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| © ABC |
by Kim Krober
The new twists regarding how voting and eliminations will work on this season of Dancing with the Stars were finally revealed. You can still vote on the ABC website, but now you can also text votes until the end of the final dance of the night. What I found most confusing about the voting system was that you're given up to 10 votes per couple now instead of 10 total votes to distribute among all of the couples. The couples' scores from the judges from both weeks were combined with the viewers' votes live to reveal the two couples at risk for elimination. The judges were then able to save one of the two couples in jeopardy. If Carrie Ann and Bruno aren't unanimous, head judge Len Goodman gets to cast the deciding vote. Will the judges play favorites or remain impartial this season? Only time will tell. Let's see how your favorites did during this second week of competition:
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| © ABC |
Apparently, a secret desire to be on DWTS inspired James' fake Cha-Cha routine on Don't Trust the B---- in Apt. 23 a few years back. His real-life Cha-Cha set to Lionel Richie's "Dancing on the Ceiling" was fun and flamboyant. He may have come out strong in the premiere, be he seemed to fall from the judges' grace a little this week. Len said it was a solid performance with crisp footwork, though he thought the dance was too gimmicky. (I tend to agree with Erin Andrews' assessment of that statement: this entire show is a gimmick.) Bruno loved the big opening, likening James to a poster boy for Fame and calling it a Broadway Cha-Cha. Carrie Ann and Bruno both saw a misstep in the beginning of the dance but thought the rest of the routine was sharp and precise. All in all, I thought it was a fantastic opening to the show.
Score: 20
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The Rumba is a very sensual, romantic dance, but Sailor and Val just met a week ago. I think you could tell they don't have all the passion and chemistry there quite yet, but it was a valiant effort. Bruno told her she has everything going for her but he felt like giving her some tough love - she needs to work on carrying the meaning of the dance and staying in character. Carrie Ann agreed with Bruno, saying she lacked an intensity and consistency throughout the entire dance. Len thought it was a nice performance but said she needed to keep her feet on the floor (although he was going to ignore the heel lifts he saw because that's the "nice guy" he is ... hmm.).
Score: 18
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Cheryl may be a little tough on her partners, but she knows what it takes to create a Mirror Ball Champion. Ray needed inspiration about being lighter on his feet, and she delivered in an unconventional method to say the least. Dancing a Foxtrot to Earth, Wind & Fire's "Dancing in September", I could see improvement in his footwork. Carrie Ann commended him for being comfortable in his own skin, but she noted a ton of mistakes in the dance. Len called it flat-footed but loved seeing his personality shine through. Bruno told him he always lights up the room, and even if it doesn't always work out as expected, he sells it anyway. I liked what Ray said while receiving his less-than-stellar scores from the judges: It isn't how you begin a competition, it's how you finish. He's learning!
Score: 15
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I don't know anything about Fifth Harmony, but I felt bad for Ally. Nobody deserves to be bullied in the spotlight. She's not a bad dancer, as her Viennese Waltz set to the Goo Goo Dolls' "Iris" proved. It had an ethereal quality to it. Len thought it was pretty but wanted to see more rotation and better footwork. Bruno praised her for a compelling, heartfelt performance with some wonderful moments, but said it lacked continuous movement. Carrie Ann hugged her, saying she felt how transformative this dance was for Ally's future in the competition. It wasn't a bad effort.
Score: 20
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| © ABC |
While there is a generation gap to overcome with these two, Mary continues to steal my heart in this competition. Their Cha-Cha set to Aretha Franklin's "Think" from The Blues Brothers was a winner in my book. Bruno said it was nicely presented, while Carrie Ann commended her for knowing how to work the room and please the judges even with missteps in the routine, which is the sign of a true pro. Len said it was lively and full of freedom, and it's a joy to see her out there.
Score: 15
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Set to Demi Lovato's "Confident", Lauren and Gleb oozed aggressive confidence in their Paso Doble. I wasn't wowed by her last week, but she earned my respect this week. Carrie Ann was literally meowing, finally saying she loved seeing her come out of her shell but she could have benefited from more consistency with her character. Len said it had a powerful attack and determination, but it lacked shaping at times. Bruno loved it, saying it was nasty and nasty suits her well. He felt it was very convincing and well-done, although he understood what Len meant about the lack of shaping.
Score: 19
Sean Spicer & Lindsay Arnold, Tango
Sean thinks he can appeal to the people and earn our sympathy votes with bumper stickers because he can't dance and it's his birthday? Hmm. Let's see how that strategy pays off for you, buddy. Their dance was set to one of my favorite guilty pleasures: Walk the Moon's "Shut Up and Dance". That was about all it had going for it though - it was stiff and awkward to watch. Len felt it was better than last week, while Bruno begrudgingly admitted it resembled a Tango. Carrie Ann called it a sure-footed Tango, saying it didn't have any mistakes and she applauded them for improving and working together. I feel like the judges are being way too easy on him compared to the others. Is it just me?
Score: 16
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A Quickstep set to Prince's "Let's Go Crazy" during the second week of competition? Wowsa. Karamo brought in the big guns this week: his soon-to-be mother-in-law who taught ballroom dance for 50 years. He looked like he was having the time of his life with an infectious energy on the dance floor. Bruno admired his panache and flair, though he noted that he lost some of his body contact during the dance. Carrie Ann said it was exactly what she was hoping to see: his electricity and confidence coming through with pizzazz. Len wasn't oversold on the performance, hating the lack of body contact and saying it was a little bit on the hectic side, even for a Quickstep. Two 7's and a 5 aren't bad I guess.
Score: 19
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I adore Kate and the song choice of "Fly Me to the Moon" by Frank Sinatra for her Foxtrot. Carrie Ann called it amazing, saying she was blown away by how much technique Pasha was able to teach her in a week. Len liked the music, the routine, that she showed improvement, and that Pasha was dressed sensibly compared to other outfits he has to judge week to week. Bruno told her she has entered the correct orbit, praising her for a job well done. Kate was quickly catapulted to the top of the leader board this week!
Score: 21
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| © ABC |
Kel received some difficult news this week regarding his father's health, but he remained committed to the competition. Dancing a Samba to Bobby Brown's "Every Little Step", Kel scorched on the dance floor. Len felt it had plenty of rhythm and steps, also praising him for his overall likability. Bruno called it a cool Samba with a naturalness about it without over-pushing the musicality. Carrie Ann echoed the sentiments from the gentlemen regarding his smoothness and natural dancing ability, pointing out more sophistication from him this week. However, she did note that some of the bounces of the dance became thrusts. Those thrusts looked good though!
Score: 20
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| © ABC |
Their song choice sounded like Snow's "Informer", but it was hard for me to tell because part of it was in Spanish. I loved their colorful costumes, and Lamar looked like he was having a great time on the dance floor. Bruno could tell he enjoyed himself more too, while Carrie Ann didn't see as many mistakes as last week. Len gets that it's difficult for Peta to work out the choreography due to their height difference, but told Lamar that he's on the right track for making improvements in this competition. If I'm going to award extra votes to anyone out of sympathy, it's going to be for this guy because it seems like his heart is in the right place even if his footing and memory may not always be.
Score: 12
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| © ABC |
Hannah took ballet when she was little, so she may have a leg up on the competition. Their Viennese Waltz set to Taylor Swift's "Lover" was a beautiful ending to the show. Carrie Ann was whisked away by the movement and character, while Len liked the lovely musicality of her arms and called it the best dance of the night. Bruno was transported into a romantic dream, saying it was pure American Beauty like the Oscar-winning film. He also thanked her for finishing her lines.
Score: 24
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The look of pure astonishment on Lamar's face when he was revealed to be safe was precious. After the judges' scores and the viewers' votes were tallied, it was revealed that the two couples in jeopardy were Ray & Cheryl and Mary & Brandon. Carrie Ann voted to save Mary, while Bruno voted to save Ray. It was ultimately up to Len to follow his brain - and not his heart - and save Ray and Cheryl. So, Mary and Brandon became the first couple to go home during the newest season of DWTS. I think Sean Spicer should've been the first to go, but I understood Len's decision regarding the two remaining couples. And that's a wrap until next week! How did your favorites fare?
Dancing With the Stars airs Mondays at 8:00 PM on ABC.
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