Dancing With The Stars: It Takes Two

The couples really upped their game this week on Dancing With The Stars. Each of the pairs performed two different routines and, while some of them were better than others, all of them danced their hearts out.

Jennie & Derek were the first pair to dance and it would be a jive. During practice earlier in the week, Jennie received a surprise visitor -- Richard Simmons! She's a big fan of his and he dropped by to help her boost her self-worth. It was actually a very sweet little clip that we saw but let's get to the dancing. I loved her green sequined outfit even though it made Tom Bergeron crave frozen vegetables. They danced a very fun routine but it was kinda sloppy at the beginning. The judges said it wasn't her best dance and gave them a 24 out of 30. They danced a fox trot in the second round and it was much better than their jive. They received a 26 out of 30 on their fox trot for a total score of 50 out of 60 after both rounds.

Cameron & Edyta danced a Viennese Waltz for their first dance and I really loved it! Perhaps I'm finally becoming a fan of that waltz after all. I loved their choice in music (reminded me of music from a child's music box) and how fluid their moves were. The judges loved it too calling it majestic and beautiful. They scored them a 27. Their second dance was the cha-cha-cha and they were dressed as hippies (reminded me of their American Indian costumes though). It was cute but it wasn't as good as their first dance. The judges said Cameron was too stiff and needed to work on his transitions more. That dance got them a 24 so after two rounds they were left with a 51 out of 60.

The third pair to dance were Marie & Jonathan. Her pre-dance clip consisted of her talking about how hard this last week had been for her but that her dad always said the show must go on. During practice, Jonathan's wife came in to give her permission to be romantic with him. They danced a nice rhumba but she didn't really move around on the dance floor. It was all about dancing in place for her and the judges noticed. They said she needed more content and more steps. They received a 24 (I thought that was way too generous) for that routine. Their second dance was a jive and even though it was cute it was very sloppy and wooden. Carrie Ann thought there wasn't enough jive in the dance and they received a 25 this time around. Their total after both rounds was a 49 out of 60.

Helio & Julianne were the fourth couple to dance and all I can say is just "wow" at both of their dances. In practice, Julianne created a little pit crew of professionals (Tony Dovolani, Corky Ballas, and Heather Smith) for Helio and they went to work whipping him into shape. Their first dance was a paso doble and it was awesome. It had a "caped crusader" thing going on with it and the judges loved it. Len loved the capes and Carrie Ann especially loved their attention to detail. They received a 27 for their good work in that routine. Their next dance was a quick step and it was even better! It had a old school gangster feel to it and the ending was wonderful (he kissed her and she dropped to the ground). They received a standing ovation from the crowd and the judges loved it so much they received a perfect score of 30. After both rounds their total was a 57 out of 60.

The final pair to dance in both rounds was Mel & Maks. Mel's husband paid a visit to them in practice to help get her angry enough to do the routines because she has a hard time being so serious. Their first dance was a tango and it was great. I thought the music was a little too fast for them though. The judges loved how serious she was and her footwork. They were given a 27 for their first dance. Their second dance, a mambo, was fantastic. They also ended theirs with a kiss at the end. The judges said it was hot and the choreography was great. They received a 29 there for a total of 56 out of 60 for the evening.

Overall, it was a fantastic show. Everybody's dancing was great but Helio & Julianne were my favorites of the night. That man keeps getting better and better and it's amazing to watch his transformation. I think it's time for Marie to go this week but I wouldn't be surprised if she got the sympathy votes to stick around and Jennie or Cameron go home instead. What did you think about everybody's dancing this week and who do you want to go home next?