What's Happening in Week 7 of Dancing with the Stars?

This week the couples will dance twice again - an individual dance and then a team dance.

According to BuddyTV here are the individual dances:

Pamela Anderson and Damian Whitewood: Slow waltz
Chad Ochocinco and Cheryl Burke: Viennese waltz
Evan Lysacek and Anna Trebunskaya: Argentine tango
Erin Andrews and Maksim Chmerkovskiy: Quickstep
Niecy Nash and Louis van Amstel: Quickstep
Nicole Scherzinger and Derek Hough: Slow waltz

They will then form into two teams:

Team Gaga (dancing to "Telephone) - Pam & Damian, Cheryl & Chad and Nicole & Derek
Team Madonna (dancing with "Holiday") - Evan & Anna, Niecy & Louis and Erin & Maks

The team approach can make a big difference to the scores because it really does make a difference what team you're on!

On the results show the band "Train" will perform two of their songs.  I've never heard of them, but I'm sure they will do very well.  There will also be a medley of Elvis songs: "Viva ELVIS by Cirque du Soleil" - that's going to be interesting!

See you Monday!

Who went home in week 6 of Dancing with the Stars?

Ah, the results show.  Great musical talents, wonderful dancing, humor, drama.  I really don't like it.  But that's just me!

This week we had Melissa Etheridge (very good), Bernise and his Fiery Guitar (great performance, fantastic name) and we saw Tony Dovolani, which was nice.

Here's how the fate of the couples was announced:

The first to be announced safe were Erin, Maks and his bare chest:

After performing their Samba once again, Chad and Cheryl are pronounced safe.

Nicole and Derek are safe (no surprise there), but Jake and Chelsie are still in jeopardy!

Pam and Damian are safe so that leaves Jake, Niecy and Evan.

The bottom two are Niecy and Jake.

And Jake and Chelsie have been voted off in week 6 of season 10.

Jake was quite charming and enthusiastic, but he was never going to win.  I wish him luck.  Here is their performance from Monday night:

Who Will Be Voted Off in Week 6?

Now that "that person" has left (I'm trying not to mention her for a couple of weeks) it's harder to pick someone who is obviously going to go home.

This week Jake, Niecy and Evan (!) had the bottom three judges' scores.  Evan has never been near the bottom before, Niecy has managed to avoid the bottom two and Jake has been there once.

Here's the share of the judges' vote this week:

Nicole Scherzinger & Derek Hough 17.2%
Erin Andrews & Maksim Chmerkovskiy 16.3%
Chad Ochocinco & Cheryl Burke 14.8%
Pamela Anderson & Damian Whitewood 14.4%
Evan Lysacek & Anna Trebunskaya 12.9%
Niecy Nash & Louis van Amstel 12.4%
Jake Pavelka & Chelsie Hightower 12.0%

Pam was in the bottom two last week which meant that Niecy and Chad must have had at leat 1.7 percentage points more than her in the viewers vote.  This time Niecy would need to gain 2 points on her to be safe.

On the assumption Evan has a large following, I think it's between Jake and Niecy - with Jake my pick to leave.  Besides, Niecy wants more cookies...

Who do you think will leave?

Dancing with the Stars - Week 6 Judges' Scores

I promised myself I wouldn't mention Kate for a couple of weeks - just enjoy the show.  So...Kate Who?

This week the dances were either Samba or Argentine Tango.  The couples then took part in a swing dance marathon, where each is eliminated until the winning couple remain.


Here are the judges' scores in week 6:

Pamela Anderson & Damian Whitewood - 22 & 8 =30
Chad Ochocinco & Cheryl Burke - 24 & 7 = 31
Erin Andrews & Maksim Chmerkovskiy - 25 & 9 = 34
Niecy Nash & Louis van Amstel - 21 & 5 = 26
Nicole Scherzinger & Derek Hough - 26 & 10 = 36
Evan Lysacek & Anna Trebunskaya - 21 & 6 = 27
Jake Pavelka & Chelsie Hightower - 21 & 4 = 25

Some quick observations:

• Jake was pretty good, apart from a stumble (again).  I thought his score was a little low
• Evan danced ballet instead of a Samba (his spins were divine!)  He scored relatively badly - those hips aren't made for shaking...
• Niecy put her all into it and definitely showed some footwork skills
• Len only gave a 7 to Erin and Maks - mainly because Maks took his shirt off.  I'm with Len - he shouldn't have stopped.
• Chad took control of his dance, but Cheryl did most of the work
• Nicole and Derek were great again, with Len deducting points because it wasn't actually a Samba.  Derek had better not get too cocky...
• Pam was sexy, but didn't seem to remember her steps too well.  I thought she should have had the lowest
• The swing dance marathon was a bit of a mess, which is not good when the scores here have quite a big effect.  Nicole and Derek were the best (again...).

Jake, Niecy and (gasp) Evan had the lowest scores.  Will Pam be in the bottom two again though?  Find out tomorrow!!

Two Dances, One Elimination On Dancing with the Stars

The couples will dance twice this week on DWTS (I don't think I could have taken Kate dancing twice!). The individual dance will be a Samba or  Argentine Tango, and all of the couples will compete in a swing dance marathon.

The celebrities have also designed their partners' costumes this week.  I think this is a great idea, it's just fallen flat before - hope it will be better this time.

The results show will feature Melissa Etheridge and "Benise and His Fiery Spanish Guitar" (sounds like fun!)

Here's an extract from the press release:

Episode 1006/1006A - This week on "Dancing with the Stars," the competition heats up as the remaining couples will take on a new challenge with the Samba or Argentine Tango, and all seven teams will hit the dance floor together in a swing dance marathon. In another twist on this week's competition show, each celebrity will design the costumes for his/her team's number, MONDAY, APRIL 26 (8:00-9:32 p.m., ET) on the ABC Television Network.

On following night, the fifth couple to be eliminated this season will be sent home, on "Dancing with the Stars the Results Show," TUESDAY, APRIL 27 (8:00-9:00 p.m., ET).

Performing on Tuesday will be Grammy and Academy Award-winning singer/songwriter Melissa Etheridge. Accompanied on the dance floor by Edyta Sliwinska and Alec Mazo, she will sing the massive hit "Come to my Window" from her six-time platinum album "Yes I Am," which spent two and a half years on the album chart and earned her a second Best Female Rock Vocal Performance Grammy. Etheridge will also perform the first single, "Fearless Love," from her triumphant new album of the same title, which arrives April 27 on Island Records. The single has already hit Top 25 on the Hot Adult Contemporary chart and has risen to #10 on the Triple A chart. Series dance pros Maksim Chmerkovskiy, Anna Trebunskaya, Chelsie Hightower and Tony Dovolani will accompany this performance.

Also this week, world class Nuevo Flamenco/Spanish guitarist Benise will perform "Salsa Salsa" from his Emmy winning multi-cultural stage show. Benise's new special, "The Spanish Guitar," will be airing on PBS in June with a nationwide tour this Fall. "The Spanish Guitar" was filmed over three years and across 10 countries. Benise, armed with his Spanish guitar, takes us on a spectacular journey of music and dance through Spanish Flamenco, Cuban Salsa, African Rhythms, Argentinean Tango and Brazilian Samba. Backed by a stage full of musicians, an orchestra and 12 elaborately choreographed dancers, the show captures world music at its best. Special guests include Dave Koz, Kimberly Locke, Giorgia Fumanti and "Dancing with The Stars" pro couple Nick and Lena Kosovich. Benise has produced, arranged and released eight albums on his own independent record label, Rosanegra Music, plus three DVDs on Rosanegra Films.

Among the seven couples remaining in the competition, one of the following teams will be sent home on Tuesday:

PAMELA ANDERSON (actress and model) and partner DAMIAN WHITEWOOD.

ERIN ANDREWS (ESPN host) and partner MAKSIM CHMERKOVSKIY.

EVAN LYSACEK (Olympic figure skating champion) and partner ANNA TREBUNSKAYA.

NIECY NASH (comedienne and host) and partner LOUIS VAN AMSTEL.

CHAD OCHOCINCO (NFL star) and partner CHERYL BURKE.

JAKE PAVELKA ("The Bachelor" star) and partner CHELSIE HIGHTOWER.
 
NICOLE SCHERZINGER (pop star) and partner DEREK HOUGH.

Why Won't People Vote For Pam?

Just as I couldn't understand who was voting for Kate Gosselin, I don't understand why Pamela Anderson is getting so few votes.  She has been in the bottom two twice!

She's having the same problem that Aaron Carter had last season - dances just fine, but no one seems to vote.

She seems a bit kookie, but basically a nice person.  She's a natural performer and seems to put her heart into it.

Here are some possible reasons:

• Brooke Burke posed naked for Playboy and won season 7, so I doubt it's bias against topless models, but it could be bias against people who actively marketed their own stolen sex tape
• Even though she reminds her Facebook and Twitter fans to vote every couple of hours, they might not be the sort of people who watch Dancing with the Stars...
• Her fans assume someone else will vote for her
• Her fans assumed there would have been a wardrobe malfunction by now and they're just showing their displeasure
• No one likes her

The other reason may be that the other contestants are just more popular.

What do you think?  Why aren't people voting for Pam?

Who left Dancing with the Stars this week?

Last night was movie night and some of the stars shone brighter and some were dim.

Nicole and Evan demonstrated why the Mirrorball Trophy would belong to one of them and the rest were also-rans. Except Kate who was too busy to even practice running.

The fate of the couples were announced so:

- Nicole and Derek were safe
- Kate and Tony were in the bottom two
- Niecy and Louis were safe
- We would find out about Chad and Cheryl later
- Evan and Anna are safe
- Jake and Chelsie are still in jeopardy
- Erin and Maks are safe
- Pam and Damian are still in jeopardy
- Jake and Chelsie are safe
- Chad and Cheryl are safe
- Pam and Kate are the bottom two celebrities

And America can breathe a sigh of relief. Tony has been freed and Kate is going home.

Phew.