Cheryl Burke - Dancing With The Stars

Dancing With The Stars Mid-Season Party

Dancing With The Stars held it's mid season party for season 10 at STK, a club in Hollywood this evening. Some of the guests had already arrived and others arrived quite late, attending another party across the street beforehand.

Niecy Nash was the first to leave, signing all 6 of my photographs. I had previously met her and she is always a sweetheart. She also has a very nice, artistic signature to boot. Mark Ballas arrived, signing for everyone who asked. He also has been extremely nice every time I have met him, signing whatever is put in front of him. Show host Brooke Burke signed for us on her way in and as she departed about an hour later. She sometimes is difficult so it was nice to get multiple signatures from her. We spotted Olympian Evan Lysachek and Erin Andrews leaving KOI across the street and making their way to STK. I crossed the street and along with paparazzi and other collectors, secured several signatures from Evan. He usually will sign a couple but he continued to sign autographs as he walked down the sidewalk and as he waited to cross the street. Andrews did sign a couple of autographs but most of us were more focused on Evan. Lysachek sometimes bums over blue sharpie, even asking at times if a collector has a black marker for him to sign with. Some celebrities have gotten it into their heads that dealers use blue Sharpie marker though most of the dealers I encounter here in Los Angeles could care less what it is signed with, as long as the marker is flowing well with ink. Dancer Chelsie Hightower signed multiples on her way into STK and also signed another autograph for me as she left. Erin Andrews signed a photograph for me as she left in blue marker. Most collectors were waiting for Nicole Scherzinger of the Pussycat Dolls so when she exited, we got a marker in her hand right away. She signed a bunch, stopping a couple of times but we were able to coax her into signing "just one more" a couple of different times. Host Tom Bergeron signed and posed for photographs with those who asked, though most collectors did not even bother. Derek Hough signed a couple of autographs for me as he left and Cheryl Burke autographed my photos as well. Burke generally signs one or two autographs per person but I was able to get her to do two and then asked if she could sign one more, which she did. Male dancers Tony Dovolani and Damian Whitewood signed for collectors on their way in and as they left the club as well. Most of the professional dancers are super-friendly, signing multiples and posing for photographs with collectors and fans. I am told the only exception is Anna Trebunskaya, who generally signs one each and is always in a hurry to rush off. Tonight was no exception as Anna quickly signed an autograph for three of us before she said, "I have to go."

In LA you just never know who you might run into. As we were waiting, I spotted Maria Kanellis, former wrestling diva and currently starring on The Celebrity Apprentice. She signed and posed for photographs with us. She wasn't going to STK but appeared to be going to another club down the street.

Mark Ballas Concert at The Mint

I just got home from tonight's concert (4/12/2010) at The Mint, Dancing With The Stars' Mark Ballas. He plays with his band at the venue every Monday and his DWTS colleagues turn out to support him, so it's a great opportunity for the autograph collector as well.

There was a red carpet out front of the event and Skating legend and Olympian Kristi Yamaguchi arrived. She signed quickly at the end of the red carpet but is a notoriously difficult autograph, just as she was during her hey days in the completitive skating world. Mark Ballas spent a lot of time on the red carpet, even going inside The Mint and coming back out onto the carpet twice. He signed every time and multiples to boot. Cheryl Burke was also on the red carpet but I missed her as I was getting someone else's autograph. Chelsie Hightower signed several photographs for me and I met up with her inside the event and got a photo with her. Nicole Scherzinger of the Pussycat Dolls signed as soon as she arrived, after the red carpet and even a couple for me inside the event. She also signed a couple on her way out the door but tended to skip over a scantily-clad picture for collectors, saying, "I don't like that one." However, she did sign one for me when she first arrived to the event. Fellow Pussycat Doll Ashley was also on hand, signing and posing for pictures with fans. British sensation Pixie Lott is billed by some as the "next Lady Gaga" and she was pleasant, signing anything put in front of her and taking pictures with those who asked. In fact, when I left the event, Pixie was still loitering around on the sidewalk in front of The Mint with some of her friends. "Bachelor" Jake Pavelka also showed up but I didn't have any items for him to sign. Dancer Anna Trebunskaya signed an index card for me on her way in.