All My Children Discussion Group

Topic: Dancing With The Stars - 9/29

Of all nights to have my computer freeze up on me and right in the middle of the show. But as you can see, I'm finally up and running again.

Tonight the judges were tougher. Scores were really down. The problem was that the contestants only had four days to learn the dances because of the extra night last week. Three days according to the couples because one day is just learning movements and blocking and three days to practice the whole routine. Which is why I would rather see them do one dance each week but still have them do two different dances before voting starts. Here’s the night—

Toni & Alec-Rumba-"I Can’t Make You Love Me"--They reverse roles in a promise Alec made. Alec shows his commitment to their partnership by facing his fear of singing in front of an audience and sings Karaoke to “Unbreak My Heart”. Tom gives it a 2 using one of the judges paddles. Tom was right, Alec was very bad!
Very good, beautiful dance.
Len-Surprised how good that performance was. Great chemistry.-8
Bruno-Captured the sensuality and vulnerability of a reckless mistress.-8
Carrie Ann-You move like you sing. Dance with passion. Two lifts, though.- 7
TOTAL: 23 A couple of points were taken off for the lifts.
Alec explains his bad singing to Samantha- “I’m forming a band with William Hung”.

Brooke & Derek-Paso Doble-"Palladio Allegro"—Derek took Brooke to a karate lesson to work on her aggression. Have to bring that intensity to the Paso Doble.
Great dance! And lovely costumes! Wonderful job!
Carrie Ann-Truly mesmerized. Just a hair off. Still nailed it.-8
Len-Portrayed that aggression. Wasn’t over the top. Little too much messing about at the beginning.-8
Bruno-Moments of breathtaking artistry. You are born to dance.- 8
TOTAL: 24

Rocco & Karina-Rumba-"You’ll Never Find Another Love Like Mine"--Rocco took Karina to his kitchen where he is most romantic when cooking. Hopes to channel those same emotions to the dance floor.
Nice, but not as good as last week. Didn’t seem to move much.
Bruno-The stalin ran out of juice. Standing like the Thing. Walking on the wild side.-5
Carrie Ann-Something very natural about you. Lacking musicality. Nice try.-5
Len-More tears than cheers. Karina gave you all the ingredients. Came out not very tasty.-6
TOTAL: 16

Lance & Lacey-Paso Doble-"I Kissed A Girl"—Not sticking to the typical bullfighting story but will incorporate traditional moves. I think it’s a wrong move, knowing Len.
Lance actually kissed Lacey at the end of the song! It was done well but this is not a song for the Paso. It was told later that they were given this song. I don’t know who picks these songs. This song might have the right rhythm or beat for the Paso but it doesn’t go well with the dance. JMO
Len- Lacey choreographed the dance very untraditional but put in some traditional moves which Len did not like at all! Tom said they would give him a complimentary blood pressure check.- 6
Carrie Ann-Very clever song choice. You take big risks.- 7
Bruno-Always thrilling to watch. You’ve got to keep the arms moving. Bruno demonstrates by moving his arms correctly and Len sits back and mocks Bruno’s moves. Funny!-7
Tom about Bruno & Len—“And to think I was worried about Cloris!”
TOTAL: 20
Note: I think Lacey is pushing it. She told Samantha that, “We obviously respect what they (judges) have to say but that doesn’t mean we have to lose who we are either.” when asked how she balances what the judges want and keeping true to yourself.

Kim & Mark-Rumba-"You Give Me Something"—Likes Mark like a brother. Mark brings in Robin Antin, Creator of the Pussycat Dolls to bring out the sexiness in Kim.
Rumba good on Mark's part, of course. No chemistry on Kim’s part. Was too stiff.
Bruno-Colder and more distant than Siberia. Grab the character and sell it.-5
Len-You have so much more potential. Just a little bit colder. You have all the gear in the rear.- 6
Carrie Ann-Giving your best. Watch yourself on tape. Bring a little bit more to the dance floor.- 6
TOTAL: 17
Tom-Wants to check out a couple terms in an Automotive Manual.

Misty & Maks-Paso Doble-"Take Me Out"—Maks went to see Misty play volleyball. Talked to coach about the way she works at the sport. Wants her to use the same aggression in the dance that she uses on the court.
S& M looking costumes with Misty wearing a black flowing half skirt. Danced really well.
Carrie Ann-So committed to every move. Stepped up your game (from last week). Watch shoulders.-7
Bruno-Mighty Xena the Warrior Princess. Loved energy. Check your knee and shoulders.-7
Len-Very good attempt. Great choreography. Lose connection when apart.-7
TOTAL: 21

Maurice & Cheryl-Rumba-"Mercy, Mercy Me"—Cheryl brought Mo to watch belly dancing. Got the hang of the hips.
He didn’t use the hips that much. There wasn’t much to it. If I hadn’t seen Cheryl out there, I’d have sworn this was Edyta’s dance because of all the posing that Cheryl did over nothing much for her partner.
Len-A bit rough. It lacked finess. Not bad.-6
Carrie Ann-Choreography held you back. A little too stiff.-7
Bruno-Usually smooth and slinky but were all rough and clunky. Almost robotic.-6
TOTAL: 19

Cloris & Corky-Paso Doble-"Bolero"—Corky tells Cloris that they have to focus and she really has to pay attention. He wants to play to her strengths as an entertainer.
I thought she did very well and kept it serious. Sure, she was still off tempo but in regard to her age, she did a very good job.
Bruno-Surreal. Started out as Frau Blücher and ended up as Gloria Swanson in “Sunset Boulevard”-“I’m ready for my close-up, Mr. DeMille”.-5
Len-Lovely traditional dance. Solo spins were excellent.-5
Carrie Ann-Drama was there but likes Crazy Cloris. Missed her incredible wit on the dance floor. -5
TOTAL: 15
Corky says later to Samantha that the Paso is not funny and is a dramatic and powerful dance. Cloris did well.

Susan & Tony-Rumba-"Waiting On The World To Change"--Has to go back to work on AMC so will work dance rehearsals in between the soap. Asks Cameron Mathison for advice.
Nicely done, but could flow better.
Carrie Ann-Transported us into another world.-7
Bruno-Very good Rumba, but still dance like the Virgin Queen. Throw yourself into it!-7
Len-Didn’t like when Tony exposed himself. Actor’s dance. You came out and acted the dance.-7
TOTAL: 21

Warren & Kym-Paso Doble-"Malaguenia"--Draw on football field aggressions. Biggest challenge is not smiling.
All dressed in black pleather. The long coat was not right on Warren and it gave him problems at the end of the dance. This dance was not for him but he gave it a good try.
Len-Very intense and excellent Paso Doble.-8
Carrie Ann-You are the Paso Doble Killer in the House! Filled with all the light and shade.-8
Bruno-It was like a Lamborgini on the freeway. For a guy of your size it was fabulous.-8
TOTAL: 24
Note: Maybe it was the coat that distracted me since all judges gave good reviews.

Cody & Julianne-Rumba—"Bleeding Love"-Julianne had to work with him on being romantic. Cody’s attention span is so short which is presenting a challenge to Julianne.
Pretty good. Good hip action. Has more chemistry than Kim K. does.
Bruno-Kid in a candy store. Got to learn control.-7
Len-Lacked a little bit of polish and finess. This boy’s on fire.- 7
Carrie Ann-Age appropriate Rumba. Very innocent and attractive. Work those hips a little more.-7
TOTAL: 21

Cloris, Rocco and Kim are in danger. If Cloris’s fans keep her in, I’m thinking Kim might just go over Rocco, at least I hope so. The bad thing about that is we lose Mark.

Tomorrow night the Macy’s Pro Dance Spot comes back again. Jessica Simpson performs.

Linda, fabulous post - thank you!

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Thanks! I'm glad you enjoyed it! ~ eom. Linda

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Posted by: Hillary
Date posted: Tue Sep 30 17:12:08 2008
Message:

 

I also wanted to say that I still feel Ted got jipped. He has chemistry and talent, and seemed to catch on to whatever his partner threw his way. I can't believe he got booted last week!

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ITA!

ITA too! eom/donna

Make that three ITA!! ~ eom. Linda

sb--That's fine. These messages are for anyone to answer! ~ eom. Linda

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Posted by: Eve
Date posted: Tue Sep 30 17:08:52 2008
Message:

The groan everyone faintly hears is from me about Jessica Simpson. Yeesh.

Every year I am amazed at Derek's choreography.  And he and Julianne are already making their partners look very good.

I thought Cloris was better than a couple of others and I can't believe I said it.

Toni Braxton is one beautiful woman.

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I'm not Linda, but I want to respond to your comment about Jessica Simpson. I agree 100%. For goodness sakes, this is a BALLROOM show. Let's have some quality vocalists who perform quality music suitable for such a show. What we're getting is the ''Mickey Mouse Network'' pandering to the tweens and very young adults. It's disgusting. I wonder what the actual demographics for the show are. I'm very curious. I suppose the more ''mature'' viewers don't matter!! /sb

sb, if the cameras don't show Jessica's face while she sings, I can handle it. I just hate her facial expressions. Eve

Eve.......... (lol) I've heard many people say the same thing. I'd still like to see more ''quality'' singers on the show as in past seasons. /sb

Eve--I am another one that groans right along with you. I can't take those faces Jessica makes. Derek and Julianne do wonders with their partners. I am always amazed at their choreography. They learned from Mark's parents and Corky seems to be doing pretty good with Cloris. Sure, she doesn't have the timing and isn't as sharp as her younger competitors but she does pretty well in her own right. I thought she was much better this week myself. I still can't believe that both Toni and Brooke have had children. They both have such gorgeous bodies. ~ eom. Linda

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Posted by: songbird
Date posted: Tue Sep 30 15:08:36 2008
Message:

Thanks for the excellent recap, Linda. Sorry about the aggravating computer problems. I'd want to slap it and then toss it!!!!

RUMBA

Toni & Alec - Best Rumba
Rocco & Karina - bye bye - no talent
Kim & Mark - bye bye - what a phony
Maurice & Cheryl - disappointing
Susan & Tony - nice
Cody & Julianne - ok

PASO DOBLE

Brooke & Derek - Best Paso
Lance & Lacey - it's all about Lacey (still enjoyable)
Misty & Maks - distracted by hideous S&M costumes
Cloris & Corky - bye bye - a little of Cloris goes a long way
Warren & Kym - very enjoyable, coat and all

BEST - Brooke / Toni

WORST - Cloris / Kim / Rocco - Kim and Rocco have no talent. Cloris is annoying. I'd be happy to see any of them go. However, they must have fanbases since Ted was eliminated last week. He left too soon.

This show needs to cut down on the number of contestants and air time. Big doesn't = better. They also need to use appropriate music. It's ''all over the place''.....hit and miss! Also, they only had 3 days of actual practice and that just isn't right!! This definitely isn't my favorite season.....no way!!!

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Thank you! Yup! That's just about the way I was feeling last night when I was more than halfway done with the recap and lost the whole thing. ~~ RUMBA--I agree with your list except I'm willing to give Rocco another chance since he did better on his second dance. I'm thinking this 3-day rehearsal week just messed everyone up. If he hadn't done better on his second dance, I would feel the same. I'm putting the blame more on Cheryl this time around than on Maurice since he did better last week too. But, yes, it was disappointing. I actually thought that Cody did pretty good. He needs to focus during practice more. PASO--We are in sync with these dances, too, now that I rewatched Warren's dance. That Matrix coat just bothered me and ruined the dance for me, I think. I can see that he did do a better job than I originally thought. Cloris, though, is doing well and did better but ''for her age''. This show is stupid for pitting people like her against much younger contestants. If she was competing against her own age group, I would say she is doing quite well. I especially thought that she buckled down a little more and really worked on this dance. Her antics during the judges comments and Samantha's interviews are getting annoying. Let someone else speak, especially your partner! Even so, the prediction sites have Cloris at the very bottom. As we all know that doesn't always mean anything. I totally agree that there are too many contestants. I hope TPTB learn from this and cut back next season. The music has been a constant complaint even from the pros so why they don't do something is beyond me. I'm hoping that starting this week they will be back to a normal schedule that the season gets better. ~ eom. Linda

Cheryl doesn't seem on top of the game this season. I wonder what is going on with her? We may learn more later IF there is a problem. /sb

I'm thinking it could be a real stress problem, at least to begin with. Her studio opened after the last season and she has been so busy with that. She has gained a little weight. She just doesn't seem like the same energetic person we have all come to love. Maybe she needs a break from the show like others have done. Whatever it is, I hope things go well with her. ~ eom. Linda

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Posted by: Hillary
Date posted: Tue Sep 30 14:03:56 2008
Message:
I missed the show, so thanks for posting a great recap Linda!

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Hillary, I have a link for you inside to see the videos of all the dances. That way you are up-to-date for tonight. ~ eom. Linda

I turned the TV on in time to see the recaps at the end of the show, but after reading your review, I really wanted to see the whole program.... so THANKS! / Hill

You're welcome, Hillary. I'll also post the link for tonight's show on the Results topic for anyone who might have missed any of the pros dances or anything else from the show. ~ eom. Linda

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Posted by: Angela
Date posted: Tue Sep 30 13:35:27 2008
Message:
thanks Linda for the recap...I give everyone alot of credit for the short time they had to prepare. I think they all did a good job. I wonder who will be voted off tonight.

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Glad to help! Oh, I give the contestants credit too. I just wish TPTB would have thought of the short rehearsal time when they set up the three night first week. I'm sure next week will be much better. It's always a guess who will go, but some predictions have Cloris going. That doesn't always mean anything as we have seen before. ~ eom. Linda

I read on an AOL gossip board that Warren Sapp is a diva, he throws hissy fits and walks out of rehearsals. It seems the pros and the production staff wouldn't mind seeing him go. (but he won't be going for awhile). I sort of feel bad for Lance, I thing he has the worst choreographer and all of his dances seem to look the same. Is it Lance or is it Lacey? I know nothing about dance so how do I know?lol Cloris MUST go!/Peace

Peace--I've been hearing some things about Warren, too, but I didn't know it was that bad. Thanks for the info. Lacey seems to be the problem. She wants to choreograph the dances her way and doesn't seem to understand that she has to stick to the rules. This isn't some variety or stage show where you can do what you want in these dances. These rules were set up just for this show. Some are the same as in ballroom competition and some are not. Whatever they are, she has to stick to that or she isn't helping her partner at all. This just might be Cloris's night to go. You never know with this show. ~ eom. Linda

I would love to know if that's true about Warren, cause his footwork is really good. We need a spy there. Eve

Warren seems to be like a warm cuddly teddy bear, but who knows? The article I read was titled something about 'Diva on DWTS'....so I thought it was probably about Susan, but much to my surprise it was Warren./Peace

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