(S10E12) It's the dreaded team challenge on 'Dancing with the Stars' and for once, both teams are dancing the same style: the cha-cha. I never understood why the team dances were totally different styles anyway. The images of Susan Lucci trying her best to cha-cha back in Season 7 flashed as Pamela started to struggle to remember her choreography, but both teams coped well with the producers whims.

Tonight judge Carrie Ann Inaba considered Nicole to be the best celebrity dancer she's ever seen. Clearly she's been drinking the tainted water. I haven't seen a female contestant get close to the great dancing skills of Kristi Yamaguchi. Nicole continues to still be hard in dances that need a gentle nature though she made strides this week with her waltz.

Erin & Maks - Quickstep - The couple make sure that there is hold throughout the performance. The couple bicker about taking off clothes again, but it feels forced as if the couple needs to bicker. The couple start with a quick change and stay in hold. They managed to play with tempo really well and their kick sequence was close. I like how they incorporated the stairs at the end.

Len liked the foolhardiness of the beginning. He thought it was Erin's best dance. Bruno thought it was slick, but she was occasionally tense in the shoulders. Carrie Ann agrees with Bruno about the shoulders, but thought they were a solid couple. Score: 27 (9,9,9).

Chad & Cheryl - Viennese Waltz - Cheryl wants to make sure that the little details will help so she brings in Tony. Chad finally doesn't look like an oaf as he has previously. He keeps up with Cheryl, even with his hand extensions not pulling far enough. Their side-by-side near the end was weak, but Cheryl did most of the work anyway.

Bruno liked how graceful and gentle he was. He needs to fix his extensions on his fingers and he was heavy on the fall. Carrie Ann agrees about the arms, but loves his tenderness. Len loved the fluid arms, but thinks he's become a contender. Score: 25 (8,9,8).

Nicole & Derek - Waltz - I've grown tired of the song "You Light Up My Life" on 'DWTS' because it was on Seasons 1, 3, and 8. Nicole had more control and confidence with a slower paced song this week than previously. She danced effortlessly. I liked the low turn in the middle, though I wondered why exactly she giggled getting out of the pose. The final spin was a great ending to the routine.

Carrie Ann thought she was one of the best dancers ever. She commented that the two were side by side and not one entity. Len loved the routine, but he saw technical hold issues. Bruno thought it was close to dancing royalty. The difficult choreography formed a few mistakes. Score: 27 (9,9,9).

Pamela & Damian - Waltz - Pam and Damian go out and visit the wildlife center. They quickly shift to practice and make sure that their hips are together by being tied together. Pam benefited from a long flowing dress. The steps in the beginning looked staccato. When the music swelled, the choreography and passion got better. The final spin was a gorgeous ending to a lovely performance.

Len thought it was understated, but he wants Pam to firm up her upper body. Bruno thought it was pure romance, but she needs to fix the top line. Carrie Ann saw improvement in the legs and appreciated the tone. Score: 24 (8,8,8).

Niecy & Louis - Quickstep - Even though Niecy was in the bottom two last week, she gains extra kudos for not milking the fact that she had sprained her knee. Nicey looked like a 1930s star as she managed to keep with Louis' pace. It wasn't the fastest quickstep around, but the two looked great performing together. She moved quite well for having jiggly parts. I still hate the occasional faces that Louis makes especially when they were doing the going down stairs move.

Bruno compared her to Lady Day (Billie Holiday), it was her best dance. Carrie Ann agreed, it was the perfect dance. Len agreed that it was her best dance but suggests lifting her ribcage.Score: 25 (9,8,8).

Evan & Anna - Argentine Tango - Evan was disappointed that he couldn't live up to expectation last week. With the Argentine Tango, there aren't any lyrical steps, so Anna hopes that Evan will have sharpness. As they danced, Evan for once was sharp and passionate. Evan's strength was in full force and his arms didn't flail around, though the arms in fists didn't look great. Anna's sharp motions were great and the spin near the end was amazing.

Carrie Ann thought he was focused and sexy. Len thought it was fantastic. Bruno thought he was strong, powerful, and determined. Score: 30 (10,10,10).

Cha-Cha Challenge

Team GaGa (Nicole, Pamela, Chad) - I was surprised the group put Pam in front even if she was going first. Pam looked a bit out of place, a little top heavy, and had glimpses of Holly Madison. Her splits and kicks couldn't save the fact that she looked lost and forgot her steps. Chad for once looked really comfortable doing an uptempo dance, he is a better team player than he is a soloist. Nicole finishes and the couple is sharp and really fun to watch. The group cha-cha was decently accurate and by keeping Pam near the back helped. Score: 27 (9,9,9).

Team Madonna (Niecy, Erin, Evan) - Early opening was poor; walking, standing, and poses, while covering up the fact that Evan is quite robotic at gyrating wasn't smart. The sync was off in the group routine. The odd cha-cha out into solos . Evan looked really lost as if he was worried about looking really bad. Niecy on the other hand looked like she fit the cha-cha better. Their section was still one dimensional, the drop was a nice touch, but they looked a bit odd when they got out of it. Erin ended the group strong but the few bars of silence and the walking. The finale kick line was an odd choice and the removal of the skirts was a bit of a throwaway. Score: 24 (8,8,8).

Final Scores

High
Evan & Anna - 54 (30 + 24)
Nicole & Derek - 54 (27 + 27)

Middle
Chad & Cheryl - 52 (25 + 27)
Pamela & Damian - 52 (25 + 27)

Low
Erin & Maks - 51 (27 + 24)
Niecy & Louis - 49 (25 + 24)

Right off the bat, Team GaGa had the advantage because of a better tempo song and no stupid circles behind them. How do circles represent Madonna, the 80s, Cha-Cha, or holidays? Sadly, the group dance tied Evan with Nicole and brought Erin down to the danger zone. While Niecy is slowly improving,even with her amazing marks this week I don't think that the progression is enough to keep her around. Granted that's what I said last season about Kelly Osbourne and she finished third. Who do you think will be eliminated? Leave comments below.