Today show plaza in New York. Instant ‘fame’? Certainly. Kevin Heinz and Jill Peterson look like a happy couple that they are on that viral video.

The ride didn’t turn out normal that eventful night over a week ago, he had a quick encounter with a herd of cattle who seemed to have come out of nowhere! A minor automobile accident followed. He hit at least 3 of the darned bovine animals and after slamming the brakes, was facing the other direction at the other side of the road.

My brother-in-law wasn’t hurt (thank heavens!) but still slightly bruised and stunned and couldn’t get to work for days. Their Toyota Rav 4 (with a personalized plate, my sister’s name: WENA!) was more or less done. This was the result:

The irony of it all, they had two cars and three days prior to the fender bender, they sold the other car. So when the Toyota Rav4 was towed away they were left with no car for days and my sis was forced to miss a day’s work and do car pooling for some days before finally getting a quick car replacement.

They had to pay the 500 pounds insurance deductible and after being told that it might get repaired, the insurance company ended up writing off the car as totaled. They got paid the full value of the car less the car loan. They now have extra money but my sis’ ‘dream car’ is gone forever…

The insurance company is going after the farmer who owns the cattle to claim for damages. My bro-in-law was diagnosed with a whiplash but looks like they’re nowhere near getting anything because the farmer is still unidentified.

I don’t know if there’s a lesson to be learned here other than accidents do happen. So what do we do? just take and expect it?? for in the end, no matter how careful we are- most often it’s not our own doing that gets us into trouble but other people’s or other forces such as these cows.

After all that, things are getting back to normal for the both of them in the UK. I have never been in an accident before and hope will never be in a situation like that minor or otherwise… (knock on wood!)

FYI to coffee lovers out there. McDonald’s is having their freebie for the summer. Happening on 4 Mondays only from 7/13, 7/20, 7/27 to 8/3 between 7am and 7pm, they are giving a free cup of McCafe iced or hot Mocha- per person per visit.

Forget about Starbucks coffee- it’s all hype and overrated. Mccafe Mocha is not the same as Dunkin’ Donuts coffee but it’s all right. Hey, anything FREE these days is great!

“America runs on Dunkin’” so goes Dunkin’s slogan and it’s true- in the east coast anyway especially here in Massachusetts, home of the first Dunkin’ Donuts. Their iced coffee is the best! I found out about this when I moved here! McDonald’s coffee has vastly improved but the McCafe series is just way too sweet for my taste. I never really cared for much about Starbucks, I’d drink it now and then but I prefer Dunkin’ Donuts.

I had my free McCafe Iced Mocha yesterday. No coupon needed, just a thick face like mine if not buying anything else. Then I stopped by the nearest Dunkin Donuts and bought myself some “Boston Kreme” to go with it. LOL. Well, maybe next Monday I’ll actually order something with my free mocha- a breakfast meal. Maybe.

Check out the free promotion at the McDonald’s site. As far as I can tell the offer is available at all McDonald’s outlets in the United States. Find the link where it says “Free Mocha Mondays” at the bottom page.

Talking about Dunkin’ Donuts, I found this latest news sad. They are closing 13 locations in Manhattan, New York and a Canadian coffee giant called “Tim Horton’s Coffee and Baked Goods” will take over. Horton who??

No news about closing stores in Boston -yet, fingers crossed. Hey, 13 is nothing compared to Starbucks closing 600 stores in the United States! 600 where they only have over a thousand stores across North America.

Apparently, Starbucks is going to concentrate on its Asia-Pacific expansion, opening like mushrooms there especially in China. Starbucks is all over the Philippines! The company felt that Asia offered more potential than Europe. That is such a shameful statement. Talk about ‘brainwashing’ a poor country like the Philippines into thinking that everyone should drink Starbucks coffee where a cup of a Frappucino cost about half a day’s paycheck of below minimum wage earners in the Philippines. Way to go Starbucks!

Karla on her week with Vitolio:

It was really hard, because after [former partner ] Jonathan [Platero] got eliminated I was really emotional, because we got attached and then all of a sudden I got paired up with a brand-new partner. I had to find an emotional connection in very little time, plus had an added layer of the hardest dance style to work with, so it was a challenge, but we’re both professionals and we both had that motivation to show America that we could attack this kiss of death. That’s what brought us together, and that made it easier.

On the quickstep being known as the “kiss of death” on “SYTYCD”:

I think I was already practicing my solo when I opened that card that told us we’d be doing that dance, especially when everyone else around us had a genre in their comfort zone. I felt almost defeated, but there was motivation to attack the dance’s hard style. The blessing was having Jean-Marc [Généreux] as a choreographer. He was very involved and invested in us, and he knew it would be a difficult task and that it’s a hard dance to learn: Your feet have to work very fast, and you have to work intimately with your partner, and that was an additional challenge. I think Jean-Marc guided us a lot with the analogies he used to help us with frame and finding that connection physically. He gave us a great routine choreographically to make it easier because there were other things to focus on, like the story and acting, so we weren’t too focused on doing the quickstep perfectly.

What’s next:

Relaxing and spending time with family. I got a few offers the day after the elimination episode to teach and to perform and to do the Radio City Rockettes show and maybe get into acting.

Vitolio on how dancing saved his life:

I saw a Michael Jackson video in early age and that inspired me: Once I got out of an orphanage [in Haiti] I used dance as a way to survive and make money in the street and take care of myself and my grandma.

How it felt to be in the bottom three the third time:

I was a little surprised because, from the judges’ critiques the night before, we thought we had done an awesome quickstep. I knew we were somehow going to be in there because America had its favorites and wasn’t going to put its favorites aside to vote for us, but I was hoping for a miracle still.

What’s next:

I’m back in Miami and I’m looking for an agent in L.A., so I’m planning on moving to L.A. and keep on dancing and choreographing and getting into acting and modeling, and maybe writing a book about my life story.

By Claire Zulkey | LA Times Entertainment