Dancing with the Stars 2, January 26: Judgemental

Last week on Dancing with the Stars, our couples performed either the tango or the jive. Giselle Fernandez and Jonathan Roberts gave a dry, yet sound performance, but it wasn’t enough to keep them in the competition. Tonight, our remaining seven stars and their professional dance partners move one step closer to determining who the champion will be.

After our welcome from Tom Bergeron and Samantha Harris, we’re ready to begin. Tonight’s featured dances are the paso doble and foxtrot.

The first couple to perform is Edyta Sliwinska and George Hamilton. Edyta says that she doesn’t want George to lose his personality just to correctly execute the steps of the dance. We see George dressed at practice in an outfit that is similar to what he wore in the move Zorro, the Gay Blade.

Edyta and George are performing the paso doble to a song that has no words, so I can’t possibly begin to guess what it is. Readers, if you can help me, please do! George looks like Zorro again. He comes out brandishing a sword and wearing a mask. Throughout the performance, he does a few basic moves, which aren’t bad, but I fear the judges will call him on his theatrics and lack (almost) of dancing. At the end of the routine, he whips off his mask dramatically. He looks like he really enjoyed the performance.

Len Goodman tells us that the paso doble should have passion, blood, and fire. I hope he’s exaggerating. He then runs through a list of George’s props and states that what his performance lacked in technique, it made up for in entertainment. (He thinks this is a good thing; I’m surprised.) Carrie Ann Inaba says that he should not have worn the mask because it hid one of his best features… his facial expressions. Bruno Tonioli says that George always gives a great performance. George tells us that he had a prop problem; something happened to his horse. Oh, that George. All three judges award the dance with a seven. Cheryl and George’s score is 21 out of 30.

Our next dancing duo is Tia Carrere and Maksim Chmerkovskiy. The couple goes to New York so that Tia can meet Maksim’s dance students. She says that the kids are amazing and they certainly are. Some of them don’t look like kids at all with their moves. An 18-year-old hits on Tia innocently. Maksim says that the couple’s foxtrot will be great.

They are performing to “Dream a Little Dream of Me.” The dance is playful; they are certainly telling a story through their moves and expressions. As I mentioned earlier in the competition, Tia has nice lines, but she should extend her arms and legs fully. Also, there are some well executed moves and interesting choreography; Maksim spins her on one foot very slowly and gracefully. Tia puts her acting skills to good use as she places a hat on Maksim’s head and fans herself passionately as she walks away from him at the end of the dance. Overall, this was an entertaining performance.

Len educates us again by explaining that the foxtrot should be elegant and full of flowing movements. He points out that Tia had a flaw early in the routine, but that she did beautifully overall. Carrie Ann says that there was no blunder; her chainé was off, but that’s it. Bruno says that Tia’s interpretation was radiant, but she had some problems with her footwork. The crowd boos and he tells everyone to calm down. He then wins everyone over by saying again that she was radiant. Carrie Ann gives the couple a nine, while both Len and Bruno give it an eight. Tia and Maksim’s total score is 25.

Tia looks surprised by the high scores. As Samantha talks to the couple, she mentions that each couple will be performing two dances starting next week. Tia then says that George and P are both from the hood, but she’s from the original hood… motherhood.

Before we continue, we see the professionals demonstrate the foxtrot and paso doble. Tom explains the essential elements of them.

Up next are Ashly DelGrosso and P. Miller. We’re reminded of Len’s rude comments to P the week before; P says that he and Ashly are praying for Len. Ashly tells him that she wants to see more aggression. She takes him to Utah to meet her family for inspiration. I can’t even imagine what that trip was like. P refers to a Mormon he meets on the street as brother. He can be a funny guy at times.

The couple is dancing the paso doble to “Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood.” P doesn’t have his ball cap on this evening; that’s an improvement. The dance has a rhythm and blues flair to it, which is unique and enjoyable. P is moving a lot more tonight and he looks OK; however, it’s when he doesn’t have a lot to do that he looks awkward. I give Ashly credit; she’s making the best of a difficult situation and getting a little vivacity out of him in the process.

Bruno starts by saying that the performance was a nightmare. The crowd boos and he says, “Shut up.” At this point, he’s getting out of hand. He then tells P that he came across as a child who was lost and looking for his mom. Len says that the viewers think they are being kind by keeping P in the competition, but they’re actually being cruel to P, Ashly, and everyone else. Again, I know that Len means well, but I think he’s being hurtful. Carrie Ann says that tonight’s performance was P’s best so far; however, she would have liked to see him behave more like a matador in the paso doble. Carrie Ann gives Ashly and P a four; Len and Bruno (with attitude) give them a two. Their total is eight.

Backstage, Samantha says that P has only trained 20 hours total since the competition started. P says that the judges are hung up on his shoes. He also tries to promote his new album. Samantha wants none of that! She asks if what he is doing is ballroom dancing and P says that it is. I’m more annoyed with Samantha than I am with P; she asks questions, but doesn’t let him answer even when he is giving legitimate responses. Ashly says that in some ways, P is committed and that she can’t force him to do something he doesn’t want to do. She points out that the greatest thing about the competition is the friendship they have developed. How can you not respect her and her positive attitude?

Stacy Keibler and Tony Dovolani are ready to perform. Stacy says that she is overwhelmed and exhausted; she needs a day off from practicing. The two of them go to a spa. Tony has cucumbers on his eyes. He says he feels like a salad. (I feel like a martini.) We then see him in a tub. As the camera moves from his lower extremities, which are covered in bubbles, to his face, he looks at the camera and says, “You thought you were getting Stacy.”

This evening, they are doing the foxtrot to “Cold, Cold Heart.” While Stacy’s long legs might have hindered her tango, it is certainly helping her with the foxtrot. Her lines are beautiful and her moves are elegant. She even throws in some steps that both sultry and classy.