DWTS: Semifinals Night
That was Cristian when he did has last samba. Notice the expression on his face? That was pain (real or not, I’m not sure anymore). There was not a hint of that torn tendon in his performances last night! Marissa, well that’s another story. This time, the couples plucked miniature disco balls out of a large disco ball to determine which two dances they’d do. We got to see Len have fun visiting the contestants and teaching them a thing or two. Oh, last night, Carrie Ann almost lost her dress standing up to cheer for one of the couples! If you missed it and want to get caught up, go here. Otherwise, let’s get to the recap!
Jason Taylor & Edyta Sliwinska
Fox Trot: I thought this was fantastic! Watching the two of them move across the stage, I thought if that whole football thing doesn’t work out, Jason could be a professional dancer! Len said it looked like Jason was gliding around the ballroom like a dolphin in the sea. Bruno said he gave showmanship to the dance. Carrie Ann said they did a great job. SCORE: 28
Paso Doble: This was amazing! He really looked like a bullfighter! At the end, I screamed “Ole!” from my sofa (true – I’m kinda sad like that)! Bruno said Jason had the strength and momentum of Ironman. Carrie Ann said it was a nice execution. Len said Jason was like the price of gas, “You’re going up!” SCORE: 27
TOTAL SCORE: 55
Marissa Jaret Winokur & Tony Dovolani
Quick Step: Marissa smiled through this entire dance, which is pretty amazing because this dance always makes me tired. However, something seemed a tad bit off. Bruno cleared that up – he said she missed a step. Carrie Ann called her an unlikely contender. Len said the dance lacked body contact, but it was great. SCORE: 26
Rumba: It was hippy. It was just a smidge romantic. On their way to see the judges, Marissa’s dress was stuck on Tony’s pants – nearly a really bad wardrobe malfunction! After seeing everyone else dance, I was expecting so much more out of Marissa. Carrie Ann and I were on the same page. She said she was not excited by it. Len said she did a very good job. Bruno said she sold it well. SCORE: 26
TOTAL SCORE: 52
Cristian de la Fuente & Cheryl Burke
Vienese Waltz: This was lovely. They were in step. I never noticed Cristian flinching as if in pain (and he was using his left arm a lot more this week than last week). Carrie Ann said it was very sweet. Len said he had better movement. Bruno said they played off each other well. Tom Bergeron made a crack on Cheryl’s shiny aluminum-esque dress (Is anyone missing a weather balloon?) SCORE: 27
Samba: This is the dance where Cristian tore his tendon two weeks ago. He was scared to do this – or so we thought. He came out with an open shirt (worth at least five points if I had a paddle). He relied a lot of his right arm, but he did use that left arm. There was a whole lot of booty shaking going on here. They were really good! Len said it was hotter than a chili pepper. Bruno called it the “Rematch of the Century.” Carrie Ann said Cristian reminded her of Emmitt Smith (a very good thing)! SCORE: 29
TOTAL SCORE: 56
Kristi Yamaguchi & Mark Ballas
Tango: The couple to beat went to a professional tango class to get some critiques and it helped. This dance was incredibly difficult – it was fast and passionate. I was actually sad when it ended 
. Len said Kristi got her drama back, but said the dance was a little bit hectic. Bruno said it had drama, passion and sex appeal. Carrie Ann called her the “Queen of the Dance Floor,” but had to hold on to her dress, which was caught on her chair and nearly came down when she stood up to cheer for Kristi and Mark! SCORE: 29
Jive: Now, the last time these two did the jive, they got a perfect score. This one would have made Tina Turner proud! They danced to “Nutbush City Limits.” It was so fast and there was a lot of kicking going on – a pro-level jive! Bruno said it was the “cherry on the icing of a cake of sweet, sweet delicious jive” (REALLY!). Carrie Ann said it was a difficult routine that was just a bit out of sync, but was otherwise fantastic. Len said she looked a little stiff at times. SCORE: 28
TOTAL SCORE: 57
Len Goodman’s Tips:
It’s always nice to see Len leave the paddle and the comforts of the judges’ table to remind us why he’s on this show – he can dance! YAY! He got Jason all fired up about the paso doble (there was a lot of foot stomping and grunting – a tad weird for me). Len taught Kristi two steps and was so pleased he spanked his own behind (again, weird)! Cristian was excited to dance with Len – once he figured out Len was the female in their dance. Len worked with Marissa on making her Latin dances more “hippy.”
Now, for my prediction: With Kristi back at the top of the leaderboard and Marissa at the bottom, I’m going to choose Marissa to go home tonight (again). Jason and Cristian have stepped it up, Marissa has not. She’s better than she was at the beginning of the show, but, like Marie Osmond, just can’t compete with the other three. Wait. If this goes like it did last time, Marissa will make the finals and someone really good will be cut! I’m telling you now, I have absolutely no say in what will happen. There’s a very good chance I’ll be wrong. Don’t sue me.
If you like watching the younger dancers on the show, make sure you watch the NightBeat at ten! We’ll show you some of San Antonio’s young dancers who just might be pros on that show some day!
Tags: ksat, san antonio, abc, dancing with the stars, jason taylor, marissa jaret winokur, kristi yamaguchi, mark ballas, cheryl burke, tony dovolani, edyta sliwinska, Cristián de la Fuente, paso doble, carrie ann inaba, len goodman, bruno tonioli, rumba, samba, fox trot, vienese waltz, jive, tango, quick step, hurt arm, ballroom, latin, ironman
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