Episode Report Card Kim: B+ | Grade It Now! YOU GRADE IT Two Dances, Too Much?
By Kim | Season 8 | Episode 16 | Aired on 05.04.2009
Bruno thinks it was beautiful and fluid and angelic. Carrie Ann agrees with Bruno but notices some problems with the upper body placement. Len loved the musicality and the extension, but he's "still not a big fan of [Melissa's] feet." Melissa knows, so I guess she did screw up those heel leads. Maybe that's why I didn't see them. Scores: Carrie Ann 9, Len 9, and Bruno 9. Backstage, Melissa explains that they practiced smarter this week, knowing what would and wouldn't aggravate her injury and cause her pain.
Tom announces that Genya Mazo was eliminated from the pro dancer competition, so now there are three left. Tomorrow night, we'll get to see the potential pros with a celebrity, and the pairings are: Afton and Cody Linley, Anna and Maurice Greene, and Mayo and Lisa Rinna. I mostly enjoy Lisa but she really is an attention whore; as soon as the camera is on her, she starts waving her arms in the air like a fool. Oh, go pose for Playboy again, Lisa. Tom recaps the competition so far, and then explains that we'll see the results of their rehearsals tomorrow night. Samantha interviews everyone backstage and we don't get much interesting information except that everyone is nervous.
The pros from the opening routine are back to show us the Latin dances. Lacey has lighter hair now, almost red, and she looks SO much better than she did with that really dark hair earlier this season. It's also cracking me up that Jonathan and Louis are wearing their shirts buttoned up, but Dmitry has his open and unbuttoned. I wonder who made that styling decision? I'm going to guess it wasn't Louis. I get the vibe that he doesn't like being upstaged. Tom thanks all the dancers by name, and it turns out that I called them all right in the opening.
So what are the judges looking for in the Latin round? Melissa has to get sexier. Gilles certainly doesn't have that problem, but he has to work on smooth and soft instead of hectic. Ty has always had a problem with Latin, and needs to work on the hip action. Shawn can't be cute in the paso doble, and needs a fighting spirit. Kim needs to bring her typical fire and bionic booty to the salsa. So that's what the judges want in this round.
Before Shawn and Mark can begin, Tom explains that in this round, each celebrity has to do a fifteen-second solo. Mark is wearing a fedora for no reason in their rehearsal. He really is kind of a tool, isn't he? Just wear a baseball cap like a normal person if you haven't showered. You're not Justin Timberlake, dude. Anyway, Mark works with Shawn to up her intensity instead of being all smiley. So how's their paso? They open with Shawn's solo, which is actually pretty good, and it's a smart strategy because now she won't spend the whole routine worrying about her solo. Shawn doesn't do a great job, in my mind, of getting into the character. She seems to confuse serious with blank-faced; I don't see any passion or intensity in her face and movements. She doesn't miss a step, and her technique looks pretty good, although she is hunched over a few times. Now that Carrie Ann pointed that out, I can't stop seeing it. I feel like in most other seasons, Shawn would be top two, but this season I don't know if she'll make the finals. The audience gives them a lengthy standing ovation, though. Shawn looks upset when she gets to Tom, and he seems to be calming her down. I don't know what that's about.