DWTS: Under Pressure
Dancing is rough on a body – especially when it’s a pretty one! Monday night’s show had Cristian taken down by injury before his samba finished, the top performing star took a tumble on the leader board and an underdog worked her way up the leader board. So how’d they do on this first night of two dances?
Marissa Jaret Winokur & Tony Dovolani
Tango: this was very good. Marissa looked all business through the whole dance. Len called it her best dance. Bruno thought she did a great job. Carrie Ann said it was fantastic. Score: 27
Rumba: This was just lovely. Bruno said it was very romantic, but wished it was a little dirtier. Carrie Ann said it was great. Len said there wasn’t much hip action, calling the dance “careful.” Score: 25
Total: 52
Cristian de la Fuente & Cheryl Burke
Vienese Waltz: before they danced, Cheryl told him she wanted it to be like he was dancing with his daughter. I thought it would be sweet. Then, they danced to “I’ll make love to you.” Kinda creepy. Once I got over that, I thought it was a very nice dance. Bruno called him South America’s Clark Gable. Carrie Ann said it lacked energy. Len said it lacked content. Score: 25
Samba: They were stomping their feet and shaking their hips with such passion. Then, Cristian started shaking his arm, like he was hurt. Then, he tried reaching for Cheryl with one arm and I thought “uh-oh, this isn’t good.” Finally, when he dropped Cheryl and the music stopped, I thought “OH NO! Pretty man down!” The judges said they appreciated what he was able to do, then scored him on what they saw. Score: 21
Total: 46
Kristi Yamaguchi & Mark Ballas
Vienese Waltz: I thought it told a very lovely story. They moved over every inch of the stage. Carrie Ann said it was emotional, but said Kristi’s turns were off. Len got cranky and said Bruno was on his nerves, then blamed him for global warming (think about THAT, Al Gore!). Bruno said it was very difficult. Score: 26
Cha Cha: Earlier, she said she could feel the guys breathing down her neck and she liked it. This dance should give the guys a reason to chase after her. This was fun and sassy – latin dance mixed with a tad bit of hip hop. Len liked the middle and complained about the “boogaloo hip hop.” Bruno said it was contemporary. Carrie Ann gave it two snaps up. Score: 28
Total: 54
Mario & Karina Smirnoff
Fox Trot: It was nice, though Mario did lose Karina’s grip toward the end. Len called Mario a role model for other 21 year olds, then said he was not the most elegant of dancers. Bruno said he was not always in control. Carrie Ann said Mario needs to be stiffer. OK. Score: 24
Mambo: He really shined in this performance. Mario is clearly at ease in the latin dance. Bruno said the devil was in Mario’s hips. Carrie Ann said they were out of sync in one part. Len called the dance wild, wacky and wonderful. Score: 27
Total: 51
Shannon Elizabeth & Derek Hough
Tango: She did a good job, but I thought her arms kinda looked limp sometimes – like she wasn’t committed to the dance. At the end, I think she was supposed to take Derek’s hat, but she missed it. Len said it was terrific. Score: 27
Mambo: Legs McGee put on a fake booty to get through this one. She also made a point to shake her hips to the judges as often as she could. However, I thought she looked a little uncomfortable doing some of the moves. Carrie Ann thought she looked a little awkward, but (like the other judges) thought Shannon’s hips had more action. Len said she had a bionic bum, but thought she looked “gawky.” Bruno said she was working her tushie like a wild woman. Score: 24
Total: 51
Jason Taylor & Edyta Sliwinska
Quick Step: This was really good! These two were off and running from the very beginning. Carrie Ann said it was fantastic. Len compared Jason to Jerry Rice and Emmitt Smith – two football players who did very well in this competition. Bruno said it was the performance of the night. Score: 29
Paso Doble: What caught my attention first was the Monday Night Football music. Then, I realized their costumes were basically modified Miami Dolphins uniforms (Jason’s NFL team for those of you who had no idea what he does for a living). This was a very strong dance, as the paso should be. I thought I saw a lift, then Carrie Ann seconded my thought. Len said the dance scared the life out of him (and thankfully did NOT threaten to show his bum again). Bruno said it was like the Nimitz going through Desert Storm (huh?). Score: 26
Total: 55
Cristian had the lowest score this week, but after spraining a muscle (as I write this, that’s the diagnosis) I just can’t see him going home this week – unless the doctors tell him to. I think Shannon may be in danger this week. Who’ll stand under the red light Tuesday and get the boot? Find out at 8PM. Oh, and if you take sugar (one lump or two?), Def Leppard will rock the house! I’ll be back with my take on the elimination as we go from six couples to five.
Tags: abc, bruno tonioli, carrie ann inaba, cha cha, cheryl burke, club foot, Cristián de la Fuente, dancing with the stars, def leppard, derek hough, edyta sliwinska, emmitt smitih, fox trot, hurt arm, jason taylor, jerry rice, justin timberlake, karina smirnoff, kristi yamaguchi, len goodman, mambo, mario, marissa jaret winokur, mark ballas, paso doble, quick step, rumba, samba, sexyback, shannon elizabeth, tango, tony dovolani, vienese waltz
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