Dancing With The Stars: Ballroom And Latin Night
Last night's Dancing With The Stars had all of the makings of a fantastic show: double the dancing and double the scores. All of the teams had to dance to two separate kinds of dance (ballroom and Latin) and then cross their fingers and hope their fans actually picked up the phone or voted online for them. The cheetah paw (in memory of Sabrina) was in full force and Tom and Samantha's ad libs (because of the writer strike) weren't that bad either. I loved Samantha's dress too by the way -- she actually looked classier than usual.
First to dance in both rounds were Helio & Julianne. During practice last week, Julianne surprised Helio with a video message from his parents back home in Brazil. He got all teary-eyed (awww!) watching them wish him luck and telling him they miss him. But let's get dancing! They danced the tango first and the samba (what was that poor animal on her chest?) second. I thought they did great with both dances but Len and Bruno thought their tango wasn't polished enough. They received scores of 25 and 27 for a combined total of 52 out of 60.
Next, Marie & Jonathan took the stage. They had the quickstep and the cha-cha-cha to dance to and even though I liked their routines, I thought their score for the quickstep was too high. That routine (to 'Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy') was extremely entertaining but didn't think it had the snappiness I would have liked to have seen. The judges gave them scores of 28 and 24 for a combined score of 52 out of 60.
Mel & Maks followed them with their foxtrot and paso doble. I thought their foxtrot was boring and sloppy (so did the judges) but their paso doble was out of this world! Their paso was to 'Free Your Mind' and it was absolutely perfect! They got their second perfect score of the competition so far with that dance. After both dances, they had scores of 24 and 30 for a combined total of 54 out of 60.
Jane & Tony danced next with a quickstep and cha-cha-cha- (like Marie & Jonathan). The difference between these two pairs though was that Jane & Tony didn't dance as well as them at all. Their quickstep was was fun but sloppy (I loved their remembrance of Johnny and June Cash though!) and their cha-cha-cha lacked fireworks. They received scores of 24 and 26 for a combined 50 out of 60.
Jennie & Derek were the next-to-last pair to dance and I thought they performed some of their best dances so far. They danced to the Viennese waltz (which I usually don't like) and the rhumba. Their Viennese waltz was the first that I liked of the season but the judges thought they lacked fluidity. The rhumba they did was even better and the judges liked it much better than their waltz. Bruno even said it was the best dance they've done so far and gave them a 10 for their efforts. Their scores after both rounds were a 25 and a 28 for a combined total of 53 out of 60.
Last to dance in both rounds were Cameron & Edyta with a quickstep and a jive. Their song for the quickstep was strange -- The Cure's 'Why Can't I Be You?'. And Cameron was a little, shall I say, pumped. I think he had one too many Red Bulls before the quickstep. I loved that dance though even though the judges thought they were too out of control. Their jive was great fun to watch and Cameron's tight pants weren't too bad either. They received scores of 24 and 27 for a combined total of 51 out of 60.
Overall last night, it was a great show to watch. All of the different dances they did were really amazing -- especially when you think about how hard it must have been to learn two different routines while also going about their daily business. Marie & Jonathan stepped it up enough last night for me but Jane & Tony didn't. I still feel that Marie & Jonathan and Jane & Tony are the bottom two couples (even if the scores don't always show it) though. I really think it's time for Jane to go and I hope she'll be the one going next.
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About HamsterDame
During the Big Brother season you can find me blogging over at Silly Hamsters. That's over now so let's discuss the rest of Reality!
BEWARE: I post spoilers!
You summed it up perfectly. I do hope Jane goes tonight, but then I thought she was going last week. Mel and Maks' paso doble was hot, hot, hot and they definitely deserve to stay another week. I agree with you that Julianne's outfit for the samba was a little strange. Edyta looked great last night (it's nice to see her with some clothes on for a change) and Cameron didn't look too bad either.
I think the most improved dancer this season is Jenny and I'd like to see her win but Mel probably will. I hate the fact that the amateurs have to compete against the pros... last night Mel's partner was complaining that she was having to spend so much time with her other dance teacher learning the dance routines for her tour. Not fair cause that makes her a pro if she's being trained for her show in which she will be paid for dancing. It would be like having Edyta and Maks as a couple competing against the others.
I like Jane more than Marie because of her elegance but I agree that it is time for them to go. I like Cameron because I admire his ability to dance despite the handicap with his hips and I think he has come a long way.
Does any one else agree with me that it was tacky for the dancers to show off their "tributes" to the missing Sabrina? It was like they were telling us, the voting public, that we don't know anything. Maybe we don't but that's the way the show is set up and they know it. I actually would be happy if Mel was voted off next and left the show to the real amateurs like it was originally conceived to be.
Rant over!
This season certainly has been snakebit...the writer's strike, Marie fainting, Jane's mom dying, and now Marie's dad dying....
Marie's Dad dying? When was this? Did I miss something?
I LOVED her Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy routine.
Was it the best techincally? No.
But by far the most entertaining of the night.
The outfits, the song, the upbeat, the big red lipstick kiss on Len at the end.
Marie oozes entertainment.
She is what I hoped Wayne Newton would be, but never was.
Jane is good, but not good enough for what is left in this competition.
If you are not the techincal best, then you have to make up for it with showmanship like Marie does, or Mark Cuban did, and Jane does not have that factor.
Mel and Maks Paso was great, but to me they are inconsistent.
I like Cameron and Edyta.
I think that Cure song did them a huge disservice on the first dance.
Funny how a song can make or break you, yet the couples have no choice in the song they have to dance to....
Helio is great, and also very likeable.
You just want him to do well.
Julianne is probably the best female dancer (OK maybe tied with Cheryl Burke) but she seems a bit too full of herself for me.
Look at how she always mugs it up for the camera.
And not in a good way, more in a "look how hot I am " kind of way.
Jennie is my fave.
I love that shes so humble.
Len said it best.
"The only one who does not think you are a great dancer is you"
Jennie really really overcomes her fears and insecurities and learned how to dance from scratch.
She has no training.
She has no experience.
Shes completely not comfortable with this.
But shes right up there just as good as Mel who has more experience and comfort level.
This competition is really meant for someone like Jennie to win.
And I love Derek, Hes so sweet with her.
All in all I thought it was a good show. It does seem to be a season of drama with all the things going on - on the outside with the stars lives.
As much as I love Mel and her dancing, again, it is an unfair advantage because it is a large part of her professional life. The fact that she had to leave her practices to learn dance routines for her Spice Girls programs, gives her an advantage of how to learn and perfect dance routines.
Jane is lovely - but... we see the same type of dancing from her everytime - elegance - pretty lines - so on. There is no real variation based on the type of dance. I would love to see her break out and really do something snappy. But I don't think that will happen. As much as I don't want to see anyone leave - it is her turn.
I wish this site at would at lest mention Beauty and the Geek.
That being said, as some of you may know, the producers of the show decided since it wasn't broke, they should fix it. In past seasons it's always been female beauties and male geeks. This season, they decided to add a reverse-gendered couple, thus ruining the game and the show.
The male beauty, Sam Horrigan, a SAG-card holding actor with 27 credits under his name on IMDB.com, of COURSE hooked-up with one of the female beauties in episode one. Thankfully, she was eliminated by another team early on. Unfortunately, it has become so obvious that the competions have been manipulated to keep the reverse-gender couple in the game that it makes Dick Donato winning BB8 look legitimate.
Question: If he has a SAG card, doesn't appearing on a reality show piss-off the union?
I'm sorry about not covering the show but I don't watch the show. The only season I watched was the first one. If you would like to write a guest post on the show, email me (HamsterDame at gmail dot com) and I'll see what I can do. -HD