Episode Report Card Kim: A | Grade It Now! YOU GRADE IT No Business Like Show Business
By Kim | Season 9 | Episode 20 | Aired on 11.23.2009
MEGAMIX! They start out with the Viennese waltz and everyone seems to do really well. When they transition to the samba, Kelly's skirt doesn't come off cleanly and it kind of messes her up and she gets a little behind the others. In the final jive, Kelly and Louis seem a few beats behind most of the time. Okay, here's why this was a stupid idea. First of all, it's almost impossible to compare the two female stars with Donny when they're all dancing at the same time. You automatically compare Kelly and Mya with Kym instead. And then I tried to compare Donny to the two male pros, which isn't fair either. Second, when they get out of sync, it's nearly impossible to tell who's right and who's wrong, because it's not like two couples are together and one is off. It's usually all three of them kind of dancing to their own beat. And third, they do such a short portion of each dance that just when you are starting to figure out who's doing well, they switch it up. [I also didn't like how they were in a line the entire time, without ever scrambling the couples around, so that Mya was always in the direct line of vision of the judges. -- Angel] I liked how they did it in previous seasons much better, with all three couples doing a routine in sync and each couple getting a short solo. Anyway, I predict the rankings will go Mya, Donny, Kelly.
Len thought it would be easier to judge being able to compare all three couples side by side, but he found them so equally matched that it was difficult to judge. Bruno finds a way to compliment each of the couples, as does Carrie Ann. They both loved how Donny kept up, how Mya rocked her samba, and Kelly's grace in the waltz. After a bit of a lovefest backstage, the judges reveal their rankings. Third place goes to Kelly and Louis, and second place to Donny and Kym, with Mya and Dmitry getting first. Which is what I predicted, and probably what I would have predicted before they even hit the floor, as would anyone who has watched this show.
And it's time for freestyle! One thing I am loving about this week's show is that it's only ninety minutes instead of two hours, so there's hardly any filler at all. What's there is just to let the dancers get ready for their routines and change costumes, which I can handle. So the first couple to freestyle is Kelly and Louis. In the clip package, Louis tells Kelly that couples have won and lost this competition based on their freestyle. Kelly is psyched that they got their first song choice, "I Will Survive." Hmm. I really thought that "Single Ladies" was the new "I Will Survive." No? Although they already did a "Single Ladies" routine last season, so I guess that's out. It's also time for Kelly to talk about her foot injuries, which require frequent breaks for icing. Louis does a handstand and Kelly immediately says, "I'm not doing that. Why would I do that? I'll look like a beached whale." But eventually, she realizes she has to trust her partner and take some chances. And she concludes by saying that she doesn't want to just get by on her charm and smile; she wants to prove that she has good dancing ability also. Well, Kelly -- go for it. We're all waiting.