Also looking on was Andrea Hale, another member of the Center Stage team recruited by ABC for "Dancing With the Stars." The 27-year-old Sandy resident joined the cast of dancers this season and was paired with ESPN personality Kenny Mayne.

Hale and Mayne fared better with the judges than DelGrosso and Master P, but viewers made the final decision and sent the Utahn and the dry-witted sportscaster home after just one performance.

Professional dancer Louis van Amstel, who's partnering with actress Lisa Rinna for this season of "Dancing With the Stars," also has Utah ties. The 33-year-old Dutch dancer has lived in the Orem area and has produced shows in Salt Lake.

"There are a lot of good dancers in Utah," Hale said.

The Hale/Mayne pairing's departure was the first in what has become a pattern of eliminations dictated by the fans. Master P and DelGrosso have received the lowest score from the judges each week but have been kept in the competition by strong support from the voting public.

"It's definitely controversial," Hale said.

During last week's episode, judge Len Goodman told Master P, "I think it's time you and this show parted."

"The judges obviously don't like us," DelGrosso said, "but I think America likes to watch us dance. They like to see us progress. Every week, (Master P) has been better, and we've put together a show."

This week, Master P and DelGrosso will be performing the Paso Doble, which, according to the "Dancing With the Stars" Web site, is a Spanish dance that creates the atmosphere of a bullfight. The male dancer takes on the role of the matador, with his partner as his cape and the bull.

Making Master P the focal point of the dance will be tricky for DelGrosso.

The pair's first three performances have seen DelGrosso do most of the dancing while Master P muddles his way through the routines to fulfill the with-the-stars requirement.

"We go out, I dance my butt off and he kind of frames me," DelGrosso said.

In fairness to Master P, he was added to the lineup late after his rap-star son, Romeo, was injured while playing basketball and had to drop out of the training for "Dancing With the Stars."

"I'm working with someone who truly has never danced before in his life and is really coming out of his comfort zone," DelGrosso said. "He really is scared to death to stand in front of millions of people to dance."

In that way, DelGrosso said, Master P has become her teacher.

"I'm learning from him to face my fears, and go out there and do something new," she said.

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E-mail: jpage@desnews.com