Finals night came in the blink of an eye on Dancing With the Stars last night. In fact, I was in the middle of a rousing rendition of “Ring My Bell” from the Wii game Just Dance with my family (we’re at a reunion) when I panicked and realized I was missing the show (DVR, I love you).

For the finals this year the stars need to perform an unprecedented FOUR dances (two on Monday, two on Tuesday). Tonight they must do a Redemption Dance, where they will attempt to redeem themselves for a dance the judges say they should have done better on, and the infamous Freestyle, who everyone says locks in the trophy.

SO! Were they redeemed or not? Let’s see…

First is Erin and Maks, and they must attempt to redeem themselves on the Samba. Ooh, tough one for the judges to pick for them. Bruno stops in to help her with her hip action, which (along with your arm work) is really the most important thing in the Samba (oh, along with the Par-Tay!). Bruno likes what he begins to see: “Look at the ass! So much better!”

As they begin the dance, Erin and Maks button UP Maks’ shirt. Very cute. Erin’s dress is fabulous, love the red flutters and her necklace. They did very well, but I feel this was not as earth-shaking as it needed to be. Improvement, yes, fantastic, no. Judges’ Scores: 10-10-9 (which will turn out for me to be the most surprising score of the night).

Evan and Anna is next. They get help from the Great Len Goodman for their Viennese Waltz, which they did all the way back in week one. Chemistry is what is needed here for the two of them here. Evan needs to put more focus and love on Anna, rather than thinking and going to the next move (yeah, Olympian).

Anna choreographed a really, really lovely intro for this Viennese Waltz (her dress is fab), and they kept the connection the entire time when not in hold. Truly lovely. Probably the best Viennese Waltz I’ve ever seen on DWTS. Great work and absolute redemption. Judges’ Scores: 10-9-9

Nicole and Derek have Carrie Ann come in and help out with their Rumba. When they did it the first time, Nicole’s nerves got the bes of her and it was probably her worst meltdown (among quite a few). Carrie Ann really pushes her to take the meltdown and convert it into vulnerability (so use it before rather than after). Really let go and show she’s more than a pretty face and a dancing machine.

Their Rumba is sensitive and beautiful. Nicole is vulnerable and connected to Derek, and Derek himself is more connected to any partner than I’ve ever seen. The choreography is solid and that hold at the end is new and very interesting (she wraps her leg around him and holds herself up, whew). They are completely redeemed here. Carrie Ann’s lift police rant is absolutely necessary here, and I wish she would have just shut up. Judges’ Score: 9-9-10

Freestyle: POP! or fizzzle…

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again. This is the most highly anticipated dance of the entire season, and somehow it is always a disappointment. Either the couples go crazy and do stuff that is just “not them”, or they play it safe and do stuff that they would normally do (like a pop star does hip-hop). What will happen for season 10?

For the first time ever, there is a Contemporary/Lyrical freestyle on DWTS. WHAT?? Erin has decided to do something different, and more of what she would do (she had years of ballet and jazz). They even call the lovely Ms. Mandy Moore (woo hoo) in to help out with the choreography. This is unprecedented (there’s that word again, she keeps on using it), and I am anticipating the performance highly.

I expected to love it, but I just…didn’t. And I’m really sorry I didn’t. Erin took a real risk with this and really showed what she wanted to do. I suppose it just looked too odd to me on the ballroom floor, and I felt that contemporary should just stay over on the Fox So You Think You Can Dance set. Plus, there was a bed AND a sofa. Too much, even for a contemporary piece. Off the mark for me personally. However, this dance gave us the best Tom Bergeron moment of the entire season: “In ten seasons, ‘It’s not the bed I rehearsed on’ is the my favorite excuse ever!” Judges’ Scores: 9-8-9

We see Evan and Anna butt heads for the first time this seaon, over the steps for their freestyle. Evan wants to take more chances, and Anna wants to stick to what they do best. They both really want to win, you can tell. Things smooth out when they bring in a choreographer in to help out and be the go-between.

Their freestyle is a prom theme from “Footloose” (this made me think what a great freestyle the prom scene from “Grease” would make). Lots of fun and a huge crowd please. They looked like they had a great time. Technically speaking (except for the impossible lift at the end) that the choreography was a little light, but still super fun. The judges, however, were uniformly disappointed. Judges’ Scores: 8-8-8 Boo.

What, oh what will Nicole bring? Her Pussycat Doll card or something new? I adore their sparkle-y tux outfits with the chartreuse shoes and ties. Really popped. They chose “Little Less Conversation” by Elvis (love it) for their song and they just brought it ALL. This was super-fantastic and absolutely perfect (with a slight hesitation on the lift at the end). Clearly the Winner of the Freestyle Round, and Len hit it right on the nose: He saw all different styles of ballroom dance used together in a new and inventive way. Now THAT’S a freestyle! Judges’ Scores: 9-9-9

So in a surprise on the leaderboard, Erin and Nicole are tied for first with 55 out of 60 points. Evan is second with 52 out of 60 points. The stars and their partners will do their third and fourth dances on the Results show. What will they do? My money is on one dance will be the stars pick and the other will be the judges’ pick. We’ll see. It’s shaping up to be an exciting and very interesting show Tuesday night. My early pick for the winner? Nicole Scherzinger. And she would deserve it. Tune in tonight!

BTW, Spoiler Alert for Season 11: Hugo “Hurley” Reyes wins!!! (thanks to Jimmy Kimmel’s Aloha to LOST show, which helped stop my tears over watching the final episode ;o)

There are only four couples left in season 10 of Dancing With the Stars: Erin and Maks, Cheryl and Chad, Evan and Anna and Nicole and Derek. I was very sad to see Niecy go, as she was definitely the highlight of this season and really fun to watch crack jokes. But onward!

Last night there were two rounds, the Ballroom Round and the Latin Round. In the Latin Round, each star will be doing their own solo! This is always fun to watch to see if they can really let go and get loose in the face of live TV and millions of viewers (I would certainly be hard-pressed to).

First up was Erin and Maks with their Viennese Waltz. Man, that girl can do amazing things with those legs, really pretty extension. And although I really didn’t care for her dress/pantsuit, it certainly made her legs look even longer. Unfortunately, I think she was super nervous (you see her say that at the end of the dance), she had a chronic issue with trembling ankles. Judges’ Scores 9-9-9 (well, if you don’t include Bruno Tonioli’s “premature” 10 paddle).

Next was Nicole and Derek’s Argentine Tango. Hot, sexy, sharp, passionate, amazing. Really fun to watch and well danced! And the walk down the stairs with her legs wrapped around his was really awesome. Oh yeah, and the move where he lifted her up on his FOOT. This was really a master-choreographed piece. I am going to call Derek out for using the same stag lift move that he used with Lil Kim, though. It’s the first time I have ever seen him re-use a really specific move. Good one, though! Judges’ Scores: 10-10-10

Chad and Cheryl were next with a rather nice and different Waltz. This guy has improved a LOT, and is now able to use that fantastic body of his to the fullest and lengthen and show off those lines. Plus he has an amazing smile and beautiful skin, oh, and that light pink color looks great against it. Ooh, I kinda just fell in love with him there! The did really nicely. Judges’ Scores: 9-9-9

Evan and Anna are next with a Foxtrot. It’s time for Evan to open up a little bit and show some real personality and boy doe he come out of the gate with it with the beginning of this foxtrot. Lots of clicking the heels four feet off the floor! Their dance is peppy, cute and just fantastic and full of chemistry. It’s like this is a new version of Evan, very sparkly (which is a perfect description for a figure skater). Judges’ Scores: 10-9-10

That’s it for the Ballroom round, next up is the Latin round with (dum dum dum) SOLOS. And along with these solos, the stars get to be even more vulnerable with a personal interview. Hmmmmm.

Erin and Maks are first. Erin talks about her childhood and being very tall and skinny, and her fast track onto national ESPN. Then she found out she had a stalker. I thought it was very interesting that she talked about this event (THE video), I actually thought it would have been better to not bring it up. But she was brave to talk about it, good for her.

Their latin dance is a creative Paso Doble. I liked her costume, how the skirt was wrapped up in a top at first and then revealed later on. Her solo was pretty good, she definitely committed to the movement. The Paso as a whole was really fresh, I thought, although non-traditional as Len pointed out. Who cares? Anything to inject new life into the Paso.
Judges’ Scores: 10-9-10

Nicole and Derek are next. Nicole talks about her origins in Hawaii, and being one of 14 in a small house, then moving to Kentucky when her mom met her new husband. She of course didn’t look like anyone in the town, and threw herself into the performing arts to stand out even more!

They do a super cha cha cha to “Kiss” by Prince. She’s even dressed up like him with a purple jacket and “puffy shirt”. Very cheeky, very cute and very well done. Another great piece of choreography by Derek. Her solo was great, but that is her forte, so I felt like it was second nature for her. Judges’ Scores: 10-9-10

Chad and Cheryl are up next. Chad says his first words were “child, please.” His father was in prison and his mother raised him alone. He grew up in a very urban, dangerous community. Football was his outlet, and served him very well. His friends and family talk about how hard DWTS has been for him, and he was surprised at how hard.

Their dance is a Samba. Chad doesn’t let anything hold him back and really enjoys himself out there, especially during his solo. and he has amazing skin. He had the hardest Latin dance and he did well. Big charisma from this guy. Judges’ Scores: 8-8-9

Evan is last. He talks about his Grandmother buying him skates because she wanted to be in the Ice Capades. Once he discovered he could go fast he fell in love. He discovered the lure of competition early on and that he had to work harder to be better. And he’s shy (that we knew). And he’s a great learner (definitely).

Their dance is the Paso Doble to that great Evanescence song. With all the leaps and posing, it’s a cinch that this would be a great dance for Evan. He comes out the box kicking like a wild horse and we really see the skating training come out. But it doesn’t overshadow the dance. Great blend of the Paso and his native abilities. Dramatic kiss at the end! Very well done and big commitment from him. Judges’ Scores: 10-10-10

The Results are TONIGHT!! Who will make it to the Finals? Tune in with me and find out. Try not to bite your nails too much..

I have to say, this was a pretty darn exciting night on Dancing With the Stars–and the Finals are only three weeks away! This week along with their individual dances the stars and their partners had to team up for the “Cha Cha Challenge” and put together group dances to wow the audiences and get an extra possible 30 points to add to their score.

Erin and Maks are up first with a pretty fancy and cute quickstep–in hot pink, no less. Her dress looked pretty dazzling. Oh, and Maks always looks fiiiiine. Their quickstep was fun and engaging, this is never an easy dance to make look great. I just wish in rehearsals they would stop nagging each other, it’s getting old. Len Goodman declares it’s Erin’s best dance to date. Judges’ Scores: 9-9-9

Chad and Cheryl pull out a pretty interesting Waltz this week. Chad gets an extra bonus with Tony Develani coming in to coach him, lucky him! However, they both look like they’re dressed for a Rumba as the music starts. But Chad comes out leading with grace and finesse. This is I think technically his best dance so far, aside from the Tango last week. But the Waltz is a whole other ball game and he really did well. Judges’ Scores: 8-9-8

Nicole and Derek also do a Waltz this week, to the sappiest song in creation, “You Light Up My Life”. But what a Waltz it is, very standard and traditional, with difficult choreography. Derek always knows how to wow. This was so pretty and graceful. The judges were very picky with her, even after Carrie Ann declares that she’s the best dancer they’ve ever had on the show. I guess the better you are the pickier they can be (that’s usually the way it is). Judges’ Scores:9-9-9

Pam and Damien are up next with their Waltz. And I’m super disappointed in this, it’s just unfortunately…boring. I feel like shaking my finger at Damian for not challenging her more, she’s so up to it. Too bad. Judges’ Scores: 8-8-8

Niecy and Louis are next and I have to say that if Niecy doesn’t make it to the finals I am SO going to miss her comic relief and light-heartedness. The show really needs it when the stars tend to take things too seriously (when you’re invested in something that makes you vulnerable it tends to make you serious, folks). This week they do a Quickstep. Mid-rehearsal Louis gets caught texting Kelly Osbourne and Niecy lays claim to her partner, telling him to put down the phone. Niecy is light, quick-footed, smooth and full of mirth in this fantastic dance. Plus she looks absolutely gorgeous (as she always does). Well done to the both of them on her best dance so far. Folks, let’s keep her out of the bottom two! Niecy is so excited about continuing to dance. Judges’ Scores: 9-8-8

Evan and Anna do the only Argentine Tango of the evening, and they are working super hard with him to not “submit” to the woman in this dance. He has to be sharp and not lyrical. Anna is demanding perfection from him and as an Olympic gold medalist, he can deliver. They do their Tango to “Bust Your Windows”, which is a fabulous choice with the tango thump behind it. Anna wears the most awesome dress ever that I am stealing when I do my Tango with my hubby. Love the black/gold sparkles in the stripes on the top into the velvet short, angled skirt and the big flowers at the hip and the side bun. Really stunning! Evan pulls out all the stops and turns in an amazing performance, full of force, passion, power, aggression and sex. Great chemistry between these two and a hot Argentine Tango. Judges’ Scores: 10-10-10!

Next up are the team cha cha cha dances. I have to hand it to the teams, these were really fantastic this year, and measurably conducted more professionally than last year. Plus, they waited to do this until there were 6 couples instead of 7 and have lop-sided teams. Dancing in teams like this is so hard, especially dancing in synch, much like singing in unison is so hard. If you’re off a little bit everyone can see it. You could really tell that the teams enjoyed working together and it also showed in their performances.

First was team GaGa: Nicole and Derek, Pam and Damian and Chad and Cheryl. This is great and for Nicole’s first cha cha, she hits it out of the park. Chad is super good as well. Pam unfortunately looks a tad lost, like she couldn’t remember her steps. Overall, this is a sex-y dance with 6 really sexy people. Judges’ Scores: 9-9-9

Last was team Madonna: Niecy and Louis, Evan and Anna and Erin and Maks. They get to do their cha cha to “Holiday”, which is a party song if there ever was one. And the costumes! I had to laugh out loud at the Madonna circa 1984 look with lace, bustier and bows. Really super fab, and so different on each girl. My pick for the winner is absolutely team Madonna for sheer fun, great moves and even better concept. Well done to them. Judges’ Scores: 8-8-8 (boo)

What an exciting night! Who has to go home tomorrow? I don’t want to see anyone go home… Tune in tomorrow!

A lot of the ladies on my forum that I chat with said last Tuesday night: “Ding dong, the witch is dead”. And with that, my least favorite contestant of all time left Dancing With the Stars. She goes on to her new TLC show where she gives people relationship advice. Hmm.

OK–ONWARD. And all of those stars that are left are real contenders for the semis and finals on season 10. Tonight are two dances, one tough and the other even tougher. The Samba and the Argentine Tango, which is my all-time favorite ballroom dance. So I will be tough tonight.

Jake and Chelsie seem to have stumbles frequently, and this week was no exception. I have to give it to him, he sure knows how to recover and there is nothing like a big stumble in your dance to bring you completely out of it, and it’s a challenge to finish (another Tom Bergeron moment: “I hope you enjoyed our salt in the wound slow motion replay”). Pretty good on the Samba, which I think is one of the toughest dances to look good in. Judges’ Scores: 7-7-7

Next are Evan and Anna, who also have the Samba. More Hips, More Hips! More hips because Anna will smash your head to the ground if you don’t! Ouch, man. He was so lucky he’s okay, I would not have wanted my neck torqued that way. Their Samba is super good, and Evan even does the Samba rolls well, which are super hard. These two have great chemistry together as well. Bruno gets on him for his lines being too lyrical for the Samba. Carrie echoed him, and Len said it was his worst dance. Bah Humbug, geez!! Judges’ Scores: 7-7-7

Niecy and Louis are the first Argentine Tango of the night. And she asks “Has anyone ever done a funny Argentine Tango?” I want Louis to bust her butt on technique so she gets better scores. He does not disappoint, and I hope it can translate to the dance floor. Good girl on the develope! Keep the cookie away from her, Louis! I thought she worked hard and they did a great job, big improvement. Carrie thinks she’s in the zone, Len thought it was great and Bruno wanted her to stay away from his lunchbox. Judges’ Scores: 7-7-7

Erin and Maks bicker like a married couple (oh, right), and he begs her to stay out of her head and just dance. Please do! I’m trying to figure out what the heck she is wearing and my husband says as he walks across the room: “when are you getting pasties like hers?” My friend who was visiting swore they were going to rip off that feather tutu and it just never happened. Maks’ sleeves and shirt came off, though. Thank you Maks. I thought their Samba was decent, but a little forced. And oh boy, Len did NOT like the non-proper Samba and Maks talked BACK! I have never seen that from a pro before. Whew! Judges’ Scores: 9-7-9

Chad drags Cheryl back to Cincinnati for the Bengals draft party in order to get energized. After they get back for rehearsals, Cheryl tells Chad to manhandle her in the Argentine Tango. She really wants him to lead. He’s strong and forceful and his steps are more precise this week. He’s worked hard and it shows. But IMO Cheryl is still leading. The only partner I think she didn’t lead with was Gilles Marini (ooh, Gilles). Judges’ Scores: 8-8-8

I’m not sure what Nicole’s deal is, but she is over over over analyzing everything and driving Derek crazy. Just dance girl, because you can. Their Samba is the partiest, sexiest, gyratingest samba I’ve ever seen. They do a fantastic job of really engaging the audience and it seems like Carnivale is happening in the soundstage. No more insecurities for Nicole, baby. Len grinds them for not having any voltas or botafogos, two essential moves in the Samba. Judges’ Scores: 9-7-10

My underdog favorite is next, Pam and Damian, doing the Argentine Tango. Pam is such a trooper and a pro, she’s been in the bottom two the last two weeks after great dances, and she just presses on. She looks great in a brunette wig and really looks like Raquel Welch, although Bruno calls her Angelina. They dance really great and do some awesome lifts. Every once in a while she looks slightly awkward on her feet, but it doesn’t affect her character. This chick really knows how to act the dance and carries it over to the interviews (“I like being on top”). Some may say that the sexy is just second nature to her and big deal. But I say that it takes skill and style to use it in the dance and make it work. And while she borders on overly bawdy sometimes, she always manages to keep it clean and put a really great humor spin to it. Judges’ Scores: 7-7-8

The Swing Dance Marathon is new, and I love that they have integrated these more realistic style heats into the show. This is what dance competitions look like. Many couples out on the floor, where anything can happen and elbows and ankles do fly. The spectacular thing about Swing is the lifts (“ooh mother of sweet baby air!” exclaims Nicole), they are always fun to watch. Chad seems to think he can strategize his way through this with x’s and o’s and while that’s cute, I don’t think so.

All the couples look so adorable in their bright colors. The guys wear suspenders and the girls halter dresses and spectator pumps. Much fun ensues, and it’s super cute. But the couples are eliminated one by one until they are down to the winners Nicole and Derek (didn’t he win last year in the Mambo Marathon?). They get to add a whole 10 points to their Judges’ Scores for the evening.

Who will be eliminated tonight? I’m biting my nails in anticipation…

Tonight on Dancing With the Stars they are continuing with themes and rolling out “Movie Night”–a theme with great possibilities. We’ve already seen The Mask from Julianne and Helio, and Star Wars from Kym and Joey (seasons 5 & 4), which were absolutely unforgettable. Can we hope for some more unforgettable dances tonight? I really hope so!

So a few dances in and everyone is doing fine, I’m just not very…excited. The scores are a little on the low-end as well. When will I sit up in my seat and my pulse quicken?

Here comes Erin and Maks! They’re doing their ode to Pulp Fiction, Uma Thurman/John Travolta and the Jack Rabbit Slim’s twist contest. Here is some fun, excitement and great dancing. I thought they did really well, even if there is a little too much cute bickering before in the rehearsals (but are they really dating? That’s the rumor…). They are basically saying there’s something going on, but being very coy about it. Judges’ Scores: 8-7-7

And surprise, surprise (for me), Jake and Chelsie’s tribute to Risky Business was also really fun and well done. I think Jake is a real underdog that might last a while more. I was delighted to see that he did the first 8 bars without pants–a true ode to that iconic image of Tom Cruise from the movie. Judge’s Scores: 8-7-8 (big improvement for him)!

Pam and Damien’s Quickstep to “9 to 5″ (from the movie of the same name) was amazingly cute and Pam is improving even more, every week. I felt that the dance itself had odd musicality with the song, but what do I know–pretty much nothing about the Quickstep. Oh, and Len blasted them for waiting to dance for 16 bars (big no-no in Len’s book). Judges’ Scores: 7-6-8

At this point with Kate (SAVE TONY!!), I am fed up and really tired of watching her. I have never felt this negative about a star on Dancing With the Stars before, and it brings me down, man, and I don’t LIKE being negative. The show would feel so much lighter without her (hint hint, America).

Nicole and Derek bring me back up to happiness with a truly amazing (and really really fast) Tango to “Pretty Woman” (from the movie of the same name). Their cute little comedic timing bits fit in really well with the lightning quick movements–and also made the slow moments matter even more. Super work from the two of them. Judges’ Scores: 10-9-10 (woo hoo)!

Finally Evan and Anna’s Rumba to “Don’t Wanna Miss a Thing” from Armageddon. FINALLY a Rumba costume that I actually like!! Let me tell you, Evan knows how to do lines and arms like nobody’s business. His hips are good, but could use a little more looseness, but I’ll take it. Gawd, I love that dress. Judges’ Scores: 9-9-9

I know I didn’t talk about everyone, but I just want to leave the other dancers be, especially since my favorite, Niecy hasn’t done well for the judges two weeks in a row. If you have a spare vote, she could use it!

Who will be eliminated tomorrow night?  Will Kate survive another week to whine more? Will underdogs Pam and Niecy stay out of the bottom 3? Let’s all tune in to find out tomorrow night on ABC.

This week on Dancing With the Stars, it’s “Double Score Showdown”–one score will be for technique and the other for overall dance performance (they also must do three specific moves). The dances this week are the sexy Rumba and passionate Tango. The Rumba can be hard if you don’t have chemistry with your partner, the Tango, too. But since the tango is more force, precision and passion and less pure sex (the Rumba is of course called “The bedroom dance”), usually there is less difficulty with that.

Let’s get started!

Erin and Maks are up first with the Tango. Erin is stressed because Len picked on her footwork, even though she’s very graceful. That, and she’s having severe back pain. I feel for her, and she’s going to push through it and dance. I wasn’t completely thrilled with the dance, which looked just fine but seemed to have no spark (interesting for a couple who I believe is now dating). She gets points from Len for the content, but still needs to handle the footwork. She still has the “deathgrip” on Maks according to Carrie. Too much thinking on the dance floor can be dangerous. To her credit, we learn in the fishtank that her heel got caught in the strap of her other shoe. Near miss!
Tech Scores: 6-6-6
Performance Scores: 7-7-7

Evan and Anna are next with the Tango as well. Immediately as the dance starts you see real passion here, real dynamics. I love the bit with Anna in the chair at the beginning. They’ve got it together and this is an amazing Tango, and technically super good. Evan and Anna are a winning pair.
Tech Scores: 9-8-9
Performance Scores: 9-8-9

Ok, Niecy (whose name I’ve been spelling wrong, sorry!) and Louis are up and I’m already tearing. Louis tells Niecy that the Rumba is also a spiritual dance–this I was not aware of, although it could make complete sense. Louis wants to dedicate it to Niecy and have her dance out her feelings for her brother, who died 17 years ago. This woman is full of emotion and I so hope she can put it right into the dance. The technique will take care of itself.

I just love this woman. She put all that emotion into the dance and even though she was really dancing for her brother, it really read so well as a sensual, celebratory dance of love and life with Louis. True emotional connection. Unfortunately, the judges really didn’t like it and were pretty hard on her. And I can always tell it’s so hard on the stars when they bare all and get no love from the judges. It’s tough. But to hell with them!
Tech Scores: 6-6-6
Performance Scores: 6-6-6

Aiden and Edyta are up next with a Rumba, and Edyta really wants to be felt up every time in rehearsal (sorry, my tee hee moment). The Rumba is all about feeling up, baby. I am so distracted by Edyta’s strategically placed bits of tinfoil for a dress that I can barely pay attention to their dance. It seems like they danced well and he was more comfortable, but he was very stiff in his shoulders. Bruno said he had the “Blue Steel” down, but there was no flow to the dance. Sigh.
Tech Scores: 5-5-5
Performance Scores: 6-6-6

Best Tom Bergeron Moment: “Would you guys like a candy bar or some orange juice to get the blood sugar levels back up?” Referring to the judges harsh scores during the evening. Thanks for the levity, Tom!

Derek and Nicole are up next and after their rule-breaking Quickstep last week we’ll see how they do on their Rumba. Can she quell her giggles during the dance of love? Once again, I am distracted by costumes. Why is she wearing an ill-fitting toga? Thank gawd Derek’s shirt is closed. Wow, great display of technique and dance ability and absolutely sexy. Mixed bag with the judges on comments, but better on the scores.
Tech Scores: 9-8-8
Performance Scores: 8-8-9

Jake and Chelsie are up next with the Tango, and for someone with as much trouble as he has in rehearsals, he usually looks pretty good. Very sharp, great attack, looked confident and they looked good moving together. Wow, up and down the stairs! That was a super move. They really looked damn good, even with some slight stumbling.
Tech Scores: 6-7-6
Performance Scores: 7-6-6

And now we come to Kate and Tony. And Tony looks…tired. Her world is just too big for this show. But good for Tony to try to get her to put it into the dance and just work and stop getting upset. She’s lamenting that she’s the most inexperienced and she has big self-doubt. I feel ya lady.

Their tango is just fine, but seems to be very on automatic and careful and stiff. And she still clomps a bit. A measurable improvement from the Paso Doble last week. The judges are positive that she is improving, and this is her best dance so far. She says she’s beginning to have fun and she wants to stay and do more. Hmmmm…..
Tech Scores: 4-5-5
Performance Scores: 6-6-6

Chad and Cheryl. Chad, oh Chad. I’ve never seen a guy be so full of himself yet be super charismatic. And I love him. And he gave Cheryl a ring?? Is that thing real? Their Rumba is very hot, even though he seemed to drag and throw her around the floor pretty hard (was that just me?). The judges loved it and praised his fluidity and improvement on posture. Well done to them.
Tech Scores: 7-6-8
Performance Scores: 8-7-8

Are Pam and Damien always last? What’s up with that? They’re doing the Rumba and she’s warned by Len to not be raunchy, a comment that I find unwarranted, because I have not found anything raunchy about any of her dances so far. Pam is my new underdog, she could go far.

You know what I realized, I really don’t like the costumes they do for the girls for the Rumba. They just don’t drape like clothing. It’s like half a sheet going down their bodies. Very unflattering on even the most flattering bodies. Ugh. Well, onward.

Damien and Pam are really truly lovely in the best Rumba of the night, just enough sex and sultryness, and even love thrown in. Technique was great and smooth. The song choice was really great for this (“I Can’t Make You Love Me”), as it helped tone the “come hither” down a bit and make it something more refined.
Tech Scores: 7-8-8
Performance Scores: 8-7-9

Wow, such a tough night for most of our dancing couples. Looks like Nicole/Derek and Evan/Anna came out on top, with many of the others dropping well below them. And what was up with the judges tonight? Take a happy pill, folks. Who will be eliminated tomorrow night? Tune in and find out!

Tonight on Dancing With the Stars, the judges submitted a NEW challenge to the stars and their pros: Telling a Story! This is so up my alley I can barely contain myself. Dance as a Story is MY BAG.

Whew! Let’s start the show.

Ooh! We get examples of the Waltz, the Paso Doble and the Quickstep from our beautiful pros, what the stars should aspire to do. And THERE’S Lacey Schwimmer! So fantastic to see her on the DWTS floor.

First up is Evan and Anna, doing the Quickstep to the “Hot Honey Rag” from Chicago. OMG the Quickstep is really a super, super hard dance and Evan did wonderfully. I didn’t see a tremendous story except in the very beginning. The lady kept the man waiting. But then they just danced. Ok, not an A+ in my book, but really great on the dancing! OH, and just to add to that: THEN we find out in the fishtank that Evan has two broken toes. Cripes boy, what a pro! Judges’ scores: 9-8-8

Before we go to commercial, they give us previews of what’s to come in the rehearsal rooms: stress stress stress, drama drama drama, tears tears tears. Looks like we’re in for it, folks!

Next is Buzz Aldrin, who is hangin’ in there and promoting the space program, by gum! They have a story that could really be a tear-jerker; a daughter greeting her father back from war. Ashly his pro is so really sweet to him and just keeps him on the right track. He did a great job and he looked good. The judges try to be as kind as possible, but he knows that he’s not really that great and it’s all good. Judge’s scores: 5-4-4

Jake and Chelsie are up after the break, and they’re doing the Quickstep to “Walk Like an Egyptian”. What? Ok, gotta see if this can work. And there is stress in the rehearsal room. Frustration! Put it into the dance, folks. Seems like the frustration paid off, they do very well. Lots of props, too, which I thought they weren’t supposed to use. Anyway, they are super fast across the floor and the performance and storytelling is good. The judges pick at his frame and legs, which are a bit soft. Judges’ scores: 7-7-7

Nicey and Louis are next and they choose a story that is close to both of them (if I’m not mistaken, Louis is gay), a interracial couple falling in love in the 60′s, a time when in some places it was actually still illegal. This is a different side to Nicey, and very genuine and sweet. It affected her to put herself in the place of the role she was playing. ACTING! BRILLIANT! Louis did a fantastic job on choreography, and her ivory dress with the various panels really brought the most out of it during the spins. I felt that she was very graceful, even in the face of a stumble at the beginning. Their song was a world class duet from Billy Preston and Syreeta (“With You I’m Born Again”) and really added to the story. The judges really love Nicey, but were picky about the stumble and her technique, which she needs to work on. I disagreed with Carrie Ann that the story was confusing, and it didn’t have a happy ending. But that wasn’t the point of the story. I felt Nicey’s intoxication with a love that fills her heart, but the danger of knowing how society will react and possibly retaliate. She was super vulnerable, and Louis, too. This is first-rate dance as a story. Judges’ scores: 7-7-7

Mr. Ochocinco and Cheryl are next with the fiery Paso Doble, set to this fantastic song sung by Antonio Bandaras in the beginning of the movie “Desperado” (love it). Chad does pretty darn well with it (even after the rehearsal drama). Very powerful and dynamic. He really focused on Cheryl and wanted the girl. Great comeback from last week! Judges’ scores: 7-6-7

Miss Pam and Damien are next. They were the surprise in the bottom two last week, since she was such a crowd-pleaser. This week they’re back with the Paso Doble–their story is of a woman and the bull-fighter. She loves him, but she hates what he does as an animal activist (they are very cruel to the bulls in bullfighting). She looked fabulous and did a great job telling the story. She’s not just a blonde bombshell, that’s not all she can do. The routing seemed at times a little sloppy, but I think that was just her passion. She did great. Judges’ scores: 7-7-7 (lots of 21s tonight)

Aiden and Edyta are next and we see that even though he had a comeback last week, he was super nervous and actually vomited backstage (thanks ABC for blurring the gross stuff out). They are doing the Quickstep tonight and things are lighter for the two of them as they celebrate his birthday and his wife and beautiful 7 month old girl come in with cake (Edyta eats cake?). Their dance is pretty good, but I realize that I completely missed what their story was supposed to be. Len says that he was a bit careful, and I didn’t see that, but I did see his shoulders way up by his ears. I’m sure he’s nervous as hell, with a stomach to match. Judges’ scores: 7-6-7

Erin and Maks are next with a Waltz telling a story of trust: Erin has to dance over half of their waltz while BLINDFOLDED. It was pointed out to me by a reader that Erin actually does have prior dance experience, so I’m not looking at her in quite the same way this week, but she really is graceful. I thought it was a really beautifully done by both of them. Judges’ scores: 8-7-8

Kate and Tony are next with a Paso Doble done to “Paparazzi” by Lady Gaga, a song that speaks directly to Kate, because they follow her wherever she goes. Kate can’t seem to connect with Tony for the passion and anger, and he calls in an acting coach. She sees a lot of emotion that is bottled up inside, and it needs to come out. Do we really want Kate Gosselin letting all her emotions out? Hmmm…During the dance she comes at Tony with intention and anger, but she steps around the floor like she has clogs on her feet. Not a lot of grace. Tons better than last week, though. Carrie Ann said it was “odd”. Judges’ scores: 5-5-5

Nicole and Derek have the Quickstep and their story is two sailors slacking off to “Anything Goes”. Nicole freaks out a little at the difficulty of the dance, she’s scared. The dance is A-MA-ZING. Really first rate. And I love that this wasn’t Nicole’s “Pussy Cat Doll” card. It was completely opposite of what she is used to doing. Super cute and technically hard as hell. And…not a Quickstep, according to the judges. Too bad. But true. Loved it. Judges’ scores: 8-6-9

And who will be the surprise elimination this week? Tune in tonight to ABC and find out! (then be like me and watch LOST, because you just can’t get enough suspense) ;o)

MOMO, a writer colleague of mine on the So You Think You Can Dance Social found this gem and I couldn’t help but pass it on.

Soul Train used to be some strange show to me that used to come on after all the cartoons were over on Saturday morning/early afternoon. Strange and…intriguing…as the intro started with that psychedelic cartoon of a train running on the tracks (and turning into the “Soul Train” logo), and the voice calling out “It’s the Sooooooooooul Train!”

I would watch young people in outrageous clothing shake their hips and wave their arms. It was odd to me and not odd. I can’t explain it. All I know is that years later I would learn to sing by attempting to imitate Aretha Franklin (not truly succeeding but not unsuccessful either, as I am from Kansas and severely Caucasian), I would be fronting my own 8 piece soul/R&B/Blues band and singing the very song in this video (Aretha Franklin’s “Rock Steady” is one of the best soul songs out there). Oh, and also shaking my hips (pretty nicely, I might add). If I ever scan in the pictures and convert the VHS tape to DVD I’ll show it to you sometime. Me, in leopard skin pants!

Soul Train is a jewel of American culture, created in 1965 on a UHF channel in Chicago, and Don Cornelius (and his fab hexagon spectacles) pretty much invented the line dance–and I don’t mean country dancing. I mean everyone lines up in two lines facing each other, then take turns in twos going down the row and struttin’ your stuff. Plus they had amazing soul acts on the show: The O Jays, Al Green, Marvin Gaye, Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes, Tower of Power and Gladys Knight and the Pips.

Anyway, enough nostalgic-ness, enjoy the video!

When I found the video I posted yesterday, I had no idea what it was an actual excerpt of. I did a bit more digging and found out that Five Brahms Waltzes in the Manner of Isadora Duncan was actually a ballet choreographed by Frederick Ashton (Founder Choreographer of The Royal Ballet in London). He saw Isadora perform himself when he was on holiday with his family. He was only 17 years old. She made such an impression on him (even at 44 and admittedly past her prime) that he knew he was witnessing something special and went back again and again to see her.

He carried his memories of Isadora with him until 1976 when he created Five Waltzes for the Rambert Dance Company and starred ballerina Lynn Seymour.

Since then it has been recreated in the 80′s and in 2004. I found an introduction to the first video, with interviews of Lynn Seymour as she rehearses the latest ballerina to recreate her role, Tamara Rojo. She speaks a lot about what Frederick saw in Isadora Duncan and what inspired both him and her. Really a lovely clip. Enjoy!

I found this fantastic video of an Isador Duncan style-dance and thought it would go perfectly with this luscious quote of hers:

“Every movement that can be danced on the seashore
without being in harmony with the rhythm of the waves,
every movement that can be danced in the forest
without being in harmony with the swaying of the branches,
every movement that one can dance… in the sunshine,
in the open country, without being in harmony with the life
and the solitude of the landscape – every such movement is false,
in that it is out of tune in the midst of nature’s harmonious lines.
That is why the dancer should above all else choose movements
that express the strength, health, nobility, ease and serenity of living things.”
Isadora Duncan

I love the idea that to dance is to be in harmony with the land, the sea, the air and the fabric of life around us. Dance is living and dance is life.

Isn’t Tamara Rojo gorgeous? Just look at the expression on her face, her joy, her FEET!! More on her later…