'Dancing with the Stars': Thumbs down, team dances!
This season is just getting better and better (insert sarcasm here). Two team dances? Seriously? I think my dance recitals were somewhat tolerable for my parents because, hey, there's always a cute kid who does something like scream hi to her parents, or walk off stage, or cry. In this group dance, Susan Lucci was NOT PRETTY. But I digress ... I should start from the top.
First up are Warren and Kym with the foxtrot. I like watching this pair dance, but it's not as fun as usual. Judge Len Goodman is back this week. He says it wasn't a classic foxtrot, but that Kym put a spin on it that brings out Warren's personality. But he says his posture wasn't a good as usual and that he seemed a bit heavy. Bruno Tonioli says the technique "went into recession." Hee. Carrie Ann Inaba says he wasn't performing in his normal way. Warren says it was his feet: He's not wearing his own shoes! Oh, no! Score: 21 (Ugh, stop saying, "Winner, winner, chicken dinner." I'm so over the blackjack joke.)
Susan and partner Tony are fighting! Dramarama! Maybe the answer will translate into an angry, strong Paso Doble, says Tony. Nope. Susan has the same expression that she has in every dance. Yawn. Bruno says well done. Carrie Ann says she struggled with claiming her power on the floor. She tells Susan to face the camera and say, "I'm doing good!" (Grammar police: It should be well.) Clearly, the judges and I do not agree. Score: 24
Maurice and Cheryl dance the cha cha cha. It looks hot. I've never seen Maurice so into it. He can really move his hips. This is definitely his dance. Finally, something enjoyable tonight. Carrie Ann says he brought his "'A' game." It was a "perfect mix of form and freedom." Len says it was his best dance so far. He uses the word "dazzling." Bruno says he has a natural sense of rhythm. Score: 25 (Why do they get two 8s? That was way better than Erica Kane's dance! Boo judges!)
Cody and Edyta are next with a Viennese waltz. (We see Julianne in bed, recovering.) I generally do not like waltzes, so I can't say whether it's good. It seems a bit off. But I love Edyta's dress. Len says that as a couple, they looked comfortable together, but that Cody himself didn't look that comfortable. Bruno says it was clumsy. Carrie Ann, however, thinks it was great. Score: 22
Lacey and Lance will dance the rumba barefoot! But he has a broken toe! And he and Lacey fight over it. He ends up sans shoes for their earthy dance. It's not my favorite dance of theirs, but it's interesting. And I always love me some Lance and Lacey. Bruno says it was "seductive and romantic." He liked the contemporary spin. Carrie Ann says the risk was a great payoff. She said it was their best dance. Len didn't get it. He says the bare feet didn't enhance the dance, and he doesn't get why they started and ended the dance on a bench. He gets heckled by the crowd. Score: 25
Brooke and Derek do the foxtrot. Brooke looks great. She's a natural at this. She has fabulous lines and flow. I normally don't love the foxtrot, but this one is enjoyable. Carrie Ann says, "Wow! Wow! Wow!" Len says it had so many elements that it became more than the sum of its parts. Bruno calls it a "gob-smacking, beautiful, thrilling performance from start to finish." Gob-smacking! Ha! Score: 30! (It's the first of the season.)
Team dance time. Team cha cha cha is Susan, Lance, Cody and their partners. Susan doesn't want to be the weak link. But she is. Lance and Lacey, as the judges say, pretty much save the day. The dancers do several moves in a straight line, and their unison is really off. They also have solos during the dance. Cody is way too stiff. Susan's feet are jumbled. Len says well done. Bruno says it was teetering on the brink of disaster and was rescued by my favorites. Carrie Ann mentions the unison problem. She says it was "brutal" to watch. I agree. Score: 20
Team paso doble is Warren, Maurice, Brooke and their parents. It's a way better dance than the cha cha cha number, but I still find it cheesy. Warren is decent; Maurice a bit too stiff, even for the paso (but I find Cheryl to be captivating); Brooke, as you can guess, is pretty good. The judges are standing. Bruno says it looked ... invincible? "That's the way to work like a unit," he says. Carrie Ann agrees. She says they all looked great during their solos. Len says it's easier to keep a formation in a marching dance compared to a cha cha cha, but he says that overall it was enjoyable. Score: 29
The team scores will be added to individual scores to give each team a total score out of 60. Brooke and Derek are crushing the competition, and Cody and Edyta are at the bottom at 42.
Results will be on Wednesday because of the election. So go vote for a dancer and a president!
