An injury befalls one of our celebs on 'Dancing with the Stars'
This marks our first two-dance-per-couple episode of Dancing with the Stars. The strain of learning twice the routines can overwhelm even the most together dancer and the physical toll was too much on one star.
Spoilers!
P.S. That singer in the band looked like a disco ball exploded and got it's reflective innards stuck on her dress.
1. Marissa Jaret Winokur & Tony
Dance/Song: Tango - I don't know the song but it's delightfully appropriate
Marissa's having a few issues separating the techniques of the Tango and the Rumba, her two styles this week, in rehearsal but she's not having any problems during the performance. She looked good, hit some great lines, really had the character of the dance and didn't seem as cartoonishly short as she sometimes seems. And no Muppet faces. I think this is her best dance so far.
Judges: All the judges really like it with Len saying that this is her best so far.
Score: 27 (all 9's)
2. Cristian de la Fuente & Cheryl
Dance/Song: Viennese Waltz - "I'll Make Love To You" by Boyz II Men
We get to see Cristian's adorable daughter during his pre-dance package. Seriously, she's super cute. There was something about this dance that made it seem like he was counting...or waiting for her to finish whatever she was doing before continuing with the dance or something. There was this nifty not-a-lift that they did - a floor sweep that changed positions. He has definitely improved with his body positions and fluidity.
Judges: The judges all enjoyed the performance but Carrie Ann said that it lacked a smidge of energy, which must be why it seemed like he was counting, and there wasn't enough "content" in the dance for Len.
Score: 25 (8-8-9)
3. Kristi Yamaguchi & Mark
Dance/Song: Viennese Waltz - "I'm With You" by Avril Lavigne
Mark's getting stressed out because of the whole two dances a week thing (his first time having to do that) so Kristi takes him to the ice rink to relax. He fell. A lot. They start out dancing with an umbrella with rhinestone water droplets. Mark is dressed in a white military uniform. There's this cool part where Kristi does turns all the way across the floor diagonally where Mark slides on his knees to her and catches her in a dip. It had a nice vibe to it and they pulled off the umbrella bit without it being corny. And boo on Samantha for bringing up he and Sabrina getting booted when their scores dipped. How rude.
Judges: Len thought the beginning was too long and didn't really like the prop, in opposition to Carrie Ann and Bruno. C to the A mentioned that her turns were a little off and Bruno agreed, but noted the difficulty of the move ("[turns] into a drop, you try it.").
Score: 26 (9-8-9)
4. Mario & Karina
Dance/Song: Foxtrot - "I'm Your Man" by Michael Buble
Mario's pulling triple duty - two dances for the show and one for his music video - and hopes that he doesn't burn out. He's having a tough rehearsal week but trying to keep a good attitude about it. I'll give it up to him, all the issues he was having with this dance he covered well with his stage presence.
Judges: Len said he's not the most elegant of dancers but he did well. Bruno said that he brings great youthful exuberance but he needs to learn a little more control. Carrie Ann complimented him on the fact that they don't shy away from difficult steps/routines and said to work on being less loose during the Ballroom dances.
Score: 24 (all 8's)
5. Shannon Elizabeth & Derek
Dance/Song: Tango - More familiar yet unknown and wonderfully appropriate instrumental music
For the second time tonight, they bring up last week's outbursts by the duo and Shannon apologized again for loosing control. Derek was less "friendly" in rehearsal to get her a little angry so she can channel it into the dance. Her footwork was a little sloppy at the beginning but she had good lines and had the character of the dance down very well.
Judges: Positive comments all around with Carrie Ann saying it was her best dance yet.
Score: 27 (all 9's)
6. Jason Taylor & Edyta
Dance/Song: Quickstep - "The Dirty Boogie" by The Brian Setzer Orchestra
After having a Bottom Two scare, Jason never wants to be there again so he's putting extra, extra effort into it. He starts the dance by leaping off the stage and over her head. He had a slight bauble with the footwork but was controlling the size of his steps and kicks very well. He also had great energy and personality. And, at the end of the dance, he ran over to the judges table, grabbed the papers of the desk and threw them into the air like confetti before doing a handstand over Edyta and landing gracefully on top of her. Awesome.
Judges: Good things from all with Bruno saying it was the dance of the night so far.
Score: 29 (10-9-10) - Maybe not two 10's but the mistakes were so minimal, Bruno and Carrie Ann might not have been looking at his feet at that time.
7. Marissa & Tony
Dance/Song: Rumba - "Cuando, Cuando, Cuando"
It had a good vibe and she didn't make any Muppet faces. She, again, looked taller than usual.
Judges: It wasn't dirty enough for Bruno but Carrie Ann disagreed, complimenting her on her lines and fluidity. Len thought it was a little too careful but good.
Score: 25 (9-8-8)
8. Cristian & Cheryl
Dance/Song: Samba - I've never heard the song before it actually fit the dance
I'll give it to him, he was shaking his hips like Chippendale's. Unfortunately, about two-thirds of the way through the dance, something happened to Cristian's left arm and it totally pulled his head out of the dance (but, to his credit, he kept going). Tom Bergeron threw it to commercial despite Cristian's repeated assurances that he was fine. Back from the break, Cristian has ice wrapped around it and the EMT diagnosed it as a "severe muscle cramp" but I'm afraid it might be a muscle tear. Either way, ow. Tom asks Carrie Ann how the dance will be judged and she verifies that they will look at it up until the injury happened. And, thankfully, Samantha cuts the interview short so he can go get some medical treatment. Small favors.
Judges: The judges can't really give him a critique but commend him for sticking it out through the rest of the dance.
Score: 21 (all 7's)
9. Kristi & Mark
Dance/Song: Cha Cha - "Don't Stop The Music" by Rihanna - and they were doing so well with music up to this point
Kristi has this big fluffy hair piece on and kind of looks like one of Gwen Stefani's back-up dancers. It started out slightly eh (probably because of the heavy post-injury energy) but picked up speed quickly. It was a fun number and had strong choreography. And another boo to Samantha for bringing up the injury during the post-interview. Way to bring the room back down.
Judges: Carrie Ann and Bruno really dug it but Len, predictably, didn't like the non-traditional choreography.
Score: 28 (10-8-10)
10. Mario & Karina
Dance/Song: Mambo - another familiar song that was appropriate, huzzah!
It was fun with good choreography. There was one little part where they got out of sync but still enjoyable. I kind of wanted him to be wearing a fedora during the dance.
Judges: All the judges liked it, even cranky-pants Len.
Score: 27 (all 9's)
11. Shannon & Derek
Dance/Song: Mambo - "Ain't Nothing Wrong With That" by Robert Randolph & The Family Band
Shannon's wearing a giant fluffy skirt to help accentuate her hip movement. She starts out on the step in front of the judge's table shaking her hips to each side and doing a roll. The side to side was fine, the roll...not so much. Between the bad cover of a great song and her stiff movements, I don't really no what to say. The two highlights: Derek ripping open his shirt a third of the way into and their ending, Shannon laying backwards over the judges table while Derek hopped up and stood on it. Painful. Oh, and she put in some butt padding to help her out with her lack of posterior.
Judges: Carrie Ann really didn't know what to say for a bit before telling her that, being so tall, she really has to work on her lines but she did a good job. Len and Bruno both agree that she needs to control the awkwardness in her movements, adding that she really improved with her hip movements. Notice Carrie Ann didn't mention it.
Score: 24 (all 8's)
12. Jason & Edyta
Dance/Song: Paso Doble - The Monday Night Football Theme Song - Hilarious
Jason is dressed in a modified football uniform while Edyta wears his team's colors. He had really good intensity and it was a very entertaining number, complete with Jason holding his arms up to signal "touchdown" as the end pose. There was an unintentional lift on account of him being 6'6 and Edyta being...way less so there's no telling whether they'll get deductions for it. But they probably will.
Judges: All the judges found it entertaining and, as I thought, Carrie Ann of the Lift Police made an appearance (though somewhat reluctantly). Also, Len thought there was too much posing.
Score: (9-8-9)
The Bottom Two: It's getting tougher to figure this out. I'm going with Shannon and Mario. I think Cristian will get an injury pass (especially since he got taken to the hospital).
Who's Out: Shannon. It's her time.
I think they should have made this episode 2 hours long. With 12 dances to show, the whole episode felt rushed. The routines were shorter and it took away something from the artistry of the dancing.
I agree with the judges on Shannon. She does seem lack fluidity between her moves and her hip action is limited. It seems like she can really only move her hips when she is standing in one spot but she does not incorporate the hips during the moving across the floor portions. I give her points for her effort and p***ion for the show.
I like Marissa's enthusiasm, but she's a little to happy and hyper for me.
I thought Jason's performances were entertaining, but I do not think they deserved the 10s for the first performance.
Mario was okay. His performances were pretty forgetable.
Cristian was pretty entertaining in the first dance and with the whole injury thing (I think it happened earlier in the dance, because he seemed a lot slower and less energetic) people will probably be voting for him.
I really liked Kristi's first dance. It was really beautiful. I couldn't even notice what mistake the judges were referring to. She also couldn't help the hip-hop in the routine since the song choice pretty much asked for it.
So I think it should be Mario going home, but he may be getting more votes b/c of his bottom 2 thing from last week.
What a show!
Marissa's tango was great, I really enjoyed it. The rumba....so-so. I think everything coming together for her is a combo of her own improvement AND Tony making smart choices and having a better attitude, both of which he has faltered with in the past.
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Shannon had a nice tango, so-so mambo. I really think they lost the momentum they had in week 2-4. I have always liked them but I am not enjoying the dances as much lately because she isnt really improving. My own enthusiasm has only been lessened for that reason though I do think the drama of their injuries, relationship, and confessional breakdown has undermined Derek's awesome dancing and choreography. I hope they give him someone young and less dramatic next year.
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Jason had a very entertaining quickstep, great choreography by Edyta, but he seemed off and not sharp in the kicks, so I'm not sure about the 10s. The score of 26 was spot on for the Paso though- not enough pizazz and content though the concept was great.
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Cristian, what a fighter. The first dance was only ok for me. The second was very poor from what we saw even before the fall, its hard to tell here it happened. I'm sure he will be back, injury permitting. Because of the way this show works, i really think they will bring him back even if he is the lowest and boot off the next lowesr. I think they are more worried about looking unforgiving. Either way i hope he recovers quickly. He
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Mario has such charisma. The foxtrot was only ok but the mambo was excellent. I feel bad for him. He really has some excellent qualities, I think a combo of him and Jason would be a REAL cmpetition with Kristi. The viewing demographic of this show is not in his favor and Karina seems to be one of the least popular pros. Its all working against him in the voting I think.
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Ah Kristi. Silly Len. Cmon we all know he is going to nitpick for the sake of pushing her, stirring up trouble, and to shake up the leaderboard. Its not always fair, but those who have watched from the beginning know its the nature of the show. It will just make her fired up for next week! I really appreciate how she is not playing it safe- she's doing moves no one else can touch and mixing it up with props and young and fresh choreography. Its too bad with the nitpicking they didnt praise her technique and how on FIRE she was performance wise in that chacha. Its also too bad that her 'unfair' natural ability is undermining her hard work. She is working so hard to perfect the details. I wouldn't be surprised if they practice more than any other couple despite her high scores. I I've followed her sport career amateur and pro and she has an incredible drive and work ethic. Kristi fans keep voting, despite the scores! Thats what matters the most. She still was only second by one point. But The others are coming on strong and getting more popular. I just want to see Kristi in the finals, as she certainly deserves it. Winning is not likely given the history of the show nut I'll be voting! I look forward to her so much each week.
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sorry so long! As for results I think Shannon and Mario will be bottom2 with Mario leaving due to lack of popularity. Its unfortunate, he really is a better dancer than many of the others.
When the judges scored Kristi's second dance, anybody notice Carrie Ann's reaction to Len's 8? She smacked him in the shoulder with her paddle. I also chuckled at Tom's "Cranky Pants Sandwich" line.
I can't control how people vote but if Kristi doesn't make it to the finals I will stop watching this show altogether. She is the obvious winner and is heads and tails above the rest of the competition.
I can't control how people vote but if Kristi doesn't make it to the finals I will stop watching this show altogether. She is the obvious winner and is heads and tails above the rest of the competition.
ERIN: You wrote an excellent overview of the entire episode. I especially agree with your point that the judges are just nitpicking Kristi because they want to create drama.
Bruno mentioned that Kristi is attempting much more difficult choreography than the rest of the celebrities. For example Bruno noted she completed THREE CHAINES (quick ballet turns) into the drop where Mark had to catch her just at the right moment! :-) Also, Len complained that her cha-cha had too much modern stuff in it? It's not like she was breakdancing out there, and it was the producers who chose to give her Rihanna's hip-hop song!
Anyway, the rest of the dancers were all overscored in my opinion, but what else is new? Although I did enjoy seeing the vast improvement in Marissa's performances, especially the tango. I think that the judges overscored Shannon this week after seeing the breakdown that occurred last time.
The rest of the dances were pretty much forgettable, and Jason's quickstep DID NOT DESERVE TWO 10's. Although I think the producers screwed Jason with selecting the Monday Night Football theme as a paso song. The band played the song traditionally, and it is JUST TOO SLOW! The band could have played it at a faster tempo, like they did with Apolo's song for his paso doble in season 4. I was thinking that the producers should have given Jason the Monday Night Football version of Hank Williams Jr.'s song "All My Rowdy Friends" as a quickstep or something. ;-)
I'll roll my eyes if the producers want Kristi to dance to the Olympic Games theme song in a future episode!
I hope Cristian is well enough to continue practicing. I have a feeling that he received a lot of pity votes last night after that horrible injury, so he could be safe. I think it might be Mario's time to leave.
The reason that there are so many injuries on this show - Mark yanking his arm last season, Karina and Derek hurting their necks, Cristian hurting his arm last night - is because they dance far too vigorously. Compare Mark Ballas who dances like Speedy Gonzales to Fred Astaire. Fred and Ginger moved gracefully. The dancers on Dancing With the Stars dance like bats out of hell. I hope Cristian gets kicked off tonight just so I don't have to watch Cheryl shake her hair like a dog that's just been washed for the millionth time. I mean, she even does it in the opening credits. So distracting and annoying. Something else about Cheryl - she's clearly more interested in showing off and making herself look good that she rarely gives Cristian - or any of her previous partners - anything to do.
Len was very rude to Kristi and Mark. Their use of the umbrella was not going to be the end of ballroom dancing as we know it by any means nor is the hip hop dance.
I hope Cristian is okay. He is such a nice person and is trying so hard so I hope this doesn't get him kicked off the show early.
Bottom two: Shannon and Mario.
Len was overly critical last night! Kristi is the best dancer and deserves to win
I would be very surprised if Kristie doesn't win this season. She's the most consistent of the bunch - plus it's time for a woman to win again and all 3 men left are just "ok" - nothing special like Emmitt, Apolo and Helio were.