Dancing with the Stars 3, September 12: Chemistry

Dancing next are Willa Ford and Maxsim Chmerkovskiy. Willa tells us that she is the bad girl of pop. Maxsim explains that he likes to make a woman feel like a woman on the dance floor. Whew! I stopped breathing there for a second.

They’re performing their foxtrot to “True.” The couple covers the dance floor throughout their routine. Willa does a nice job, but I’m not wowed by the dance. I think it is just the foxtrot (I’m not a big fan.) and not the couple. Let’s see what the judges think.

Bruno refers to the dance as an exquisite treat. He then tells Maxsim that he is a great teacher. Carrie Ann says that Willa was graceful. Len explains that their movements were fluid, but tells Willa that her feet are bizarre sometimes. The couple receives a seven from Carrie Ann and Len, and an eight from Bruno for a total of 22 points.

Karina Smirnoff and Mario Lopez are up next. We are treated to a shot of the cast of Saved by the Bell. Who didn’t see that coming? Mario is nervous about meeting Karina. He bugs her during practice because he is so hyper. She puts tape on his mouth. She tells him that Len will have a field trip if the routine doesn’t go well. After the interview ends, Tom giggles at her mistake. Maybe she should put tape on his mouth. They are performing the cha cha cha to “Walking on the Sun.” There is a lot of hip shaking; Mario seems to be a natural at it. The performance is fast-paced, flirty and fun. Karina and Mario get a standing ovation.

Len says that the dance was one of the best of the evening. Bruno asks Mario if he has batteries in his pants; I’m not even going to comment. Carrie Ann notes the sex appeal of the duo and says that this is the couple to beat. Len gives the performance an eight, while Carrie Ann and Bruno give it a nine. Karina and Mario have 26 points out of 30. Mario is obviously nervous; Samantha says his anxiety is quite cute.

Up next are Shanna Moakler and Jesse DeSoto. Did you know that Shanna was a competitive roller skater? Watch the show and you’ll learn these and other fascinating facts! Shanna acknowledges her divorce from Travis Barker and says that the competition is helping her through it. Jesse tells us that he was once an electrician and has only been dancing for seven years. He also explains that Shanna needs to focus more.

Shanna and Jesse are doing the foxtrot to “Saving All My Love for You.” Like the other foxtrots this evening, the performance is romantic. Shanna doesn’t seem light on her feet though. I think she’ll do much better though with a dance that is fast-paced and sexy. Bruno says that Shanna is pretty, but she closed up from time to time; she needs to sustain the performance. Carrie Ann states that Shanna has great posture. Len explains that he was expecting more from the couple tonight. The judges start to argue. This is great.

Carrie Ann gives the performance a seven; Len gives it a five; Bruno gives it a six. Shanna and Jesse have scored 18 points from the judges this evening.

Our next dancers are Ashly Delgrosso and Harry Hamlin. Harry explains that since his wife Lisa Rinna was on the show last season, he now wants to learn how to dance so he can dance with her. Ashly is excited to be partnered with Harry; she tells us that Master P, her partner last season, wasn’t into the competition.

Ashly and Harry are performing the cha cha cha to “Disco Inferno.” Like many of the celebrities tonight, Harry is outwardly concentrating too much. He shows potential though. I didn’t love the routine; it was missing the element of excitement.

Carrie Ann tells Harry that she had high hopes for him, but he was stiff; he needs to loosen up. Len explains that he was too mechanical. Bruno also states that he could tell Harry was thinking of nothing more than getting through the performance.

Carrie Ann rewards the couple with a five; Len and Bruno give it a six. Ashly and Harry have 17 points out of 30.

In the meantime, Samantha says that Harry has already put more hours into practice than Master P did all of last season. For his lack of dedication, Master P received a place in the RNO Hall of Shame.

Vivica A. Fox and Nick Kosovich are ready to take center stage. Vivica is so cool! I hope you don’t get tired of me saying that. Nick tells us that he is known as the James Bond of ballroom dancing. During practice, Vivica falls, but bounces right up.

Their song selection tonight is “I Just Wanna Make Love to You” and they will be doing the foxtrot. Vivica looks like a dancer; she is elegant and graceful. Her moves are somewhat sharp. Nick has included some fun moves into the dance, so this foxtrot is different than the others that were performed tonight.

Bruno tells Vivica that she is a bad girl. The words “spicy” and “dirty” also come out of his mouth. Len explains that Vivica sold the routine and he gives her a “well-done.” Carrie Ann states that the technique was lacking a bit, but that Vivica has “it.”

The couple receives a six from Carrie Ann and an eight from Len and Bruno. Vivica tells Samantha that she is happy to receive 22 total points. Samantha then shoves her microphone into Nick’s face. He has no idea what to say.

Dancing last this evening are Kym Johnson and Jerry Springer. Jerry wants to know if Kym lost a contest and got stuck with him. He then explains that he can do moves that require putting her on the floor, but she’s on her own when it comes to getting back up. I really hope that at some point in the competition, they work throwing a chair at someone into a routine.

They are dancing the cha cha cha. I have no idea what song they are using because I’m so captivated by the performance. The routine starts off with some nice footwork from the couple. Jerry also shakes his hips a bit. I can’t help but feel like I’m on a cruise ship though. Jerry ends the performance by tossing some money in the air and the crowd chants his name.

Len says that he was worried about Jerry, but he held his own. When Carrie Ann is finally able to compose herself, she says that Jerry forgot his choreography a few times, but he had fun and that certainly matters. Bruno says that Jerry’s moves were very endearing.

Kym and Jerry get a five from Len and a six from Carrie and Bruno for a total of 16 points. He seems pleased with the score and explains that his strategy is to stay vertical. With that, the first night of dancing ends and the scores run from impressive to less than remarkable:

Which couple will be eliminated first? Tune in to Dancing with the Stars Wednesday at 8 p.m. EST for the results and a special appearance by Tom Jones, and come back to RNO for all of your reality coverage.

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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