Recap: Dancing with the Stars - Performance #9
(S9E18) For the first time in Dancing with the Stars history, the semifinalists have to dance three dances. Fortunately, their third dance was the dance-off they've been practicing for weeks. For the Latin dances, each of the contestants have to do a solo.With next week being the finals, all the contestants are stressed and more emotional than normal. There were a lot of tears being held tonight.
As the contestants walked down, I couldn't help but gawk at how beautiful Kym Johnson looked in her tango costume. Unfortunately for her, it will probably lead to her and Donny's downfall.
Round One
Donny & Kym - Tango - Donny is worried about being on the bottom of the heap. Kym invited Gilles Marini over and he suggests that a good tango is when everyone else feels uncomfortable watching. While I think their song was fast for a tango, it seemed like that was the least of their concerns. Almost immediately there were countless stumbles. A piece of Kym's dress dangled and got caught on her shoe but Kym danced like a trooper. They continued to stumble through the dance.
Len begins the judging and he thought it was a catastrophe. Donny blames Marie; very un-classy. Bruno thought that he couldn't cover up his mistakes. Carrie Ann saw there wasn't any drama, but she did commend him for dancing the whole dance even with the dress malfunction. Score: 21 (7,7,7).
Joanna & Derek - Viennese Waltz - Derek starts to get harder with his teaching. He invites Brooke Burke and she suggests role-play. Joanna does a really good Derek impersonation and Brook points out his nuances. They pulled out the long silk for the stage. They begin with this picturesque ballerina spin. Joanna uses some acting skills. The dance was light and graceful as they spun around, covering the full dance floor. They end the dance with a pretty bow.
Bruno thought the dance had an angelic grace, but there was a slight hesitation in her steps. Carrie Ann saw Joanna's growth into a beauty on the dance floor, she suggests fixing her arm reaches. Len loved the couples hold and posture. He loved the choreography and thought the dance was beautiful. Score: 27 (9,9,9).
Kelly & Louis - Rumba - One of Kelly's dogs had passed away this week. Louis commended her for sucking it up and continuing practice. Kelly wants to make the dance more difficult to prove that she deserves to be in the finals. I'm surprised, when they begin dancing. This isn't the Kelly I remember. She pulled off tricks and looked sexy doing it. Louis is an amazing teacher. Even her solo wasn't as rocky and Louis wasn't holding her. The two end in a sexy pose.
Carrie Ann understood the dance. She understands that Kelly can pull heart strings. Len loved how she grew into a competent dancer, but it wasn't her best. Bruno loved how endearing she is, but points out the lack of eroticism and suggests working on the hips. In the red room, Kelly tells Samantha that she intended to have the dance be more spiritual than erotic to represent her journey. Score: 24 (8,8,8).
Mya & Dmitry - Waltz - Mya decides to get a dry erase board with rules, the most interesting rule was if she messed up, she would have to do push-ups. Mya apparently camped out at the studio. Mya's dance is graceful and not gimmicky. Her stationary spin was beautiful. There was a believability to the dance. Dmitry may have lifted Mya near the end spin, but it wasn't mentioned by Carrie Ann.
Len loved the romance, elegance, and movement. Bruno thought it was love set to music, defying gravity. Carrie Ann loved it, but she thought Mya needed to work on her hold. Score: 28 (9,9,10).
Round Two
Donny & Kym - Samba - Donny's history involved Utah, his Osmond career, and his tight knit family. The real question is why Stevie Wonder was considered part of Donny Osmond's family? Even before the Samba, Donny was sweating. Donny looked like he had rusty joints, but he showed some hips in his solo. He ended the dance with a slide and it looked a little painful.
Bruno saw the effortlessness in the dance. Carrie Ann thought it was better, but she felt it was sloppy. He was dancing small. Len agrees with Bruno, it was a strong recovery from the first dance. Score: 26 (8,9,9).
Joanna & Derek - Cha-Cha - Joanna's history involves communist Poland, the American Dream, and becoming a model. The dance begins with Joanna's solo and it's above average. While I think Joanna's pants did most of the work, her legs moved quickly when she circled Derek. There were a handful of parts where she just stood there, but they played with a lot of slow followed by fast motions which made the dance visually interesting.
Carrie Ann thought she did a great job. Len thought it was clean, but he wanted it to be more cheeky. Bruno thought that the dance had natural sex. He loved watching her evolve and achieve such high standards. Score: 27 (9,9,9).
Kelly & Louis - Quickstep - Kelly's history began with an alternative lifestyle, reality show, drugs, and growth. They quickstep to "99 Red Balloons," something I thought I'd never hear, but the two keeping up with the tempo. Some of the footsteps didn't match perfectly, but their hop sections were clean.
Len thought that the dance was beyond his expectations. Bruno compared her to Speedy Gonzalez. There was one small misstep but everything else was great. Carrie Ann thought she nailed it; it was fabulous. Score: 27 (9,9,9).
Mya & Dmitry - Salsa - Mya's history involved tap dancing, her singing career, and her parents' divorce. Their salsa was sexy and had a grounded feel to it. Their speed was commendable. Her solo was really strong for both her leg work and her amazing hips.
Bruno thought it was sensational. Carrie Ann said it was hot beyond belief and she aced difficult choreography. Len was mesmerized by her bum, but seriously points out that she deserves to be in the finale. Score: 30 (10,10,10).
Round Three - The Knock-out Dances
Donny & Kym - Jitterbug - The jitterbug has energy, but I thought that Donny was a little behind in several of the steps. I loved Kym's cartwheel and the ending was strong.
Carrie Ann thought the dance was good. Len thought the dance was a winner. Bruno thought it was upbeat and vigorous. Score: 27 (9,9,9).
Joanna & Derek - Salsa - There is a fire and a good deal of choreography, but it's not as grounded as Mya's. The arm-work was really strong, and the leg ending was great to watch.
Len thought it was hot tasty and full of spice. Bruno thought it was delicious and flirtatious. Carrie Ann liked the heat and hopes to see her in the finals. Score: 27 (9,9,9).
Kelly & Louis - Cha-Cha - The danced started off a little slow, but gained energy and technique. Her dance seemed even shorter than the previous two.
Bruno thought it worked, her foot precision was good. Carrie Ann loved that she finished her hand work. Len thought all three dances were done at a high level. Score: 27 (9,9,9).
Mya & Dmitry - Cha-Cha - I thought the dance was strong. Mya's legs were great and Dmitry resorted to his So You Think You Can Dance solo technique of ripping his shirt open.
Carrie Ann thought the beginning wasn't as good as the end. Len wanted the performance to be longer. Bruno compared it to a trailer of an action movie, he wanted to see more. Score: 29 (9,10,10).
Final Scores
Mya & Dmitry - 87 (28 + 30 + 29)
Joanna & Derek - 81 (27 + 27 + 27)
Kelly & Louis - 78 (24 + 27 + 27)
Donny & Kym - 74 (21 + 26 + 27)
As much as I had a love/hate relationship with Kelly, I would vote for her because I've fallen in love with Louis van Amstel's teaching and choreography. I would love to see Louis choreograph a freestyle since he never made it to a finale. With four points separating Donny and Kelly, is it enough to save Donny? I do think out of all four contestants, Joanna has the smallest fan base, so unless Hugh Hefner can make all his playmates vote, I could see her get blindsided.
Tomorrow, in a very packed results show we find out that pitchforks and angry mobs actually work: Melissa Rycroft will be performing tomorrow with Tony Dovolani for no real reason.
Who do you think should go and who will go? Leave comments below.
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