Dancing with the Stars – The Dance-Off

Kelly and Alec are now ready to do the quickstep to “Diamonds are a Girl's Best Friend.” During the performance, I notice that they look stiff; you can tell it has been a while since they really danced together outside of practicing. The important thing though is that they seem to be having fun. The routine is playful and it ends with Kelly dismissing Alec with a push.

Carrie says that she loved the routine while Len says he didn’t like it. He also notes that Kelly’s posture was lacking. Bruno says that she has improved and that the quickstep is the most difficult of all the ballroom dances. This translates into a nine from Carrie, a seven (with attitude) from Len, and an eight from Bruno.

Before the next performance, we take another look at John. He says that he gets a lot of recognition because of the show. He also explains that he would dance every week if he could because he enjoys it that much; I think you can tell it from his performances.

Charlotte and John are performing the waltz to “You Light up My Life.” The routine is very elegant, but what do the judges think (not that it matters)?

Len says that it was proper ballroom dancing. Bruno calls it superb. Carrie says that the routine was flawless and that she has chills; I actually think she is tearing up and close to crying. To no one’s surprise, all three judges give the performance a 10. John is speechless! The dance was wonderful, but again it wasn’t perfect. I’m sure people will say this was done because Kelly received a perfect score, so now John has to receive one too.

Jonathan Roberts and his wife Anna Trebunskaya, who is also a professional dancer, will perform to “Fields of Gold” while Brian McKnight provides the vocals. The performance is beautiful, but I really hate fillers especially when they are used to stretch a 60-minute program into 90 minutes of torture.

Great. Now we’re treated to footage of children dancing. The kids tell us that they get teased about it. They’re quite cute and say a lot of funny things, but again, I can do without the filler; I don’t mind it in my hotdogs, but my reality television is a different story. Anyway, when we come back from a commercial break, these same kids perform the cha cha cha for us; they’re sweet, but only in small doses. Tom gives them all 10s for their performance. And to think I’m missing South Park for this.

Next, we have the freestyle routines. John says that he didn’t think anyone deserved a 10 let alone three of them. Again, I applaud his candor; he certainly isn’t being politically correct and I’m glad about it. Both John and Kelly explain their freestyle routines. Blah, blah, blah… get on with the dancing!

Kelly and Alec perform to “Get the Party Started.” She seems to watch her partner to figure out what she’s supposed to be doing. Also, they make a few minor mistakes with their footwork, but the routine has energy.

Bruno begins the critiques by saying it was very good. He also notes that Kelly started off being very nervous. Len feels that they did another cha cha cha and the first one was better. He also expected more lifts from Alec. Carrie says they’ve lost some of their technique since the show last aired. The judges’ scores are an eight from Carrie and Len, and a nine from Bruno.

Charlotte and John perform to “I Am What I Am.” Their characters are having a disagreement as the dance begins. It is a very entertaining routine as they continue to argue throughout the performance. I think that Charlotte does a great job choreographing the dances. Also, it looks as if John almost dropped her during a lift; she has a lot of faith in him to allow him to do these things with and to her.

Carrie says that she is glad to see them take risks, but the dance itself wasn’t great. Bruno explains that he enjoyed the dance and acknowledges how hard it is to do the lifts. Len agrees with Bruno and then tells the audience, “Don’t moan if you don’t phone” meaning if you didn’t vote, then don’t complain about the outcome. The scores are identical to Kelly and Alec’s; Carrie and Len give the couple an eight while Bruno gives them a nine.

Charlotte and John have a final score of 77 while Kelly and Alec end with 74 points. These scores don’t matter so why are we spending so much time on them?

The show ends with both couples dancing to “Let’s Groove.” I love this song; I even get my jazz hands out for it.

Don’t forget to tune in to ABC on Thursday at 9:00 PM for the results show and RealityNewsOnline for another fun-filled recap. Readers, let me ask one question of you; regardless of who wins this thing, can’t we all just get along?

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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