Just six years ago, Tom Cruise was infamously jumping up and down on Oprah’s couch on the Oprah Winfrey show, publicly declaring his undying love for then-girlfriend, Katie Holmes. Meanwhile, Katie was just as joyous publicly announcing that her dream as a little girl was to one day marry Tom Cruise. The whirlwind romance blossomed and soon the two were married. Now with one child that they have together, it looks like the two haven’t had the fairytale ending they had once anticipated.

Just two weeks ago, Holmes filed for divorce from Cruise after their five year marriage, while Cruise was filming a movie in Iceland. Reports have speculated that Cruise was shocked by Holmes’ filing.

Now the main concern is their six-year-old daughter Suri and a custody battle, as well as raising eyebrows that wonder if Scientology played a role in Holmes’ decision.

According to the Los Angeles Times, Holmes used a disposable cell phone to keep in touch with her attorneys, and she has hired three different law firms in three separate states. Last week, a settlement was reached regarding custody, and Holmes was granted primary custody of the little girl while Cruise was given generous visitation rights. Holmes also was granted the leading role in how to raise their daughter. She can decide whether to raise her with the beliefs and ideals of Catholicism— which is how Holmes was raised— or with Scientology— which Cruise is extremely devout to.

On Monday, “the former Hollywood power couple requested privacy and said they have “respect for each other’s commitment to each of our respective beliefs and support each other’s roles as parents,” according to the Los Angeles Times.

Cruise’s attorney, Bret Fields, denies that Scientology played a role in the couple’s divorce. And even though the former couple has publicly announced that they are going to work together to raise Suri, many are questioning how this can be done with their conflicting beliefs. According to reporter Mark Rathbun of The Daily News, “It’s a very coded statement, especially when they say they are going to respect each other’s beliefs. That is not allowed in Scientology. He’s prohibited from respecting others’ beliefs if he’s going to raise Suri in Scientology. There’s no neutral ground.”

Additionally, an unknown source close to Holmes, told E! News, that the 33-year-old was “never truly comfortable” with the religion. It was additionally stated, “It was something she accepted and put up with for many years because it was important to Tom,” the source said, adding, “It wasn’t that she was against Scientology… but she also didn’t want it to be her everything, and for Tom, in some ways, it was.”

In Holmes’ efforts not to confuse Suri with their different beliefs, Holmes has requested that her staff accompany their daughter while she is visiting Cruise.

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Miami, U.S.A. — In preparation for National Dance Day on Saturday, July 28, Zumba Fitness–the global multimedia fitness leader and creator of the acclaimed Zumba dance-fitness workout–has announced its partnership with the Dizzy Feet Foundation (DFF) to encourage the nation, both young and old, to get off the couch and into the groove of a fit, healthy lifestyle.

To kick-start the partnership, Zumba Fitness’ signature fusion of upbeat world rhythms with easy-to-follow choreography will be one of the two official dance routines produced by the Dizzy Feet Foundation for National Dance Day 2012. Those looking to learn the official routines can visit dizzyfeetfoundation.org/national-dance-day, where they will be treated to a special video featuring Zumba Fitness Celebrity Instructors Kass Martin and Gina Grant demonstrating the choreography created specifically for National Dance Day – set to the brand’s original song, “Crazy Love.”

“Nigel and the Dizzy Feet Foundation have created an incredible event that inspires and motivates people across the nation to incorporate dance as a fun, fit way of living a healthy lifestyle—the exact message that our Zumba instructors spread to the more than 12 million people taking Zumba classes each week,” said Alberto Perlman, co-founder and CEO of Zumba Fitness. “When the opportunity came to team up with the Dizzy Feet Foundation for National Dance Day, the synergy was perfect.”

Zumba Fitness has also made a substantial contribution to support and expand the dance education programs funded by the Dizzy Feet Foundation. DFF was established in 2009 by Nigel Lythgoe, Adam Shankman, Carrie Ann Inaba and Katie Holmes, among others, to support, improve and increase access to dance education in the United States. The National Dance Day campaign can be seen during on-air broadcasts of FOX Television’s “So You Think You Can Dance,” produced by 19 Entertainment, Ltd and where Lythgoe serves as executive producer, judge and co-creator.

“Zumba Fitness gets people off the couch and into a class where they can experience all of the amazing benefits that dance has to offer,” said Nigel Lythgoe, co-president of the Dizzy Feet Foundation. “The work that Zumba Fitness has done to improve the health of citizens in the United States and more than 125 nations across this globe is truly remarkable. We are so pleased to work with this global brand to encourage people to experience the power of dance and movement on what is certain to be the biggest and best National Dance Day in our history.”

Created in 2010 by Lythgoe and supported by a congressional resolution introduced by Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-Washington, DC), National Dance Day is an annual grassroots initiative to promote the joy and benefits of dance throughout the United States. As part of the partnership, Zumba Fitness also will promote National Dance Day by encouraging its extensive, loyal fan base to attend events for the celebration in both Washington D.C. and Los Angeles on Saturday, July 28.

Image Courtesy of  Zumba Fitness

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It seems only a short time ago that Tom Cruise was jumping on Oprah’s couch screaming about how much he loved Katie Holmes; but alas, Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes’ marriage has come to an end. The marriage between the famous couple has lasted for six years, and there is now speculation about what could have broken up their marriage; some sources claim the reason is Scientology.

Holmes turned down the invitation to Cruise’s fiftieth birthday party. He is currently in Iceland filming the movie ‘Oblivion.’

This is the third failure marriage for Tom Cruise. His first marriage was to Mimi Rogers in 1987 and lasted only three years. A few months later, in December of 1990, Cruise married actress Nicole Kidman and stayed with her for eleven years. Kidman and Cruise adopted two children before their divorce. In 2006, Cruise married Katie Holmes, another actress who is sixteen years his junior. Strangely enough, all of Cruise’s wivese were thirty-three years old when they divorced him. Even stranger is that the number 33 has significance in the church of Scientology because it is a number that represents an “increase of the positive energy”.

Katie Holmes filed for the divorce from Cruise. The reason has a name: Suri, their six years old daughter. It appears as though Holmes was worried that Cruise was sending their daughter to the Church of Scientology’s Sea Organization which is a religious order within the church. Holmes and her extremely Catholic parents prefer to have Suri raised in a different environment. Holmes is filing for sole custody of Suri.

Katie Holmes has recently hired body guards after some of the neighbors of her Chelsea apartment noticed unidentified men surrounding the building, possibly members from the church of Scientology. According to the Daily Mail it is possible that Holmes has been followed by these individuals for weeks. They may also be private investigators that Cruise has hired to keep tabs on Holmes. The lawyer for the Church of Scientology International, Gary Soter, stated, “there is no truth whatsoever to the TMZ.com report (or any other report) that the Chruch of Scientology has sent anyone to follow or surveil Katie Holmes.”

Holmes originally filed for divorce in New York, a state where judges seem to favor sole custody cases because it prevents the children from ending up in the middle of parental arguments. However, Cruise is trying to move the proceedings to California where joint custody is preferred.

Written in part by Francisco Fajardo.

Image Courtesy of  Phil Stafford / Shutterstock.com

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Los Angeles, U.S.A – On July 28, 2012, The Music Center and Ovation present The Dizzy Feet Foundation’s second “Celebration of Dance” Gala hosted by its board members — including International Emmy Award-winning producer Nigel Lythgoe (‘American Idol’, ‘So You Think You Can Dance’) ‘Rock of Ages’ director Adam Shankman and actress Katie Holmes. Starting at 7:00PM at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion at The Music Center, the gala event will feature performances by talent from ‘So You Think You Can Dance,’ ‘Dancing with the Stars,’ ‘Step Up Revolution,’ ‘The Legion of Extraordinary Dancers’ and ‘American Ballet Theatre’ among many others. The star-studded event will conclude with a Celebration Supper taking place in the Eva and Marc Stern Grand Hall at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles, CA.

VIP tickets start at $400 and include dinner and unforgettable performances by some of the world’s most critically acclaimed dancers. General admission tickets for the gala performance range from only $34 to $125.

All tickets will benefit the Dizzy Feet Foundation, a non-profit organization whose mission is threefold: to sponsor, fund and/or support dance education programs that expose children in under-served areas to the lifelong benefits of dance education, through and with local community organizations; to provide scholarships to talented students studying at accredited or nationally regarded dance schools, studios, or institutions; and in conjunction with recognized credentialing organizations, to support and increase the quality of all styles of dance education in the United States.

The event is supported by presenting sponsors, The Music Center and Ovation, and is also made possible with the support of Electronic Arts, Inc.

Launched in 2010 by Nigel Lythgoe, National Dance Day is an annual celebration that takes place on the last Saturday in July. The campaign encourages Americans to incorporate dance into their lives as a way to promote health and self-esteem through the art form of dance. Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), a long-time proponent of healthy lifestyles, introduced the National Dance Day resolution at a press conference on July 31, 2010 in Washington, D.C., making the day dedicated to dance education and physical fitness across the U.S. an official act of Congress.

Image Courtesy of  Featureflash / Shutterstock.com

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A lot of horror movie remakes have came out recently, Let Me In, the American version of Let the Right One In, and Fright Night, and The Crow are to be scheduled for release in the near future.  But the one that most are talking about is the remake of Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark.

Visionary filmmaker Guillermo Del Toro, director of Hellboy, and Pan’s Labyrinth, has written the script.  Del Toro is known for his fantastical monsters, and scary undertones to his movies.  Well, so far Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark has people shaking in their boots even when watching the trailer.

Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark is a monster movie about a young introverted girl named Sally Hurst (Bailee Madison).  Sally is threatened by the monsters whom have been locked up in their new house for years.  Moving in with her father Alex (Guy Pearce) and his girlfriend Kim (Katie Holmes), she has to persuade her father of monster’s existence if she is to survive.

Del Toro was brought up in an extremely Catholic household, when he was young he started to make small movies and then learned make-up artistry from the legendary artist Dick Smith who worked on The Exorcist.  His most critically acclaimed movies consist of the two movies set during the authoritarian rule of Francisco Franco, El Laberinton Del Fauno (Pan’s Labyrinth) and El Espinazo Del Diable (The Devil’s Backbone).

Many of Del Toro’s movies are themed with child-like horrors with a child protagonist.  Primarily, Del Toro’s work and sense of style is derived from his childhood.  Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark is one of his movies that draws heavily from his childhood.

When Del Toro was a kid, he had watched the movie made for TV under the same name as Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark.  He claims it was one of the scariest movies he has ever seen. “For my generation it was the scariest TV movie we ever saw.  It creeped out my whole family and it stayed on my mind,” Del Toro said in the production notes.

When all the writing, shooting, and editing was finished, the movie was sent to the MPAA  (Motion Picture Association of America).  The hopes of obtaining a rated PG-13 were dashed when the movie came back stamped with an R-rating.  Del Toro and the creators spoke to the MPAA to see what they could change for a the lower rating.  The MPAA responded, “Why ruin a perfectly scary movie?”

Troy Nixey is set to direct.  Prior he has only directed one short by the name of Latchkey’s Lament.  His real achievements lie with comic books.

Nixey was an illustrator for Only the End of the World Again, written by Neil Gaiman.  Nixey had also co-created the comic Trout and is know.  In his comics Nixey usually draws very dark and sinister illustrations.  Nixey’s directing will complement Del Toro’s fantastical and frightening style and add to the chills that will run up the audiences’ spines.

Del Toro is one filmmaker that is hard to say anything bad about.  His movies never fail to chill and entice the audience with his fantastical monsters.  The trailer for Don’t be Afraid of the Dark scares the viewer in the first minute, it is not hard to become hooked in the first minute.  With only one directing credit to his name, Nixey will have his work cut out for him for his first major film.

People at the Virginia Film Festival are already raving about the movie, while many others fear to see more than the trailer when it comes out August 26th.

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