Last night was dubbed "Hometown Glory" nite, and was the first of two nights of competition this week for the celebrities and their professional dance partners. Two routines in one week, on only the second week of the season, is a lot to ask of these stars. Luckily, a few of them were able to manage the stress and shine on the dance floor.
The first great performance of the evening was owned by Alexa and Mark. They danced a salsa, and Alexa was definitely channeling her latina roots. The number was hot and sexy, with some amazing spins and spicy moves. Alexa earned a total score of 24, which put her in a three way tie for the night.
Tamar and Val also earned a 24 for their cha cha, performed to the song "We are Family" by Sister Sledge. Everything about the number worked for me, from Tamar's attitude and on point cha cha moves, to the costume and Val's choreography. Because of the name of the song, I didn't even mind the extra dancers in the routine (just this one time though!) The judges were equally impressed, saying that the number was a show stopper, and Tamar was absolutely in her element.
Carlos and Whitney were the third couple to score a 24 last night. They danced a foxtrot, and I give Carlos high marks for his partnering skills and the romantic, leading man persona he exemplified in the dance.
Bindi and Derek were once again the high scorers of the evening, receiving a 25 for their high energy, metal-infused tango to an AC/DC song. Unfortunately the Dancing with the Stars crew had a difficult time keeping up with their routine, as there were a few odd camera pans, but the crowd went wild and the judges, especially Carrie Ann, were full of praise.
The most improved award would have to go to Kim and Tony. Her quickstep last night was miles better than her labored salsa from week one. She earned a score of 19, and a lot of positive comments from the judges.
I even saw a bit of improvement from Gary and Anna last night. Their foxtrot could not be called good, but you can tell that he was trying. His scores rose from last week; he earned an 18 on Monday night.
Alek and Lindsey, and Hayes and Emma were two couples who earned more praise from the judges than I felt they deserved. Alek and Lindsey were definitely the better of the two, and I still like him. I just felt the routine had too many lifts and focused too much on Lindsey, which of course is not Alek's fault. I did not care for Hayes' motorcross theme, and I felt their foxtrot was just okay.
The two couples who took a step backward this week were Nick and Sharna, and Andy and Allison. Nick slipped during his jive to "Boogie Woogie Buggle Boy," a song that I felt was way too old for him, and the stumble caused him to lose time during the remainder of his routine. Andy and Allison were also off time in their jive, and some of the tricks were barely completed and made me nervous that someone was going to get hurt.
This leaves the three couples that I felt showed little to no improvement this week: Paula and Louis, Victor and Karina, and Chaka and Keo. Louis' choreography was too difficult for Paula, and although their scores were higher than last week, I still did not enjoy the dance. Victor and Karina have apparently decided to be the comic relief of the ballroom. Their jive was a hot mess, as was their salsa from week one, but at least both dances were entertaining. And poor Chaka and Keo. She somehow managed to smile and glow throughout her foxtrot, but it was evident that she did not remember the choreography. They earned a 15, the lowest score of the night.
In a rushed elimination ceremony, Gary and Anna, and Chaka and Keo were named as the bottom two couples, when combining judges scores and viewer votes. Sadly, Chaka and Keo were the first pair eliminated this season. Keo's unlucky streak continues. I would have rather seen Gary and Anna wave goodbye, but Chaka's departure was certainly not unexpected.
Night two happens tonight, and another contestant will be eliminated from the competition. Hopefully I will have time to post a recap tomorrow.
librarianintx
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