Dancing With the Stars 6, March 24: Dinner and a Show

Last week on Dancing With the Stars, the couples performed for the first time together in front of a live audience. Tonight, the stars and their professional partners have one last chance to impress the judges and the viewing audience before two pairs are sent home.

Before we get to the first dance, I want to thank Kari for recapping the show for me last Tuesday. I could barely keep my head up and my eyes open, so I can only imagine what my recap would have been like. Thanks, Kari; I owe you! Also, my thanks go out to Bradley. This kind reader helped me identify some of the songs I didn’t recognize. My recaps are certainly enhanced by the input of my readers!

Tom and Samantha welcome us to the program. They are very dramatic.

The first couple to dance this evening is Anna & Steve. Anna’s mom joins them in practice and tells Steve she likes Police Academy.

Anna & Steve are dancing the mambo to “I Got a Girlfriend.” Steve seems heavy on his feet and some of his expressions are cheesy. I eventually find myself paying more attention to Anna than to Steve.

Len compares Steve’s dancing to his cooking; he tries, but it isn’t always successful. Bruno feels that Steve’s energy went into his facial expressions and not his technique. Carrie Ann tells Steve his musicality was off. Anna reminds the judges that this is only Steve’s second dance. Carrie Ann tells her the competition has already started. Steve says he respects the judges.

Samantha talks to the couple backstage. I’m mesmerized by Anna’s hair; it’s beautiful.

Len and Bruno give the dance a five. Carrie Ann awards it a six. Anna & Steve have 16 points for the evening and an overall score for the first two weeks of the competition of 34 points.

Up now are Cheryl & Cristián. Cheryl tells Cristián to be serious. She also works on his posture by making him wear a Navy uniform. He says he’s in the Air Force, but ready to do the quickstep nevertheless.

They are dancing to “Americano.” Cristián’s posture is better this week, but it still seems a bit awkward. He even appears to be out of breath, which is surprising given his background. The dance is fine, but not mind-blowing.

Carrie Ann tells Cristián he obviously worked on his posture. Len didn’t like the wildness of the dance. Bruno wants Cristián to concentrate on his footwork.

Carrie Ann and Bruno score the dance with a seven. Len gives it a six. Tonight, Cheryl & Cristián have 20 points.

You’ve probably read the nasty rumors about Cheryl and Drew Lachey, her partner from Season 2. But did you hear the good news about Sara Evans? People magazine is reporting she’s engaged to her boyfriend, Jay Barker. Congratulations!

The next pair to dance is Monica & Jonathan. Monica says she’s uncomfortable with the facial expressions she’s supposed to make. She and Jonathan go to Japan to practice while she takes care of business. I’d be happy with some sushi.

They are performing the mambo to “My Lovin’ (You’re Never Gonna Get It).” The dance begins with Monica being sassy and shaking her hips. She seems uncomfortable with some of the moves, but overall, she gets into the dance. Her footwork is excellent.

Bruno tells Monica that she was off from the rhythm. Carrie Ann loves that Monica attacked the mambo. Len wants Monica to bring her tennis skills to the dance floor. Really? I rather enjoyed the dance. And I haven’t even touched any green beer tonight.

All three judges give the dance a five. Monica & Jonathan have 15 points.

Kym & Penn are ready to dance. Penn shows us how big his feet are. He also practices with the dreaded posture bar; it’s too small for him, though. He lets his hair down and it scares me.

They are dancing the quickstep to “Man With the Hex.” Penn’s posture is not good at all, but he keeps up with Kym and even dares to do a jump. He’s also heavy on his feet, but really, how can he not be. I know that technically, this wasn’t a great dance, but I enjoyed it.

Len tells Penn he convinced him he could do a proper quickstep. Bruno calls the footwork bad. Penn talks back the entire time. I don’t think these judges are ready for him. Carrie Ann says she enjoyed the performance. As Penn leaves the dance floor, he trips. Ha!

Carrie Ann and Len give the dance a six. Bruno gives it a five. Kym & Penn have 17 points for the evening.

The next couple to dance is Priscilla & MY Louis. Priscilla calls her first dance a rush. Louis wants her to have fun.

They are performing the mambo to “Bossa Nova Hand Dance.” Priscilla holds back on some of her moves, but when she lets loose, she’s fabulous with a capital FAB. She also seems comfortable dancing by herself or away from Louis; she doesn’t have to constantly watch him.

Carrie Ann tells Priscilla she has “it.” I had it for lunch, but it isn’t sitting well with me. Len feels the dance was a little too precise, but he enjoyed it. Bruno says something and Carrie Ann disagrees by saying she’s glad Priscilla didn’t overdo it.

All of the judges award the couple with a seven for a total of 21 points.

Up now are Shannon & Derek. Shannon feels the judges were generous with their scores for her. She struggles with the quickstep and her stamina.

The couple dances to “Swing with Me.” The routine is choreographed beautifully and Shannon does a great job. She keeps up with Derek and doesn’t miss a beat. OK, maybe she missed one or two of them, but you know what I mean.

Bruno tells Shannon she is in the game. Carrie Ann feels Shannon nailed the dance. Len calls the performance the best of the night.

The judges are in harmony; they all give Shannon & Derek an eight for a total of 24 points.

Edyta & Jason are the next couple to dance. Edyta promises to give Jason the craziest routine ever. He giggles during practice. I giggle at him.

They are dancing the mambo to a song I don’t recognize. The routine is intricate and hot. Jason does a great job. For the second week, his moves are crisp and sharp.

Len tells Jason he’s a winner. Bruno calls him the mambo king. Carrie Ann says he is a real contender. Yoko yawns and rolls over.

The judges all give Edyta & Jason’s mambo a nine. The couple has 27 points.

I hope you’re ready for some more dancing because Marissa & Tony are ready to perform for your entertainment. Marissa becomes sad at practice over the fact that she can’t do some of the moves the other women can do. Tony tells her he loves working with her. He’s great… and to think I didn’t warm up to him during his first season on the show. I missed out! Marissa tells us she and Tony are still going to be their fun, energetic selves.

They’re doing the quickstep to “Flip, Flop & Fly.” Marissa’s footsteps are off a bit, but she doesn’t give up. She and Tony also look as if they’re having a blast. Marissa even slides across the floor on her butt.

Carrie Ann tells Marissa her synchronicity was off. Len says she made him smile. Bruno compliments her for doing a proper quickstep.

The judges cheat off of one another; they all score the dance with a seven. Marissa & Tony have 21 points.

Julianne & Adam are up next. Adam rolls his hips. After he catches on to that, he begins to freestyle.

The couple performs the mambo to “House of Bamboo.” The dance is better than last week’s, but Adam still has a long way to go. He’s heavy on his feet and his moves are not smooth. He has fun, though.

Before Adam gets his scores, he tells Tom that Steve is out of control. He claims he caught his trailer on fire and can’t be stopped. Funny.

Bruno says Adam made him laugh. Carrie Ann and Adam joke about him calling her a bitch the week before. Len feels the dance was brilliant. I’m sorry, but if he thought this was brilliant, he needs to rethink his opinion of Monica’s routine.

Carrie Ann and Bruno give the dance a six, while Len gives it a seven. Julianne & Adam have 19 points.

The next couple up is Marlee & Fabian. The producers try to help us understand what the music sounds like to Marlee. Fabian works on his communication with Marlee. Does it bother anyone else that the producers play the translator’s voice over hers instead of just allowing us to hear her speak? This happens a lot during pre-recorded segments.

Marlee & Fabian are doing the quickstep to “Mack the Knife.” Marlee’s dress is beautiful. Her posture is equally impressive. She does a nice job, but is a bit heavy at times on her feet.

Len says, “Job well done.” Bruno and Len agree that the quickstep wasn’t traditional. Carrie Ann wants Marlee to watch her hold.

The judges give the dance an eight. Marlee & Fabian have 24 points.

Up next are Kristi & Mark. Kristi has problems with the hip shaking. Mark wears a skirt. She wants to overcome her shyness.

They are doing the mambo to “Hey Baby.” Kristi overcomes her fears and shakes it every way possible. Mark’s routine is great. The two perform well together. This is my favorite dance of the night.

Carrie Ann rambles on about how much she loved the dance. Len says the couple has done it again. Bruno uses words like “fast” and “sharp” to describe the dance.

The judges give Kristi & Mark all nines for their effort. Once again, they have 27 points.

The final dance of the evening is from Karina & Mario. Mario says he feels pressured to do well. Karina takes him to the beach to work on his footwork. When I’m at the beach, I just see birds letting loose on people’s heads; I never see couples like Karina & Mario dance.

They’re doing the quickstep to “Valerie.” The dance begins with Karina jumping from the stage into Mario’s arms. Mario does a great job with the quick footwork, but at times, he looks nervous. His footwork has improved since last week.

Bruno says the dance was charismatic. Len wants Mario to work on his finesse. Carrie Ann tells Mario he’s always going to bring that special vibe.

Carrie Ann and Bruno award the dance with a nine. Len gives it an eight. Karina & Mario have 26 points.

Tom and Samantha review tonight’s performances, and briefly review the standings.

My initial prediction was that Marissa & Tony and Kym & Penn would be eliminated first. Am I even close? Does it take you several weeks to warm up to the opening each season? Feel free to write to me at the address below to let me know your thoughts. And come back tomorrow for a very special double elimination. You won’t want to miss that.

If you haven’t already, be sure to check out these other recent Dancing With the Stars articles:

Jill is an east coast mama who loves Michael Kors, Bea Arthur, and Maksim Chmerkovskiy. If she were in a room with the three of them, she might explode. She can be reached at jillcjones@zoominternet.net to discuss these individuals and other topics.

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