William & Cheryl danced the Cha Cha to Raise Your Glass (Pink) 30
Katherine & Mark danced the Paso Doble to España Cañí (Erich Kunzel) 30
Donald & Peta danced the Argentine Tango to They (Jem) 29
William & Cheryl danced Freestyle to Objection (Shakira) 29
Katherine & Mark danced Freestyle to Sing, Sing, Sing (Benny Goodman) 30
Donald & Peta danced Freestyle to I Play Chicken with the Train (Cowboy Troy) 30
Favorite Couples: Technically, Katherine probably had the best night. That said, I most enjoyed William and Donald’s performances tonight. I like the Cha Cha and Argentine Tango better than the Paso and I’m not all that keen on Swing.
I agree and disagree with Len about William’s Freestyle – it was a combination of Salsa and Tango and William performed it well – it certainly worked for me! That said, we already knew that William can sell any Latin routine and while it was a fusion of different dances, I don’t think there was a new type of dance in the routine. Katherine’s routine looked like it had at least 4 different styles of dance included (Jive, Quickstep, Lindy Hop and Tap), 2 of which she hasn’t danced before. Donald’s routine was completely different and reminiscent of Cheryl & Drew’s winning Freestyle to Save a Horse, Ride a Cowboy.
Even though Katherine is the stronger dancer and I think she should win, Donald may be the one to take the Mirror Ball trophy home. Or, William’s fans might just give it to him.
I’ve been hoping for an All Stars season for about as long as I’ve been hoping the show would be released on dvd – at least one of my hopes is coming true! Here are my picks for the All Star Round:
John O’ Hurley w/Charlotte
Stacey Keibler w/Tony
Mario Lopez w/Karina
Gilles Marini w/Cheryl
Mel B w/Maks (or Kirstie w/Maks)
Kristi Yamaguchi w/Mark
Kelly Osbourne w/Louis
Kyle Massey w/Lacey
Hines Ward w/Kym
Sherri Shepherd w/Val
Roshon Fegen w/Chelsie
Maria Menounos w/Derek
The bold type probably already gave me away but the star I’d most like to see dance again is Gilles. There are some other stars I’d love to see dance again, like Emmitt Smith, but in order to keep the stars with their original partners, I had to make some tough choices.
I had to include Maria because she really should have made it to the finals this time. I also included Sherri and Roshon from Season 14 simply because I loved watching them dance and I think they left a bit too soon.
William & Cheryl danced the Tango to Sweet Dreams (Eurythmics) 28
Katherine & Mark danced the Quickstep to The Dirty Boogie (Brian Setzer Orchestra) 29
Donald & Peta danced the Waltz to Kissing You (Des’ree) 28
Maria & Derek danced the Argentine Tango to La Yumba (Osvaldo Pugliese) 30
William & Cheryl danced the Samba to Magalenha (Sergio Mendes) 30
Katherine & Mark danced the Salsa to Bananza (Akon) 27
Donald & Peta danced the Samba to Mr. Big Stuff (Jean Knight) 29
Maria & Derek danced the Jive to Tightrope (Janelle Monae) 29
Favorite Couples: What an outstanding semi-finals! Although all of the performances were strong, my personal favorites were Donald & Peta’s Waltz, Maria & Derek’s Argentine Tango, William & Cheryl’s Samba, and Katherine & Mark’s Salsa.
I know I haven’t really felt a connection to most of Donald’s performances but I think he’s the most underscored celebrity to ever appear on the show – that was a romantic, dreamy, lovely performance and I was really hoping he’d finally get his 10 from Len. Loved Peta’s dress, by the way!
The Argentine Tango is one of my favorite dances and I loved this routine, especially the beginning with just Maria & Derek’s feet showing beneath the curtain! Loved Maria’s dress too!
I wasn’t fond of Maria & Derek’s Jive – I missed the kicks and flicks. Maybe Len and I briefly switched souls – although it wasn’t a traditional Jive, he loved it.
I’m not really fond of the Quickstep although occasionally a particular routine wins me over. Technically, I know Katherine’s Quickstep was better than her Salsa but I liked the Salsa better – even though it was kind of an odd Salsa and there was a mishap at the end.
William & Cheryl – what can I say? They have great chemistry and what he sometimes lacks in technique, I think he makes up for in sheer comfort on the dance floor. He’s fun, he has rhythm and he always looks like he owns the performance.
Who’s Going Home?: I have no idea. Katherine did have a mishap but she’s been such an excellent dancer all season – I do hope she makes the finals.
Donald & Peta danced the Tango to Higher Ground (Stevie Wonder) 27
Maria & Derek danced the Viennese Waltz to A Thousand Years (Christina Perri) 28
Melissa & Maks danced the Foxtrot to Maggie May (Rod Stewart) 24
Katherine & Mark danced the Viennese Waltz to Kathleen (David Gray) 26
Roshon & Chelsie danced the Foxtrot to Sweet Pea (Amos Lee) 29
William & Cheryl danced the Foxtrot to Stray Cat Strut (Stray Cats) 30
Donald, Peta & Karina danced the Jive to Rip It Up (Little Richard) 28
Maria, Derek & Henry danced the Samba to Mama Do the Hump (Rizzle Kicks) 25
Melissa, Maks & Val danced the Samba to Hard to Handle (Otis Redding) 27
Katherine, Mark & Tristan danced the Cha Cha to She’s a Lady (Tom Jones) 29
Roshon, Chelsie & Sasha danced the Paso Doble to Turn Me On (David Guetta) 27
William, Cheryl & Tony danced the Paso Doble to Diable Rojo (Rodrigo y Gabriela) 27
Favorite Couples: Tough one! Aside of Melissa’s Foxtrot, I really liked them all. Loved the intensity of Donald’s Tango, the lyricism of Maria’s Viennese Waltz, Katherine’s continued loveliness, the playfulness of Roshon’s Foxtrot and the suaveness of William’s Foxtrot. Melissa has improved a great deal, more than I expected her to. That said, she’s still a noticeably weaker dancer than the others.
I loved the Trio dances! I think Donald’s Jive was underscored – that was a fantastic routine. Loved seeing Tristan dance with Katherine and Mark – and kudos to Katherine for being able to continue dancing with that pant leg wrapped around her ankle! I also really liked Maria’s “Bollywood” Samba but maybe it was more Bollywood than Samba. I have to admit, I liked Melissa’s Samba – maybe I was overly distracted by two shirtless Chmerkovskiy brothers but it was a strong routine and she actually looked like she was into it – but who wouldn’t be?
Roshon and William’s Trio dances were excellent as well, although it doesn’t seem that the third person was dancing the entire time – I was more impressed with the choreography which included all 3 dancers for the entire routine.
Who’s Going Home: Hopefully Melissa – improved as she is, she does not belong in the semi-finals. Probably Roshon as well – I don’t think his fans can get him past the popularity of the others.
Katherine & Mark danced the Rumba to Canon in D Major (Pachelbel) 27
Melissa & Maks danced the Argentine Tango to Marriage of Figaro (Mozart) 21
William & Cheryl danced the Viennese Waltz to Ave Maria (Schubert) 27
Roshon & Chelsie danced the Argentine Tango to Bad Romance (Lady Gaga) 25
Donald & Peeta danced the Viennese Waltz to La Donna e Mobile (Verdi) 27
Maria & Derek danced the Paso Doble to Montagues and Capulets (Prokofiev) 30
Jaleel & Kym danced the Viennese Waltz to Did I Make the Most of Loving You? (Leaverland) 24
Team Tango (Katherine & Mark, Maria & Derek, Jaleel & Kym, Roshon & Chelsie) danced to Toccata from Symphony No. 5 (Widor) 27
Team Paso (William & Cheryl, Donald & Peta, Melissa & Maks) danced to O Fortuna (Orff) 26
Favorite Couples: Although I love classical music, I’m not fond of Classical Night; I think classical music works best with the waltzes and less well with the Rumba and Argentine Tango. If everyone were dancing waltzes, it would be dreamy, but that’s not the way the show is set up.
I was surprised by Maria’s fangs but the vampire bit worked well for Maria & Derek’s Paso – loved it! I also loved William & Cheryl’s Viennese Waltz. Katherine & Mark’s Rumba was lovely but it just didn’t have the same impact on me that I think it would have with different music. Roshon & Chelsie were lucky enough to score Bad Romance which surprised me on Classical Night – loved it – I think. Why did the DWtS logo appear during their performance? Was there a wardrobe malfunction or did someone goose the cameraman?
I did like Jaleel & Kym’s Viennese Waltz – I agree with the judges about his arms but the storytelling was lovely.
Who’s Going Home?: Melissa? She has improved a great deal but she’s still the weakest dancer by far. According to wikipedia though, the results are already in and Roshon is going home. ??? Okay, I can see Roshon in the bottom two – I don’t think he should be there but he’s been there before and it’s clear that he just doesn’t have the fans. What I can’t see is a Dance Duel between Melissa and Roshon with Melissa the winner; yet, according to wikipedia, Bruno will be the only judge to vote for Roshon. What really annoys me is that it seems obvious that the decision has been made before the Duel even takes place – in which case, why put the celebrities through the torture of learning a new dance in one day??? I don’t know who provides the info to wikipedia – maybe it’s someone who’s just guessing the way things will go but I’m guessing it is inside information. I only checked the wikipedia article because the recap hadn’t been posted on the official DWtS site yet and I wanted to double-check the song information. Imagine my surprise to find the results for week 7 already listed . . . .
Other Thoughts: Loved Kym’s dress! Hated Katherine & Mark’s outfits and that super-fake braid. Hated Melissa’s outfit.
Why is Carrie Ann so obsessed with accidental lifts? Does she mark someone down a point every single time they miss a step? Not possible – so what’s the big deal about someone’s foot accidentally leaving the floor? A mistake is a mistake.
Loved Tristan and Karina’s dance!!! I didn’t care for her transparent dress but the routine was lovely!
I’m glad Dancing With the Stars has initiated a Dance Duel between the bottom two couples – I don’t like to see strong dancers leave before obviously weaker dancers.
I like Gladys – I agree that what she doesn’t have in technique, she definitely has in presence, charm and ease. That said, I couldn’t believe it when Carrie Ann voted to save her rather than Roshon. Granted it’s hard to watch two couples at the same time but it seemed clear to me that Roshon’s Jive had more energy, more kicks, more JIVE. I thought the reason for the Dance Duel was to protect strong dancers from losing to fan favorites?
The pros danced to a medley of The Tracks of My Tears/Dancing in the Street/Get Ready
Gladys & Tristan danced the Rumba to My Girl (Temptations) 21
Maria & Derek danced the Foxtrot to Jimmy Mack (Martha Reeves) 26
Roshon & Chelsie danced the Rumba to Cruisin’ (Smokey Robinson) 23
Katherine & Mark danced the Samba to I Can’t Get Next to You (Temptations) 29
Donald & Peta danced the Foxtrot to The Way You Do the Things You Do (Temptations) 27
Melissa & Maks danced the Viennese Waltz to Ooo Baby Baby (Smokey Robinson) 24
Jaleel & Kym danced the Cha Cha to Ain’t Too Proud to Beg (Temptations) 29
William & Cheryl danced the Rumba to Being With You (Smokey Robinson) 27
Pros Val and Anna danced to The Tears of a Clown (Smokey Robinson)
Dance Marathon Cha Cha to Nowhere to Run:
Gladys & Tristan received 3 points
Maria & Derek received 4 points
Roshon & Chelsie received 5 points
Melissa & Maks received 6 points
Donald & Peta received 7 points
Jaleel & Kym received 8 points
William & Cheryl received 9 points
Katherine & Mark received 10 points
Favorite Couples: Katherine & Mark – loved the song but it must have been hard to match the Samba to that beat – kudos to them for pulling it off! William & Cheryl – HOT! Maria & Derek – okay there was a mishap on the stairs but it was still a fun, playful routine.
Other Thoughts: Len really likes Gladys – I like her too but the judges are much kinder to her than they are to other contestants. The kind comments aren’t bad at all – I think that’s the tone they should strive for with everyone except someone who obviously doesn’t care (Master P, I’m talking about you).
I didn’t think Roshon’s performance was technically awkward – after watching it again, I think his gangly frame emphasizes his youth and that’s what makes watching him do the Rumba awkward. As much as I liked Jaleel in the first episode, I just haven’t been able to respond to him the same way since – I’m not sure if his other performances just aren’t doing it for me or if it’s because I suspect he truly was as hot towards Kym as the rumors say (if that footage has been shown, I’ve missed it – let’s face it, DWtS likes to show bickering so the omission of that footage leads me to believe he truly crossed a line). Melissa & Maks finally looked like they were part of the competition.
Loved, loved, loved the music tonight!!! I could listen to Smokey Robinson for hours . . . .
Who’s Going Home?: Technically-speaking, it should be Gladys but I doubt that her fans will let her go on Motown night. Roshon? Jaleel? Melissa?
Jaleel & Kym danced the Samba to Rhythm is Gonna Get You (Gloria Estefan) 24
Melissa & Maks danced the Salsa to Aquanile (Marc Anthony) 21
Maria & Derek danced the Salsa to The Cup of Life (Ricky Martin) 27
Katherine & Mark danced the Argentine Tango to Tanguedia III (Astor Piazzolla) 29
Gavin & Karina danced the Samba to Sweetheart from Venezuela (Harry Belafonte) 19
William & Cheryl danced the Argentine Tango to Buttons (Pussycat Dolls) 29
Gladys & Tristan danced the Samba to Fiebre (La Lupe) 22
Roshon & Chelsie danced the Salsa to Bumpy Ride (Mohombi) 26
Donald & Peta danced the Argentine Tango to Sin Rumbo (Otros Aires) 27
Favorite Couples: Wow – love Latin Night! Loved Maria & Derek’s Salsa, Katherine & Mark’s Argentine Tango, William & Cheryl’s Argentine Tango, Roshon & Chelsie’s Salsa and Donald & Peta’s Argentine Tango. I agree with the judges – Maria and Derek need to stop kissing but it was a fun routine to watch. Katherine & Mark’s routine was gorgeous – why no 10, Len? William & Cheryl and Donald & Peta’s routines were hot (love Sin Rumbo!).
Who’s Going Home?: Gavin or Gladys? Melissa? My guess is Gavin but who knows? I was surprised to see Roshon and Sherri in the bottom two last week, especially Roshon.
Other Thoughts: Even though Len didn’t comment on it tonight, I have to say that I usually hate it when the choreography begins with props. Exceptions tonight were Roshon & Chelsie’s Salsa, William & Cheryl’s and Donald & Peta’s Argentine Tangos.
I like Gladys but I think the judges were too kind with their scores. I would have liked them to be kinder to Gavin with their comments but he chose to laugh with them and I respect that.
Sorry I didn’t post last week – I had to catch the show later as I spent Monday night at the vet with a very sick Sadie-cat. If you’re looking for the Dances Music Scores for Week 4, click here.
