Episode Report Card Kim: A- | Grade It Now! YOU GRADE IT Tuesday's Gone
By Kim | Season 8 | Episode 18 | Aired on 05.11.2009
Gilles and Cheryl got a great reaction with their foxtrot, but the judges thought their rumba was too steamy. This week, they have the salsa and the Viennese waltz. Cheryl tries to get Gilles to channel Lil Kim in his salsa, and then she invites Jonathan in to help Gilles with the sophistication of the waltz. Gilles found it really helpful to have a man show him how to do it. Jonathan gives Gilles a list of about twenty-five things to keep in mind while doing the waltz, and Gilles raises an eyebrow to camera. Their waltz begins to "Come Away With Me" by Norah Jones. Gilles starts sitting in a chair and Cheryl brings him onto the dance floor. I feel like we've seen Cheryl's white snow queen dress before. The routine is very pretty, and Gilles is very graceful, but I feel like these two can't keep the sexiness out of any routine. There's still a lot of "we're going to put our faces really close together and almost kiss but then not kiss" as well as "I'm going to stroke your face lovingly and then you break away like 'NO' but then quickly turn back like 'MAYBE'." Those are all patented Cheryl moves. I do see a lot of rise and fall, so Len should be happy. And it is pretty to look at.
Bruno can't even wait until Tom introduces him before he stands up and screams that it was a perfect semifinal routine, and Gilles had power and beauty. Carrie Ann thought it was breathtaking and captured everyone's imagination. Len says he's giving them "a sitting-down standing ovation." Gilles and Cheryl hug and Gilles looks like he's about to cry. Backstage, Samantha asks Gilles if he's crying. Gilles is clearly emotional as he says that they worked really hard and Cheryl has made him into a great dancer. At least I think that's what he said; his voice is quiet and husky, so it's hard to tell. Scores: Carrie Ann 10, Len 10, and Bruno 10.
Shawn and Mark, well, we just heard about both of the dances that they did last week. Shawn explains that they broke the rules last week in the hopes of entertaining their fans, but this week they can't afford to lose any points. Shawn thinks there's a lot of jumping in the jive, but she really has trouble with the lift they're trying to do in their Argentine tango. Mark wears two more in a series of d-bag hats throughout rehearsal. Their tango begins and Shawn's dress is REALLY short. I mean, she's worn a leotard in front of a worldwide audience, so I'm sure she's fine with it, but it's super short and it's not flattering to her heavily muscled legs. Neither are the seams on the back of her stockings. The dance itself goes well, although it seems like Mark is the one doing all the flicks and kicks, while Shawn just lets herself be turned and twirled. The three or so lifts they do are amazing, though.