Pop Culture Kitty

Dance Your Ass Off – Week Nine

Aired 8-24-09

This week was all about Ballroom as the contestants had to perform a Viennese Waltz and a Cha Cha.  To prepare, they all got some additional coaching from “Dancing with the Stars” alum, Nick Kosovich.  The four semi-finalists also got to participate in makeovers in preparation for a photo shoot with Life & Style magazine.  They worked with a hairstylist, make-up artist and celebrity stylist Rachel Zalis.  They all looked fantastic but the makeover was particularly profound for Alicia (see above photo).  Pinky was also moved when she realized the dress they had her in was a size 8.  She burst into tears after looking at the tag.

For round one the dance order was random.  The bottom two for weight loss was revealed during the second round.

Round One

Shayla & Mario:  Shayla declared that this journey has given her a newfound confidence and she’s ready to attack life.  In the Cha Cha, Shayla had all her slinkiness going.  She also achieved some very striking poses.  Judge Mayte Garcia called it a sexy number but added that Shayla could even let go a bit more.  She scored it a 9.  Lisa Ann Walter clearly loved it and gave it a 10. Danny Teeson said it was “amazing” and also scored it a 10.  Average: 9.7. 

Alicia & Italo:  Alicia has gone from a size 20 to a size 16 but recognizes that she still has a ways to go.  She said she’s a new person now and she won’t give up.  Alicia was able to reign in her boisterous personality for the Waltz but the dance was a bit on the clunky side.  There was no gliding effect at all.  Mayte called it beautiful but added that she would have liked more traveling across the floor and gave it a 7.  Lisa Ann also gave it a 7 saying there wasn’t enough time in proper dance hold.  Danny said the dance was a little clumsy and seemed to lack confidence.  He made it 7’s all around.  Average: 7.0.

Ruben & Hilary:  Ruben seems to be feeling on top of the world.  He said, “I finally feel like I’ve totally committed to something in my life and I succeeded at it.”  He looked like he was brimming with confidence during the Cha Cha.  Mayte noticed a footwork problem but thought the overall performance was great and gave it a 9.  Lisa Ann had some problems with the choreography (she said it took too long to get to the actual Cha Cha) but liked the hip action and partnering so she gave it an 8.  Danny like the content and loved the hip action so he gave it a 9.  Average:  8.7.

Pinky & Mr. Lucky:  Pinky said she’s now a better version of herself because she’s confident and believes in herself.  Their Waltz was lovely and it was the most elegant and graceful dance that we’ve seen from Pinky.  Mayte loved it and gave it a 9.  Lisa Ann was thrilled to see someone do a technically correct Waltz and gave it a 10.  Danny called it simple and to the point and also gave it a 10.  Average:  9.7.

In between the dance rounds was a brief segment about the show going “green”.  The contestants were all given reusable grocery bags and their second round costumes were made of fabric recycled from previous costumes.

Round Two

Alicia & Italo:  The Cha Cha was a much better fit for Alicia and she attacked it.  Mayte told her she really took control of the dance and gave it a 9.  Lisa Ann said Alicia was the Cha Cha (sexy and fun) and gave it a 10.  Danny called her the comeback queen and also gave it a 10.  Average:  9.7.  Combined Average:  8.4.  On the scale, Alicia lost 3.5 pounds for a total of 1.62%.  Total Score = 10.02.

Ruben & Hilary:  They did a lovely, and fast, Waltz but the camera work for it was annoying.  For some reason the director decided to get all artsy on us and it was very distracting.  It must have been great, though, because Mayte finally gave up a 10 saying she loved every aspect of the dance.  Lisa Ann appreciated Ruben’s commitment to the technical aspect of Ballroom but wanted to see more of the floor used.  She gave it a 9.  Danny gave it a 10 saying they looked, at times, like they were gliding on ice.  Average:  9.7.  Combined Average:  9.2.  For the week, Ruben lost 7.1 pounds for a total of 2.79%.  Total Score = 11.99.

That left Pinky and Shayla in the bottom two.

Pinky & Mr. Lucky:  Little Pinky was sizzling in her Cha Cha.  It was choreographed with a lot of fast movement and she kept up effortlessly.  Mayte said Pinky had great lines and was looking much more comfortable in her high heels.  Lisa Ann said Pinky’s footwork was still a little stompy but her hip action was great and no one else could compare with her upper body movement.  Danny said he now thought Pinky could actually win the whole thing.  On the scale, Pinky lost 1.9 pounds for a total of 1.17%.

Shayla & Mario:  Their Waltz was very elegant but I don’t think it had much content.  Mayte thought the dance was beautiful but needed more Viennese Waltz movement.  Lisa Ann said they had proper dance hold but she also wanted more actual waltzing.  Danny said it was technically a good dance but it left him feeling a bit cold.  For the week, Shayla lost 2.1 pounds for a total of 1.19%.

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

Shayla:  Mayte – 8, Lisa Ann – 9, Danny – 9.  Average: 8.7.  Combined Average:  9.2.  Total Score = 10.39.  She was going to the finals.

Pinky:  Mayte – 9, Lisa Ann – 9, Danny – 10.  Average: 9.3.  Combined Average: 9.5.  Total Score = 10.67.

Alicia, who looked like she was going to hyperventilate waiting for Pinky’s scores, was going home.  Pinky started bawling so there were a lot of tears on that stage.  The judges very sweetly gave Alicia a standing ovation.  She was a bit of a mess but, considering how off-the-hook she can get, Alicia handled it all OK. 

For the umpteenth time, Ruben took first place.  He’s definitely the front runner as we head to the finale.

Next Week:  The finale brings all the eliminated contestants back and Pinky suffers an injury to her foot or ankle.

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

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