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...