I have to be honest; I was not thrilled when the cast for this season of DWTS was announced. The truth is that the show really should have always been called “Dancing with Celebrities” but this is the most “starless” season ever. Despite my initial, and still lingering, apathy about the cast I did end up enjoying the premiere more than I anticipated. A big part of that is because Samantha Harris is gone and the lovely and classy Brooke Burke has returned. Finally we have a co-host on this show who knows what she’s talking about and can articulate it.
Chad Ochocinco & Cheryl Burke: (Cha Cha) Really, DWTS? Of all the current and former NFL players out there you had to go with the crazy diva? He’s good looking, no doubt, but the man named himself after his football jersey! In fairness, Chad did show flashes of style and charm. Surprisingly, he also looked quite nervous. My preconceived notion of him was of a man much too full of himself to have any self doubt so I thought the nervousness was a very good sign. I’m not ready to start voting for him or anything, but it wasn’t a bad start. Scores: Carrie Ann Inaba – 6, Len Goodman – 6, Bruno Tonioli – 6. Total = 18.
Shannen Doherty & Mark Ballas: (Viennese Waltz) On this evening, Shannen’s “bad girl” image was nowhere to be seen. Mark gave her a lot of difficult (and clever) choreography to do for week one and I thought Shannen held up pretty well. The dance did lack grace in some places but the spin at the end was very striking. Shannen has got a long ways to go but it was a good start. And yes, I did get drawn in by the story of her father’s recovery from a stroke. His teary face after watching her dance was very touching. Scores: Carrie Ann – 6, Len – 6, Bruno – 6. Total = 18. I’d agree that Shannen and Chad were about even.
Erin Andrews & Maksim Chmerkovskiy: (Cha Cha) I was prepared to issue a stern warning to Maks to be nice to Erin but it was clear from their setup clip that Erin is more than capable of handling Maks. They are a good match. Erin is the celeb this season whose corner I am firmly in. What happened to her over the past year was terrible and I’m fine with her making lemonade out of those lemons. Erin has the longest legs seen on this show since Stacy Keibler. While she did show a lot of personality, Erin does need to figure out how to use those long limbs on the dance floor. Still, it was another good start. Scores: Carrie Ann – 7, Len – 7, Bruno – 7. Total = 21.
Jake Pavelka & Chelsie Hightower: (Viennese Waltz) I don’t watch “The Bachelor” so I don’t really know Jake. He seems nice enough, and he certainly was trying very hard, but it was a rough dance. Chelsie has her work cut out for her – but, then again, she was the one who worked miracles with Ty Murray. Scores: Carrie Ann – 7, Len - 6, Bruno – 7. Total = 20. Those scores seemed a bit high to me. I would have given him a 6 at the most.
Niecy Nash & Louis van Amstel: (Cha Cha) Personality will not be Niecy’s problem on this show. She’s got plenty of that. The best part about her being on DWTS is that it will give Danielle Fishel plenty of chances to do her Niecy impression on “The Dish”. Niecy had the attitude for her Cha Cha but the steps got a bit awkward. Scores: Carrie Ann – 7, Len – 5, Bruno – 6. Total = 18. Bruno was the right one here. This was a 6 dance.
Evan Lysacek & Anna Trebunskaya: (Viennese Waltz) Their setup clip was all about lowering expectations but it wasn’t necessary. Evan was just as good as we all knew he would be. He was very Fred Astaire. Scores: Carrie Ann – 8, Len – 7, Bruno – 8. Total = 23.
Buzz Aldrin & Ashly Costa: (Cha Cha) Well, they gave Buzz the right partner in sweet, little Ashly. She was doing a valiant job of trying to cover all the missed steps. I have no desire to say anything negative about Buzz but there’s no denying that this was a very, very rough dance. Scores: Carrie Ann – 5, Len – 4, Bruno – 5. Total = 14. They were being generous.
Nicole Scherzinger & Derek Hough: (Viennese Waltz) To absolutely no one’s surprise, Nicole was fabulous. She was the picture of grace and the final spin was stunning. She is a ringer, no doubt, and I do think a serious argument can be made that she is too much of a professional dancer to be on the show. She’s the favorite even over the gold medal winning figure skater- despite Len’s rant to the contrary. I’m not sure what got into him when he started rambling off all of Nicole’s supposed flaws. I couldn’t help but think he was trying to make Nicole seem like an underdog despite her being the clear frontrunner. Scores: Carrie Ann – 9, Len – 7, Bruno – 9. Total = 25. Wow. 9’s right out of the gate.
Aiden Turner & Edyta Sliwinska: (Cha Cha) Aiden is no Gilles Marini but he is certainly very pretty and I think there is some potential here if he can learn to loosen up a bit. I agreed with Carrie Ann’s comment that there was no musicality but I think there’s hope. I certainly didn’t think he deserved Bruno’s crack about being another Kenny Mayne. Scores: Carrie Ann – 5, Len – 5, Bruno – 5. Total = 15. That was too low. The scores should have been 6’s.
Kate Gosselin & Tony Dovolani: (Viennese Waltz) Oh, Kate. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen anyone look as terrified as Kate did during this dance. I was actually quite impressed that she made it through given all that fear. The judges were correct that Kate is the contestant most out of her element. Scores: Carrie Ann – 6, Len – 5, Bruno – 5. Total = 16. I’m thinking that may have been a bit of a pity 6 from Carrie Ann. Kate should not have received a higher score than Aiden.
Pamela Anderson & Damian Whitewood: (Cha Cha) I have to give the woman her due, Pam worked this dance. It was much better than I expected. It was definitely campy (see photo above), but it was also fun and sexy and pure Pam Anderson. I’m both fascinated and horrified by the thought of her doing a waltz. Scores: Carrie Ann - 7, Len – 6, Bruno – 8. Total = 21. By the way, kudos to Carrie Ann for the fab hair flip when she gave her score.
There will be no elimination this week. If there were, I’m thinking Aiden would have been the one headed out the door. He doesn’t have much of a fan base and the judges were really tough on him. Buzz should be the first to go but we know from the show’s history that he’ll be kept around for a while by the audience.
Full episodes of DWTS can be viewed at ABC’s website here:
We opened with the encore dance – Mya & Dmitry’s Salsa. That was an easy choice. It was certainly THE dance of the previous night. It was just as fabulous the second time around.
In the recap we learned that Kelly made up her solo in the Rumba because she forgot the whole thing. We also saw that Kym was at least as upset as Donny over their disastrous Tango.
Hosts Tom Bergeron and Samantha Harris announced that the first couple moving on to the finals …. was going to be announced shortly. Oh, that was just mean!
Samantha then interviewed the four celebs and I was struck by Kelly and Joanna’s comments. They both sounded like they were getting themselves prepared to be eliminated.
The first number of the night was a production of “Be Italian” from the movie “Nine”. I’m not sure who the people were performing the number. I also don’t know that I would have picked this particular number for such a high profile spot. The commercial that followed was much more appealing.
Musical Guest #1: Alicia Keys with “Try Sleeping with a Broken Heart”. Alicia looked gorgeous but I wasn’t loving the thigh high blue suede boots.
Oh, good grief. They had the four celebs lip syncing in a music video to David Bowie’s “Under Pressure”. Donny was getting waaayyy too into it.
We finally got some results. Tom & Samantha called forward Joanna & Derek and Mya & Dmitry as they were the two highest scoring couples. The result:
Mya & Dmitry Chaplin – in the finals.
Joanna Krupa & Derek Hough – in jeopardy.
Musical Guest #2: Leona Lewis with “Happy”. Leona was wonderful but I seriously did not like the choreography for the dancers. It was much too melodramatic.
Tom then had Donny & Kym and Kelly & Louis come to center stage:
Donny Osmond & Kym Johnson – in the finals. Donny looked immensely relieved.
Kelly Osbourne & Louis van Amstel – in jeopardy.
Musical Guest #3: The BeeGees. Specifically Barry and Robin Gibb singing “You Should Be Dancing”. It’s a little unbelievable that Barry can still rock that falsetto after all these years. They were joined by Tony Dovolani, Cheryl Burke, Chelsie Hightower and a newbie named Artem Chigvintsev. The featured dancer, though, was last season finalist Melissa Rycroft. She did the second half of the dance with former partner Tony. She looked great – but that’s not exactly news.
We came to the end of the show and it was time to find out whether Joanna & Derek or Kelly & Louis were leaving. As Tom lead up to the announcement, Kelly looked worried and nervous while Joanna & Derek looked resigned. They just seemed to know. They were the ones eliminated. After a brief interview, Tom announced that Joanna & Derek would exit by doing a reprise of their lovely Waltz from the night before. It definitely brought a tear to my eye.
There’s no way around it, this result wasn’t fair. I adore Kelly and Donny but it should have been one of them to go. Joanna was the second best dancer (behind Mya) in the cast but I guess she just didn’t have the fanbase. Sigh.
Full episodes of DWTS are available at ABC’s website here:
Our celebs had a lot on their plates in the semi-finals. They had to perform an individual Ballroom and Latin number (including a brief solo dance section) AND then perform the dance they had prepared in case they were ever in a dance-0ff.
Round One
Donny Osmond & Kym Johnson: Donny was nervous about the semis since he had been in last place the previous week. To help him get into character for the Tango, Kym brought in last season hottie Gilles Marini. His advice was that Donny needed to make people feel uncomfortable watching this Tango. Well, that’s what happened – but not in the way Donny wanted. During the dance it almost looked like they were fighting against each other and the missed steps were obvious. Donny looked really upset when it was over. He said he lost focus when he saw sister Marie in the crowd but we also saw that Kym’s heel had become tangled in the hem of her dress. Head judge Len Goodman called it a shame because the Argentine Tango had gone so well for Donny. Bruno Tonioli said that, normally, Donny’s a master at hiding mistakes but he couldn’t cover it up this time. Carrie Ann Inaba called it rough but congratulated them on making it through. Scores: Carrie Ann – 7, Len – 7, Bruno – 7. Total = 21. Donny said the judges were very kind.
Joanna Krupa & Derek Hough: I loved this setup clip. Derek was shown getting very frustrated during the rehearsals with Joanna so his former partner (and DWTS champ) Brooke Burke showed up to get him grounded. They both did hilarious impressions of him. Derek may get himself worked up sometimes but the guy does create some stunning choreography. This Waltz was lovely and some of the moves were striking. Joanna struggled to get into one of the poses but, overall, it was classy and graceful. Bruno said it had the grace of angels in heaven but there was the slightest hesitation that kept it from being paradise. Ah, Bruno. Carrie Ann said Joanna can take her breath away when she dances but, when she does a reaching move, she needs to have a reason behind it. Len thought her hold was as good as any professional. Scores: Carrie Ann – 9, Len – 9, Bruno – 9. Total = 27.
Kelly Osbourne & Louis van Amstel: In their rehearsal clip, we saw Kelly get a call from her dad saying that one of their dogs had died. She, of course, was in tears. Louis said it was a sign of how much Kelly has grown that she stayed and kept rehearsing. The old Kelly would have gone home. As I mentioned above, the celebs had to do a brief solo in the Latin dances. Kelly & Louis were given the Rumba and that’s a tough one to solo in. I thought it turned out to be a bit dull. On the other hand, Carrie Ann said that Kelly brought her to tears. She added that Kelly isn’t the best dancer but she reaches into Carrie Ann’s heart. Len didn’t feel it was one of Kelly’s best dances but it certainly wasn’t the worst. Bruno said Kelly is endearing but some parts of the dance weren’t as perfect as they should have been. Scores: Carrie Ann – 8, Len – 8, Bruno -8. Total = 24.
Mya & Dmitry Chaplin: Their setup piece was meant to show us how devoted Mya is to the competition. I don’t think we needed that proven since she already seems like one of the pros. Their Waltz was absolutely stunning and was the kind of dance that wins the trophy. It was the best characterization Mya’s had so far. Len thought it was a joy to watch. Bruno called it “love set to music”. Carrie Ann said Mya always has the potential to get 10’s but she felt they were slightly disconnected in the hold. Scores: Carrie Ann – 9, Len – 9, Bruno – 10. Total – 28.
Round Two – This round featured biographical clips of all the celebs and, frankly, I don’t know how any of them could dance after watching these tearjerkers. I was a mess!
Donny & Kym: This was a great comeback dance for Donny. They performed to “One Bad Apple” and, yes, I’m enough of an Osmond geek to recognize the classic Osmond Brothers moves. As unhappy as Donny was after the Tango was how happy he was after this Samba. Bruno said that a bit of a stumble doesn’t stop a professional. It was carefree and fun like a Samba should be. Carrie Ann said it was certainly better than the Tango but it seemed a bit sloppy. Len agreed with Bruno. He called it a “metamorphoses”. Scores: Carrie Ann – 8, Len – 9, Bruno – 9. Total = 26.
Joanna & Derek: Their Cha Cha was good (and I got a kick out of Joanna singing along) but it was an oddly low-key dance. Carrie Ann loved it and said Joanna truly was a dancer. Len thought it was clean and crisp but could have been a bit more “cheeky”. Bruno called Joanna “natural sex”. Tom just shook his head. Scores: Carrie Ann – 9, Len – 9, Bruno – 9. Total = 27.
Kelly & Louis: Their Quickstep as uneven. Parts were very good but there were also some pretty clear missteps. Len said it was beyond his expectations. As a performer, and a person, Kelly had blown him away. Bruno acknowledged there was a mistake but added the dance was light, fast-footed and in sync. Carrie Ann thought Kelly nailed it. Kelly then tearfully thanked the judges for all their comments saying it was part of what has been giving her the confidence to keep coming back. Scores: Carrie Ann – 9, Len – 9, Bruno – 9. Total = 27.
Mya & Dmitry: Wow, wow and wow! That was about as hot as a dance can get. I’ll say it – the girl deserves to win this thing. Bruno said only one word could describe it – sensational. Carrie Ann called it hot beyond belief. Len declared, “Tutti frutti, what a booty.” He said Mya deserves to be in the finale. Scores: Carrie Ann – 10, Len – 10, Bruno – 10. Total = 30. It’s times like this when you wish there was an 11 paddle.
Knock-Out Dances
Donny & Kym: They chose to dance the Jitterbug. It was the perfect kind of dance for Donny – very energetic. Carrie Ann said Donny needed to be good and, thank God, he got his mojo back. Len told Donny that 2 out of 3 wasn’t bad and Bruno called it upbeat and full of vigor. Scores: Carrie Ann – 9, Len – 9, Bruno – 9. Total = 27. Total for the night – 74.
Joanna & Derek: They picked the Salsa. It was fun, but not as flashy as I expected. Len called it hot, tasty and full of spice. Bruno said it was delicious and flirtatious and Carrie Ann told Joanna that she would love to see her in the finals. Scores: Carrie Ann – 9, Len – 9, Bruno – 9. Total = 27. Total for the night – 81.
Kelly & Louis: They went with the Cha Cha. It was short and cute – just like Kelly. Bruno said it might have been a “quickie” but it worked for him. Carrie Ann thought Kelly did a great job with finishing her lines and Len was pleased that all three of her dances were well done. Scores: Carrie Ann – 9, Len – 9, Bruno – 9. Total = 27. Total for the night – 78.
Mya & Dmitry: They picked the Cha Cha as well. Mya had a great night and seemed to be having the time of her life. Carrie Ann said the beginning of the dance didn’t speak to her. Bruno replied “You’re deaf!” Len was disappointed because he wanted it to go on longer and Bruno called it an action packed trailer for a blockbuster. Scores: Carrie Ann – 9, Len - 10, Bruno – 10. Total = 29. Total for the night 87 out of 90. Wow!
So, we ended the evening with Donny & Kym in last place but my guess is that Kelly & Louis are the ones in real jeopardy.
Full episodes of DWTS are available at ABC’s website here:
We opened with the encore dance. In a bit of a surprise, the judges didn’t choose Mya’s perfect scoring dance. Instead they went with the futuristic Paso Doble of Joanna & Derek. I’d have to agree. I loved Mya & Dmitry’s number but the Paso was the more memorable dance.
Audience Alert: Hugh Hefner and the new “Girls Next Door”. He’s not letting a cross promotional opportunity for Joanna’s Playboy issue pass him by.
In no particular order, hosts Tom Bergeron and Samantha Harris announced that the first couple safe to dance again was: Joanna Krupa & Derek Hough.
Musical Guest #1: Michael Buble singing “Haven’t Met You Yet” while Jonathan Roberts, Anna Trebunskaya, Maksim Chmerkovskiy and Cheryl Burke danced. Ah, Michael. Could you be any more adorable?
The next couple moving on to the semi-finals was: Mya & Dmitry Chaplin.
Dance Center is back!! This time around Kenny Mayne, Jerry Rice and Len Goodman were joined (briefly) by Stacy Keibler. Part one was pretty good. I especially like the comment about Donny being like a 3 year old on sugar.
Macy’s Stars of Dance: It was time for the “Design a Dance” audience creation. Sabrina Bryan danced the Paso Doble to “Eye of the Tiger” with, whom else, Mark Ballas. They may have moved on from their showmance but we haven’t. As the Salty Old Dog said to me, that little girl hit the dance floor with something to prove. She truly is one of the best dancers EVER on DWTS.
Michael Buble’s second song was “Feeling Good”. He was joined by a pair of dancers whose names I had to look up because they were a mouthful: Urs Geisenhainer and Agnes Kazmierczak.
The next couple safe was: Donny Osmond & Kym Johnson.
Musical Guest #2: Susan Boyle with “I Dreamed a Dream”. I’m still thoroughly enchanted by Susan. She looked so sweetly awkward in her backstage shots but so at home behind the microphone. Tony Dovolani and Chelsie Hightower danced and, it should be noted, the camera work and editing for the number was particularly good.
Dance Center Part Two: I was actually most surprised to learn that Mya is 5′9″. She doesn’t seem that tall. I also got a kick out of Kenny’s bit about thinking that Dmitry was one of the celebrities – and a soap star. Actually, he does kind of look like one.
The last two couples were Aaron Carter & Karina Smirnoff and Kelly Osbourne & Louis van Amstel. After a tortuous commercial break, we learned that Aaron & Karina were the couple leaving. Kelly looked shocked that she was staying and both Aaron & Karina looked like they saw their elimination coming. I felt bad. Aaron is the better dancer and he deserved to stay over Kelly – and I say that as someone who really, really likes Kelly. Head judge Len Goodman had asked for a chance to say something if Aaron was the one eliminated. He praised Aaron’s dedication and said that, if Aaron were his son, he’d be very proud of him. More importantly, though, Len wanted Aaron to be proud of himself. I know the kid has been teased for being emotional but you couldn’t blame him for getting choked up over that speech.
I didn’t have a great opinion of Aaron coming into DWTS but he changed my mind. I respect how he handled the criticism from the judges and the lack of support from the audience. Aaron’s young but he does seem to be growing up.
Full episodes of DWTS are available at ABC’s website here:
This week our remaining couples had to perform two individual dances – one Latin and one Ballroom. Plus, the Latin dances were based on the styles of specific decades from the 60’s to the future.
Ballroom Round
Mya & Dmitry Chaplin: This pair has made some choreography choices that haven’t gone over well with head judge Len Goodman. I’ve been putting the blame on Dmitry but, in the rehearsal clip, it was clear that Mya agrees with the way Dmitry has been putting together the dances. She was, however, getting a bit stressed during the week so we watched as Dmitry took Mya horseback riding. They performed a straightforward Quickstep and I couldn’t imagine how Len was going to find fault with it. Len began by saying he was very disappointed. As boos rained down on him, he smiled and said that he was disappointed because he couldn’t find anything to criticize. Finally!!! Bruno Tonioli likened the dance to vintage champagne. After you taste it nothing else will do. Carrie Ann Inaba said Mya made a difficult dance look easy. Scores: Carrie Ann – 9, Len – 10, Bruno – 10. Total = 29. Host Tom Bergeron declared Len to be an old softy.
Aaron Carter & Karina Smirnoff: Last week Aaron did really well with the judges’ scores but still ended up in the bottom three. He’s in a tough spot because it just doesn’t look like the fan support is there for him. Karina knew they were in jeopardy and, even though it was her turn to battle the flu, she kept going because she wasn’t going to have someone else dance with Aaron. Unfortunately this Foxtrot wasn’t the “wow” dance they needed. I thought Aaron looked stiff and uncomfortable. Bruno said he could see all the work that went into the dance but it didn’t have the ease of flow needed to sell it. Carrie Ann saw a lift and agreed that there was a loss of fluidity. Len said watching Aaron dance was like watching his son in a toy shop – there was excitement, joy and bewilderment. He was proud of how hard Aaron has worked. Len has definitely got a soft spot for this kid. Scores: Carrie Ann – 7, Len - 8, Bruno – 8. Total = 23.
Joanna Krupa & Derek Hough: This pair spent some time analyzing footage of Mya’s Ballroom dances. They see Mya as the strongest competitor and were looking to match the ease with which she dances. As for their Quickstep, the word quick doesn’t do it justice. Joanna was running all over that dance floor. Carrie Ann said there were a few out of sync moments but also a lot of content in their dance. Len said the dance lacked body contact and did not meet quarter-final standards. Bruno said it looked a bit like Joanna was running from the scene of a crime. He added it wasn’t one of her best dances. Scores: Carrie Ann – 8, Len – 7, Bruno – 8. Total = 23.
Kelly Osbourne & Louis van Amstel: Louis was at his wits’ end with Kelly’s short attention span so he took away all her distractions - like her phone and laptop. Kelly said she would have loved for Louis to have been wrong, but it actually did help her concentrate. I’d say it worked because their Foxtrot was fabulous. It had great personality and choreography and I think it was Kelly’s best dance so far. Len said Kelly’s footwork was a distraction but the rest of her was fantastic. Bruno called Kelly light and ethereal and Carrie Ann said Kelly’s secret weapon was how the audience responds to her breakthroughs. Scores: Carrie Ann – 8, Len – 8, Bruno – 9. Total = 25. I agreed with Bruno. That was definitely a 9 dance.
Donny Osmond & Kym Johnson: Donny confessed that he hit the wall last week with juggling all his obligations. He found he wasn’t having any fun. He told Kym that he was hitting the reset button and was looking at it as a whole new competition. Their Waltz was lovely. Kym’s choreography was exceptional and presented a sweet, grown-up, romance. Bruno said it was like watching a Lifetime movie. Carrie Ann called it mesmerizing and noted that Donny’s posture had improved. Len thought it was good, but a bit “arty, farty”. Scores: Carrie Ann – 9, Len - 8, Bruno – 9. Total = 26.
Latin
Mya & Dmitry: The couples drew their decade out of a hat and Mya & Dmitry got a 70’s style Samba. Dmitry was feeling a bit insecure saying that he was having choreographer’s block. If he did, it certainly didn’t show in this dance. His disco-inspired number was a lot of fun. Mya looked to be having the time of her life. And Dmitry? Well, he looked almost too comfortable in his 70’s porn star outfit, hair and mustache. Carrie Ann said she truly believes that Mya wants to win this competition. Len declared that Mya was on fire and called her hips “hypnotic.” Bruno launched into a full Bruno moment and, somewhere in the middle of it all, said Mya did a “mean Samba”. Scores: Carrie Ann – 10, Len – 10, Bruno – 10. Total = 30. It was a well deserved perfect score. Total for the night: 59.
Aaron & Karina: They got a 90’s style Samba. Aaron grew up in the 90’s so he had lots of ideas. Karina’s main job was keeping it all under control. It was lively, fun and a perfect homage to the era of the boy bands. It was the perfect kind of dance for Aaron. Len said it was tough to have to follow someone who gets a perfect score but he loved how Aaron came out and really sold his performance. Bruno said he thought it would be a disaster of a dance but it actually was quite good. Carrie Ann said she could see how Aaron has smoothed out all his rough edges and is now truly a great performer. Scores: Carrie Ann – 9, Len – 9, Bruno – 9. Total = 27. Total for the night: 50.
Joanna & Derek: They drew the toughest “period” dance – a futuristic Paso Doble. But, if anyone could come up with a clever dance under these circumstances, it would be Derek. He’s great with innovative steps and that ability was clear in this dance. It was inspired and really played to Joanna’s technical strength. Bruno called it a masterful reinvention of a classic and called Derek a “genius”. Carrie Ann said there was outstanding execution and Joanna never missed a step. Len agreed it was genius because it also contained real Paso choreography. Scores: Carrie Ann – 9, Len – 10, Bruno- 10. Total = 29. Total for the night: 52.
Kelly & Louis: Kelly was excited about getting a 60’s era Jive because she finally had some knowledge to bring to the dance. It is a favorite era for her. She did struggle in rehearsals, though, with the speed of the Jive. You could see some of that in the dance. Kelly was frequently just a little behind Louis. Len called Kelly a revelation. He thought the pressure would have eventually got to her but she has kept coming back stronger and stronger. Bruno said it was groovy and Carrie Ann thought it was one of Kelly’s best performances – although there were still a few technical issues. Scores: Carrie Ann – 8, Len – 9, Bruno – 9. Total = 26. Total for the night: 51.
Donny & Kym: Oh my. Donny really was in full Adam Ant mode for this 80’s Paso Doble. Donny & Kym’s look was great. Kym seemed to have come straight out of a Heart video and some moments were really clever. I laughed out loud at the wind machine. That was brilliant. But, overall, the 80’s and the Paso didn’t blend together. Most of it seemed forced. Len called it the most crazy, bizarre and scary Paso Doble he’d ever seen. It was like a cross between Adam Ant and Adam Carolla. Bruno said it had more camp in it than a drag queen convention. Carrie Ann thought it was hysterical but added that Donny’s costume interfered with some of his lines. Scores: Carrie Ann – 8, Len – 8, Bruno – 8. Total = 24. Total for the night: 50.
So the evening ended with Mya solidly in the lead with 59 and Aaron & Karina and Donny & Kym tied for last place with 50. This doesn’t bode well for Aaron.
Full episodes of DWTS are available at ABC’s website here:
It’s the second week of double eliminations. There’s no way around it – tonight’s gonna hurt.
We opened with the encore dance. To no one’s surprise it was the Team Tango dance. This time around there seemed to have been more nervous energy. That may have been the difference between performing at the beginning of a show as opposed to at the end when they’re all exhausted. It was still a great dance.
We started off the results with co-hosts Tom Bergeron and Samantha Harris announcing the first couple safe and the first couple in the bottom three:
Kelly Osbourne & Louis van Amstel: Safe
Mark Dacascos & Lacey Schwimmer: Bottom Three
Musical Guest #1: Colbie Caillat performed “Fallin’ for You” as Alec Mazo and Edyta Sliwinska danced. Alec & Edyta were their typical, ridiculously hot, selves.
More results followed:
Donny Osmond & Kym Johnson: Safe
Michael Irvin & Anna Demidova: Bottom Three
Musical Guest #2: Ballas Hough (as in Mark Ballas and Derek Hough) with a song called “Move”. I was kind of surprised when Tom referred to them as just Ballas Hough (as opposed to The Ballas Hough Band) but then I saw that the Band was nowhere in sight. This song wasn’t really my thing. It was too techno for me.
Tom and Samantha announced the status of the remaining three couples:
Mya & Dmitry Chaplin: Safe
Joanna Krupa & Derek Hough: Safe
Aaron Carter & Karina Smirnoff: Bottom Three
Musical Guest #3: Rod Stewart performing “It’s the Same Old Song”. I’m always surprised by how well Rod’s raspy rocker voice works with so many musical styles.
We next got the fate of the bottom three. Michael & Anna were going home first. That meant the dance-off would be between Mark & Lacey and Aaron & Karina. Michael was as classy as he could be. I really like that man.
Mark & Lacey: They chose to do the Cha Cha. Wow! They pulled out all the stops for this number. Mark did all his flips and kicks. I think the best compliment I can give them was that I was really disappointed when it was over. Head judge Len Goodman said Mark was back to his best. Bruno Tonioli announced that Mark could turn more tricks than Heidi Fleiss. Mark & Lacey’s reaction to that was priceless. Carrie Ann Inaba agreed that Mark was back in top form and added the he moved effortlessly between the dance and the tricks.
Aaron & Karina: Whew! You go, Aaron! It was a great style choice for them to stick with the Jive. Aaron was simply on fire with it. Bruno stated he couldn’t believe that Aaron was even in this kind of situation. Carrie Ann thought this Jive was even better than Monday night. Len called Aaron the comeback kid.
The judges sounded really torn and said both couples did great but, in the end, they chose to save Aaron & Karina. I thought Aaron’s reaction to the news was very interesting. Karina immediately jumped for joy but Aaron seemed more concerned with acknowledging Mark. It wasn’t until after he hugged Mark and Lacey that he even smiled. This is a competition but you can really tell how attached these people get to each other. Mark talked about the bond they’ve all developed. I got a little misty eyed when Mark called Lacey “my dancer” and when Lacey commented on how happy she was that they got to dance together one more time. The poor guy had a rough week but he certainly went out on a high note.
Full episodes of DWTS are available at ABC’s website here:
We opened with the pro dancers giving a demonstration of the Tango and the Paso Doble – the dances featured in this episode’s team competition. Another twist this week was that the celebs designed the costumes. They all pretty much stuck with the traditional except for Kelly. She got a little creative as I’ll mention later on in the recap.
Michael Irvin & Anna Demidova: Michael said that in last week’s dance-off he was able to just enjoy himself because he was sure he was going home. For the Foxtrot, Anna wanted to bring out Michael’s inner Fred Astaire. Michael was very smooth in the dance. It really looked like he was gliding across the floor. This dance was a good fit for his low-key style. Head judge Len Goodman called it brilliant and said that, in the early weeks of the season, he would have been glad to have seen Michael go but he’s really happy now that Michael’s still around. Bruno Tonioli said he could see a marked improvement in Michael’s musicality – but his bum still stuck out. Carrie Ann Inaba thought the dance was graceful and fluid and she loved it. Scores: Carrie Ann – 8, Len – 8, Bruno – 7. Total = 23. Michael was very happy and called it a touchdown.
Donny Osmond & Kym Johnson: For the Quickstep, Kym went to war with the Osmond slouch. She made Donny wear a posture bar during their rehearsals and it did kind of look like a torture device. It was a fun dance, and I thoroughly enjoyed it, although there were a few flubs/hesitations. We learned later that Donny had the flu so it was the performer part of him that powered through it. Bruno said that, as a performer, Donny was solid as a rock because no one else could have covered up that many mistakes. Carrie Ann thought it was good but not Donny’s best. Len liked that it was a full on Quickstep from beginning to end and they didn’t play it safe. Scores: Carrie Ann – 8, Len – 8, Bruno – 8. Total = 24. Donny looked quite relieved.
Mark Dacascos & Anna Trebunskaya: Oh man. Mark had a tough week. He had to be in New York to film “Iron Chef America”. While there, Lacey got sick. He had to send her home to recuperate. On Friday, while still in NY, Mark worked with Tony Dovolani. On Saturday afternoon, Mark was back in LA and got paired up with Anna. In 48 hours he had to learn a brand new dance – and it showed. Poor Mark looked like all his effort went into remembering what came next. It lacked his usual polish. Carrie Ann said she had a lot of compassion for the week Mark had but the dance was a mess. Mark had a lot of nervous energy that caused it not to flow. Len said it was not Mark’s best dance but, under the circumstances, he coped well with some tough choreography. Bruno said it was all a bit like watching Kung Fu Panda dance the Samba on the Planet of the Apes. Scores: Carrie Ann – 6, Len – 7, Bruno – 6. Total = 19. Yikes! Mark’s in trouble. It was a complicated dance but Anna was in a difficult spot as well. If she’d dumbed it down they would have taken a hit for that too. I think poor Mark was just in a no win situation.
Mya & Dmitry Chaplin: Dmitry wanted their Foxtrot to have old Hollywood flair so he brought in someone to coach Mya who experienced it first hand – Cloris Leachman. It actually was a pretty good choice. Mya can dance like nobody’s business and about the only thing she needs to improve on is flair. I think they definitely achieved the Hollywood glamour they were shooting for. Mya was absolutely gorgeous and showed a new, mischievous side to her personality. Len liked the parts of the dance in hold but there were way too many gimmicks and tricks for him. Len really has a problem with Dmitry’s choreography. I think we have a battle of wills going on here with poor Mya caught in the middle. Dmitry always smiles and laughs through the criticism but he also keeps putting in stuff he knows Len won’t like. I just hope Mya doesn’t end up paying the price for all this. Bruno thought it perfectly captured the aura of Hollywood’s golden age. Mya looked like a dream and danced like an angel. Carrie Ann said that Len was officially smoking crack. She loved the dance and thought they looked like they were floating on ice. Scores: Carrie Ann – 9, Len – 7, Bruno – 9. Total = 25. Oh Len. I love you but that 7 was just silly. An 8 would have made your point.
Aaron Carter & Karina Smirnoff: Aaron was beside himself over finally not being in the bottom two. To get Aaron up to speed for the Jive, Karina took him to a trainer. It paid off because, to quote the Salty Old Dog, Aaron kicked the Jive’s ass. It was sharp, fast and controlled. I have to say, this kid has grown a lot during his weeks on DWTS. Bruno called it Aaron’s best performance. Carrie Ann said he was like a little roadrunner and was excellent. Len thought it had enough energy to light up Hollywood. He also added that he was tempted to dust off his 10 paddle. Scores: Carrie Ann – 9, Len – 10, Bruno – 10. Total = 29. It was a well deserved score.
Kelly Osbourne & Louis van Amstel: This was an interesting week for Kelly. Louis dialed up his expectations and she wilted under the pressure. Playing armchair psychiatrist, I got the feeling Kelly isn’t used to having high expectations placed on her. She even said that it was the first time she was in a situation that she couldn’t “BS” her way out of. She’s proven to us that she can dance so now it’s expected she’ll be good. Kelly’s reaction to the pressure showed that there is still a lot of little girl in her. It wasn’t her best moment. As I mentioned earlier, the celebs designed the costumes and Kelly must have still been ticked off at Louis when she did these. She put him in those fringy pants that I loathe. The good news was that Kelly’s personality made a strong comeback. It was a fun dance and a big improvement over the past couple of weeks. Carrie Ann began her comments by calling Kelly over for a congratulatory hug. Her posture was great and she was unafraid of the dance. Len said he had been afraid that Kelly was going to come out and dance the Salsa like a little girl but, for the first time, she seemed to really control her nerves. He did caution, though, that Louis was right about pushing her. Bruno said the key was that Kelly really found her character for the dance. Scores: Carrie Ann – 8, Len – 8, Bruno – 8. Total = 24.
Joanna Krupa & Derek Hough: The rehearsal clip for Joanna and Derek’s Rumba was actually a rather funny dream sequence of the two of them getting romantic at the beach. It ended with Derek making out with his own reflection in the mirror. He had a nice touch with the comedy. As for the dance, except for one little hiccup, it was a very technically sound number. Joanna has great body control, like an athlete, but she isn’t quite as strong with her character and facial expressions. It was a good dance, don’t get me wrong, but the acting part is what Joanna needs to improve to get the trophy. I did enjoy the end when Derek ran over to shake hands with Joanna’s fiance. Len thought they hit all the key parts of a successful Rumba. Bruno called Joanna a love goddess and Carrie Ann said she loves to watch Joanna dance. Scores: Carrie Ann – 9, Len – 9, Bruno – 9. Total = 27.
Team Paso Doble: Mark & Anna T., Aaron & Karina, Mya & Dmitry and Michael & Anna D. Things were a bit rough for this group when rehearsals started. As Karina put it, there were too many chefs in the kitchen. Michael was the hero of the piece as he pulled them all together as a team. Each pair did fine individually but, as a group number, it didn’t flow that well for me. Part of that may have been the music. I really didn’t think it worked for the Paso. Mark & Anna had much better chemistry in this dance. Mya was her typical stellar self and Michael’s abs were quite spectacular. Bruno said it was strong, dramatic and powerful but they were a bit out of sync. He thought Mya & Dmitry were the standouts. Carrie Ann loved the intensity but thought the choreography was a little basic. Len felt the routine got better as it went along. Scores: Carrie Ann – 8, Len – 8, Bruno – 8. Total = 24.
Team Tango: Joanna & Derek, Kelly & Louis and Donny & Kym. This group figured they had an advantage from the start because they only had to deal with three couples. Everything seemed to go smoothly for them. Plus, you have to love anything that results in an Osbourne feeling up an Osmond. And, oh yeah, the dance rocked. All the solo bits were great but the group stuff was even better. I loved it. Carrie Ann ran over to give them all high fives and then yelled at them for putting in a lift. Len said it was easier for the Tango group because so much of the dance was in hold but it was still clear that this was the superior dance. Bruno said they were excellent as individuals and superb as a team. Scores: Carrie Ann – 9, Len – 9, Bruno – 10. Total = 28.
The evening ended with the following results:
Mark & Anna T. – 43
Michael & Anna D. - 47
Mya & Dmitry – 49
Kelly & Louis – 52
Donny & Kym – 52
Aaron & Karina – 53
Joanna & Derek – 55
Mark is in big, big trouble.
Full episodes of DWTS are available at ABC’s website here:
They mixed things up a bit with this results show. They opened with:
Taylor Swift Musical Performance 1 – Taylor performed a new song called “Jump Then Fall” while a couple of new dancers accompanied her. It was all quite enjoyable.
Aaron had the memorable moment in the recap. Head judge Len Goodman had concluded his comments about Aaron by saying he was proud of him. In the confessional, Aaron explained that he hasn’t spoken to his father in several years and getting words of encouragement from someone like Len, who is sort of a father figure, made him feel great.
The elimination process was also a bit different. The couple with the lowest combined score (between the judges and audience vote) will be sent home. The two couples with the next lowest combined scores will perform in a dance-off and the judges will choose who stays and who goes. Hosts Tom Bergeron and Samantha Harris began the process by announcing the first two couples who were safe:
Joanna Krupa & Derek Hough
Mark Dacascos & Lacey Schwimmer
After the commercial break, two more couples got the good news that they were safe:
Donny Osmond & Kym Johnson
Aaron Carter & Karina Smirnoff
Thank goodness Aaron was safe! I don’t think I could have handled another week of this kid being tortured. They were very happy and Karina even squealed.
Tiempo Libre performed “Tu Conga Bach” next. They are a Cuban musical act and were very energetic and entertaining. The trumpet player was awesome but …. one of the male dancers accompanying them dropped his partner on the final stunt. I’m sure Louie Vito could relate.
Montage: The costumes for next week are being designed by the celebs and not the pros. Michael had the best line saying his goal was to hear every Russian curse word come out of Anna’s mouth.
We got right back to more results:
Mya & Dmitry Chaplin – Safe
Kelly Osbourne & Louis van Amstel – Safe
That left Melissa Joan Hart & Mark Ballas, Louie Vito & Chelsie Hightower and Michael Irvin & Anna Demidova in the bottom three.
Taylor Swift Musical Performance 2 – This time she sang “Love Story” while Jonathan Roberts, Anna Trebunskaya, Tony Dovolani, Cheryl Burke, Maksim Chmerkovskiy and Edyta Sliwinska danced in their Romeo and Juliet costumes. Hey, it’s on my iPod. Of course I loved it.
Montage: Nadia Comaneci, Greg Louganis and Bill Walton discussed what one has to do to attain perfection and receive the perfect “10″.
We returned to Tom and the bottom three couples. Louie & Chelsie and Michael & Anna were going to be in the dance-off. That meant that Melissa & Mark had the lowest overall score and were going home. They seemed surprised and very disappointed. You can’t blame them for that. They’d never even been in the bottom two before. Melissa was quite brave about it and Mark said they’d always have their Charleston and their “10″.
For the dance-off the couples chose their own music and dance style:
Michael & Anna: They opted for the Samba which surprised me a bit. I would have thought a Ballroom style would have been a safer call for Michael. Instead, they went with something that highlighted his personality. Michael really did seem to be having a good time with it and, overall, it wasn’t bad. Len said he’s enjoyed how Michael has really come alive on the dance floor over the past couple of weeks. Bruno Tonioli called it a crowd-pleaser and Carrie Ann Inaba thought Michael did well with the personality of the Samba but the technique needed work.
Louie & Chelsie: They chose the Jive. There was plenty of energy in the dance but Louie seemed to struggle a bit transitioning from one step to another. Louie didn’t seem too happy with the way it went. Bruno was impressed by the amount of content they put in the short dance. Carrie Ann said she was a little disappointed that there wasn’t more content from either couple given it was potentially their last dance. Len agreed that it didn’t seem that either couple appreciated how important the 30 second dance was. He did say that Louie was sharp and fast.
The judges’ votes were -
Bruno: He chose Louie & Chelsie saying that neither couple was perfect but they had the slight edge for him.
Len: He chose Michael & Anna.
Carrie Ann: She said she would have liked to have based her vote on the whole season but it had to be only on what had just happened. That meant she was choosing to save Michael & Anna.
Louie & Chelsie were going home. Louie did a big, spinning backflip off the stage as he came down for the final goodbye. He was very charming in his exit speech and I look forward to seeing him in the Olympics.
Full episodes of DWTS are available at ABC’s website here:
It’s the first of two weeks of double eliminations. This is about to get painful. Someone, like Natalie Coughlin, will probably end up going home too soon.
The couples had to perform two dances this week: either the Jitterbug or the Waltz for the individual dance and a Mambo for the dance marathon.
Mya & Dmitry Chaplin: The wear and tear on the body from dancing was beginning to take a toll on Mya. She got a massage from a rather hot looking gentleman which always makes things better. Mya also wanted to make sure she clearly conveyed a sense of fun during the Jitterbug because of last week’s criticism that she was emotionally disconnected from her dancing. It took a long time before the dancing actually started in this number and I knew that wasn’t going to go over well with Len. Otherwise, Mya’s dancing was great. I don’t think the girl is capable of having a bad dance. Indeed, head judge Len Goodman was unhappy that twenty bars were wasted on gimmicks and props. He seems to like Mya’s dancing but has had a real problem with Dmitry’s choreography. Bruno Tonioli loved it and said Mya and Dmitry were so in sync it was like watching one person dance. Carrie Ann Inaba felt it was too soft and muted for a Jitterbug. Scores: Carrie Ann – 8, Len – 7, Bruno – 9. Total = 24. I can accept the 8 but that 7 was too low.
Melissa Joan Hart & Mark Ballas: Melissa was struggling with her posture in the Waltz so Mark brought in his mom, Shirley Ballas. Mom really reminded me of several dance teachers I’ve known over the years – the iron fist in the velvet glove. I’m not sure how much it helped, though. Melissa seemed uncomfortable and her expression looked frozen. Bruno said it wasn’t good for week 6. He thought Melissa looked like she was trying to remember what she’d been told to do. Carrie Ann agreed and said it looked like Melissa was dancing on a sticky floor. Len thought the other two were being a bit harsh and said the dance had musicality and elegance. Scores: Carrie Ann – 7, Len – 7, Bruno – 6. Total = 20. Ouch. That was a tough one.
Mark Dacascos & Lacey Schwimmer: To get Mark into the mood for the Jitterbug, Lacey took him to a Jitterbug club. She also said that she was choreographing the dance to really make Mark standout. I think it all worked. Mark may be turning into the dark horse here. He’s in great shape, and is very flexible, and Lacey took full advantage of both. Carrie Ann was very excited. Except for a little stumble at the end, it was exactly what she wanted to see in a Jitterbug. Len thought it was great and loved the tricks. Bruno was impressed at how well Mark kept up with Lacey but also mentioned the stumble at the end. Scores: Carrie Ann – 9, Len – 9, Bruno – 8. Total = 26.
Aaron Carter & Karina Smirnoff: Poor Aaron. He was frustrated at being in the bottom two for two weeks in a row. He didn’t know what else to do. Karina told him that they can only control their dance so that’s where the focus needed to be. Aaron threw himself into the character of the Waltz during rehearsals and it showed in the performance. The dance was lovely and Aaron’s demeanor was perfect. The kid better not be in the bottom two this week! It should also be noted that the back of Karina’s dress was spectacular. Len said Aaron danced with maturity and proper posture and that it was Aaron’s best dance yet. Len was proud of him. Bruno noted that Aaron lost his footing a couple of times but the musicality and posture were great. Carrie Ann loved the new, dignified Aaron that she was seeing on the dance floor. Scores: Carrie Ann – 8, Len – 9, Bruno – 8. Total = 25.
Michael Irvin & Anna Demidova: There is no doubt that Michael is taking this competition seriously. I’m not sure he started out that way but, because the fans have kept bringing him back, he’s into it now. I think it’s also clear that Michael is the weakest dancer left on the show but he had so much joy on his face during this Waltz that he won me over. He glowed and this was my favorite of any of his dances. Bruno could see that Michael was enjoying the dance but didn’t think it was good enough for week 6. Carrie Ann called it charming and loved the fluidity but said she had to dock them for a lift and a stumble. Len said the other two didn’t know what they were talking about. He loved it and said Michael had the best footwork of any Waltz they’d seen that night. Scores: Carrie Ann – 6, Len – 8, Bruno – 6. Total = 20. Hmm. I don’t think any of them got it right. That was a 7 dance.
Kelly Osbourne & Louis van Amstel: Louis knew that the only thing standing in Kelly’s way was fear and Kelly herself. He took her to do some trapeze training to try and help her overcome that fear. Their dance was really cute but I don’t think the choreography was as challenging as the others. Kelly also came close to falling on their big flip. Carrie Ann said she could see Kelly’s confidence and sense of fun coming back but added that, sometimes when you prepare yourself for the worse to happen, you bring it on yourself – like the stumble. Len felt it was a bit flat-footed and lacked the freedom he likes to see in the Jitterbug. Bruno called it cute and nice but Kelly now has to really perform and sell her dances. Scores: Carrie Ann – 7, Len – 6, Bruno – 7. Total = 20. Her little face really fell with that 6.
Louie Vito & Chelsie Hightower: Louie was having trouble this week. It looked like he was getting overwhelmed. Chelsie tried to bring some of the smoothness and grace that Louie has in his snowboard tricks to their Jitterbug. Louie was really trying to work it, and some of the tricks were good, but it was more than a bit out of control. Chelsie ended up on her butt after one flip and almost ended up the same way on another. Len said parts of it were fantastic but there were also bits where the energy was lost. Bruno said Louie needed to work on being precise and clean with his movements. Carrie Ann loved the dance but Louie dropped his partner twice and that’s not acceptable. Scores: Carrie Ann – 7, Len – 7, Bruno – 7. Total = 21.
Joanna Krupa & Derek Hough: Derek was back and feeling healthy. He was being a bit tough on Joanna during their Waltz rehearsals and Derek explained it was because Joanna is so talented. Sometimes he needs to remember that she’s not a pro and is trying her best. Joanna is very good and their Waltz had a lot of glide and beautiful moments. Unfortunately it also had one very awkward moment when Joanna slid between Derek’s legs and got a little stuck. Bruno said it was like watching a butterfly gently glide over an Alpine meadow. Carrie Ann thought Joanna’s lines were beautiful but there seemed to be some doubt and hesitation. Len said the footwork wasn’t great but the hold, posture and musicality were. Scores: Carrie Ann – 8, Len – 9, Bruno – 9. Total = 26.
Donny Osmond & Kym Johnson: The rehearsals for the Jitterbug taxed Donny’s endurance but you wouldn’t know that from watching the performance. It was the perfect kind of dance for Donny- full of energy and exuberance. Carrie Ann noted there were a few stumbles and moments of being out of sync but they certainly knew how to work the room. Len said Donny always comes out and performs no matter what the style of dance. There were some problems but, overall, it was very entertaining. Bruno also appreciated the performance but he could tell Donny was struggling to keep up with Kym. Scores: Carrie Ann – 8, Len – 8, Bruno – 8. Total = 24.
Mambo Marathon: The first couple gone from the marathon got 2 points and the last couple standing got 10. I wasn’t crazy about the marathon format because the camera couldn’t capture everyone at once. Even so, it was pretty clear who the winner was. The finishing order was:
Michael & Anna – 2 points. Total = 22.
Louie & Chelsie – 3 points. Total = 24.
Melissa & Mark – 4 points. Total = 24.
Kelly & Louis – 5 points. Total = 25.
Mark & Lacey – 6 points. Total = 32.
Donny & Kym – 7 points. Total = 31.
Aaron & Karina – 8 points. Total = 33.
Mya & Dmitry – 9 points. Total = 33.
Joanna & Derek – 10 points. Total = 36.
I might quibble with some of the middle results but Joanna was the clear standout.
We ended the night with Michael & Anna, Louie & Chelsie, Melissa & Mark and Kelly & Louis is serious trouble.
Full episodes of DWTS are available at ABC’s website here:
We learned in the recap that Kelly’s foot injury the previous night was really painful and dad Ozzy had to take her to the hospital. Host Tom Bergeron informed us that it was a sprain and Kelly will be able to continue in the competition.
The encore dance was the top scorer from the night before – Donny & Kym’s Tango. It was still quite hot.
Norah Jones Musical Performance 1: Norah performed “It’s Gonna Be” and it was a pretty cool song – very 60’s retro. There were four new dancers accompanying the number and they did an odd dance that kept making me think of “The Bride of Frankenstein”. By the way, Norah looked fab.
Tom began the results by revealing the fates of the three couples who got the top judges’ scores:
Mark Dacascos & Lacey Schwimmer - Safe.
Donny Osmond & Kym Johnson - Safe.
Mya & Dmitry Chaplin - Safe.
Montage – The story of a DWTS Monday. No real surprises here. Kelly is a social butterfly and Aaron loves craft services.
Next to learn their fates were the three couples who tied with a score of 24:
Joanna Krupa & Derek Hough – In Jeopardy. Poor Joanna saw it coming. I think she’s been beating herself up over the stumble with substitute partner Maksim Chmerkovskiy.
Kelly Osbourne & Louis van Amstel – Safe.
Aaron Carter & Karina Smirnoff – In jeopardy. I was really hoping Aaron would get a break this week.
After some commercials, Tom revealed the fates of the male and female celebrities with the lowest judges’ scores:
Michael Irvin & Anna Demidova – Safe.
Natalie Coughlin & Alec Mazo – In jeopardy.
Norah Jones Musical Performance 2: Norah performed her classic “Come Away with Me” while Jonathan Roberts and Anna Trebunskaya danced. The whole thing was quite lovely. The song was acoustic and the dance was very happy and romantic. I’ve always liked Jonathan but I’m shocked by how much I’ve warmed up to Anna this season. Tom revealed afterwards that “Come Away with Me” had been Jonathan and Anna’s wedding song. Awww. I love that.
The fates of the final two couples were revealed:
Louie Vito & Chelsie Hightower – Safe.
Melissa Joan Hart & Mark Ballas – In Jeopardy.
Macy’s Stars of Dance: The Michael Jackson Tribute. It was introduced by LaToya Jackson who was in the Ballroom with brother Jermaine and mom Katherine. It was a fantastic tribute dance – very happy and positive.
The four couples left in jeopardy took the stage to learn their final fate. Melissa & Mark and Joanna & Derek were safe. Aaron & Karina and Natalie & Alec were the bottom two. The judges were clearly upset by this. Len Goodman said he understood that people like to support the underdog but justice should prevail and neither of these couples deserved to go home.
In the end it was Natalie & Alec leaving. She looked so disappointed. Natalie said she really loved the experience and maybe she just didn’t show that enough to the audience. I felt so bad because she looked upset and it really wasn’t fair. Natalie probably wasn’t going to win but this exit was too soon.
Full episodes of DWTS are available at ABC’s website here:
