by Kylene Hamulak

 

The six remaining stars are vying for a spot in the Semi-Finals, and there's no more Dance Duel. If you're out, you're out - no chance to let a final dance save you. Not only that, but we've got double dances AND a double elimination. It's about to get REAL on the dance floor, guys.

 

Round 1

Team: Donald and Peta
Dance: Tango
Donald is as intent as ever to win that mirror ball trophy, but he's beginning to get frustrated in rehearsal. I am too, actually. He works hard, he looks good doing it, and yet the judges always score him like he's barely standing around out there. Maybe not his BEST dance, but only because he's had some real good ones and I, like the judges, am getting tougher at this point in the competition. I can't give out 10s like candy. Judges said:
9 - Len exclaims: "Ding dong Donald, a first round knock out!" "You set the standard and you set it high!"
9 - Bruno says Donald was going for it like there was no tomorrow; "first out, first class!"
9 - Carrie Ann thinks he was in the zone; she notes that his shapes were dynamic but encourages him to bring out a little more drama.
Score=27

Team: Maria and Derek
Dance: Viennese Waltz
Coming off the first perfect score of the season, frustration is high in these rehearsals, too. Maria tells us she gets sensitive, but she doesn't want to cry because she hates whiners and complainers, which is ironic...you know, considering she's either been crying or complaining since week 2 (week 1, of course, was all about the laugh). Their dance is very pretty, and she's wearing her hair like Belle, but I'm totally over them. Judges said:
10 - Bruno describes the dance as "heavenly fluidity; seamless transitions; total emotional involvement - this is amazing" (Note: Then Maria started crying. No, really. She did.)
10 - Carrie Ann tells us she was hearing angels singing as Maria danced. Angels, people. She heard them. "Something magical is happening between you," she says. (Second note: I gave my tv the side eye.)
8 - Len agrees that there was great lyrical romance, but he thinks Derek missed a chance to show off Maria's strength in hold; just wasn't enough for him, and he was disappointed.
Score=28

 

(Oh, and in case you wondered...in their chat with Brooke, Maria cries, reminds us she's hurt, and tells us how she's working full time. But she doesn't cry and hates whining and complaining.)

 

Team: Melissa and Maks
Dance: Fox Trot
I'm not really sure how rehearsals went for this pair because most of it was a series of censor beeps over Maks's choice words. It's actually kind of fun if, instead of four-letter words, you pretend Maks was saying nice, happy things. On the dance floor, Maks is dressed like one of Glee's Warblers, and Melissa is dressed like a cougar. I approve. Judges said:
8 - Carrie Ann calls it Melissa's best dance ever, noting that she looked relaxed and confident. Then, after gushing about how fantastic it was, she notes that there were some mess-ups she'll consider in her score. Well, thank you very much, Carrie Ann.
8 - Len believes it was potentially her best dance except for a couple of incidents; "good dancing"
8 - Bruno also thinks the presentation was the best Melissa's best done to date.
Score=24

Team: Katherine and Mark
Dance: Viennese Waltz
At rehearsal with Katherine and Mark, we see a lot of Katherine being thrown around. Literally. All the competitors are stepping it up and pushing themselves, and this pair is no exception. Mark is dressed like a Newsie, which is pleasantly distracting for me, and Katherine (and the dance) is lovely. Judges said:
9 - Len appreciates that the routine had plenty of content; though he thought the "spinny thing" was not in character, the rest was terrific.
9 - Bruno says Katherine's technique is superb, but notes that she lost it a bit coming up from the spinny thing. (Question: Is that an actual dance term? Because it should be.)
8 - Carrie Ann said she was, as always, mesmerized by Katherine's lines. Then she warned her to be careful because it's a double elimination, and that damn spinny thing threw her off balance. (I thought she called it a "baby Cirque du Soleil", but I'm already irritated with her, so I'll pretend I didn't hear that.)
Score=26

Team: Roshon and Chelsie
Dance: Fox Trot
Roshon is very tricky. After all the annoying weeks he's given me, he breaks out the big guns tonight: his grandmothers. And they love to see him dance. How am I supposed to snark on him when his grandmas are in the room? Cute dance. I'll give them that. This was a good week for him. Judges said:
10 - Bruno begins with a list of all the things they've improved on since last week, calling the routine "absolute and utter joy."
10 - Carrie Ann says, "You made your grannies proud, and you made us proud."
9 - Len calls them "two little dancing munchkins" and gives Roshon his ultimate critique: "good job dawg."
Score=29

 

Team: William and Cheryl
Dance: Fox Trot
William shows up to Cheryl's birthday rehearsal with flowers. He's so thoughtful. He also tells us that what he doesn't like about ballroom is all the rules. He likes freedom. Whether he broke the rules or not, their dance looks great to me - my favorite of the night so far. Judges said:
10 - Carrie Ann begins with "meow meow meow!" Say what? Apparently that translates into "so much fun to watch!"
10 - Len called it a mix of care and flare - "I liked it!"
10 - Bruno told William, "You couldn't be more debonair and suave if you tried.... I hate you even more!"
Score=30

 

Round 2
For the first time ever, the second round of routines will be Trio Dances - each pair will add a professional to their team to perform the dance with them. I'm intrigued, Dancing with the Stars. This could be very interesting....

 

Team: Donald and Peta - and Karina
Dance: Jive
Donald and Peta add Karina to the mix, and Donald seems to really be enjoying the process of learning the quick choreography of the Jive. As he tells us, after this week, "you're either going to the finals, or you're going to Jimmy Kimmel - and I ain't ready to see Jimmy." The dance is fantastic - I don't know if it's just because it's the jive, or the ladies on the floor, or Donald's crazy double leap-frog move at the end, but it looked really good. Judges said:
9 - Len gives us three words: "FUN FUN FUN" - he liked it.
9 - Bruno, speaking from experience apparently, tells us that keeping up with "these two firecrackers" can be tough, but Donald did it.
10 - Carrie Ann just squeals and tells us she loved it - "It was great!"

Score=28

 

(Seriously, what does Donald have to do to get a perfect score?!)

 

Team: Maria and Derek - and Henry
Dance: Samba
Maria assumes Derek chose Henry for their trio because he's buff, and then asks him to prove it with an ab contest between the three. She also decides to use Henry to make Derek jealous, and Derek tells us "I'm gonna be sick." Welcome to my world, Derek. Their routine has a Bollywood theme, and it's well done and interesting, though I don't like it as much as Donald's. Judges said:
9 - Bruno says it was creatively incredible, but notes that there was some lost timing a couple of times.
9 - Carrie Ann agrees that it was a beautiful way to showcase Maria; she caught a couple of slip-ups but overall said it was "a feast for my Asian senses."
7 - Len felt there was no connection with the Samba; while he liked it as a dance, he felt it was missing elements.
Score=25

 

Team: Melissa and Maks - and Val
Dance: Samba
No surprise that Val is joining this pair, and I respect Melissa for appreciating the position she's in. I'm not sure how you could NOT look good dancing with these brothers, and she looks great. Melissa has really surprised me with her growth throughout the competition. Judges said:
9 - Carrie Ann declares it Melissa's "best number by miles!" She also said some things about Melissa being the cream in a Chmerkovskiy sandwich.
9 - Len agrees - best dance.
9 - Bruno says, "takes two to get the best out of you." And that's in a good way.
Score=27

 

Team: Katherine and Mark - and Tristan
Dance: Cha Cha
Mark gets points for picking Tristan because Katherine loves him. Katherine gets points for loving him. There's a lot of accent in the rehearsals, and it's terrific. They enter the dance floor looking like Men In Black. All of them. In suits. Even Katherine, and I wondered how long it would be before Katherine got stripped. Not long, incidentally. Although a pesky pant leg got stuck in the process, she kicked it off without missing a beat. Judges said:
9 - Len calls it "clean, clear, clever"; "well done"
10 - Bruno thinks it was sexy and cool; "absolutely wonderful"
10 - Carrie Ann says Katherine came out like she owned the dance, "good job"
Score=29

 

Team: Roshon and Chelsie - and Sasha
Dance: Paso Doble
Of course Roshon is excited about adding Sasha to the mix. Because why, everyone? If you've read my previous recaps, you should know the answer - because Roshon is ALWAYS looking for someone to bring the masculinity. In this case? Probably a smart move. It was a strong dance, and having Roshon "compete" for Chelsie was a better choice than having him handle two partners. Judges said:
9 - Bruno says that there were moments that Roshon and Sasha were indistinguishable (which was their goal) though he did lose it a couple of times; overall, good job.
9 - Carrie Ann is conflicted because it was a good routine, but he did go off a few times.
9 - Len describes it as "two skinny fries chasing the ketchup." That's a good thing, by the way.
Score=27

 

Team: William and Cheryl - and Tony
Dance: Paso Doble
Interestingly, Cheryl has chosen Tony to join their pair, also in an effort to bring the best out of William. Best part of rehearsal? William's explanation of Cheryl's direction for Tony to "do the same thing": "If I do it bad, YOU do it bad." No worries about that, though - the routine is great. Judges said:
9 - Carrie Ann describes the lines as incredible and notes that they matched perfectly, except for once.
9 - Len: "I salute you"; he thought they all did it really really well.
9 - Bruno says he couldn't ask for more as for performance value, though he did note that they lost sync.
Score=27

 

Though there are some stronger dancers in the remaining teams, none are so weak as to be definitely in danger. Based on previous weeks, you'd expect Melissa and Roshon to be at the most risk in the double elimination results, but with Roshon's performances and the high scores in general, it's hard to predict. Could we get a surprising elimination of Maria or Katherine? Might William or Donald be in danger? Tune in to find out!

 

Don't miss the live elimination episode of Dancing With The Stars, tonight at 9/8c on ABC.

 

(Image courtesy of ABC)