Episode Report Card Kim: A | Grade It Now! YOU GRADE IT Paso Doble from THE FUTURE
By Kim | Season 9 | Episode 16 | Aired on 11.09.2009
So anyway, in their rehearsals, Mya and Dmitry discuss this. They basically decide that they're not going to do what the judges want, and instead go for the wow factor. I think this is a terrible idea. Just show the judges that you CAN do the technique ONCE and they will get off your back. Anyway, the lame setup is that they went for a horseback ride. That will really help their dancing. So how does this all work out for their routine? Well, it's...nice. It's not particular flashy, so I don't know what they were talking about with the wow factor. They don't do a ton of what Len would call fussing about in the open. There seems to be a lot of traditional quickstep moves, and they're executed well. It's just kind of boring. The audience claps politely at the end, but it's not like it's a standing ovation. I think of some of the quicksteps that people like Julianne have choreographed in the past, and those were exciting. This just didn't do it for me.
Len thinks he has a different priority than this couple, because he's concerned with the technique and they're concerned with the wow factor. He goes on and you think he's going to say bad things, but then he says that he couldn't find anything to criticize. Bruno says that it was quality, like good champagne. Carrie Ann thought Mya made it look easy and graceful. Scores: Carrie Ann 9, Len 10, and Bruno 10. Mya looks shocked. I'm shocked. I thought it was good, but not 10 good.
Aaron and Karina got high judges' scores last week, but as has been his pattern, still ended up near the bottom when the viewers' scores were factored in. And yet, he won the dance-off, and got to stay. In rehearsals, Aaron realizes that Karina is running a fever, and he wants her to rest, but she vows that he won't be dancing with anyone but her, so they both don masks and continue practicing. I wonder how she's feeling now. So Aaron's foxtrot looks weird and I can't figure out why. I think he's trying so hard to get the rise-and-fall part right that he leads with his chin. So every time he rises up on his toes, he also points his chin up in the air. It's not very graceful, and he also gets ahead of the beat at certain points. He seems like he's in his head the whole time. That said, he doesn't miss a step, and it's a content-filled routine.
Bruno says that he can tell that Aaron worked hard on it, but it wasn't smooth and easy. Carrie Ann agrees that they're going to be looking at the details, and he showed his effort too much. Len is proud of Aaron and how hard he's worked and how much effort he's put in. That is Len-speak for "I'm not giving you a good score but I don't want it to look like I'm bullying you because I think this is the best you can probably do." Scores: Carrie Ann 7, Len 8, and Bruno 8.