by David McAlpine

 

Last week on Dancing With the Stars, it was Aaron Carter’s turn to go home after he failed to beat out the rest of the pack with the judges’ scores (and we all knew people weren’t voting for him, anyway).

 

Tonight, it’s down to the final four couples: Joanna and Derek, Mya and Dmitry, Kelly and Louis and Donny and Kym. It’s semifinals night on Dancing With the Stars, and each celebrity and their partner have to perform three dances, upping the stakes for last week. This season has been up and down for all four couples, so it’s really up in the air going into the dances. This is how everyone did:

 

Celebrity: Donny Osmond

Professional Partner: Kym Johnson

Dance: Tango

Song: “Black and Gold” by Sam Sparro

Breakdown: In a surprise appearance, last season’s runner-up Gilles Marini comes to give Donny some spicy tips on how to tango. Unfortunately for Donny, Gilles is infinitely more attractive and sexy, so he can’t exactly work it the same way—but he gives a good shot. The end is especially rough, and it’s clear that Donny is upset at himself on his way over to the judges’ table. He gets some rough comparison to his Argentine tango a couple weeks ago, and they all let him know that he really screwed up at the end, though he did handle getting caught in Kym’s costume really well.

Scores: Carrie Ann: 7 Len: 7 Bruno: 7 Total: 21/30

 

Celebrity: Joanna Krupa

Professional Partner: Derek Hough

Dance: Viennese Waltz

Song: “Hallelujah” by Leonard Cohen

Breakdown: First off, Joanna looks stunning in her dress, which helps the dance that much more. Both of them look absolutely graceful, and the dance itself is really captivating, not to mention the song is famous for being the ultimate “dance on clouds” song. Personally, I thought it was deserving of a 30, but the judges thought there was an element of hesitation and weirdness. I even rewound it on TiVo and didn’t see it, so I think she was a little slighted.

Scores: Carrie Ann: 9 Len: 9 Bruno: 9 Total: 27/30

 

Celebrity: Kelly Osbourne

Professional Partner: Louis van Amstel

Dance: Rumba           

Song: “Angels” by Robbie Williams

Breakdown: Kelly braves a solo in the dance, which is kind of uncomfortable and seems out of place, considering she really lacks the rhythm or the sultriness to be able to depart from Louis and handle the spotlight on her own. However, her pairing with Louis is really solid and they seem to give a great dance. It didn’t seem spectacular, but I didn’t see anything wrong with it. Kelly’s solo left her mother jumping up and down in the audience and the judges gave her credit for it, but they still penalized her for the lack of feeling and “eroticism” (straight from Bruno).

Scores: Carrie Ann: 8 Len: 8 Bruno: 8 Total: 24/30

 

Celebrity: Mya

Professional Partner: Dmitry Chaplin

Dance: Waltz

Song: “Amore e Musica” by Russell Watson

Breakdown: So far, Mya has been the most consistent dancer and the only one to get a perfect 30, so I think she’s the one who has the most to lose tonight. Her and Dmitry come out and absolutely nail the waltz. I thought Joanna and Derek were great, but these guys were awesome. Len nailed it right on the head: it “was love set to music.” Still, Carrie Ann and Len still found nitpicks. Is anything that anyone does this season good enough for the judges?

Scores: Carrie Ann: 9 Len: 9 Bruno: 10 Total: 28/30

 

Celebrity: Donny Osmond

Professional Partner: Kym Johnson

Dance: Samba

Song: “One Bad Apple” by The Osmonds

Breakdown: First off, I just want to say I’m surprised there’s not more cross-promotion on this show considering how many celebrities there are and how much potential ABC has with the amount of the viewers. And yet we’re not subjected to it that much. So I respected when Donny danced to his own song, I really did. Though his hips still don’t seem to move the way in which they should, Donny’s samba is much easier and more fluid than his first dance. Again, his inconsistency really bothers me because of how great of a performer he is. The judges still thought it was sloppy, but definitely better than his first attempt.

Scores: Carrie Ann: 8 Len: 9 Bruno: 9 Total: 26/30

 

Celebrity: Joanna Krupa

Professional Partner: Derek Hough

Dance: Cha-Cha-Cha

Song: “Can’t Get You Out of My Head” by Kylie Minogue

Breakdown: Since Joanna has nailed almost every Latin dance this season, I’m really expecting nothing less of her this time around. It really helped that I love the song, but everything seemed a lot more slowed down. It was almost as if Derek wasn’t confident enough that Joanna could handle the choreography, so he slowed it down, which he definitely should not have done. On the bright side, Bruno still thought it was “natural sex.”

Scores: Carrie Ann: 9 Len: 9 Bruno: 9 Total: 27/30

 

Celebrity: Kelly Osbourne

Professional Partner: Louis van Amstel

Dance: Quickstep

Song: “99 Red Balloons” by Nena

Breakdown: This is for sure the Kelly that we all love to see. I’m telling you, it’s Comeback Kelly, and she rears her head only when Kelly is on the brink of elimination. Not to say that her last dance was terrible, but she really needed a high score if she wanted to even think about staying this week. This dance was fast—faster than I think we’ve ever seen her dance before. Her feet were like lightning and I never really thought she could move like that. The judges also thought it was amazing, but they all commented on one small thing that was wrong.

Scores: Carrie Ann: 9 Len: 9 Bruno: 9 Total: 27/30

 

Celebrity: Mya

Professional Partner: Dmitry Chaplin

Dance: Salsa

Song: “”La Isla Bonita” by Madonna

Breakdown: After the first dance, it’s been made very clear that Mya is probably the judges’ favorite for the mirror ball trophy. However, after her second dance, she’s probably proven that she’s the best dancer here. I thought Kelly’s performance was shockingly surprising—Mya’s was amazing! Not to mention it was extremely complicated and she never faltered even once. With that dance, Mya earns her first 30 of the night and second of the season.

Scores: Carrie Ann: 10 Len: 10 Bruno: 10 Total: 30/30

 

For each of their last dances (in a segment called the “knockout round”—I still don’t get why), the couples chose the style and the song, taking complete control of the dance. The dances were also all (thankfully) shorter, almost like a last chance shot to get some quick points.

 

Celebrity: Donny Osmond

Professional Partner: Kym Johnson

Dance: Jitterbug

Song: “Jump Shout Boogie” by Barry Manilow

Breakdown: Now that Donny has performed on the dance floor twice, it’s evident that he’s warmed up and ready to get a 30. His jitterbug is definitely high on performance and energy, but it’s chock full of technique, too. It was really enjoyable to watch, and refreshing to see the old Donny.

Scores: Carrie Ann: 9 Len: 9 Bruno: 9 Total: 27/30

 

Celebrity: Joanna Krupa

Professional Partner: Derek Hough

Dance: Salsa

Song: “La Luz Del Ritmo” by Los Fabulosos Cadillacs

Breakdown: After Mya’s sensational salsa, Joanna and Derek definitely had a lot to live up to, especially since this was their personal dance. Sure, Joanna can shake it, but it still fails to live up to Mya’s amazing dance just a few minutes before. I’m sure the judges aren’t supposed to compare, but it’s really hard to do otherwise.

Scores: Carrie Ann: 9 Len: 9 Bruno: 9 Total: 27/30

 

Celebrity: Kelly Osbourne

Professional Partner: Louis van Amstel

Dance: Cha-Cha-Cha

Song: “Girls Just Want to Have Fun” by Cyndi Lauper

Breakdown: Like Donny, I think Kelly needs to be on the dance floor a couple times to get warmed up, especially to overcome that initial discomfort that she feels when she first starts. She always looks so good when she’s focused and she knows the movements, but unfortunately the judges bring her down a lot, which I’m sure affects her performance. Her dance is really well timed and very precise, especially with her hand and foot placement. Again, as great as it was, it really lacked the pizzazz that Mya’s dance had.

Scores: Carrie Ann: 9 Len: 9 Bruno: 9 Total: 27/30

 

Celebrity: Mya

Professional Partner: Dmitry Chaplin

Dance: Cha-Cha-Cha

Song: “Fire Burning” by Sean Kingston

Breakdown: As if destroying the samba wasn’t enough, Mya and Dmitry take to the floor with another spicy number, this time to another one of my favorite songs. Earlier, I thought Joanna nailed her cha-cha-cha. Kelly, who had just danced before, did almost just as good a job. But Mya proved once again that she’s willing to one up anyone by making her cha-cha-cha that much more faster and enjoyable to watch. Carrie Ann wasn’t feeling it (what?) but Bruno and Len ate it up.

Scores: Carrie Ann: 9 Len: 10 Bruno: 10 Total: 29/30

 

Total Scores:

Mya and Dmitry: 87/90

Joanna and Derek: 81/90

Kelly and Louis: 78/90

Donny and Kym: 74/90

 

Looking at the scores, it’s definitely going to be a close call given how close the bottom three are. Realistically, I don’t think Mya is going anywhere, and I think Donny’s fanbase alone is enough to get him to the finals. Right now, I’m going to guess Kelly and Louis for the elimination just because I don’t think she has the fan backing to save her from her scores.

 

Be sure to tune in tomorrow night at 9/8c for the live results show to see which three stars make the finals only on Dancing With the Stars on ABC!

 

(Photo courtesy of ABC)

 

Follow David on Twitter: @DavidMcAlpine

 

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