|
|
Dancing with the Stars 3, October 31: Scary Sambas and Tango Terrorsby Jill Jones -- 11/01/2006
Welcome to Dancing with the Stars! Last week – Thump. Thump. Thump. What the heck was that? It’s Halloween after all and I’m a bit on edge. The goblins and witches are active, but I’ll try to put all of that spooky stuff out of my mind as we enjoy tonight’s dancing! 
Last week, Kym Johnson and Jerry Springer were eliminated from the program. Tonight, our dancers will once again perform two routines. Let’s see if they’re full of tricks or treats. Before we jump into the action, I want to remind you of the Dancing with the Stars tour. Beginning on December 19, some of our favorite celebrities and professional dancers will take their shimmies and shakes on the road:
As always, for more information on the tour, go to www.abc.com. Now back to the show. Tom Bergeron and Samantha Harris welcome us, and introduce the couples. Tom and Samantha go together like peanut butter and jelly. Ah, Len Goodman has grown fangs. So have some of the dancers. Samantha is now speaking in a ghoulish voice. No, this isn’t going to get old. Up first this evening are Edyta Sliwinska and Joey Lawrence. Edyta tells Joey that he has to keep his hips forward for the paso doble. Joey’s brothers stop by during practice and Edyta gives them lessons. They are thrilled, to say the least. Edyta and Joey are performing the tango to “The Addams Family.” Despite the fun theme, their moves are serious and quick. Edyta also displays a lot of lines with her body. She whips her head around quite a bit during the routine; I’m not sure what that is about. Technically, the dance is great; it just doesn’t appeal to me. Len says a lot and eventually tells Joey that the routine was fantastic. Bruno Tonioli gives the dance a “well done.” Carrie Ann Inaba calls the tango “amazing.” Carrie gives the couple a goober. Len and Bruno give it a nine. Edyta and Joey have 28 points so far this week. Next, Karina Smirnoff and Mario Lopez are ready to perform. Mario tells us that he and Karina are dancing the waltz and samba tonight. Karina explains that her biggest frustration is his frame. Mine is the parallelogram. Karina and Mario argue. I’m sure those crazy kids will be just fine. They’re starting off with the waltz. While everyone else is dressed in dark colors, Karina wears white. It matches the mood of the dance, which is about love and loss. Mario does some impressive spins during the routine. The dance is very dreamy and beautiful in a sad way. This is probably one of my favorite performances from the couple. I’m so into it that I completely miss the song that they dance to. Bruno refers to the dance as a true fairytale waltz. Carrie Ann agrees with Bruno and says that she was moved by the performance. Len explains that he never knew Mario was capable of this type of dance. Carrie Ann and Len award the performance a nine while Bruno awards it a goober. Karina and Mario have 28 points out of 30. Monique Coleman and Louis Van Amstel are ready. Kenny Ortega, who is an award-winning choreographer, stops by Monique and Louis’ practice. Monique then visits with children and shows her softer side. Louis wants the judges to reward her for the difficult moves she performs. She states that she wants a goober only when she deserves it. They are entertaining us by doing the tango to “Somebody’s Watching Me.” The routine is very fast-paced and at times, Monique seems to have trouble keeping up with Louis. They do some incredible spins and moves though with their feet. The routine ends with Louis pretending to bite her neck. She doesn’t seem to enjoy it. I know quite a few readers (and writers) of RNO who would gladly switch places with her. Carrie Ann says that Monique took on too much tonight. Len gives the couple props for doing a difficult routine. Bruno explains that less is more. That was rough. Personally, I think that Monique is getting heat for a routine that Louis choreographed. But given Louis’ background, I’m not surprised that he pushes her to do more week after week. 
All three judges give Monique and Louis an eight for a total of 24 points. Samantha talks to the couple backstage. Louis tells Monique that he is proud of her and what she has done. Next up are Cheryl Burke and Emmitt Smith. Emmitt goes home with Cheryl to meet her family. He points out that she has a ballroom in her house. Emmitt has a chance to visit with his friend Jerry Rice. Seeing the two of them together makes my pulse race and my head hurt. Prrrrrrrrrrrr! They are doing the foxtrot to “Witchcraft.” Cheryl is an excellent teacher; she always brings the best out in her partners and tonight’s routine proves that she has done that again with Emmitt. The routine is beautifully choreographed and executed well. Both Cheryl and Emmitt look like they are having a great time. Emmitt is smooth and charming. What do the judges think? Len says that Emmitt is delightful, but he doesn’t feel that the dance was a foxtrot. Bruno disagrees and says that it was a creative interpretation of the foxtrot. Carrie Ann has to break up the argument. She then gives Emmitt some advice and says that he needs to pop some of his moves more. I need to floss. Carrie Ann and Len give Cheryl and Emmitt an eight; Bruno gives them a nine. They have 25 points. I just realized that Samantha looks like she’s going to a Goth prom. Fun. It’s now time for some filler. The celebrities talk about what their lives are like at this point in the competition. At a photo shoot, Cheryl and Emmitt work it; she’s stunning. Joey takes his daughter to a pumpkin patch despite his busy schedule. Monique and Louis spend time at a charity event. Mario covers his correspondent responsibilities.
Edyta and Joey are ready with their second performance of the night. They’re doing the paso doble to “Sympathy for the Devil.” I’m amazed that Edyta can dance in some of the outfits and shoes that she wears! The routine is fiery and energetic. The couple performs some moves that you might not expect during the paso doble, but everything comes together nicely. Bruno says that the dance was great. He also comments on how sexy Edyta looks. (She’s so sexy that I had to send Yoko into the other room.) Carrie Ann explains that Edyta and Joey are doing a great job at balancing the entertainment and technical aspects of dancing. Len states there were parts of the dance that he didn’t like. He also comments on Edyta’s outfit and says that she should wear it every week. Carrie Ann and Bruno give the couple nine points, while Len gives it eight. Edyta and Joey have 26 points. Backstage, Joey says that the paso doble is quite challenging. He ought to try recapping it. Ready now with their next dance are Karina and Mario. They’re performing the samba to “Superstitious.” Mario really shines in the Latin dances. He and Karina are in sync. They also perform some sexy moves. His posture is perfect through out the dance. Carrie Ann says that the dance was perfect. Len disagrees and states that the dance lacked spontaneity. (I think someone put a rock in his trick-or-treat bag; he’s picky tonight.) Bruno jumps in and explains that the performance was wonderful. Carrie Ann and Bruno score the dance with a goober. Len scores it with a nine. Karina and Louis have 29 points. Mario thanks the judges for the scores and says that we should have seen this routine last weekend; it was bad. Monique and Louis are up now. They’re doing the cha cha cha to “Ghostbusters.” The dance is cheesy in a fun way. It involves a lot of hip action and butt shaking. Monique does a much better job keeping up with Louis. At the end of the dance, he falls on her. I’m just glad he didn’t slime her. Len tells the couple that the dance was fantastic. Bruno says it was cha-cha-charming. Carrie Ann states that Monique’s footwork was more elegant tonight than it has ever been. Carrie Ann gives the couple a nine. Len and Bruno give it a goober. Monique and Louis receive 29 points for their performance. She is ecstatic over finally receiving a goober. Louis points out that this is his first goober in three seasons. He also states that this dance was difficult and Monique pulled it off.
Cheryl and Emmitt are ready with the final performance of the evening. They’re dancing the rumba to “Spooky.” Emmitt swishes and sways his hips… a lot. The dance is sultry and hypnotic. Bruno acknowledges the hotness of the performance. Carrie Ann wants to take Cheryl’s place. (Get in line, sister.) Len explains that the routine had class and was fantastic. Carrie Ann gives the dance a nine, while Len and Bruno give it a goober. (Len even states that he wishes his score could be higher. Don’t even try it, Len.) For their Latin dance, Cheryl and Emmitt receive 29 points. There have been so many goobers handed out tonight that my teeth hurt. Ouch. After the judges’ comments and scores, the standings have been determined:
Based on the performances, I feel that Monique and Louis will be eliminated from the competition. I’m a big fan of theirs, but I don’t think that they are as sharp as the other performers. I also feel that Louis choreographs some ambitious routines, but at this point in the competition, any mistake is costly. Am I right? Hopefully, if I make it through the rest of Halloween, I’ll be back to recap the results. Join me… if you dare! Now that you’ve read the full recap, click on over to Foxes On Idol for We’ll Be the Judge of That! 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. Be sure to sign up for our e-mail update so you can stay informed about new articles on the site! And take a look at the rest of the site. You can find all of our recent articles on this show at our Dancing with the Stars page and take a look at our sections on The Biggest Loser and Project Runway. You can even buy reality show stuff at our Reality TV Store! For more news about Dancing with the Stars, be sure to check out SirLinksALot: Dancing with the Stars! |