Overall this week, I was underwhelmed. I think the most memorable part of Rock Week was that many of the stars seemed to have real trouble with their facial expressions. But before I go off on that, let's get to reviewing the dancing.
Sherri Shepherd & Valentin Chmerkovskiy
Dance: Tango
Song: Cum on Feel the Noize
Judges' Scores: 21 (trip 7's)
Sherri started her dance on top of the judge's table and she probably should have stayed there. It was clearly where she had the most fun and the rest of the dance just lagged. She seemed extra stiff in the Tango and her facially expression didn't change the entire dance. It looks like she might just have too much trouble not smiling so if she makes it back next week she'll be hoping for an upbeat, happy dance. Without her bubbly personality this week though, she could be in trouble. Perhaps most shocking, I agree with Carrie Ann yet again, intense doesn't mean expressionless, Sherri!
Katherine Jenkins & Mark Ballas
Dance: Paso Doble
Song: Time is Running Out
Judges' Scores: 24 (trip 8's)
Rehearsal footage for Katherine this week meant some in-ring fighting, Mark's way of getting out her Welsh warrior. The dance was a little stiffer than her others and had more wobbles. You could tell she was trying very hard to maintain the character of the dance and she did succeed in some ways. She made some great use of her costume skirt, which can be difficult in the moment of a performance. She probably over did it a bit on the intensity though, her facial expressions and arm movements seemed a bit forced. Of course maybe she was just making up for the lack of facial expression in Sherri's Tango.
Jaleel White & Kym Johnson
Dance: Tango
Song: Satisfaction
Judges' Scores: 22 (7's from Bruno & Len, an 8 from CA)
Jaleel talked about having very little experience with rock and Mick Jagger but Kym was certainly excited for rock week. The dance was packed with a lot of in-frame work and actual tango steps. Jaleel's frame wasn't bad considering he usually does the best at the more natural movements. I thought he kept up surprisingly well with the routine even if his footwork was a little flat in terms of dynamic. He also really seemed to enjoy himself and was getting into the dance and the rock. The dance even finished with a nice floor spin for Jaleel. After last week, I really doubted whether I could get into one of his dances again but if I'm being honest with myself this one was fairly entertaining; if not astounding. It's hard not to hold his slightly bizarre behavior against him, but I do my best to keep it about the dancing.
Melissa Gilbert & Maksim Chmerkovskiy
Dance: Paso Doble
Song: Conquest
Judges' Scores: 22 (7's from Bruno & CA, an 8 from Len)
Well, if everyone is shirtless then we know Maks is surely going to have to deliver. His Paso jacket certainly left some exposure. Much like Sherri, Melissa didn't have much going on in terms of facial expressions other than maybe fear. Once again the dance moved just a little too fast for her. She certainly deserves credit for attempting all those actual Paso steps but if the choreography was a bit easier and slower she would have been better off. There were some truly terrifying pivots in there which easily demonstrated the "holding on for dear life" that Carrie Ann mentioned in her comments. Maks ended the dance in a pool of stage lighting blood after a mistake that I barely noticed. She is definitely improving which is great to see, but unfortunately she still isn't really enjoyable to watch. At the end of the show, Tom announced that Melissa injured herself and headed to the hospital as a precaution. Hopefully, it isn't too serious. *UPDATE* Melissa had a mild concussion and whiplash and was taken to the hospital after feeling nauseous after the performance.
Donald Driver & Peta Murgatroyd
Dance: Paso Doble
Song: Purple Haze
Judges' Scores: 27 (trip 9's)
Rehearsal footage had Donald bearing his chest to take advantage of his physique for the Paso. There is something interesting about watching an extremely muscled man using a girl's sweater as a Paso jacket (rehearsal) but I would have preferred him wearing a shirt during the actual performance. I think a bit of costuming on top could have really helped hide some of his frame problems. He really got into the dance, including the facial expressions which went way more rock than paso (picture a lot of tongue wagging). There weren't as many actual paso steps in this dance as some of the others already on the show though so overall I was a bit disappointed. He really could have handled more and I would have loved to see it. The judges all really loved it and in my opinion over-scored it.
Gladys Knight & Tristan MacManus
Dance: Tango
Song: Bohemian Rhapsody
Judges' Scores: 20 (7's from Bruno & CA, a 6 from Len)
Gladys has actually been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame so she was concerned about living up to that. The dance was a little sloppy and her frame mostly exuded fear. She also suffered a bit from the expressionless-ness that a few others had issues with. The dance and her expressions picked up a bit at the end but it still wasn't the best. She could have maybe used some help from a longer dress but even that wouldn't have saved her.
William Levy & Cheryl Burke
Dance: Jive
Song: We're Not Gonna Take It
Judges' Scores: 22 (7's from Len & CA, an 8 from Bruno)
William apparently has less experience with rock than Jaleel so he had some members of Steel Panther to help him understand 80s hair bands. Kind of makes me wonder why any of us ever understood 80s hair bands, but I still love em! I really wasn't expecing much out of William's jive, I thought it would look awkward, but it really exceeded my expectations. His jive basics were fairly comfortable and he did execute his flicks and kicks. There were a few mix ups and he didn't seem entirely sure of the choreography, looking to Cheryl a lot on the flicks and kicks, but he did keep on going despite the mistakes (Cheryl even lost a shoe).
Roshon Fegan & Chelsie Hightower
Dance: Viennese Waltz
Song: The Time of My Life
Judges' Scores: 26 (9's from Bruno & CA, an 8 from Len)
VWaltz can really be a star killer but not in this case. Roshon really shined in this dance, which was surprising! He had great arm extensions and a nice frame. His footwork was a little sloppy but for VWaltz was still impressive (and lucky for him the fog covered a lot of it up). He struggles a bit when he needs to support Chelsie's weight but his movement around the floor was actually pretty good. This was definitely my favorite dance of his so far and I was surprised it didn't do better with the judges, even though CA said she thinks he's the best male dancer.
Maria Menounos & Derek Hough
Dance: Tango
Song: School's Out
Judges' Scores: 26 (9's for Bruno & CA, an 8 from Len)
Maria's rehearsals brought her to the foot doctor where she learned she has stress fractures in her feet. So if you are keeping track she now has broken ribs and near broken feet, but she keeps on going! The dance unnecessarily started out with her in strange schoolmarm attire which she stripped right away and was quickly forgotten. Once again her ballroom came out strong with a good frame and lots of tango steps in hold. She had a bit of the expressionless problems of the others but she maintained a faint smile so it wasn't as awkward. I don't think the dance necessarily lived up to the energy of the song but her dancing was really quite good. Perhaps she was working hard for her contingent of Greek celebrity fans in the audience but I think this was probably my favorite dance of hers yet. Of course, it also reminded me of how much more I like her Ballroom than her Latin.
Gavin DeGraw & Karina Smirnoff
Dance: Tango
Song: Paint It Black
Judges' Scores: 23 (8's from Len & CA, a 7 from Bruno)
Starting the dance, I was wondering if Karina's crazy makeup was meant to distract us from Gavin's dancing but once he started I was pleasantly surprised. He handled some pretty quick movements and had a better frame than I expected. His posture is still weird though and he can't seem to control sticking out his bum. He also was yet another star this week that couldn't handle the facial expressions, I kept thinking he was sucking on a hard candy. If it is possible to claim a most improved of the first four weeks, I believe Gavin would be it; I really did not expect him to be managing so well at this point. As Gavin said, he may not have done enough to get out of the bottom on Tuesday night but he is doing his best.
Judges' Pick for Best Dance
Now for the leader board. Like I said, I wasn't exactly in love with this week but as always I'll break the ties (and move some things around).
Judges' Rankings My Rankings
| Place | Couple | Points | Place | Couple |
| 1 | Donald & Peta | 27 | 1 | Roshon & Chelsie |
| 2 | Roshon & Chelsie | 26 | 2 | Maria & Derek |
| 2 | Maria & Derek | 26 | 3 | Donald & Peta |
| 4 | Katherine & Mark | 24 | 4 | Katherine & Mark |
| 5 | Gavin & Karina | 23 | 5 | Jaleel & Kym |
| 6 | Jaleel & Kym | 22 | 6 | William & Cheryl |
| 6 | William & Cheryl | 22 | 7 | Gavin & Karina |
| 6 | Melissa & Maks | 22 | 8 | Melissa & Maks |
| 9 | Sherri & Val | 21 | 9 | Sherri & Val |
| 10 | Gladys & Tristan | 20 | 10 | Gladys & Tristan |
Who goes home this week? I'd guess Gavin if I had to but not based on ability and certainly not based on improvement. We'll find out soon!
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