Dancing with the Stars 2, January 12: Lucky Shoes or Dancin' Shoes?

Last week on Dancing with the Stars, our couples performed the waltz and the cha cha cha; Kenny Mayne and his professional dance partner Andrea Hale were eliminated from the competition. Nine couples remain. Who will master the quickstep and rumba, and who will falter? Let’s find out, shall we?

Tom Bergeron and Samantha Harris welcome us to the show, and the couples are introduced; I have a feeling that since the show is down to 90 minutes in length tonight, we’re going to move along quite quickly.

The first couple of the evening is Lisa Rinna and Louis van Amstel. Lisa describes the rumba as sex on the dance floor. We later see the two taking a pole dancing class. I never thought I’d see Louis in that position… literally.

The couple is dancing the rumba to “Your Song.” The performance isn’t poorly executed, but it isn’t how I picture the rumba to be. It is sensual, but again, I feel like it is lacking real pizzazz. What do our esteemed judges think?

Len Goodman explains that he is looking for sensuality and romance during the rumba. He notes that he saw some elements of it in the performance, but the dance wasn’t great. Carrie Ann Inaba tells Lisa that the dance started off roughly. She also says that Lisa is sexy, so she needs to “live it.” Bruno Tonioli tells her she is a wild kitten, but she needs to manage her energy. Carrie Ann gives the couple a six, while Len and Bruno give it a seven. Lisa and Louis’ score is 20 out of 30.

Cheryl Burke and Drew Lachey are next to dance. Drew points out that since they were the best last week, all eyes will be on them. Cheryl says she needs to push Drew harder.

They’re performing the quickstep to “Neutron Dance.” Just from watching this performance, I can understand why people lose weight when they dance; Cheryl and Drew cover the entire floor. There are also a lot of quick steps (Ha!) in the routine.

Len tells us that the quickstep is fast and it should incorporate good holds. He then praises the couple’s performance for having those essentials. Carrie Ann says she saw one problem, but other than that, the routine was great. Bruno tells the couple they are like a fighter jet and they only missed one target. All three judges give the couple a nine for a total of 27 points.

The next couple of the evening is Tia Carrere and Maksim Chmerkovskiy. Tia says that the hardest part of the rumba is shaking her hips. Since she is having problems with this, a woman comes to practice to conduct a hula dancing class for them. They did have an argument during practice, so hopefully this lightened the mood for them.

They are performing the rumba to “Emotion.” It is a nice performance, but I interpret it to be an angry dance meaning the couple in it is having a fight. Tia’s exotic looks actually enhance the routine for me.

Bruno tells Tia that she was too intense; actually, that’s what I liked. Len points out a problem Tia had with her footwork, but then compliments her swivels. Carrie Ann says Tia was sexy, but she needs to sharpen her edges. Carrie Ann and Len award the couple with an eight; Bruno gives it a seven. Tia and Maksim have a total of 23 points. Wait… Carrie Ann held up the wrong score; she really wanted to give the couple a seven. That means they actually scored 22 points. Tia is very down on her performance, but Maksim tells everyone she is doing a wonderful job.

Our next couple is Edyta Sliwinska and George Hamilton. George talks about his injuries and how difficult it will be to perform. He then tells us that “Team George” has to put him back together. We see people (e.g., a chiropractor) working with him to get him prepared.

They perform the quickstep to "Top Hat, White Tie, and Tails.” For having a lot of injuries, George does well; he shows us a lot of fancy footwork. The routine is also very playful. He and Edyta look the part with the clothing that they are wearing.

Carrie Ann says that George looked great and the routine was entertaining. Bruno states that he covered his mistakes very well. Len says that George put everything in it, but it could have used more “quickstep.” Backstage, George says that he’s doing this for his “people in the hood.” I have to admit that I was never a fan of George’s… until now. He’s quite funny and charming! The judges are ready with their scores. Carrie Ann gives the performance an eight, while both Len and Bruno give it a seven. Edyta and George’s total is 22 out of 30.

Next, we have Tatum O’Neal and Nick Kosovich. Tatum says that she is back. OK. We see her giving Nick attitude. He calmly gives it back to her. Nick also tells us to expect passion from their performance.

The couple does the rumba to “Careless Whispers.” Tatum and Nick make an obvious mistake, but they smile and continue with the routine; I give them credit for not cracking under pressure. Just as Nick promised, the dance is passionate; however, it doesn’t thrill me.

Len says that Tatum’s lines were fantastic, but her legs were off a bit. He then begins to describe a truffle. Carrie Ann basically agrees with Len’s assessment. Bruno is slightly more positive though. He also explains that Tatum has to keep the performance all through her body. As they wait with Samantha for their scores, Tatum begins to talk about how she’s much better at being an actress than she is a dancer. Sometimes she talks, but I have no idea why. Carrie Ann gives the performance a five, while both Len and Bruno give it a six. The pair’s total is 17.