This week I've been watching lots of International Rumba videos. Of course there are so many amazing options to choose from but I went with this one from 2006. As you know, Max & Yulia no longer dance together (as she is the current World Champ with partner Riccardo and he has started a relatively new partnership with Anastasia Grigoreva) but this is still one of my favorites.
Friday, April 27, 2012
Tuesday, April 24, 2012
DWTS Results Show #5
The Motown Results show kicks of with a Motown Medley! I was totally into this one and I think it may have had something to do with it featuring Val and Louis, but mostly lots of Val! Great to see great dancing on this show!
And after the requisite recap videos of last night and a long round of commercials, we're finally at some results. Jaleel & Kym are safe and are very excited, no doubt because they didn't want to duel again. Maria & Derek are the first couple put in jeopardy. William & Cheryl are safe. Melissa & Maks, however, are in jeopardy. Is it possible his fans finally gave up?
Up next, is Michaela De Prince. An American ballerina born in Seirra Leone with a truly touching story of how she came to dance. Her performance to Wild Horses by Natasha Bedingfield was beautiful and very mature for her 17 years.
By the way, Brooke's dress isn't completely crazy this week but its still pretty strange. In case, you happened to be wondering there is a lot of pink and a lot of sparkles.
Macy's Stars of Dance this week is the group Shaping Sound. It was a contemporary piece much like what you'd see on that other dance show and it even guest starred some of those other dancers.
Next up, is Boyz II Men! Where have I been that I didn't know they were on tonight? They are of course accompanied by some dancing, a rumba which includes Anna (always a plus). They also still have their voices, after twenty years, also a plus.
More results now! Katherine & Mark are safe, no surprise for me. Gladys & Tristan are in jeopardy, apparently no surprise for them. Donald & Peta are safe, again no surprise. And Roshon & Chelsie, are unsurprisingly in jeopardy. So far no crazy surprises, but let's wait to see who is actually in the bottom two shall we?
Now for the real results, Melissa & Maks are safe. Gladys & Tristan are in the actual bottom two and therefore the dance duel. Maria & Derek are in the bottom two leaving Roshon & Chelsie to duke it out in the duel.
It would obviously be a real shocker for Gladys to pull through this one considering Roshon is probably a better dancer than many of the stars and Gladys is quite easily on the bottom in terms of dance talent. The fact that this week's dance is a jive only helps Roshon.
Duel time! Roshon has so much energy he keeps getting off time and ahead of the music which could be bad but compared to Gladys he looks like a firecracker. Now for the judges' thoughts. They obviously love Gladys but I think its clear they won't save her. But, CA picks Gladys & Tristan! Len goes with Roshon & Chelsie leaving it up to Bruno who picks Roshon & Chelsie.
So who goes home next week? Maks' fans have already shown their power and now that Melissa is actually starting to improve she could be safe awhile longer. Roshon & Chelsie don't seem to be pulling the votes but their dueling might keep them safe. We'll see next week!
And after the requisite recap videos of last night and a long round of commercials, we're finally at some results. Jaleel & Kym are safe and are very excited, no doubt because they didn't want to duel again. Maria & Derek are the first couple put in jeopardy. William & Cheryl are safe. Melissa & Maks, however, are in jeopardy. Is it possible his fans finally gave up?
Up next, is Michaela De Prince. An American ballerina born in Seirra Leone with a truly touching story of how she came to dance. Her performance to Wild Horses by Natasha Bedingfield was beautiful and very mature for her 17 years.
By the way, Brooke's dress isn't completely crazy this week but its still pretty strange. In case, you happened to be wondering there is a lot of pink and a lot of sparkles.
Macy's Stars of Dance this week is the group Shaping Sound. It was a contemporary piece much like what you'd see on that other dance show and it even guest starred some of those other dancers.
Next up, is Boyz II Men! Where have I been that I didn't know they were on tonight? They are of course accompanied by some dancing, a rumba which includes Anna (always a plus). They also still have their voices, after twenty years, also a plus.
More results now! Katherine & Mark are safe, no surprise for me. Gladys & Tristan are in jeopardy, apparently no surprise for them. Donald & Peta are safe, again no surprise. And Roshon & Chelsie, are unsurprisingly in jeopardy. So far no crazy surprises, but let's wait to see who is actually in the bottom two shall we?
Now for the real results, Melissa & Maks are safe. Gladys & Tristan are in the actual bottom two and therefore the dance duel. Maria & Derek are in the bottom two leaving Roshon & Chelsie to duke it out in the duel.
It would obviously be a real shocker for Gladys to pull through this one considering Roshon is probably a better dancer than many of the stars and Gladys is quite easily on the bottom in terms of dance talent. The fact that this week's dance is a jive only helps Roshon.
Duel time! Roshon has so much energy he keeps getting off time and ahead of the music which could be bad but compared to Gladys he looks like a firecracker. Now for the judges' thoughts. They obviously love Gladys but I think its clear they won't save her. But, CA picks Gladys & Tristan! Len goes with Roshon & Chelsie leaving it up to Bruno who picks Roshon & Chelsie.
Gladys' Last Dance
So who goes home next week? Maks' fans have already shown their power and now that Melissa is actually starting to improve she could be safe awhile longer. Roshon & Chelsie don't seem to be pulling the votes but their dueling might keep them safe. We'll see next week!
DWTS Week 6 Recap
Well in case you forgot it was Motown Week the show kicked off with performances by Smokey Robinson, Martha Reeves, and The Temptations with a bit of dancing by the DWTS troupe. I would have liked to see a bit more of The Temptations and a bit less of the frantic cha cha that accompanied them but as it turned out I got lots of them later in the show.
Gladys Knight & Tristan MacManus
Dance: Rumba
Song: My Girl
Judges' Scores: 21 (trip 7's)
The Temptations are back already and I almost forgot that Gladys and Tristan would be dancing. Once I got past them singing and Tristan's all purple sweater suit and thick rimmed glasses the dance was almost over. Gladys was doing her best and it was great seeing her loving Motown Week but it was a rather boring rumba. The judges, I think, were trying to express what I feel, that she's not the best dancer but you just love watching her try. It did seem they were pushing everyone at home to vote for her though, so even if she's not their favorite in scores she's a favorite in other ways.
Maria Menounos & Derek Hough
Dance: Foxtrot
Song: Jimmy Mack
Judges' Scores: 26 (9's from Bruno & Len, an 8 from CA)
Martha Reeves is back singing for Maria and Derek's foxtrot. Once again she has a relatively nice ballroom frame which I wish she had stayed in for more of the dance. Most of the side by side work was a bit awkward and got off time in a few places. She had some left shoulder problems in the second half of the dance which I found a bit uncharacteristic but that just shows I've come to expect a nice frame from her. This wasn't my favorite dance of hers which is unfortunate because I much prefer her standard.
Roshon Fegan & Chelsie Hightower
Dance: Rumba
Song: Cruisin
Judges' Scores: 23 (8's from Bruno & Len, a 7 from CA)
Roshon and Chelsie have to dance to Smokey Robinson, which must be distracting, I'd want to just stop and watch. Roshon was trying so hard to be sensual I didn't really feel the rumba character. At the end, I started to believe it but then it ended before I really got there. I would have liked to see him focus a bit more on technique because I do think he can handle it. Not my favorite of his (hope this isn't a Motown Week pattern) but not bad. Relative to the other couples, I think the judges underscored this one.
Katherine Jenkins & Mark Ballas
Dance: Samba
Song: I Can't Get Next to You
Judges' Scores: 29 (10's from Bruno & CA, a 9 from Len)
Oh, if only they could have done a samba with a stronger samba beat and less Motown groove. There were lots of samba steps executed well but some of the more exciting steps just lacked some punch because of the music. This one is a hard one to judge for me because I would really like to replay it with a different soundtrack.
Donald Driver & Peta Murgatroyd
Dance: Foxtrot
Song: The Way You Do the Thinks You Do
Judges' Scores: 27 (trip 9's)
There is just something so enjoyable about their dancing together it makes me miss their errors. It could have been a bit cleaner and more fluid in places but I just plain liked it.
Melissa Gilbert & Maksim Chmerkovskiy
Dance: Viennese Waltz
Song: Ooo Baby Baby
Judges' Scores: 24 (trip 8's)
The rehearsal footage was tough this week with both M's getting frustrated. Despite that, this was the most comfortable I've seen her. She still hangs on for dear life in frame a bit but it was less obvious this week. Her face even relaxed some of the time. Her frame still has issues with her shoulders constantly popping up but definitely better.
Jaleel White & Kym Johnson
Dance: Cha Cha
Song: Ain't Too Proud to Beg
Judges' Scores: 29 (10's from Bruno & CA, a 9 from Len)
Jaleel does seem to be really pushing himself. I don't think cha cha is really his dance but he did well. He really did perform the best he could even if the lock steps weren't as crisp as I would have liked. I think the judges went a little crazy with the scores but what else is new.
William Levy & Cheryl Burke
Dance: Rumba
Song: Being With You
Judges' Scores: 27 (a 9 from CA, an 8 from Len, & a 10 from Bruno)
I wish Cheryl would let him dance more already. We know he can do sexy and when he's given the chance he has nice Cuban motion. He could use straighter legs to create more dynamic but who knows how good he could really be. Yes, I find Cheryl's dancing distracting most of the time but it is even more distracting that her choreography doesn't let him dance!
That's not all the dancing for this week. Smokey Robinson was accompanied by Val and Anna, and finally there is some payoff for their stars being kicked off the show. Love watching Val actually dance and I've always been an Anna fan.
To end the show was the Motown Dance Marathon. Each of the couples had a spotlight for their cha cha (which must be a few too many cha chas for Jaleel at this point). Gladys & Tristan are the first out and Maria & Derek are eliminated just as I was thinking they looked a bit tired and a little off their game. Roshon & Chelsie are third to go and Melissa & Maks are fourth. Now the floor is opened up for the four remaining couples to go where they please. Donald & Peta were next even though I was enjoying their cha cha. Jaleel & Kym, who must never want to cha cha again, were 6th. William & Cheryl were the 7th eliminated making Katherine & Mark the Marathon winners. Hard to say whether this was the best choice since I felt they didn't get much camera time.
Now for the moment I've been dreading: the leader board. To penalize or not to penalize Katherine for not the best music or William for not the best choreography or even Maria for not living up to my expectations. And, of course, what to do with this dance marathon? Basically I ignored the Dance Marathon but I've included the judges' scores before and after for comparison.
Judges' Rankings Pre-Marathon
Judges' Rankings Post-Marathon My Rankings
And who goes home? My guess would be Gladys but her fans have kept her so far. We'll see soon!
Gladys Knight & Tristan MacManus
Dance: Rumba
Song: My Girl
Judges' Scores: 21 (trip 7's)
The Temptations are back already and I almost forgot that Gladys and Tristan would be dancing. Once I got past them singing and Tristan's all purple sweater suit and thick rimmed glasses the dance was almost over. Gladys was doing her best and it was great seeing her loving Motown Week but it was a rather boring rumba. The judges, I think, were trying to express what I feel, that she's not the best dancer but you just love watching her try. It did seem they were pushing everyone at home to vote for her though, so even if she's not their favorite in scores she's a favorite in other ways.
Maria Menounos & Derek Hough
Dance: Foxtrot
Song: Jimmy Mack
Judges' Scores: 26 (9's from Bruno & Len, an 8 from CA)
Martha Reeves is back singing for Maria and Derek's foxtrot. Once again she has a relatively nice ballroom frame which I wish she had stayed in for more of the dance. Most of the side by side work was a bit awkward and got off time in a few places. She had some left shoulder problems in the second half of the dance which I found a bit uncharacteristic but that just shows I've come to expect a nice frame from her. This wasn't my favorite dance of hers which is unfortunate because I much prefer her standard.
Roshon Fegan & Chelsie Hightower
Dance: Rumba
Song: Cruisin
Judges' Scores: 23 (8's from Bruno & Len, a 7 from CA)
Roshon and Chelsie have to dance to Smokey Robinson, which must be distracting, I'd want to just stop and watch. Roshon was trying so hard to be sensual I didn't really feel the rumba character. At the end, I started to believe it but then it ended before I really got there. I would have liked to see him focus a bit more on technique because I do think he can handle it. Not my favorite of his (hope this isn't a Motown Week pattern) but not bad. Relative to the other couples, I think the judges underscored this one.
Katherine Jenkins & Mark Ballas
Dance: Samba
Song: I Can't Get Next to You
Judges' Scores: 29 (10's from Bruno & CA, a 9 from Len)
Oh, if only they could have done a samba with a stronger samba beat and less Motown groove. There were lots of samba steps executed well but some of the more exciting steps just lacked some punch because of the music. This one is a hard one to judge for me because I would really like to replay it with a different soundtrack.
Donald Driver & Peta Murgatroyd
Dance: Foxtrot
Song: The Way You Do the Thinks You Do
Judges' Scores: 27 (trip 9's)
There is just something so enjoyable about their dancing together it makes me miss their errors. It could have been a bit cleaner and more fluid in places but I just plain liked it.
Melissa Gilbert & Maksim Chmerkovskiy
Dance: Viennese Waltz
Song: Ooo Baby Baby
Judges' Scores: 24 (trip 8's)
The rehearsal footage was tough this week with both M's getting frustrated. Despite that, this was the most comfortable I've seen her. She still hangs on for dear life in frame a bit but it was less obvious this week. Her face even relaxed some of the time. Her frame still has issues with her shoulders constantly popping up but definitely better.
Jaleel White & Kym Johnson
Dance: Cha Cha
Song: Ain't Too Proud to Beg
Judges' Scores: 29 (10's from Bruno & CA, a 9 from Len)
Jaleel does seem to be really pushing himself. I don't think cha cha is really his dance but he did well. He really did perform the best he could even if the lock steps weren't as crisp as I would have liked. I think the judges went a little crazy with the scores but what else is new.
William Levy & Cheryl Burke
Dance: Rumba
Song: Being With You
Judges' Scores: 27 (a 9 from CA, an 8 from Len, & a 10 from Bruno)
I wish Cheryl would let him dance more already. We know he can do sexy and when he's given the chance he has nice Cuban motion. He could use straighter legs to create more dynamic but who knows how good he could really be. Yes, I find Cheryl's dancing distracting most of the time but it is even more distracting that her choreography doesn't let him dance!
Tied for top scoring dance of the night
To end the show was the Motown Dance Marathon. Each of the couples had a spotlight for their cha cha (which must be a few too many cha chas for Jaleel at this point). Gladys & Tristan are the first out and Maria & Derek are eliminated just as I was thinking they looked a bit tired and a little off their game. Roshon & Chelsie are third to go and Melissa & Maks are fourth. Now the floor is opened up for the four remaining couples to go where they please. Donald & Peta were next even though I was enjoying their cha cha. Jaleel & Kym, who must never want to cha cha again, were 6th. William & Cheryl were the 7th eliminated making Katherine & Mark the Marathon winners. Hard to say whether this was the best choice since I felt they didn't get much camera time.
Top Scoring Performance after including the Marathon
Now for the moment I've been dreading: the leader board. To penalize or not to penalize Katherine for not the best music or William for not the best choreography or even Maria for not living up to my expectations. And, of course, what to do with this dance marathon? Basically I ignored the Dance Marathon but I've included the judges' scores before and after for comparison.
Judges' Rankings Pre-Marathon
| Place | Couple | Points |
| 1 | Katherine & Mark | 29 |
| 1 | Jaleel & Kym | 29 |
| 3 | William & Cheryl | 27 |
| 3 | Donald & Peta | 27 |
| 5 | Maria & Derek | 26 |
| 6 | Melissa & Maks | 24 |
| 7 | Roshon & Chelsie | 23 |
| 8 | Gladys & Tristan | 21 |
Judges' Rankings Post-Marathon My Rankings
| Place | Couple | Points | Place | Couple |
| 1 | Katherine & Mark | 39 | 1 | Katherine & Mark |
| 2 | Jaleel & Kym | 37 | 2 | Jaleel & Kym |
| 3 | William & Cheryl | 36 | 3 | Donald & Peta |
| 4 | Donald & Peta | 34 | 4 | William & Cheryl |
| 5 | Maria & Derek | 30 | 5 | Maria & Derek |
| 5 | Melissa & Maks | 30 | 6 | Roshon & Chelsie |
| 7 | Roshon & Chelsie | 28 | 7 | Melissa & Maks |
| 8 | Gladys & Tristan | 24 | 8 | Gladys & Tristan |
And who goes home? My guess would be Gladys but her fans have kept her so far. We'll see soon!
Friday, April 20, 2012
Video Vendredi: Legendary Jive
So last week I missed Friday's video selection because I was busy getting dressed up to attend the huge ballroom spectacular Dance Legends in NYC (more on that later). I figured it was only fitting then to pick a video of one of those couples, in many ways THE legends, Bryan Watson & Carmen. Their dancing, and of course their jive, really speaks for itself so here it is:
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
DWTS Results Show #4
The Latin Week results show kicked off pretty quickly with a redo of Derek and Maria's Salsa. Ir looked much the same, except this time of course that awkward kiss in the middle was transferred from Derek to CA and Maria to Bruno.
After some backstage reactions from Monday night, we're cutting to commercial but not before getting a full length view at Brooke's ensemble for the evening. I'm almost disappointed that it's a fairly normal cocktail dress, and for the second week in a row! Come on Brooke, where's the entertainment?!
Maria & Derek, Melissa & Maks, and Gladys & Tristan are up for some results now. No surprise here, Maria & Derek are safe first. Melissa & Maks, thanks again no doubt to his fans, are safe (unless there's some Little House voting cult out there I'm unaware of?). Gladys & Tristan are also safe making it back for Motown week. This is not looking good for Gavin & Karina.
The judges are up next explaining the Dance Duel. Basically indicating previous seasons when couples went home before their time, the judges say it will be all about the dancing. We shall see soon!
Train is performing now. Louis Van Amstel is back performing a Cha Cha with Cheryl which I quite enjoyed. I wasn't even distracted by Cheryl's stylings. Conclusion: we need more Louis.
Macy's Stars of Dance is up next with what looks like Capoeira followed by some more traditional Samba dancers (of course with a little more coverage than normal). Then the dance moved into some Salsa. Enjoyable if not a bit hard to follow.
Selena Gomez is singing Hit the Lights now with some very confusing dance accompaniment. Pseudo ballroom costumes with pseudo ballroom shoes and some sort of modern, jazz, hip hop mix that was so uncomfortable I was wishing I could fast forward. Definitely the most painful part of the show so far.
More results now! William & Cheryl are safe, once again no surprise there. Katherine & Mark are also safe. And rounding out the round of no surprises Donald & Peta are also safe.
There is a little blurb about the Ballroom Battle taking place on abc.com. I only wish that it was more a part of the results show. It's gotta be more entertaining that watching Selena Gomez.
Now we're into the real results of the night. Gavin & Karina, Roshon & Chelsie, and Jaleel & Kym are on stage awaiting their fates. Turns out someone rallied behind Roshon & Chelsie because its Gavin v. Jaleel in the dance duel.
Jaleel has once again a strange response to the interviews. Gavin once again goes for self-deprecating humor. As they go to change, Dance Duel rehearsal footage takes place (which appears to all be from late night Monday and early morning Tuesday - ouch!).
The time has come for the Dance Duel. This split screen business is really confusing but when all is said and done it would be pretty shocking if Gavin made it through despite how hard Karina was working. If only we could meld Jaleel's dance + Gavin's personality + Karina to get what we all really want.
Gavin's Last Dance
So it is indeed Gavin & Karina going home after a unanimous decision by the judges. With the somewhat constantly rotating bottom two it is hard to predict what might happen next week. Will the public really send Gladys home on Motown week? Will Maks' fans ever relent? Guess we'll have to wait til next week to find out!
Tuesday, April 17, 2012
DWTS Week 5 Recap
Latin night kicks off with an enjoyable cha cha/samba performance by the DWTS troupe with Santana. Can the rest of the night goes this well?
Well Santana's next performance did with the Samba accompaniment of Louis Van Amstel and Anna Trebunskaya! Louis we've missed you!
As it turns out the rest of the dancing was pretty enjoyable too if at times a little bland. Let's just say I enjoyed Latin Week a lot more than Rock Week.
Jaleel White & Kym Johnson
Dance: Samba
Song: Rhythm Is Gonna Get You
Judges' Scores: 24 (trip 8's)
Well I have to give Jaleel credit for one thing, this week he didn't relax back into his too cool for school style. He really gave the Samba his all. Of course now that he pushed himself past his natural dancing ability, it was a little awkward in places. It wasn't amazing but it wasn't bad either and I appreciated the effort to improve. His face (and Kym's sparkle leg costume) was distracting at times but even as the first dance I think its safe to say it won't be the worst dance of the night.
Melissa Gilbert & Maksim Chmerkovskiy
Dance: Salsa
Song: Aguanile
Judges' Scores: 21 (trip 7's)
Melissa's rehearsal footage was complete with a rhinestoned hard hat and neck brace after her injury last week. This actually was one of the most comfortable performances I've seen from Melissa. You still wouldn't really want to look below her waist; she may have the largest salsa basics I've ever seen. However, for once she didn't have the constant face of fear even during the ending move which was similar to the one she injured herself during last week. The dancing wasn't necessarily improved but her confidence and ability to sell it was. I also didn't feel the dance was as far above her ability level as in previous weeks.
Maria Menounos & Derek Hough
Dance: Salsa
Song: The Cup of Life
Judges' Scores: 27 (trip 9's)
Can this girl not catch a break? Once again another week means another injury for Maria after she fell on her face in rehearsal. The sound of the injury was actually worse than the results as her chin ended up to be okay but Derek's insistence on her wearing bubble wrap and a helmet may not have been a bad idea. This week I saw a real improvement in Maria's footwork and lower body movement. Above the waist everything was a little one note, not distracting for sure but a little too boring. She kept a nice smile throughout but not exactly what I'd call selling it. Once again there was another kiss, with no doubt about this one. I'm guessing this is the kind of thing super-fans of the show go crazy over but for me its just uncomfortable and unnecessary.
Katherine Jenkins & Mark Ballas
Dance: Argentine Tango
Song: Tanguedia
Judges' Scores: 29 (10's from Bruno & CA, a 9 from Len)
Hmm, well there wasn't anything wrong with the dance really. I liked that the dance focused on the action going on below instead of making the top extra flashy like some of the past Argentine's have. I would have liked a little more smoulder and a little less of the storyline but overall it was enjoyable. I think it was just a little boring in the end but maybe only because I was expecting more.
Gavin DeGraw & Karina Smirnoff
Dance: Samba
Song: Sweetheart from Venezuela
Judges' Scores: 19 (6's from Len & CA, a 7 from Bruno)
Well props are everywhere in this one, ocean lights on the floor, a moving canoe, and a hammock. That usually doesn't make for the best dancing and it wasn't. He is enjoyable to watch and even when he doesn't know exactly what is going on he isn't staring confused at Karina looking for help which I appreciate. Karina slipped at the end but it didn't really make a difference. He has improved this season but I'm not sure this one will keep him out of the bottom 2.
William Levy & Cheryl Burke
Dance: Argentine Tango
Song: Buttons
Judges' Scores: 29 (10's from Bruno & CA, a 9 from Len)
I don't have much to say other than I enjoyed this one. Cheryl is still distracting at times because I just think she over-dances too much but her partner doesn't suffer from the same problem. I think the most impressive part of the performance was William's face which managed to keep the intensity without looking awkward; something many of the other stars have issues with. Well done. Apparently William had an ankle injury but I don't think anyone noticed.
Gladys Knight & Tristan MacManus
Dance: Samba
Song: Fever (the Spanish version)
Judges' Scores: 22 (7's from Len & CA, an 8 from Bruno)
The dance was good but if we're judging on dancing ability, Gladys just isn't up there with the rest of the stars anymore. I think she may have too many voters to land in the bottom two especially with Motown theme week coming up next week, which spells trouble for some of the rest.
Roshon Fegan & Chelsie Hightower
Dance: Salsa
Song: Bumpy Ride
Judges' Scores: 26 (9's from Bruno & CA, an 8 from Len)
The song for this one was kind of distracting as it really would have made a better Samba and it made it hard to really accent some of the correct beats. You could tell he was working hard though and I appreciated all the energy he was bringing.
Donald Driver & Peta Murgatroyd
Dance: Argentine Tango
Song: Sin Rumbo
Judges' Scores: 27 (10 from CA, an 8 from Len, and a 9 from Bruno)
Thoroughly enjoyable performance. I'm not sure if it showcased Peta a little too much and not enough Donald but he did lift and spin her with finesse. I would have liked a little more dancing between the lifts but the performance value was high. I do believe this is the first performance of the season that got three different scores from the judges.
Well Santana's next performance did with the Samba accompaniment of Louis Van Amstel and Anna Trebunskaya! Louis we've missed you!
As it turns out the rest of the dancing was pretty enjoyable too if at times a little bland. Let's just say I enjoyed Latin Week a lot more than Rock Week.
Jaleel White & Kym Johnson
Dance: Samba
Song: Rhythm Is Gonna Get You
Judges' Scores: 24 (trip 8's)
Well I have to give Jaleel credit for one thing, this week he didn't relax back into his too cool for school style. He really gave the Samba his all. Of course now that he pushed himself past his natural dancing ability, it was a little awkward in places. It wasn't amazing but it wasn't bad either and I appreciated the effort to improve. His face (and Kym's sparkle leg costume) was distracting at times but even as the first dance I think its safe to say it won't be the worst dance of the night.
Melissa Gilbert & Maksim Chmerkovskiy
Dance: Salsa
Song: Aguanile
Judges' Scores: 21 (trip 7's)
Melissa's rehearsal footage was complete with a rhinestoned hard hat and neck brace after her injury last week. This actually was one of the most comfortable performances I've seen from Melissa. You still wouldn't really want to look below her waist; she may have the largest salsa basics I've ever seen. However, for once she didn't have the constant face of fear even during the ending move which was similar to the one she injured herself during last week. The dancing wasn't necessarily improved but her confidence and ability to sell it was. I also didn't feel the dance was as far above her ability level as in previous weeks.
Maria Menounos & Derek Hough
Dance: Salsa
Song: The Cup of Life
Judges' Scores: 27 (trip 9's)
Can this girl not catch a break? Once again another week means another injury for Maria after she fell on her face in rehearsal. The sound of the injury was actually worse than the results as her chin ended up to be okay but Derek's insistence on her wearing bubble wrap and a helmet may not have been a bad idea. This week I saw a real improvement in Maria's footwork and lower body movement. Above the waist everything was a little one note, not distracting for sure but a little too boring. She kept a nice smile throughout but not exactly what I'd call selling it. Once again there was another kiss, with no doubt about this one. I'm guessing this is the kind of thing super-fans of the show go crazy over but for me its just uncomfortable and unnecessary.
Katherine Jenkins & Mark Ballas
Dance: Argentine Tango
Song: Tanguedia
Judges' Scores: 29 (10's from Bruno & CA, a 9 from Len)
Hmm, well there wasn't anything wrong with the dance really. I liked that the dance focused on the action going on below instead of making the top extra flashy like some of the past Argentine's have. I would have liked a little more smoulder and a little less of the storyline but overall it was enjoyable. I think it was just a little boring in the end but maybe only because I was expecting more.
Gavin DeGraw & Karina Smirnoff
Dance: Samba
Song: Sweetheart from Venezuela
Judges' Scores: 19 (6's from Len & CA, a 7 from Bruno)
Well props are everywhere in this one, ocean lights on the floor, a moving canoe, and a hammock. That usually doesn't make for the best dancing and it wasn't. He is enjoyable to watch and even when he doesn't know exactly what is going on he isn't staring confused at Karina looking for help which I appreciate. Karina slipped at the end but it didn't really make a difference. He has improved this season but I'm not sure this one will keep him out of the bottom 2.
William Levy & Cheryl Burke
Dance: Argentine Tango
Song: Buttons
Judges' Scores: 29 (10's from Bruno & CA, a 9 from Len)
I don't have much to say other than I enjoyed this one. Cheryl is still distracting at times because I just think she over-dances too much but her partner doesn't suffer from the same problem. I think the most impressive part of the performance was William's face which managed to keep the intensity without looking awkward; something many of the other stars have issues with. Well done. Apparently William had an ankle injury but I don't think anyone noticed.
Gladys Knight & Tristan MacManus
Dance: Samba
Song: Fever (the Spanish version)
Judges' Scores: 22 (7's from Len & CA, an 8 from Bruno)
The dance was good but if we're judging on dancing ability, Gladys just isn't up there with the rest of the stars anymore. I think she may have too many voters to land in the bottom two especially with Motown theme week coming up next week, which spells trouble for some of the rest.
Roshon Fegan & Chelsie Hightower
Dance: Salsa
Song: Bumpy Ride
Judges' Scores: 26 (9's from Bruno & CA, an 8 from Len)
The song for this one was kind of distracting as it really would have made a better Samba and it made it hard to really accent some of the correct beats. You could tell he was working hard though and I appreciated all the energy he was bringing.
Donald Driver & Peta Murgatroyd
Dance: Argentine Tango
Song: Sin Rumbo
Judges' Scores: 27 (10 from CA, an 8 from Len, and a 9 from Bruno)
Thoroughly enjoyable performance. I'm not sure if it showcased Peta a little too much and not enough Donald but he did lift and spin her with finesse. I would have liked a little more dancing between the lifts but the performance value was high. I do believe this is the first performance of the season that got three different scores from the judges.
William's Tango
Breaking ties and figuring out the ranking order this week was tough. Katherine's technique was better than William's but her performance was lacking some oomph and I liked parts of Donald's routines better than both. So this week I'm not feeling very strongly one way or another it seems so here goes nothing:
Judges' Rankings My Rankings
| Place | Couple | Points | Place | Couple |
| 1 | William & Cheryl | 29 | 1 | William & Cheryl |
| 1 | Katherine & Mark | 29 | 2 | Katherine & Mark |
| 3 | Donald & Peta | 27 | 3 | Donald & Peta |
| 3 | Maria & Derek | 27 | 4 | Maria & Derek |
| 5 | Roshon & Chelsie | 26 | 5 | Roshon & Chelsie |
| 6 | Jaleel & Kym | 24 | 6 | Jaleel & Kym |
| 7 | Gladys & Tristan | 22 | 7 | Melissa & Maks |
| 8 | Melissa & Maks | 21 | 8 | Gladys & Tristan |
| 9 | Gavin & Karina | 19 | 9 | Gavin & Karina |
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
DWTS Results Show #3
It's still Rock Week! Kiss kicks off the results show with a little Cha Cha and a lot of flames.
Backstage footage starts right away focusing mainly on Melissa's injury from the show. Essentially during the end of the routine, before Maks fell, she hit her head and got a concussion. Maks apparently also hurt his arm in the incident, which is perhaps why Gavin carried Melissa backstage.
Melissa, taking a doctor prescribed day of rest, wasn't there to hear it but they're safe for another week. Gavin & Karina are also safe and seem pretty surprised by it. With those two couples safe, Tom doesn't need to tell us this will be a shocking elimination.
Now it's the judges' favorite with a re-dance. No surprise here it is Donald & Peta. The dance is still enjoyable and Donald's faces are still hilarious. That's all I really have to say about that, the re-dance is never my favorite part of the results shows.
It's taken me this long to notice Brooke's outfit?! It might be her most normal results show outfit this season and on Rock Week no less!
A lot of filler and then finally more results! Maria & Derek are back next week and everyone is hoping she doesn't pick up another injury along the way. Jaleel & Kym are also safe and seem surprised. Gladys & Tristan are also safe making it official that no one on the bottom of the dancing food chain is going home this week.
Now part of the show I've really been looking forward to: Karina's performance with Jose Carreno to music by the Gotan Project. If you've never seen this amazing ballet dancer perform head to youtube! Kind of interesting to see two dancers so good at their specific crafts doing a dance neither of them specialize in, the Argentine Tango. A little disappointing but at least we got to see some Jose's amazing leaps and spins. They didn't seem all that comfortable with the routine but I guess how can you be with such a tight rehearsal schedule.
Donald & Peta and Roshon & Chelsie, the week's highest scorers, are now up for some results. Donald & Peta unsurprisingly are safe leaving Roshon & Chelsie in the bottom two. That is not good news for them considering he probably doesn't have a huge fan base and she is a relatively new pro.
The cast of Dancing with the Stars Live in Las Vegas takes the stage next dancing to "The Beat", which of course is almost as near as you can get to a sacrilegious song choice in ballroom (if you don't know what I'm talking about you really need to hit up youtube more often). The dance was interesting with a lot of tricks. Not enough to make me want to pay to go to Vegas (and then pay for a show instead of sit by the pool) but I'm sure it makes for an enjoyable time.
More results! Katherine & Mark are safe and were both very shocked and very excited. This means either William & Cheryl or Sherri & Val are in the bottom two. Sherri & Val are joining Roshon & Chelsie in the bottom two.
Now it is time for the final results and Sherri is already crying. The judges, via Len, express their shock. And it is Sherri & Val going home meaning more tears for Sherri (and Carrie Ann). I will truly miss them on the show, especially their rehearsal footage. Sherri wasn't the best dancer, and I don't think the elimination was as shocking as Tom promised, but I don't think it was quite her week to go.
Sherri's Last Dance
The silver lining? Maybe his elimination will allow Val to participate in more pro numbers showcasing his amazing-ness. A girl can dream right? Anyway, who goes home next? I'm not even going to bother to guess! What do you think?
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