DANCING WITH THE STARS Recap – Week 5

There are some themes that make sense on DANCING WITH THE STARS — for example acoustic night and classical night were both successful weeks because they emphasized the style of music. American week ran the most obscure variety of songs and dances. Who thought that people could translate a Brazilian Samba into something closer to a country two-step?

I knew we were in for an interesting week when there was almost immediate, but minor lighting issues for Tom and Brooke. This week marks the return of the stairs, but along with the stairs, the producers decided to grab a large screen with the same generic video that AMERICAN IDOL used and placed it in the middle. The screen predominantly used the shot of either a blinking or waving American flag.

Not only have we reached the halfway point in the competition, but this episode contained the 1000th competitive dance of the series.

Ralph & Karina – Samba – Even though Ralph hit his highest scores, the two were forced to dance the samba to “Sweet Home Alabama.” Karina knew that Ralph’s strengths are in his ballroom dances, so she wanted to make sure he had hips to emphasize the Latin dances. Ralph started with some reservations and from the beginning seemed a bit out of place, like he had too much energy for the dance. He wobbled a lot of the time and looked rushed. I thought the spin that the couple made near the end was stupid looking, and the line dancing section seemed really unnecessary.

Len thought that Ralph was inconsistent; he didn’t have hips and rhythm. Bruno thought the two-step section was good, but the Samba needed more fire to get the correct motions. He then proceeded to ask for sex. Carrie Ann thought the dance was entertaining and they matched the theme of the dance this week. Score: 22 (8,7,7).

Chris & Cheryl – Viennese Waltz – Chris wanted better than a seven from Len, so Cheryl pointed out that technique is very important to raise his score. Chris has a lot of pressure not only getting the dance, but also matching the spirit of the music. Chris looked a bit off and slippery in the beginning of the dance, but did better when the couple was in hold. Their glides covered a lot of area. I felt as though Cheryl was over-dancing in hopes that Chris would boost his scores; she was spinning every other moment and looking amazing.

Bruno thought that it was masculine but still romantic. Carrie Ann felt like Chris was underestimated and thought he was a contender. Len makes a joke at Cheryl’s breasts, but he thought the dance was flatfooted, but his hold and posture was good. Score: 26 (9,8,9).

Petra & Dmitry – Quickstep – Dmitry explains that Petra had to dance to “Viva Las Vegas,” but she never heard Elvis when she was younger. Petra struggled with bouncing, which was okay for the Jive but not for this dance. The couple started with a casino table, but quickly got into dancing. The dance started a bit slow, but started to pick up speed and covered a lot of area in a short amount of time. Petra had moments where she looked like she was uncomfortable in the dance and was basically being dragged around by Dmitry. I liked the final chip toss, but I was afraid it would have slammed her in the face.

Carrie Ann thought she was gaining confidence, but she had a few stumbles and was out of sync. Len understood the dance was fast, but she coped with the speed; he suggested working on the neck. Bruno understood the difficulty and speed and compared the dancing to expensive cars; he pointed out there were some “handling” issues. Score: 22 (7,7,8).

Romeo & Chelsie – Foxtrot – Romeo pointed out that he outlasted his father, but back in season two there was a different scoring system in effect. Romeo wanted to dance with swagger, but Chelsie wanted to make sure that he was refined. He had issues with posture and Chelsie worked him harder. The couple immediately got into hold and though they looked confident, I felt as though Romeo still had too much bounce for my taste. In the side-by-side section, Romeo was a bit too fast and had moments where he was too slow. The couple looked like they ended a bit late as well.

Len thought the hold had control but there were pieces that he wasn’t happy with. Bruno thought the dance was cheeky but he maintained the style of the dance. Carrie Ann thought that his dance was sophisticated and loved his approach. Score: 26 (9,8,9)

Hines & Kym – Rumba – Hines annoyed me during the clip because he pronounced “rumba” as “Rahmba” and it may have been because of Kym’s accent. Kym wanted to make sure the dance was romantic, but Hines was like a bull in a china shop during the practice. As much as I hated the singers for the song, Kym was smoldering in her dress. Hines was there supporting Kym the whole time and had some decent hip action. His supporting arm seemed a bit rusty. Kym was doing an amazing job with her splits and recovery from the floor.

Bruno thought the dance had ease, musicality, and sensuality. Carrie Ann thought the dance looked easy and had some of the best hip action. Len liked the natural ease to the dance which added charm. Score: 27 (9,9,9).

Kirstie & Maks – Foxtrot – Kirstie wanted to be the frontrunner. Maks was very direct with his instructions during the practice. Kirstie brought in John Travolta to give them a pep talk and get rid of their bad mojo. I liked how John pointed out romantic tension between the two of them. Immediately as the music began, Maks ripped off his shirt and Kirstie had some stripper moves center-stage. Surprisingly, the foxtrot felt a bit slow for the song, but the two were very synchronized. Kirstie was really feeling the song and gave a lot of attitude.

Carrie Ann thought the dance was bold and ambitious. Len saw the attitude and basic steps, but it wasn’t his cup of tea. Bruno loved the dance. Score: 23 (8,7,8).

Kendra & Louis – Foxtrot – Kendra felt like trash after the critiques, but Louis tried to explain how she looked nervous and lacked confidence. She wanted to make sure the dance was All-American. To add pressure, Kendra & Louis were performing the 1000th dance. The dance started heavy on marching and emphasized a lot of side-by-side actions. Kendra had some wobbly motions, but when she got back into hold, Louis helped her out a lot. The choreography felt like there were moments of elementary school, but Kendra followed Louis throughout the whole dance.

Len thought the dance was better than last week. Bruno thought it was cute and better in character; he still pointed out that he could see Kendra thinking. Carrie Ann disagreed — she saw confidence and appreciated that she was fighting. Score: 22 (8,7,7).

Chelsea & Mark – Samba – Chelsea wanted to stay on the top of the leaderboard and wanted to break all the rules. Mark wanted a very traditional Samba and he pointed out that real technique would help with scores. The tempo was really skewed to match the Samba. Chelsea had some fun with the dance, but there were elements that weren’t “Samba” enough. The dance felt like it was really short because of all the side choreography with the nodding of heads and such.

Bruno liked the positive energy and sizzle. Carrie Ann agreed the couple danced well and matched the spirit with the sound. Chelsea thought the party was fun, but she messed up the promenades near the end. Score: 26 (9,8,9).

Scores

High

Hines & Kym – 27

Chris & Cheryl – 26

Chelsea & Mark – 26

Romeo & Chelsie – 26

Low

Kirstie & Maks – 23

Kendra & Louis – 22

Ralph & Karina – 22

Petra & Dmitry – 22

Seeing that Kendra survived last week with a three point deficit, I’m convinced that she’ll survive this week again. Both Ralph and Kirstie have gained a lot of media exposure, though we don’t know how much that affects the vote. If anything John Travolta may have helped Kirstie’s voting base. It seems like Petra may be in the red zone and is probably the one to go home this week.

Who impressed you this week?