DANCING WITH THE STARS Recap – Week 8

The commercials before DANCING WITH THE STARS claimed that it was “Latin Night” but there was really no theme. Instead of bringing anything too original to the table, the Instant Dances were back as was the Salsa, which was last seen in season nine — and resulted in a 27, danced by Joanna Krupa & Derek incidentally. And Mya’s performance of the salsa in season 9 was also very good, giving us very high expectations for what a salsa should look like.

As the stars descended from the stairs last night, Hines looked like he wasn’t really in the mood. I was happy to see that someone’s finally gotten to Ralph’s hair, giving him an updated look. Speaking of hair, I realized that I only liked Mark when he had hair. When he shaved it off, it was the beginning of his downfall. He got too cocky and sure of himself. Why couldn’t he be like Samson and just lose his talent too?

By the way, why was Casey Abrams sitting in the audience and, more importantly, why were the producers so excited to put him on screen? He’s not going to perform like Pia Toscano, is he?

But enough gabbing. Let’s get to the performances…

Round One

Chelsea & Mark – Waltz – Mark was upset about scoring last week and it left the two of them frustrated. But Mark still made the whole scene look a bit contrived, no? Mark wanted to emphasize storytelling during this waltz and decided to stand back as the frame. I liked the weird beach video they had playing on the ground; I’m assuming the story was a shipwreck. The dance had moments of really pretty movements, but there was still something about Mark that seemed less Waltz and more contemporary. However, I thought that the story was cool and Chelsea looked amazing doing the dance.

Len said that Mark put too much emphasis on the story instead of the dance, though he liked the dance and thought it was lyrical. Bruno liked the setting Mark created for Chelsea and appreciated the contemporary touches. Carrie Ann thought that Chelsea was a mature sophisticated dancer this week. Score: 29 (10,9,10). P.S. They pulled the dancehall anthem “Get Busy” by Sean Paul.

Hines & Kym – Foxtrot – Kym wanted a story about a proposal in Central Park. Hines decided to analyze Ralph’s performance and Kym wanted to make sure that expressions were something that he was really good at. The couple started a bit slower than the song, but the two were in character throughout the dance. There was something odd about Hines’ spins but he had a big smile which covered up any big mistakes. I thought the dance was a good balance between a good a story and decent technique.

Bruno thought the dance was beaming with happiness. Carrie Ann compared him to Gene Kelly and loved the manliness. Len appreciated the combination of dancing and personality; he criticized his footwork. Score: 28 (9,9,10). For the instant dance, they pulled “Chantilly Lace” by Jerry Lee Lewis.

Romeo & Chelsie – Tango – Chelsie wanted to make sure that Romeo is taking the dances very seriously. With the tango, Romeo wanted to make sure the character was really good. Chelsie started to stress out about a lack of vision, but as the dance began, the two looked pretty good. I hated the bow on the back of Chelsie’s plastic looking dress, but I liked how they danced through lasers. Half the battle of a good dance is now what the dance floor can provide, am I right? I’m pretty sure the interesting spin was a bit of a lift, but that’s all up to Carrie Ann to dock points or not. I think the tempo of the tango was what was really throwing Chelsie off when she was creating the choreography, but I thought that it covered the floor really well.

Carrie Ann thought that Romeo was dancing with intensity and sharpness. Len thought that Romeo upped his game. Bruno thought that he danced like a strong man. Score: 27 (9,9,9). Romeo pulled “Tequila” for the instant dance.

Ralph & Karina – Viennese Waltz – Karina wanted a violent and dramatic Viennese waltz. During practices, Ralph was having pain in his hamstring and the two lost time going to the doctor. Ralph had ruptured a small cyst, but the two kept practicing. On Saturday, Ralph’s injury flared up again. Karina pointed out that the couple only had nine hours of practice. Ralph looked like he was being a bit cautious with his legs, but Karina was doing her best to not only dance beautifully, but create choreography that wasn’t too stressful on his knee.

Len thought that his adrenaline was running and he appreciated the hold, but it lacked polish. Bruno thought the dance was fascinating in the darkness and appreciated his dancing through the pain. Carrie Ann knows it’s hard to dance with pain, but said he danced with grace and elegance. Score: 25 (8,8,9). Ralph pulled “Stuck in the Middle.”

Kirstie & Maks – Argentine Tango – Kirstie was under pressure, being on the bottom of the scoreboard last week. Maks pointed out that Kirstie has very slow feet and Maks wanted to make sure she was doing a good job. There were several times when Kirstie fell, she had no control. Maks suggested that she eat food for energy. Kirstie was graceful in the beginning, but she was still a bit slower than Maks when they were side by side. Maks proved that Kirstie was easy to lift with several creative moves. There were minor wiggles and the walk to the chair at the end was really a waste of time. The last 20 seconds could have been used a lot better.

Bruno thought there was a sensuality and passion; he liked the footwork as well. Carrie Ann thought that there was a real life chemistry unfolding on the dance floor. Len loved the atmosphere of the dance. Score: 28 (9,9,10). Kirstie pulled the song “Cobrastyle” for their instant dance.

Round Two – Instant Dances

Chelsea & Mark – Salsa – Chelsea likes learning from lyrics and beats and she’s scared. Mark decided to invite Kyle from last season and he advised Chelsea on how to sell the dance. The music started too early accidentally, which threw off both the dancers and the camera men. The dance clearly lacked some polish and the couple spent a lot of time in the middle of the floor without diverging from a few steps. The dance lacked a lot, but for an instant dance, it wasn’t too bad.

Len compared instant dancing to real competitive dancing; he thought the salsa was hot. Bruno liked how there were so many steps in their performance, the difficulty was there. Carrie Ann thought the two did well with the choreography, but said they were dancing above the music. Score: 26 (8,9,9).

Hines & Kym – Jive – Kym knows that semi-finals are next week, so the two had to really bring up their levels. Hines was stressed out without hearing the beat and the vocals. Kym admitted that she had never done an instant dance on the show before, so she’s equally as stressed as Hines. By the way, whomever decided to dress Hines in Jets green needs to be fired. The two had some spirit on stage in the beginning and Hines was very active with the toss. The two covered a lot of floor but their section in the middle looked a bit silly. The side-by-sides weren’t bad, considering how little time they had to practive, however the kicks were messed up.

Bruno loved the energy, but said Hines danced like a penguin because of his flat feet. Carrie Ann thought the two did a great job, understanding that the jive was really hard; Hines was very relaxed. Len knew that Hines worked hard because of how difficult the jive was. Score: 26 (9,9,8).

Romeo & Chelsie – Salsa – Chelsie wanted to get that street spirit in the salsa for Romeo. Romeo compared this to dancing in a club, so Chelsie decided to bring Romeo to a salsa spot and he tried to teach a very nervous girl how to do it. Romeo did a really silly slide to open the dance but the two got into really good hold choreography. The side-by-side section could have been better polished but the two did decently. It kind of looked like Chelsie ran out of choreography near the end.

Carrie Ann thought there was something off and they were a bit out of sync. Len thought the two had the club atmosphere and there were nice nuances; he forgave the minor problems. Bruno thought the two got the party feel, but the two needed more fluidity. Score: 25 (8,9,8).

Ralph & Karina – Cha-Cha – At the doctor’s office, Ralph and Karina discussed how the two never had any practice. The two began at the stage steps and wasted several bars with a silly story. They really spent time with a few pauses between movements. Karina did as much of the motion as possible as the two tried not to put pressure on Ralph’s leg. The couple kind of lost their place somewhere near the end, but they recovered.

Len liked the perseverance and dedication, but said the cha-cha suffered from the lack of rhythm. Bruno noted the lack of hip action in the dance. Carrie Ann was impressed by what he could do, but said he was lost overall. Score: 21 (7,7,7).

Kirstie & Maks – Salsa – Kirstie complained about how much of a nightmare the added pressure was and she stressed out. Maks continued to freak and threw his mic pack during practices. Once on the floor, however, the pair started dancing right away and did a decent job. Kirstie looked nervous during the whole performance but she tried to pull off some natural movements. She had a few jerky moments, but Maks was able to put her in her place. Kirstie ran out of time as she tried to run to the judges.

Bruno liked the traditional salsa, while Kirstie cursed up a storm when Bruno was complaining about synchronization. Carrie Ann enjoyed the dance and said they just had a minor mistake. Len thought the dance was slower and rhythmic; he said it lacked a bit of impact but that she was moving her hips well. Score: 25 (8,9,8).

Total Scores

Chelsea & Mark – 55 (29 + 26)

Hines & Kym – 54 (28 + 26)

Kirstie & Maks – 53 (28 + 25)

Romeo & Chelsie – 52 (27 + 25)

Ralph & Karina – 46 (25 + 21)

Ralph is clearly going to get sympathy votes but will that be enough for him to get past the six point deficit and jump ahead of Romeo & Chelsie? I could see people transferring their votes from Chelsea, Hines or Romeo to Ralph but it would have to be a big push. Guessing now, from the combined judges’ scores and the dynamic fanbase both Hines and Kirstie have, those two seem safe for the semi-finals. The producers may want to continue stirring drama and placing Chelsea & Mark under the red lights, but they will be safe because of their high scores.

Whom do you think will get eliminated?