Tuesday, May 25, 2010

A Champion is Presented with the Mirrorball Trophy!

It’s the long-anticipated Finale of Dancing With the Stars!!! And it’s LIVE!!!!

We are treated to an opening dance sequence with all our ousted couples - except when it comes to the dancing on the ballroom floor, it’s all pros, thank goodness. They let the stars do a little walk thing with their pros, ending up with Kate & Tony and rather than move at all, Kate just kinda walks a bit. (She can’t put any effort out or she’d melt into the floor!) Chad is in the audience, why? Is he hurt? Yes - he was hurt practicing football.

Brooke is wearing one of those stripey-wrap dresses again, but this one doesn’t look bad. Nice gold color.

The two dances for tonight: our couples can do their favorite routines and the judges will score them. First place will get 30 points, second place 28 and third place 26. They will add those to the scores from last night along with our votes and the third-place couple will be eliminated. Then, the remaining two couples will dance new routines, be scored by the judges and the final scores tallied for our Mirrorball winning champions!

Nicole & Derek are first. Derek liked the Quickstep, but Len hated it. Nicole liked the Fox Trot. They thought their Paso Doble was great, but they’ve danced that one twice (once as an encore). They decide on their Argentine Tango. We find out that all three couples are doing the Argentine Tango - this will be really interesting! (They probably picked them because they can do lifts). It’s looking good!!! Full of passion and great footwork. Len tells us it had intensity, passion and artistry. Everything was sharp, clean and crisp. Bruno yells “I’m happy to see that the magic continues!” He calls it rich and luscious. Carrie Ann simply says that each step, each move and each lift were a beautiful masterpiece come to life, artistry in motion.

Each couple will be ranked by the judges after all have danced, so we won’t know who has what till it’s all done.

Next to dance are Evan & Anna. After their Freestyle, Anna is seen backstage crying for their three 8s. In deciding their favorite dance, they nix the Samba and their futuristic Cha Cha was a one-time deal. They decide on the Argentine Tango because it was a “breakthrough week.” Evan plans to bring power and control to his Tango. It looks good! He’s got the mood, his steps are powerful and right on. Uh oh, Anna bobbles a little getting her leg off his arm. Hope that doesn’t screw them up! I thought it was great. Evan looks petrified. Bruno tells him “you danced this Tango like a real lady killer.” Strong, powerful, a hint of menace, and he kept the energy under control. Carrie Ann is rubbing her hands together. She said tonight’s dance was true redemption. Len says it’s the most fantastic season so far. He reminds Evan he is the only male celebrity left, and tells him he did a fantastic job not being led around by Anna.

Erin & Maks finish up this round. They’re trying to come up with their favorite dance, and Erin goes right to the Argentine Tango and that’s what they’ll do. She’s blanking out on remembering the dance, and she’s having problems. She’s telling Maks to be quiet, and he’s saying “I’m not even talking yet.” They argue, just like the good old days, and Maks says he’s sick, tired and beat up - and “I’m finished.” Something tells me they’ll be just fine.

The audience is full of past celebrities - Apolo Ohno, Kristy Yamaguchi, Susan Lucci, our cute skateboarder (Louie something, my memory is shot) and the little gymnast Shawn Johnson.

At the beginning of their dance, Erin is trying to look tough except we see her smiling at Maks (in an evil kind of way). She does her leap off the upper stage great once again. She’s sticking her butt out a little, though. It’s almost like she doesn’t want to get too close to Maks’ pelvis. Maybe it’s just me.....especially because Maks looks triumphant at the end of the dance. Carrie Ann begins and says it’s the last dance and the couples are not making it easy. She says Erin was in another zone. Len thinks judging the three Tangos is the hardest job they’ve ever done - and Maks says “imagine dancing it.” Len agrees that they’ve done the hard work. He tells Erin that she’s come the furthest from the beginning. Bruno calls Erin a “sexy, sophisticated man trap.” He says out of all the couples, she’s got the most spectacular growth. She’s improved dance and focus every week. He doesn’t know what the judges will do about picking the winners.

Tom tells us this is the first time all season the judges couldn’t give three perfect dances three perfect scores. They all would have gotten 30s, that’s for sure!!! In the Celebraquarium Brooke interviews all the couples. They all loved re-dancing the Argentine Tango and wouldn’t change a thing. The rankings: 3rd place, Erin & Maks, 2nd place Evan & Anna, and first are Nicole & Derek. (I don’t see how the judges decided that to tell the truth). Tom tells us that we’ll find out who goes home after our votes are factored in, and we may be in for a surprise. Hmmm.....what could happen? (I really wouldn’t find any problem in giving the trophy to any one of our couples. Nicole is incredible. Evan is great. Erin has learned so much and come so far. It’ll be a bummer for any of our stars that don’t make it!)

After the commercial, we see a montage of the beginning of the season. Dances, good comments, bad comments, Nicole’s 10s in week two. Shannon & Mark, Aiden & Edyta and Buzz & Ashly will dance their new dances now. Shannon looks a lot better than she did, but we now know why she was first out. Edyta is wearing her fringe dress again, I know the guys will like that! Oh, Lord, Buzz is dancing to the Star Wars theme, looking very alien. They dance what is supposed to be a Paso Doble, I imagine, and it’s still really bad but the crowd cheers throughout the dance. Tom tells us Buzz’s flight suit is from the “NASA Liberace Collection.” (It’s all sparkly).

Before the commercial, we see Kate & Tony practicing (“Can Kate redeem herself?” NO.) As she does a move and Tony tells her how great she did, she turns and smacks him in the face with her arm. After the commercial are more highlights from the season (except for the clips of Kate, which can't be called highlights.) Tom says Jake & Chelsie will dance, and Vienna (Jake’s choice on The Bachelor) & Dmitry come out and dance a bit too - she’s really doing pretty good! Of course, then the pros leave and Jake and Vienna get to finish the Waltz and we see how good the pros make them look.

Tom tells us that Jake & Chelsie had some fights, but they only came in third on their Top Five List of arguments this season. Numebr Five is Nicole & Derek. Fourth is Aiden & Edyta, getting frustrated together. We see Jake & Chelsie and Jake’s famous “I’m not asking you, I’m telling you” line. Erin & Maks are only #2? We get to see Maks’ temper tantrum again. Oh yeah, Kate & Tony will be first - Kate makes Tony leave - taking off his mike pack and quitting.

Kelly Monaco, the Season One champ, gets interviewed and admits that she and Alec Mazo had fights and tension. She says they offered her a new partner before the shows started to air. Tom congratulates Apolo Ohno on his Olympics, and he says he wishes he could dance like our present couples.

We are going to find out who the third-place couple is now.....everyone looks really tense. This will suck no matter who it is. Awww, it’s Erin & Maks. It seems to be the right decision, but still ... Erin is a little tearful. She says she started this during a crappy time in her life and she wanted to get her smile back, and she’s happy she did the show. Maks is very complimentary, saying it’s been a roller coaster but they’ve both grown and gotten to know each other better. During their retrospective clip, Maks says he’s had to be encouraging, and he’s not the encouraging type. He tells Erin that he made the Finals the second he saw her happy, “that was enough.” Brooke even is holding back tears. They’ll dance their prepared dance, which is a Cha Cha - Erin wipes away tears and has to now be perky and happy for a Cha Cha. The beginning starts slow, but she gets it going and it’s fun. It wasn’t all that, I think probably because they’re leaving, but still fun.

After the commercial, Brooke interviews the Finalist couples. Evan & Anna will dance a Quickstep, and Nicole & Derek will dance to “Proud Mary.” Tom tells us the finals of the College Dance-Off will pit the Utah Valley University Wolverines against the Purdue Boilermakers. Purdue is up first dancing a Cha Cha, and they look pretty darn good! Utah Valley is dancing a Samba, and they start off pretty incredibly, with jumps off the upper stage. They just might have this, they look really good. The judges alone are deciding the winners and it will be ... Utah Valley, and Brooke awards them a small version of the ugly Mirrorball Trophy.

We see comments from the folks in the media about our Finalists - Larry King, Mario Lopez, Robin Roberts, and Regis & Kelly all give us their impressions.

Oh boy. Next are Kate & Tony and Tom tells us that they’re the “most talked about.” She gets an interview before their dance and we get to hear from Kate about her upcoming shows. (BFD). Pandering to the viewing audience that quit watching after Kate was eliminated, we see a clip starring Kate and her kids and then her practicing again with Tony. (I’m surprised Tony didn’t commit Hari Kari before he got stuck with her again). They’re going to do another Paso Doble, and she’s still being a pain in the ass. She wants Tony to make the choreography more difficult, but then bitches about it as he does. He calls her out that she’s being conflicting and she’s still being a total bitch. She has to tell Tony that’s she’s controversial, and even if she did a Nicole or Evan performance, she’d still get picked apart. (That’s because you’re a bitch!) They still start their dance with Kate and her Enquirer copies, but Tony isn’t a photographer this time. They segue into “I Will Survive” and I’m about to throw up. Tony takes off Kate’s long skirt and we get to see her legs not dancing. They end it with Kate mouthing “I will survive” and going up on a Hollywood version of a cherry picker.

Nicole & Derek picked the Jive for their final dance, because of the energy. Evan & Anna will do a Quickstep and they’re really practicing hard. Nicole says her competition in Evan is Barishnikov on ice, and he was born and bred to be a fierce competitor. Evan tells us that Nicole has a natural feel for music, and her body moves like no one else’s.

Before the commercial we see that Niecy and Pam will dance next, and Niecy says that when Pam was eliminated she (Niecy) had to carry the “torch of sexy.” Now that they’re both back, “it’s gonna be a double dip.”

Brooke is back in the dressing rooms to interview the Finalists. She asks Nicole & Derek if they can stay at the top of the leaderboard. They both say all they’re going to do is give it their all, and they feel as if they’ve already won. She asks Evan & Anna what it’s going to take to win, and Evan is honored to be in the Finals with Nicole, and they’ll give their final dance their all.

Tom introduces Niecy and Pam as “a celebration of all things jiggly.” Pam is hanging from a big circle thingy from the ceiling and gets lowered down - and dances with Tony and Dmitry before ending up with Damian and doing a great, sexy dance. It’s now Niecy’s turn to jiggle and she’s got Tony & Dmitry too, but Louis comes to steal her away and it looks like a three-way fight for Niecy, and it’s fun!

This season’s stars make comments on the Finalists, saying how hard it is and of course, there are the “Evan will win” comments, the “Nicole can’t lose,” and “I can’t say who will take it.” Very diplomatic, these folks!

We have smoke and a giant Mirrorball from the ceiling, and Nicole and Evan are lowered to the ballroom floor, with great pomp and circumstance. We see clips of all the practice, the fights, the work, and Nicole says she needs to trust in what she does and who she is. Derek thanks Nicole for making this his favorite season ever. Here come Nicole & Derek for their Jive - and it’s pretty damn perky! (My daughter called me in the middle of their dance, and I enjoyed it so much I rewound it from the beginning!) They get a long, standing ovation. Len says “there are 12 days of Christmas, 7 dwarves, 4 Beatles, and there can be only one winner of Dancing With the Stars - and it should be you.” Bruno doesn’t rise out of his seat this time, saying this is the best season of Dancing With the Stars ever. Oh, here he comes, rising up, saying that “you two have produced the greatest dances and this was the crowning glory of an amazing season.” Carrie Ann says she comes to work every day and looks forward to seeing what they can do. Sounds like a perfect score to me (and they deserve it!!!) Brooke asks Nicole about the fact that she just danced her last dance, and panting Nicole says that she’s just “so flipping happy.” Their scores: 10-10-10=30. Of course!!! Their total for both nights is 115, and those scores will be added to our votes to determine the winner.

Evan & Anna will dance their last dance. Anna says she was able to throw more at Evan because of his talent, and Evan realized that while he was able to get the steps, he needed to add another layer. Anna gets teary saying she’ll never have another partner like Evan because “he’s the one.” Evan says “they broke the mold.” Their Quickstep is great - his footwork and posture look super and they’re both smiling and having fun. I really don’t like her dress, though, the skirt looks weird for some reason. Bruno tells Evan he’s always been a good dancer, but his performance level has been enhanced. He can do charming, sexy and dashing. Carrie Ann says that Nicole & Derek have been winning in the scoring, but Evan has won the hearts of herself and everyone in the audience. Any criticism he’s had, he’s worked with it and he’s a true champion. Len says Evan has truly been a joy to watch. He’s been elegant all while traveling the country, and has done a fantastic job. (Why do I think they’re getting a perfect score too, pretty much leaving it up to the viewer votes?) In the Celebraquarium Evan says he wants to do it all over again, and he and Anna will be “forever bound by this show.” Their scores: 10-9-9=28. They have 108 total points for both nights. (And proves me wrong about the judges’ scores. Oh, well, shows ya what I know!)

Now for the presentation of the Mirrorball Trophy! Who will win? Our champions will be revealed - after Tom and Brooke comment and we hear the suspenseful music, of course! Nicole looks like she’s ready to throw up, and Evan is smiling more than I’ve seen him all season.

And the winners are ... Nicole & Derek!!!! Evan says that Nicole & Derek deserved it, and have inspired all the other couples. Nicole & Derek get presented with the trophy, and Mark comes over and raises Derek on his shoulders along with the trophy leaving Nicole on the floor on her own until Aiden comes over to raise Nicole up too. The confetti is flying, and Nicole takes time to look at the camera and say “thank you” to the audience as she blows kisses.

So congrats to Nicole & Derek! She really deserved it, she was the best dancer - and it’s nice to see that the best dancer actually won this season as opposed to a good dancer with the best personality (although Evan wasn’t the best in that department either).

I’ll be back in the fall, when Season 11 begins! Have a great summer, everyone!

Monday, May 24, 2010

A Little Bit of Shuffling in the Standings - Nicole Goes For It, Erin Shines and Evan's Freestyle Doesn't Impress

LIVE!!! From Hollywood!!!! This is the Finals of Dancing With the Stars!!!

Our couples will be doing four dances for the Finals - two tonight and two tomorrow night. There’s gonna be some tired puppies at the end of this one! The first one will be a “redemption dance.” The judges will pick that one, it will be the one dance the judges thought they should have done better. Then we get the great Freestyle!

Bruno goes into rehearsal to help Erin with her Samba. He tells her what to do with her feet, and as she does the steps again, Bruno yells “Yes! Look at your ass!” Erin says she just has to forget her nerves and do it. Maks is wearing a vest and at the beginning of the dance, they go to take it off and Maks pulls it back on, looking at Len and buttoning it. Dammit Len! You ruined our Maks chest sightings! They end the dance with Erin tossing her hair at Bruno, Maks fooling with Carrie Ann, and both giving Len a kiss. I thought it was great! Erin looks really hot and the dance was fun! Len says they’ve fulfilled all his dreams. “I always wanted to be kissed by a man with a beard to see if it prickled.” He says they will be looking for more because it’s the Finals, and thanks Maks for not taking his clothes off. (Spoilsport.) Len tells Erin her improvement from her last Samba is fantastic. Bruno tells Erin “you were hotter than noon in the tropics.” He adds “you moved that butt like I couldn’t believe the results.” Carrie Ann said Erin moved herself up three notches. There was confidence in her face and it was fun. Maks looks like he’s going to leave without grabbing Tom’s butt but Erin reminds him.

Before the commercial we see Anna crying, saying she’d rather do four Paso Dobles than one Freestyle. She’s a little freaked out. I’m sure hubby Jonathan could help! Back from commercial and we’ll get Erin & Maks’ scores: 10-10-9=29. Erin says that Bruno promised to teach her how to walk in heels and “that didn’t happen, Bruno.” Bruno yells “that’s why you got a nine.” Tom laughs at Bruno saying “didn’t know your mike was open, did you, wise guy?”

Evan & Anna are next, and Len goes in to help. They’ll get pointers on for a Viennese Waltz. Evan had no chemistry with Anna, and Len stressed to Evan that he needs to take every chance to look at Anna to increase the connection. The dance is incredible and Evan seems to be doing well in the connection department. I get Anna’s dress, now, they’re dancing to “Piano Man” and she’s wearing what looks like a keyboard on the bodice. Bruno says Evan’s fluidity and lyricism was as good as always, and the connection was smiling and sweet. Carrie Ann tells Evan he had a lot of problems the last time he did this dance, pointing his toes, not connecting with the audience, but he’s rectified all that now. It was emotional and enchanting. Len says it had grace and movement but sometimes he collapsed during certain movements. Carrie Ann and Bruno both start “choking” with those comments. In the Celebraquarium with Brooke, we get the scores: 10-9-9=28. Evan says he loved doing the Viennese Waltz again, but it’s bittersweet because they don’t want it to be over.

Emmitt Smith was “waving off” the judges during Evan’s scores, as Tom tells us. Emmitt is still cute!

Carrie Ann will help Nicole & Derek with the Rumba. She wants Nicole to not worry about the movement quality but the emotional quality. Derek says Carrie Ann gave Nicole permission to let go and not worry so much about the steps. Nicole says she’ll let go tonight. After a few steps Derek takes the band out of Nicole’s hair and lets it fly - hopefully she doesn’t whip her head too much. It hurts to get hit with hair! It’s a very sensual and great dance. They do some pretty incredible moves too. Carrie Ann said that with her past performances the only way she could grow was to be vulnerable, soften her edges. She says this dance was mesmerizing. She says that when Derek picked Nicole up at the end of the dance it was a lift. Derek protests that the song was over and Carrie Ann begs to differ. Talk about nitpicky! Len is looking at Carrie Ann in disbelief. Len loved the choreography, with power and softness interchanging. He says he still saw a little lack of confidence here and there, but it was great. He tells Carrie Ann as she pipes up that she was wrong about the lift at the end of the dance. Bruno saw eroticism and sensuality seamlessly woven into something of extreme beauty. He calls it “superlative.” After the commercial, their scores: 9-9-10=28.

Erin & Maks are ahead at the end of the first round!!!

It’s the Freestyle round! No rules and anything can happen! Erin & Maks are first. Maks has trained in ballroom all his life, and he doesn't want to do a hip-hop style but wants to make it memorable. Mandy Moore, a choreographer, comes in to give Maks pointers. Uh oh, Len will not be happy, there’s a bed on the ballroom floor! They dance to “How Do I Get You Alone?” and it’s very passionate and sexy. They look like lovers who hate each other but can’t leave each other. Erin even danced barefoot, a la Lacey! Len gets to start and says that Freestyle is all about risk and in parts they pulled it off. He called it a mix of emotion and commotion. He liked it but didn’t love it. Bruno called it a psychodrama, putting her heart and soul into the dance. Some of the steps she pulled off were incredible. Carrie Ann said it was the perfect choice for a risk, and for Maks to call in someone and get out of his comfort zone was great too. She says it’s not Maks’ specialty to “make someone look good.” (Huh?) She says there was one stumble with the tosses on the bed and Maks says “it’s not the bed we practiced on.” Erin tries to play embarrassed. Their scores: 9-8-9=26, and Len’s 8 gets mightily booed.

Tom says “it’s not the bed I rehearsed on” is his best excuse in ten seasons.

Evan & Anna’s Freestyle is next, and he seems to be arguing with Anna about doing something different, and telling her that her moves are “cheeky” and can’t compete. He doesn’t want their Freestyle to look like anything else they’ve already done this season. Anna is upset and says it’s scary and “I’m a little bit freaked out.” Anna says they hit a wall and she brought in Bobby Newberry in to help resolve the choreography issues and now they’re excited about their Freestyle. They’re dancing to “Footloose” and it’s full of energy. It’s got some great Jive steps and I love the ending lift they do. Wonder what the judges will think about this one? Bruno says Evan went demented - “I didn’t know if I was watching Footloose or Screw Loose.” (Sounds bad!) He knows Evan wants it very badly, and while he “went for it” he lost some technique. Carrie Ann called it odd. They didn’t match their lines when dancing side by side, but she loved the energy and the last lift. Len thinks they took the path of least resistance. “It wasn’t what you wanted to do, Anna, and it wasn’t what Evan wanted to do, and it’s not what I wanted to see.” Jeeze! It wasn’t that bad!!! Evan tells Brooke they went for high energy and 100%. Their scores: 8-8-8=24. The audience boos for that too.

Tom teases us about tomorrow’s season Finale. "The most popular cast is back with all new routines." Pam will be hotter, and Kate tells Tony (who’s looking off laughing) that 90% of her fans hate her. (And everyone else hates you too!)

Nicole & Derek want a high octane routine. Derek is pushing himself with lifts because Nicole is so talented. He wants to give Nicole the best chance to win. They really do a perky routine, starting out in suits and dancing to an Elvis song (I think it’s called “Satisfaction”) and tearing off the suits and end up in yellow outfits. They do some hold dancing and some great lifts, but it looks like Derek messed one of the lifts up. Carrie Ann says “that’s the Freestyle we’ve all been waiting for” and it killed her that they slipped on that last lift. Len saw Lindy Hop, Salsa, Quickstep and Jive. He saw fun and entertainment, and a fantastic Freestyle. Bruno called it dazzling creativity, saying the technique was superb. Their little slip at the end was because they were doing something that’s never been done. “A. Maze. Ing.” As they get into the Celebraquarium they do the lift again to show what it was supposed to look like. Their scores: 9-9-9=27. At least the judges took off for the bobble on the lift - it was a great dance, but they shouldn’t have gotten 10s.

Tomorrow we get two more dances from each couple that only the judges will score and will help determine the winner of the gaudy Mirrorball Trophy! Make sure you use your votes for the last time this season and help your favorites!

After the judges’ scores, here are the standings:
55 - Erin & Maks
55 - Nicole & Derek
52 - Evan & Anna


Will Nicole pull it off? Can the dark horse Erin stay on top? Will Evan’s bottom spot wreck his chances for victory? We’ll see tomorrow!

Tuesday, May 18, 2010

The Finals Are Set - Who's Got the Best Shot at the Mirrorball Trophy?

After the most compelling Semi Final EVER!!!! This is Dancing With the Stars! Next week is the Finale and three couples will be vying for the Mirrorball Trophy!

Wow, Brooke looks different with straight hair! I like it!

We also get to see another round of college dance-offs. Utah Valley University versus Rutgers tonight.

Right off the bat, we again find out who will be safe - I like it as a fan but really feel sorry for the couples that don’t hear their name called. Who will it be? Evan & Anna!

Len gives us his thoughts about last night. Every couple went beyond expectations. Erin did an absolutely beautiful Viennese Waltz, but she has to kiss the nerves goodbye if she’s going to kiss the Trophy. Nicole’s Argentine Tango satisfied every one of Len’s senses. Chad was a revelation with his Waltz, and any other season he’d be a shoo-in to win it. (Not really, that’s a little much if you ask me. He’s good, but not like Jerry Rice or Emmitt Smith was!) Evan’s Fox Trot was brilliant. On to the Latin Round, and Erin’s Paso Doble was full of intensity. (And that shot of Maks shirtless in the confessional was pretty intense too!) If Nicole isn’t in the Finals, there’s “something wrong with the world.” Chad’s Samba was good, but not quite good enough. Evan’s Paso Doble was genius.

The judges have decided that they want to see the couple who came out “full boar, all guns blazing” - and it’s Evan & Anna’s Paso Doble. I like it even better tonight - but it really looks like he slams her head to the floor at the end! Ouchie!

We get a taste of our Pros’ upbringing. Maks was born in the Ukraine but back then it was part of the USSR, behind the Iron Curtain. His father didn’t think that living there would give their kids a good life, so they moved to Brooklyn. The second day in America Maks was beat up and his roller blades were stolen. “Thanks, guys, for the warm welcome!” He didn’t want to dance in the Ukraine, but once he got to America, he really got into ballroom. He wants everything, but not to have it, “to achieve it.”

Lots going on tonight! The Design-A-Dance, Sarah Mclachlan will sing, and I heard something about Miley Cyrus too (not important enough to rewind). As Sarah Mclachlan sings “Arms of the Angel” we see Jonathan & Anna dancing, and it’s so pretty! She then goes into her new hit “Loving You is Easy” and Lacey & Damien and Dmitry & Kym come out to dance for that.

Brooke interviews the four stars backstage, and Evan says he hopes there’s a twist tonight and they take four to the Finals. (Ever the diplomat!) Erin is superstitious and won’t even discuss next week. Tom bursts Evan's bubble and says there's no twist.

Cheryl is highlighted next. She grew up near San Francisco. She was so shy her mom thought she was deaf. She started ballet and wouldn’t consider doing ballroom because she thought that was for old people, until she saw some kids doing it and then quit ballet to do ballroom full time. She says it’s a great way to express herself.

Now for the Design-A-Dance! Emilio Oh designed the costumes for Melissa Rycroft and Joey Fatone. They’ll be dancing a Tango to “I Wanna Rock and Roll All Night.” Doesn’t look like a great Tango to me, but I like the dance. Fatone has Kiss makeup on too - now I know what Tom meant when he said “Joey wants to see you (designer Emilio) outside after the show.” Okay, it was fun, but Fatone lost a little of his pizazz (and gained weight back) since his dancing days.

Rutgers will dance first in the College Dance-Off. They’re a formation team and have only been in existence for a month, but they practice 7 hours at a time three or four days a week. They’ll dance a Cha Cha. Their sync isn’t bad, and the dance is pretty perky. Len tells them it was a great effort considering the time they’ve had to practice, and aside from one or two little mistakes, he thought it was great. Bruno says for a new team they’ve done a great job. As a formation team they need time to learn each other to stay together. Carrie Ann says they have a future, loved the choreography. The judges give them: 7-7-7=21.

The Utah Valley University dance team are up next. They’re pretty organized, they have their cheer team there! It’s the only place that has a degree for ballroom dancing. Their coach runs it military style, doing callisthenics and stretches. They will also be dancing a Cha Cha. Hmmm, starting out they’re off sync. Uh oh, one fo the guys’ shirttail is hanging out! Minus points (heehee). Good dance, I like the way they end it with the girls upside down. Bruno tries to start his commentary but he’s having problems because the cheer team won’t shut up. He tells them it’s fantastic choreography and incredible technique. Carrie Ann tries to cheer too and fails miserably. She liked it also. Len calls it a very accomplished performance. He says their lines were perfect. Their scores: 10-9-10=29.

Tom says Miley Cyrus will be singing next and the shot of her backstage looks like she’s pissed at something, or maybe she just woke up.

Anna Trebunskaya’s profile is next - she grew up in an industrial city in Russia. It was a good childhood. She loved to dance, and it was a good escape. The air was bad and bothered Anna because she was born with asthma, so they moved to the US. Jonathan said she was cold and standoffish when he first met her, but then got to know her warm personality. (I can see that). Anna says she’s very lucky to have met Jonathan.

Miley Cyrus is up next with an exclusive TV debut of her new song. She’s got her own dancers and I could care less.....

Derek Hough is profiled next. He grew up in Utah with four sisters. The girls would dress him up and make fun of him. He didn’t want to dance but when he finally got into it, he loved it. His teacher was Corky Ballas and Derek wanted to be the best and wanted to live with the Ballas family. They moved to London and Derek went too. Corky says that Derek could get in trouble, and the best punishment was to take his hair gel away. He says it would be devastating to get so close to the Finals and not make it.

Back to some results - another couple that’s safe: Nicole & Derek. (Okay, so they got the obvious ones out of the way.) After the commercial, Tom tells us that during the commercial it was “very quiet in here.” We hear the judges’ opinions of the two remaining stars. Carrie Ann said Chad had promise, but didn’t do as well as they thought. Then he blossomed and watching him has been incredible. (Oh, and his dancing has improved too). Bruno says Erin would enter the Finals with momentum and has gotten better and better every week. Len tells us that under normal circumstances both remaining couples would be in the Finals - this is the highest standard of dancing ever. So who will go home as the 100th eliminated couple? Chad and Cheryl.

Chad enjoyed the journey and appreciated the good criticism from the judges. He says “in my eyes, I’ve already won.” Cheryl says he’s the most humble guy ever, and warm and soft. (Except for that beautifully chiseled chest!) Their stroll down memory lane shows Cheryl being tough on Chad, but she gives him a kiss when he does good. They’ve become great friends and Chad says their friendship will continue - and he’ll be here next year as a professional!

So next week, our couples have to do four dances, including a Freestyle - and it's all for that gaudy Mirrorball Trophy! I’m looking forward to an explosive evening!!!

Monday, May 17, 2010

WOW!!!! What a Night! Great Semi-Finals Dancing!

LIVE!!! It’s the Semi Finals of Dancing With the Stars!!!

The slate is wiped clean tonight - although I don’t know what that means. They don’t carry over points from week to week, so....I’m confused. What else is new?

Loving Brooke’s dress tonight! Very elegant.

We get a solo from the stars tonight in one of their two dances. Tom says that every one of the remaining couples has been first in viewer votes, and they’re “wiping the slate clean.” I still don’t know what that means!!!

Erin & Maks begin the evening with a Viennese Waltz. Erin is very focused and Maks is going to push her very hard. There’s no arguing this week! Seeing how focused Maks is makes Erin want to make the Finals even more. Love the color of her dress on her! The dance is very pretty, but Erin looks as if she’s bouncing a bit. Aww, sweet ending with her head on Maks’ shoulder. Len says the fight for the Finals starts now - and Erin made a giant step through the door. Bruno called it a “symphony in blue.” Her fluidity of lines and continuity of movement were excellent. (So much for my thoughts). Carrie Ann adores watching Erin and has watched her grow every week. Erin tells Brooke her legs were shaking. Their scores: 9-9-9=27. Bruno holds up a 10 paddle and says “9.” Tom says Bruno had a premature paddle and really meant 9.

Before the commercial, we see child pictures of our stars. Evan started skating because his grandmother wanted to be in the Ice Capades. Nicole grew up in a house with 14 people. Chad’s neighborhood was full of crime and drugs. Erin tells us what it was like to see the peephole videos on the internet.

Nicole & Derek are up next and will dance an Argentine Tango. Nicole went to rehearsal and sees Derek with a wrap on his neck. We find out that it’s been bothering him for a couple of weeks, and the pain sends zings down his back. This preview is all about Derek and how much he’s hurting, but that he’ll dance. “I have to dance.” Shoot the boy up with cortisone, he’ll be fine. What a dance to be doing with back pain, too, with all the lifts. It’s looking really good too! Looks like another perfect score, if you ask me! Bruno calls Nicole a “divine enchantress.” “Using each move to draw us deeper into a love spell from which there is no escape.” (A bit melodramatic, but that’s Bruno!) Carrie Ann gives us her one-cry-a-season moment and says Nicole moved her to tears. She calls it profound and incredible, and tells Derek he did amazing choreography. Nicole hugs Carrie Ann. (*rolling eyes*) Len can’t jump into the love fest - he tells us he’s on medication because of Bruno and Carrie Ann. Len gives what he calls the best compliment he can ever give - “It was more delicious than my grandmother’s apple pie.” Yep, there’s a 30 on the way.... Nicole says Derek is a true champion for pushing through injury. And here are the judges’ scores: 10-10-10=30.

Here come Chad & Cheryl to dance a Waltz. He feels that he let Cheryl down, but she tells him it’s time to start fresh and forget about the past. She gives him a great pep talk. She’s being really picky about his feet and Chad is having problems getting the hang of some spins. When the dance starts, though, he seems to be doing well - he has a nice rise and fall, and his butt isn’t sticking out. He’s doing a bit too much of standing around while Cheryl dances around. Chad goes over to someone in the audience after the dance (probably his grandmother). Carrie Ann says “Chad Ochocinco just nailed the waltz.” She said it was fluid and refined. Len doesn’t know where to start. Chad is the only one with absolutely no dance experience and he’s climbed mountains. “To come out in the Semi Finals and produce a Waltz like that is fantastic.” Bruno says Chad has had the toughest criticism from the judges from day one, because they knew he had something. “Tonight you showed it to us.” After the commercial, we go right to the scores: 9-9-9=27. Brooke asks if Chad is intimidated having no dance experience, and he says it makes him want to try harder.

Evan & Anna will Fox Trot to finish off the Ballroom round. After Carrie Ann told Evan to “lose yourself in the moment” last week, he says he’s not the type to “let go.” Anna wants to figure out what makes Evan happy so he can carry that emotion throughout the dance. She asks him and he says “coffee, cars and my nephew.” Evan has to try and get that feeling out when he dances. Is this his solo spot? He begins the dance by himself with some great moves. There’s not a lot of hold in this dance, I hope Len doesn’t give him crap about it. Evan is smiling and showing personality! It’s a great dance, I don’t care what Len says. Len said the artistry and musicality, as expected, were there - but they saw the happy fun side of Evan. It was “absolutely wonderful.” Bruno said Evan looked “as high as a kite out there.” He hasn’t seen that since Judy Garland and Mickey Rooney - but Tom tells him “since you looked in a mirror.” It cracks Bruno up and he can’t continue, so Carrie Ann says she felt a connection tonight and thanks Evan for listening to their pleas. Evan tells Brooke that he kept his nephew in his mind during the dance. Their scores: 10-9-10=29.

The Latin round is next, and those solo dances are part of it. We see Erin’s sister talking about Erin growing up taller than most of the boys and trying to hunch over to be the same height as all the other kids. They took ballet, tap and jazz dancing as kids. Erin’s dad is a broadcaster and she always wanted to be a sportscaster, and was thrilled when ESPN hired her at 24. When the videos of her hit the internet, she was upset but determined not to be a victim and did Dancing With the Stars to show women they could keep going. Erin & Maks will dance a Paso Doble and I love her outfit again! During Erin’s solo, someone screwed up big time and we saw a shot of backstage. When Maks comes back out he attaches a gold skirt. It’s a Paso Doble, but they’re both smiling through it. Love the dance! Maks loses his balance and topples a little at the end (see, even the pros mess up now and then!) Bruno says Erin is a hot chick with an attitude. He says tonight is a feast with the standard of dancing. All of a sudden the sound goes out - but from everyone’s reactions, it’s the delay, they bleeped Bruno out. The camera wasn’t on Bruno when he said it, so I couldn’t read his lips - but Maks provoked it! Carrie Ann agrees, saying it was amazing, and compliments Maks’ choreography. Len says he doesn’t know what to make of it, but he likes traditional dancing and that wasn’t a traditional Paso Doble. Erin looks worried and Carrie Ann is growling. Erin says that the solo didn’t scare her much because Maks has been doing that to her all season long. Their scores: 10-9-10=29. As Brooke tells people to vote, Maks takes off his vest and poses shirtless - that will get some votes!

Nicole & Derek are going to dance a Cha Cha. She’s dressed like Prince - if they dance a Prince song, I probably won’t know if it is! (It is.) She was born in Honolulu Hawaii. Nicole’s mom was a teenager when Nicole was born, and they lived with her parents and many other relatives. She moved to Kentucky when she was six when her mother married. She felt different from all the other kids and decided to start singing, and even in high school she would beat herself up if she did something wrong. Her solo is right at the start, and she’s “messing about” with a chair - and when Derek gets there, it’s not a lot of Cha Cha. Very entertaining dance, but not Cha Cha enough. What will Len say? We’ll see.......Carrie Ann says she dances as if the dancing cells are in her body and she “poops” them out. (She may have said “poofs” because there wasn’t a huge reaction, but “poops” is funnier!) Len says the solo showed off her dance talent but didn’t show off a Cha Cha - but she has to be in the Finals next week. Bruno calls her the “sexilicious purple queen of the Cha Cha Cha!” It’s Derek’s birthday today - he’s finally 19! (Hah!) Their scores: 10-9-10-29.

Tom quips that if you’re having a birthday and need a buzzkill, Len is available.

Chad & Cheryl are up next. He grew up in Miami, with alcohol, guns and drugs all around him. His teachers told him he wouldn’t amount to anything, but that just made him more determined. Chad’s grandmother tells us that his mother “wasn’t all together” so she just went away. Chad’s dad was in prison, so his grandmother raised him. He wasn’t the smartest kid and sports were his way out. He’s very determined, and the teaching of his grandmother put him in the right frame of mind to get through the dancing competition. It’s a Samba, and I like it. Chad’s got the hips going - although it is a little understated. Cheryl rips off his shirt for his solo (Len may not like that one.) Tom says apart from the few women who passed out and didn’t see the end of the dance, everyone liked it. Len can’t figure out what it is about the Samba that all the men have to take their shirts off. He says that Chad’s torso is like his, although Len has a few more tattoos, and adds that for a tough dance, Chad did a great job. Bruno is torn between “admiration and bitter envy - I will never take my clothes off again.” He says Chad got the Samba right, with his cheeky grin and the sparkle in his eyes. Carrie Ann says his technique hasn’t matured like everyone else since he started in a different place, but his charisma lit up the room. “Your solo had everybody working it.” Chad tells Brooke that if he makes the Finals, he may have to take his pants off. Their scores: 8-8-9=25.

Next week’s Finale will bring the eliminated stars back - Jake will Waltz with Vienna, and “Kate Gosselin will fly.” (Hopefully it’ll be out the door - before she dances, so we don’t have to watch her.) The finalists will do four dances next week, too!

Evan & Anna are going to dance a Paso Doble. First, we see that Evan grew up in Illinois. His mom says Evan was an unusual child, very driven. He had a growth spurt at 14 and wanted to quit, but was talked out of it. Scott Hamilton says most skaters are shy because they practice by themselves. He’s willing to learn and everything he sets out to accomplish, he does. Well, we’ll see if Anna can get his emotions out with a Paso - and all I can say is wow! The dance is intense, his solo is killer - and he mauls Anna at the end and looks like he kisses her to death! I LOVE IT! This better be a perfect score! He gets a standing ovation. Bruno says it’s the best innovation in a Paso Doble this season - strong yet artistic. Bruno yells “a Paso Doble with passion and you’ve got balls!” Carrie Ann is cracking up with that weird laugh of hers, but says “yes he does!” Carrie Ann says usually his movements are (demonstrating flowy) but tonight they were (throwing her head around and pumping her fists). Len calls the Paso Doble is a man’s dance, where the man has to dominate, and it’s usually hard for the male celebrities to come out and dominate the pros. But Evan did - “you came out with attack, aggression - fantastic!” Evan stops to hug Kate on the way to the Celebraquarium, and gets a hug from Donny Osmond too. Evan tells Brooke he wanted to get it right for Anna because “she’s shown me strength, and love, and all that hard work, and I wanted to grab it all and throw it back at her.” He’s so cute sometimes! Their scores: 10-10-10=30.

The standings after the judges’ scores are:

59 - Nicole & Derek
59 - Evan & Anna
56 - Erin & Maks
52 - Chad & Cheryl

So who will be in the Finals? Better yet, who do you think has a shot at the (gaudy and ugly) Mirrorball Trophy? Do you award great dancing, no matter the experience, (Nicole or Evan) or who has come the farthest (Erin or Chad)? Make sure you vote!

Tuesday, May 11, 2010

Our Comedy Queen Leaves the Dance Floor

Results night! Double the dances and double the pressure! The stage is set for the Semi Finals! LIVE! From Hollywood! This is Dancing With the Stars!!

And WTF is Brooke wearing? It looks like tin foil with a dead animal pelt on one shoulder and wrapping around to the bottom. No crazy hair lady this season, but there sure is a mad dress designer!

Len’s recap: he liked Evan’s dancing - but then he didn’t. Evan & Anna confused Mr. Cranky Pants last night. Erin’s Argentine Tango was fantastic, but her Rumba wasn’t. Niecy and Chad are the pretenders - Chad’s posture in the Tango wasn’t better, but his 60's Jive was jumping. Niecy’s Viennese Waltz was lovely, but he was concerned about her Paso Doble. According to Len, Niecy is “the little engine that could.” Len was mesmerized by Nicole’s Fox Trot. The 50's Paso Doble was genius. And that will be the judges’ choice for the Encore - and I can’t blame them. It is a very, very good dance! Tom tells us next season they’re going to make Derek choreograph a Quickstep from the Renaissance period.

DanceCenter tonight! We see a commercial as Kenny Mayne, Jerry Rice and Len are walking across the stage and leaving for the night. They say good night to Nicole as she’s wiping the dance floor, telling her she missed a spot.

Cheryl and Tony have choreographed a Paso Doble and it’s featured in the upcoming “Toy Story 3" film. The Gypsy Kings will be singing the song and we see Tony and Dmitry dancing. Kym comes out to dance with Dmitry, and it looks like they stole a move from Erin & Maks - Kym’s jump onto Dmitry looks eerily familiar! Here comes Cheryl to dance with Tony.

This is DanceCenter! Jerry Rice is wearing a blonde wig and Kenny isn’t wearing sparkly makeup. First off they analyze Niecy - she’s 5'5" and likes to eat food. She’s president and CEO of myjigglyparts.com. Kenny says she’s one of the rare contestants to gain weight during the competition. Chad is next, he’s got the softest lips in the world. He could get a lip balm deal and call it “Chad-Stick.” (*rolling eyes*) Kenny starts to say that he might be the best wide receiver, till Jerry shows off his three Super Bowl rings. Kenny talks about giving Cheryl the jewelry, and says “it’s amazing that he gave Cheryl that ring when he doesn’t have one himself” which gives Jerry another opportunity to show off his three Super Bowl rings. Nicole is talented but her talent may be her downfall, since Derek pushes her to the limit. She has disgusting habits - she spits gum into Derek’s mouth and smells her armpits. They rattle off some of Derek’s beautiful partners, and include Mark Ballas in that group. HA!

We find out that Nicole & Derek are safe (duh). The first couple in the Bottom Two is Chad & Cheryl. (Kinda duh).

We’re being treated to the first College Dance-Off Championship between University of California San Diego and Purdue University (GO BIG TEN!) The UCSD team includes scientist and engineering majors - nerds who love to dance. Their team is dancing the Samba. Not much hip action, and their synchronicity is off. I like the ending, though. The judges will comment. Len says one of the keys to team dancing is pattern changing, and they were fantastic at it, but one or two times the lines weren’t clear. Bruno says they tried intricate formations and they need to work on them, but all in all a good dance. Carrie Ann loved the transitions between the patterns, but they need bigger movements. Their scores are 8-8-8=24, which count for half of the total scores; viewer votes will count for the other half.

After the commercial Purdue is up to dance. One of its members, Kris, joined to meet girls. They’ll be dancing the Mamba. I’m watching and thinking that the winning team should have the pros choreograph a dance for them, these have seemed a little ho-hum. Purdue was better, though. Bruno gets to begin and says there’s plenty of hip action practice in Purdue. They have a couple of timing issues, and there wasn’t enough changing patterns. Carrie Ann thinks Purdue has great spirit. They were stylized and pizzazy, but they need more pattern changes. Len tells Kris that he started dancing for the same reason - girls. What they did, they did great, but he redundantly says they need to change patterns. Their scores: 8-7-7=22.

The Gypsy Kings will perform again, their worldwide hit. Okay, I never heard it. Sounds good, though. I don’t recognize the dancers, and Tom just says “guest pro dancers.”

DanceCenter again. They’ll skewer Evan next. He’s the first one to get a 10 out of Len. They love his hair and show people with hair like his - and put Evan hair on Obama in a picture. Len is wearing an Evan wig too! They say he’s bursting with energy and enthusiasm and then all fall asleep during an interview. Erin works for the same company as Kenny, so he’s going to step back and not comment...well, never mind. Kenny says Maks is not Russian, but from the Ukraine, and tells Erin to stop by the geography hall the next time she’s visiting a college campus. Len wants them to stop bickering and work as a team. Jerry says Nicole will win, but Kenny says that the hungriest contestant is Niecy, so she will win.

More results ... the next couple safe is Evan & Anna. Of course, the remaining couples sweat out the commercial before learning their fates. Niecy is wearing those mega eyelashes again. Erin & Maks have made it to the Semi Finals, leaving Niecy & Louis in the Bottom Two with Chad & Cheryl. Niecy & Louis will be leaving and Chad looks like he’s ready to pass out. Niecy says she proved something, being a 40-year old mother with three c-sections. Tom says he expected the bombastic Niecy but she and Louis were very elegant at times. Their retrospect has Niecy saying their relationship is like a cheeseburger with curly fries on the side. Louis tells her he is a mirror so Niecy can look at him and see the truth. She quips “when did I become a white man?” She’s so funny! Niecy wants her last song to be something “so we can get crankin’ here!” I’m really going to miss her!

So next week, the Semi Finals, and the week after, the Mirrorball Trophy will be awarded! Does Nicole have it locked up or can Evan or Erin be a dark horse? Can Chad wow everyone and stay in the game till the end?

Monday, May 10, 2010

Five Couples Try to Dance Their Way Into the Semi Finals

Five couples left! Who will make it to the Semi Finals? We’ll find out if they can handle the pressure .... LIVE!!!!!

Hmmmm, interesting dress on Brooke tonight. Love the color but hate Brooke...she can wear horizontal stripes and not look fat.

Tonight’s dances include our couples having to embrace an era for one dance- 50's, 60's, 80's, 90's or the future. Hey! What’s wrong with the 70s? That was my era and it was pretty damn neat if you ask me! The “gang of nitpickers” will get even nitpickier tonight since it will get the couples in to the semi-finals.

What do the pros think about the stars? Erin has long legs, but doesn’t trust Maks enough. Evan has the grace for ballroom dancing, but he needs chemistry with Anna. Chad has great posture and frame but needs to do more movement. Nicole is one of the best ballroom dancers on DWTS, but she tries to reinvent the wheel. Niecy is elegant but needs to be lighter on her feet and focus on her technique to shut Len up. (That from Maks, who else?)

Chad & Cheryl are up first in the Ballroom Round with the Tango. Chad wants to see a 10 paddle. Cheryl never knows what she’ll get when Chad comes to rehearsal - sometimes he’s playful and others far too serious. She tells him and he says if he was normal he’d be like everyone else. He’s going to get serious now if he expects to win. They’ll dance the Tango first, and he starts great - he’s got the persona, and his movements are pretty good. It seems as if he’s slouching a little, like he thinks he’s too tall for Cheryl. His butt is sticking out! Len says learning one dance in a week is tough, but learning two in a week really shows the imperfections because there’s no time to get the details (uh, oh, sounds like it won’t be good!) He had good movement but it needed more refinement. Bruno tells Chad he went for the emotional involvement, but the dance had to be “slicker.” Carrie Ann loved the intensity and attack, but his posture was funky. In the Celebraquarium Brooke asks Chad where his head is at, and he says he’s treating this as his own personal playoffs - “win or go home.” Their scores are okay: 7-7-7=21.

Before the commercial, we see the pros saying that Evan needs to let go a little - Anna tells him he can seem cold. Erin is not trusting Maks - again. Nicole is putting too much pressure on herself and is crying during rehearsal.

Niecy & Louis will dance a Viennese Waltz. She’s up at 4:30 a.m. and gets to work about 5:30 for hair and makeup, and begins taping around 7:30 a.m. She’s exhausted by the time she gets to Louis at 11:30 a.m. Louis is explaining that her head needs to lean a certain way and her body will stretch correctly, because the head is the heaviest part of the body. Niecy tells him there are other parts of her body that are heavier. Louis says she never complains about how tired she is. Their Waltz is to “I’ve Got You Babe” and it’s great choreography - but Niecy isn’t all that light on her feet. It is fairly graceful, though. At the end, Louis spins her to the floor and then kind of drags her in circles. Bruno says he knows the Viennese Waltz should cover the floor, but he “doesn’t know about polishing it.” The beginning was very pretty, but the way she was swinging her arms looked at times like she was swatting wasps. (Ever the Italian, Bruno is waving his arms as he says this, and Len is ducking.) As he’s getting soundly booed, Bruno gets louder and says “it was a tiny thing in an otherwise good performance.” Carrie Ann says there was a little too much “push and pull” and the transitions weren’t there. Len is pleasantly surprised - it was floaty, her posture was good - although her arms did look like she was taking lessons from Harold Wheeler (the band leader). Niecy asks Len about “holding up her carriage” and Len says she held it so high he’s surprised she could hear the music. Niecy squeals and Louis laughs. Brooke asks her how she keeps up her energy and humor with as hard as she works, and she pats Louis’ cheek saying she laughs at him - “he doesn’t even know how hysterical he is.” Louis says he went from snacks to caffeine because it’s the only thing that keeps Niecy awake. Their scores: 7-8-8=23. (I don’t know if they were better than Chad & Cheryl, but.....I’m not a judge. Although I play one at my keyboard!)

Next are Erin & Maks with an Argentine Tango. She hated being in the Bottom Two - she felt sick onstage. Maks tells her they can’t let that bother them. They’re rehearsing and Maks grabs her, and Erin yells “ow!” and tells him it looks like she’s humping a fire hydrant. He’s trying to teach her to jump off the raised stage and she’s scared - she’s six feet with her heels and doesn’t “jump off stairs for a living.” Maks doesn’t know what goes through her head. He just wants her to be unafraid for one minute and thirty seconds, and then she can go back to being afraid. Wow, that jump is something - she lands on Maks’ shoulder with one leg on either side of him. He lowers Erin into a backbend and it’s painful to watch, but a great move. It’s a great dance, and they high-five at the end of it. Carrie Ann gets to begin, and grabs Len and kisses his cheek. She says “that was so hot!” It showcased her assets, and she was committed to the character. Len comments “Erin. You dirty, dirty girl. I absolutely loved it!” Bruno says Maks is a lucky fire hydrant. He didn’t know Erin could “be so bendy.” He says she was on fire. As usual, they manhandle Tom before they scoot off for the Celebraquarium. Brooke congratulates Erin on the jump and asks how Maks helped her face her fears. In her best Russian Maks voice, she said he just told her “come on, woman, just do it!” Here come the scores: 9-10-9=28. They got a 10 from Len!

Tom comes back after commercial and says Len just asked for Carrie Ann’s number. (Heehee!)

Evan & Anna are up next to dance a Waltz. After getting a perfect score last week, Evan decides it’s time to relax a little and takes Anna ice skating. He tells her “that’s horrible frame” as she skates by, but Anna says it will be one of her best memories, being coached by an Olympic gold medalist. Back in their dancing shoes, Anna tells Evan she wants it to be the most romantic Waltz - and there’s no hip action, which thrills Evan. Anna is having problems with Evan and his “sensitivity.” She keeps telling him “this is not technical.” Will she be able to coax the romantic out of him? They begin the dance lying on the floor, and Anna rolls over on top of Evan. He seems to be doing well, but sometimes his eyes are staring off more into the distance rather than gazing longingly at Anna. Very pretty dance, let’s see if it was romantic enough. Len isn’t sure if he liked it or not - of course, he didn’t like the “roly poly stuff on the floor” but Evan’s posture was great, his footwork is good. Bruno says the beginning was like “Romeo and Juliet reawakened.” Bruno tells Evan his lyrical lines of his top half is something to behold. Carrie Ann says his lines are impeccable - but when she looks closer, Evan has to lose himself in the moment. Brooke asks if Evan is having problems with the emotional parts of it, being more of a technical person. He said it was easy when he looked at Anna’s “big green” eyes but when he looked away he thought “step, step, step.” Their scores: 9-9-9=27. As Brooke tells the audience how to vote, Anna silently tells the audience with her hands to call or text, and Tom tells us that Anna will be doing street mime during the week.

Nicole & Derek round off the Ballroom Round with a Foxtrot. Derek listens to Nicole’s creative ideas. Derek says no matter how well Nicole has performed, she’s still learning how to dance. Nicole tells Derek that if anyone says she’s a dancer and it comes naturally to her, they should come and watch her rehearse. Derek thinks she’s putting herself under too much pressure because she’s done so well, and Nicole feels overwhelmed and tired. This Foxtrot is a little perky, and it’s pretty nice! It’s really different than the in-hold soft dance, they’re dancing to “I Just Haven’t Met You Yet” and it’s perky and fun. Wonder if Len will complain about all the messin’ about. Bruno calls it “one and a half minutes of pure dancing joy.” He loved the creativity and calls it a “jewel created by a master.” (Great, give Derek more fodder to make his head bigger. But it was really good!) Carrie Ann says it’s nice to see Nicole smile again. They’re not phoning it in, which they could do with their skills, but they’re challenging themselves. Len said they took a Foxtrot and a Michael Buble song (wonderfully sung, and the audience gives the band applause) and turned it into a love story. The lack of body contact “spoiled it a bit for me” but Len loved the dance. After the commercial we go right to the scores: 10-9-10=29. Nicole tells Brooke there’s a fine line between putting too much pressure on herself and taking it easy.

Tom introduces a sample of what the Latin round might look like, trying to dance in a certain decade. A champion dancing couple, Gary & Rita Geckman, will dance their futuristic number that got them disqualified from the 2006 World Championships for being “too edgy.” Interesting. They dance a bit of Foxtrot, some Quickstep, a little Cha Cha....all with silver- painted faces, hands and hair.

The pros talk about our stars dancing Latin. Maks says the biggest part of Latin dancing is the emotional input. Chad’s smile is the best for Latin, but because he’s so tall he looks uncomfortable. Niecy has a bubbly personality, but lacks strength sometimes. Evan’s movements are crystal clear, but sometimes everything is bleached out and it’s more mechanical. Erin has the chemistry with Maks, but she gets sloppy in Latin and needs to tighten up. Nicole is an amazing Latin dancer, she’s got the body for it and knows how to use it. She’s too judgmental of herself and puts too much pressure on herself.

Chad & Cheryl pick the 1960's to do their Jive. Cheryl says the 60's Chad is all about the ladies and throwing his cash around. Like he does naturally. He tries to tell Cheryl to get her “pimp hands” going, and she says she doesn’t know what he’s talking about. Chad says “I don’t either, but it sounds good.”

Before they dance, we see the other couples picking their eras. Evan & Anna get the future, and Evan does a cute robot voice asking “do you want to Cha Cha?” Maks insists he’s not dancing like they did in the 80's. Derek is freaking out, because they will dance a Paso Doble, and they picked the 50's, and “the 50's are all happy and bubbly, and the Paso is more tough. It’s not gonna work!”

We finally get to see Chad & Cheryl’s 60's Jive. It’s bouncy, and fun, and Chad looks goofy in his red velvet pimp suit with leopard trim. Len says it was high energy, fun, and there weren’t a lot of kicks, but that was okay because “the few kicks you did were terrible.” Bruno said “you definitely pimped that Jive.” He thinks it’s great to see Chad smile, because it changes the whole dance. Carrie Ann thought it was great, very groovy - but the energy was a little wild at times. She did think it was Chad’s best dance yet. Cheryl tells Brooke that Chad is improving every week. Their scores: 8-8-8=24, and they like it that they’re better than the first scores. Chad tells us he keeps working on his posture, and maybe he’ll have to borrow someone else’s.

Niecy & Louis get to dance a 90's Paso Doble. Niecy is struggling with the attitude of the dance, because “I’m an easy, breezy girl.” Louis tells her it’s Paso Doble, and Niecy realizes she’s giving him Saturday Night Fever. Louis thinks Niecy will be fine, because the 90's was the “era of the diva.” Louis is messing with her hair a little, and Niecy tells him “black women don’t like their hair touched.” During the opening sequence of their dance it seems as if Niecy is off the beat and looking down. She really isn’t good at the attitude, she looks like she’s trying so hard to look tough. Bruno calls her a “scary mama.” He thinks she may have thrown herself into the dance like an avalanche - “you never know if it’s going to end up in disaster.” She looked unsteady. Carrie Ann says she gives Niecy a lot of credit, because they’re always telling her to give us more, and this was her most ambitious routine yet. She thought the beginning was out of whack, and they were like “bumper cars.” Len said Niecy got through the routine, but it isn’t good enough at week 8. He thinks everyone has a dance that doesn’t suit them, and the Paso Doble is Niecy’s. Their scores aren’t great: 7-6-7=20. Brooke asks her what she brings to the dance floor is her joy and she’s comfortable in her skin - she’s throwing it all around. Louis says “after those scores, we need some votes.”

Erin & Maks will try a 1980's Rumba. Erin will wear the Flashdance sweater and Maks is complaining that he can’t dance looking like Don Johnson - loafers with no socks. She thinks her arms are long and skinny and doesn’t like them. Maks tells her that she thinks she’s not good and pretty, but “that’s your problem.” Wow! Maks lowers Erin into sideways splits - and then flips her around. Maks was right, though, she looks sharp in some spots. Carrie Ann tells her that she should be up there with Nicole and Evan, and it’s only because she doubts herself that she’s not. She moves beautifully. Len thought it was great at the beginning, but the whole thing was jerky and she needs to smooth it out. But he liked it. Bruno thinks “you two make great music together.” He says it had a spiky, bitchy Madonna feel to it. Maks goes over and puts his white jacket on Bruno’s shoulders as Bruno tells Erin that her extension is getting better and she should be in the Finals. Erin likes her outfit, saying she’s channeling Edyta with the leg warmers. Their scores: 8-8-9=25. The whole interview with Brooke was pretty stilted and ridiculous.

Evan & Anna will show us their futuristic Cha Cha. Evan is thinking Wall-E. Anna is telling Evan to do a hip movement, and Evan says “maybe my hips will be better in the future.” The beginning of their dance is hidden in the smoke. Not sure Len’s gonna like this one, there’s not a whole lot of Cha Cha. Len thinks Evan had a bit of luck, because his Latin dances are lacking, but he comes out tonight as a robot and doesn’t have to be loose. Again, Len is confused. Bruno says he’s not confused, it’s “Mr. Spock meets Barbarella in Cha Cha Trek, the Next Generation.” He thought it was very creative, and he liked it. Carrie Ann thought he was much more committed to his character. She thought it was lucky that Evan got the futuristic dance, because the stiff movements worked well. Their scores: 9-8-9=26. Anna looks disappointed.

You’ve been warned! DanceCenter will be back tomorrow night, with Kenny Mayne, Jerry Rice, and Len. Tom says they’re prepping for it, and we see them in toilet stalls with their pants around their ankles. Well, we see what we can see with the door closed.

Nicole & Derek will show us what a 50's Paso Doble looks like. Nicole was really excited about doing a Paso Doble, and Derek is having problems incorporating the 50's and it’s “im-paso-bley.” Cute. Not! It’s really a great dance, though. It’s tough, and kinda looks “West Side Story-ish.” Nicole looks incredible in this dance! Bruno yells “it’s Lucy and the Rebel!” It’s a feisty, passionate performance. Carrie Ann is cracking up that she doesn’t know what to say. “How can you match the 50's with a Paso?” She calls it brilliant. Len said he was nice about her Foxtrot and it’s not like him to be nice about two dances in one night. So, he was very disappointed that there was nothing he could see to criticize. I see three 10's coming here, and I really think they deserve it! It was a great dance! Brooke asks if Nicole would enjoy practice more this week, and Nicole says yes. Derek thought it would be tough but Nicole is a great inspiration. Their scores are as good as I expect: 10-10-10=30.

59 - Nicole & Derek
53 - Evan & Anna
53 - Erin & Maks
45 - Chad & Cheryl
43 - Niecy & Louis

Make sure you vote and keep your favorites in this competition! We’ll find out who goes home tomorrow!

Wednesday, May 5, 2010

Someone Had to Go Home ... and It's Pamela

First I’ll apologize for the lateness of this blog - the Red Wings were on last night, and went into overtime, so by the time the game was over (and the Wings lost, dammit!) I could only watch either DWTS or LOST and still get to bed early enough to get up coherent for work. I chose LOST, and cried (and if you’re a LOST watcher you know why, if not, you’ve missed a great show). THEN, the news had a tribute to Ernie Harwell, our Detroit Tigers announcer for over 40 years and a stellar human being, and I cried some more. All in all, DWTS just had to wait till today....so let’s check it out and thank the Lord for TiVo!

It’s judgment night! Only five points separate the leader and the bottom! Who will go home tonight? We’ll find out ... LIVE!!!!!

Brook’s dress is interesting....short, and very pretty except for the top which looks like her bra sticking out of it.

The couples who shared second place on the leader board with 27 points learn their fate first. Nicole & Derek and Erin & Maks come down the stairs and Tom tells us that one couple is in the Bottom Two. Hey, what’s up with that? And it’s Erin & Maks! Erin is by no means one of the two worst dancers left!! Sometimes I wonder about the voting audience....

Len gives us his recap of Monday night’s dancing. We says everyone doing their best individual dances ever. It was “gorgeous.” (There’s that word again! Must have been the theme of the week or something.) Erin & Maks wer fun, fast and fabulous. Chad had smoothness, and he’s going to “end with a bang.” Nicole’s dress got tangled during a spin and she thought she was “going down.” Pam’s Waltz was excellent, and she feels like she’s “starting to get it.” Niecy did a knockout Quickstep. In the Confessional she answers a question: “Did I think I would make it this far? Yes, I think I’m gonna win the Mirrorball Trophy! Why do people keep asking me that?” Evan blew everyone out of the water. Last week he was knocked down with his lowest score but he came back stronger. He says he feels his best when the pressure is on. His Olympic training definitely helps there. Len is hysterical, shaking his hips as he says “Oooh, ah, Team GaGa. They can do the Cha Cha Cha.” Len thinks anyone can win this.

Team GaGa gets to do the Encore Dance, but Pam hurt her leg and Chelsie will take her place. Really changes that aspect of the dance, for sure! I’m not sure that they kept the dance the same either, or maybe it’s just because Chelsie knows what she’s doing. That leaves Chad and Nicole as the only two non-professional dancers and I’m watching them specifically - and they’re doing very well to keep up.

Train comes out to perform their new hit, and it’s sounding pretty good and is made more fun with Dmitry and Lacey, Mark and Chelsie, and Tony and I think Cheryl (her hair was covering her face most of the dance). Brook takes us in to the next clip and doesn’t say who the dancers are. We see Niecy in the Confessional saying “I danced in my underwear, moved my feet as fast as I could. The only thing left is to get naked. I’ll do it if I have to.” (I love Niecy but no, I DO NOT want to see her dance naked!) Maks is not wearing pink, he’s wearing salmon. Get it right! Evan says he was an alpha dog and Anna was an omega sheep, which Anna protests.

We finally get more results. Chad & Cheryl and Evan & Anna step forward. Evan & Anna are safe, and Chad & Cheryl are the dreaded “still in jeopardy.” Chad makes a face and smacks his hands on his hips and pouts a bit, getting a giggle from the audience.

We find out Pam shouldn’t aggravate her injured leg, and when Brooke asks her about dancing next week, Pam says she will - “I’m totally going to aggravate it tomorrow.” Brooke asks Niecy about being at the bottom, and she says they were doing great until you factored in the Team dance. Louis quips that “you should have taken your clothes off at the beginning.” Brooke asks what it will take for Niecy to win the Trophy and she says “a wardrobe malfunction.” Tom wants to know “If you plan it weeks ahead of time, is it really a malfunction?”

Our pros talk about what it’s like from here on out, having to learn two dances each week and getting close to the end. Maks says the only ones left are the ones who can dance. Derek tells us that your body is getting tired and your mind is too. Cheryl says there’s no time for a social life, you just put on your dancing shoes and work. Damien offers that you can’t just sit back and let the other couples pass you up. Cheryl mentions when you’ve made it this far, you have only one goal, and that’s to win. Maks says after time passes, people only remember the winner, not the ones who came close.

Niecy & Louis and Pam & Damien are brought out to find out what’s going on. Tom says “get ready for a wardrobe malfunction!” and tells Niecy she’s safe. Pam is still in jeopardy - so that means either she, Chad or Erin is leaving. Bummer for any of them!

Our next filler clip shows Melissa Rycroft taking on all the jobs with DWTS. She’s a production assistant, getting water, coffee, getting our stars to makeup. She makes a feeble attempt at trying to lead the band. She helps in hair and makeup, and blow dries Chad’s bald head. She sits in the director’s chair, telling us that there are 11 cameras and since it’s a live show, there’s no room for error - and then totally screws up every camera shot. At the end, she says all the jobs are hard, and she’s glad she’s done - till someone gives her a mop and bucket, throws a rag over her shoulder, and tells her not to forget the toilets. (I still think she would have been better than Brooke).

Priscilla Presley is in the audience because the Macy’s Stars of Dance are doing a tribute to Elvis. She’s looking better, that’s for sure. I like these dancers! Lots of acrobatic moves (I love it when one guy runs over a line of guys’ backs, and then rolls back under them as they jump over him. Wow, this stuff is hard to describe!) There’s a guy and gal doing some really acrobatic stuff, and there were a lot of moves where her face got awfully close to the floor. Wonder how many times she smacked it during rehearsal?

Train is back to sing their big hit Drops of Jupiter. Louis comes out to dance ... with Karina! Wonder where she’s been? I like that Train didn’t change the song like some bands tend to do with older songs (I guess it can get tiring singing the same song over and over and over again, though). Louis & Karina end their dance with an embrace and splits, which looks really cool.

Backstage Brooke asks Niecy what she has to do to catch Nicole and Evan. Niecy says she’s got something that the two of them don’t. “I don’t know what it is yet, but I’m gonna figure it out.” Nicole is humbled by Carrie Ann’s remark that she’s the best dancer on the show ever, and plans to keep working hard. Evan is very surprised that Erin & Maks are in the Bottom Two, and doesn’t feel like there’s a target on his back after scoring a perfect 30 last night.

The three couples in jeopardy are brought onstage. After doing his little speech about each couple, we’re told that we’ll find out who joins Erin & Maks in the Bottom Two - after the commercial with major groans from the audience. He lied - after the commercial, we’re told the next couple safe is Chad & Cheryl. They’re ecstatic. Pam & Damien get the evil red light. Bruno says that Pamela is a great dancer but even better performer. Erin has done incredible work and Bruno is surprised to see her there. Carrie Ann remarks that she’s truly shocked to see Erin in the Bottom Two, she expects her there at the end. We find out that it’s Erin’s birthday today, too. Len says it’s absolutely heartbreaking that one of them has to go home. As much as I like her, it should be Pam - and it is. Pam says it’s been one of the best experiences of her life, and “that’s saying a lot, I’ve had a lot of good experiences.” Tom mentions that DWTS has been trying to get her on the show since Season 1, and they were thrilled she finally said yes, and Pam turned him into a 12-year-old boy every week. She thanks Damien and wishes everyone luck, and Damien thanks her for her hard work. She looks really uncomfortable with the interview process to me. Tom quips that the double entendre remarks will drop dramatically now.

So now it gets harder, two individual dances a week, and there are only three weeks left until the presentation of the Mirrorball Trophy. Who’s got the best shot to win it?

Monday, May 3, 2010

What a Night! Great Solo Dances, Our First Perfect Score, and a Cha Cha Challenge!

LIVE!!!! From Hollywood ... This is Dancing With the Stars!

Tonight there is a Cha Cha Challenge. The couples will be split up in to two teams - and I guess they gave them all the same dance this time rather than a Tango and a Paso Doble, which is more fair, I think. They all come down the stairs and my, the ladies look lovely in their gowns! Well - except for Anna, she’s wearing little clothing...but still looks good!

Erin & Maks begin the evening, dancing a Quickstep. After their tongue-lashing from Len last week, Maks says they’re doing a proper Quickstep this week, but maybe he’ll take his pants off at the end. (Fine by me, honey!) It sounds like he’s planning to do so, and tells Erin at rehearsal that after he rips off his pants he’ll tear off her skirt. Erin is worried that it will be perceived as a jab at Len. There’s a little arguing (of course) and Maks says he wishes he never took his shirt off (amidst many bleeps). Maks gets his way, sort of - they both start out with black outfits and end up ripping off the outer layers so they’re dressed in bright pink. Erin rips off Maks’ jacket and turns it inside out to pink. Erin looks like she messes up a little, but for the most part it’s a great dance. They run up the stairs at the end, hopefully Len won’t yell about them “messing about” on the stairs. He gets to start - and tells Maks that since they were dancing to “Dancing Fool” he liked the beginning. “I’d hate to see what you would do with Balls of Fire.” He tells Erin it’s her best dance. Bruno calls her “slick, lightning fast and brighter than Len’s tie.” He says sometimes she’s a little tense on the shoulders but otherwise it was brilliant. Tom mentions that Len looks like he got dressed at Pixar before the show, with a lime green shirt and orangey tie, and Len has to jump in that Bruno (in his black suit) looks like he’s going to a funeral, “dressed in black with pixie lights.” Carrie Ann thought it was gorgeous, they danced well as a couple and her lines were good. Their scores: 9-9-9=27. They high five when they get a 9 from Len.

Next up are Chad & Cheryl “the birthday girl.” Chad wants to grow and aim for 10s. They’re dancing the Viennese Waltz and he’s having trouble learning the dance because every step is a turn. He yells at himself “c’mon, 85, what you doing?” as he collapses on the floor. Cheryl brings Tony in to practice to help, and Tony related it to football, telling him that it’s a new playbook to learn. He has to reach his arms like he’s going for the football that’s not in his numbers. Chad says it helped him understand. I love Cheryl’s dress - it’s almost like a bathing suit with a see through skirt, with lace all over. Not sure about Chad’s see through white shirt, though, it’s not great with his dark skin. He’s not the most flowing, looks a little clunky. Cheryl seems to be happy with his dance at the end, though, whispering in his ear. Bruno begins by saying he can’t believe that Chad can be so graceful and gentle. He maintained his focus but there were a couple things, like his reach ended at his wrists and he had “funny hands.” Carrie Ann says his arms are breathtaking when he’s aware of his arms and does them right. She also says there’s nothing sexier than seeing a man learn how to be tender. Len said “Your arms for me were full of fluidity. I won’t tell you what I think these two (Bruno and Carrie Ann) are full of.” Len said tonight is the night Chad became a contender. In the Celebraquarium, Chad says that his presents to Cheryl are just appreciation for all the work she puts in with him. He bought her the ring, and now Cheryl shows off a beautiful diamond necklace. It’s very pretty, a glass heart filled with little diamonds. Cheryl says now everyone knows how hard she has to work with him. (I’ll work with him! Heck, he’s nice to look at and gives away diamonds!) Their scores are much better: 8-9-8=25.

Nicole & Derek dance a Waltz. Last week Len hated their Samba so Derek says they’ll be doing a proper Waltz, no “hodgepodge.” They’re dancing to “You Light Up My Life” which is her aunt’s favorite song, and her aunt has Downs Syndrome. Nicole wants to learn the steps before she gets the frame, but Derek tells her it’s one package and without the frame the steps won’t work. He tells us he should compliment her more when she does it well - and tells Nicole “if I don’t say anything that means you’re doing it right.” Nicole says “I must be perfect then, because you don’t say anything.” She’s in a very pretty ice blue gown and looks like a princess. At the beginning she isn’t smiling, and looks a little ticked - and here and there through the dance too, she has to remember that this dance is happy and romantic. Nice twirl in the middle and one at the end too! Her aunt is in the audience and has leis for both of them. Carrie Ann says that Nicole is “by far” the best dancer they’ve had on the show. (I don’t know about that - she IS good, but let’s not get carried away here!) She says that in a Waltz “two become one” but it didn’t seem that way with this dance - but it was still gorgeous (Carrie Ann’s word of the night, I guess!) Len loved the routine, the performance, the hold, there were one or two little technical things that “I won’t go into now, if you’ll see me in my trailer I’ll sort it out for you.” Bruno says Nicole is as close to dancing royalty as she can possibly be. Some of the choreography was so difficult that he could see her mistakes but it’s because her standards are so high, it stands out. Sounds like all 10's to me! 9-9-9=27. (I think they were expecting 10s as well, Derek looked a little disappointed!)

Pam & Damien are dancing a Waltz also. I think it’s a little unfair that she has to follow Nicole & Derek with the same dance. This week they get out of the studio and go to the Wildlife Center where they wash up the crates and Damien says “I never thought I’d be washing poo with you.” Pam feels refreshed and ready to practice, but she’s having trouble with her hips so Damien brings a piece of material and ties them together, so they’re “joined at the hips.” She says she felt closer (duh) and felt the rise and fall of their bodies together - “the Waltz is definitely not boring. You don’t want to know what’s going on in my head.” It’s a pretty dance, they’re really together in their movements. He even spins her at the end and she keeps a foot on the floor! Very pretty. Len says we’ve just seen Nicole’s Waltz with “flash bang” and this was more understated - but her upper body needs firming up. (Everyone laughs at that one). Bruno says Pam is demure, and she got the “pure essence of romance” right. She has to get her top line held correctly - “there are other things to get together.” Carrie Ann says there was huge improvement in her legs, and her lines were great. Their scores: 8-8-8=24. My, the judges are generous tonight! (Not that she didn’t deserve decent scores.)

Niecy & Louis
are up next and will dance a Quickstep. Last week she got her highest scores from the judges but ended up in the Bottom Two. She says it’s not fun, “and your Mama is in the audience praying....” She says when she first met Louis, he brought her snacks, and the courting phase was nice. Now it’s like they’re a couple who got divorced and still have to tolerate each other for the sake of the kids. Louis is texting someone and Niecy asks who it is, and it’s Kelly (Osbourne). Niecy yells “Kelly, he don’t dance with you no more, Boo! Right now, these feet gotta learn how to dance, Osbourne!” They being the dance doing side-by-side steps and she looks great, but her dress kinda hides her feet. She’s not really bouncy or moving her feet high off the floor, but she looks like she’s having fun! I really like Niecy but I don’t know how much longer she can stick around. Bruno says she’s never looked more gorgeous and her footwork was better than ever. (I also notice she’s not wearing those huge fake eyelashes either, and it looks MUCH better!) He says it’s her best dance today. Carrie Ann agrees it was Niecy’s best dance. She was light on her feet, everything was small and dainty. Len agrees that it was her best dance, and tells her she has to lift her ribcage. Niecy tells him “I’ve got a lot to lift up” and Len tells her that “Louie will help you.” Niecy is really happy and we hear she’s been pacing in the Celebraquarium waiting for her scores, and she’s ecstatic about them: 9-8-8=25. She yells “I can dance!”

Evan & Anna will wrap up the couples’ dancing with an Argentine Tango. He feels like he let Anna down last week. Evan has asked Anna to push him this week, and she’s trying to get his “lyrical” lines and make him more powerful, telling him he can’t submit to the woman in a Tango. Let’s see if she gets his attention. They begin, and so far so good! He’s looking very manly for this one (and I can understand why it’s hard for him, considering what he has to do for skating.) They do a great lift and spin! I really like this dance! Way to go Evan! Tom says they went “all James Bond” on the Tango. The audience gives them a standing ovation. Carrie Ann yells that Evan has “the eye of the tiger!” It was the right combination of power, control, and “grr.” Len says “I know you were nice on ice, but I had doubts you’d be good on wood.” (Wow! Len spent some time working on his quips this week!) He says “I’ve got a paddle in here that I haven’t used yet, and I’m gonna dust it off.” Bruno said Evan danced like a true alpha male and conquered his territory tonight. “Strong, powerful, sexy - everything a girl would want.” Tom thinks we’re going to get our first perfect score! Anna says Evan is a great student because he’s willing to do anything she asks. Evan is a nice guy and a hard worker, but he’s really not that great of an interview, kinda deadpan. Their scores are the best of the season! 10-10-10=30. The first perfect scores!

Time for the Cha Cha Challenge! Team GaGa (dancing to a Lady GaGa song) is first: Pam & Damien, Chad & Cheryl, and Nicole & Derek. Derek says they have 30 seconds together at the beginning and end, and in the middle are their individual dances. They decide Pam will go first, then Chad & Cheryl, and they will finish with their strongest couple. Pam says “I should have done this 20 years ago.” Chad tells everyone “Perfect is what I am on the football field. On the dance floor - “ Cheryl finishes his sentence “not so much.” They have to try to make sure everything is in sync. It starts out pretty good, and wehn Pam gets to her solo, it looks as if she forgets it a bit. Chad looks good, but not too bouncy. Nicole & Derek, of course, light it up pretty good (add strobe lights and that’s why!) It looks pretty good, the sync is good at the end. They put their hands together at the end for a “team gaga!” and as they split up Cheryl catches Chad’s foot and almost falls backward. Len said their dances together at the beginning and end were great, and he can’t wait for Nicole to do a Cha Cha Cha. Bruno said the cannonball (whatever that part was) was incredible. Pamela kept up with Cheryl and Nicole and “that took some doing.” Chad turned up the heat. Carrie Ann says that Chad struggled a bit here and there, but the sexual energy was great in the group. They’re “so grounded, so connected, so in tune with your bodies.” Talking to Brooke, Chad says they’re not worried about Team Madonna because they have “pow, (Pam & Damien) wow, (Nicole & Derek) and bam(he and Cheryl).”
Good scores! 9-9-9=27.

Team Madonna is next. Louie says for the solo dances he wants to have sharp at the beginning and end, “so we will be in the middle.” Niecy says she can be sharp - “have you seen my footwork this week?” and Maks tells her she can be the centerpiece and Niecy likes that. Evan asks Niecy for hlep becasue she's done the Cha Cha and he hasn’t. She tells him he has to “pop” his hips and he tells her there’s nothing to pop. Erin says Maks told her “Woman, just don’t embarrass me” and she’s got his accent down pretty good! We get the innocent Maks face saying he never said that, but we know better! They begin the dance with the three stars coming out and doing a little solo. Evan & Anna go first, and Evan can be a bit more smooth with this one, and it looks like he’s having fun. Niecy and Louis look pretty good too, and on we go to Erin & Maks - will he take clothes off for this one? Their sync at the end isn’t as good as Team GaGa - but the men rip off the girls’ skirts, leaving them in corsets. (Wanna bet that was Maks' idea?) Bruno said it was a Cha Cha with a Samba feel to it. Erin into the groove, Evan with two girls at the same time, and Niecy really shook it. He did mention that they lost sync at the end. Carrie Ann said it was nice to see them having so much fun, although the ripping off the skirts could have come a little earlier - and Maks says “Len would penalize us.” Len protests “I have no problem with Erin taking her clothes off.” Len thought the stars were brave to start the whole thing off on their own. He says for them to learn two dances this week at such a high standard was fantastic. Maks reaches over to Louis and wipes off some lipstick from his chin, and Louis looks at Tom and says “Thanks for telling me.” In the Celebraquarium Erin says she loved working with the other couples but Niecy didn’t bring them any food. Niecy is happy she finally got to show off her jiggly parts. Maks said it was impossible to keep everyone focused on the same thing. Their scores aren’t as good: 8-8-8=24.

So, here are the standings after the judges’ scores:

Nicole & Derek: 27+27=54
Evan & Anna: 30+24=54
Chad & Cheryl: 25+27=52
Erin & Maks: 27+24=51
Pam & Damien: 24+27=51
Niecy & Louis: 25+24=49

Make sure you vote! I’d really hate to see any of these couples go, I love them all, but someone has to go home. Who will it be? Vote and keep your favorites dancing!

WARNING: Big Brother Spoilers!

We watch the current season of Big Brother on CBS and the Feeds. We watch all Big Brother 24 coverage and DVR it and watch it again. There will be posts about things we have seen from watching Big Brother 24/7. If you are a casual viewer of the CBS show-only or do not want to read any spoilers, do not read our posts dealing with the Live Feeds.