Hey, remember last week when Melissa couldn't dance at all due to her injury? And she still didn't get eliminated? Some people were really pissed about that. I'm not one of them, especially since Melissa is obviously a better dancer than Chuck (if you think this show is a dancing contest) and more popular (if you think this show is a popularity contest). So this week, each couple has to perform two dances, including a solo by the celebrity. And it's all going to happen LIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIVE!
Just to throw me off, instead of opening with the introduction of the remaining couples, the show opens with a ballroom dance medley featuring Louis and Lacey, Jonathan and Anna (I think?), and Dmitry and Kym (I think?). Between the notices at the bottom of my screen about area schools closed due to possible swine flu cases and the twirling and partner changes in the dance, it was tough to tell who was dancing. Samantha reminds us that the couples will be doing two dances each tonight. The five remaining couples are introduced. I've noticed that Shawn looks totally not into it lately. Maybe she's just nervous, but her smile and sparkle seem to be gone.
Clip package about what the judges will look for in the ballroom round. Melissa has to perfect her footwork, which involves driving from the heel instead of the toe. Gilles has to find the balance between passion and technique, because he's relied too much on passion in the past. Kim has to work on her ballroom hold, which is tough since she's nine inches shorter than Derek. Shawn has a tendency to hunch over a little bit, so she needs to watch her posture. Ty needs to work on his dramatic flair and getting into character.
Last week, Shawn got mixed reviews for her samba, and now she knows that she needs to get high scores from all three judges. Mark works with her on being fun and quirky during her quickstep. Shawn has trouble with the speed of the routine, and she gets really stressed out. Mark tries to get her to calm down and focus when she starts stress-crying during rehearsal, but she vows that she doesn't want to go home. Their quickstep begins to a song from Aladdin, and their footwork is really amazing. It's so quick and yet I don't see Shawn miss a step. She even manages to put a little more personality than usual into the routine, mugging a little bit for the cameras, but not excessively. I was worried about her during the opening, but maybe she really was just nervous. The crowd gives her a long standing ovation.
Len thought it was fun and great entertainment, and he really liked seeing Shawn's personality. The bad news is that the quickstep is supposed to be done in hold, and they broke hold more than once. Bruno thought there was great, precise footwork and it was great fun. Carrie Ann thought this was Shawn's best dance ever, but she does have to take a point off for breaking the rules. Mark takes the blame for breaking the rule, which is the right thing to do. Shawn doesn't know WTF about breaking hold, I'm sure. Backstage, Shawn says she's exhausted learning two dances like everyone, and Mark says it was a calculated risk to break hold but he hopes that the people at home were entertained. Scores: Carrie Ann 9, Len 9, and Bruno 9. So it would have been a perfect score if not for the rule-breaking. If I were Shawn, I think I'd be pissed at Mark.
Ty and Chelsie got some semi-harsh words from Len last week, when Len said that Ty had to kick ass in the group dance or he'd probably be going home. Luckily for him, Ty met the challenge. This week, their first dance is the Argentine tango, and Ty thinks he'll do well since it relies on strength and he gets to stay in hold. The producers are really working the "hard worker although we acknowledge he's not the best dancer" angle. So how's the dance itself? Ty starts out okay, but about halfway through he totally messed up the footwork and you can see his frustration on his face. He's not too good at hiding his emotions. I also never realized how pigeon-toed he is before. During the flicking footwork, Ty looks like a kicking mule. The lifts are okay, but not very smooth. For a dance that relies on intensity and footwork, this didn't really work for me.
Bruno admired Ty's strength and determination, but thought the routine didn't have enough subtlety. Carrie Ann commends Ty for how far he's come, but notes the errors in the footwork. Len thinks Ty captured the flavor of the dance, and he recognizes that Ty isn't a natural performer, and yet this was Ty's best dance. I don't know about that -- those footwork mistakes were pretty awful. Scores: Carrie Ann 8, Len 9, and Bruno 8. Hmm. I thought that was overscored, but maybe they know the Latin won't be that great and they have to give him a decent score to make the results show interesting. I think Ty's a great guy, but that dance was pretty bad.
Last week, Lil Kim and Derek took the top score. And yet, they are never mentioned as the leaders in the same breath as Melissa or Gilles. What's up with that? This week, their first dance in the Viennese waltz, and Kim struggles with doing a slower dance. She knows that she has to do ballroom as well as Latin in order to win the competition, though. So how does she do? Oh good Lord. Who is singing this song? They're dancing to "When I Need You" by Leo Sayer and the singer is REALLY BAD. Like, it's hurting me to listen to it, and I had to rewind and rewatch the dance because I wasn't even watching what they were doing. Whew! Okay, now I'm ready to watch. It's pretty. The beginning is a little boring to me, but they do one twirl in the middle that's absolutely beautiful, even if it began a little wobbly. For a style that Kim will probably always struggle with, it was pretty good, but not great.
Carrie Ann advises Kim to make her moves bigger, and notes that her footwork included some stumbles. Len thought there were small mistakes, but he was shocked by how good the quality was. Bruno starts, "You tried to be a lady, but you're more comfortable being a tramp." Kim squeals, because man, that was rude. Bruno tries to explain that he meant that he didn't seem as comfortable on the dance floor. Luckily, Kim is a good sport; given the lyrics of some of her songs, I guess she's probably heard worse. Scores: Carrie Ann 8, Len 9, and Bruno 8. There's no way they deserved the same score as Ty. Backstage, Kim admits that she's looking forward to the salsa, but she seems pretty disappointed with that score.
Gilles and Cheryl surprised the judges with their playful jive last week. In rehearsal, Gilles hopes to reclaim the top spot, but he's struggling. I really think the editors kind of hate Cheryl; they always show her being bitchy and mean in rehearsal and Gilles insists that she's not that way. Whatever she's doing, it obviously works for him. Time for the foxtrot. Well, I know from past experience that the foxtrot is not my favorite, and Gilles doesn't change that for me, although he does a lovely job. His lines are so elegant and extended that I have a hard time believing that he doesn't have much dancing experience. They're just beautiful to look at. The routine itself is kind of dull, but again, that's more my opinion of the foxtrot.
Len loved the feeling of the whole routine, but he wanted Gilles to straighten his legs sometimes to give the dance its characteristic rise and fall. Bruno thought it was a fantastic performance, both cool and hot. Before Carrie Ann can talk, Len interrupts and says he doesn't care what she says, because he knows she's going to disagree. Tom wonders if it's time to reup on Len's meds, and Carrie Ann finally gets to say that routines like that are going to take Gilles and Cheryl through to the round. Scores: Carrie Ann 10, Len 9, and Bruno 10. Gilles is really happy with Len's 9; he must have thought by the comments that Len's was going to be lower.
With the last dance of the first round, we have Melissa and Tony. Last week, well, you all know what happened there. Their first routine is the Viennese waltz, and Tony works with Melissa on the details: heel leads, arm placement and such. Will it pay off? Tony wisely puts a lot of spins and moves where Melissa has to kick her leg up and out into the routine. I try to watch for the heel leads, but who am I kidding? I have no idea what I'm looking for. The white dress and the song (Sarah McLachlan's "Angel") contribute to the mood.
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.
Carrie Ann thinks that Shawn delivered the drama, and that her solo was powerful. Len liked the solo and some of the turns. He liked the precision, but thought it wasn't overly exciting. I pretty much agree with him. Mark appeals to the audience, who boos Len loudly. Shut up, Mark. He's really bugging me tonight. Bruno thinks that Shawn has the killer instinct and scored big. Shawn runs up and gives each of the judges a hug. Backstage, Shawn admits that she was really out of her element. Scores: Carrie Ann 10, Len 9, and Bruno 10. That's their best score yet. Shawn is so cute. I wish her partner didn't annoy me so much.
up are Ty and Chelsie, and if Ty's attempt at hip-shaking is any indication of what's to come, he might be in trouble. In rehearsals, Chelsie gives Ty a little pep talk about how far he's come and then works with him on his hip action while he cracks jokes. I'm worried about this rumba. Ty tries so hard with the hip action, but it's just not there. And then in a sequence that's not at all about the hip action, which he should totally nail, he totally screws up and almost drops Chelsie. His solo, where he walks towards Jewel sitting in the audience and shakes his hips at her, is adorable, in the way that watching your arthritic aunt try to dance with her son at his wedding. You know she's trying, and you know she means well, and you love her because she's awesome, but it's just not good.
As they wait for judges' comments, Chelsie hides her face because even she is embarrassed. Len thought it was sweet, but compares Ty to a feather duster. Whuh? I guess he was trying to be sort of nice. Bruno thinks Ty is "one of the most likeable contestants we've ever had," but you can't confuse likability with ability. Carrie Ann wishes she could score him on improvement, but she needs to score him on his dancing. Plus, there was a lift. This isn't looking good for scores. Scores: Carrie Ann 7, Len 7, and Bruno 7. The audience boos, but Ty and Chelsie admit that they were hoping for higher than a 19, so it's all good. Ty jokes that he did his solo in front of his wife and he hopes that it pays dividends later. The audience and the dancers in the back room all crack up.
Kim and Derek have to do their salsa . Kim is thrilled to bring back her bionic booty and "shake it like a salt shaker, or a pepper shaker." Derek explains that he isn't a fan of tricks, but they're at the stage where they need them. For the solo, Derek put on music and had Kim dance around so he could get ideas. I really hope they make the finals, because their freestyle will be awesome. But first, the salsa. Maybe all the hype got to me, but I was a little bit underwhelmed. It seemed a little manic and hectic to me. The tricks were pretty awesome, but the actual dancing was good, but not as awesome as I thought it might be.
Bruno is thrilled, and he thinks Kim's booty can do no wrong, although she had a misstep at first. Carrie Ann couldn't believe how she shook her booty, but she thought the solo was a little bit out of control. Len thought it was delicious, and that Derek was almost superfluous, but she lost a little control here and there. Some dude in the audience gets really loud and obnoxious yelling at the judges. Security! Get that man out of here! Scores: Carrie Ann 9, Len 9, and Bruno 9.
Almost unfairly coming after Ty's rumba is Gilles and Cheryl and their rumba. Cheryl even gets a little flustered during their rehearsal when Gilles starts slowly moving his hips. She works with him on his solo, but she's not happy with how he looks at first. Gilles really wants to get back to the top of the leaderboard. So their rumba starts. Gilles starts with his solo, and it's pretty hot at first. It doesn't hurt that they're dancing to Marvin Gaye's classic, "Sexual Healing." When Cheryl joins him, I'm a little underwhelmed at first. I'm not feeling the chemistry I usually feel with them. But then... the ending. My goodness. I'm fanning myself over here. Cheryl lies down prone, and Gilles lies on top of her and they roll around and... whew. I'm sure Len's going to think it was too raunchy, but damn. Right after, Gilles gives his wife in the audience a look and, oh boy. I think Gilles is going to get a million movie roles from doing this show.
Carrie Ann can't even be heard over the audience's cheering. She thought he delivered, but that he was trying a little hard in the solo, and he doesn't need to try to be sexy. Len thought it was fantastic, although he didn't love the rolling around on the floor. Bruno thought it was "ravaged by the savage" and now they need penicillin. Bruno has just gone off the rails. I think Gilles was a victim of hype -- no one could live up to those expectations. Backstage, Gilles thinks that maybe he did try too hard. Scores: Carrie Ann 9, Len 9, and Bruno 9. Gilles looks very relieved.
Melissa and Tony have the final dance of the night with their samba. In rehearsal, Melissa admits that she's terrified of doing the solo, but she's happy to be back in the competition no matter what happens. They start with Melissa's solo, which is probably the best of the bunch we've seen. It's nothing too crazy, but it fits in with the dance. The rest of the routine is well-choreographed by Tony. I still don't read sexiness from Melissa, but her technique is really good, especially considering that she's dancing injured. I know the judges will like this routine, but I'd still like to see a little more personality from Melissa. After they finish, Melissa is sort of squealing. I think she got hit in the mouth at some point? I thought I heard her tell Tony that she hurt her mouth. [I thought she was saying that her boob came out of her dress, because she had her arms crossed her chest afterwards. -- Angel]
Len thinks that Melissa completely deserves to be in the semifinals. Bruno thinks Melissa's samba had everything in it, because of its beautiful execution. Carrie Ann wants to point out the flaws so that they can improve, but then she swerves on them: "Take the week off -- flawless!" Tony jumps around with joy and Melissa gives Carrie Ann a hug. Backstage, I can't stop looking at Melissa's abs. I think she has better abs than most of the guys. Scores: Carrie Ann 10, Len 10, and Bruno 10. Tony says that he hasn't seen a perfect score since the second season.
I think Ty should go this week, and then I think it's really anyone's game at that point. Each of the other four have been on top at one point or another, so you never know. Plus, DanceCenter tomorrow night! I couldn't be more excited about that. See you then.
Final scores:
Melissa and Tony: 27 + 30 = 57
Gilles and Cheryl: 29 + 27 = 56
Shawn and Mark: 27 + 29 = 56
Kim and Derek: 25 + 27 = 52
Ty and Chelsie: 25 + 21 = 46