By Kristal Bailey

Last week, The Hoff was the first to go home. This week the celebrities have to tackle the intense and fast movement of the Quick Step or the Jive. Both dances require stamina and sharp footwork, so I’m anxious to see how the celebrities handle it.

Celebrity: Rick Fox
Professional Partner: Cheryl Burke

Dance: Jive

Breakdown: Rick Fox ended his NBA career because of a ruptured tendon in his foot. This means there are certain dance moves he just can’t do easily. I liked the “Tush” shout. Len loved his Jive: it was tight, compact, and fun. Being able to dance the Jive makes Len believe he could be a real contender for the trophy. Bruno thought it could have been sharper, even with his foot injury, but for the 2 nd week it was a solid effort. Carrie Ann thought his Viennese Waltz last week was a much better showing; he needs to work on his posture and frame during these faster routines.

Scores: Carrie Ann: 7 Len:   7 Bruno: 7

Total: 21/30

Celebrity: Florence Henderson
Professional Partner: Corky Ballas

Dance: Quick Step

Breakdown: Bruno loved the entrance and beginning, but at times it looked like “Dragging Ms. Daisy.” The footwork was hesitant, but it was lovely at times. Carrie Ann was impressed that she’s able to dance that well as a 76 year old. She was elegant and light, and only had a few minor missteps. Len doesn’t look at age or fatigue or anything other than the dancing. Based just off the dancing, he thinks she’ll still be around next week.

Scores: Carrie Ann: 7 Len: 6 Bruno: 6

Total: 19/30

Celebrity: Brandy
Professional Partner: Maksim Chmerkovsky

Dance: Jive

Breakdown: This challenging routine caused drama between the partners. Brandy struggled to pick up the steps and Maksim was frustrated from trying to teach. Carrie Ann noticed how Brandy didn’t fully extend or point her toes. She had great energy, but needed the toes to take it to the next level. Len thought she took a step back from last week, she didn’t dance with commitment. Bruno knows she could do better; she wasn’t sharp enough or precise enough.

Scores: Carrie Ann: 7 Len: 7 Bruno: 7

Total: 21/30

Celebrity: Michael Bolton
Professional Partner: Chelsea Hightower

Dance: Jive

Breakdown: After just one rehearsal, Michael came down with laryngitis. He was 2 nd from the bottom and needs to do well this week. He and Chelsea had some partner troubles, but were able to work through it and the illness to perform. Unforetunately, it was not a good performance. Len noticed a lot of the basic steps, but this dance just did not fit Bolton’s body or style. Bruno thinks he should have stayed in the dog house: it was the worst jive in 11 seasons. That comment was so harsh that Len stepped in to defend them. Carrie Ann noticed he was very tense and it translated to all the steps within the dance. His chances of sticking around are not looking good. Their total score is the lowest so far this season.

Scores: Carrie Ann: 4 Len: 5 Bruno: 3

Total: 12/30

Celebrity: Audrina Patridge
Professional Partner: Tony Dovolani

Dance: Quick Step

Breakdown: Audrina is having a stressful time adjusting to the show’s intense schedule. She just doesn’t have the time to see her family and boyfriend as much as she would like. All that time and work paid off though, that Quick Step was fantastic! Bruno complimented her hops and light footwork. She lost her posture for a little bit, but otherwise it was great. Carrie Ann said she had the balls to do this show, but now she believes she has the talent. Len thought it was the best dance, by far, of the night. Apparently if they don’t get three 8s from the judges, Tony will wax his legs. They almost had it, but with Bruno’s 7, it looks like he’ll be in for some pain.

Scores: Carrie Ann: 8 Len: 8 Bruno: 7

Total: 23/30

Celebrity: Jennifer Grey
Professional Partner: Derik Hough

Dance: Jive

Breakdown: Last week, they got the highest score of the show. They hope they can do it again, despite Jennifer’s neck injury. Dancing with the Stars saved her life last year. When she did a routine check to see if she was healthy enough for the show, they found cancer on her spinal cord so they had to operate. Now she’s fine, but she can’t move her neck enough to do fancy tricks during the Jive. Carrie was amazed at her energy throughout the performance, calling her an energizer bunny. Len thought she was fabulous. Bruno called it a killer Jive and said she nailed it. High praise all around and very well deserved. Jennifer could be the front runner this season.

Scores: Carrie Ann: 8 Len: 8 Bruno: 8

Total: 24/30

Celebrity: Margaret Cho
Professional Partner: Louis Van Amstel

Dance: Jive

Breakdown: After getting one of the lowest scores last week, Margaret is determined to show people that she can truly dance, without the jokes. Len pointed out that her kicks needed more toning. Bruno recommends she keep it tight in her backside. She needed to smile more and relax her face, to make it a better performance. Carrie Ann also thought she leaded with her shoulders, but otherwise was a good effort.

Scores: Carrie Ann: 6 Len: 6 Bruno: 6

Total: 18/30

Celebrity: Kyle Massey
Professional Partner: Lacey Schwimmer

Dance: Quick Step

Breakdown: After the first dance, Kyle realized he needed to build his endurance. He’s cutting out fast food and trying to get in better shape to increase his skills on the floor. Bruno thinks he’s a powerhouse of boundless energy as a performer. However, he needs more control to keep his frame and footwork. Carrie Ann loved it! He hit it hard and was just fun to watch. Len thought he was engulfed in a huge featherduster. He was flatfooted and wasn’t perfect with technique. But, even with those negative comments, overall he liked it.

Scores: Carrie Ann: 8 Len: 7 Bruno: 7

Total: 22/30

Celebrity: Kurt Warner
Professional Partner: Anna Trebunskaya

Dance: Jive

Breakdown: With military style costumes and set to Highway to the Danger Zone, it was a very fun and memorable routine. Kurt definitely looked like he was having fun out there. Carrie Ann was impressed with his musicality and thought he made it look easy. Len was doubly impressed with the improvement over last week. Bruno thought it all flowed so easily with great hand placement. The judges loved it and so did the audience.

Scores: Carrie Ann: 7 Len: 7 Bruno: 7

Total: 21/30

Celebrity: Mike “The Situation” Sarontino
Professional Partner: Karina Smirnoff

Dance: Quick Step

Breakdown: After a disappointing first showing, Karina kicked it up to drill sergeant level. The Situation committed more, even cancelling some previous commitments to get more rehearsal time in. Len thought it was a series of unfortunate events throughout. It was an improvement though, and a solid job given how difficult the Quick Step is. Bruno thinks he needs to find the fine line between being too committed and being comfortable in the steps. Carrie Ann wants him to just listen to iPod this week and work on his musicality. He improved from last week, hopefully enough to stay in the competition this week.

Scores: Carrie Ann: 6 Len: 6 Bruno: 6

Total: 18/30

Celebrity: Bristol Palin
Professional Partner: Mark Ballas

Dance: Quick Step

Breakdown: Bristol took Mark home to Alaska to meet her mother and while it was a great trip, it ate up a lot of rehearsal time. Bruno finds her charming, but she needs to get into a character to engage the audience. Carrie Ann compares her to Kelly Osborne: she’s so relaxed and moves well; she just needs to he polish. Len thinks she needs more flair to be stronger and wow the audience and judges.

Scores: Carrie Ann: 7 Len: 8 Bruno: 7

Total: 22/30

Many of the dancers improved this week, so it’s hard to guess who will be going home this week. Michael Bolton might be worried though.

Tune in to the live elimination show tomorrow night at 9/8c on ABC.

(Image courtesy of ABC)

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