DANCING WITH THE STARS Recap – Week 6

Guilty Pleasures week was miles better than Americana week, especially because “American Woman” was an anti-American song. The guilty pleasures at least fit the tempos of the songs somewhat better. As the contestants descended from the stairs, Hines was not as happy looking as the rest of the contestants. Kirstie made some bird motions as a hello to someone out in the television audience. Apparently Hanson became the house band for the night singing snippets of songs like “Hello” and “Achy Breaky Heart.” Sadly, their ten second snippets sounded better than the full versions of the Howard Wheeler Band.

Brooke pointed out that she doesn’t know how to handle a microphone as she constantly pulled her microphone away before she finished her sentences or celebrities because of bad timing. Luckily Tom is a very quick-witted host that can react on a dime.

Musical Guest – Hanson “MmmBop” – To kick off a night of guilty pleasures we were given a performance from Hanson. I give Hanson kudos for not being embarrassed by the success of their first big hit. They were accompanied by Tony & Lacey and the DWTS Troupe, but of course Lacey is more fun to watch than any of the troupe. Her West Coast Swing abilities were in full effect when she did her trick sequence with Tony.

Kirstie & Maks – Samba – Kirstie got “…Baby One More Time” from Britney Spears and Maks wanted to make sure that Kirstie wasn’t thinking so hard. He pointed out that Kirstie started to panic mid-step, but the two had some time to talk about how Kirstie had to believe in herself. After a commercial, the couple spun around as much as they could. Kirstie’s arms weren’t as strong as they could have been, but I was happy that she had the endurance for the whole dance. Her walking needed a bit of help and her dress was doing a lot of the work. I liked the couple work on the stage because of its precision in such a small area.

Len thought that Kirstie finally fulfilled the potential of week one. Bruno thought that Kirstie delivered an easy looking performance. Carrie Ann agreed; she expected to see Kirstie in the finals. Score: 26 (8,9,9)

Chris & Cheryl – Tango – The couple got “Don’t Stop Believin'” and Chris pointed out that he’s the lead singer of a band, something I would have assumed after his appearance on CELEBRITY DUETS. Chris struggled with the intensity of the tango and Cheryl was very aggressive during practice. Chris was worried about musicality in the performance. The couple started with a bench and spent most of the beginning on the stage. I thought the song was a bit too fast for a tango and the couple struggled with finding the bear when the tempo picked up. Cheryl did her best, but there was something wrong with Chris’ wobbly legs. It didn’t help that the band was doing a really weak version of the song.

Bruno thought he lost timing and wasn’t able to recover. He just had an off night. Carrie Ann agreed with Bruno, the pressure got to Chris — he didn’t live up to the hype. Len disagreed with Bruno, Chris had good hold, posture, and footwork, but he lacked some intensity. Score: 22 (7,8,7)

Romeo & Chelsie – Waltz – Romeo got “My Heart Will Go On” and admitted to being a hopeless romantic. During rehearsals, Romeo tried his best to embrace his character, but Chelsie wanted to make sure technique was on point. The couple was given the stereotypical smoke machine that now seems standard for Waltzes. Romeo was physically dancing great, but there was a vacancy in his face. I thought that he did a good job in hold and Chelsie didn’t over-dance like she often does. The two shared a light kiss at the end.

Carrie Ann thought the dance was magical and she appreciated Romeo’s personal style. Len thought Romeo danced with maturity and the dance had a romance; he suggested working on his frame. Bruno thought that Romeo had poise and finesse. Score: 28 (10,9,9)

Chelsea & Mark – Quickstep – The couple’s song was “Walking on Sunshine.” Chelsea was worried about being competitive and she was never as aggressive as Mark was, so Mark and Chelsea had a water fight…though I’m not exactly sure what pouring water on each other had to do with competition since no one really “won” and both just got wet and had to clean. When the couple danced in the beginning, I could see why Mark would have hurt his ankle. The footwork was pretty good, but it showed the overaggressive nature of Mark’s kicks. Chelsea had a demure but sophisticated kick when Mark overdid his sections. Interestingly, Mark danced almost the entire dance on his toes, possibly to help with his ankle.

Len loved the combination of energy and control. Bruno thought the dance had zest, but there was a section where Chelsea wobbled. Carrie Ann thought the routine was difficult but still magical. Score: 28 (10,9,9)

Kendra & Louis – Samba – Louis was convinced that the samba would be Kendra’s dance because of its party style. Kendra wanted to make sure that she was clean, but Louis wanted her to be as vigorous as possible. Even before dancing, Kendra was already shaking. She did her best to shake everything she had; I think the choreography was finally a good combination of difficulty with moments of cleanliness where Kendra could showcase herself. There were moments where Kendra lost some control but she recovered. She spent the end of the dance shaking everything she got on the judges table. Happy Birthday, Len.

Carrie Ann thought that was the definition of guilty pleasure, she suggested working on technique further. Len thought that the dance was a fire this week. Bruno started making random sexual references. Score: 25 (8,8,9)

Hines & Kym – Viennese Waltz – Hines dreamed of being part of Boys II Men and the two laughed about his shower singing skills. Hines tried his best to practice his routines at home with the help of a pillow and a sketched out game plan like a true football player. The couple started dancing a bit shaky but immediately got into the dance. Hines does a great job when he’s in hold and he has really good connection with Kym. Kym looked marvelous as she spun around Hines.

Len thought he was the “MVP” but he pointed out that he was flat-footed. Bruno thought it was wonderful to watch and loved the chemistry. Carrie Ann thought there was something strange in the beginning of the dance where Hines looked like he was thinking. Score: 27 (9,9,9)

Ralph & Karina – Paso Doble – Karina wanted to make sure that Ralph was the matador and made sure that his arms were sexy. She decided to throw in a little bit of “wax on/wax off” to give Ralph some more character. The couple was a bit off in the beginning of the dance and his arms still looked like spatulas. Unfortunately for Ralph, he lost his place completely after Karina tripped on Ralph’s coat. Ralph looked scared and Karina really had to get him back to place. The two did their best to recover. The side by side-by-side action in the middle of the dance was decent, but something I didn’t expect or really like. It didn’t fit his character as much as I’d hoped. At least the end slide was good.

Bruno knows that there was an incident, but there was still fire when he recovered. Carrie Ann pointed out that the fall and the recovery was good. Len thought that Ralph was good for helping Karina recover. Score: 24 (8,8,8)

Week Six Leaderboard

High

Romeo & Chelsie – 28

Chelsea & Mark – 28

Middle

Hines & Kym – 27

Kirstie & Maks – 26

Kendra & Louis – 25

Low

Ralph & Karina – 24

Chris & Cheryl – 22

It seems as though with Kendra’s strong support and people throwing their votes towards Ralph because of the fall, Chris is destined to be eliminated this week. The song itself was too much to live up to and it swallowed up Chris & Cheryl. The morbid person in me hopes that Mark’s ankle injury turns out to be worse so Tony or Dmitry could get a week to dance with Chelsea. Knowing my luck though, Mark would take a week off and his father Corky would dance with Chelsea instead.

Who impressed you tonight?