Dancing with the Stars – Recap & Review – Week 7

photo: abc

Dancing with the Stars
Week 7

Original Air Date: Oct 31, 2011

Annette – Associate Staff Writer
annette@thetwocentscorp.com

“Dead!” It’s Dancing With the Stars! I love it! It’s a Halloween spectacular – lots of creepy music and costumes.

It’s also team dance night. The judges will score the teams and they will be added to the individual scores. Team Tango will be facing off against Team Paso Doble. But first, the individual dances.

David Arquette & Kym Johnson – Cha Cha Cha – 47/60
24 (8, 8, 8 )
Len loved it calling it “lots of tricks and lots of treats.” Bruno said that his lines were really good. Carrie Ann told him that his improvement is phenomenal.
I ended up watching Kym more than David. What I did notice was pretty good. He really has improved a lot.

J.R. Martinez & Karina Smirnoff – Tango – 48/60
25 (9, 8, 8 )
Bruno called it another solid performance but said he lost it a few times. Carrie Ann said they captured the tone of the piece perfectly calling it upbeat and still precise and sharp. Len called it a substandard performance from what he expects from J.R. He told him he focused on the performance and not on the footwork.
The Ghostbusters music didn’t really work for me. It’s a terrible choice for the tango. J.R. seemed to get a little mixed up with his steps at one point. But for what it was, it was pretty good. I loved Karina’s costume – very cool.

Nancy Grace & Tristan McManus – Jive – 44/60
21 (7, 7, 7)
Carrie Ann called it a not-so-good day commenting on her losing her choreography. Len said it wasn’t a good dance for her, calling it a disappointment. Bruno said that either the devil got her or her shoes were too small.
She lost her steps completely in the beginning. She needs to pick up her he knees and pick up her feet. The music was really fast and really tough, which didn’t help her at all. This dance definitely did not suit her.

Robert Kardashian & Cheryl Burke – Tango – 51/60
25 (9, 8, 8 )
Len said he did a terrific job. Bruno told him he was very manly and in control, but told him he needs to keep his bum underneath him. Carrie Ann told him it was his best dance so far.
This was probably the best dance I’ve seen him do. The music was a little fast so at times (particularly the end) the dance looked a little spazzy, but he did a really good job. Especially considering Cheryl’s hair kept smacking him in the face.

Ricki Lake & Derek Hough – Paso Doble – 53/60
27 (9, 9, 9)
Bruno called it a blizzard of passion – an incredible performance. Carrie Ann said her shapings were gorgeous but she (like Bruno) told her she’s tensing her shoulders. Len also said her shapes were fantastic.
Ricki has nerve damage under her ribs and struggled through rehearsals but you would never have known it. She was fantastic and Derek’s choreography was brilliant.

Hope Solo & Maksim Chmerkovskiy – Samba – 50/60
24 (8, 8, 8 )
Carrie Ann said she had an ease of motion that was beautiful to see. Len said she coped well with a very difficult dance. Bruno said she had better timing, better placement and better finish.
I cringe whenever she dances because she has this amazing body, but she just doesn’t know how to move it. That being said, this was definitely a much better dance from her – a lot more content and she seemed to throw herself into it more than she has in the past.

Team Dances

Team Tango: J.R. & Karina, David & Kym, Nancy & Tristan
23 (8, 7, 8 )
Len said the sections danced as a group were terrific, but the individual dances were a disaster. Bruno agreed with Len about the individual dances. Carrie Ann said they started out extremely well but also criticized the individual dances.
What a great Halloween themed dance! I thought they did a great job. The group dancing was wonderful and I thought everyone did well in their individuals – I guess I’m not as critical as the judges. And I loved, loved, loved the straight jacket costumes.

Team Paso: Ricki & Derek, Rob & Cheryl, Hope & Maks
26 (9, 8, 9)
Bruno called it powerful, moody, dramatic and building to a fantastic ending. Carrie Ann called it amazing. Len thought the individual parts were fantastic (and complimented Rob for keeping up with the professional guys).
They just kicked Team Tangos butt. They were terrific. Their group part was spot on and all the solos were well done. It was really, really good. And I loved their costumes as well (I also liked their music better).

Halloween night was a lot of fun, although I didn’t like any of the music except for Team Paso. For the most part I think the music hurt the dances, particularly J.R. & Karina and Nancy & Tristan. I love this show, but the music has always been a pet peeve for me. I’m trying to get past it, but it’s hard.

For a little leader board recap, with the team scores added to the individuals, this is how it stands:
Ricki & Derek – 53
Rob & Cheryl – 51
Hope & Maks – 50
J.R. & Karina – 48
David & Kym – 47
Nancy & Tristan – 44

The team scores really made a difference in the end for all the scores. Historically, someone from the losing team will get sent home. Any thoughts on who that might be? Leave me your two cents!