Singing and dancing. Since the dawn of mankind, the two arts have been inextricably linked, sticking together through thick and thin. Indeed, it's hard to imagine one without the other. Yet now, thanks to television, the first cracks have appeared in this seemingly perfect alliance. And the surprise winner?

Dancing.

At least, sort of. According to The Los Angeles Times, 'Dancing With the Stars' has defeated 'American Idol' in the ratings for the first time ever. Thanks to a tabloid-worthy cast that includes Pamela Anderson, Kate Gosselin and Shannen Doherty, 'Dancing' has seen a massive 30% increase in viewers over last season, enough to give it the edge.Singing and dancing. Since the dawn of mankind, the two arts have been inextricably linked, sticking together through thick and thin. Indeed, it's hard to imagine one without the other. Yet now, thanks to television, the first cracks have appeared in this seemingly perfect alliance. And the surprise winner?

Dancing.

At least, sort of. According to the Los Angeles Times, 'Dancing With the Stars' has defeated 'American Idol' in the ratings for the first time ever. Thanks to a tabloid-worthy cast that includes Pamela Anderson, Kate Gosselin and Shannen Doherty, 'Dancing' has seen a massive 30 percent increase in viewers over last season, enough to give it the edge.

That edge, though, is razor thin. Monday's edition of 'Dancing With the Stars' drew 23 million viewers, compared with 21.8 million for 'Idol's' Tuesday show, and 20.5 million for its Wednesday edition. And in their only head-to-head competition, which pitted 'Dancing's' Tuesday results show against 'Idol's' evening of fresh competition, 'Idol' romped in both viewers (21.8 million to 14.3 million) and in the key 18-49 demographic (a 7.3 rating compared to 'Dancing's' 3.0).

Overall, then, 'American Idol' still brings in both more viewers and a younger audience, but for the first time, its ratings stranglehold on America's television viewers seems to be slipping, thanks in part to both a weak crop of singers and shakeups in the judging panel. (We miss you, Paula! ... sort of.) And while it's not quite enough to award 'Dancing' the throne just yet, with the imminent departure of Simon Cowell from 'American Idol,' the future of footwork suddenly seems a little bit brighter.