Tuesday, October 27, 2009

The First Dance Off of the Season Doesn't Save the Snowboarder

Last night saw the first Dance Marathon of the show - and tonight we get a double elimination and the first Dance-Off of the season! Who will go home? We’ll find out soon - LIVE!

Taylor Swift begins the show with a song off her new album. She’s a cute kid with a nice voice.

In the confessionals, both Melissa and Kelly thought they would have gotten better reviews and scores. We again get to see how Louie dropped Chelsie on her can twice. Mark said he had a blast “in spite of my mess-ups” and after Lacey told him “don’t say that” he changed it to “improvisations.”

We find out the new rules for the Dance Off tonight. The couple with the lowest combined judges’ scores and votes will go home; then, the next two couples with the lowest scores will compete in the Dance Off and the judges will have the final say on who stays and who goes.

Tom and Samantha announce the first couple safe is Joanna & Derek, and then the announce Mark & Lacey (who look really surprised).

We see a clip about the double elimination night and the stars’ fear of getting sent home. Karina says “I’ll be the one to cry if we have to go home.” Aaron yells “don’t send her home” and fake cries. Kelly doesn’t want to go home on her birthday. After the clip, Donny & Kim are told they are safe. Aaron & Karina are announced safe as well, and Karina squeals and jumps (and I don’t think I’ve ever seen Karina that happy!)

Tieplo Libre (and that's just phonetically the way Samantha pronounced it) a band from Havana, perform next. I don’t know if the dancers are with the band or not, but they’re good. I wish I understood Cuban or Spanish or whatever language that is, it’s hard to listen to stuff when I have no idea what they’re saying. Sorry, I’m lazy and didn’t pause the TV at the right time to see if the dancers were our pros or not.

This week the stars get to design the pros’ costumes. Donny scares us a bit by grabbing some leopard print. Michael says he wants to hear every Russian curse work come out of Anna’s mouth (as she stands by the door yelling to Michael in Russian). Joanna asks the designer how many rhinestones can fit on a Speedo, saying that Derek is going to feel like she does every week - half-naked. Mark wants to dress Lacey in something she would wear on a beach in Brazil. The designer tries to help Louie and suggests chiffon - and Louie asks “what’s chiffon?” (Like a snowboarder would have a clue anyway!) Donny comes out of the design room dressed in white, with a white spangly headband and a white boa, to “measure something” on Kym, who is cracking up (me too)!

We will find out the couples in the bottom three - but first, Mya & Dmitry are safe. Now if Kelly gets in, I think we’ve about got it right. And yes! Kelly & Louis are safe! The couples remaining will have to sweat it out during the commercial, and Taylor Swift’s next song. I like this song a lot, and especially because Maks and Edyta, Tony and Cheryl, Jonathan and Anna are dancing to it. I’ve seen Anna dance on the ballroom competitions they show on PBS with other guys, and while she’s damn good, she just looks much better with her hubby.

The stars strive to see the “10" paddles, and for help in getting them, we get some advice from some folks who have seen them - Nadia Comaneci (Russian Olympic gymnast) and Greg Louganis (U.S. Olympic diver) who got the first set of perfect scores in their respective sports, and Bill Walton, who was on a college basketball team that went 60-0 over two seasons. They talk about the importance of practice and visualization, and turning the negatives into positives.

Enough filler - Tom will tell us which couple is going home now. Poor Melissa looks like she’s going to cry - I like her, but she really can’t dance well. And she’s the one going home. She looks like Candice Bergen with the way her hair is styled tonight. Mark says he’s proud of Melissa and she will always have the Charleston, where she got a 10. They don’t get a last dance, I guess they’ll have to share the floor with the other eliminated couple at the end.

After the break, Louie & Chelsie and Michael & Anna will dance the dances they have chosen to dance, to the music they picked. Michael & Anna will go first. We see that they went to the studio to rehearse their Samba at 6:30 a.m. Hope it pays off! Oops, Michael misses grabbing Anna’s hand right off the bat. Michael’s shaking those hips! He looks like he’s having great fun. Len tells Michael that he’s really come alive, but he wasn’t thrilled about the walking-over-Anna-on-the-floor part. Bruno tells Michael that he started out with the Brazilian party and then “let it all hang out at the end.” Carrie Ann says that his personality was there even though the technique part wasn’t.

Louie & Chelsie will Dance Off next. They showed up for practice at 7:15 a.m. They’ve chosen the Jive, even though he liked the Argentine Tango better. Sorry, he just looks bad. I like Louie’s personality, but he’s just ... pathetic. Bruno begins by saying that the Jive is energetic, precise, sharp - “and you did all of that” (huh?). He says that Chelsie put in a lot of content. Carrie Ann goes totally opposite, saying she’s disappointed there wasn’t more content. Len said it was sharp, fast and clean and he doesn’t agree with Carrie Ann (even though he doesn’t know “what happened up there” when Louie lost his steps). After the commercial, the judges will reveal their decision on who goes home.

Bruno says it’s difficult to choose, but the couple that had the edge was Louie & Chelsie. Len like both couples’ routines, even though both disappointed him, and he’s going with Michael & Anna. Oooh, Carrie Ann gets to be the bad guy here! She says that she wants to take into account the work of the whole season, but has to judge solely on the Dance Off, and that means Michael & Anna.

Louie says it’s harder than it looks - getting out in front of millions of people doing what he’d never done before. As we see the faces of the couples that are staying, again Aaron has the ... face. He really looks like he’s ready to bite someone! I think Karina is rubbing off on him - except that she looks happy!

So I switch the channel over to the Red Wings game and see Vancouver score at about 69 seconds into the game. Good grief, one of those nights, huh?

Well, we’ll see how it goes next week - we’ll have another double elimination! Can Michael manage to stay through another Dance Off? Will Aaron join him, or will Kelly go next? We’ll see, next week - LIVE!

Monday, October 26, 2009

The Couples Try a "Marathon Mambo" - for Four Minutes

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

We find out that there will be a dance marathon tonight - did they get extra air time or what? For the individual routines, they will dance either the Jitterbug (with legal lifts) or the Waltz. The marathon involves all the couples dancing the Mambo at once, and getting “tapped out” one by one until one couple is left.

Mya & Dmitry begin the evening dancing the Jitterbug. After last week’s intense Argentine Tango, Mya is happy to let loose and hopefully get the “connection” that she was allegedly lacking. She loves the fun of the dance, but all the tricks are making her body and especially her right hip hurt. She gets a massage after practice (tough life, huh?) Mya is going to “float like a Jitterbug and sting like a bee.” They begin the dance with Mya dusting the judges’ table and Dmitry sweeping the floor - the “messing about” that Len despises. Will he let it go? Len begins by saying “the last refuge of the untalented is props,” and he didn’t like that they “wasted 20 bars polishing my desk.” Bruno called it spot on stylistically, and loved it. Carrie Ann disagrees with Bruno, saying that the Jitterbug lets one go wild and crazy but this was “soft and muted.” Their scores are all over the place: 8-7-9=24.

Melissa & Mark dance the Waltz next. Melissa is having problems with the positions and posture, so Mark brings in his mother, Shirley, who is a champion ballroom dancer. Shirley is just as tough, if not more, than Mark, and Mark comments that “it’s nice to see someone else kicking Melissa’s ass.” Shirley tells Melissa to watch her posture and “keep those puppies up.” Their dance is pretty, but Melissa just doesn’t have it, she looks clunky rather than smooth. You can see the missteps here and there. Bruno starts off and blasts Melissa saying it wasn’t good, that she looked as if she was trying to remember what she was told ... among other things. Carrie Ann tells her that “at least you kept your puppies up” but it looked as if the floor was sticky, and it was rigid. Len says that they had great musicality, Melissa looked very elegant, and even though there were problems with the technique, he thinks Bruno and Carrie Ann were a “bit harsh.” Tom quips that “that was the pot calling the kettles black.” Their scores: 7-7-6=20.

Mark & Lacey are up next with a Jitterbug. In the “confessional” last week after their Paso Doble, Mark says that “dancing with you (Lacey) makes me so horny.” He puts his fingers by his head to show bull horns, while Lacey cracks up. After seeing Mark in nothing but Iron Chef America, this is a different side of him that I really like! Lacey is going to make Mark do all the tricks in this week’s dance and keeps reminding him to smile. She takes Mark to a Jitterbug Club to help him get the energy, and he’s told there that it’s an attitude, not just a dance. Good grief! Lacey carries Mark across the floor a bit! Len may not go for this either, a bit “too much messing about” and could use more Jitterbug. It is very energetic, though! Tom says “best of the night so far” and Carrie Ann whoops it up. She loved it. Len says “sometimes less is more” and the audience groans - but then Len says “but not in the Jitterbug - more is more.” He calls it great (of course, I’m wrong again). Bruno said it was truly spectacular, but notes as Carrie Ann did that Mark stumbled a bit at the end. (I didn’t see it, gotta go back through that one). Their scores: 9-9-8=26.

Aaron & Karina will dance the Waltz. Aaron hated being in the bottom two, two weeks in a row. Karina tells him that they can only control their performances. Aaron comes into practice wearing a suit and bringing Karina red roses (I’ve read some scuttlebut on the internet that they’ve been kanoodling after practice ... I wonder? What, Maks is too old for her?) Aaron looks pissed to start the dance - if that’s his romantic face, I feel bad for his girlfriend! Their dance is cute, seems to have the choreography necessary - but what will the judges say? Len tells Aaron he danced with maturity, his frame and posture were good and there was a connection between the two of them. He says it’s Aaron’s best dance. Bruno says “the boy has become a gentleman.” Carrie Ann says it was beautiful but he did lose his footing a bit. She loves the dignified Aaron Carter on the dance floor. Their scores: 8-9-8=25.

Michael & Anna D.
are up next. He knows that the fans got him this far, and thanks the fans on his radio show. But he’s having trouble with the Waltz and he wants to do well, talking to himself about “that’s what champions do.” He worked hard this week, he looks pretty elegant! Good posture, extension ... (sounds like I know what I’m talking about, huh? I’m learning ballroom speak!) Bruno said that it looked like he was enjoying himself, but Michael’s posture wasn’t good enough. Carrie Ann asks Anna if her feet came off the ground, but that the Waltz was very charming. Len says that “it’s amazing that three people can watch a dance, and two of them get it totally wrong.” He liked the charm, saying it was the best footwork of any Waltz tonight. He went on and on about all the good things about it. (Len must have gotten laid two weeks in a row, he’s in a good mood again!) Their scores: 6-8-6=20.

We see clips before the commercial of some of the stars practicing for the group/marathon Mambo, and Michael has blow-up Weebils (wobble but they don’t fall down) with the other stars’ faces taped to them. He kicks Mya’s as he gets next to it, and Mya says “if Michael thinks he’s gonna accidentally bump into me during the Mambo then he’d better accidentally wear a cup.” Kick ass, girl!

Kelly & Louis dance the Jitterbug. We see that last week she hurt her ankle, and backstage her dad Ozzy asks if she can keep going - and Kelly says “my foot would have to be cut off for me to drop out of the competition.” During practice, Louis is getting frustrated because the first thought Kelly has when he corrects her is that she’s going to “look like an idiot.” He wants her to believe in herself and not be afraid, so he takes her to a trapeze school and tells her “one step at a time, just think of it as a chorus line” as she starts climbing. She yells back “Chorus line! What bloody chorus line have you been in where you’ve got to walk up a ladder?” She’s petrified but does it, and hopes it helps her in her “bouncing” during the Jitterbug. She looks like she’s having fun, but her faces remind me a little of Lucille Ball’s pout. Carrie Ann tells Kelly that she’s brought some fun back into her dancing, but she stumbled a bit after the flip, and needs to “stay in your happy place.” Len thought it was a little flat-footed and lacked freedom. “It was like a blueberry muffin with no blueberries.” Bruno called it cute and nice, but tells her to ignite the performance. “It’s not Kelly any more, it’s the performer.” He told her to get over her fear and called it “beige.” Their scores: 7-6-7=20. I really like Kelly, I hope she stays a little longer!

A clip comes up about the double eliminations. The stars hate the idea and find out that the two lowest couples will do a dance-off and get to decide what dance they will do - meaning this week there are three dances to learn, just in case they need the dance-off. The judges’ scores will be the only ones that count in the dance-off.

Louie & Chelsie get to do a Jitterbug. He wants to keep the great comments from last week going and work really hard, but he’s not comfortable with the tricks and flips. Chelsie makes him review his snowboarding and tries to get him to get the same feeling during dancing as he does snowboarding. I like Louie, but he just doesn’t hav ethe feet for dancing. He jumps up on the judges’ table and rips off his geek glasses and sleeves, and does a cool back flip off the desk, but he’s still standing and walking in spots. Len begins by saying “parts of that were fantastic” (uh oh, what’s he gonna say next?) He calls parts of it “grundy.” (Gonna have to look that one up!) Bruno says he comes out “all wacko” which suits the dance, but that he loses the precision. Carrie Ann loved the dance and the energy, but he dropped Chelsie a couple of times. Backstage Samantha asks if he’s surprised if he’s stayed out of the bottom two even with low judge scores, and he thanks the fans for their support. Their scores: 7-7-7=21.

Next up are Joanna & Derek. Derek “survived the flu.” Tom quips that “a lot of women fall for Maksim” and rubs it in about Joanna’s stumble with Maks last week as he replaced Derek. They will dance the romantic Waltz. She thought the Waltz would be easier, but realizes that it’s slow and controlled and every little mistake will show. Derek says that he’s hard on Joanna because she is good, but he has to remember that she’s not a professional. (Duh). She’s got her posture right, making me realize that it’s gotta be hard to dance bending backwards the whole time. Derek is a good teacher, she looks pretty good! They do a really pretty spin at the end that looks impressive to me! Tom calls it “our get a room dance of the season.” Bruno says it looked like “a butterfly gently gliding over a meadow.” Tom tells Carrie Ann that “the poetry bar has been set” and Carrie Ann doesn’t bite - she says her lines were beautiful but Joanna had hesitation in some parts. Len says her footwork wasn’t too brilliant, but he liked that they went straight into the dance with “no messing about” and it was the best Waltz he’s seen tonight. After a quick commercial we see the scores: 8-9-9=26. Joanna & Derek are happy!

Donny & Kym finish the individual couple dances with a Jitterbug. Donny wants to forget about last week and begin with a fresh slate. Kym tells him to say “woo woo” (like a train whistle) and “look at my butt.” This cracks Donny up. He is having trouble with all the tricks and flips. They take time to volunteer with mentally-challenged people teaching them to dance. He does the “woo woo” part with Kym’s butt pretty good during the dance! Carrie Ann gets to begin and she tells Donny that he knows how to work a room, but noticed the stumble. Len says whatever dance Donny gets, he comes out and performs it. Bruno concurs that Donny can work a room, but says it looked at times like a steam engine trying to keep up with a bullet train. Their scores: 8-8-8=24.

We see that the Mambo will be like the classic ballroom competition. They will be tapped out as the judges see fit. They will have a maximum of four minutes to dance ... and Joanna is huffing and puffing after a minute and a half in practice, saying she will need the ambulance after the Mambo. The last couple standing - er, dancing - will get 10 points, the second-to-last 9, and so on. Michael & Anna are the first couple out. Watching Louie, I don’t know how they weren’t first, but they are the second couple out. Melissa & Mark are gone next, getting 4 points. Kelly & Louis get five points and Mark & Lacey leave next with 6 points. Donny & Kym are ousted next (and one of them left a pink thing on the floor). Aaron & Karina go next, leaving Mya & Dmitry and Joanna & Derek on the floor. Mya & Dmitry are the 9-point winners, and Joanna & Derek are the winners, getting 10 points and the praise from the judges. Carrie Ann said that Joanna had the spirit that “I’m gonna win this” and it put her over the top.

So, with the judges’ scores from the individual dances and the “Marathon Mambo,” the leader board looks like this:

36 (26 + 10) - Joanna & Derek
35 (26 + 7) - Mark & Lacey
33 (25 + 8) - Aaron & Karina
33 (24 + 9) - Mya & Dmitry
31 (24 + 7) - Donny & Kym
26 (20 + 6) - Kelly & Louis
25 (21 + 4) - Louie & Chelsie
25 (20 + 5) - Melissa & Mark
23 (20 + 3) - Michael & Anna

(I will admit I deleted my TiVo recording before I realized that I may have messed up the Mambo scores. I thought that the first couple out got 2 points, but that didn’t gel with the last couple in getting 10 points. So I just did it this way and we’ll see how it works out.....)

So will Michael’s Dallas fans keep him in the competition or is it time for him to go? The leader board keeps shifting, with Joanna, Mark, Mya and Donny all taking turns - who do you think has the best shot at the beautiful (?) Mirrorball Trophy? Make sure you vote!

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Natalie Goes Home in Tears

LIVE!!!!! This is Dancing With the Stars!

We’re reminded that Len was in a great mood last night (and he sure was! Mr. Cranky Pants was off for the evening, I guess). Samantha has regular hair tonight, much better than that electric-shocked style last night.

In the recap and backstage confessionals, we see Melissa protesting that “I was too sexy” and Mark laughing (he’s delirious from his fever, obviously). Aaron says that the two kisses from Carrie Ann were better than three 10's (and he’s full of it!) Mya is happy they finally pleased Len. We’re reminded of Joanna’s stumble, saying it was a “bad dream.” Kelly hurt her ankle dancing her Paso Doble, but Ozzie tried to reassure her “that’s showbiz.” Mark & Lacey realize they’re one point behind Mya, and Mark comments that “we’re on her trail - we can sniff her.” Lacey tells him “you can sniff her, I’ll just ... watch.” (Hmmmm?) It still cracks me up seeing Bruno’s critique of Donny & Kym’s Argentine Tango, with Bruno telling Donny “finally you’ve turned to the dark side” and Donny retorting that “you took me there!”

We find out that Kelly went to the hospital after the show, and it’s just a sprain and she’ll be fine to dance again (assuming she isn’t sent home tonight).

We’ll start off with our Encore Dance, and of course, it’s going to be the group Hustle. What? Len wants to see the highest-scoring dance so far, Donny & Kym’s Argentine Tango! I’m just going to have to quit guessing. I think I get a handle on Len and he goes off in another direction.

The pros are going to do a tribute to Michael Jackson tonight. The couples have danced to 17 MJ songs through the years of the show and want to honor him for his musical contributions.

Nora Jones is up. Two guys and a girl dance, but they’re not our pros - hey! Some guy walks in front of the cameras - whoops, foibles of live TV! I like Nora Jones’ voice!

Last night’s top three scoring couples get to hear their fate first. Mark & Lacey are safe, as are Donny & Kym. Mya & Dmitry are also safe. We’ve got three relieved couples now!

We see a clip of how the stars feel about Mondays - they like to check out the dance floor, talk to each other and catch up on the news of the week. Everyone’s nervous but they give each other good luck wishes.

Joanna & Derek are told they are in jeopardy. Kelly & Louis are safe, but Aaron & Karina are told they are in jeopardy also. Aaron’s face looks like cold steel with the news - I really wouldn’t want to cheeze him off!

We next see our lowest-scoring couples of the evening. Michael & Anna D. are told they are safe, and Natalie & Alec are in jeopardy. Samantha is backstage with Kelly & Louis. Kelly says her foot is fine, but she still can’t wear shoes. She was more upset about possibly having to leave the competition rather than the pain. Samantha asks Louis if he’s worried about Kelly not being able to dance with her foot hurting - and Louis says he’s hoping she doesn’t try to use it as an excuse not to rehearse hard! Kelly realizes that he won’t let her get away with anything. Michael & Anna D. also get to talk to Samantha, who congratulates Michael for being around yet another week. He says he’ll work hard, and with the fans doing their part and voting, they’ll be all right.

Nora Jones sings again, and we see Jonathan and Anna T. dance. No worries about trying to conjure up romance or passion there - they make a really nice couple. Plus, we find out the song that Jones sang was Jonathan & Anna’s wedding song. Awwww!

Melissa & Mark and Louie & Chelsie are left to hear their fates. Louie & Chelsie are safe, but Melissa & Mark are in jeopardy. We’ll have to wait to find out who goes home (of course) because now we get to see the pros do the Michael Jackson tribute. They all comment on how MJ influenced dance styles. Mark Ballas shows us a picture of his MJ outfit as a kid, complete with rhinestone socks. LaToya Jackson introduces the pros (very stiffly, I might add - she has to learn to read cue cards more smoothly). Great! I love watching the pros dance and especially loved seeing them do the Thriller choreography.

The four couples in jeopardy - Joanna & Derek, Aaron & Karina, Natalie & Alec and Melissa & Mark are onstage to learn if they stay to dance another day. Melissa & Mark are told they are safe. Also safe are Joanna & Derek. Aaron & Karina and Natalie & Alec are the bottom two. Bruno is surprised that Aaron is there, and Carrie Ann is disappointed to see Natalie in the bottom two. Len says neither couple belongs - the audience may love underdogs, but this isn’t justice. Natalie & Alec are told they are the ones going home. Natalie seems really upset. The audience groans and stands to give Natalie & Alec an ovation - and the stars that are left look close to tears too!

So how long can Michael’s fans keep him in? Will Aaron find his butt out of there soon? We’ll see next week!

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

The Fighter Isn't a Dancer and Goes Home

Wow! I like Samantha’s dress a lot! Fire engine red and satiny! And Louis isn’t wearing his makeup tonight, thank goodness.

In the confessional, (as Anna fixes her top so her boob isn’t falling out) Michael says that “only in America can you dance romantically with a beautiful woman, and have your wife sitting in the front row, and when you get done she’s clapping.” Derek & Joanna have problems adding up their scores, and Joanna quips that “it takes two blondes a while to add up the score.” (Heehee!)

Melissa & Mark’s Charleston gets the encore dance this week, making Len a liar - he said he was going to vote for Joanna & Derek’s Lambada. I guess he got overruled by Bruno and Carrie Ann!

Uh oh .... Tom says “we’ve got a surprise in store for you tonight” regarding eliminations. Now what???

Shakira sings, very nice. (I watched the 2-hour finale of Hell’s Kitchen, so I’m breezing through the nonessential stuff tonight).

Donny says it’s hard to follow a shirtless Derek and Kym tells him he needs to “go topless next week.” Not too sure about that one. Really.

The first two couples safe are announced: Mya & Dmitry and Melissa & Mark. The first couple in the dreaded Bottom Two is Aaron & Karina. The audience gasps in surprise, and Tom again asks “are we in for a shock tonight?” Is Aaron actually going home?

After the commercial, I see Edyta in the background - and the guys on the stage. Great, we get to see the pros dance! Louis, Dmitry, and Alec are dancing with Edyta, Cheryl and Karina. They’re dancing the Argentine Tango and the Paso Doble - and I feel bad for the stars, watching the pros kick ass and knowing they can’t possibly get close. What a fantastic performance! Actually, we can skip the celebrities and just let the pros dance for the rest of the season, fine by me!

Tom asks Len what he wants to see next week, and he says “if we see anything close to what we’ve just seen, it will be great.” Dream on, Len!

Backstage, talking to Melissa, Mya and Aaron, Samantha makes the crack that “It’s always impossible to figure out what the judges want.” No truer words spoken, there!

Three couples are now announced safe: Kelly & Louis, Natalie & Alec and Joanna & Derek. All of the women are now safe - which guy is going home?

Another commercial and we find out that Mark & Lacey and Michael & Anna D. are safe.

A filler clip talks about how DWTS “takes over your life.” The kids get on the show too, coming to rehearsals and getting interviewed. Michael’s son Elijah says he was worried about his dad doing the show “because he’s going to make a complete idiot of himself.” Chuck’s kids say it’s hilarious seeing their dad dance. The kids all petition us to “vote for my mommy/daddy!” Chuck’s son and daughter say “my dad can beat up your dad.”

Samantha is backstage with Michael, Joanna and Kelly and Michael is very happy, he thought he was going home. Hopefully Anna can choreograph a decent dance next week. Joanna thanks the fans for voting for them. Kelly is looking forward to working with the group for the Group Hustle next week.

Another clip, about the waiting to find out whether they will stay and dance again. Mya says it’s like Mardi Gras and the Olympics at the same time, very hectic. The stars show their frustration at the learning and the little time to learn. Louie says Chelsie gets frustrated with him when he has no idea what she’s talking about. Michael says when he can’t learn it fast enough, that means “more time in the studio and less time in the bed.” Aaron tells Karina that he doesn’t get it sometimes, she has to remember that. Mark has to let off steam (and he shoots dart guns at Lacey). Chuck never gets nervous before fights, but waiting to hear his name makes him very nervous.

Donny & Kym are told they’re safe. I’m noticing that Anna T. hasn’t smiled all night! She’s really looking ticked off. Aaron & Karina, Chuck & Anna T. and Louie & Chelsie are left to sweat it out. The next couple safe is ... Louie & Chelsie, leaving Chuck & Anna T. in the Bottom Two. Len is asked who should stay (why they bother, I don’t know, I think he’s only said once in the umpteen seasons of watching who should actually stay). “Chuck is a gentle giant who brings us entertainment, but next week there are two dances to learn and I think the one who can cope with that better is Aaron.” (Okay, prove me wrong again Len!) I hit the pause button to type that, and Aaron has a look on his face that may make me wake up with nightmares tonight! So who’s going home? Chuck & Anna T. (Not so much of a surprise, Tom!) She still looks pissed. Samantha calls Chuck a “fish out of water” and asks him what he’ll take out of this besides a bunch of razzing from his fighting buddies. Chuck emphasizes how hard it is to do. Anna T. says Chuck is her “gentle giant, you are my bear, you are my hippo - but I enjoyed working with you.”

So Chuck & Anna T. dance their “last dance” and we have next week’s Group Hustle and either the Paso Doble or Argentine Tango to look forward to!

Monday, October 12, 2009

Two Step, Charleston, Bolero and Lambada - New Dances, But Can They Do It?

LIVE! FROM HOLLYWOOD! This ... is Dancing With the Stars!

Tonight we get the Two Step, Charleston, Bolero and Lambada, never seen before in the Ballroom!

Chuck & Anna T. will dance the Two Step. Chuck used to work in a country bar so Anna is hopeful that he saw enough to help him learn. She tells him that “you used to laugh at those people dancing. Who’s laughing now?” Chuck likes the fact that he can do some lifts, saying that he can use his size and strength for “something more than getting in the way.” Chuck looks a lot looser than he’s been, but that ain’t saying much, trust me! Good choreography by Anna, and Chuck was having fun. Len told Chuck that the lifts fit the dance well and that he brings entertainment to the show. “But - eventually it will come down to the fact that this is a show about dancing.” Bruno told Chuck “you not so much danced, but raided the Two Step - carnage and mayhem. But somehow it still managed to look like a Two Step.” Carrie Ann said Chuck suited the Two Step more than his other dances. Their scores: 6-5-6=17.

Melissa & Mark are up next, dancing the Charleston. Melissa really wants to get a score in the 20's. It’s a fun dance, and Melissa needs to learn how to let go. Mark took her to a 1920's club and they practiced there, and she channeled her inner flapper. The dance begins in black and white, with little grainy lines running through like an old film. Melissa does great, love the choreography and she’s really hamming it up. Bruno yells that Melissa brought the 1920's Hollywood flapper back to life. Carrie Ann called it fantastic, saying they should take that one “on the road.” Len said the Charleston is all about the three E’s - energy, excitement, and entertainment. “And you hit all three.” Their scores are great: 9-9-10=28. Melissa & Mark are ecstatic.

Natalie & Alec will dance the Bolero. It’s a slow, sexy dance, and Alec wants to make the choreography difficult to really stand out. They’re both getting frustrated and while Natalie wants to work hard, she’s thinking “what did I get myself into?” She starts the dance with a fur coat, and takes it off to reveal an Edyta outfit. I guess it’s not bad for her, considering she spends most of her times in a bathing suit! Looking at it, though, it looks to me like a Foxtrot or Rumba - I don’t get why a Bolero is a Bolero. Carrie Ann says it was beautiful, but saw a struggle in the movements. Len thought it had beautiful lyrical movements. He liked Alec’s choreography but wanted more romance. Bruno is happy that Natalie found her basic instinct, but says her arms are like she’s swimming. (Shot of Gilles Marini in the audience! He’s still hot!) Their scores: 8-8-8=24. Natalie & Alec give Samantha the “very happy” with the scores lip service, but they don’t look thrilled. I thought the scores were fine for what it was!

Aaron & Karina are going to perform the Lambada. Last week Michael Ervin gave Aaron hugs and a good pep talk after Aaron’s dance, which I thought was really great of Michael. Karina explains that the Lambada is sexy and flirtatious, and Aaron gets cute wiggling and gets yelled at by Karina: “sticking your ass out, you’re not learning anything.” Aaron knows a bit of gymnastics, and she takes him to UCLA to train with the coach there. He’s going to start the dance with a major tumble/flip, and he’s crossing himself backstage before he goes on. He nails it, flipping over Karina. The dance may be sexy, but Aaron doesn’t look like he’s having a ton of fun. He seems to be concentrating too much. Len called it a bit of a walk on the wild side, but he needed more rhythm and raunchiness “instead of messing about all that time with the back flip.” It’s one dance that Len wants to see raunchy. Bruno tells Aaron that being an actor, he has to see the dance as a script. “This dance is Gilles Marini, you’re not doing that. You have to transform.” (Gilles looks very flattered to be mentioned!) Bruno tries to explain that Aaron has to dance as if it’s foreplay - “easy, then build it up.” Tom laughs that “now we go from foreplay lessons to Carrie Ann.” She tells him that he has to chill out - “you’re trying too hard.” Their scores aren’t all that hot: 6-6-6=18. Aaron’s going down and getting worse!

Mark & Lacey
are up next, with a Two Step. They brainstorm at rehearsal about how to prove that they have chemistry, and decide that they need to lighten up and have fun. Mark still is stressing about the steps, but his kids pop in at rehearsal one day and Lacey sees Mark lighten up, and tries to emphasize that. Their dance looks good (except for the spot where Mark looked like he lost his steps) and I really like this choreography. Bruno begins by telling Mark that he should have a “roll in the hay more often.” He did call Mark out on the messed up parts. Carrie Ann liked it very much, and said the chemistry was there. Len liked the choreography, and said he appreciated the fact that Mark wasn’t just standing there, but actually helping Lacey with her moves. The scores are okay: 8-7-7=22.

Kelly & Louis are up next, and their backstage shot is ... strange! Louis is wearing makeup - eyeliner and blush! I’m ascared! In rehearsal, Kelly confesses that she auditioned for a role in Chicago on Broadway and got it, but they put her in a different part because she couldn’t dance. Kelly can’t understand why dancers makes “all those noises” and Louis tells her it helps get into the character of the dance. They’re dancing the Charleston and it’s great fun! Kelly looks like she’s having a blast! Tom tells her that “the producers from Chicago are on the phone.” Louis plants a kiss on Kelly’s cheek and leaves a lipstick mark! Carrie Ann says that it’s like watching a little birdie learn to fly - your face lights up.” Len said Kelly came out with confidence and performed the dance. Bruno loves Liza Minelli (of course) and Joel Gray, and said it was a wonderful tribute to them - “you should be happy.” Their scores are back up there: 8-7-8=23. Louis still looks very scary with that makeup on!

Joanna & Mark are dancing the Lambada. Derek says the Lambada is a dance with a lot of grinding and a lot of thrusting - “and you know what? I have the best job in America.” Joanna wants a 10, so she’s telling Derek to choreograph a difficult routine. Derek starts the dance by taking off his shirt, and Joanna is feeling all over Len. This is where Derek’s ego shows - I like him, but sometimes he grates on me like he’s showing himself off more than his partner. They do a really great spin move that looks great - but then Derek loses his footing at the very end when grabbing Joanna. Len starts by saying “I know what I want for tomorrow night’s encore.” He compliments Derek’s choreography. Bruno says “don’t try this at home without the proper precautions!” He said it was so full of sexual energy “I have enough now for the next six months.” Carrie Ann hoped that the children were in bed - and Tom pipes up “I bet some of the adults are now” and everyone cracks up. Carrie Ann says the Lambada is “fueled by the crotch area, and that was fueled by the crotch area.” Samantha tells Derek backstage that she’s never seen him dance shirtless and he says since Maks and Tony aren’t here anymore, he has to represent. Good scores: 9-8-9=26.

Donny and Kym are up next, dancing the Charleston. Tom says that Donny isn’t welcome in Utah but he can go to Massachusetts (they have same-sex marriage, ha ha). Kym tells Donny not to get so frustrated and stop being such a perfectionist. Donny has to “get out of his head.” I think he did, it’s a great dance! Very peppy and fun. Donny kisses his wife and son, and Marie was there but got nothing - and you could see her say “nothing for me?” (You get enough camera time, Marie. Deal with it!) Bruno says it shows a showman in his element but he’s got to watch his kicks. Carrie Ann said they moved in sync as a team, but saw the little stumble that Donny made. Len said that “you look good, you dance good, and watching you does you good.” They get their scores: 8-8-8=24. An improvement over last week, they’re happy.

Michael & Anna D. will dance a Bolero. Michael is bummed about being in the bottom two last week. Tony pops in to practice, invited by Anna since Tony was a Latin champion. He tells Michael he has to look at Anna like she’s his only love. “You were the most passionate player in the NFL, you need to show that on the dance floor.” Michael listened, because he’s got his eyes glued on Anna. Watching her grind on him, though, makes me wonder how he can keep his ants in his pants ... if ya know what I mean! Although Michael did a lot of stepping and no dancing, though. Carrie Ann saw the romance side, but said there was too much posing and wasn’t enough dancing. Len agrees that it was “somewhat economic” but he promises Michael that he’ll score him higher than a 4 tonight. Bruno says he’s like the economy - every week he’s supposed to be getting better, but he doesn’t. Anna didn’t choreograph enough and Michael is suffering for it. Their scores: 5-6-5=16.

Louie & Chelsie will Two Step. Chelsie has never done this dance before so she’s nervous too. She takes Louie to Ty Murray’s farm to turn him into a cowboy. Ty says he “looks like mini me but with more hair.” They bale hay, throw lassos, and ride horses. Don’t know that it helped, because Louie just looks like he’s wlaking rather than dancing. Chelsie is spinning all over and Louie’s just kinda hanging on. Like the lifts, though. Len looks disgusted. He says it was a series of walks, then Chelsie did something, then more walking. He wants Louie to “knock my socks off” next week. Bruno said for a Two Step it was dazed and confused. Carrie Ann didn’t feel any of the music coming through Louie, and Chelsie compensated - but they’re here to watch Louie. Lousy scores: 5-5-6=16. Surprised Len gave them a 5!

Mya & Dmitry
finish off the night with the Lambada. They got great scores last week except from Len, and they’re confused. Last week’s dance was slow and soft, but this week they have to crank up the heat. Mya says Dmitry has to simplify his routines, but Dmitry says that would be boring. He’s willing to compromise, though. They’re hoping their compromise will please all three judges. Watching this dance, I’ve decided that Mya is going to win - she’s really good! Bruno begins by yelling that it was an exotic roller coaster that you “want to ride over and over and over...” Carrie Ann says “Mya’s on fire!” She was raunchy and classy at the same time. Len never finds her routines boring. He tries to explain that her standards are high, and in the Lambada he thought he’d get a bit more. No pleasing that man!!! Backstage, Mya thinks they went wrong somewhere - but their scores aren’t all that bad: 10-8-10=28. Len needs to let go a little, I think!

So here’s the leader board after the judges’ scores:

28 - Melissa & Mark
28 - Mya & Dmitry
26 - Joanna & Mark
24 - Natalie & Alec
24 - Donny and Kym
23 - Kelly & Louis
22 - Mark & Lacey
18 - Aaron & Karina
17 - Chuck & Anna T.
16 - Michael & Anna D.
16 - Louie & Chelsie

Can anyone beat Mya or does she have it locked up already? Make sure you vote, folks! Keep your favorites in the hunt for the Mirror Ball trophy!

Tuesday, October 6, 2009

The Feet Make Tom Leave - and Debi Gets Eliminated Anyway

LIVE! FROM HOLLYWOOD! The Results Show!

And I’m not even starting to watch this till almost 10 PM because I had to watch the stupid Tigers lose the stupid baseball game in the stupid 12th inning. Congrats to the Minnesota Twins, we handed them the season by blowing a 7-game lead with two weeks left in the season. Buttheads.

At the beginning, Tom (Bergeron) asks if there will be one, or two eliminations because of Tom DeLay’s injured foot/feet. Hmmmmm?

In the recap of last night, Donny says that he really kissed Bruno - “It’s okay, I’ve had my shots.” Aaron cried in the confessional - I thought he was kidding, but I guess not!

Talk about a mercy dance! Len tells us the judges want to see Chuck & Anna T’s Samba again - “it wasn’t high up on the judges’ leader board, but it was a surprise.” Yeah, the surprise was getting the Encore dance!

Queen Latifa sings, I’ve always liked her but I can honestly say I’ve never heard her sing. Now I can say “meh” cuz I wasn’t impressed. I still like her acting though. The best part is my two favorite dancers, Cheryl & Maks, danced to her song!

The three lowest-scoring men are brought out: Tom & Cheryl, Chuck & Anna T., and Michael & Anna D. Tom & Cheryl are told they’re safe. Michael & Anna D. are in jeopardy, and Chuck & Anna T. are safe. “But will Tom be able to continue?” Something tells me no, because they’ve already mentioned it a few times.....

Samantha asks Aaron about his crying - he says he was upset for messing up. Katrina actually looks sympathetic! Sam asks Michael about how hurt he was at his low scores, and he says “you don’t think big football players can get hurt, but it hurt in the heart.” Awwwwww.

The stars are asked about what impressions they have about each other. Louie says you’d think Tom would be a straightlaced politician - and Mark adds that “he likes sequins and shaking his booty.” Joanna is amazed at what a big teddy bear Chuck is. They all admit how afraid they were - and still are - about going out on the floor to dance.

Tom Bergeron is interviewing Tom Delay & Cheryl. Delay admits that he can’t possibly dance any more because of his feet. He doesn’t want to “go out there and make a fool of himself and do that to Cheryl.” The audience sounds bummed and Delay says that makes him feel good. Tom B. tells Delay that if his feet cooperate, he is invited back to dance the Texas Two-Step (which he would have danced next week) in the finale. Tom B. also announces that there will be a regular elimination tonight as well. (And weeks 4 and 5, I think, are to be double eliminations. We’re gonna get this field of dancers pared down pretty quick!)

The highest scoring women are brought out: Maya & Dmitry are safe, as are Natalie & Alec. Joanna & Derek are told they are in jeopardy.

Donny & Kym are next told they are safe (“but not necessarily from Bruno.”) Louie & Chelsie are safe. Aaron & Karina are told they are in jeopardy (which is really mean, considering you know he’s a fan favorite and he was so upset and crying!) Mark & Lacey are safe.

Samantha is backstage with Melissa and Kelly. She asks Kelly about the kiss at the end of their dance, and she says that she stuck out her tongue at Louis during rehearsal and he dared her to kiss him - then she dared him to kiss her, and she decided to be the first to kiss him. Okay. Don’t dare Kelly Osbourne to do anything!

We find out that Sabrina Bryan has been chosen to come back and dance in the Design-A-Dance. I usually don’t get into all that extra stuff but it’s nice to see Sabrina come back since she had such a surprising exit in week 5 on her season. She will dance the Paso Doble to “Eye of the Tiger.” We fans now have a chance to pick the male professional dancer to dance with her (which will probably be Mark, since she danced with him back then). There is also a contest for the costume design for both of the dancers.

The Macy’s Stars of Dance features Jabbawocky. There are two “surprise” dancers that are dancing, and we’re supposed to guess which ones they are under the masks. I like these guys! They dance to Gene Kelly singing “Singin’ in the Rain” and morph into something techno. How on earth do they dance with those masks on? It must get awfully hot in there! Lacey & Mark take off their masks at the end of the dance.

Queen Latifah sings again. Looks like fun, but I’m tired and I TiVo’d through it.

We see a clip with Steve Wozniak and some guy named Matt insisting that they can mathematically pick the winner of DWTS - but Woz can’t figure in luck, so he’s developed a better method - letting a toddler pick. She ends up picking Melissa’s picture off of a board.

Debi & Maks are told they are in jeopardy. Kelly & Louis are safe, and Melissa & Mark are also safe. That leaves us with Michael & Anna D., Debi & Maks, Aaron & Karina and Joanna & Derek. Who’s going home?

After a commercial, we find out Joanna & Derek are safe. The next couple safe is Aaron & Karina (with Samantha saying “you cried for nothing.” Little miss sympathetic!) Len is asked which of the two remaining couples he’d like to see dance again - and he answers very PC, saying they both had hard dances last night, and they both have great potential. Debi & Maks are told they are going home. So my two favorite professionals are gone in the same night! Bummer!

Next week the couples choose from the Texas Two Step, Bolero, Charleston or Lambada. This will be interesting - I’m not even sure what two of the dances are!!! See ya'll next week!

Monday, October 5, 2009

Rumba & Samba - Romantic and Sexy Night - Sorta

LIVE! FROM HOLLYWOOD! It’s Dancing With the Stars!

Tonight’s dances are the Samba and the Rumba. It’s a sexy Latin night!

Samantha announces that Tom Delay’s stress fracture is now a full-blown fracture. It’s still touch-and-go whether he can perform tonight. What will that do for eliminations? Will they have to judge his rehearsals? We’ll see a bit later!

Mark & Lacey are up first to dance a Rumba. Lacey says that Mark is like a 3-year-old, bouncing off of walls. She has to keep reminding Mark to slow down. I’m really not sure about Lacey’s outfit - it looks like she used the hide from Sunffleupagus to make the dress! Len starts off by saying that a Rumba is hard on the celebrity man - Mark was a bit hard and aggressive and it lacked chemistry. Bruno said it was an “anticlimax” and lacked fluidity. Carrie Ann says his movement is good, but he needs to find his sexuality - because “it was uncomfortable to watch.” Their scores: 6-6-6=18.

Joanna & Derek will dance the Samba. She wants to be back on top and not in the middle of the pack. Joanna says she doesn’t have the fan base that other stars do so she’s gonna “shaky shaky.” Derek is teaching her the Samba Roll to impress Len. Derek threw in a few good moves for himself, I notice. Bruno says “the good times are back.” He liked the dance, but said Joanna is still a little shaky. Carrie Ann calls her fearless and says it was super sexy. Len comments that “it had quality stamped all over it.” He loved the rhythym. Their scores: 7-8-8=23.

Mya & Dmitry are up to dance the Rumba - this oughta be good! Dmitry tries to impress on Mya that they need to make it romantic. Mya tells him there’s no inspiration in the room for romance, so she decorates the studio with rose petals and candles to “set the mood.” Uh oh! Mya picked her feet up off the floor - Carrie Ann will yell! We see the judges’ table in the background and Bruno is fanning himself...it is a good dance! Carrie Ann says “I had chills the entire time.” She thinks she saw a lift, but “I was so mezmerized I didn’t notice it.” Len is excited - “Be still my beating heart!” He liked the chemistry and romance but there was “so much going on....” Bruno starts in and Len says “You need a checkup from the neck up, son.” He comments that sometimes you need simplicity to show the beautiful thing off. Bruno gets off his chair, saying “You were the embodiment of the seductress. You put all of America into the mood for love.” Good scores coming? Wow!!! 10-7-10=27. Dmitry is speechless.

Melissa & Mark are next, dancing the Samba. Melissa says that she knows the dance is all about parties, but she’s a mother of two and “hasn’t been out in a awhile.” Mark is pushing Melissa harder, telling her he can teach the steps but he can’t give her the heart to dance. It looks good - but she really doesn’t look like she flows with it. Len starts by saying that parts of it looked really excellent, but she needs to get a little more rhythm going. Bruno tells Melissa there is improvement from last week - “I knew you could switch it on.” Carrie Ann sees improvement every week - but she doesn’t believe Melissa when she dances. Their scores: 6-6-7=19.

Louie & Chelsie are dancing the Rumba. He knows what this dance is, although Chelsie isn’t surprised. He’s hoping they dance “about five of these.” Louie has slicked his hair back and looks quite th Latin lover! He’s got the attitude down, that’s for sure! Looks good! Bruno begins calling him “Randy Louie.” He yells “that’s chemistry!” Carrie Ann calls them “cute” and says their chemistry is great. Len says “I so much wanted to be nice” but there was no finesse, and tells Chelsie there was too much syncopation. He was disappointed. Tom tells them “I think that means he likes it.” Backstage, Louie says that it’s easy to be romantic with a partner like Chelsie. The scores are all over the place: 8-5-7=20.

Debi & Maks will dance a Salsa. After being in the bottom two last week, Debi is more motivated. Maks brings Mel B in to tell Debi that she was in the bottom two, but Maks took her to the finals. After that, Debi isn’t talking and she’s working hard. Debi has mulitcolored feathers for a skirt! She still looks a little stiff, don’t think the judges will like this one. Carrie Ann called it “a hair safe.” Len said what Debi did, she did well. He said it was like cooking - “you had all the ingredients but it lacked the flavor.” Bruno says Debi has a fiery personality but it looked like she disconnected it, in spite of the “presence of the hunk.” Their scores stink: 6-5-6=17.

Donny & Kym will dance a Rumba. Donny keeps giggling when Kym instructs him how to look romantic. Donny wants to show the other side of himself that can be more passionate. He says he’s a “singer, dancer, entertainer - but a Latin lover? No.” He’s got the moves down, looks pretty good dancing ... but his face is weird. Len tells Donny to straighten his legs and that will help - but even though he expected less, Donny did a great job. Bruno said it looked pretty, but a bit “airy fairy at times.” Donny runs over and kisses Bruno, who’s telling Donny to “turn to the dark side.” Donny swoops Bruno down as if to really kiss him, and Bruno says “I know you’ve got it - now do it again” and Donny swoops him again. Tom & Kym look lost by themselves. Donny grabs the microphone and says “I don’t think they’re gonna let me back in Utah any more.” Carrie Ann tries to remember what she was thinking and has to read her notes. She says Donny was a little off in his musicality but saw a genuine vulnerability that she liked. Their scores: 7-7-7=21. Samantha tells Donny “only a 7 from Bruno, you should have given him a little tongue.” (Gotta admit, that’s pretty good for Samantha!)

Tom is sitting in the audience with Lance Bass and Paula Abdul. Paula yells at Len, saying he’s a bad man right now and she doesn’t know whether to call him “Len-Sim or Sim-Len.” Paula tells Carrie Ann that maybe they should start making out ... boy, would that jump the ratings!!!!

Michael & Anna are next. He’s getting frustrated with Anna’s teaching style. Anna comes up with a chart to keep him focused - although it’s funny to watch him practice with his tongue hanging out of his mouth. Their Samba starts out great - Michael looks like he’s having fun and his steps are okay. The dance seems “safe” though - no real hard choreography. Bruno tells him “we’re going in reverse gear - your dance is like a tank.” He’s really getting rough! Carrie Ann says it’s not the rhythm, but he’s dancing too small. Len says the dance is light and fluffy, and difficult to do, but it was disappointing. The scores really suck: 5-4-5=14.

Natalie & Alec are dancing the Rumba. Natalie’s face gets red when Alec gets close and she’s finding it hard to be romantic. Edyta comes into the rehearsal (she’s married to Alec) to try and show Natalie that eye contact is one of the most important parts of the Rumba. Edyta says “I give you permission to go all out with my husband.” She’s doing good with the eye contact, and keeps her feet on the floor so Carrie Ann doesn’t have hissy fits. It looks good, but not romantic to me. Carrie Ann is happy, saying “I knew you had it in you!” Len said Natalie had good leg action and it was very expressive - an excellent performance. Bruno liked it too - “I knew you could fly but you’ve gone stratospheric tonight!” He called Natalie a sexy beast. Their scores are good: 9-8-9=26.

Chuck & Anna T. Will dance a Samba. Anna tells Chuck that they can’t be scary and serious, but have to be smiling - Chuck deadpans that he’ll work on it. Anna tells him that getting in touch with his feminine side is hard - but he goes out with his daughter and gets a pedicure (with black nail polish) so Anna has hope. Chuck is wearing these goofy ruffles on his sleeves which thankfully he tears off at the beginning. He looks like he’s having fun, but he’s so stiff - hoo boy, the judges will have a field day with this one! Len, though, gives Anna props - he says “part of this show is entertainment - and you thoroughly entertained me.” Bruno says he can see the huge amount of work that went into the dance - but it was “like a Samba from Zombie town.” Carrie Ann says that Samba may not be Chuck’s best dance, but she enjoyed it. How PC of all of them (as they giggled). Their scores: 6-5-6=17.

Aaron & Karina are going to dance a Rumba. She’s trying to impress upon him that it needs to be romantic but he can’t overdo it and make it look silly. He does some spins and bobbles a little bit when stopping - we’ll see how that affects his scores. Bruno says it had plenty of focus and determination, but it lacked a bit of fluidity. Carrie Ann says that Aaron’s lines are good, but he was over exaggerating everything. Len says it lacked musicality, and his arms were just flinging out. Their scores are all over: 8-6-7=21.

Tom & Cheryl come up and we get to find out if he’s going to dance. His right foot is killing him - and his left foot has begun hurting but he doesn’t want to stop, even though the producers and his doctors have told him to stop dancing, but he doesn’t want to. Tom (Bergeron) asks Tom what he’s going to do, and he says “what’s a little pain when you can party?” He’s going to Samba - and probably break something in the process! Looking at the dance, it must kill Tom to wear his pants so low on his body (they’re usually up to his armpits!) It’s not bad, he gets through it, albeit badly. Carrie Ann says that he is easy on the eyes when he dances, but it wasn’t as exciting as it could have been. Len tells Tom that if he had a stress fracture in both feet, he wouldn’t be judging, let alone dancing. Bruno calls him a “super trooper” but says that the performance suffered. Their scores: 6-4-5=15, which are not low for the night!

Kelly and Louis are up next - Kelly was very upset last week about her screwups and hated that she saw people feeling sorry for her. Her confidence is deflated, but her willingness to try is there. When Louis can keep her in the moment, she is “a diamond.” They will dance a Samba. She’s wearing a red/brown/gray wig and looks quite different! She seems a little serious - and wow, she’s lost some weight! It looks good - and she gets a kiss out of Louis at the end and he looks surprised. Len gets to start and tells her that her problem is confidence - he’s convinced that she is a good dancer, she just has to convince herself. Bruno offers that compared to last week, she’s back. She needs to get rid of doubt. Carrie Ann tells Kelly that when she does it right, she’s ridiculous - but she has to stay focused and not doubt herself. Their scores are okay: 7-6-7=20.

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

Mya & Dmitry - 27
Natalie & Alec - 26
Joanna & Derek - 23
Donny & Kym - 21
Aaron & Karina - 21
Louie & Chelsie - 20
Kelly & Louis - 20
Melissa & Mark - 19
Mark & Lacey - 18
Debi & Maks - 17
Chuck & Anna T. - 17
Tom & Cheryl - 15
Michael & Anna D.- 14

So will Michael go home? Or will the fans feel sorry for Tom and his feet and send him packing? We’ll see tomorrow night - make sure you vote!!!

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.