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.

Dancing next are Anna Trebunskaya and Jerry Rice. Prrrrrrrrrrrr! We see clips of Jerry shaking his hips during the previous week’s performance. Thank you, ABC. Jerry takes Anna to the 49ers’ training facility. He has her run through several football drills. He says that when she stumbles, he smiles. She tells us that he has to concentrate more.

They perform the quickstep to “If My Friends Could See Me Now.” Jerry begins the performance by running out onto the dance floor. I’m not sure I get it, but it is Jerry Rice, so all is right with the world. After that, the performance slows down, but eventually picks up and looks like a quickstep. They cover quite a lot of the floor. Jerry also gets the opportunity to show off his footwork. Overall, it is a nice effort.

Bruno says the performance is a touchdown for Jerry. The crowd begins to chant for him. Len explains that Jerry lost his posture and hold several times. Carrie Ann disagrees by saying that his posture was great. Anna and Jerry earn a seven from Carrie Ann and an eight from both Len and Bruno. Their final score from the judges is 23.

The next performance is from Stacy Keibler and Tony Dovolani. Stacy explains that she is having problems with her hips. I doubt that. Tony tells us that the rumba is the bedroom dance. It appears that Stacy wants to show Len in particular that she can do this because of his comments from the previous week.

They are dancing the rumba to “I’m Like a Bird.” Their dance is more fast-paced than the other rumbas of the evening. It is quite sexy and entertaining. They have a lot of sharp, precise moves. Stacy checks her top to make sure the puppies are in the doghouse.

Carrie Ann applauds Stacy’s techniques; she was in control. Bruno uses a lot of adjectives to describe the dance. Let’s just say he loves it. Len says he will eat his words from the previous week; tonight’s performance was the dance of the night. This translates into a nine from Carrie Ann, and a 10 from both Len and Bruno, for a total of 29 points. What… two perfect scores? I don’t mean to be negative, but I think the 10s should be saved for performances that are actually flawless! Stacy and Tony did a great job, but I wouldn’t have awarded them a 10. Sigh. Let the debating begin.

The next couple to perform is Ashly DelGrosso and P. Miller. We see Ashly break down and get upset over P’s gangsta cha cha cha. Ashly stands up to P; he tells us that they are truly a team. She gives him a pair of dance shoes and he says, “Hell no!” I think it would have been better if he had quoted Whitney Houston and said, “Hell to the no.”

They dance the quickstep to “Zoot Suit Riot.” P has on a ball cap again tonight, but I don’t think he’s wearing the shoes that Ashly gave him. He does do more tonight; he’s actually moving. There is a lot of dancing around the floor, even if it is skipping. P also dips Ashly.

Len says P’s dancing was definitely better than the previous week. He then asks P if he would wear dancing shoes when playing basketball. When P says, “No,” Len says that he shouldn’t wear basketball shoes when dancing. This could get interesting. Carrie Ann says that the routine was heavy footed, but P hit all of the steps; she appreciates his efforts. Bruno says that a dancer is starting to emerge. Carrie Ann gives Ashly and P a six; Len and Bruno both give them a five. Their total is 16 points out of 30.

Ashly tells Samantha that they did better this week. She also says she is proud of P. I like her attitude. Samantha makes the mistake of questioning P about his shoes. He explains that he is wearing his lucky shoes and won’t wear anything else. Samantha doesn’t respond with words; she simply sighs. I never thought I’d say this, but Tom isn’t half-bad as a host.

The last couple of the night is Giselle Fernandez and Jonathan Roberts. She says that she wants to do well tonight since she is Latina. She also explains that she can’t be sexy on command. Jonathan seems to always be in a good mood and upbeat.

Tonight, they are performing the rumba to “Take My Breath Away.” The dance starts with Giselle extending one leg straight up in the air. While two legs in this position at the same time would have been more impressive, I have to give her props for her flexibility and agility. The couple displays nice footwork and a lot of superb lines. It is a very sensual and mature performance that ends with Giselle going into a split. Yikes!

Bruno says that Giselle was playing with her boy toy. I feel dirty all of a sudden. Len thinks the routine was hard (meaning rough, not difficult) but it was a great effort. Carrie Ann thinks that Giselle is a contender for the title. All three judges give the couple an eight for a total of 24. While Samantha interviews the duo, Jonathan makes a comment about living with Anna. Apparently, the two are married.

With that, the performances end, and Tom and Samantha recap the current standings. To make a long story short, Stacy and Tony are in first place, while Ashly and P are in last place; however, viewers can change all of this by voting for their favorites.

According to the New York Daily News, Dancing with the Stars pulled in 17.5 million viewers last Thursday, up from the first season’s premiere, which averaged 13.5 million viewers. USA Today reports that Friday night’s results show averaged 12.9 million. If you haven’t been watching, it’s not too late to start! Until then, turn to RealityNewsOnline to catch up on all the action! And check out We'll Be the Judge of That over on Foxes on Idol!

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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