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RSSA veritable smorgasbord on 'Dancing with the Stars'
Forgive me if my intro isn't incredible witty since it's freaking hot in my house and my brain feels soft-boiled. A potpourri of dances and a kitschy group number await on "Dancing with the Stars."
During the introduction parade, I notice immediately that Lawrence Taylor wasn't kidding about designing a more modest costume for Edyta. She's wearing his long, long-sleeved coat that's downright Puritan in the Latin world let alone for Edyta. Also, The Singer had quite the collection of shiny marbles dancing about her brow tonight. She always looks like a saucy alien queen on "Star Trek."
1. Melissa Rycroft & Tony
Dance/Song: Argentine Tango/Some weird Techno-Tango-Rap en Espanol piece
I had to mute the TV because the music was...disconcerting for some reason but that didn't really help. The good news was the lines were great, Melissa got into character, and she seemed more grounded. The bad news was that it didn't really sizzle. Perhaps it's because I wasn't really digging the choreography or the music was distractingly odd. It was good but did not equal Gilles & Cheryl.
Judges: Len thought it was fantastic but saw a possible mistake. Bruno loved it so much he needs a drink. (Insert joke here). Carrie Ann called it the best Argentine Tango this season and dubbed them the "King and Queen of Legal Lifts." Geez, I guess I'll have to watch this one again.
Score: 29 (10-9-10)
Apparently Melissa was dancing with bruised ribs. Huh, maybe that's what I was noticing...
2. Lawrence Taylor & Edyta
Dance/Song: Waltz/"Open Arms" by Journey
While LT can probably never truly be light on his feet, this is the lightest he's been on the show. His center of gravity seemed to be up around his waist as opposed to his knees. He did much better than I thought he would. Despite not being technically fantastic, he captured the character of the dance well. P.S. Edyta shed the sparkly Puritan coat during the number - the dress underneath was very pretty.
Judges: Bruno loved the romance at the beginning but LT lost balance a few times. Carrie Ann saw more freedom of movement and grace from him and complimented him on Edyta's dress. Len agrees he captured the tenderness of the dance but there were quite a few mistakes throughout, including Edyta getting tangled in her outfit.
Score: 21 (all 7's)
3. Lil' Kim & Derek
Dance/Song: Rumba/"Lost Without You" by Robin Thicke
During rehearsal, they amazingly had to work on Kim not being too sexy since they know how much Len hates that. I like Kim's outfit but unfortunately the see-through sheath hangs in a way that obscures what her hips and legs are doing at times. The choreography was good and it was well executed. As far as I could tell she had good hip action but it's possible that in her desire to not go over the top, Kim reigned it in a little too much.
Judges: Carrie Ann called it understated and a little underwhelming, adding she wants Kim to always let loose. Len loved it but agrees with C to the A, saying you can strive to just please one judge. Bruno thought it was good but likened an un-raunchy Lil' Kim to a margarita without tequila.
Score: 26 (9-8-9)
4. Chuck Wicks & Julianne
Dance/Song: Samba/"Baila Baila" by Angela Via
The thing about Chuck is that he has moments where he's really good but then he starts looking like he's counting/concentrating too hard. Overall, it was a fun number and he danced well. I'd say it's his best dance yet.
Judges: Len agrees it was his best so far, Bruno said he was working his butt and hips liked he'd never seen before, and Carrie Ann did a happy dance.
Score: 27 (all 9's)
5. Ty Murray & Chelsie
Dance/Song: Waltz/"Strawberry Wine" by Deana Carter
After a couple rough weeks, Ty's back to his strength - a Ballroom discipline. The technique was great, his posture was fantastic, and it was a cute number. I liked it, a definite upswing from last week. Though he still needs to work on his facial expressions.
Judges: Bruno said it was well done, Carrie Ann complimented his great frame and connection, and Len called it "absolutely spot on."
Score: 24 (all 8's)
6. Shawn Johnson & Mark
Dance/Song: Cha Cha/"P.Y.T" by Michael Jackson
First of all, Mark's choreography was great. It was fun and was high energy despite the song being played too slow. Shawn's technique was fab as always, though if I were to nitpick she could use just a little bit more hip action at times.
Judges: Carrie Ann loved it, adding that Shawn's "flawless technique" didn't overpower her personality. Len thought they perfectly blended crispness and rhythm. Bruno likened her to a young Debbie Reynolds or Mitzi Gaynor. For those unfamiliar, it's a high compliment.
Score: 28 (9-9-10) - Actually, I was kind of expecting a perfect score or at least two 10's
7. Gilles Marini & Cheryl
Dance/Song: Viennese Waltz/"I Go To Sleep" by Sia
More really good choreography - I especially liked how the dance paused with the break in the music. Gilles danced it very well though his arms were still a little sharp like in Latin dances and the hands were a bit mleh. But really that's nitpicking because it was great overall. The character was perfect and they held my attention well.
Judges: Len loved the nuances to the music but says to work a bit on the footwork. Bruno likened it to the romance of the movie "Gigi". Carrie Ann says his the most graceful male dancer and gives the tip to watch his posture.
Score: 27 (all 9's)
Group Dance
Dance/Song: Tribute to the 60's/"369" by Cupid
Christian Perry is the choreographer for this number and he did a fantastic job. The ladies, pro and celeb, start out on platforms or the stairs with some go-go dancer action. The guys come out en masse next and get a bit to themselves. While Ty and LT looked a little lost, at least Ty's got some guns. Chuck is wearing a blonde shag wig. Surprisingly I liked Ty & Chelsie and LT & Edyta's solos a lot - Ty's bucking bronco recreation was the funny. I also really dug Shawn & Mark's flip/roll-fest. This is probably my favorite group number because no one looked incredibly, painfully uncomfortable like the Old School Hip-Hop routine last seen (argh!) and they all seemed to genuinely have fun.
Judges: Bruno called it sublime silliness, Carrie Ann thought the girls nailed it and complimented Christian on the choreography, and Len loved it - it made him flashback to clubbing in 1964.
Bottom Two: It's between LT, Ty and Chuck but I'm willing to bet it'll be Lawrence and Ty.
Who's Out: It's a bit of a coin toss but it'll probably be LT.
So what did you think of the group dance? Who's solo was your favorite? Which number did you dig the most? Any other thoughts?
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Zap2it Twitter Talk 
Who knew Ty had those biceps? Wow.
Fave dance of the night? Shawn & Mark. She really let loose and the routine was all the better for it.
Felt really bad for Derek, you could see how crestfallen he was during judging when they didn't like his toned down rumba. That's allright, I bet he and Kim go all-out next week in response.
Group dance was tons of fun, but why was LT wearing what looked like his own leisure/golf wear instead of a costume like everyone else?
Oh, and new pic of everyone's favorite backup singer and her crown of rubies:
http://geocities.com/quisquilian
For the past three weeks Melissa has produced difficult routines. Perhaps you are on the female band wagon for Giles. While he does a good job, he had little to no difficulty in his routine this week. Watch it again, this time in a cool environment!
This was a really great week on DWTS and showed how much better this season is than last season. So many of these couples are really good!
Favorites:
Shawn- Man I loved this dance. Loved the song and Mark just knows how to choreograph something that suites the vibe of the partnership he has each season. It was s***y, and had the right amount of sex appeal for her age. She let loose more and had mor hip action too.
Chuck- Julianne does love the samba but it is a difficult dance and wasn't one I was sure Chuck could handle. But it was great! They had a great balance of technique (and pretty solid technique at that) and performance and looked like they were having so much fun!
Lil Kim- She moved her hips, even if more subtlely for her, than any other female has in the rumba so far. The outfit covered it a little though. I thought it was well choreographed and danced. And I still thought it was sexy. I think the video package hurt- it gave the judges a point to be critical of before they even started and probably made them concentrate on her being less of herself than just focusing on the quality of the dance they made. And Len bugged me- he told her to be herself and that he liked sexy personally....but he still wouldn't mark it high?! But so you have to be yourself but not too sexy...but that's what Kim is so...ugh...just seemed a bit unfair. So, go for 2/3 of the judges Derek and just let Kim's personality through!
Melissa- wouldn't have praised it as much as Carrie Ann but it was a nice tango, good choregraphy, and she got into character well once again. I preferred Lil Kim and Gilles tangos though. I do think Melissa is a great dancer and I enjoy her but I feel like she could still attack more. I just feel more energy and p***ion for dancing exuded from Lil Kim, Gilles and Shawn on the floor regardless of the dance style and even from Chuck this week than from Melissa.
Good but not favorites:
Gilles- just wasn't feeling it this week. Choreography was ok but the dance wasn't holding my interest and I usually love watching them. And Gilles facial expression didn't work for me- he looked brooding and too intense and didn't change that expression while Cheryl was smiling most of the dance. So they just seemed like they weren't in sync as a couple because of that to me. But he is a talented dancer.
Ty- much better, nice choreography that was perfect for he and Chelsies relationship. He is a solid frame. Still not as good as others and could work on his expressions but he is so likeable.
Bringing up the rear:
LT- not horrible but the mistakes/mishap really distracted the flow of the waltz. And I really just don't care for his personality. Normally I really try to let the dancing do all the talking but I find his manner hard to get past. But, he is also the worst dancer left so....yea.
Group dance was much cleaner than usual and more comfortable to watch than it has been in a long time. Really do like this cast of celebs. I didn't think I would at first but it has been a nice season.
Hope dialidol is correct!
Bottom 2 should be and will be: Ty and LT
Leaving- time is up LT!
This season is fantastic. I mean, seriously, you have a jam up this year on who can be in the top three. There are five contenders for those three slots. Shawn, Gilles, Melissa,Lil Kim and even Chuck. Should be a very interesting final weeks and finale. My bet for top three is Gilles, Shawn and either Melissa or LIL KIM. What's yours? ANd if push came to shove I would move Melissa into the third spot and drop Lil Kim to fourth.
Gilles had a way better Tango, although Melissa rivaled, in comparison, Gilles was the sexier, p***ionate, and more intense.
I thought Melissa and Tony's tango had the most complex footwork I've seen on this show. Normally only pros do that type of choreography and granted, the pros may do it much faster, but Melissa handled it beautifully. Also, I thought it was the best choreography Tony has ever done - I hope he keeps that up because it has been a weak area for him, in my humble opinion. I really enjoyed their performance - it may have been a very different vibe from Cheryl and Gilles' tango, but it was every bit as enjoyable to me.
Loved, loved, loved Shawn and Mark last night!
Gilles and Cheryl are always great but didn't Cheryl seem oddly subdued last night?
For once I was kind of in sync with the judges, when they talked to Derek and Lil Kim. Much as I like that pairing, there was something lacking last night and I found my mind wandering while they were dancing, which is never a good sign. But I really felt for Derek because he seemed so bummed out with the comments. No worries though, I can't imagine they are going anywhere anytime soon.
I still have a soft spot for Ty because he's just the sweetest thing, so I hope it's LT tonight and then sadly Ty should go next.
Oh, and a big thumbs up for Edyta's dress, even if she got lost in it for a minute. It was beautiful. :)
The Singer has to put her necklaces on the top of her head because they don't fit around her fat neck! She'd choke to death!
d/k was so hard b/c derek was right, a raunchy rubma like julianne/chuck isn't what it's supposed to be, but there was little spark to it-- what I might have critiqued was that it didn't cover the floor alot or have much movement, lots of body hugging and posing; wished they could have moved more. But I still like them.LT should go, but I'm kinda hoping Chuck goes first-- It isn't a comp till Ty, Chuck, LT, all leave anyhow.
Absolutely enjoyed last night's performances. Loved Edyta's dress. Got a kick out of Len's enthusiasm in regards to the group dance. It was easy to relate to him because that music is also from my era, although I think he's a little older than me.
I'm disappointed in the judges reactions to Derek's choreography. The look on Derek's face broke my heart.
I certainly hope LT goes home tonight. He has not improved enough to stay on any longer.