Pop Culture Kitty

Dance Your Ass Off – Week Eight

Aired 8-17-09

The four remaining contestants were surprised with visits from their relatives this week.  The family members even got to be in the audience and see the final routines.  I’m sure they were amazed at how different the contestants all looked from when the show started.  I know I was.

The order for the first round of dances (80’s style) was random.  The bottom two for weight loss wasn’t revealed until round two (Foxtrot).

80’s

Pinky & Mr. Lucky:  Pinky was visited by her hip hop dancing brothers.  She said seeing them was inspiring.  A prime motivation for her has been to lose weight so she can join their dance crew.  Pinky & Mr. Lucky danced to Madonna’s “Holiday” and it was very cute and very period.  The choreography was a good fit with Pinky’s energetic and precise style.  Judge Mayte Garcia thought it was all “great” and scored it a 9.  Lisa Ann Walter was overjoyed to see how everything is streamlining for Pinky and also gave it a 9.  Danny Teeson made it 9’s all around saying he appreciated that the routine was fun without being cheesy.  Average:  9.

Ruben & Hilary:  Yeah, I needed some tissue for this reunion.  Ruben was visited by his partner of 20 years, John.  John has been recovering from cancer so the separation has been particularly tough on Ruben.  A lot of tears were flowing.  John specifically mentioned how happy he was to see Ruben regaining the self-confidence that he’d lost over the years.  Even though Ruben is the only contestant left who can really remember the 80’s, this was not his natural style of dance.  Despite this, he did quite well with it and his face was much more expressive than when he started on the show.  Perhaps that’s yet another sign of his increased confidence.  Mayte thought it started a little rough but then kicked into gear.  She gave it a 9.  Lisa Ann liked it but gave it an 8 because the choreography seemed too careful.  Danny agreed with Lisa Ann that it started careful but midway through Ruben really let loose.  He gave it a 9.  Average:  8.7.

Alicia & Italo:  Alicia was visited by her mother and sister and we learned that the apple didn’t fall far from the tree.  Mama seems to be a colorful character herself.  The past few weeks Alicia has had a tendency to overdo the “fierce” facial expressions making her look angry when she dances.  This time it all looked fun and happy – as it should when one is doing a cheerleading routine.  Mayte said she loved the whole thing and was very proud of Alicia.  She gave the routine a 10.  Lisa Ann gave it an 8 but added that it was great to see how Alicia can now just pop right back up after doing the floor work.  Danny wanted it to be more technically challenging and gave it an 8.  Average:  8.7.

Shayla & Mario:  Shayla got a visit from her beloved daddy and her super hot boyfriend.  She and Mario had a cute dance, and Shayla did well with the moves, but the choreography seemed disjointed to me.  Mayte said it was clear Shayla was focused and having fun and gave it a 10.  Lisa Ann thought the dance really worked for Shayla and gave it a 9.  Danny said it was the best of the 80’s numbers and gave it a 9.  Average:  9.3.

In between the two rounds was a segment on a luncheon the contestants had with all the family members.  Each person made a healthy version of their favorite dishes to share.

Foxtrot

Alicia & Italo:  Alicia made a point of having her mom and sister meet with the show’s nutritionist, Meg Werner Moreta, to help convey the healthy food message so the whole family can share in what Alicia has learned.  For the Foxtrot, Alicia had the right character going (and an awesome dress) but there was no glide to it.  Mayte liked Alicia’s carriage and arm work and gave it an 8.  Lisa Ann thought it was very elegant and that Alicia’s posture had greatly improved.  She scored it a 10.  Danny also noticed the lack of a glide across the floor but still very much enjoyed it.  He gave the dance an 8.  Average:  8.7.  Combined Average = 8.7.  On the scale, Alicia lost 5.9 pounds for a total of 2.66%.  Total Score = 11.36.

Shayla & Mario:  Shayla also had a meeting with her family and the nutritionist because she knew she’d be challenged when she got home.  Her boyfriend is an athlete and eats about 6000 calories a day.  Shayla has to be prepared to eat just 25% of that.  Shayla & Mario’s Foxtrot was very elegant and did have some glide to it.  Mayte loved Shayla’s carriage and emotion in the dance and scored it a 9.  Lisa Ann gave it an 8 because Shayla had some trouble following Mario’s lead.  Danny also gave it an 8 saying it was good but he would have liked more energy.  Average:  8.3.  Combined Average = 8.8.  For the week, Shayla lost 4.5 pounds for a total of 2.48%.  Total Score = 11.28.

That left Pinky and Ruben in the bottom two.  It was the first time Ruben has been in jeopardy.

Pinky & Mr. Lucky:  Pinky took her brothers to the gym and had a great deal of fun showing them up.  Pinky looked lovely in the Foxtrot but the whole thing seemed to lack grace.  Mayte said that she loved Pinky’s arm work.  Lisa Ann felt the steps were a bit too small and careful.  Danny felt it was more a pas de deux than a Foxtrot.  On the scale, Pinky lost 3.7 pounds for a total of 2.22%. 

Ruben & Hilary:  Ruben was a bit shaken by the visit from his brother and boyfriend saying he feared it was a distraction and he struggled to get his head back in the game.  I think this was the most graceful Foxtrot of the bunch.  Mayte called it “fluid like water”.  Lisa Ann said Ruben was the picture of masculine elegance.  Danny simply called it “magic”.  It was looking like he’d be getting some pretty good scores.  For the week, Ruben lost 5.4 pounds for a total of 2.08%.

Shayla, Pinky and Ruben lined up for the final results.

Ruben:  Mayte – 10, Lisa Ann – 10, Danny – 10.  Average:  10.  Combined Average = 9.4.  Total Score = 11.48.  He took over the first place spot.

Pinky:  Mayte – 7, Lisa Ann – 7, Danny – 8.  Average:  7.3.  Combined Average = 8.2.  Total Score = 10.42.

However, after a teary speech by Lisa Ann during which she expressed admiration for all of their transformations, she declared that no one would be eliminated.  All four will be in the semi-finals. 

Next Week:  It’s makeover time (!) and our remaining four will be doing the Cha Cha and Viennese Waltz.

Sneakpeeks and bonus scenes are available at Oxygen’s website here:

http://o2.oxygen.com/player/?fid=1100245