Dancing with the Stars 3, September 26: The Penalty Box

Our next dancers are Sara Evans and Tony Dovolani. Tony states that he is going to bring Sara out of her shell. They are doing a jive that will allow her to show us who she really is.

Sara and Tony are performing to “These Boots Were Made for Walking.” The routine is unique and entertaining. Sara seems to enjoy herself a lot more tonight than in previous weeks. Her footwork has also improved. Sara and Tony look cute in their western attire.

Carrie Ann says that she loved the performance. Len explains that he liked her whole approach; Sara is happy to hear it. Bruno tells her to continue to use her assets… because she has plenty of them. Yikes!

Carrie and Bruno give Sara and Tony an eight while Len gives them a nine. Their total is 25 points.

Dancing next are Karina Smirnoff and Mario Lopez. We’re reminded that the judges didn’t like their performance last week. Karina tells us that their tango is going to be extremely passionate and sexy. I think I better have Yoko leave the room for this dance.

They’re dancing to “What You Waiting For.” Their moves are sharp and crisp. They also match the music beautifully. While I enjoy the dance, I don’t think that the judges will like it; it doesn’t seem proper enough. Also, I don’t feel the passion that was promised. I think I’m dead inside.

Len is angry because Karina and Mario broke their hold midway through the routine; he would have given them a 10 if they hadn’t done that. Bruno says that the dance was the real deal, but Mario is a bad boy; he’s causing the judges to take points away from them. Carrie Ann wants them to respect the rules.

I can’t even begin to describe how uncomfortable the exchange is. I have never seen the judges like this before. I don’t even think they were this harsh when dealing with Master P and his lack of dedication last season. Also, Mario looks like a young man who was caught sneaking into the house after a night of debauchery; he knew there was a good chance that he was going to get caught, but he went for it any way.

Carrie Ann and Bruno both say they would have given the couple a 10, but instead give them an eight. Len gives the couple a six. Karina and Mario have 22 points; they could have had three goobers.

Vivica A. Fox and Nick Kosovich are up next. We see Vivica crying over the judges’ compliments last week; she is very emotional. We also find out that she followed up on Carrie Ann’s advice and took a ballet class. She feels this will help her with the tango.

Vivica and Nick are dancing this evening to “Hey Sexy Lady.” After moving around the dance floor, the couple performs a faster series of steps. They also look the part of traditional tango performers. The routine is quite enjoyable. I think the judges will love it, especially after Karina and Mario’s dance.

Bruno says that Vivica was dangerous and sexy. Carrie Ann calls Vivica over to her in order to congratulate her on a job well done; Vivica is overwhelmed. Len explains that the “A” in Vivica’s name stands for attack, animal, aggression, etc. He is thrilled with the dance.

All three judges give the performance a nine; Vivica and Nick have 27 points. Nick is calm, but Vivica is going crazy. She’s really enjoying herself.

On a side note, I want to thank Beto for e-mailing me about the song this couple performed to last week; it was “Betece” by Africando. I don’t always recognize or know the songs that are used, so I appreciate the help that RNO readers give me.

Dancing the final dance this evening are Edyta Sliwinska and Joey Lawrence. Joey explains that they are putting a lot of Elvis moves into the routine. Edyta also wants to do a jump at the beginning of it. He says it is going to be nuts.

They’re performing to “Blue Suede Shoes.” The routine is going well until I see an illegal lift. This isn’t going to be good. Overall the performance is energetic. Edyta and Joey move well together. They also seem to have fun throughout the routine by throwing in some air guitar moves and a lot of hip shaking.

Bruno starts the critiques by telling the couple that there are to be no lifts. Carrie Ann tells them that they were fabulous; they have to cut out the lifts though. Len is angry; he feels that they are trying to be too clever by doing handstands and back flips. Tom makes a joke that actually brings a smile to Len’s face. I’m impressed… not that Len smiled, but that somebody found Tom to be amusing.

Backstage, Joey apologizes for the illegal moves that he and Edyta performed. One thing that I don’t understand is why the professionals are putting lifts into the routines if they know they are not permitted. It’s very perplexing.

Carrie Ann and Bruno give the couple an eight. Len angrily gives it a six. Edyta and Joey have 22 points out of 30; I’m sure it would have been higher if it weren’t for the illegal moves.

Tom quickly tells us who is in first and last place. I’m nicer than that, so I’ll give you’re the overall standings:

Come back Wednesday night as we find out which couple will be eliminated from the competition. My money is on Willa and Maksim, but I’ve been wrong before (and I don’t think I’m ready to let go of him yet). In any case, I won’t be covering the results show; one of my fellow RNO recappers will summarize all the action for you instead. I promise to return next Tuesday though and to be in a better mood!

Jill is an east coast mama who loves sharks, zombie movies, and reality television. She welcomes your comments about these and other subjects, and can be reached at jilljones@verizon.net.

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