Episode Report Card Kim: B+ | Grade It Now! YOU GRADE IT Perfect
By Kim | Season 12 | Episode 18 | Aired on 05.23.2011
Len thought this was a great celebration of how far Chelsea has come and he loved it. Bruno liked that they used Latin rhythms and showed imagination while advancing the limits of dance. Carrie Ann does a dance rather than give her feelings. It's a dance of joy. Scores: Carrie Ann 10, Len 10, and Bruno 10.
So what will Kirstie and Maks do for their freestyle? Maks explains that they have to do lifts because they're expected, even if Kirstie isn't as young and athletic as Chelsea or Hines. I really hope Kirstie isn't going to do that cartwheel she's doing in rehearsals in the actual routine, because it's terrible. So the routine starts out with lots of slow walking (Maks trademark) and some rumba-type moves and then there are a few lifts. And then it gets really fast and Kirstie actually does that horrible cartwheel and it's still horrible. Why would Maks let her do that? It looks dumb, and serves no purpose other than to show she can do a cartwheel about as well as my seven-year-old nephew. Actually, he's better. I should mention that Kirstie is wearing a catsuit and looks pretty good and way thinner than she did at the beginning of the season but am I supposed to give her a ten for that? It felt a lot like the greatest hits of all their other routines, with bits and pieces cribbed from other weeks. Maks is not good at freestyle. I mean, it was fine. It wasn't Marie's Doll Dance or anything. But it wasn't great.
Bruno says that he couldn't even imagine Kirstie doing lifts and the moves she did tonight, and while it could have been smoother, he has mad respect. Carrie Ann acknowledges the lifts weren't great, but she feels the dance embodied Kirstie's joy in living. Len liked seeing elements of different dances, and he thought she took risks and did well with them. Scores: Carrie Ann 9, Len 9, and Bruno 9. The ballroom boos, but come on. Did you see that cartwheel?
Hines and Kym go third. They've chosen a song from Drumline and are going to do it like a halftime show. I love this idea. But will it translate to the dance floor? Hines comes out dressed like a drum major and they have a mini-drumline at the front of the stage. The routine starts off very paso-like and then moves into more of a samba, which is where Hines can really shine. It wasn't as exciting as their quickstep, and I bet they would have had more lifts if not for Kym's injury. I liked it a lot though; as much as I've liked any freestyle, anyway. The crowd goes nuts.