Xochitl Gomez Named Winner of Season 32 of ABC’s “Dancing with the Stars”

Posted on December 6, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Xochitl Gomez is dancing on the ceiling…

The 17-year-old Mexican American actress and Marvel star and her professional dancing partner Val Chmerkovskiy have become the first pair to win Dancing With the Stars’ Len Goodman Mirrorball Trophy.

The DWTS grand prize was renamed to honor Goodman in September. Goodman, who died at age 78 in April, served as a judge on the reality competition series from 2005 to 2022.

Gomez and Chmerkovsky claimed the trophy during the Tuesday, December 5, season 32 finale of the long-running ABC celebrity ballroom dancing competition, making her the fourth Hispanic celebrity to win Dancing with the Stars and the first celebrity of Mexican descent to claim the trophy.

“I don’t want this show to end, and I think it’s gonna be really good for me to keep coming back,” she joked after her big win during the finale.

After redeeming their foxtrot and bringing it home with a fiery freestyle, Gomez and Chmerkovskiy received two back-to-back perfect scores from the judges. With their scores from the semifinals also included in their judges’ totals Tuesday night, they were the only couple to earn a perfect score of 120 across all four dances.

“Gosh, I didn’t think that [we did that]. I forgot until there had been like a little thing that said, this is your score something out of something, and it was the score. I was like, ‘What? We did that?’ Yeah, we did that. I’m proud of that,” Gomez said.

Ahead of Tuesday night’s performances, judge Bruno Tonioli visited Gomez and Chmerkovskiy in the studio to reassign them the foxtrot and give Gomez some pointers on how to improve in the dance style. Tonioli said during rehearsals that he was hoping to see more “refined sophistication” than the couple’s first attempt at the foxtrot in week three.

Gomez was the last to grace the stage for the redemption round, but certainly not the least. She made her latest foxtrot look effortless, earning praise from all three judges, including Tonioli, who told her she is a “delight” to watch.

Gomez told Deadline the judge’s advice in rehearsals was invaluable to be able to perfect her foxtrot, especially when it came to lengthening her arms.

“That was one of the things that I tried to do, but I was never that successful. And I tried a lot, but it was hard. So for someone else to have a different voice and tell me, ‘This is something that is one of your weakest points. So fix it.’ And also for him to show me how to do it. I thought that was really nice and definitely helped me out for the foxtrot,” she said.

Chmerkovskiy expressed pride for his partner, beaming as he explained he was most impressed with “how much dance she’s learned.”

“I mean, we put in the work at the studio. But usually we like do a lot more warming up and practicing during the show leading up to the performance. Today, we just trusted ourselves and came out and just danced,” he said.

In the final moments of the Season 32 finale, Gomez and Chmerkovskiy stood on stage next to Jason Mraz and his partner Daniella Karagach, anxiously awaiting the news on who’d eked out the victory. Just as host Alfonso Ribeiro was about to announce the victors, he instead cut to a final commercial — prompting a loud groan from the audience.

“The whole night was special. I keep saying it feels bittersweet because, for us, every week that we had a great performance felt like exactly like this feeling. Truly, every time we got called safe, we felt like we were winning. So tonight, it felt like that times 100.”

Here’s the list of the DWTS winners of Hispanic descent:

Season 5: Hélio Castroneves (Brazilian) and Julianne Hough
Season 13: J.R. Martinez (Salvadoran American) and Karina Smirnoff
Season 23: Laurie Hernandez (Puerto Rican) and Val Chmerkovskiy
Season 32: Xochitl Gomez (Mexican American) and Val Chmerkovskiy

Disney+ Renews Alisa Reyes’ “Proud Family” Revival, “The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder,” for Second Season

Posted on April 18, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

There are more proud moments in Alisa Reyes’ future…

Disney+ has given The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder, its Proud Family revival – featuring the 41-year-old Latina actress as part of the voice cast – a second season renewal.

The news comes only days before the first season’s upcoming finale on Wednesday, April 20. Season 2 has started production.

The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder, from creator Bruce W. Smith and executive producer Ralph Farquhar, picks up the story of its central character, Penny Proud, and includes her madcap family: parents Oscar and Trudy, twin siblings BeBe and CeCe, and grandmother Suga Mama (and Puff).

Of course, it would not be The Proud Family without Penny’s loyal crew Dijonay Jones, LaCienega Boulevardez (Reyes) and Zoey Howzer, among others.

The series touts the voice talents of original cast members Kyla Pratt, Tommy Davidson, Paula Jai Parker, JoMarie Payton, Cedric the Entertainer, Karen Malina White, Soleil Moon Frye, Reyes, Carlos Mencia, Maria Canals-Barrera, Alvaro Gutierrez, Raquel Lee Bolleau and Marcus T. Paulk.

Set to return for Season 2 are Keke Palmer, Billy Porter, Zachary Quinto, EJ Johnson, Asante Blackk, Artist “A Boogie” Dubose, Bresha Webb and Aiden Dodson.

Disney+ also unveiled a buzzy lineup of Season 2 guest stars.

Set to appear are Chance the Rapper, Gabrielle Union, Normani, Leslie Odom Jr., Anthony Anderson, Dominique Dawes, Gabby Douglas, Latina Olympic gymnast Laurie Hernandez, Jane Lynch, Holly Robinson Peete, Maury Povich, Storm Reid, Courtney B. Vance and Spanish actress Liana Mendoza.

In addition to Smith and Farquhar, Calvin Brown, Jr. is co-executive producer and story editor, Jan Hirota is producer, Eastwood Wong is art director, and directors are Latoya Raveneau, Rudi Bloss and Tara Nicole Whitaker.

Laurie Hernandez to Appear in Peacock’s Women’s Gymnastics-Themed Docuseries “Golden”

Posted on April 19, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Laurie Hernandez is golden…

The 20-year-old Puerto Rican Olympic gold medal gymnast and Dancing with the Stars champion will appear on Golden, a docuseries about women’s gymnasts vying for a spot on the U.S. team heading to the Tokyo Olympics.

The six-episode series, which hails from Peacock and LeBron James and Maverick Carter’s Uninterrupted will track five hopefuls competing for four spots on the U.S. Olympic team.

A premiere date hasn’t yet been confirmed for the show, which is part of a broad array of live and on-demand Tokyo programming heading to NBCUniversal platforms.

In addition to Hernandez, the series also features Morgan Hurd, Sunisa Lee, Konnor McClain, and MyKayla Skinner.

A major theme will be the coronavirus pandemic, which forced the postponement of the Games from 2020 to 2021 and also dramatically altered athletes’ preparations and training.

Each hour-long episode of Golden will center on one of the individual gymnasts, with storylines of the other competitors woven into the narrative.

Hernandez is known to Olympic viewers for winning a gold medal as a member of the “Final Five” team and an individual silver on beam at the 2016 Rio Olympics.

The series will cover a five-month span and milestones like national team training camps, the U.S. Gymnastics Championships, and the U.S. Olympic Team Trials, which start June 24.

Three-time Olympian Dominique Dawes is executive producing, along with James, Carter and Uninterrupted’s Jamal Henderson and Philip Byron.

“When I look back, I remember the tremendous sacrifice it took me to achieve my own Olympic pursuits,” Dawes said. “Similarly, these gymnasts have and will continue to endure physical, emotional and mental hurdles that most cannot fathom. The millions of viewers who watch the Summer Games are accustomed to witnessing the short-lived glory of the podium without truly understanding the demands these young female athletes face.”

HBO Latino’s “Habla Now,” Featuring Diane Guerrero, to Kick-Off the New York Latino Film Festival’s First-Ever Drive-In Showings

Posted on September 6, 2020 by Tom Castaneda

Diane Guerrero’s hitting the festival circuit…

The New York Latino Film Festival (NYLFF) has announced the lineup for the fest’s forthcoming hybrid edition, with HBO Latino’s Habla Now, featuring the 34-year-old Colombian American actress and author, as the Opening Night drive-in feature.

The documentary special, the 15th installment of HBO Latino’s award-winning “Habla” series, features testimonials from US Latinos – celebrities, recognized professionals, and everyday Latinos – who share honest stories about being Latino in the U.S.

In addition to Guerrero, the storytellers include Arturo Castro, Nely Galan, Amara La Negra, Cristina Jimenez, Ozzie Areu, Xiuhtezcatl Martinez, Edgardo Miranda Rodriguez, Mark Hugo Lopez, Mariana Atencio, Laurie Hernandez, Justina Machado, Diane Guerrero, Carmen Carrera, José Andrés and many more.

In addition, Angel Manuel Soto’s Charm City Kings will have its New York premiere at the fest.

Produced by Will Smith, Jada Pinkett Smith and James Lassiter, with a story by Oscar winner Barry Jenkins, Charm City Kings marks the feature directorial debut follows the journey of 14-year-old Mouse who desperately wants to join the Midnight Clique, an infamous group of Baltimore dirt-bike riders who rule the summertime streets.

John Leguizamo’s Critical Thinkingwill also make its New York premiere. The film tells the true story of five Latinx and Black teenagers from Miami Jackson Senior High School who fight their way into the National Chess Championship under the guidance of their unconventional but inspirational teacher.

This year’s virtual NYLFF will take place from September 14-20.

In the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, festivals around the world have either canceled or pivoted to an entirely virtual program. NYLFF is one of the Latinx-based fests that continued with plans for the annual fest with the appropriate changes.

The 21st edition will be a combination of virtual events and in-person screenings that celebrate Latinx creators.

The fest will also host the first Latino drive-in experience to take place both in New York and in The Bronx.

This year’s festival features nearly 75 films representing more than 10 countries, spanning all genres including features, shorts, documentaries, web series and experimental films.

“Inspired by the resilience of the Latino community, NYLFF is proud to return with a fresh format featuring our first-ever drive-in experiences,” said Calixto Chinchilla, founder of NYLFF. “We are proud to serve as an important platform for Latino creatives to share culturally relevant stories about intersectionality, diversity, and lived experiences in this country. Gracias to our sponsors for continuing to support our community of content creators and movie-goers. While there’s much learned this year, one thing we can all agree, the culture continues!”

Click here the complete lineup for this year’s NYLFF.

Laurie Hernandez Joins Voice Cast of Nickelodeon’s Specials “Middle School Moguls”

Posted on September 12, 2018 by Tom Castaneda

Laurie Hernandez is headed back to middle school…

Nickelodeon has ordered Middle School Moguls, four CG-animated half-hour specials featuring the 18-year-old Puerto Rican Olympic gold medal gymnast and Dancing with the Stars champion as part of the voice cast.

Middle School Moguls is inspired by the concept created by Gina and Jenae Heitkamp, who also serve as co-executive producers.

The specials chronicle the ambitions of four new friends striving to create their own companies while attending Mogul Academy, an entrepreneurial school where kid-business dreams come true. They follow students Valeria (Hernandez), Winnie (Daniella Perkins), Celeste (Jade Pettyjohn) and Yuna (Haley Tju), who are empowered by Mogul Academy to test their business creativity, innovation and grit, but being a kid boss comes with grown-up challenges so they’ll have to think outside of the box and “mogulize” if they want to make their big dreams a reality.

Additional voice cast includes Tim Gunn as Wren, a non-binary teacher in the Mogul Academy Fashion Branch, and Jane Lynch as Victoria Steele, the Headmaster of Mogul Academy. Additional casting news to come.

“We’re thrilled to partner with Gina and Jenae Heitkamp to bring Middle School Moguls to life on screen and to showcase authentic stories that speak to today’s generation of ambitious kids,” said Chris Viscardi, Nickelodeon’s Senior Vice President, Production and Development, Animation. “Kids today are learning about entrepreneurial opportunities at a much younger age. They want to start their own business and make business playful and empowering. They believe nothing is unattainable. Middle School Moguls taps into this entrepreneurial movement – building businesses based on kids’ unique skills, boundless inventiveness and taking action to pursue their passions.”

Hernandez’s previous television credits include co-hosting American Ninja Warrior Junior, and a cameo on Stuck in the Middle.

Gilberto Santa Rosa to Serve as NYC Puerto Rican Day Parade Grand Marshall

Posted on May 11, 2017 by Tom Castaneda

Gilberto Santa Rosa is set to have a grand old time at this year’s NYC Puerto Rican Day Parade.

The 54-year-old Puerto Rican singer and bandleader, known as “El Caballero de la Salsa,” will serve as the grand marshall of the annual parade on June 11.

Santa Rosa is a Grammy and Latin Grammy winner, who has been active in the music industry for approximately forty years.

But Santa Rosa isn’t the only superstar participating in this year’s parade.

Iris Chacón, the 67-year-old showgirl who came to fame in the 1970s as “the Puerto Rican bombshell” has been named godmother of the parade.

Ozuna will appear as the parade’s Rising Star, salsa singer Ismael Rivera has been named a Puerto Rican Day ambassador, and Latin alternative duo BuscaBulla will also join the parade.

This year’s Puerto Rican Day Parade marks the 60th time that “la parada” fills Manhattan’s Fifth Avenue with tropical music and Puerto Rican pride. Previous grand marshalls include Marc Anthony and Ricky Martin; Calle 13’s Rene Perez was crowned king of the parade in 2014.

Olympic gold medal gymnast Laurie Hernández, actress Lana Parrilla (Once Upon a Time) and 14-time MLB All-Star Iván Rodríguez will also participate in this year’s parade.

The event will also reference recent politics: it will honor former political prisoner Oscar López Rivera, who was pardoned by President Barack Obama in January after 35 years in federal prison, as National Freedom Hero. And this year’s parade coincides with 100 years since all Puerto Ricans were granted U.S. citizenship by a law enacted by President Woodrow Wilson.

“In this monumental year, we are showcasing our collective achievement and the legacy we have built by working in solidarity,” Puerto Rican Day Parade Board Chair Board Chair Lorraine Cortés-Vázquez said at a press conference. “And we will discuss key challenges that Puerto Rico is facing to help inform and engage our community. We also honor legendary figures and the next generation of stars that are already accomplished in their own right.”

Two music festivals preceding the parade will turn June 9-11 into a full throttle Puerto Rican party weekend.

The 2017 Soulfrito festival will feature a line-up of “club bangers and Latin trap” that includes urban stars Farruko, Zion y Lennox , Bad Bunny, Cosculluela and Ivy Queen starts the party in Brooklyn on Friday, June 9, at the Barclays Center.

Willie Colon, Eddie Palmieri and Tito Nieves lead the incredible line-up of the 33rd New York Salsa Festival, which takes place Saturday, June 10, also at the Barclay Center. Jerry Rivera, Grupo Niche, Fruko y Sus Tesos, Tito Rojas and DLG are also among the artists scheduled to perform.

The Gipsy Kings 30-Year-Old Hit “Bamboleo” Returns to the Charts After “Sing” Showcase

Posted on January 2, 2017 by Tom Castaneda

The Gipsy Kings are bamboleo-ing their way back onto the charts…

The flamenco, salsa and pop musicians have seen their iconic song “Bamboleo” get a new lease on life, thanks to the animated film Sing.

Sales of the Gipsy Kings’ 30-year-old worldwide hit, which was released in 1987, spiked 165% in the week ending December 29, with the song re-entering the digital sales chart this week at number 23.

“You can’t just sing,” the Lycra-clad German-accented pig Gunter (Nick Kroll) tells his porcine singing partner Rosita, a desperate housewife voiced by Reese Witherspoon, in the jubilent music-filled movie about a scrappy singing competition. “You’ve got to show the fire and desire.”

Rosita’s “aha” moment arrives when she hears “Bamboleo” in the supermarket and breaks into a full-on ballroom flamenco routine in the aisles, making maracas out of salt and pepper shakers and leaping over piles of produce.

In December, Olympic gold medalist and Dancing with the Stars champion Laurie Hernandez recreated the scene in a real-life grocery store.

“Bamboleo,” first heard as the opening track of the Gipsy Kings’ self-titled album in 1988, was the group’s debut chart hit, reaching the top 10 on Billboard’s Hot Latin Songs in early 1989, and spending 23 total weeks on the chart. To date, the track has sold 248,000 downloads, according to Nieslen Music.

For the week ending Dec. 22, just after Sing’s release in theaters, “Bamboleo” was up 59 percent in streams to 154,000 weekly U.S. streams.

Hernandez Recreates Grocery Store Dance Scene from “Sing”

Posted on December 21, 2016 by Tom Castaneda

Laurie Hernandez has aisles of style when it comes to her dance moves…

The 16-year-old Puerto Rican Olympic gold medalist and Dancing with the Stars champion recreated one of her favorite scenes from the upcoming animated movie Sing.

In the video, Hernandez dances her way through the grocery store while the Gypsy Kings flamenco classic “Bamboleo” blasts on the speakers, recreating Rosita’s (Reese Witherspoon) dance routine in the film set to debut on December 21.

“Was so excited about Sing, I couldn’t help recreating one of my favorite scenes,” Hernandez wrote on Twitter.

Her DWTS partner Val Chmerkovskiy also makes a cameo in the fun clip.

Hernandez: First Latina to Win ABC’s “Dancing with the Stars”

Posted on November 23, 2016 by Tom Castaneda

She may be a teenager, but Laurie Hernandez is already dancing royalty…

The 16-year-old Puerto Rican gymnast, an Olympic gold and silver medalist at the 2016 Rio Games, has been crowned the champion of the 23rd season of ABC‘s Dancing with the Stars.

Hernandez was crowned the belle of the ballroom alongside her dance partner Val Chmerkovskiy in Tuesday night’s finale, which also featured former Detroit Lions wide receiver Calvin Johnson and IndyCar driver James Hinchcliffe.

Hinchcliffe was the runner-up as Johnson finished third.

At just 16 years old, Hernandez is the youngest champion in the show’s history. She’s also the first Latina to take home the coveted mirrorball trophy, and only third Hispanic competitor to claim the title in the show’s 23-season run. Brazilian IndyCar racer Helio Castroneves won DTWS in Season 5, while El Salvadoran-American actor J.R. Martinez, a former U.S. Army soldier, won the title in Season 13.

Hernandez joins Shawn Johnson as Olympic gold medalist gymnasts that have also won a season of Dancing with the Stars. Fellow gymnasts and Olympic champions Nastia Liukin and Aly Raisman have fourth place finishes on their DTWS resumes.

Other previous Olympians to win Dancing with the Stars include Apolo Ohno, Kristi Yamaguchi and Meryl Davis.

Hernandez Throws Acrobatic First Pitch at New York Mets Game

Posted on September 4, 2016 by Tom Castaneda

Laurie Hernandez is flipping for the New York Mets…

The 16-year-old Puerto Rican gymnast, who helped lead Team USA to the gold medal in the Women’s Gymnastics team competition at the 2016 Rio Games, tossed out the first pitch on Saturday at Citi Field.

But Hernandez, who took home an individual silver medal on the balance beam during the 2016 Summer Olympics, wasn’t about to throw a traditional first pitch before the Mets’ game against the Washington Nationals.

Instead, the soon-to-be competitor on ABC’s Dancing with the Stars went for a little extra style, throwing in aerial cartwheel on the grass before tossing the ball to home plate.

“As soon as I found out I was throwing the first pitch, I was just like, ‘Oh, I’ll throw a flip in there,’” Hernandez told SportsNet New York.

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