We Say Goodbye to a Ballroom Grate on Dancing with the Stars

Warning:  Spoiler below


Team Hines and Team Chelsea



It's "ballroom greats" week this week, but other than Maks' brother guest-greats were absent from the Results Show.  Even the fourth judge wasn't there, although I'm sure the regulars were happy they didn't have to squish up again.

The results show was regular results show fare, Nicki Minaj and James Blunt sang, there was a story about a ballerina that I didn't really understand but she danced very well.  Team Chelsea were asked to dance again and were probably the best part of the show.

I was particularly disappointed with the Macy's Stars of Dance tribute to James Brown.  I really like Wayne Brady but there was too much messin' abaht in the choreograghy and it seemed more like a James Brown impersonation that a tribute.

Back to the reason for the show - the final three staring into the red lights of elimination were Chelsea/Mark, Kirstie/Maks and Kendra/Louis.

Kirstie was first to be announced "safe" and for a fleeting moment I thought there might be an upset.

Fortunately I was wrong and Kendra & Louis were eliminated.  Glad to see she's finally gone!

Who Was Great on "Ballroom Greats" Week on DWTS?

"Ballroom Greats" were the theme of this weeks show.  This ws demonstrated by having Donnie Burns, Head of The World Dance Council and a pretty good Latin dancer, as the guest judge.  We also had guest instructors for the couples - Shirley Ballas (Mark's Mom) or Luca Baricchi depending on whether they were doing a Latin dance or Ballroom.

It was also the Team Dance this week with the members being chosen in playground style by Hines and Chelsea.  Hines chose  Kirstie Alley & Kendra Wilkinson (he left Romeo on the bench!) and Chelsea got Raplph and Romeo.

The started the show with the team dances (I think I prefer them at the end).    And each team scored 30 points.  Which, from a scoring point of view was a real waste of time.  For the record I thought Chelsea's team was the best.

The scores were very variable between the judges - one couple got a 6,7,8 and 9!  Here are the scores:

Ralph Macchio and Karina Smirnoff - 30 & 36 = 66
Hines Ward and Kym Johnson - 30 & 36 = 66
Chelsea Kane and Mark Ballas - 30 & 34 = 64
Kendra Wilkinson and Louis Van Amstel - 30 & 31 = 61
Romeo and Chelsie Hightower - 30 & 30 = 60
Kirstie Alley and Maksim Chmerkovskiy - 30 & 30 = 60

So the scores are very close indeed which means it's down to us again!  Vote!!

It's Team Dance Week on DWTS!

I think this has become one of my favorite times of each season.  The couples are split into teams and they each get the score of the team they are one added to their score from an individual performance.  I'm not sure about the scoring but I do enjoy the dancing. Captains Hines Ward and Chelsea Kane lead their teams, Kirstie Alley & Kendra Wilkinson and Ralph Macchio & Romeo, respectively, each to be scored as a group by the judges.

We also have a guest judge this week - Donnie Burns MBE, the most decorated Latin dancer of all time and head of the World Dance Council.

In the results show on Tuesday James Blunt and Nicki Minaj perform. James Blunt will sing "I'll Be Your Man" and, in honor of "Ballroom Greats" week, Val Chmerkovskiy and his partner, Daria Chesnokova, will dance. Nicki Minaj performs "Moment 4 Life" -- Lacey Schwimmer, Chelsie Hightower, Kiki Nyemchek and Sonny Pederson dance.

This week's "Macy's Stars of Dance" is a special tribute to James Brown, in celebration of his birthday. Wayne Brady (I like him) stars in the number and is choreographed by creative directors Kevin and Marcel Wilson.

And then someone will  be sent home!

Potential for Another Shock Exit on Dancing with the Stars?

The 200^th Episode Celebration Week has lots of DWTS alumni visiting and one of the ways the producers incorporated them was for a fourth judge for the individual performances last night.

Each couple had to interpret a dance from a previous season, and the celebrity performer returned to score the couples along with Len, Carrie Ann and Bruno meaning they were scored out of forty. Additionally, it was the team competition where the couples were split into two teams under captains – Apolo Ohno or Kristi Yamaguchi – and each team got a score out of thirty.

The effect of these two things – the team dance and the fourth judge – meant that the scores were a lot closer this week than they might otherwise have been. (The fourth judges gave 10s apart from Gilles Marini and Kelly Osbourne who gave 9s).

Bristol, to be safe, needs only 0.5 percentage points for the viewer vote more than Kyle. And is less that 2 percentage points behind Jennifer and Brandy. Last week Kurt must have had at least 5 points more than Audrina – so two points is definitely doable!

Do I think there will be a shock? No, I think Jennifer and Brandy are safe. But any of the other four are in jeopardy, with Kyle as my guess to be the most likely to go.


 

It's The 200th Dancing with the Stars Show Next Week!

The performance show is the 199th and the results is the 200th.

ABC have planned a number of surprises for us...how nice of them.

On the Monday night six alumni return to form the "fourth judge" - Helio Castroneves, Kelly Osbourne, Mel B, Drew Lachey, Gilles Marini and Emmitt Smith.  Also, there will be a team competition on Monday (they're always fun) but this time each of the two teams will have a captain - either Apolo Ono or Kristi Yamaguchi.

On the 90 minute (argh!) results show, Taylor Swift and Rod Stewart will be performing (not together), as will the cast of Mary Poppins.  We will also find out the celebrities that will be appearing in Skating with the Stars.

Oh, and someone will get voted off!

Dancing with the Stars: Anyone Could Go Home! (Seriously)

This week we had the team competition where each team of three got the same score.  Now, while I think it is a marvelous thing to do, it has the effect of minimizing any large difference in scores for the individual dances.

The winners (Team Gaga) got 27 points each and the losers 24 each.  Which meant, as an example, Pamela Anderson, who had the lowest individual score, gained 3 points on Evan who had a 30, and halved the difference between her and Nicole.

As a result, the couples' share of the judges' vote this week is very close:

Nicole Scherzinger & Derek Hough 17.4%
Evan Lysacek & Anna Trebunskaya 17.4%
Chad Ochocinco & Cheryl Burke 16.7%
Erin Andrews & Maksim Chmerkovskiy 16.4%
Pamela Anderson & Damian Whitewood 16.4%
Niecy Nash & Louis van Amstel 15.8%

Niecy needs 0.6 percentage points of the viewers' vote more than Pam or Erin to be safe.  But she also needs only 2.6 points more than Evan/Nicole to be top!

Pamela has been in the bottom two a couple of times already so she is looking as the one most at risk, but Ido think there is a chance of an upset, if not a favorite going home, then one being in the bottom two.

We shall see!

Judges' Scores in Week 7

Week 7 saw six couples left which meant they could do the three couples versus three couples thing.  It's always fun, but those scores can make a difference!

Each couple danced individually, and then it was Team Gaga (Pam/Damian, Nicole/Derek, Chad/Cheryl) versus Team Madonna (Niecy/Louis, Erin/Maks, Evan/Anna).  Here are the scores:

Erin Andrews & Maksim Chmerkovskiy - Quickstep - 27 & 24 = 51
Chad Ochocinco & Cheryl Burke - Viennese Waltz - 25 & 27 = 52
Nicole Scherzinger & Derek Hough - Waltz - 27 & 27 = 54
Pamela Anderson & Damian Whitewood - Waltz - 24 & 27 = 51
Niecy Nash & Louis van Amstel - Quickstep - 25 & 24 = 49
Evan Lysacek & Anna Trebunskaya - Argentine Tango - 30 & 24 = 54

Some notes:

• After the fake argument, Erin and Maks danced very well, with Len especially complimentary
• Chad bought Cheryl a necklace for her birthday.  And they danced very nicely, but Chad was still holding back.  If he can get over his shyness (sic) I think he could have a chance of winning
• Nicole and Derek were the best
• Pam did OK
• I thought Niecy got a higher score than deserved, but so what
• Even and Anna got a thirty, but I can't see that it was that much better than Derek and Nicole's
• Gaga were better than Madonna

The scores are pretty close, so it's all going to be on the fan vote!

Someone goes home tomorrow!

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!