Dancing with the Stars – Recap & Review – Week 3

photo: abc

Dancing with the Stars
Week 3

Original Air Date: Oct 3, 2011

Annette: Associate Staff Writer
annette@thetwocentscorp.com

It’s week 3 – Story Night! Or as they’re calling it this go-round: Most Memorable Year! The celebrities told the story of their memorable year and they also got to choose the song. It’s also the night of too many rumbas (my least favorite).

Additionally, a night where Brooke still annoys me with her questions (I just realized that she’s now Brooke Burke-Charvet. Has it been like that all season?), Len leaves his crankypants at home, and we see the first 9s of the season. Who gets them? Read on to find out!

Robert Kardashian & Cheryl Burke – Fox Trot
24 (8, 8, 8 )
Year: 2003 – When his father passed away.
Song: Fly Me to the Moon – Frank Sinatra
Len told Rob he put the “dash” in Kardashian saying that the hold and posture were both good. Bruno said he reminded him of Guys and Dolls. Carrie Ann said she liked watching him dance and that he is genuinely making progress.
He is really improving. His footwork was nice. I had heard rumors that he wasn’t putting in much rehearsal time and was being difficult, but that doesn’t seem to be the case at all. I would have liked less pausing between the different step sequences, but the pose before the projected moon at the end was really cute.

Chynna Phillips & Tony Dovolani – Rumba
26 (8, 9, 9)
Year: 1990 – The year her first single was released.
Song: Hold On – Wilson Phillips
Bruno called her a “smoldering siren” and was impressed by her body shapes and her lines. Carrie Ann said she was stunning to watch, also complimenting her lines. Len said dancing like that she’ll be there for weeks and weeks and told her she’d taken the competition to a new level.
Her lines were lovely and she’s very graceful. She did a very good job.

Chaz Bono & Lacey Schwimmer – Rumba
18 (6, 6, 6)
Year: 2011 – The happiest year he’s had.
Song: Laugh At Me – Sonny Bono
Carrie Ann said it wasn’t his best performance and that he looked distracted. Len called it his best dance and he praised him for coming back and giving it his all after getting negative comments previously. Bruno said he was endearing but that he looked a little lost.
The rumba is supposed to be sexy and/or graceful and Chaz was neither. His movements were stilted, not smooth at all. Definitely not a good dance for him.

Kristen Cavallari & Mark Ballas – Samba
24 (8, 8, 8 )
Year: 2005 – The year she moved to L.A.
Song: Crazy in Love– Beyonce
Len of course didn’t like the Beyonce parts of the dance but called the other 80% of the dance fabulous. Bruno made some wildly inappropriate comments and then said she was going the right way. Carrie Ann was impressed by how she handled difficult choreography.
She looked a little unsure of herself at times, but it definitely had the Brazilian party feel to it. She was better in the Beyonce type moments than the samba. It was good, but I wouldn’t call it great.

Carson Kressley & Anna Trebunskaya – Tango
23 (8, 7, 8 )
Year: 2003 – The year Queer Eye for the Straight Guy premiered.
Song: It’s My Life – No Doubt
Bruno called it insanely brilliant. Carrie Ann said he brought drama, entertainment, enthusiasm and then also complimented his technique. Len told him he put the “boy” in flamboyant and said the tango had merit and that he enjoyed it very much.
He’s trying so hard, but the dances still come across as campy and I don’t think that’s even what they’re going for. That being said, his technique is much, much better. And he wears a pink jacket well.

J.R. Martinez & Karina Smirnoff – Rumba
26 (9, 8, 9)
Year: The year he was wounded in Iraq.
Song: If You’re Reading This – Tim McGraw
Carrie Ann called him extraordinary and called the dance one of the most profound and honest she’d ever seen. Len said he’s the dancer this season who dances to a standard totally unexpected. He did say that it could have been a little more musical through the arms. Bruno told him he danced from his heart and that he could feel every emotion and praised him for how he extended his leg and foot.
His extension and lines are so beautiful (though his hands are a little awkward at times). The dance was beautiful and emotional and I’m not too proud to admit I cried – twice.

Nancy Grace & Tristan McManus – Waltz
21 (7, 7, 7)
Year: The year her twins were born.
Song: Moon River – Andy Williams
Len liked that they started right into the dance without anything superfluous, but told her she needed to work on her posture. Bruno wants her to carry her movement through her hands. Carrie Ann said it felt like a live action lullaby and the love for her kids came through the dance.
She looked awkward to me and not overly graceful. The emotion was lovely, the technique was ok.

Ricki Lake & Derek Hough – Rumba
27 (9, 9, 9)
Year: 2010 – She fell in love again.
Song: Gravity – Sarah Bareilles
Bruno said every step was as expressive as if it were a poem. Carrie Ann told her she was on fire and fierce. Len congratulated Derek on a great routine and Ricki on dancing it so well.
The dance was very expressive and very beautiful. You could really see the story she was trying to tell. She’s really surprised me by how good she is.

Hope Solo & Maksim Chmerkovskiy – Cha Cha Cha
24 (8, 8, 8 )
Year: 2011 – The women’s soccer team made it to the finals of the World Cup.
Song: Tonight – Enrique Iglesias
Carrie Ann thought it was very sexy and very hot but wants her to work on her walk. Len said it was a little too provocative but the cha cha parts were good and called it her best dance so far. Bruno called her a sexy minx coming out of her cage.
The steps were there, but she’s so stiff and has zero hip action. I didn’t think it was sexy AT ALL. Her walking is horrible and the faces she was making were super weird. I also didn’t make the connection between the dance and her story. What’s sexy about playing soccer?

David Arquette & Kym Johnson – Rumba
24 (8, 8, 8 )
Year: 2010 – The year his marriage fell apart and he lost control.
Song: Ooh Child – The Five Stairsteps
Len said he did a great job – a mix of motion and emotion. Bruno called it wonderful, saying he brought sensitivity and vulnerability. Carrie Ann told him it was a very nice comeback.
This was a terrific improvement over last week. I actually thought it was a little bit of an awkward dance for him, though. It wasn’t as graceful as I would have liked, but the emotion was there, which is very important for story night.

A much improved night of dancing all around – everyone increased their scores (except Nancy who equaled her score from last week). Ricki & Derek are at the top of the leader board for the second week in a row with J.R. & Karina and Chynna & Tony just one point behind. Unfortunately for Chaz, he’s at the bottom again and this week he is significantly behind everyone else. He’s really going to need votes to stay in the competition. David’s score should help this week despite being in the bottom two last week. I think the elimination could come down to Chaz, David, or Nancy. What are your thoughts about tonight’s competition and tomorrow’s elimination? Leave me your two cents!

For all those clamoring for the judges to dance, tune in for the results show: Len is taking to the floor!