DWTS - It's Finals Baby!!

That's right - the final nights of DWTS are here.  I'm a little sad, I won't lie.  First up in the Redemption Dances are Kyle & Lacey doing their Foxtrot.  Len gave them a 5 last time so when he showed up in the studio to offer a few pointers, Kyle was pleased.   As for the dance, I loved it!  I was highly impressed with Kyles technique, footwork & intensity!  Fun fun.  Len said people spend a lifetime not mastering the difficulties of the Foxtrot and he really came out so much better than the first time - he's gone from Messy Massey to Marvelous!  Bruno said he was slick, sharp & slinky...  slinky Bruno?  Mmmkay.  Carrie Ann panned the performance, saying he was listening to Len's voice in his head instead of focusing his performance outward.  Whatever, I barely ever agree with Carrie Ann.
Scores from Carrie Ann, Len & Bruno are: 9-9-9
Call 1-800-868-3403 to vote for Kyle & Lacey till 30 minutes after show time, or vote online at abc.com all night.

Next up are Bristol & Mark, getting a re-do on their Jive. If you remeber, the first time Bristol did The Jive, she showed up in a gorilla suit. So this time Bruno showed up in the studio to help break her out of her shell a little. The dance was definitely better - she's definitely come a long way since the first Jive, in both her technique and her performance. She's not quite the shy girl she was in week 1. Bruno was impressed & claimed some credit for bringing something out of her, Carrie Ann said she enjoyed it, then criticized Bristol's toe pointing, and Len said she's gone from a gorilla to a thrilla!
Scores from Carrie Ann, Len & Bruno are:  9-9-9
Call 1-800-868-3407 to vote for Bristol & Mark till 30 minutes after show time, or vote online at abc.com all night.

That leaves Jenifer & Derek last with their Redemption Dance, which is the Paso Doble.  The Paso was Jennifer's low point and Carrie Ann came to help Jennifer with her frame, motion & movements.  I loved it.  The arm play at the beginning was really fun to watch, Jennifer's footwork was great & her frame & motions were beautiful.  Jennifer's husband daughter, daddy & BFF were all on the front row cheering loudly.  Carrie Ann shouted "This is the meaning of redemption!"  Len tried to say there was a lovely mix of aggression & expression but people were still cheering too loudly!  He mentioned the up & down, then said he rarely does this and gave them a standing ovation!  Bruno got out of his seat to narrate the tale of their paso, Len had to lean away to give him room, as is usual for those two.
Scores from Carrie Ann, Len & Bruno are: 10-10-10
Call 1-800-868-3411 to vote for Jennifer & Derek till 30 minutes after show time, or vote online at abc.com all night.

Next up is the freestyle round. Anyone who's watched DWTS for more than a season or two knows just how important the freestyle is!

So again we're back to Kyle & Lacey! And... it was a fun dance but I wasn't blown away. And I think the song Tootsie Roll sucks. Oh well. Len said he's not a great lover of the boogaloo dancing, but it was great fun, great entertainment & he thoroughly enjoyed it. Bruno said it was truly explosive entertainment & amazing charisma - he loved every minute of it. Carrie Ann first scolded Len, telling him it's called "old school hip hop". Then she said this old fly girl was very proud & dubbed Kyle the Fresh Prince of DWTS!
Scores from Carrie Ann, Len & Bruno are: 10-9-10
Call 1-800-868-3403 to vote for Kyle & Lacey till 30 minutes after show time, or vote online at abc.com all night.

Next we'll watch Bristol & Mark's freestyle. Bristol is kind of coming undone from all the criticism, but the thing is, there are no rules on how or why viewers should vote for those they choose, so it's not really as if she's somehow an illegitimate finalist. And to Mark's credit, their dance was great. The Bob Fossey broadway style was very good for Bristol's temperament. I really think going a hip-hop route would've been a total bomb for her. Bruno said it wasn't to the level he would expect. Carrie Ann was shocked to see her dancing in a cage & Len said it was no disaster, it was fantastic!
Scores from Carrie Ann, Len & Bruno are: 8-9-8
Call 1-800-868-3407 to vote for Bristol & Mark till 30 minutes after show time, or vote online at abc.com all night.

Last up are Jennifer & Derek and I'm pretty curious to see what Derek has in store for us! Jennifer can't get crazy with the moves, considering her physical limitations so he'll need to get a little more creative than usual (which shouldn't be too hard for Derek). Yep, I loved it! Carrie Ann said she'd just keep it simple: she thought it was amazing, she thought it was perfect, she thought it was a lift extravaganzaaaaa.... Len said they've been consistent, persistent, an irresistable force - he said they're like a juggernaut, going down the freeway heading for that mirror-ball trophy - fantastic! Bruno said she's a great dancer with great versatility - two dances at opposite ends of the spectrum, and both equally brilliant.
Scores from Carrie Ann, Len & Bruno are: 10-10-10
Call 1-800-868-3411 to vote for Jennifer & Derek till 30 minutes after show time, or vote online at abc.com all night.

And after all the grabass tonight, tom said he feels like he's been through airport security! Ha!!

So here's the judges leader board one last time:
Jennifer & Derek: 60
Kyle & Lacey: 56
Bristol & Mark: 52

Week 9 Results and a Few Rants about DWTS

So last night was results & elimination on DWTS and I was pretty disappointed.  Brandy went home and Bristol is moving on to the Finals.  What the...  Okay, yes, I've been progressively more & more impressed with Bristol.  She really came out & proved me wrong several times.  But she's NOT as good a dancer as Brandy.  What a travesty of democracy.  Oh well.
Three things I haven't been brutally honest about while blogging this season: Kyle, Carrie Ann & Brook.

First, I have to say Kyle surprises me & did so again on Monday night with his Samba.  I've been hesitant to say much about the chubby factor but here it is.  He's a chubby guy, I'm always sure the chub will slow him down and honestly sometimes it does.  The thing is that the extra weight can slow him down which keeps him from really hitting those sharp steps the way I expect, it prevents him from really getting the extension he needs, the arching & the lines needed in the ballroom...  but sometimes he just busts out something surprising and I am utterly amazed.  And that's what he did in his Samba Monday night.  That chubby butt shook like nobodies business!

So on to Carrie Ann.  More and more I think she's a hater.  Granted, Bristol is the weakest dancer and didn't deserve any 10's on Monday night in my opinion, but I don't think she deserved the 8 Carrie Ann gave her.  I feel like Carrie Ann plays favorites and doesn't give love to the ones she doesn't like, even when they improve.  She harps on Bristol's emotional disconnect and criticizes it even when I think the emotion & character were far improved.

Last, I have to say Brook needs to go!  I've mentioned it before but holy hell that girl bugs me!  Enough with the "How does that make you feel?" questions!  You're a co-host, not a therapist!  She's kind of an air head, she's not entertaining, her questions suck...  she's really just a pretty face and a hot body dressed up in an endless supply of beautiful evening gowns.  Anyone can do that.  ABC - get Tom a new girl please!

So there you have it.  Next Monday is the final competition night!  Jennifer Gray, Kyle Massey and Bristol Palin will battle it out for the mirror ball and one will take it home on Tuesday!  I'm excited!

It's Semi Finals Time at DWTS!!!

So it's the semi finals and up first are Brandy & Maks.  But before the dancing they had a cute moment of togetherness after Maks's blow up in last weeks judging.  He obviously felt bad about the whole thing and worried that his tiff with carrie Ann would hurt Brandy's chances in the competition.  But Brandy assured him she would have done the same thing for him.
So their first dance was the Paso and I thought it was pretty good.  Her footwork was good, her arm movements were precise, her facial expressions were fierce.  I enjoyed her solo and am pretty impressed with her progress since the beginning of all this..  It wasn't ten material in my opinion but it was really great.  Len overall great dancing.  Bruno said Brandy needed anger management and definitely released all the aggression, but might have lost a little of the finesse.  thought her character was wonderful and her upper body looked glamorous, great job over all.
Scores from Carrie Ann, Len & Bruno are:  9-9-9
Call 1-800-868-3406 to vote for Brandy & Maks till 30 minutes after show time, or vote online at abc.com all night.

 Jennifer & Derek went next with a Cha Cha Cha that rocked the house.  She started out shaking her naughty bits on Lens head, then proceeded to wow us in this crazy frilly white feathery body suit.  The choreography was of course amazing, since Derek is a genius.  Her footwork was awesome.  All three judges loved it and all three judges gave them tens!  Deservedly so.
Scores from Carrie Ann, Len & Bruno are:  10-10-10
Call 1-800-868-3411 to vote for Jennifer & Derek till 30 minutes after show time, or vote online at abc.com all night.

Bristol & Marc are dancing next and I'm still wondering who's voting for this girl.  Thy've got another Paso  Doble and it's definitely not as good as Brandy's but it's not bad.  She got more intensity than usual but it's still not the tight routine I'd expect in the semi-finals.  However, I thought she looked hot in her black leather big hair.  Good for her coming out like that!  Carrie Ann said she was so happy to see her come out & nail it.  Len said Bristol the pistol has fired a few blanks throughout the season but came out with both guns blazing tonight!  Bruno said the little lamb is turning into a tigress and admired her beautiful flamenco lines.
Scores from Carrie Ann, Len & Bruno are:  9-9-9
Call 1-800-868-3407 to vote for Bristol & Mark till 30 minutes after show time, or vote online at abc.com all night.

Last up in the first round was Kyle and Lacey with a Samba.  I thought it was Kyle's best dance since the beginning when he impressed us with what seemed like a bit of a fluke for a bit as the competition progressed.  But tonight was great fun to watch and they should get a ten or two at least!  Len pronounced Kyle's bum bionic tonight!  Bruno said he was a bouncing bundle of fun & Carrie Ann said she's never seen so much pelvic action ever!
Scores from Carrie Ann, Len & Bruno are:  10-9-10
Call 1-800-868-3403 to vote for Kyle & Lacey till 30 minutes after show time, or vote online at abc.com all night.

On with the second round and it's back to Brandy & Maks.  Their Argentine Tango blew me away.  Her lines were amazing & beautiful and if she doesn't get at least one 10, I'll be surprised.  Len loved that she created great atmosphere - outward expression of her inner emotion.  Bruno loved the emotional depth, full extension of her body, and called her stunning.  Carrie Ann said it was a beautiful & powerful dance.
Scores from Carrie Ann, Len & Bruno are:  10-10-10
Again, to vote call 1-800-868-3406 to vote for Brandy & Maks till 30 minutes after show time, or vote online at abc.com all night.

I have to say I'm not a Brooke Burk fan.  I miss Samantha.  Don't get me wrong, she looks H. O. T. in those evening gowns.  But she can't interview contestants in the celebraquarium to save her damn life!  "Three 9's - how does that make you feel?" ...  "26 out of 20 - how do you feel about that?" ...  "A perfect 30!  How are you feeling right now?"  Ugh!  Get a new schtick Brooke.  Pulease!  I think the producers need to bring in a new co-host - put the hot dresses on some other smokin' hot chick and see if she can do any better.  I'm over this one.

Done ranting!  Next up were Jenifer & Derek with their Waltz.  She just makes it look so easy!  Every step is effortless and graceful and beautiful.  I love it.  Bruno said it was a gem of a waltz, full of style & elegant detail.  He said it was stunning & she is a great dancer.  Carrie Ann said she thinks the body never lies & through dance we can see a persons soul - and she thought this simple waltz was one of the most beautiful things she's seen in her life.  Len said sometimes a whisper speaks louder than a shout & this poignant delicate waltz was fabulous.
Scores from Carrie Ann, Len & Bruno are:  10-10-10
Again, call 1-800-868-3411 to vote for Jennifer & Derek till 30 minutes after show time, or vote online at abc.com all night.

 Bristol & Mark had a Waltz in the second round and I was very impressed.  Carrie Ann said she felt like there were moments when Bristol drifted out of her character & connection, sort of disconnected.  Len disagreed and said it was quite beautiful.  Bruno said it was haunting, there were beautiful lines and then he mentioned the journey she's been on and how happy he is to see her here.
Scores from Carrie Ann, Len & Bruno are:  8-9-9
Call 1-800-868-3407 to vote for Bristol & Mark till 30 minutes after show time, or vote online at abc.com all night.
As hard as I've been on Bristol, I think they should have had at least one 10.  And honestly I think Carrie Ann can be kind of unusually hard on the female competitors sometimes.

So last was Kyle & Lacey with an Argentine Tango.   I thought it was great but I liked their Samba better.  His steps were clean & his character was fierce.  I have no criticisms, I just thought the other dance was fun & spicy: this one, not so much.  Len said he's never seen so much attack & enthusiasm.  Bruno said whatever happens, Kyle is Season 11 Mr Charisma!  Carrie Ann said he reminds her of Emmit Smith - how he came out of nowhere at the end and killed it in every routine. 
Scores from Carrie Ann, Len & Bruno are:  10-9-10
Call 1-800-868-3403 to vote for Kyle & Lacey till 30 minutes after show time, or vote online at abc.com all night.

I enjoyed all the dances tonight but I think Bristol should go home tomorrow night.  The finals should be a competition between Kyle, Brandy & Jennifer.

Here's the leaderboard:
Jennifer & Derek: 60
Kyle & Lacey: 58
Brandy & Maks: 57
Bristol & Marc: 53

Instant Dances and Other Fun on Week 8 of DWTS

It's week 8 on Dancing!  This week the couples have been practicing their dances without knowing what their music will be!  They find out right before showtime!  Should be fun.  I've got a bowl of chips and my very favorite dip.  I'm ready for some dancing!  Len points out that in a regular ballroom competition, the dancers go out onto the dance floor with a dance prepared but no knowledge of what music will be played.  In this way, tonight's "Instant Dance" format is much more like a real ballroom competition.  Carrie Ann says what will set one couple apart from others will be the embellishments, how well they can hit the accents in their music, and if they can finish on the final beat.  Bruno says the best strategy will be to trust their partners, and it could be we'll see very low scores...  but we can't know till we see since in 11 seasons they've never done this.

Kyle & Lacey were up first and I have to say at this point in the competition, Kyle needs to do more than show some rhythm to earn a vote from me.  By now he should really be polishing his technique and from this Vienese Waltz, I can't say I think he deserves to keep coming back.
Len said his posture was better and implied he's blooming week after week.  Bruno said we're all charmed by him - the sophisticated, charming young man.  true, he has taken the judges comments and worked on them.  Carrie Ann said her crush on Kyle is back in full force.  She talked about his elegance & said it was like watching a fairy tale.  Eh...  I guess they were more impressed than I was.
Scores from Carrie Ann, Len & Bruno are:  9-9-9
Call 1-800-868-3403 to vote for Kyle & Lacey till 30 minutes after show time, or vote online at abc.com all night.
Kyle & Lacey drew a CD for their Instant Dance segment in the second half & got Good Golly Miss Molly for The Jive.  So they'll have 45 minutes to practice before they perform live on the air.

Next up were Jennifer & Derek but there's some question she'll dance with all the clips they're playing about her injuries, pain & Dr visits.  But after a visit from Daddy she decided the show must go on.  And I'm so glad she did because I loved their Quickstep!  High energy, great footwork & lots of fun!
Bruno called it a classic Astaire/Rogers Quickstep, and said they're capable of brilliance.  Carrie Ann said they're loved and it was amazing.  Len said the song "Let's Face the Music And Dance" was perfect for the trials they've endured.  
Scores from Carrie Ann, Len & Bruno are:  9-9-9
Call 1-800-868-3411 to vote for Jennifer & Derek till 30 minutes after show time, or vote online at abc.com all night.
Then Jennifer got to reach into the mirror ball bowl and drew "Waiting for A Girl Like You" by Foreigner for their Rumba.

Next to dance were Kurt & Anna with The Waltz.  Now I have to say that of the two sports guys, I thought Rick Fox was better than Kurt Warner.  But now that he's gone, Kurt is the only big time sports star left.  He's definitely made great improvements over the weeks but I still miss rick.  Carrie Ann called him a ballroom dancing Ken doll, Len said the overall feeling of the dance was beautiful and Bruno called him dashing.  Len mention his right arm needed to be stronger and Bruno said there are better dancers but he's come a long way.
Scores from Carrie Ann, Len & Bruno are: 8-8-8
Call 1-800-868-3408 to vote for Kurt & Anna till 30 minutes after show time, or vote online at abc.com all night.
Kurt & Anna drew "Hella Good" from No Doubt and then dashed off to practice their second dance a bit.

Bristol and Mark came next with an Argentine Tango that she was a little shy to show her mom at rehearsal!  Lets hope its scandalous!  ...well not so much but it was somewhat fierce.  She looked great in her black lace dress and even impressed me a little with her leg flicks and an awesome lift at the end.  Not bad....  Len thought the lifts were good, it was clean, well placed, well rehearsed but lacked a bit of intensity.  The crowd booed but he's right.  Bruno said she actually made him think she was mad and moody but reminded her she has to be a bad girl all the way through.  Carrie Ann said she thought it was the most intensity we've ever seen from Bristol and she was truly impressed.  She said she needed a little more energy in her legs and her flicks were a little lackluster, but great overall. 
Scores from Carrie Ann, Len & Bruno are:  8-8-8
Call 1-800-868-3407 to vote for Bristol & Mark till 30 minutes after show time, or vote online at abc.com all night.
For their Instant Dance song, Bristol drew "Mas Que Nada" for their Samba and no one in the celebraquarium recognizes the title.

Last up in the first round were Brandy & Maks dancing The Waltz.  She nailed the character - her longing was palpable.  Bruno said it was more than a dance - it was an exquisite interpretation of the song.  It was like a symphony or a poem.  Carrie Ann said it was riveting and told her to make sure she relaxed her neck.  Len said a nit-picky person could make a point about her neck but he wasn't going to because he was overwhelmed by her whole performance.
Scores from Carrie Ann, Len & Bruno are:  9-10-10
Call 1-800-868-3406 to vote for Brandy & Maks till 30 minutes after show time, or vote online at abc.com all night.
Last pick of the Instant Dance songs, Brandy chooses "Teenage Dream" by Katy Perry.

So with round 1 complete, we move on to round 2, the Instant Dance portion and first up again are Kyle & Lacey.  Lacey mentioned in rehearsal that Kyle needed to focus intently on the steps in order to not be distracted by the alternate music on show night.  So to help him ignore distractions she brought in her partner from season 8, Steve O!  I love Steve O.  From bubbles to a leaf blower, he did his best to distract Kyle but Kyle kept dancing!  So lets see how he does with Good Golly Miss Molly.  Okay, after his tight Jive, full of personality, I'm going to eat my earlier words and say he should be in the semi finals next week.  Len said it was fun & high energy.  He would've liked a little more finesse in some places, but he really enjoyed it.  Bruno said they didn't miss a beat, the timing was unbelievable and he loved every second of it.  Carrie Ann said it was by far the most fun she's had as a viewer in this whole season.
Scores from Carrie Ann, Len & Bruno are:  10-9-10
Again, call 1-800-868-3403 to vote for Kyle & Lacey till 30 minutes after show time, or vote online at abc.com all night.

The next Instant Dance will be Jennifer & Dereks Rumba.  In Jennifer's own words: without total trust, and good breath mints, it could be a total disaster.  I see shades of Dirty Dancing and of course I love it, but I can't deny that she's not got the hip action I expect to see with The Rumba.  I don't think it was as good as Kyle's Instant Dance but I liked it!  Bruno says this challenge is bringing out the best in people because this was again, breathtaking.  Sensual, sexy, classy, and flawless underarm passes.  Carrie Ann loved it and Len said what he loves about dancing is the variation - soft hard, big small, fast slow - that's what makes great dancing and that's what we've just seen.
Scores from Carrie Ann, Len & Bruno are:  10-10-10 
Call 1-800-868-3411 to vote for Jennifer & Derek till 30 minutes after show time, or vote online at abc.com all night.

We're back around to Kurt & Anna again, this time dancing The Cha Cha Cha for the Instant Dance portion.  I think Bruno was right - this Instant Dance segment is bringing out the best in all the dancers - even Kurt is dancing better than I've seen!  Carrie Ann said "I like Instant Dance!  This is fun!"  She pointed out musicality has never been Kurt's strong suit but tonight he nailed every single beat!  Len said they've coped extremely well.  His theory is that the known music is like a safety net or a track to run on and when they haven't got it they have to fully focus and it turns out well - he may be right.  Bruno said he let it loose, had fun & went for it!  The foot placement wasn't exactly perfect, but the performance was good!
Scores from Carrie Ann, Len & Bruno are:  8-8-8
Call 1-800-868-3408 to vote for Kurt & Anna till 30 minutes after show time, or vote online at abc.com all night.

Bristol & Mark had their Samba up next for the Instant Dance round and her hip action is pretty fierce.  their timing is a little off but I'm amazed with how much Bristol managed to shake it!   Len said because of the rhythm changes, The Samba is the most difficult Latin dance to get in his opinion.  He thought she coped well, would have liked to see more rhythm in her hips and less in her shoulders but it was lovely.  Bruno shouted how she shook it!  Bruno always loves it when the girls get a little down & dirty.  Carrie Ann said this round is a true test of musicality and unfortunately she didn't think Bristol & Mark were that musically connected.  They had good things to say but they still have criticisms.
Scores from Carrie Ann, Len & Bruno are:  7-8-8
Call 1-800-868-3407 to vote for Bristol & Mark till 30 minutes after show time, or vote online at abc.com all night.

Brandy & Maks have the final Instant Dance of the night - The Cha Cha Cha.  Their routine is pretty tight and they just might top the leader board tonight.  Bruno called it another fabulous performance to end a truly fantastic night!  Carrie Ann said she was shocked that they took 4 8ths to get to their choreography at a time when the whole test of the Instant Dance is to see how fast you get into the musicality and make the song yours.  She wasn't impressed and she and Maks exchanged words right there in the ballroom.  Len said it was full of flair, full of rhythm & full of performance but when asked, he said he did agree with Carrie Ann that they wasted some time at the beginning.
Scores from Carrie Ann, Len & Bruno are:  9-9-10
Call 1-800-868-3406 to vote for Brandy & Maks till 30 minutes after show time, or vote online at abc.com all night.

Jennifer & Derek:  57
Brandy & Maks:  57
Kyle & Lacey:  56
Kurt & Anna:  48
Bristol & Mark:  47

Episode Two Hundred... and One. The DWTS Results.

The nights started out with a repeat performance of Team Apolo's Cha Cha Cha.  Then they got right down to the first set of results with a couple from the top and one from the bottom: Brandy & Maks and Bristol & Mark are up in the spotlights first.  The first couple safe is Brandy & Maks.  They'll definitely be back next Monday night.  Bristol & Mark were left in jeopardy.

In keeping with last night's celebratory theme, Tom announced they would be giving some awards throughout the hour.  In the first awards Segment the award was for the Most Dramatic Moment.
Nominees:
Christian's Arm Injury
Kate & Tony's Fight
Misty May's Achilles Injury
Marie Osmond's Collapse
Kelly's Wardrobe Malfunction
And the award goes to Marie Osmond who fainted after her Samba in season 5.

The Macy's Stars of Dance performance tonight was done by the Broadway cast of Mary Poppins.  First of all I love DWTS.  Second I have loved musicals my entire life.  I'm a sucker for a musical.  And third, Mary Poppins was one of my first favorite musicals growing up!  So I loved it.  Loved loved loved it.  Mary Poppins was great and I absolutely loved her exit out on an umbrella!

I'm not a huge Taylor Swift fan but you have to be living under a rock if you haven't heard Mine.  And I loved the glitter guitar!

The next award given was the Best Worst Dancer award.  The nominees...
Kenny Mayne
Master P
Kate Gosselin
Steve Wozniak
Billy Ray Cyrus
And the award went to Kenny Mayne who really sucked it up for a single episode in the second season.

The elimination continued for the other top scoring couple, Jennifer & Derek as well as Rick & Cheryl.  The next couple safe to dance next week is Jennifer & Derek.  I'm glad for that.  I'm still pulling for Jennifer.  And so Rick & Cheryl were put into jeopardy.

The predictable bunch of celebs wishing DWTS a Happy Birthday made me yawn... then they jumped into another award, the Biggest (male) Dancer Transformation.  The nominees were:
Derek Hough (the perfect blond hair)
Tony Dovilani (the blinding white teeth)
Maksim Chmerkovsky (the mullet)
Mark Ballas (showing off the abs)
Louis VanAmstel (the pony tail)
And the Golden Pony Tail Award goes to Louis VanAmstel!

And then Rod Stewart performed I Get A Kick Out Of You.  What a great song that is!  And I've always enjoyed Rod Stewart - he's a great performer.  He even danced a little.  Obviously the shadowdancers did most of the real dancing but Rod can definitely shake it!

The next award was the Best Judges Moments.  This time, rather than announcing nominees and awarding a winner, they chose several winning moments and edited a montage of moments for first Carey Anne, then Len & Bruno. 

The final pre-elimination segment had Kyle & Lacey up in lights next to Kurt & Anna.  The next couple safe to bicker some more, Kurt & Anna.  Which means Kyle & Lacey were in jeopardy.  So the final elimination round was between Kyle & Lacey, Rick & Cheryl and Bristol & Mark.

So remember how I said I'm not a huge Taylor Swift fan?  Well obviously, because I never heard the next song she did.  But I remember some of the classic clips they played on the screen behind her.  As much as I don't like the boring celebrity Happy Birthday tapes, is how much I do like the best-of packets.  Love'em!

And Oh. My. God.  They're doing an "instant dance" next week, where they know the dance style but won't know the song they're dancing to until they go on the air!  Oh wow.  That is gonna be really fun to watch!

At last, the final elimination.  Of the three couples,  Rick & Cheryl were sent home and I'm pretty shocked!  I'm sad because honestly I think both Bristol & Kyle should have gone home before Rick.  I guess he just didn't have the votes.  So sad.

200 Episodes of Dancing With The Stars!

So tonight, Dancing is 200 episodes old!  I love that they celebrate the milestones with fun extras on the show.  They started out with a big dance number using all the pro's, dancing to the first song ever played on DWTS, Crazy In Love by Beyonce.  And honestly, shiny sequins and sexy silver costumes make any dance number exponentially better!  It really was fun to see so many of the pro dancers I recognize from contestants & seasons past.
Tom did a quick introduction of groups of guests from every season...  except no one from season 6 apparently?  And it seemed like the camera wasn't sure who it was supposed to be on at one point.  But we saw some familiar faces, whatever season they were from!

And now for the teams! 
They introduced Season 6 champ Kristi Yamaguchi and on Team Kristi were Rick & Cheryl, Bristol & Mark and Kyle & Lacey!  Next was Season 4 champ Apolo Anton Ohno and on team Apolo were Kurt & Anna, Brandy & Maks and Jennifer & Derek!
Tonight each of the pairs scores will be added to the other scores of their team mates and the team dance score to determine which team is the winner.  After the teams were announced, we saw tape of the captains picking their teams.  Apolo chose Jennifer & Derek first.  The smart move would be for Kristi to pick Brandy & Maks but since Mark was her partner in Season 6, she went with Bristol & Mark.  Which meant Apolo got Brandy & Maks.  I'm sure you can guess which team I think will take the game tonight.
Team Kristi danced first with a group Cha Cha.  They came out in sparkly black suits & hot pink flapper dresses and I thought it was hot.
Rick & Cheryl danced the first solo and I think that of the two sports men, Rick seems to move better than Kurt.  Call 1-800-868-3404 to vote for Rick & Cheryl for 30 minutes after air-time, or go to abc.com to vote online till the morning after.
Bristol & Mark had the next solo and I have to say I'm proud of Bristol!  She rocked it and even gave us a little attitude!  Call 1-800-868-3407 to vote for Bristol & Mark for 30 minutes after air-time, or go to abc.com to vote online till the morning after.
Kyle & Lacey had the last solo in the dance and I thought Kyle did alright but it wasn't anything to write home about.  Call 1-800-868-3403 to vote for Kyle & Lacey for 30 minutes after air-time, or go to abc.com to vote online till the morning after.
Len said when he saw the team lists he thought this team was the underdog but seeing their dance, these dogs have got some bite.  Bruno pointed out Bristol lost the step a bit but they did a good job.  Carey Anne said the group choreography was great and Rick was on fire!  The judges gave them a score of three 8's!

Apolo's team was up next with their own Cha Cha and their costumes weren't nearly as sexy.  The guys are wearing neckerchiefs and white t-shirts with bedazzle rhinestones all over them...  not so sure about this wardrobe choice.
Kurt & Anna danced the first solo in their group and I totally called it when I saw Rick earlier - Kurt just looks awkward compared.  Call 1-800-868-3408 to vote for Kurt & Anna for 30 minutes after air-time, or go to abc.com to vote online till the morning after.
Brandy  & Maks were sharp and Brandy looked good in the slotted hammer pants the girls had.  Call 1-800-868-3406 to vote for Brandy & Maks for 30 minutes after air-time, or go to abc.com to vote online till the morning after.
Jennifer & Derek looked great aside from one little hop Jennifer had to keep her footing.  Call 1-800-868-3411 to vote for Jennifer & Derek for 30 minutes after air-time, or go to abc.com to vote online till the morning after.
Bruno thought it was hot, Carey Anne thought they were all at their best & Len liked the pattern changes and thought individually everyone upped their game.  The judges gave them a score of three 9's!

In round 2 each pair got to recreate an iconic dance from a past season and was also judged by the star who made it famous.  The six past favorites who returned as guest judges: Helio Castroneves, Kelly Osbourne, Emmit Smith, Drew Lachey, Mel B and Gilles Marini.

The first guest judge was the runner up from season 5, Mel B and Tom Bergeron actually told us that Mel B was the first one to ever grab his cheeks on DWTS - you never forget your first he said.  Mel's famous dance was her Paso Doble to Free Your Mind.  This time Kyle & Lacey took on the Mel B Paso.  Well Kyle is no Maks but he was pretty fierce.  He brought some attitude,, his steps were sharp, I was impressed.  Of course Lacey is a pro so it may not be fair to compare her to Mel B but to be honest, I thought the unruly blond mane took away from the intensity of the original number.  But overall it was great fun.  Len said Kyle needs to up his game but also said it was his best dance.  Mel B thought it was amazing & it blew her away.  Bruno said Kyle had the attack & energy of an untamed young bull.  Then he told him he had to keep his shoulders down.  Carey Anne said it was a difficult original to live up to and Kyle did well by also being in his own power & strength, as she was the first time around.
Scores from Mel B, Carey Anne, Len & Bruno are 10-9-8-8  Call 1-800-868-3403 to vote for Kyle & Lacey for 30 minutes after air-time, or go to abc.com to vote online till the morning after.

The season 3 champ Emmit Smith joined us next to judge a new version of his awesome tango, performed this time by Kurt & Anna.  Kurt just doesn't have the grace that Emmit had!  It was alright but I just wasn't too impressed.  Bruno said he went from Mission Impossible last week to Mission Accomplished this week.  Carey Ann said what made Emmit so great wasn't his footwork but the character & she thought Kurt also brought a character to life.  Emmit said he looked dapper in the suit and thought the technique was great.  Len thought it was sharp and had drama but he needed to learn the difference between flexed knees and bent knees.
Scores from Emmit, Carey Anne, Len & Bruno are 10-8-8-8  Call 1-800-868-3408 to vote for Kurt & Anna for 30 minutes after air-time, or go to abc.com to vote online till the morning after.

The third guest judge was season 9's Kelly Osbourn.  This week Bristol & Mark got to dance her Viennese Waltz again.  I do think it's cute that Bristol did Kelly's dance - especially since both are young girls who weren't great dancers to begin with and had to sort of blossom in the ballroom.  Bristol didn't have quite the frame she should have - not quite what Kelly had - but she was graceful and she's come out of her shell quite a bit since the start.  Carey Anne said she touches our hearts but still seems slightly detached.  Kelly said Bristol stole her heart and did fantastic.  Len said he enjoyed it very much, loved the reverse turns etc.  He said they lack chemistry but had good footwork.  Bruno said she moves so well and it comes naturally to her but she needs to become someone else and connect as that character.
Scores from Kelly, Carey Anne, Len & Bruno are 9-8-8-8  Call 1-800-868-3407 to vote for Bristol & Mark for 30 minutes after air-time, or go to abc.com to vote online till the morning after.

The season 5 champ Helio Castroneves  joined the show next to judge Rick & Cheryl's rendition of his Quickstep.  He told us he'd be looking for Rick to be "smooth up here, fast down here, and of course have fun!"  Rick definitely brought some fun into his dancing but I wonder if it was a little over the top.  The kiss at the end I loved just as much as the original between Helio & Julianne.  Len said sometimes he gets too analytical but when he enjoys himself so do we and tonight it was like that.  Bruno said he did his best performance yet & had more faces than Jim Carey.  Helio loved it and said he couldn't believe Rick stole his kiss!  Carey Anne said that was by far his best dance yet.
Scores from Helio, Carey Anne, Len & Bruno are 10-9-9-9  Call 1-800-868-3404 to vote for Rick & Cheryl for 30 minutes after air-time, or go to abc.com to vote online till the morning after.

Next up was the season 8 runner up Gilles Marini to judge his iconic Foxtrot!  Brandy & Maks will have their go at the Foxtrot and Gille will look for sexiness but also for Brandy to take charge a bit.  Once again I was impressed with Brandy!  Her steps were sharp & she definitely brought some sexy sass to the number!  Bruno thought it sizzled with sex, every step driven by eroticism.  Gilles said he felt goosebumps all over his body and the performance was unreal.  Carey Anne said she liked that Brandy attacked the sensuality but could transform into the elegant hold.  Len said he was surprised the others would be so pedantic about a little misstep (the others mentioned Brandy's small mistake as well as giving her praise) when they've just witnessed the best foxtrot of the season!
Scores from Gilles, Carey Anne, Len & Bruno are 9-9-10-9  Call 1-800-868-3406 to vote for Brandy & Maks for 30 minutes after air-time, or go to abc.com to vote online till the morning after.

The last guest judge was season 2 champ Drew Lachey to judge Jennifer & Derek's rendition of his Tango.  I don't know that Jennifer is going to make it much further if she keeps coming unraveled like she seems to be.  She's kind of coming undone and of course her body is having a hard time keeping up the pace.  Tonight though, she was graceful, controlled & fierce.  And as always, Derek's choreography was awesome.  Carey Anne said on this show there's nothing we love to see more than someone who comes back after a tough week and blows us all away and that's what she did.  Len said she came out with tension, passion & attack -very well done.  Drew said the musicality was amazing & her lines were beautiful.  Bruno said he felt like we were watching a phoenix rising from her own ashes, more splendid than ever. 
Scores from Drew, Carey Anne, Len & Bruno are 10-9-9-9  Call 1-800-868-3411 to vote for Jennifer & Derek for 30 minutes after air-time, or go to abc.com to vote online till the morning after.

Jennifer is damn good but she could lose it emotionally.  Brandy wants it and isn't going to give it up easy so if Jennifer can hold it together, it'll come down to Jen & Brandy at the end!  So tonight with all the scores added, Jennifer & Brandy are tied at the top and Rick & Kurt are tied next, then Kyle and Bristol at the bottom.  Here's tonight's leader board:
Jennifer & Derek:  64
Brandy & Maks:  64
Rick & Cheryl:  61
Kurt & Anna:  61
Kyle & Lacey:  59
Bristol & Mark:  57

DWTS Six Weeks In - Who Goes Home?

Last week I slacked on the results show post so by now everyone knows Florence Henderson went home in Week 5.  She was of course, lovely and gracious upon her elimination.  And as much as I hate to see Mrs. Brady go, it was a decent choice.  I still wonder how Bristol Palin keeps hanging on but truthfully she probably has more potential than Florence, considering their ages and physical states and abilities.
Last nights results though...  I'm not so sure Bristol deserved to stay last night.  I understand that she's no kind of performer so all of this is very foreign to her and getting out there at all is very big for a young girl from Alaska.  However, this is an entertainment program and she's too shy to really throw herself into this competition the way I think she should.  And I don't think she's got as much skill & potential as two of the last three people sent home.  I said before I thought The Situation could show us more and give us more than Bristol.  I also said I was surprised that Bristol could get enough votes to stay, compared to a pop-culture figure that is on an MTV show.  I think it was clear 2 or 3 weeks ago that Bristol's fan base probably includes a lot of her mothers tea-party supporters, voting for her because of their feelings for Sarah.  I find it hard to believe she's got a lot of fans in her own right yet.  Though she is a cute girl, trying hard & doing much better than she was a few weeks ago.
So I said I thought two of the three people sent home deserved to stay over Bristol.  One was The Situation.  And like I said, I thought Florence was a good choice last week.  Which means the second non-deserving dancer to be sent home was last nights competitor...  Audrina Patridge.  It's unfortunate she went home last night since she's clearly got a lot of potential, is young & healthy and has been on top in past weeks.  With 4 points more than Bristol (and more points than 4 other of the couples), she clearly didn't have the votes to keep her in the game.  That's too bad and it makes me bemoan the 'popularity contest' that DWTS tends to be.  true, I'm guilty of voting for my favorites to an extent as well.  However, my favorites are influenced partly by who I liked before the season but also by who is dancing well!  It just blows my mind when viewers vote for a truly bad dancer, as has happened in past seasons.  This is a dancing show - don't they want to see good dancing?!  Already I hear a lot of people complain about the lack of "star" quality of the stars.  But no matter who they get for the show, at least the dances are skilled and entertaining.  If we can't keep dancers with some kind of skill on the show through to the end, what's the point in watching?  Ah well.  I'll keep voting for the good dancers and hopefully the show won't devolve.

Rock'n'Roll Week on DWTS!

It's Rock & Roll week!  But first we start the evening with some of our top ten competition dances of all time!  Viewers voted for their favorites from over 1000 dances and here were the results.  At #10 is Shawn Johnson & Mark Ballas dancing their final season 8 dance, the freestyle.  Shawn Johnson became the youngest champion ever on DWTS at age 17.  Then in #9 was the oldest ever champion, Donnie Osmond, dancing his Argentine Tango with Kym Johnson.  #8 was Helio Castroneves and Julianne Hough dancing The Quickstep in Season XX, then Julianne showed up again at #7, this time with Apolo Anton Ohno with their final freestyle.  Coming in at #6 was Joanna Krupa with Derek Hough, dancing their futuristic Quickstep.  Mel B and Maks landed at #5 with their season XX Paso Doble.  Nicole Scherzinger & Derek Hough made it into the #4 with their 50's style Paso Doble.  Apolo Anton Ohno & Julianne Hough showed up again at #4 with their Samba.  The #2 pair was Gilles Marini and Cheryl Burke dancing the Argentine Tango in Season 8, which was te first season the Argentine Tango was danced in competition.  Gilles is apparently destined for DWTS seconds.  He was 2nd in season by only 1% of the scores & votes combined, and then 2nd in top ten list by less than 1000 votes!  And the all time favorite dance is Drew Lachey & Cheryl Burke dancing their Season 2 trophy grabbing freestyle.  I have to say I miss seeing Julianne dance.  She's always incredible and always entertaining.

Up first tonight were Audrina Patridge & Tony Dovolani dancing The Paso Doble.  My first thought was: It will be interesting to see such a sweet girl dancing something as intense as the paso!Her steps aren't crisp enough, I can see her thinking and she needs to be more fierce and larger than life - she's not.  No mistakes but it's not great.  Len said she's getting on his nerves.  Her dancing is clean & crisp without the character of the dance.  I totally agree.  Technicality with no musicality.  Bruno told her to imagine the man-eating Spanish beauty.  Carrie Ann agreed with the men but praised Audrina's improvement.  Nice of her to suggest something to work on.
Scores from Carrie Anne, Len & Bruno are: 8-8-8
Call 1-800-868-3401 to vote for Audrina & Tony for 30 minutes after air-time, or go to abc.com to vote online till the morning after.

Kyle Massey & Lacey Schwimmer were second, dancing the Tango and as much as I love Kyle he just doesn't sell those Latin numbers very well.  I think he has a hard time getting the steps as crisp & sharp as they need to be, but I thought his frame was great.  Bruno had some constructive criticism, he & Carrie Ann both agreed his hold was good.  Bruno said he worked hard, it was still a bit rough but a great improvement.  He made a very good point: Kyle's dances are performance driven and of course we don't want to see a technically perfect dance coupe with no style, but there has to be a balance.
Scores from Carrie Anne, Len & Bruno are: 8-7-8
Call 1-800-868-3403 to vote for Kyle & Lacey for 30 minutes after air-time, or go to abc.com to vote online till the morning after.

Jennifer Grey & Derek Hough were next with The Paso Doble (which should have been their dance last week with all her pent up anger).  It was pretty great but something funny happened there at the end.  Still the crowd is going nuts.  Carrie Ann says Jennifer needs to calm down because she's way out of control and going downhill.  Len again said dancing is about balance and she had a lot of the attack but trying to go with such gusto she lost some control.  Bruno enacted a furious fight with an imaginary skirt - it seems they all agreed she was out of control and headed down a slippery slope.
Scores from Carrie Anne, Len & Bruno are: 6-7-7
Call 1-800-868-3411 to vote for Jennifer & Derek for 30 minutes after air-time, or go to abc.com to vote online till the morning after.


Rick Fox & Cheryl Burke gave us a Tango next.  Almost his best dance et but he lost his frame pretty early on in the dance.  Len said he's always impressed with his hold & posture - shows what I know.  Bruno said a little more romance but good overall.  Carrie Ann said it was perfectly balanced but he needs to be careful not to be too stern. 
Scores from Carrie Anne, Len & Bruno are: 8-8-8
Call 1-800-868-3404 to vote for Rick & Cheryl for 30 minutes after air-time, or go to abc.com to vote online till the morning after.

Next up were Brisol Palin & Mark Balas dancing The Tango.  In rehearsal she decided to show more of the personality the judges have been asking for, they should do a little air-guitar mid-performance.  Well, it was cute.  And the dance was alright as well but I still think it's time for Bristol to go home.  She's just not entertaining in the least.  Bruno called it her best performance & best technique of the season.  Carrie Ann said it was great and she created drama.  Len said last week a chimp, this week almost a champ - though he will take of a point for breaking hold in the air-guitar moment.  Ah well. 
Scores from Carrie Anne, Len & Bruno are: 8-7-8
Call 1-800-868-3407 to vote for Bristol & Mark for 30 minutes after air-time, or go to abc.com to vote online till the morning after.

Kurt Warner & Anna Trebunskaya brought another Paso Doble next.  I was impressed though his joints looked a little wobbly.  Carrie An thought the dance lacked polish and Kurt looked uncomfortable.  Len said he could see what they were trying to do but it felt awkward & just didn't come off.  Bruno said they worked very hard but it looked more like karate than Spanish dance.
Scores from Carrie Anne, Len & Bruno are: 6-6-6
Call 1-800-868-3408 to vote for Kurt & Anna for 30 minutes after air-time, or go to abc.com to vote online till the morning after.

The last of the individual performances are Brandy & Maksim Chmerkovskiy dancing The Tango.  Her steps were crisp, her attitude was fierce, her movements were large & bold...  I loved it.  I have to admit early in the season I was skeptical of Brandy & said I'd never seen her do more than sway a bit.  But this was great.  Len said Maks is his hero, Bruno said they were Tina Turner and Mad Maks! Carrie Ann said she got goose-bumps watching... but also mentioned a couple tiny mis-steps.
Scores from Carrie Anne, Len & Bruno are: 8-9-9  (the only 9's of the nights individual dances)
Call 1-800-868-3406 to vote for Brandy & Maks for 30 minutes after air-time, or go to abc.com to vote online till the morning after.

For the competition marathon portion, all couples will be out on the dance floor at the same time.  They can dance steps from  The Jive,  Swing Dance & Lindy Hop.  Legal lifts are allowed, one tap on the shoulder means the couple is out and when they get down to 4 couples, the final 4 can break out of their spots and move around the dance-floor.  Out first are Kurt & Anna - I was thinking that should be the first choice since Kurt was standing and Anna was doing most of the dancing.  Bristol & Mark got cut next but I didn't see much of their stuff on camera.  Rick & Cheryl go next, followed by Kyle & Lacey.  Audrina & Tony were out next leaving Jennifer & Brandy to duke it out on the dance floor.  Jennifer & Derek were tapped next leaving Brandy & Maks with an extra 10 points in the end.

So tonight the leader board is as follows:
Brandy & Maks: 36
Audrina & Tony: 32
Rick & Cheryl: 30
Kyle & Lacey: 30
Jennifer & Derek: 29
Bristol & Mark: 28
Kurt & Anna: 22

Week 5 On DWTS - The Halfway Point

Now that we're half way through the season the judges have pre-recorded some commentary with clips for each of the remaining contestants.  Some praise as well as constructive criticism.  And this week is TV Theme week!  First impressions: Tony's bare chest - yum yum!  Kyles afro, um...  Rick Fox can arrest me ANY time!  Florence Henderson, what. the...  lady lumberjack?  And is Jennifer Grey dressed up as June Cleaver? 

Brandy & Maks were up first and based on their pre-recorded packet, they seem to be getting along a little better this week.  They did The Quickstep to the theme song from Friends and it was a really cute routine with a few playful elements, like you might see on the show.  Her footwork was great, the characters were fun...  I loved it and will probably call in a vote for Brandy.  Len was very impressed with the energy & sassy fun.  Bruno thought they finally found the right combination and Carrie Anne said she felt their relationship is improving and bringing them to a whole new level.  Everyone was pleased.
Scores from Carrie Anne, Len & Bruno are: 9-9-9
Call 1-800-868-3406 to vote for Brandy & Maks for another 30 minutes, or go to abc.com to vote online till tomorrow morning.


Florence & Corky were up next with The Tango to the theme song from The Brady Bunch.  I'm wondering if this was a bad idea just for the possibility of too much focus on the Brady aspect, or if it will be to their advantage that The Brady Bunch plays on the hearts of so many of us.  Anyway, her steps & footwork looked good but her head seemed to be more shaken around than it needed to be.  Bruno said he didn't like the sudden switch from good tango characters into "rag-doll mode".  Carrie Anne liked it and called her a "sexy senior".  Bruno wished to be a sexy senior and Flo hopped up and kissed him!  He said parts were excellent, parts were frantic, she needed a bit of calmness, but possibly her best dance yet.
Scores from Carrie Anne, Len & Bruno are: 7-7-7
Call 1-800-868-3409 to vote for Florence & Corky for another 30 minutes, or go to abc.com to vote online till tomorrow morning.

Next, Kurt & Anna danced The Quickstep to the theme from Bewitched - they had little nose-twitches and musical tinkles in the dance that made Kurt "better" or more cooperative.  It was a cute routine and he looked pretty great except for a bit of slouching still showing in his posture.  Carrie anne said she thought she saw the spirit of gene Kelley enter his body, he made it look so easy!  Len said after last week the only way to go was up and up he went!  Bruno announced the magic is back & being bewitched was working for him.  Both Len & Bruno mentioned his posture but everyone loved it.
Scores from Carrie Anne, Len & Bruno are: 8-8-8
Call 1-800-868-3408 to vote for Kurt & Anna for another 30 minutes, or go to abc.com to vote online till tomorrow morning.

Audrina & Tony are dancing The Rumba to the theme song from The Hills with absolutely no intensity.  She's beautiful, graceful, accurate... and boring.  Bruno thought she had lovely feet & legs and nice hip action.  He thought she needs to open up a bit ut overall a good dance.  Bruno thinks she's improved technically but he wants more passion!  "Don't be plastic, be fantastic! Because you can."  Carrie Anne mentioned to many technical details she admired but felt from the waist up she was dead.  And she suspects there was a lift.
Scores from Carrie Anne, Len & Bruno are: 7-8-8
Call 1-800-868-3401 to vote for Audrina & Tony for another 30 minutes, or go to abc.com to vote online till tomorrow morning.

Kyle & Lacey were next with a Foxtrot set to the theme song from Charlie's Angels and can I just say I love Lacey's rump in those bell bottoms, and look at those abs...  Oh!  Anyway, uh, nice dancing Kyle, or something.  Bruno wasn't pleased - he thought it was fun but no Foxtrot.  Carrie Anne disagreed wholeheartedly - she loved it!  Bruno said it started bad and gradually got worse and worse.
Scores from Carrie Anne, Len & Bruno are: 8-5-7
Call 1-800-868-3403 to vote for Kyle & Lacey for another 30 minutes, or go to abc.com to vote online till tomorrow morning.

Rick & Cheryl came to the floor next with The Rumba to the theme song from Hillstreet Blues - that was my dads favorite show when I was a kid and I was always in bed by then but I knew the tune.  I loved it and thought Rick was great.  Carrie Anne loved it.  Len didn't get the romance.  Bruno said he went from Megatron to Mega-smooth.
Scores from Carrie Anne, Len & Bruno are: 8-8-8
Call 1-800-868-3404 to vote for Rick & Cheryl for another 30 minutes, or go to abc.com to vote online till tomorrow morning.

Bristol & Mark did a Jive to the theme song from The Monkeys.  Right now they're in a couple of full body gorilla suits so I'm not sure how that's going to work.  She lost several steps while she was still in the monkey suit, she was out of sync with Mark on several occasions and you could see him trying to pep-talk her mid-dance.  Not great in my opinion.  Len liked the monkey suits & thought it was a high degree of performance.  Bruno liked the suits but felt the technique fell to the side.  Carrie Anne felt she saw a great transformation in Bristol but still pointed out that she forgot a lot of the steps.
Scores from Carrie Anne, Len & Bruno are: 6-6-6
Call 1-800-868-3407 to vote for Bristol & Mark for another 30 minutes, or go to abc.com to vote online till tomorrow morning.


Jennifer & Derek were dancing the Foxtrot to the theme song from Married With Children and it was beautiful.  Beautiful lines, perfect symmetry...  Bruno thought it was pristine & elegant.  Carrie Anne said it was good but not nearly Jennifer's best and a bit out of sync.  Bruno thought the dance was lovely but a bit too theatrical. I guess they didn't like it as much as I did.
Scores from Carrie Anne, Len & Bruno are: 8-8-9
Call 1-800-868-3411 to vote for Jennifer & Derek for another 30 minutes, or go to abc.com to vote online till tomorrow morning.


So Brandy is at the top of the leaderboard this week and I definitely think she earned the spot.  We'll see tomorrow night who goes home!


Brandy & Maks: 27
Jennifer & Derek: 25
Rick & Cheryl: 24
Kurt & Anna: 24
Audrina & Tony: 23
Florence & Corky: 21
Kyle & Lacey: 20
Bristol & Mark: 18

DWTS Gratuitous Fashion Post

So this is the mid-week lull where I distract myself with fashion critiques and Glee commentary while I impatiently wait for the next competition night!  So here are the facebook pictures from week 4 of competition along with some of the thoughts I didn't have time to share on last Monday night.

I think my favorite costume of the night was...  well it definitely wasn't Bristol.  She looked like she was wearing black sequin granny-panties and her dad's work shirt.  I get that certain styles are appropriate for certain dances.  Each dance has a sort of "look" if you will, and it surely helps set the tone for all of us watching and for the dancers getting in character.  And I know that The Rumba means the gals get to wear some sheer flowing number that looks like my grandmothers curtains have been turned into a poncho.  No objection here.  And though I'm not a huge fan of what Brandy wore, it seems to fit the bill for Rumba costume pretty well - sequined granny panties and Grannies sheer drapes.  Not loving it, doing nothing for me...  but I get it.  Bristol's costume though...  I mean come on Mark - she's a young girl on a dance competition, not Tom Cruise a la Risky Business. 


Not exactly the best shot of the awful costume but you get the idea. And as for Brandy's, like I mentioned, it's DWTS traditional Rumba-wear, but I'm not loving it. I've seen similar costumes on previous seasons that looked better and showed the movement of the dancer more easily. This was just long enough and just wrapped enough that it hid a lot of her hip action.


I wasn't crazy about Florence Henderson's dress either. The high-waist and belt were both terrible ideas. They made her look a little thick and shortened her torso. Also I'm not loving the orthopedic dance shoes she's wearing. Come on Flo, this is DWTS and you're a card-carrying woman! Suck it up and rock those high-heels girl!


I feel pretty neutral about The Situation & Karina's wardrobe choices, and I also wasn't raving over what Anna chose for Kurt & herself.


So that leaves my favorites. I thought Rick & Cheryl looked stunning in their shared black & white. Unfortunately for Kurt I thought Rick pulled off his tux better and was more nicely complemented by the colors & style of his partner.


I often wonder what on earth Lacey is thinking with her wardrobe choices, but just as often she's found something fun, unique and very appealing. Last week she was wearing a skin tone top with black-lace applique floral trails snaking around her body, over her puffy pink tutu-ish skirt & down onto and around her stocking-clad leg. I thought it was an interesting and adorable effect.


Tony dressed Audrina in a sparkly red number with a sort of strange strappy transition between the bottom and top but I think overall it worked well.


And Derek and Jennifer once again looked great. Her traditional short black lace dress was perfect for their Argentine Tango and the cut of the top showed off her shoulders beautifully.


So there you go, just a few of my thoughts on last weeks show. I can't wait for tonight... come back in just over 12 more hours for my thoughts and opinions on Week 5 tonight!

DWTS Week 4 is Over...

Last night started out with the top three scorers , Jennifer & Derek, Audrina & Tony and Brandy & Maks, all up to learn their fate, and Tom tells us all three couples are safe!  Next was the spotlight dance, and of course, it's Jennifer & Derek's Argentine Tango.  If you can believe, it was even better than the competition night.

Next we were treated to a Goo-Goo Dolls medley...  hm.  Not impressed.  I've never liked the Goo-Goo Dolls.  And seriously, what kind of name is Goo-Goo Dolls for a band anyway? Of course the dance was incredible as always but the pro's could have used better accompaniment IMHO.

On competition night, Len mentioned his objection to Mark's shirtless dancing, pointing out that we don't see him prancing around without a shirt on... and last night as Tom reminded Len and the rest of us of that statement, a clip played of Len in a "Dance Center" segment with Kenny Maine - shirtless.  Priceless!

The next stars to learn their fate were Kyle & Bristol.  Kyle & Lacey were announced safe, while Bristol & Mark were headed for the final cut, still unsure of their fate.

The next pair of stars up for results were the athletes, Kurt & Rick.  Rick & Cheryl were safe but Kurt & Anna were still on the chopping block.

Since Len almost never gives 10's, he taped a helpful segment on how to earn a 10 from Len.
Just show up and you'll earn a 1.
Move your left foot for a 2.
Add the right foot for a 3.
If you can get through the routine you'll get a 4.
Show some musicality and you'll get a 5.
Show him some potential for a 6.
Get some chemistry going and he'll give you a 7.
Drive the dance and you can get an 8 (whatever that means).
A 10 from Bruno & Carrie Ann is a 9 from Len.
He listed a lot of qualities but he pretty much wants you to be magic for a 10!

Back in the celebraquarium, Tom comes in just in time to see the entire group headed off camera - I'm thinking it was so they could get their seats for the next number which ended up being pretty awesome.  But he wanted to remind us all of the Macy's Design-A-Dance routine.  This weeks vote is on a concept for the routine.  And as Tom stood at the front of this cluster of stars and pros, telling us about the Macy's Design-A-Dance, there was some major grabass going on until finally an exasperated Tom burst out "Stop grabbing my ass!"  Laughter abounds. 

Tango routine - 5 couples - so awesome.  Yes, I was a little speechless with all the lifts and intense choreography.

Florence & The Machine... another musician I've never heard of before now and it was a pretty good number.

Florence & The Situation were on the dancefloor next, to hear that Florence & Corky are safe for another week  while The Situation & Karina were still in jeopardy.  The Situation wasn't very happy last night and I have to say I agree the judges were a little harsh.  Even according to Len's own scale earlier in the show, he should have given The Situation a 5 or even 6.  I think the lifts he managed have to at least "show potential" right? Oh well.

Have you ever wondered what the stars see and go through each day while they're on the show?  Well the stars strapped on some headcams to give us a first row view of a day in the life of.  It was pretty crazy seeing the eye to eye perspective, getting ready to do The Waltz with Anna Trebunskaya, live on the show in front of the entire studio audience.

At this point it was down to the final cut of the night:  It's between Bristol & Mark, Kurt & Anna or The Situation & Karina...  who will it be?  I watched as The Situation nervously flexed his pecks to the beat of his own drum while he listened to Tom chatter on about the judges various comments on competition night.  Of course everyone was amused with the chest play, there was some scattered laughter, and then Tom announced that Bruno just gave The Situation a 10.

Kurt & Anna are safe.  And between Bristol & The Situation, it's The Situation going home!  Wow.  First I'm surprised that Bristol got enough votes to beat a kid from an MTV show.  Second I'm disappointed that we won't get to see what more he can do.  I really felt like he was way outside his comfort zone but giving it his best shot anyhow.  Bristol started out shy and still doesn't seem willing to break out of that shell and really throw herself into a dance and a character.  I feel like she doesn't give it everything he does.  Ah well.  She's got another week to show me I'm wrong.

Unplugged in Week 4 of Dancing with The Stars

Tonight's show is in the round, acoustic and will include 2 score for each couple!
First, Kurt & Anna will be dancing The Rumba. This could be a bit of a trick for Kurt since it's got a lot of hip action and Kurt's not really got a lot of swing in his hips! But then again... I could be wrong, I think as he swivels around like a pro. And the frying-pan hands are getting better every week! Len thought the technique was alright, lateral hip action was great, and the performance was good but not over the top. Bruno is still having a hard time with the frying pan hands and thought the romance was more brother/sister than lover. Carrie Ann loved the chemistry & performance between them but agreed with Bruno that his arm movements need to start within the body as opposed to his elbow.
Technical Scores: 5-5-5
Performance Scores: 7-6-6
What ridiculous scores. I didn't think the big hands warranted such a drop in the scores
Call 1-800-868-3408 to vote for Kurt & Anna or go to abc.com

Next we see a Rumba from Brandy & Maks. Yeah, Brandy mentioned she has a hard time feeling secy when she hasn't been with anyone is 6 years and wow is she right - she looked a little awkward at times. Maks on the other hand, can Rumba into my room any time. And if he could wear that bare chested outfit that would be a bonus. Bruno said it was a moment of passion in a moonlit garden but warned her to be careful of erratic hands. Carrie Ann said the performance was fully committed & great but thought she could be a little bit bigger in her movements. Bruno thought the performance was great but also felt she could put a little more power into her legs, as both other judges mentioned.
Technical Scores: 7-8-7
Performance Scores: 9-8-9
Okay I thought it was better than Kurt's performance but it certainly wasn't THAT much better. In fact it didn't grab me enough to call in a vote before seeing all the other dancers as I sometimes do, so I don't think it warranted a 9.
Call 1-800-868-3406 to vote for Brandy & Maks or go to abc.com

Rick & Cheryl has prepared a smokin' Argentine Tango for us and I'm pretty excited to see some crazy foot action and impressive lifts. I love the intensity of the Argentine Tango & they didn't disappoint me! But ti looks like they might not have impressed the judges. Carrie Ann thought it was one dimensional. She didn't see the motion and the passion but she saw too much concentration. Len loved the lifts and what they did for the dance but felt they could be a bit sharper. He thought it was a great performance but felt a little like the intensity faded as the dance went on. Bruno seemed to agree. He also felt some of the passes were a bit like Megatron... whatever that means...
Technical Scores: 6-7-6
Performance Scores: 6-7-7
Call 1-800-868-3404 to vote for Rick & Cheryl or go to abc.com

It's time for Kyle & Lacey to show us their Rumba and we'll get to see if Kyle's footwork has improved at all since last week. He's got to point his toes... I'm loving the hot pink tutu and hardly anything else that Lacey is wearing but it still can't hide the fact that Kyle's hips seem almost fused they're so stiff! His arms were good and so were his feet but his hips... oh boy. Len thought the footwork was much better but the whole thing was just a little too sharp with not enough flow. Oh, and he liked the performance. Bruno said he has moments of fluidity but sometimes Kyle isn't on it. Carrie Ann liked what he did with the performance but felt because he was focusing so much on his footwork he lost track of his upper body a bit.
Technical Scores: 6-6-6
Performance Scores: 8-7-7
Call 1-800-868-3403 to vote for Kyle & Lacey or go to abc.com

The Situation & Karina are up next with another Argentine tango and as much as I didn't want to like this guy, he's not so bad. He's goofy & personable, not proud or cocky and willing to work. Even though he goofed just a few steps in, his footwork is looking better than previous weeks but it's possible this is just because he's stood still a large portion of the dance while Karina danced around him. He's definitely the weakest of the bunch technically and I'm afraid he's going home soon. Bruno felt it never quite made sense and there were an incredible amount of mistakes. Carrie Ann first welcomed The situations Abs tot he show on behalf of all the women. She felt it was a good time to bring ont he distraction because it was pretty bad, but good job on the lifts. Bruno said it was consistent: bad through out.
Technical Scores: 4-4-4
Performance Scores: 6-5-5
I still gotta admire the guy: he said had fun, he said was glad Karina was in one piece and all he said about the judges scores: That's definitely a situation.
Call 1-800-868-3410 to vote for The Situation & Karina or go to abc.com

Next, Florence & Corky are dancing The Rumba, which Corky describes as a vertical expression of a horizontal desire! You can definitely see Florence struggling with the hip movements but it was a sexy dance. Carrie Ann felt like it went just a little too far. Len thought it was better than he expected and Bruno thought the performance was a bit much and the hips could be better - he's seen better. But I thought it was an improvement on last week at least!
Technical Scores: 6-6-5
Performance Scores: 6-6-6
I think Carrie Ann felt uncomfortable with the sex of The Rumba because it was Florence. I don't think she would have felt that way if it were Rick & Cheryl doing the same dance. She has Florence in her head as Mrs Brady and I think that puts them at an unfair disadvantage.
Call 1-800-868-3409 to vote for Florence & Corky or go to abc.com

Jennifer & Derek are doing an Argentine tango and I love how hard Jennifer pushes herself despite her physical limitations. I love the bit at the piano but Len will say it was wasted bars. Wow. She's sharp tonight. And Derek is always sharp. The choreography was intricate and beautiful. I loved it. I dare say Jennifer Grey is back on top. Len said it combined excellent technique & great performance skills, Bruno said it was prime time delight and Carrie Ann said it was A. May. Zing! I agree.
Technical Scores: 9-9-9
Performance Scores: 10-9-10
The first tens of the season and they get a pretty pair of them! I'm definitely calling in a vote for Jennifer.
Call 1-800-868-3411 to vote for Jennifer & Derek or go to abc.com

Bristol & Mark are dancing the Rumba and as Mark says, "The rumba and Bristol have absolutely nothing in common. She's still a little young to understand sensuality so it all looks a little awkward. It;s unfortunate since this might mean she goes home. I'd bet both Florence & The situation have more fans in their own right than the daughter of a political figure. Bruno says she's always very technically clean but the moves never go anywhere & she kind of goes vacant in her performances. Carrie Ann thinks her dancing can be really beautiful but she seems to not really be dancing for the audience. Len was of course disapproving of the topless Mark portion and wants to see more we and less me from Mark.
Technical Scores: 6-6-6
Performance Scores: 4-5-5
It's true that her performance is not as impressive as her technical skill. She's not a great dancer but she works hard on her steps and technique.
Call 1-800-868-3407 to vote for Bristol & Mark or go to abc.com

Audrina and Tony are dancing The Argentine Tango. I really like Tony and despite the dubious nature of her star status in my eyes, I'm willing to give her the same benefit I've given the Situation. She seems sweet and she's a decent dancer so far this season so we'll see. Her technique is nice, her steps are clean, but it's not the intense dance we saw from Jennifer & Derek. I think it was partly Jennifer's mistake last week that landed Audrina at the top. Carrie Ann said she needs to work on extending her foot and she was floppy on the dismount, but she liked their performance. Len said it was clean & clear with good lifts & a clever routine, but he didn't get transported to a seedy club in Buenos Aires. Bruno said it was effective, but she was sort of like an ice queen. He said it wasn't bad and enjoyed the difficult embellishments but she didn't point the feet.
Technical Scores: 8-8-8
Performance Scores: 8-7-7
Call 1-800-868-3401 to vote for Audrina & Tony or go to abc.com

And so tonight the leader board is as follows:
Jennifer & Derek: 56
Audrina & Tony: 46
Brandy & Maks: 41
Kyle & Lacey: 40
Rick & Cheryl: 39
Florence & Corky: 35
Kurt & Anna: 34
Bristol & Mark: 32
the Situation & Karina: 28

DWTS Sends Home Another In Week 3

Of the facebook pics posted today, this is definitely my favorite! "This is the gayest thing that's every happened here!" says Margaret after her rainbow filled routine... clearly she hasn't watched very much DWTS...

For the spotlight dance they chose The Situation & Karina Smirnoff.

"The Situation & Karina Smirnoff! That was so fun... plus we got to amortize the cost of the time machine!" - Tom Bergeron.

OMG I love Tom. I thought it was interesting that they picked The Situation for the spotlight but it was indeed fun.

After a video packet featuring Jennifer Grey, Brandy & Rick Fox, we see Audrina & Tony, Kyle & Lacy and Kurt & Anna waiting in the spotlights. How funny that they showed the wrong video clips - I noticed a couple of production goofs last night as well! But on with the show and we soon find of the three stars standing in lights, Audrina & Kurt are safe but Kyle is still in jeopardy.

I'm not a big-time Ne-Yo groupie but I enjoyed his performance. I always like it better when the vocal or instrumental performers come down from their spot on stage and join the dance performance in some way. Sometimes they get more involved than others, some are more at home staying on the stage... Shakira knew how to shake it with impressive expertise when she appeared on the show but not everyone likes to mix it up with the pros.

So far this season we know the Macy's Stars Of Dance performance will be The Cha Cha to Billy Joel's Only Rock & Roll. This week you can go online to vote for which pro's you'd like to see.

The next segment is a visit from Donny Osmond. Donny hits the streets to see what people think of the stars of Season 11, and convinces a bunch of beer gut guys to pull up their shirts in imitation of The Situation!

And now we see the Audrina/Kyle/Kurt clips. And then we find out Jennifer & Derek are safe, Rick & Cheryl are in jeopardy and Brandy & Maks are safe. Tom & Brook switched it up on us a little and Cheryl was fooled for a second! Tom announced one safe couple, then Brook said the next couple to be announced was in jeopardy but Cheryl must not have caught that - she & Rick were celebrating until Brook said "In jeopardy - in jeopardy..." over and over again.

Did you ever sit, sipping your morning coffee, reflecting back over the previous nights episode of DWTS, thinking... "You know what would have really made the show last night? A musical face off between Mark Ballas and Val Chmerkovskiy!"? If you've had that conversation, this was your segment. Mark on guitar, Val on violin, both on the dance floor... in the words of Tom "it was like high noon with spandex."

I'm glad to see Michael Bolton back to perform. I was worried that his final judges comments would sour him on the experience. But standing in a room full of fog, singing Hallelujah while Anna & Jonathan dance like lovers... its quite the triumphant return!

I'm sure you're wondering now about the fate of Bristol, The Situation, Florence & Margaret right? Well The Situation and Florence are safe. Bristol and Margaret will join Rick and Kyle in the final reveal.

But before we are told who is going home, we get to hear the stars tell us about the emotional demands put on them as contestants on the show. Rick talks of the roller coaster of emotion they ride. It starts over every Wednesday morning with "you don't know how to dance"! I'm glad I don't ride that ride!

And next comes the final reveal... Kyle & Lacy are the first to learn they're safe and I'm relieved as well! Kyle definitely deserves to stay. This time Rick & Cheryl are actually safe and can celebrate. Whew - I would hate to see such beautiful eye candy go home. So who is going home? Margaret & Louis. I'm kind of sad that after such a rough back-to-school season for gay youth, and such a fun uplifting performance about pride last night, that they're the ones eliminated. But it's a dance show, not a political forum. And Margaret was I think the weakest dancer of the bunch.

Next week we'll be seeing The Argentine Tango - one of my personal favorites, and The Rumba.

Week 3 of DWTS Tells Stories On The Dancefloor

Brook Burke is wearing a fabulous glittery gold stripey number with plenty of cling, as usual.  I think they specifically put Brook back in the celebraquarium in order to avoid distracting the judges when it's time to score the dances!

This week the dancers are asked to tell a story with their dance, and the couples are actually encouraged to use props this time!  But first, the pros treat us to a little mix of ballroom & latin. Tom announced the names of each pro and remarked he's so glad he gets paid per syllable.  I don't, so I'm not listing their names here.  All 6 are not currently in the competition.

Up first are Jennifer Grey & Derek Hough, dancing The Samba.  She's a hot teacher in fringed pants & he's a young preppy in a sweater vest.  I liked their characters, her steps looked clean & precise and I didn't see any huge mistakes.  Len saw one small mistake but overall was pleased.  Bruno called her the sexy teacher of Cougartown.  Ha!  ...but he too saw the teeny mistake.  Carrie Ann felt they were just a bit out of sync, and called the whole middle a mess?  Hmmm.  Okay.
Scores from Carrie Ann, Len & Bruno: 8-8-8  Same as last week.
Call 1-800-868-3411 for a half hour after the show or go to abc.com till 9am Eastern to vote for Jennifer and Derek.

Next are Florence Henderson & Corky Balas, dancing The Walt.  Dancing to Edelweiss is special to F;orence because of her time doing Sound of Music.  She got the steps, and her form looked alright but she doesn't quite have the lines and extension that make a waltz so beautiful.  Bruno said it was simple, sweet & effective, but missed the continuous movement present in a waltz.  Carrie Ann praised the story they told but thought the choreography was a little on the simple side.  Len said it was poignant, emotional and sweet.  The story was beautiful he said, but the technique in her feet was non existent.
Scores from Carrie Ann, Len & Bruno: 7-6-7 

Call 1-800-868-3409 for a half hour after the show or go to abc.com till 9am Eastern to vote for Florence & Corky.

Kurt Warner and Anna Trebunskaya came to the floor next, dancing The Foxtrot.  Well I enjoyed seeing Kurt skip around on the dance floor.  I didn't see any mistakes and his form looked nice.  His technique was a bit rough but overall very good in my opinion.  I think I'll be giving him a vote tonight.  Carrie Ann thought Kurt was charming, had a great hold and fantastic chemistry.  Len thought he lacked musicality in his arms but everything else was great.  Bruno thought his personality was great but still complained of the frying pan hands and accused Kurt of nearly dropping Anna.
Scores from Carrie Ann, Len & Bruno: 8-8-7
Call 1-800-868-3408 for a half hour after the show or go to abc.com till 9am Eastern to vote for Kurt & Anna.

Margaret Cho & Louis Van Amstel are dancing The Samba next. Their story is about pride & happiness and coming out - sounds great to me since I'm pretty riled up by the recent equality debate!  I'm really loving the rainbow flapper dress Margaret is wearing.  She was better than last week and when she was on her own had a lot of style & hip action.  Somehow it seemed to fall apart for me when they started dancing together.  Len said it started out great but fell apart toward the middle and was heavy in the legs.  Bruno loved the story but thought the footwork needed better timing.  Carrie Ann loved the story and the rainbow but said the truth is that it was so full out that Margaret sort of lost the story.
Scores from Carrie Ann, Len & Bruno: 6-6-6
Call 1-800-868-3405 for a half hour after the show or go to abc.com till 9am Eastern to vote for Margaret & Louis.

Tonight Audrina Patridge & Tony Dovolani danced The Waltz.  Their story is one of missing a military man - something so many Americans can relate to these days.  I thought it looked great.  Audrina seems to have a fair amount of natural skill.  Bruno thought it was a compelling story, beautifully danced & beautifully played.  Carrie Ann agreed but reminded Audrina to point her toes just a bit more.  Len said we walk with out feet and dance with our hearts and that was the most touching dance of the night.
Scores from Carrie Ann, Len & Bruno: 8-9-9  And they take the lead.
Call 1-800-868-3401 for a half hour after the show or go to abc.com till 9am Eastern to vote for Audrina & Tony.

Bristol Palin and Mark Balas were next dancing The Foxtrot.  I thought she danced well and I didn't see any mistakes but I didn't feel like she was really lost in the dance the way she could have been.  Carrie Ann thought her performance was a little lacking.  Len said he told her to take a chance and she did but he didn't like it very much.  Bruno said her execution of the dance is neat & clean but she needs to express the story and feel it and doesn't show him that.
Scores from Carrie Ann, Len & Bruno: 6-6-7
Call 1-800-868-3407 for a half hour after the show or go to abc.com till 9am Eastern to vote for Bristol & Mark.

Brandy & Maksim Chmerkovskiy dance The Samba next.  The singer/bodyguard scene they portrayed worked for me and the steps and hip action looked good.  Len thought it had good energy, hip action etc, but he didn't feel Maks as the bodyguard wasn't "protective" of his partner.  Bruno is starting to see the comeback of the diva.  He thought her placement was better and sharper than last week.  Carrie Ann spanked Maks and called him a naughty boy but said it worked because Brandy was on fire.
Scores from Carrie Ann, Len & Bruno: 8-8-8
Call 1-800-868-3406 for a half hour after the show or go to abc.com till 9am Eastern to vote for Brandy & Maks.

Kyle Massey & Lacey Schwimmer dance The Waltz next and I find myself falling for Kyle!  He shows me every week what a versatile & capable dancer he is.  The story was cute & the dance was smooth.  Bruno says Kyle has the likability factor sewn up, the arms are expressive, and just a little more work on the feet...  Carrie Ann loves the arms all the way to his fingertips.  Len says performance is high but footwork is atrocious. 
Scores from Carrie Ann, Len & Bruno: 8-7-8
Call 1-800-868-3403 for a half hour after the show or go to abc.com till 9am Eastern to vote for Kyle & Lacey.

Mike The Situation Sorrentino & Karina Smirnoff aren't quite last tonight, dancing The Foxtrot.  Granted it's a little hard to dance The Foxtrot to Boom Boom Pow, but he still looks a little stiff and a little timid in his steps.  Carrie ann says "Boom Boom Wow!"  overall she's pleased.  Len says if that's the future, he's glad he lives in the past.  He sees The Situation is trying and doesn't want to be nasty  but thinks it's time to pull the curtains on their bizarre performance.  Bruno said it was futuristic, sometimes apocalyptic and very very entertaining. 
Scores from Carrie Ann, Len & Bruno: 7-6-7  Better than they've done in the past and not the worst score of the night so we'll see...
Call 1-800-868-3410 for a half hour after the show or go to abc.com till 9am Eastern to vote for The Situation & Karina.

Last we see Rick Fox and Cheryl Burke dance The Samba while telling the story of a sad loser who let his team down.  I have to say any routine which starts out with Cheryl table-dancing, is a winner in my book!  While it's easy to see how tall Rick Fox is when he's out on the dance floor, he's looking more and more natural out there.  Len said it was well done.  Bruno said it was pretty hot.  Carrie Ann said it was hot, sexy & right on the music, but she had a hard time getting her words out.   

Scores from Carrie Ann, Len & Bruno:8-8-8
Call 1-800-868-3404 for a half hour after the show or go to abc.com till 9am Eastern to vote for Rick & Cheryl.

So tonight the leader board looks like this:

Audrina & Tony - 26
Jennifer & Derek - 24
Rick & Cheryl - 24
Brandy & Maks - 24
Kyle & Lacey - 23
Kurt & Anna - 23
Florence & Corky - 20
The Situation & Karina - 20
Bristol & Mark - 19
Margaret & Louis - 18

I'm not sure that I agree Margaret was the weakest tonight.  I think the Situation is weaker but he has a lot of charm & he has a following.  Do I think Bristol is weaker than The situation...  maybe.  But Mark is a really strong teacher.  Tonight's bottom 4 are all right there on the cusp of going home so it will be interesting to see what happens...