Dance Your Ass Off – Week Seven
Aired 8-10-09
This week the 5 remaining contestants had to perform two dances – hip hop and Tango. They approached the task with varying degrees of confidence. Mara was feeling particularly sure about it (never a good sign on a reality show) as she’s already danced a Tango and considers herself a natural at hip hop. The whole group had the chance to learn some new moves from Madonna Grimes who is a fitness/dance/hip hop instructor.
The first round was hip hop and host Marissa Jaret Winokur stated that the order for that round was random. The bottom two for weight loss would be revealed during the Tango round.
Hip Hop
Mara & Paul: This pair continued to be on an upswing with their working relationship. Paul took the lead in choreographing their Tango and Mara guided them through the hip hop number. That was clear because the dance definitely reflected Mara’s personality. It was fun and sassy. It wasn’t, however, particularly complicated – at least to my eye. Judge Mayte Garcia loved it and said Mara was ready to shoot a video. She scored it a 9. Danny Teeson gave it an 8 saying he was entertained. Lisa Ann Walter gave it a 9 saying that she’s gratified to see the journey Mara has made in just a few weeks. Average: 8.7.
Pinky & Mr. Lucky: Pinky was getting frustrated by her lack of weight loss. She has been in the bottom two numerous times. Last we knew, she was taking in just 950 calories a day. She complained of a lack of energy (duh!), so the show’s nutritionist, Meg Werner Moreta, had Pinky add 50 more calories to her diet. That’s better than nothing but I still believe Pinky needs to be eating at least 1200 a day. Their hip hop routine was a first for the show – the pro dancer was shown up by the contestant. Mr. Lucky wasn’t bad, by any means, but his moves were not as quick and sharp as Pinky’s. Lisa Ann enjoyed the performance but wanted to see more use of the space. She gave it an 8. Danny said he saw an eight count where Pinky forgot her steps but still scored it a 9. Mayte also saw the error but said it was probably the difference between doing a choreographed routine versus freestyling. She also gave it an 8. Average: 8.3.
Shayla & Mario: Shayla was very thankful for having Mario as her partner. They’re from the same area and she said he’s like “home” to her. I liked their number. It was a bit like watching a hot chick trying to be a badass but it worked for me. Danny gave it a 9 saying that he thinks Shayla could probably dance any style. Lisa Ann called it powerful and sexy and gave it a 10. Mayte also gave it a 10 and Shayla was so shocked she almost looked like she was going to pass out. Average: 9.7.
Alicia & Italo: Alicia was on a high after being the top scorer last week. She was also thrilled to be in the 220’s – a weight she has not seen since the 8th grade. I’ll give Alicia credit for doing some challenging choreography. It did look like she was struggling a bit with some of the moves but she’s come a long way from where she started. Mayte gave it an 8 saying she loved the routine although Alicia was off beat in a few places. Lisa Ann thought there were some wasted steps in the beginning but, overall, she loved it. She also gave it an 8. Danny made it 8’s all around saying Alicia might not have a natural groove but she makes up for it in personality. Average: 8.
Ruben & Hilary: Hip hop is not Ruben’s thing so he was quite nervous. He’s a trained ballet dancer so he’s much more comfortable with fluid movement. Ruben is also the oldest of the remaining contestants and, thankfully, Hilary remembered that. She didn’t try to make Ruben act like a kid. It actually was my favorite of any of the routines Ruben has danced so far. Lisa Ann gave it a 9 saying they were the most in sync couple of the night. Mayte said she could completely understand why hip hop was alien to Ruben but she enjoyed it and scored the dance an 8. Danny said it was a safe dance and gave it an 8 as well. Average: 8.3.
Tango
Alicia & Italo: Their Tango was fine but lacked sharpness and fire. Mayte gave it a 6 saying she wanted to see more precision and sharpness. Lisa Ann loved most of the dance but said the posture was missing. She gave it an 8. Danny also gave it an 8 saying he missed the snapping head movement. Average: 7.3. Combined average for both dances: 7.7. On the scale, Alicia lost 6.4 pounds for a total of 2.80%. Total Score: 10.50.
Ruben & Hilary: Ok, this is now my favorite dance from Ruben. He was brimming with confidence and attitude which may have been the missing pieces all along. Mayte said Ruben truly led the dance and gave it a 10. Lisa Ann thought it would be Ruben’s dance and it was. She also gave it a 10. Danny was almost bubbly as he made it all 10’s. Average: 10. Combined average for both dances: 9.2. For the week, Ruben lost 6.4 pounds for a total of 2.40%. Total Score: 11.60.
Pinky & Mr. Lucky: Hey! She’s not in the bottom two! Pinky’s moves were nice and clean but there was definitely a lack of Tango attitude. Her natural, sunny personality was still there. Mayte gave it a 7 saying there was some struggle in the partnering. Lisa Ann also gave it a 7 saying the hold was very good but other technical aspects of the Tango were missing. Danny gave it a 9 calling it an unconventional Tango. Average: 7.7. Combined average for both dances: 8.0. On the scale, Pinky lost 6.4 pounds (a popular amount this week) for a total of 3.70%. She burst into tears. Total Score: 11.70.
That left Shayla and Mara in the bottom two with Alicia in last place on the leader board.
Mara & Paul: It actually looked more like a Paso Doble than a Tango. Mara had the right attitude for the dance but her posture was way off. Mayte said she enjoyed it all – including the posture. Lisa Ann was impressed by the technical elements and the partnering. Danny also enjoyed it saying the arm placement was particularly good but she still needed to work on the rest of her posture. For the week, Mara lost 2.9 pounds for a total of 1.21%.
Shayla & Mario: They had some flashy moves in their Tango and Shayla’s movements looked very crisp. Mayte said she saw passion, romance and elegance. Lisa Ann thought they were hot and romantic – as always. Danny said it was fantastic and added that Shayla’s quiet confidence was separating her from the rest of the pack. On the scale, Shayla lost 2.4 pounds for a total of 1.31%.
Alicia, Mara and Shayla lined up for the final results.
Shayla: Mayte – 9, Lisa Ann – 8, Danny – 10. Average: 9.0. Combined average for both dances: 9.4. Total Score: 10.71. Shayla was safe.
Mara: Mayte – 10, Lisa Ann – 8, Danny – 8. Average: 8.7. Combined average for both dances: 8.7. Total Score: 9.91.
Mara was going home. Despite the tears streaming down her face, she was lovely and gracious as she said her goodbyes.
Next Week: The contestants get a visit from their families.
You can view sneak peeks and bonus footage at Oxygen’s website here:
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